Pretty dresses looked the same when they are in tatters on the floor.
Every gift Papa had ever got for her lay in the wreckage. Dresses. Jewelry. Stuffed animals. Nothing was safe from her wrath. But she was still in the room, the room with the pretty pink door.
She'd hid in here after Mama's funeral. It was a sad affair with people in suits that El did not know and a wash of faces and hollow words that didn't mean anything to her.
She'd waited so long for him to come. For hours she stared hopefully at the door, expecting Papa to walk through, to take her into his arms and make the sadness go away.
But Papa wasn't coming for her.
The social worker waited outside that room impatiently, banging on the door every so often and every blow was a reminder that he wasn't here.
He was never here.
Not really. Expensive gifts were all she had of him, never his time. Never his love. He only loved Mama.
The window. It's the only way out. She climbed and then the world fell from beneath her. The ground is hard but she begins to run.
Desperately she runs and runs and runs. Her lungs burn. Her skin burns. Everything is burning bright: anger and sorrow and grief and it's going to swallow her whole.
Papa never wanted her.
…
El's body and heart aches when she first began to stir.
It took her a moment to register where she was, the harsh ledge beneath her bit into her tender skin and exhaustion clung to her limbs. She ignored the wetness that clung to her lashes and struggled to sit up.
The ledge in the quarry is cold and quiet.
When El came to for the first time, she knew she was in trouble. Her arm was definitely broken, but there's not much to do at the moment other than try not to move it. Luckily it's not a compound fracture, but her skin is a deep, mottled red, purple and blue in the area where the break must have happened.
There's nothing on the ledge that can help her splint it. The break is the worst of her injuries aside from the painful scrapes caused by the rocks. Any hopes of climbing up from were lost with the break in her arm and instead she'd called for help until her voice was broken and failed her. The quarry was much too vast—it ate her calls for help whole.
It was almost cruel.
She could hear people calling her name above the quarry, but they couldn't hear her. The small ledge she'd landed on when she'd fallen was hidden unless you stuck your head over the side of the quarry and looked straight down.
The little sleep she got that night was broken and freezing. El had huddled her limbs together trying to keep any heat—but the cold had eaten away at her.
Despite this, El knows she is damn lucky to be alive.
She could have easily fallen straight into the dark, ominous waters of the quarry or smashed apart on the rocks below. If she survived the fall to the ledge, El was determined to survive until someone found her.
It was gray and cold outside; fat snowflakes floated lazily downwards into the deep darkness of the quarry water.
El drew her knees closer to her chest, trying to fight off the violent shivers that made her entire body quiver. The Hawkins High running pants and long sleeved shirt uniform is little protection against the cold November weather. Her stomach gnawed at her incessantly, but El had nothing to eat or drink. Miserable and cold and alone she tried not to think about that dream, but fails.
I haven't had that dream in a long time.
Not since her and Hopper moved from the city and back to his hometown of Hawkins. Before they'd moved, it took a long time for El to fully trust that Hopper wasn't going to abandon her. She'd been plagued with the reoccurring nightmares of her mother's death and her biological father's subsequent dismissal of her, an illegitimate child by the 'other' woman. Even with the Troy situation that feeling never truly left her heart and maybe it never would, but of course Hopper proved her wrong every time. Sure, they had their share of fights, but what father and teenage daughter didn't? She pushed and pushed and pushed against Hop, but he was always there. And that's what El reminded herself over and over as she huddled through the cold night alone.
Being adopted by Hop was the best thing that ever happened to El in her entire life.
Hopper was… Hop. He adopted her when she was scared and alone and angry. So angry. All the time. Angry about her mother dying, angry that a man who was her father—someone who was supposed to care for you and love you and want you…didn't. But Hop did.
Father, Papa, Dad… This word was something that meant nothing to El anymore—but Hopper was all of what a dad was supposed to be. In the three years they'd been together she couldn't bring herself to call Hopper anything else… because he was so much better. He'd given her a home, unconditional love and her special Eggo waffles every Sunday for breakfast. A man who had neither loved her mother or was actually related to her by blood gave her all these things… and she loved him for it.
But I never told him any of this. Does he know I love him? It was an ugly thought El was trying hard not to think about. Stupid people panicked and panic only made things worse, but it was an ugly, dark thought that festered.
