Hey there! I know it isn't December yet, but I wanted to get this first chapter out for Mileven week on tumblr. Anyway, this story will have 5 chapters (they're all finished and will be posted throughout the end of this month and December), so enjoy and happy holidays!
. . .
Mike observed himself in the mirror. He adjusted the bow tie on his vest and buttoned up his jacket. He took a deep breath. Tonight was the Snowball dance at Hawkins Middle School and he had promised Eleven that he would take her. Mike had never been to any of the school dances before, (no girl ever approached him, let alone asked him) so he wanted this night to be perfect. After brushing his hair for the fifth time, the young man made his way downstairs to wait for Eleven.
"You all ready?" Nancy asked the young girl.
Eleven nodded and smiled at her reflection. Her hair, which had grown out a little, had a small, pink bow in it. Nancy had loaned her another one of her dresses, a light blue one with a floral pattern, and gave her some tips on how to slow dance. If Mike even had the courage to ask her, that is.
"You look beautiful, El," Nancy smiled. She had grown fond of the girl ever since the events that took place with the Demogorgon and Eleven looked up to Nancy as her older sister.
"Thank you," Eleven spoke. She followed Nancy downstairs and into the kitchen where Mike and his friends were waiting patiently.
. . .
"Dude, would you relax?" Dustin laughed at his friend, who looked like he was about to pass out. Dustin was wearing a grey sweater vest, similar to the outfit he wore on the day of Will's 'funeral', and Lucas was wearing a sharp, dark blue tux.
"W-What are you talking about?" Mike stuttered. "I'm fine. Man, is it hot in here?" He wiped the sweat off his forehead and began to pace back and forth. Lucas rolled his eyes and stood up.
"Mike! Chill!" he yelled and got his attention. "You're worrying about nothing. I'm sure El's just as excited about going to the dance as you are."
Mike sat down next to the kitchen table and sighed. "I know. I just want this to be perfect. I've never been to a dance before and what if I mess something up?"
Dustin laughed again and patted his friend on the back. "You're gonna be fine, man! Just be yourself and everything will run smoothly."
"Thanks, guys," Mike smiled and stood up, a little more confident. He couldn't ask for a better group of friends. They would call you out when you did something wrong, but would always be there for you when you need it.
The sound of footsteps coming down the stairs got the group's attention. They all turned around and saw Nancy and El gracefully make their way towards the kitchen. Mike was awestruck. He stood in the middle of the room, mouth agape and frozen in place. Dustin closed his friend's mouth and pushed him forward, making the boy stumble a little.
"Y-You look amazing, El," he said breathlessly.
"Thanks, Mike," El blushed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "You look pretty."
The young man let out a giggle and rubbed the back of his neck. He held out his other hand and cleared his throat, trying to act all gentlemen-like.
"You ready to go?" he asked.
El nodded and took his hand. Dustin and Lucas raced toward the front door, both calling 'shotgun' and trying to shove each other out of the way. Nancy offered to drive the kids to the Byers' house so Jonathan could take pictures of the group and drop them off at the dance.
Lucas had made it to the passenger's seat first and let out a triumphant yell. Dustin folded his arms and called shotgun on the ride home. He sat in the back, with Mike in the middle and El on the other window seat. The December air was cold and all the kids were silently shivering as Nancy got in the car.
"Alright, don't freeze to death, I'll turn on the heater," she chuckled and started the engine.
As they drove to Will's house, Dustin spoke up.
"Hey guys, do you think Jennifer Hayes is gonna ask Will to dance at the Snowball?" he asked.
"I'll be surprised if she doesn't," Lucas responded. "What do you think, Mike?"
Mike thought for a moment. "Well, she was crying at his funeral, so I'm gonna go with yes."
Nancy pulled into the Byers' driveway and the kids bolted out of their car seats and towards the front door of the house. Dustin knocked on the door and in an instant, Will opened it, (he was wearing a red sweater vest and dark blue slacks) and let his friends inside. Joyce and Jonathan were waiting on the couch, Jonathan getting his camera set up. The older woman got up to greet the children.
