El ended up sick for the rest of the week. Will had to return to school alone, where a new girl had joined their class and caught the attention of both Dustin and Lucas. Her name was Max Mayfield, and she'd just moved to Hawkins from California. She had fiery red hair and an equally-fiery personality that matched. Mike seemed more than a little annoyed that his two friends were trying to bring her into the group, citing that El was enough and they didn't need another girl in the group.

"You didn't fight it when Will brought El in," Dustin protested.

"Yeah, well, that was different."

"Because you like El."

"And she's Will's sister!"

"We didn't know that yet!"

"Ugh." Mike slumped back in his seat. "When's El coming back, anyway?"

"She should be back by next week; the doctor said she has strep throat. Her throat's all swollen and the fever's still bad," Will explained with a grimace.

"Damn. Hate to be her," Lucas commented.

"The medicine's working but she can't come back to school yet. She's excited about the Snow Ball, though." Will shot a smirk at Mike. "That was a nice move with the snowflake."

"She told you?!"

"I'm her twin brother, Mike. She tells me everything; you really didn't think she'd tell me you asked her out?"

Mike's face turned pink and he was suddenly very interested in his lunch. Lucas and Dustin started laughing at his embarrassment before he bit out for them to shut up.

"I don't see anything wrong with asking another girl to join the group," Will continued. "I mean, I love my sister, but she could really use a girl to talk about things with. You know, stuff girls and guys really shouldn't talk to each other about?"

"Okay, I agree with Will," Dustin butted in. "C'mon, Mike. Just give her a shot."

"Fine. But if she and El don't get along, she's out."

"Deal."

And with that, they started making a plan to include Max into whatever activity they'd be doing next. Which was going to the arcade on Saturday, seeing as El would be better by that point and itching to get out of the house. Mike point-blank refused to write a campaign including Max, though, since they had no idea if she even played D&D, much less her character class. That was fine with the others.

All they could do was plan, though.


El was excited to get out of the house after a week of being on bedrest. Her family had been insistent on her getting rest instead of moving around a lot, so she'd been restless for most of the week. And going to the arcade with her friends? Yes, please. Even if she had to catch a ride with Jonathan because Will had spent Friday night over at Mike's and she was the first one at the arcade as a result. She didn't mind. It just meant a little extra time to try and beat scores on Pac-Man and Dustin's high score on Dig Dug.

When she got there, though, the machine was occupied by a girl with red hair. The girl hammered the buttons with a practiced ease that was hypnotic and El couldn't help but watch as the score climbed higher and higher. Before long, the words NEW HIGH SCORE flashed across the screen. Smirking, the girl entered the name MADMAX and whirled around, almost running into El.

"Sorry!" El gasped.

"Nah, it's fine. Were you watching me?"

"Yeah. You completely demolished my friend's score. It was awesome." She stuck out her hand. "I'm El. You?"

"Max." The redhead accepted the handshake. "You go to Hawkins Middle?"

"I do. But I was out sick this past week. Are you new around here?"

"Just moved here from California. But, already, I have a couple stalkers here. They wanted me to hang out with them here today, so I showed up early to get my serious gaming out of the way."

"My brother and our friends are coming here later. I'm excited."

"Did you wanna play?" Max stepped aside and gestured to the machine.

"Yeah. Thanks!"

Instead of leaving, though, Max stood there and helped coach El through the game, racking up the brunette's score until it was higher than Dustin's. She smiled and entered the name ELEVEN, a name she'd come up with for herself when she was at the arcades back in Chicago. And now she and Max went from machine to machine, having a good time together as they tried to beat high scores wherever they could.

Then, as if on cue, the door to the arcade opened and four boys walked in. El smiled even wider than she had been already and ran to hug her brother. And Mike, because she could.

"How's it going?" Dustin asked her.

"I destroyed your score on Dig Dug."

"No!"

"You're in third, now."

"Oh, hey, stalkers," Max greeted them, sidling up beside El. "So which one of you is El's brother?"

Will raised his hand and Max nodded.