What if I never see Hopper again? Or Max? Or Dustin? Or Will? Or Lucas… Or Mike? Dark eyes overflowing with hurt flash across her thoughts and El screwed her eyes shut, willing herself not to cry. She really can't afford to expend the energy for crying right now.
What's wrong with you?
El knew it was something Mike had said in the heat of the moment, but it had cut straight to her core. For years after her mom passed away, she asked herself the same question: what is wrong with me? Why hadn't her birth father wanted her? Was there something that she had done?
And what about Max? Would she ever get to see her best friend again? And she was still so mad… All El wanted was their usual Friday nights together again.
Her stomach gave a particularly loud growl and El shifted in surprise, jolting her from those awful thoughts. Right now she needed to focus. The plan hadn't changed. She knew Hopper would be sending out a search party again once it got light enough. All her energy would have to go into trying to flag someone's attention.
Until then, it was huddle and keep warm.
It's unclear how much time had passed before El heard the call. The sky was still gray, but it's getting lighter out.
"El!" The sound is muffled and she frowned, straining her ears. Her heart stills and she listened hard for anything—anything to tell her that someone is out there.
"EL!" It's Mike's! El's heart swooped with hope sharply. She scrambled out as best as she could from the ledge, trying to peer upwards around the quarry cliff. There's not much room on the ledge and El is careful not to lose her footing as she tried to peer upwards.
"El! Just say something!" Max! Tears sprang to her eyes as El realized that it was her friends. They're here. Looking for her. Even Max and Mike, who were still upset.
"Mike! Max! I'm here!" Her voice is strangled and hoarse and the vast quarry swallowed her words greedily.
There. She can just barely see the glimmer of flashlights up to her far left. If her friends are here, the search and rescue had resumed.
"El! Where are you?" It's Lucas who called this time.
"I'm over here!" El tried again, trying to muster more than a hoarse yell that died halfway. The lights are moving further away from her and panic pounds against her skull.
No. No. No. No. No!
Tears pour down her cheeks but El doesn't even notice them as she watched the lights from her friend's flashlights get farther and farther. They can't see her. She's too close to the cliff side and the ledge is obscured from the height they're at. Her limbs shake from the desperation that surged through her. She has to keeping trying.
"MIKE!" El screamed.
It was a scream that tore through her parched throat. Every ounce of strength she had left was poured into it and El held her breath.
The lights had to come back… they had to. But as the grayness settled over her once more and the silence of the quarry resumed, she slowly sank to the ledge in despair.
They hadn't heard her. She hadn't been strong enough to make them hear her. Her friends had been so, so, so, close.
A sob wracked through her aching frame. Tears flooded El's vision as she pulled her legs up to her chest once more and huddled against the cliff. The sound of her sharp sobs was unbelievably loud in the ominous silence of the quarry.
And then…
"EL! Are you here?" Mike's voice is muffled and far away, but El can hear the panic and desperation bleeding from it.
Mike. He heard me? Shock coursed through her, but El knew she couldn't waste time. Scrambling up as fast as she could, El stood as close to the edge of the ledge that she could safely manage. It would increase the chances of her friends spotting her.
There! She could see the light of their flashlights flooding the direction where they'd disappeared.
"I'm here Mike!" El tried to shout, her throat burning from the exertion. It doesn't come out as much more than a hoarse yell.
"EL!" Relief flooded through her so violently her legs wobbled beneath her. The flashlights change direction and moments later El is blinded by light as the flashlights are thrust over the edge of the quarry. El can't see their faces but she can hear her friends' voices and it's the best thing she has ever heard.
"El! Holy shit, we found her. Blow the whistle!" Max called tearfully from the top of the cliff. The shrill shriek of a whistle being blown over and over quickly followed.
"El—are you okay? Are you hurt?" Mike shouted desperately.
"My arm," El called as best as she could, pointing to her bruised arm. "It's broken." Her voice barely carried up the side of the cliff, but they seem to have understood. Their flashlights move in a dizzying array of activity and she can hear them conversing furiously between one another.
"It's going to be okay El. Hopper will be coming any minute and we'll get you out of there." Will shouted down.
