Chapter 4: Just in Case.
A week later and high school had not improved for the party what so ever. In fact it had declined to madness over the past few days. School was becoming a tedious, dull day to day part of their lives like getting dressed or brushing your teeth. Just six hours of intense workloads and irritating classmates who felt it necessary to make every minute in that hell hole feel like days for Mike, Will, Dustin, Max, El and Lucas.
Other then the extreme horror that was Hawkin's High, Kat seemed to be distancing herself further and further from Eleven. Although she seemed quite keen on developing a friendship with her at first Kat had seemingly changed her mind and was spending her days trailing behind the walking barbies who patrolled the halls of the school premises. She was turning into their new project, their only method of entertainment in their standard lives. Torturing fellow students really did seem like a pass time or these girls.
"Forget her. She's just as fake as the rest of them." Lucas said shovelling a forkful of potatoes into his mouth at dinner. El had previously been staring over her shoulder at Kat who was smiling broadly at the table of miniature Madonna's as the other girls ignored her.
"Yes. Fake." El said turning around sadly and staring at her lap were she was clenching the piece of paper Kat had handed her only a week before. What was so important about this note that she felt the need to race after her. Did she ever want to be El's friend or was she simply a puppet for the girls she now called her friend, a way to work out if Eleven was really in a relationship with the boy who had become so well known around the school for having a sister with a baby.
"Don't worry too much. Besides! We have a sleepover to plan!" Mike said cheerfully which perked El up at once and they got to work planning the night they had ahead of them. Everyone was meeting outside the school after last period to cycle to Mike's house for their monthly sleepover.
"I vote we play Dungeons and Dragons." Dustin said throwing his opinion into the gaggle of talking.
"El can't play." Will said motioning towards El.
"She can learn! It's been long enough and besides she can be in Mike's team until she gets the hang of it." Dustin said blatantly.
"That's ok. We need a mage, and El's a quick learner." Mike said talking a drink of his water.
"Quick learner at tonsil tennis." Max murmured which made everyone burst out laughing and El slap Mike's back who was starting to choke on his water.
"Shut up." Mike said kicking Max lightly under the table.
"Tonsil tennis?" Eleven said scrunching her nose.
"Making out. Like kissing but- different." Lucas explained briefly.
"What is different?" El said talking a bite of her turkey sandwich.
"It's quicker, and longer. I guess I've never done it. None of us have." Lucas said blushing. Him and Max had not yet declared themselves a couple officially even though it was perfectly clear to the others.
"Oh." El said.
"Mike, I thought you'd done it?" Dustin joked.
"Bite me." Mike spat out.
"He's just kidding." Will said once again being the mediator in the group and keeping them from a full argument that could result in someone saying something they did not mean. Like the great fall out of '83. Long story.
"Let's just drop it ok?" Mike said avoiding eye contact with everyone and staring at his plate trying desperately to hid his flushed cheeks.
"It's ok Mike." Eleven said sweetly. "Don't be embarrassed."
They finished their lunch in silence apart from Dustin and Will who began arguing about who would win in a battle, super-man or green lantern.
Mike and El picked their trays up and emptied them while saying goodbye to the others and heading off to their lockers for free period.
Once there El took her usual spot on the bench opposite the locker immersing herself in 'The Secret Garden' while Mike shuffled through his locker picking out old, apple cores and lint. He pinched his nose tightly while he held a apple core by the rotting stem and dropped it in the plastic bag before stuffing it into the bin at the end of the hall.
"Weekly clean up done!" Mike said wiping his hands on his jeans and slumping beside Eleven.
"Mike?"
"Yes?" Mike said not giving her his full attention as he picked at a hangnail.
"Will you go to the Halloween party with me?"