"Makes sense. El and I here have been destroying scores at the machines for an hour."

"So you do get along." Dustin gave Mike a side-eye and the dark-haired boy rolled his eyes. El tilted her head.

"Why did you think we wouldn't?"

"It's not important," Mike insisted. "C'mon, let's play some games."


"That's so fucking cheesy."

"It's sweet."

"Okay, yeah, it's sweet. But it's also cheesy as hell."

El giggled at Max flopping over on the bed dramatically.

"Wheeler is so desperately head-over-heels for you, it's sickening."

"I think it's cute."

"Of course you do. Because you're just as head-over-heels for him."

"Yep. And I can't wait for the Snow Ball." She smiled dreamily and Max gagged.

"Ew. Seriously, you and Wheeler are going to be disgustingly in love by the time we're in high school. You two will be that couple that's super-affectionate in public and completely unapologetic about it."

"You really think so?"

"Oh my God. That's exactly what you want, isn't it?"

"Yeah. It's great and he's so… amazing."

"How does Will feel about it?"

"He said that he wishes Mike would kiss me and stop pining like an idiot."

"I've known Wheeler less than two weeks and I feel the same way. Seriously, he's been like that since you moved here?"

"Mm-hmm." El kicked her legs. "He and the guys are completely different from everyone I knew in Chicago. You, too. I didn't have friends. The closest I had were my sisters and my older sister's best friend. But considering Kat and Kali are both sixteen and Sarah is three… yeah, it's nice having friends my own age."

"Was it weird to adjust to having a second set of siblings?"

"At first, it was. With Jonathan, I mean. Will and I just kinda clicked from the start; we met on the first day of school and it was like a magnet pulling us towards each other. It's sort of the same with Mike, only with Mike, I can't feel his pain or emotions. That's a Will-exclusive aspect."

"Jesus. Glad I don't have a twin. That must be kind of creepy."

"It helped us find Will when he got lost in the woods. Even if I ended up passing out before we actually found him. Dustin and Mike ended up carrying me out. I think I got sick because I forgot to bring a jacket with me, actually, and Mike lent me his. Shit."

She went over to where she and Will hung their jackets and discovered Mike's was there.

"I forgot to give it back."

"El, you're going to be his girlfriend. It's your right to steal his sweaters and jackets and never give them back."

"Really?"

"Not all of them, obviously, but some of them. This is just the first one and you should totally wear it to school. Mike would love it."

El's cheeks turned pink and she put on the blue jacket, zipping it up. Max started laughing as she realized that Mike and El already had a significant-enough height difference for it to swallow her. And, based off their respective parents, it was fully possible that Mike would be much much taller in the future and El would remain shorter than him. The image of a six-foot-tall Mike and a five-foot-tall El made Max laugh even harder.

"Max," El whined.

"Sorry, sorry. You guys just have a height difference that's really hilarious if I think about it."

"I'm glad you're my female best friend now."

"I'm not your best best friend?"

"That would be Will. Nobody's replacing him."

"Okay, that's fair. Are you sure he's okay with you dating his best friend?"

"I hope so. Because I really like Mike and I don't want to put Will in an awkward position if something happens."

"If something happens, I'm on your side."

"Thanks, Max."


Will and El pressed themselves against the wall outside Benny's. For the first time in a while, they were hanging out one-on-one, as brother and sister, but this was more than hanging out. This was them spying on Hopper, who El swore was dating somebody but she wasn't sure who. Her brother had been the only person to join her because Mike had to babysit and Lucas, Dustin, and Max were at the arcade. He was also curious as to who his twin's adoptive father was seeing, since they both wanted it to be Joyce.

"Is he in there?" whispered El.

"Yeah," Will replied, his voice low so they wouldn't be overheard. "He's talking to Benny. Nobody's sitting with him yet."

"Let me see!"

She peered through the window and saw Hopper talking to Benny. He was alone, like Will had said, and then she ducked down as her father turned his face towards the window. After a few heart-pounding moments, she and Will peered back in to see somebody sitting down with the Chief and laughing. A brown-haired somebody that the twins knew very well.