El nodded, her head swam from both relief and the dizzying lights blinding her. She sat down on the ledge before her legs gave out. To tumble off the side of the cliff now, when rescue was so close would be incredibly stupid.
They didn't have to wait long for Hopper.
"Kid—I'm here, it's going to be okay. We're going to get you up." El wanted to laugh and cry simultaneously when she heard Hopper's voice.
"Okay Hop." El tried to shout as best as she could. Hopper had come for her. Her friends had come for her. Even if they still needed to resolve their disagreement… Max and Mike had come for her.
"El! You must be hungry—catch!" Dustin yelled. Before anyone could stop him, there was a strange noise as something skittered down the cliff side and landed beside her. Startled, she leaned over and peered curiously at what he'd thrown.
It was a pudding cup.
A shaky, surprised laugh escaped El and she peered upwards at the flood of light. She thought she could hear someone say: "seriously, Dustin?! You could have hit her!" But moments later, a bottle of water landed and nearly skidded off the side of the ledge.
"Hang on El—I have a spoon here!" There was a moment of silence as she waited, thinking about how ridiculously amazing it was that her friend was trying to feed her in this exact moment.
There was a sort of whistling noise, and El watched as the spoon flew right by her and over the ledge, presumably meeting its fate in the water far down below.
"Oh shit. Sorry. I should have seen that one coming." Dustin apologized from up above.
A giggle bubbled up in her throat in disbelief. Disbelief that she was stuck on the ledge in the quarry and had somehow not fallen to her death or injured herself even worse. Disbelief that Dustin was currently trying to feed her pudding. Disbelief that her friends had found her.
One of her friends balled up a blanket and tossed it down to her. El caught it with the tips of her fingers and wrapped herself in its warmth greedily.
The morning passed by in a blur after that.
El relished her pudding and sipped the bottle of water Dustin had thrown for her; it tasted like the most amazing combination after nearly twenty-four hours of no food or water. While she enjoyed her snack, there was a flurry of activity on top of the cliff.
Her friends took turns laying down on the top of the cliff and talking to her. They talked about what was happening with the rescue (Lucas), told her jokes (Dustin) and about how they would go for waffles again after this soon (Will). She wasn't able to respond to them, her throat was so sore, but El really appreciated the sentiment.
Two voices that were shyly absent were among the two that El most wanted to hear. She tried not to think too much into it. Max and Mike had the right to be mad, and the first thing El planned on doing when she got off this ledge was to apologize again.
The rescue took some time. Hopper couldn't simply rappel down the cliff side and scoop her up with a broken arm—and had been forced to call on the state's emergency rescue unit. It took several hours for them to get to Hawkins, Indiana.
By the end of the morning, El was strapped by a two-man team of rope emergency responders onto a board, and very carefully lifted up the side of the cliff by the rope rescuer technicians. There was a cheer that broke out much to her embarrassment as soon the board safely touched the ground and the emergency responders began to unstrap her.
"Hop." El gasped as soon as saw him. His face was so pale and he looked so much more haggard than his usual tired, grumpy demeanor. Hopper didn't need anymore prompting and as soon as the last strap was free, he carefully gathered her in his arms in a hug that squished all the air from her lungs and yet he was so careful not to touch her injured arm. Her legs nearly gave out in the relief that she was hugging her adoptive father.
"Don't ever do that again kid." Hopper's said thickly.
El nodded into his shoulder, trying to stop the tears that welled in her eyes. Even though she was okay, El realized that she had come really close to not being okay. They stayed like that for a long moment before she sniffled and Hop gently held her at arms length, his sharp gaze looking her over carefully.
"We're going to the hospital. We need to get your arm looked at." Hopper nodded at the ambulance crew standing by, who stood by a gurney they'd brought out.
El nodded, her gaze finally passing Hop and catching sight of her friends. Each of them looked as though they'd gotten about as much sleep as Hop had. Will had dark circles under his eyes and Dustin was much paler than he usually was. Mike looked like he was swaying on his feet and Lucas stood beside a splotchy, red-faced Max who looked probably the worse out of all of them. Her eyes were swollen and red, her skin almost translucent she was so pale and as soon as El made eye contact with Max, she broke.
"El!" Max wailed, breaking away from Lucas and immediately closing the distance between the two of them.