This caught Mike off guard as he had almost completely ignored the posters plastered around the school notice boards advertising the up coming school dance for freshmen. He knew trick or treating was off the table as they were all getting too old but he had never considered going to a Halloween party. It was being held at town hall and was a way for the adults to keep an eye on the children who were too old to be trusted but too young to be kept inside. It was strictly dress up and apparently the event of the year for the cheerleaders and jocks as they wouldn't be going to prom in freshman year so instead they strived to win Queen of the Hallow. A cheesy crown and single dance apparently appealed to the girls but the boys wanted the title as it granted you immunity from the football team as the coach was not going to kick the popular boy off the team no matter how much you messed up. Mike was not one of those boys and El was not one of those girls so it was surprises she even wanted to attend.
"What?"
"We can stay for a while then leave. Go home and watch movies. Please Mike! I want to go." El said sticking out her bottom lip slightly and batting her eyes, a move that won Mike around every time.
"Alright. But no couples costumes!" Mike said lifting his finger in the air to symbolise his resistance to matching costumes.
"Why not!" El said sitting on her knees.
"I'm not going to be one of those couples who make everyone sick with how cute they are, every friendship group has one." Mike said suddenly realising that they were that couple. "Whoa! We're that couple!"
Mike stared off into the distance as if caught of guard by this sudden revelation.
"What?" El said tilting her head slightly at Mike.
"Okay never mind." Mike said snapping out of it quickly. "Just make sure to pick a cool couple. No Sandy and Danny."
"Yay!" El said planting a kiss on Mike's cheek. "Luke and Leia!"
Mike looked at her in disgust, aghast she would ever suggest that.
"They're brother and sister!" Mike said.
"Really?" El asked. She had only watched the first movie and was unaware of the bombshell they dropped in 'Return of the Jedi'.
"Yes. Darth Vader's their dad." Mike said simply.
"Oh." El said sadly. She had always been a fan of Star Wars, especially Chewbacca who was her favourite character because he reminded her of a big, fluffy, teddy bear.
"You have plenty of time. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll think of something." Mike said smiling at her before picking up his her book and standing up.
"Coming? English next." He said extending a hand to help her up which she took happily and they walked hand in hand to El's English class were Mike left her before running off to Physics because he didn't want El to get lost and even though she knew the way he insisted on taking her every time. Just in case.
That night at the monthly Wheeler sleepover something drastic happened. They were sitting around the sofa playing D&D and eating pizza, Mike patiently teaching El everything she needed to know and Dustin, Lucas and Max very impatiently waiting for the game to begin. Mere minutes after they had begun playing El felt something horrid and jumped up suddenly. She raced from the room and noisily barged up the stairs and almost knocked Karen over who was coming down the steps at that exact moment to bring them popcorn she had freshly made.
"What's the matter with Jane?" She asked and everyone shrugged but Mike got up quickly, concerned for his girlfriend.
He darted up the stairs and started to search the house for Eleven. He could not shout out for her as Ben was sleeping in Nancy's room and he feared the wrath of his sister if he waked the sleeping tot at an hour like this. He was almost about to give up and wait for her downstairs when he noticed the up stairs bathroom was locked. He had not thought to look in there as there was a perfectly good bathroom in the basement and Eleven's overnight bag was down there also so she had no reason to use the bathroom farthest away from them.
"El?" Mike said tapping lightly on the door. He heard some muffles and shuffling before El responded with;
"Go away."
"El what's wrong?" Mike said resting the side of his head against the door frame.
"Go away Mike! I don't want to talk to you."
Slightly hurt Mike turned to leave, to give her some space to cool down as he simply had no idea what he had done to upset her.
"Can you get Nancy?" Came a smaller voice from inside the bathroom.
"Ok El. I'll get Nancy." Mike said and he knocked softly on Nancy's door before she opened it quickly tying the cord around her nightgown, her hair a mess and squinting her eyes at the sudden light from the hallway.
"What?" She hissed desperate not to wake Jonathan or Ben.
"El wants you."
"Why?"
"I don't know! She's in the bathroom." Mike said turning and tiptoeing down the stairs to return to his guests.
Nancy however closed her bedroom door quietly and pranced across the hallway to the bathroom door which she knocked faintly.
