Friday, Feb 1st - Day 4

Nancy poked her head into Mike's room. "Mike, school. You're late… again. We go through this almost every morning Mike."

Mike poked his head around the door and said loudly. "I'M UP!"

"Shit, Mike." Nancy was startled not expecting it.

"Are you wondering why I don't get an alarm like every other normal kid?"

"Yeah, I was...why don't you?"

"And miss this morning exchange with my lovely sister?"

"What's got into you Mike?" Nancy tried to sound pissed off, but she could see Mike was in such a good mood she didn't want to spoil it.

"Nancy, can you check on Holly real quick, to see if she's too close to her shelf again."

Nancy quickly left and ran down the hall.

Mike waited for the thump and the crying from his little sister. It didn't happen. It looked like Mike was able to change that at least. He hated to hear his little sister cry. If he could prevent it he would, anytime, make that every time.

Nancy came back to his room, "crisis averted. Thanks Mike."

"Can you do me a favour after school, before you go out tonight. I want you to teach me how to make scrambled eggs."

"Why don't you get Mom to show you."

Mike had already anticipated this, "I want to make breakfast in bed for Mom on Mother's Day."

"Ok, who are you and what have you done with my kid brother. Yes, Mike I'll show you but it has to be right after school ok?"

"Thanks Nance, I owe you."

Nancy just looked at the ceiling for help and shook her head. Mike was impossible to understand.

When Mike got down to the kitchen, he immediately went to the fridge to get the Eggos. He didn't think he had to, but he took a quick look at the paper his dad was reading. Still Friday.

Mike, smiled. Some things were still the same.

Mike went down to the basement to brush his teeth. He opened the tube of toothpaste from the new box.

He managed to get outside and get to Lucas before he reached for his strap. He shouted "STOP!"

It startled Lucas enough that he stopped in his tracks. "What is it Mike"

"The stitching is about to give way on your backpack strap."

"I was just about to adjust it, thanks for the reminder."

And then it gave way.

"Ah, shit, it snapped. Why do they even allow pieces of shit like this to be sold in stores?"

"I tried to stop you. I'll explain at lunch."

"There's no way you could have known Mike. Don't worry about it."

Without their bikes it always took longer to get to school. Sometimes they had to walk over unplowed streets and sidewalks. Today wasn't too bad but it definitely wasn't as quick as riding their bikes.

Either way the Party always met at the bike rack. Dustin was waiting for them. "Heads up, Troy and James are around somewhere." No sooner had he said that when the two of them rounded the corner of the school and spotted them. Mike looked and saw El again.

He couldn't wait to talk to her again. He couldn't quite tell, but it looked like she was smiling at him. On second thought, this would be her first Friday talking to him, so Mike knew that wouldn't be it.

"Hello frogface," Troy said to Mike.

"Hello you Son of a Motherless Goathumper," then Mike shouted.

"Everybody be witness to this mouthbreather about to assault me." And then quieter to Troy, "go ahead punch, me, I'm sure nobody will tell a teacher or a teacher isn't already watching."

And then an even quieter more menacing tone, Mike said "why don't take a few minutes and count your teeth this morning asshole. I'll ask you for a recount at the end of the day."

Mike was sure the Troy didn't know what had just happened. Troy stomped off.

Dustin and Lucas jaws were stuck open.

Dustin was first to speak, "maybe you'll be lucky and he'll kill you quickly. Best you can hope for today. Sorry Mike, you were a great friend."

"Lucas, tie your shoes." Mike said.

Lucas looked down, shrugged in surprise and got down one one knee to tie his shoes.

Mike could not wait to get to his locker.

El was there already. That was new, the last three days he'd been there first.

Mike saw that she had already changed her wristband to blue. She looked at him and said, "hi".

Mike caught her attention. She looked and was about to look away, but did a double take and looked back at him.

"Mike?" He only had the nerve to say this once. He took a deep breath.

"Eleven, you have the prettiest eyes I'm ever going to see in my entire life."

Her beautiful eyes went wide, her bottom lip quivered a little. She cleared her throat.

"You have something important to say," She said simply.

Mike hesitated "I do El, but I'm sure you wouldn't believe me. I'm not sure I believe it."

"Don't tell me if you're not ready. We all have secrets we are afraid to share."

"That was very philosophical. Are you saying you have a secret too?"

"I can't tell you," El said with a half smile, "it's a secret. A girl needs her secrets." She turned and walked off to their home room, throwing him a smile over her shoulder.

Mike was sure his secret outdid hers. She was probably just being coy.

Math class was the same. No change there.

Mike got to Mr. Clarke's class, before she did. She gave him a smile that made him feel like he was floating. "Has anybody told you that you are really pretty?" Mike was feeling bold today.

"Some cute guy did this morning, but that's it." Mike and El shared crimson faces.

"I really wish I didn't have to do all this again tomorrow."

"Tomorrow is Saturday, Mike."