"I'm so sorry—I've been so stupid and mean and I was just so angry but I know it was dumb—" El found herself being squished once more in a carefully fierce hug. Though her body ached and her arm was broken, El returned the hug just as fiercely.
"It's okay Max, I shouldn't have tried to play matchmaker. I understand why you were mad. Can you forgive me?" She said hoarsely into her best friend's hair. Max just let out a choked laugh and hugged El harder.
"You're asking me if I forgive you?" Max sounded like she could scarcely believe what her friend was asking. El had just been rescued from the side of a freaking cliff and here she was apologizing? "You're my good luck charm. How could I not?" Max gave El a tried, teary grin.
Once again a surge of emotions crashed through El, relief, happiness, disbelief… El was so incredibly glad that Max forgave her. This week had been absolute hell and though it may be something they should talk about further, this was the best that could possibly happen for now.
Both girls laughed shakily and it was at this moment that she was nearly bombarded by the rest of their friends had Hopper not whipped out an arm, stopping the boys in mid step.
"Hold up." He growled. "El needs medical attention. You can ride with Callaghan. He'll take you to the hospital. You can meet us there." Hopper's tone left no room for argument. After the night of hell everyone had, no one was going to argue.
"We can take her from here Chief Hopper." One of the paramedics said smoothly, stepping in to help El on the gurney. They loaded her carefully into the ambulance; exhaustion seeped into her as she lay there. Another paramedic was checking her blood pressure and other vitals when Max and Hopper climbed into the ambulance, squishing in to the small space without another word.
"Er… usually it's just one person allowed in the…" The lead paramedic trailed off when both Hopper and Max pinned him with fierce glares and he cleared his throat. "But of course this is an exception."
"We'll see you at the hospital, El." Dustin called into the ambulance before the doors closed.
The ambulance began to move and El found her eyelids becoming heavier and heavier, it became a Herculean task just to keep them open.
"Have a nap kid, you earned it." Hopper said gruffly, his normally stern gaze softened as he looked down at her. El nodded and grasped for her adoptive father's hand, which he willingly offered to her. She let the familiar smell of nicotine and forest wash over her, overwhelmed that she was so lucky to have people who loved her.
"I love you, Hop." El murmured, finally letting her eyelids slide shut.
"I love you too kid."
El slipped into sleep with a smile on her face.
…
At the hospital El was immediately taken for an x-ray and then hooked up to an IV.
Dehydration, fractured humerus, mild abrasions… El drifted in and out as the doctors listed her injuries and subsequent treatments to Hopper. Exhaustion seemed to seep into every pore, her body finally giving out after such a stressful period of time.
"She is very lucky that her injuries were not more severe." Doctor Owens reiterated several times to Hopper before prescribing pain medication for the broken arm and a special ointment to help the scrapes heal and to prevent infection. Several of the scrapes on her back were deeper, the nurses had to pick gravel and bits of tree out of her skin, which had tried to start healing over in the time she'd been huddled on the ledge.
Max continued to hold her hand the whole time, refusing to move from her friend. None of the nurses or doctor questioned it and El was grateful.
.
El sat in the hospital bed attempting to eat her lunch and Max cheering her on from the sideline of her bed. It was a little tricky to suddenly not be able to use one arm, but thank goodness it hadn't been her dominant arm to break.
Hopper poked his head into the room, looking as exhausted as El still felt. But she knew he wouldn't go home until later. She would have to stay overnight for observation (they were concerned about a concussion, or worse injuries surfacing), so she wouldn't be permitted to leave until tomorrow when they cleared her.
"Your friends are chomping at the bit out here and the doc says it's okay for them to come in now. Would you like to see them?" Hopper asked.
El glanced at Max, who nodded in encouragement.
"I'd love to see them." El agreed softly.
Hopper nodded and disappeared out of the room to go fetch her friends. It was astounding to her that they had waited for her for this long. It had been about roughly five hours since she'd been admitted to the hospital. She felt warm all over knowing that they had waited for her.
"El!" Dustin burst out only a minute later, nearly sliding past the doorway to her room in his hurry. Like a small herd of stampeding elephants, they charged into the hospital room.