Mom.

"He's dating Mom!" squealed El excitedly.

"Maybe they'll get married and we can have our own rooms!"

"What, you don't like sharing with me?"

"I like sharing with you; it's just that we're both going to need our own space. Especially once you and Mike start dating."

"Okay, that's fair." El smiled and grabbed her brother's hand. "C'mon. Let's get some burgers and torture our parents with us knowing they're dating. That sound good?"

"Yes."

They went into Benny's and immediately, Will's eyes connected with his mom's. She stiffened and he knew he'd caught her. Still, the twins made their way over to the table and Hopper looked up with a grimace at being caught.

"Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad," El greeted them.

"Hi, sweetheart," Joyce replied.

"Mind if we join you?"

Hopper looked at his daughter and he knew she was purposely giving him and Joyce shit. She knew they were on a date and she was teasing them. But, truth be told, the kids had to know eventually.

"Not at all." Will and El slid into the booth—El next to Joyce and Will next to Hopper.

The four of them looked like a family.


December rolled around and Will found his best friend and his twin sister both locked into their own heads. The Snow Ball was fast approaching—that was the reason for their slight hysterics. That was how Will found himself being their support systems while El worried about whether or not her short hair (still having not grown back from the 'library incident') would be easy to style for the event and Mike worried about whether or not El would actually be willing to dance with him. Especially considering Mike Wheeler—despite having knowledge of many, many things—did not know how to dance.

"She doesn't know how to dance, either," Will sighed.

(He was okay with Mike and El dating. Mike liked El that way, not Will. He was okay with this. He was okay with this.

Even if it felt like something was being stolen from him.

Even if his own twin was the thief.

He was okay with this.)

"She doesn't?"

"No, but she's been asking Mom to teach her. Guess who gets roped into being her partner?"

"Ha." Mike smiled humorlessly. "Jesus. I'm actually going to the Snow Ball with my best friend's twin sister."

"Just keep your hands to yourself, okay?"

"What do you think I'm going to do?"

"Sorry, but Hopper doesn't talk to you that much, which leaves it to me to be the overprotective male family member. Most girls have one." Mike groaned and flopped onto his bed.

"She's gonna think I'm such a fucking wastoid when I try to dance with her…"

"Calm down. That's not going to happen."

Mike nodded and took a deep breath, trying to calm down.

"Um… you don't know what color her dress is, do you?"

"I do, actually. Why?"

"I… I just thought I should bring her something. Like flowers."

"Pink. Like that dress Nancy used to wear."

"The one with the white collar?"

"I heard my name," Nancy called from the doorway. "What's going on?"

"Nothing!" Mike answered quickly.

"We're just discussing the Snow Ball," Will told her. "Mike has a—"

To silence the younger Byers boy, Mike threw a pillow at his face, but it was too late. Nancy knew what Will had been saying and her face lit up.

"Mike, you have a date?!"

"Yeah…"

"That's big news! Oh, please tell me it's El. The way you're smitten with her is adorable."

"Yes, it's El. Leave me alone now."

"Aw, Mike! I guess now's a good time to let you know that I'll be volunteering at the dance, right?"

"Kill me now…"


On the day of the Snow Ball, Mike found himself the subject of dozens of pictures taken by his mother while they waited for Will and El to arrive. Jonathan was driving Mike and Nancy to the dance, too, so it only made sense. Plus Karen wanted pictures of her son and his date to his first school dance, so there was that. She adjusted Mike's tie and stepped back, smiling with approval before taking out her camera and taking a couple more pictures.

"Mom, they're gonna be here soon!"

"Just a second, sweetie! Smile—you look so handsome!"

"Mom!"

The doorbell rang and Karen rushed to open the door, where Jonathan was waiting with the twins. El's hair had been carefully styled and a blue barrette kept it away from her face. Her dress was a pale blue with a pink sash and tiny pink dots all over it and she smiled at Karen, who put a hand over her heart.