"Oh, you all look so adorable!" she smiled at them. "El, that dress looks gorgeous on you, sweetheart!"
El smiled bashfully and looked away. "Thank you," she said.
Nancy took a seat beside Jonathan, observing him tinkering with the device.
"That a new camera?" she asked, still feeling a little guilty about when Steve broke his old one.
"Oh, this?" he looked up. "No, it's just an older one I had. I actually have another one in my car, a Polaroid 660. But they're not as good as the other one that...got broken." He cleared his throat and got up from the couch, walking over to the group of kids.
"Alright, guys, gather around," Jonathan smiled. The kids grouped together in the middle of the room and stood politely, smiling up at the photographer.
"Dustin, no bunny ears!" Jonathan scolded the curly-haired boy.
Dustin rolled his eyes and returned his arm to his side, away from the back of Lucas' head. "Oh, Come on!"
Jonathan shook his head and smiled. "Okay, tell you what, you give me a decent, formal picture and I'll let you make all the funny poses you want."
Dustin's toothless smile returned. "Deal!" he said.
The young photographer took several photos of the kids, posing like you would on school picture day, then he allowed them to do whatever they felt like for the next one. Dustin returned his bunny ears to the back of Lucas' head, Lucas gave himself 'moose antlers' and stuck his tongue out, Will crossed his eyes and formed a goofy grin on his face, El mimicked Dustin and put bunny ears behind Mike's head, and Mike covered his eyes with his hands, smiling wildly.
"Alright, now Mike and El, let me get a few pictures of you two," Jonathan said.
Mike, nervously, looped his arm around Eleven's and they stepped forward. Will, Lucas and Dustin stepped out of the frame and walked behind Jonathan.
"Okay, smile!" Jonathan grinned and focused up his shot.
Eleven leaned against Mike's arm and smiled, while Mike's face turned red and he grinned sheepishly. Jonathan got the picture and thanked the couple, who still had their arms linked around each other. Dustin, Lucas and Will snickered in the background making kissing noises, knowing it would get on Mike's nerves.
"Cut it out, you guys!" he shouted and looked away, his face still a light shade of pink.
"Come on. Let's get you all to the dance before you start killing each other," Jonathan laughed and grabbed his keys from the counter.
"You kids be safe and have fun!" Joyce called as the children raced out the door.
"We will, Mom!" Will responded and followed his friends out to the car. Nancy followed Jonathan out the door and the two teenagers stood awkwardly in the driveway.
"So...I'll see you tomorrow, maybe?" Jonathan asked and rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding eye contact.
"Sure. Definitely," Nancy smiled and patted his arm.
"Hey, lovebirds!" Mike shouted from the car window. "Hurry it up!"
His older sister gave him a death glare and the other children laughed in response. Nancy wished Jonathan a goodnight and returned to her car, pulling out of the driveway. Jonathan started up the engine and the kids were finally on their way to the Snowball.
. . .
Jonathan parked in front of the school gymnasium, where other parents were dropping off their kids. He informed the group that he would pick them up in the exact same spot in a few hours and told them to have fun.
Mike took ahold of Eleven's hand, interlacing their fingers, and smiled at her. "You ready?" he asked.
"Yes," Eleven responded. Her heart fluttered with excitement as they headed inside. This was a moment she had been looking forward to for awhile.
The gym was alive with the sound of the latest hits blasting through the stereos and other kids laughing, enjoying themselves.
The room had a sky blue tint to it, thanks to the new lighting system the school received, and dozens of paper snowflakes were hung from the ceiling. There was a snack table with fruit punch, Christmas cookies, and other treats the kids loved, and a row of bleachers were opened on one half of the gym, in case any of the students wanted to sit out.
"Wow. They really went all out this year!" Lucas said, glancing around the gym.