"Hey!" Max barked suddenly, when they careened towards El a little too quickly, "El is hurt here. So be gentle with her." Max glared at Dustin, Will, Lucas and Mike. They sheepishly calmed down, instead opting to give her a gentle pat on her good arm or a careful side hug.
"We're so glad you're okay El." Will said seriously, glancing her over in the hospital bed as though to make sure she was all in one piece.
El's heart lodged in her throat at the sincerity reflected in his features.
"Thanks guys. I feel much better already." El chuckled, laying back into her pillows. They chuckled along too, albeit reluctantly. It was a little strange to see El in the hospital bed, she looked so small and seeing her attached to the IV wasn't helping either. Max seemed to register their nervousness and decided to clue them in.
"El will be fine. Her upper arm bone is broken, and she's got some wicked scrapes but Doctor Owens said she should be out of here by tomorrow. The tubes are just because she's dehydrated." Max explained, seeing some of the tension ease out of their friends' shoulders.
"Wait. You've got a cast?" Dustin blurted suddenly, just noticing the rather large plaster cast with alarming eagerness.
"Um… yes?" El confirmed questioningly.
"We need to sign it!" Dustin exclaimed, "no cast is complete without your friends signing it."
El glanced down at her cast, bewildered. She'd never had a broken bone before, was this something people did? Admittedly the plaster cast was very boring and would be a firm part of her life for at least the next six weeks. It would be nice to have something to spruce it up a little.
"Okay," she agreed, "I'd like that."
"Now Will, hand me your drawing utensils so I can sign El's cast." Dustin held his hand out, palm up towards Will, who gave him an incredulous look.
"What made you think I'd have my drawing stuff?" Will asked amusedly.
"You're an artist aren't you? Aren't you always supposed to carry the tools of your trade?" Dustin demanded. Will rolled his eyes.
El watched as they bickered for a moment, it was music to her ears even when Lucas joined in. After the hell week of isolating herself from her friends, El was more than happy to hear their silly bickering once again.
As the teasing got a little more heated and even Max joined in, El found her gaze drifting to the one person she still had yet to talk with seriously. Mike reddened as he was caught sneaking a glance at her, his dark eyes filled with worry.
"Okay, okay. Let's just go ask the front desk if we could borrow a marker." Lucas said exasperatedly.
"Yeah, alright." Dustin agreed quickly.
Max glanced over to El and seemed to catch how her gaze lingered on Mike.
"I'll come too. Will, let's go. Wheeler, hold down the fort. We'll be back in a couple minutes." Max took charge. El didn't miss the significant look her best friend shot Mike as she herded their other friends from the room.
The door closed with a soft click, leaving the two of them alone. El's heart lodged in her throat, but she needed to get this out.
"Mike…" El started.
"El. I'm so sorry." Mike blurted at the same time. Surprised, El didn't continue and Mike took that hesitance to let it all out. "I'm so, so, so sorry El. I've been a huge wastoid. I overreacted after I saw that list and I jumped to all the worst conclusions and instead of talking it over with you like a real friend I just walked away."
"Mike." El said softly, but it didn't seem to even register as he just kept rambling.
"I didn't even give you a moment to explain the list! And I hurt you. I'm sorry, I missed you all week, even when I was angry and then on Friday Will and Dustin tore into me and I realized what a huge asshole I was being… And then I was too embarrassed to show my face at your race the next day. I was so sure you'd hate me and I wouldn't blame you because I didn't listen—"
El realized that this apology would probably keep going forever if Mike had the chance. Max had clearly given them some space so they could talk, but they had maybe five minutes at most before they were no longer alone. So with a calculated decision, El gently grasped Mike's hand and swept her thumb over his knuckles, stopping him cold as he looked down to their joined hands in astonishment.
"Mike." El said once again, keeping a firm grasp on his hand. He was staring at her in something akin to wonder and she could barely believe that he was here. His dark eyes were wide and his lips parted subtly in shock when she didn't let go of his hand and instead held it tighter. He looked adorable and exhausted, but he was here.
"I'm sorry too. I know that list hurt you because it was a strange list to make. But I promise you, it was just a list I made because I was trying to psych myself up to make new friends. The third point of my list was 'we all become friends' because I'm kind of a dweeb." El offered Mike a brief smile and she squeezed his hand once more.