"Michael's in the family room," she stated. "I want pictures of you two together."

"You want me to take them, Mrs. Wheeler?" Jonathan asked.

"Oh, would you? I can never get Michael to look good in photos, no matter how hard I try…" She handed her camera to the teenager, who went into the family room with his younger siblings in tow. She didn't fail to miss the look in Mike's eyes when he saw El, his face lighting up with a dumbfounded smile.

"Pretty…" he blurted, turning pink. El's cheeks darkened but she was smiling, too. Karen wanted to squeal at how simply adorable it was.

"Okay, stand together," Jonathan stated, waving his hand. Nancy appeared in the doorway, a smile gracing her lips as she watched her brother actually look decent in photos for once in his life. After a few more, it was time to go and Karen straightened Mike's tie one last time.

"Have a good time, sweetheart!"

"Bye, Mom." The five headed out to the car and Mike found himself squeezed between El and Will, Nancy claiming the front seat before any of the younger kids could.

Upon heading into the dance itself (handing their tickets over to Mr. Clarke as they did so), they discovered much of the Hawkins Middle student body had already arrived. Mike froze as El grabbed his hand and pulled him across the room with her, to where Lucas and Max were talking. Dustin showed up a few minutes later, hair looking like a bird had nested in it and getting shit from the guys for it.

"It looks okay, right, El?" he asked.

"You look like Steve Harrington's little brother," she stated simply.

"Yes. That's what I was going for. He's the one who taught me to do my hair like this."

"Well, you should punch him," Max snorted. "It does not suit you. Like, at all."

"Screw you, Mayfield."

"Time After Time" started playing over the speakers and Dustin went off to find a girl to dance with. Max and Lucas went out on the dancefloor together and before El could move, a girl she didn't know walked up to Will.

"Hey, do you wanna dance?" she asked.

"U-uh…" Will looked from his best friend to his sister for support.

Ellie, help me. I'm too young and gay for this shit.

Oh no, you're on your own. It won't kill you.

"Okay." He and the girl went out on the dancefloor and Mike swallowed nervously.

"So… um… you wanna dance?" he asked her.

"I… honestly, I don't know how."

"I don't, either. Do you wanna figure it out?"

Together, they went out and he put his hands on her waist, El putting her arms around his neck as the music shifted to "Every Breath You Take". Mike's breathing hitched at the feel of her so close, so close and paying attention only to him. She was the prettiest person he'd ever seen in his life—even though he was only twelve. Her caramel brown eyes, brown curls, and smile had drawn him in and the person she was closed the gate for him.

You should kiss her, said a little voice in his head.

For a second, he hesitated. Then he leaned down (he was a few inches taller, after all) and pressed his lips to hers, ever so gently. And then she was kissing him back and that was all that mattered to him in that moment. Pulling apart, she smiled and rested her head on his shoulder. God, he was lucky right now. Will had somebody to dance with, Max and Lucas were doing their thing, and—oh dear God was Dustin dancing with Nancy?

"What the hell?" he whispered. El followed his line of sight and started giggling. "Isn't there an unspoken rule about this shit?"

"You broke that rule, dummy, remember?"

"Okay, true, but… we didn't know until like a month ago."

"That's fair."

The song changed again and the Party met up off the dancefloor. Mike immediately accosted Dustin, who insisted Nancy had asked him and not the other way around.

"Besides, weren't you locking lips with El out there?" snickered Max.

El felt Will's emotional distress before it cracked across his face for the briefest of moments. Nobody noticed but her, and guilt flooded through her being.

It's not fair. He can't... he can't be with Mike like I can...

Oh, Will...


Ooh, problems.

Yeah, so sorry this took a while. I hit a wall trying to introduce Max a year early, but I think it turned out all right.

Mike and El aren't quite together yet, though; Will is the only obstacle on that front, even if Mike doesn't know it. But El feels guilty because Will liked Mike first and she feels like she's stealing him.

Next time: time-skips and high school because I'm a jerk.

So long and thanks for all the fish!