"Oh, man, are those the cookies that the librarian makes every year and they taste like the gates of heaven opened up in your mouth?" Dustin gasped and focused his attention on the snack table in the corner.
"Only one way to find out," Will smiled and raced after Dustin and Lucas. Mike and Eleven followed behind.
"Holy shit, they are!" Dustin shouted and began to grab a handful of the treats.
The school librarian, Ms. Williams, always made cookies for the dances, each themed after the upcoming holiday. This year, she made a whole batch of Christmas cookies shaped like snowmen, Christmas trees, snowflakes, and Reindeer.
"El, you have to try these," Will said as he handed her the frosted treat. "They're called cookies and they're the best!"
Eleven was never someone to deny food. She looked over at Mike who was also shoving the cookies into his mouth. She giggled and tried one herself. It was delicious! El wiped the crumbs off her face with her sleeve and finished the dessert.
"It was good," she smiled.
"I know right?!" Dustin responded, who was filling a plastic red cup with fruit punch.
Suddenly, the speakers started to play a slower song and the kids in the middle of the gym grabbed a partner and began to slow dance. Lucas looked over to Mike, who was pretending to adjust his tie and glance at the clock every few seconds. He groaned at his friend's obliviousness and punched him in the arm.
"Ow! What?!" Mike snapped and rubbed the aching spot where Lucas had hit him.
Lucas pointed to Eleven and then to the middle of the gym where everyone was dancing. "Now's your chance, man! Don't miss it!" he whispered.
Mike nodded and glanced over at Eleven. She watched the other kids who were dancing and smiled, wondering what they were feeling like. She remembered the first time she walked into the gym and saw hundreds of kids, sitting on the rows of bleachers, staring at her and the boys. She didn't care though. It was always a delight to be around kids her own age, it made her feel normal. The girl's train of thought was interrupted when she felt someone take her hand.
"Um, want to dance, El?" Mike asked.
Eleven smiled and nodded eagerly. Mike led her to the dance floor and was surprised to see that Will was dancing with Jennifer Hayze. Guess they had been right earlier in the car. Mike returned his focus on El and he gently placed his hands on her slim waist. She responded by placing her arms around his neck. Just like Nancy taught her.
"I, uh, don't really know how to dance," he apologized. This was all very new to him.
"It's okay," Eleven looked up at him with her sparkling eyes. "Me neither."
A smile grew on Mike's face, relieved that he wasn't alone in this new experience. His ears focused on the song that sounded throughout the gym. It was 'My Girl' by 'The Temptations'. Mike thought it sounded familiar, as he had memories of his mother playing it on their old record player. The couple swayed to the music and memories of last month's events played through Mike's head.
'I've got sunshine, on a cloudy day,'
'When it's cold outside, I've got the month of May.'
Mike remembered the day he and his friends found Eleven, cold and scared in the woods. He was the one who lent her a change of clothes and gave her a place to sleep. He did it out of the kindness of his heart and taught El the meaning of friendship. Over time as their bond grew stronger, so did his feelings for her.
'I guess you'd say, what can make me feel this way?'
Mike didn't know the exact moment when he began to like El as 'more than just a friend', but all he knew was that she could make him happy by just being in the same room with him, and he was sure that she felt the same way about him. Whenever she was in trouble she would call out for Mike, whenever she felt scared she would hold his hand, and whenever they locked eyes, even for a second, she would automatically smile. They protected each other, whether it was breaking another kid's arm or hiding them in a blanket fort from the bad men, their safe zone was each other.
'My girl, my girl, my girl,'
'Talkin' 'bout my girl,'
"Mike," El whispered, breaking the awkward silence between them.
"Yeah, El?"
"Thank you," she said.
"F-For what?"
"Everything."
Eleven rested her head on Mike's shoulder and continued to hold onto him as they swayed to the music. Mike did the same, observing the little, pink bow in her short hair. He glanced up and caught Lucas and Dustin, both giving him thumbs up and nodding their heads in approvement. His eyes glistened and he smiled at them, continuing to dance with girl that changed his life.