"I accept your apology Mike. We both made mistakes this week and it was awful. Promise me next time we'll try to talk it over first?"
"Next time?" Mike asked confusedly, worry laced into his voice.
"Well, I just assume at some point we'll be getting into another disagreement. Probably over the cupcake versus muffin debate because I'm firmly on Dustin's side with this one. I think they're secretly the same thing."
Mike stared at her, his jaw dropped and El tried to maintain the serious look on her face.
And then he laughed.
It was loud and unexpected and her heart quivered at the sound. She cracked and the giggles soon turned into full on, belly shaking laughter as they gripped hands, El nearly rolling off the bed and Mike nearly falling off his chair. This was how their friends found them a minute later, unable to speak from laughter.
Max merely sat back down in her seat, sharing a brief smile with El before Dustin, Will and Lucas quickly crowded around.
The rest of the time passed by in a blur, each of her friends taking great care to sign her cast. Before they all knew it, Joyce poked her head into the room and announced that visiting hours were finished and the kids had to go home. She'd come in earlier to say hello to El, along with Coach Kline and a few of the other cross country runners (which had surprised her).
"You can see El tomorrow. She'll be released and after school you can go see her then." Joyce promised the stricken looking teens. "Isn't that right Hop?" Joyce asked pointedly, turning to the Chief of Police who lingered behind her.
"After school. Sure." He grunted, sounding enthused that their small cabin would soon be overrun with a herd of noisy, rambunctious teenagers.
"Goodnight El." Will bid with a gentle pat on the arm, leaving to go stand by his mom.
"Oh, here El." Dustin rummaged through his backpack and held out a walkie-talkie. El accepted it with a confused glance.
"If you need anything you can radio us! Well… not me because I'm lending you mine but if you need to get ahold of anyone tonight." Dustin explained sheepishly. El's face lit up and she gripped the walkie-talkie a little closer.
"Thank you Dustin." She said happily. It was a touching thought.
One by one her friends said goodnight to her, but Mike lingered behind as the rest of their friends filed from the room. Hopper eyed both Mike and El for a long moment, but then snorted and granted them a moment of privacy, slipping outside to likely go see Joyce out.
"About earlier," Mike turned to El and her stomach fluttered when his dark eyes met hers, "I promise. I promise next time we'll try to talk it out before I let my self-doubt get the best of me. And I'll even let you cry on my shoulder after the debate because I don't think anyone else is on your and Dustin's side." The weight of Mike's promise is not lost on El and it's said with such eager sincerity that it makes her heart ache.
"I'll hold you to that Wheeler." El agreed with an exhausted grin.
Mike returned the grin and hesitated, as though he wanted to do something and then thought better of it. El feels something is different. It is not in a good or a bad way, but there's a shyness in Mike once again that felt as though they'd taken a step back and El can't let that happen. Even after the events of this week, she knows more than ever how she feels about Mike Wheeler.
If she has to buy a billboard and place it right outside of his house declaring "El Hopper has a huge, fat crush on Mike Wheeler" that's what she would do. If El wanted anything to happen with Mike, she had to take the initiative and make it happen—because goddammit El really wanted to take Mike on a date and make him blush and maybe even get a chance to kiss him.
"Wait. Mike." She called out, halting him in his step. Mike turned and looked back at El curiously, his brow furrowed adorably and his dark eyes concerned as he waited for her to continue.
"Want to go with on a date with me to Benny's this Thursday?" El's question seemed to hang endlessly in the air. Eyes wide, Mike froze. So she decided to continue talking until Mike's brain rebooted.
"Sorry. I know Thursday is a strange day for a first date. But Friday is traditionally Max's night and I know she would fight you if we even tried to go on a date that day so I thought Thursday was the better alternative to bloodshed." El explained, trying to ignore the flutters in her chest. She knew her cheeks had to be bright pink by now.
"A date?" Mike inhaled sharply, his eyes still wide and a blush steadily erupting across his cheeks. He looked to her so hopefully that her breath was stolen for a moment, so she nodded instead. She would confirm it a million times over if she had to for Mike.