Mike looked at her. Should he tell her? He had no proof, it's not like she would be rolling dice today, their lab encounters had been different every single time. Except for her pencil, but that wasn't enough to convince anybody. "You're right, what was I thinking?"

The lab went smoothly as usual, Mike and El worked very efficiently together. Had Dustin or Lucas been his partner, they would have gotten good marks for sure, but they would have been goofing around half the time.

"Mike," she said, "why didn't Troy punch you today?"

"He should have, it's a few days in a row now that he hasn't. I can't figure it out."

Mike waited for Dustin and Lucas in the lunchroom. As soon as they sat down Mike handed each of them a folded piece of paper. "Don't look at them yet."

Dustin, raised his eyebrows, "is this related to the new campaign you're working on."

"Hmm, could be," Mike said not wanting to give anything away.

Well, this definitely is," he pulled out a bag of red translucent gaming dice. Mike perked up a bit. The dice looked cool.

Dustin opened up the bag, and starting rolling the dice. 11, 47, 56, 65. Dustin called them out as expected.

"Ok, look at the paper now." Both Dustin and Lucas read at the top of the paper. Mike had printed at the top "Friends Don't Lie' , and then the numbers Dustin had just rolled.

"Ok, logically, there was no way you could have known I had my new dice with me. So there's no way you could have guessed those numbers or any numbers. What's going on Mike, are you psychic and have been holding out on us?"

Mike waited a second or two, held up his hand while looking at them, snapped his fingers and said, "queue the plate drop." The sound of a thousand shards filled the air. The sound of laughter filled the room right after.

"I'm repeating this day, it's the first Feb 1st for you guys, 4th one for me."

"Holy shit, Mike. Ok we have questions," Dustin looked at Lucas who nodded, "lots of questions."

"And I have no answers."

Mike had to admit that today went well, he got to talk to El again, she… thought he was cute. That had been a pleasant surprise. Did she like him? Mike forgot to breath just thinking about it.

El was already at her locker after last class. Mike went to get the handkerchief he knew she'd be needing.

"How was your day MIke?" El asked.

"Today was one of the best days I've had," he smiled at her.

"You are the reason for that… shit." He saw Troy coming towards him out of the corner of his eye, he leaned a bit closer to El and said, "I'll try not to bleed on you."

She looked at him and followed his eyes to Troy. Troy was being a jackass, and in a bizarre dance of un-coordination, slipped or tripped into an open locker door. His head collided hard. Mike could see he just hammered the locker door with his face, breaking his nose. He saw more than two or three teeth flying out of his mouth.

"That looked like the worst one yet." He walked over to Troy, and leaned down as he rolled around on the floor in pain. "Tooth recount Troy."

He went back to his locker, "that was kind of mean," El said looking at him, disappointment in her voice.

"He punches me almost every day, he insults Dustin and Lucas. Every day. Who knows how many other people are he terrorizes on a daily basis. I don't know when he finds the time to eat and sleep he's so busy being a bully." Mike looked down.

"Sorry, El." He handed her his handkerchief.

"I didn't know it was that bad," her face darkened as she looked back at Troy, "only three teeth."

"What was that, El?"

"It looks like he only lost three teeth."

"I don't think his nose will ever be the same again either. That's ok, I'm sure he'll take it out on me next time. Fridays have always been this much fun."

Mike followed El out to the bike rack to wait for Hopper. Mike was surprised to see Max waiting for them.

El turned to him, "Mike I want you to be meet my best friend Max."

"Zoomer, right?" Mike smiled at her.

"I like him already, El." Max said. "Um, I know I don't know you all that well, just from what El has told me," Mike looked at El, she returned his look with a smile.

"Could you introduce me to your friend Lucas?"

"Uh, fair warning, but you know we're all nerds right?"

"The whole school knows it, Wheeler… but we know," Max was gesturing between herself and El, "that you guys are also the nicest guys in the entire school. Offsets the whole nerd thing for us."

"I think that was a compliment." Mike said, and then more serious, "wish you had caught me with this in the morning, not sure I can help tomorrow."

"Why not?" Max said her smile disappearing.

"Kind of a long story, I don't know if it will be tomorrow, or Monday, but I will introduce you Max. I promise." Max seemed happy with that. She said bye to them before getting on her skateboard and taking off.

"El?"

"Yes, Mike?"

"What do you think the chances of your dad letting you hang out with us after school?"

"Not today Mike," Mike nodded, looked down, so never then, from the way his Fridays had been going..

At 3:45 Hopper's truck sped into view.

El could see how disappointed he was, "maybe tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow's Saturday, El. I have no reason to believe that it's going to work out for me."

The truck stopped a few feet from where they were standing, Mike saw the window roll down, "sorry I'm late, kid," Hopper gave Mike a nod, "thanks for staying with her, Wheeler. Don't get used to it."

Mike was getting used to it. That was the problem. And El would not remember any of this tomorrow.