. . .
After the song was over, the couple joined their friends who were sitting atop of the bleachers. It was around 10:30 and the dance would be over in half an hour. The kids, exhausted and full of fruit punch and cookies, sat in a peaceful silence, observing the other students mingle around the gym.
"Hey, guys, look," Will spoke up and pointed toward the window. "It's snowing!"
The group excitedly ran towards the window and observed the white, fluffy snowflakes dancing in the air. They all exited the gym to take part in the first snowfall of the year. There was a drastic temperature drop and Eleven began to shiver and rub her arms.
"Here, El," Mike said as he took off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders.
"Thanks, Mike," she spoke softly.
"Man, it's pouring out here!" Dustin laughed and tried to catch snowflakes on his tongue.
El tightened her grip around Mike's jacket and looked around in awe at the unknown substance.
"This is snow?" she thought aloud.
"Yeah," Mike laughed. "Just wait until Christmas when there's a lot of it. It's real fun to play in!"
"Christmas?" Eleven looked up at Mike, her curiosity peaking.
"Christmas. It's a holiday people celebrate," Mike explained. "It's a time when you get to be around the people you love and you give them presents to show how much you care about them."
"It's my favorite time of the year!" Will shouted as he threw a handful of snow into the air.
"Don't worry, El," Mike held her hand again. "We'll teach you all about it. There's songs, TV specials, and all kinds of stories you can learn from!"
El's smile widened. She was always eager to learn something new. "Okay," she laughed.
The group continued to play around in the snow until the honk of a vehicle got their attention. They spotted Jonathan's car and made their way towards it, glad that they got to return to their warm houses.
"So, how was it?" the young man asked as the kids piled into the seats.
"Awesome!" Lucas said.
"The best!" Dustin commented.
"Exciting!" Will laughed.
"Amazing," Mike sighed.
"Fun," Eleven smiled.
Jonathan smiled, happy that the kids enjoyed their first school dance. He started up the car and played soft Christmas music on the radio. The children were exhausted and all of them tried to fight the urge to fall asleep in the car. Lucas and Dustin got dropped off at their homes and Jonathan pulled up to the Wheeler's household to drop off Mike and Eleven.
The young man looked in the rear view mirror and saw that both Mike and El had passed out in the back. El had her head resting on Mike's shoulder, with his jacket still wrapped around her shoulders, and Mike lay his head on top of hers. A devious smile spread across Jonathan's lips and he reached into the glove box to pull out his Polaroid camera.
"What are you doing?" Will whispered.
"Just doing Mike a favor," Jonathan smirked.
The flash from the camera woke the kids up and they rubbed their eyes in confusion.
"You're home," Jonathan laughed and he fanned the picture that he took with his instant camera.
Mike stretched, still unaware of what had happened. He was just glad to be home. "Okay, cool. Thanks, Jonathan."
The boy held the car door open for Eleven, and said goodbye to Will.
"Mike, wait," the older brother said and handed him the picture.
"Wha-? H-How, when did you take this?" Mike asked, flustered.
Jonathan began to back out of the driveway. "You're welcome!" he shouted out the window, Will giggling in the passenger's seat.
Mike shook his head and made his way to the front door where Eleven was waiting for him. She was confused on why he looked embarrassed, and what Jonathan was laughing about.
"What's that?" She asked him and pointed to the picture in his hand.
"Oh, Jonathan took a picture of us in the back seat when we fell asleep," Mike said and hesitantly handed her the photo.
El observed the picture and began to grin from ear to ear. She looked up at Mike who was fumbling with his hands, looking down at his feet.
"I like it," she told him and handed the picture back.
The boy smiled cheerfully and opened the front door for his girl. Eleven excused herself to go change out of her dress and went upstairs. Mike walked into the living room and saw Nancy reading a magazine on the couch. He took a seat beside his older sister, still glancing at the photo in his hands.
"So, how'd it go?" she asked him.
Mike sighed happily and sank into the couch. "Perfect."