"On Thursday." He repeated once more, coming a little closer to the bed. "With you?" By now Mike was completely pink, but as he gazed down at El with a mix of hopefulness and awe and something that El could not name, she returned his gaze and nodded once more.
"I'll pick you up at the bike racks for 3:15?" El added hopefully.
A smile broke out over Mike's lips and he did something that surprised the both of them. He leaned down to El's bed and pressed a small, lingering kiss on her cheek. A gasp slipped past her lips.
"It's a date." He agreed bashfully, standing back up. By now both of their complexions matched one another with the difference that El was fairly sure her cheek must have burst into flames where he'd kissed her.
"Mike what the heck are you…" Lucas trailed off as he came back into the room. It only took him two seconds to realize what had happened when he saw his two friends a bright, bright pink. Mike also didn't help things when he practically jumped away from El like a startled cat.
"Oh I see. If you're done we've got to get going. Mrs. Byers is waiting." Lucas grinned at the two of them. Mike nodded, nearly stumbling over his own feet as he followed his friend to the door.
"Goodnight El." They both bid her goodnight and just like that she was alone once more. El let out the breath she didn't realize she'd been holding and nearly melted into a puddle right on the spot.
Mike Wheeler kissed me goodnight. That was definitely something she could get used to.
Hopper came in only a few minutes later. He looked exhausted and the smell of smoke clung to him. He slumped into Max's vacated chair by her bed. His gaze lingered on her face for a moment, which El knew was still bright pink but he didn't say anything.
"Well kid. The doc is trying to kick me out so you can get some proper rest. But say the word and I'll stay right here overnight." Hopper said sincerely.
El could already feel her head moving: no.
"You should go home and get some rest Hop. I'm fine now." El assured her adoptive father. He looked a little unsure, but she held up the walkie-talkie.
"If I need anything, I'll call. I promise." And she meant it. Her firm words seemed to have the desired effect on Hopper because after a moment he stood and touched the top of her head affectionately.
"Goodnight kid. I'll be here first thing in the morning okay?"
El nodded and Hopper gave her a small smile before he left for the evening, leaving her truly alone in the hospital room for the first time since she'd been admitted earlier today. It felt strange in here now without the packed, rambunctious crowd. It felt empty but El didn't feel alone, because she wasn't.
Not with Hopper, Joyce or her friends. They had found her. El was so lucky to have people who loved her. Even her coach and some of the other athletes had briefly come to wish her well!
It was a warm, happy feeling that spread through her heart as she finally fell into a restful, deep sleep.
…
The hospital released El the following afternoon.
Doctor Owens kept her a little longer for observation, making sure that no other injuries surfaced in that time and that El was comfortable with the prescribed painkillers. Though her stay in the hospital was short, she knew she'd be seeing a lot of Doctor Owens in the following weeks for checkups and eventually therapy to help her arm grow strong again once it was out of the cast.
Hopper actually took the day off on Monday and instead of going straight home they stopped at Benny's for milkshakes and burgers. Benny himself came out from the kitchen and sat with them a little while and El was relieved for the sense of normalcy. After such a terribly eventful weekend, it felt good to sit there with Hopper and Benny and eat good food.
Monday after school was a glorious time.
As soon as they could manage, her friends were banging on the door of Hopper cabin and flooded the small home much to Hopper's (feigned) annoyance and El's delight.
It was a tight squeeze with all six teens in the living area, but El wouldn't have traded it for the world. Hopper hid in his room most of the time while her friends were visiting, but he did come out to briefly take orders for pizza and step out to go get it.
Once everyone was fed and watered and it was getting late, he kicked them all out with the promise that El would be returning to classes tomorrow and to look out for her.
Tuesday was a strange mix of being bombarded by her classmates asking what happened that weekend and her friends rallying around her and telling some people who were a little too nosy to screw off.
Even her track and cross country teammates rallied around her, which El was surprised and touched by. The word was quickly put out to leave El Hopper the hell alone.
While the scary events of that fateful weekend may have faded from the gossip of Hawkins' locals and her classmates, it didn't fade so quickly for her friends. By Wednesday, El finally had to tell them that it was okay! She wasn't going to disappear again.
All week they'd been squishing themselves around her like cute little scared deer. She felt like the president with her own club of bodyguards that's how close everyone stuck to her.