"Eleven?" She croaked out.
"Nancy!"
"What's wrong?"
"I'm scared." El whispered.
"Open the door El so I can talk to you." Nancy said and after a few seconds of thinking from Eleven the sound of a bolt turning sounded and the door was pulled open. When Nancy glancing into the room it looked relatively normal except for the drops of blood on the blue tiles and El sobbing on the edge of the bath.
"El what happened?" Nancy said leaning over and comforting the young girl.
"I don't know. It hurt and then it stopped and so I came up here and-" El said motioning towards the blood on the bathroom floor and the blood stained pants in the corner that Nancy had only just noticed.
"Oh Eleven. That's nothing. It's just your period. Remember when I taught you about that?" Nancy said putting an arm around her and she felt the slight nod of El's head.
"Yes."
"It's perfectly normal, if a little embarrassing. Now let's get you cleaned up. I'll get you bag and you can put on your clean pants after you have a shower and I'll lend you some of my pyjamas. Sound good?" Nancy asked and El nodded. Nancy cleaned up the blood splattered across the ground after getting El into the shower in the other bathroom. She laid her new pyjamas, her clean pants and a pad on the closed toilet seat along with Eleven's full bag so she could clean up afterwards with her hairbrush and perfume as well as the other toiletries Eleven had brought with her.
Once she was cleaned and emotionally stable Nancy took her into her mom's room and towel dried her hair before gently brushing it out as they discussed the best ways to deal with this topic.
When Eleven was finally cleaned up almost an hour later she travelled downstairs to join the others once more this time a little ashamed of her reaction to a simple period.
"El." Mike said standing as soon as she had entered the basement, Nancy not far behind.
"Eleven's not feeling well, so make sure she has plenty of chocolate and has a rest. No horse play!" Nancy said smiling before heading upstairs to join her boyfriend.
"What's wrong El? Are you sure your just sick?" Mike said rubbing her arms and sitting her gently down on the sofa.
"I'm fine Mike. Promise." She said kissing his nose lightly to reassure him she was perfectly alright.
"Barf!" Dustin exclaimed. "Get a room!"
"Fuck off Dustin. Eleven's not well." Mike said turning and glaring at him.
Once everyone had gotten over El's meltdown from earlier they set to work playing D&D but Max and Eleven decided to sit it out as Max very much wanted to weasel it out of El as to why she had really left the party.
"Is it your period?" She whispered after many failed guesses.
"Yes." El said looking at her feet shamefully.
"Ohhh! I thought it was something really bad! That's not that horrible." Max said sitting back into the sofa pillows.
"You've had it?"
"Sure. A year ago. Sure as hell freaked me out though! Billy was the only one in the house and he didn't half tease me. Dickhead." Max said laughing along with her own story.
"Oh."
"It's fine. Just so long as your prepared for it. And don't tell the boys, they'll get all weird and stuff."
"Don't tell us what?" Lucas said his head turning quicker then usual. All the boys abandoned their game of Dungeons and Dragons to listen into the girls conversation.
"Nothing."
"You have to tell us now!" Dustin whined.
"Is it about El? If so I deserve to know more then the others!" Mike said folding his arms and staring Max down.
"No! It is not just about El and if I did tell you, you would all be weird and squeamish." Max argued.
"We won't! Promise!" Will said and now everyone was intrigued to find out what the girls had been whispering about.
"Fine! El do you want to tell them?" Max said staring at El. Eleven suddenly felt very on the spot and stammered out a 'Yes' even though she truthfully did not want the boys. However it would make matters simpler if she did not have to hid this now and Mike would understand why she had really left the room.
"Ok! The truth?" Max said staring angrily at the boys who nodded eagerly. "We were talking about periods!"
All of a sudden the room went silent and all the boys faces went from interested to shocked to awkward again in a matter of seconds.
"Oh." Lucas said rubbing the back of his neck.
"You wanted the truth so you got the truth." Max said confident in her attempt to make the boys feel incredibly embarrassed.