Of course she wasn't cross with them. If the same thing had happened to any of them El would have felt exactly the same. It was endearing, if a little embarrassing when they got stuck in a doorway at least more than once that week.
…
El all but sprinted to the bike racks on Thursday after school.
All day her heart had felt as though it would erupt in giddiness and she was fairly certain she'd annoyed the hell out of Max with her fidgeting all day. Of course Max knew why El was so excited: today was her official first date with Mike Wheeler!
A maelstrom of excitement, dread and butterflies slammed into her once when she reached the trusty bike racks.
Exactly one minute later an equally out of breath Mike appeared next to El at the bike racks. His cheeks were flushed pink in both exertion and excitement, he reached the bikes and gave El a small, nervous smile.
"Hi El." He breathlessly.
"Hi Mike." She returned the greeting giddily.
Mike was here. At the bike rack—and they were about to go on a date! They stared at each other in an equally starry eyed manner, so lost in each others gazes that they didn't notice the arrival of their friends.
"Ugh. Can't you two make googly eyes somewhere else?" Dustin complained loudly, shouldering past Mike to get to his bike. Mike glared at his friend, the momentary spell broken over the both of them with the intrusion.
"It's young love Dustin, you can't blame them." Will grinned, making his voice sound like an old man's. El and Mike coloured brilliantly at their teasing.
"Seriously. You ran out of there so fast I thought you'd already be gone." Max announced her presence loudly, grinning at El with her hands on her hips, head cocked to the side. "Don't you have a date to get to?"
It was El's turn to glare.
"Yes! We were just about to get going..." El trailed off when she looked down at her cast and then at Mike, and then to the bike. Her face fell.
How were they supposed to get to Benny's if her arm was broken? Could she ride a bike? She hadn't thought this part of the date through at all.
Mike seemed to follow her line of thought and quickly jumped in. "I'll ride really carefully El. We'll go slow."
She beamed at him and this time Max, Will, Dustin and Lucas (who had just arrived) groaned simultaneously.
"Please. Go on your date. We can't handle your mush." Lucas teased.
Mike flipped their friends off and without any more prompting he grabbed his bike from the rack. He climbed on first and steadied the bike before El tried to climb on. Max made sure to stand by in case her friend toppled over trying to get on, but El managed to settle herself down behind Mike without any problems.
"Er… This is going to get a little cozy." El warned, before wrapping her one good arm around Mike's waist and pressing herself closer to his back. It was the only comfortable way El didn't feel like she'd topple off.
Their friends wolf whistled and Mike kicked off, his face beet red at their proximity.
"You guys are such jerks." Mike shot as he and El took off. They laughed in response and El pressed her face a little closer into his shoulder to hide her pleased embarrassment at their friend's teasing.
True to his word, Mike biked slowly and carefully, intent on not having any accidents. El fell into the comfortable rhythm of being on the back of Mike's bike once more, only the hammering of her heart in her chest threatened to give her nervousness away.
She'd never been on a date before. It wasn't something that interested her until Mike. As the two of them got closer and closer to Benny's, she found herself really looking forward to it.
Mike brought his bike to a smooth stop and carefully helped steady El as she climbed off the bike. Her stomach flipped deliciously at the feel of Mike's hand in her own and she shot him a grateful smile, waiting patiently while he parked his bike before they both headed into the diner.
They waved to Benny, who was busy in the kitchen and headed towards a booth at the back of the diner, partially hidden from view and inconspicuous.
El slid in first and Mike followed suit, sitting across from her at the table, looking just as nervous as she currently felt. They shared a brief, nervous smile before Benny came to the table.
"Hey there Hopper, hi there." Benny grinned at El and offered a friendly nod to Mike. "What can I get for you two?"
Being that it was still too early for dinner and it was a school night, El and Mike had opted to go to Benny's for a treat instead of a meal.
"Hi Benny," El greeted happily, a little glad to have a temporary distraction from her nerves, "I'll have a chocolate milkshake please." She turned to Mike quizzically.
"Er… Same please!" He stammered. Benny looked between the two kids, a knowing look dawned over his features.
"Coming right up." Benny agreed with a non-too subtle wink in El's direction. She blushed, knowing she'd been caught: Benny knew this was a date.
"How's your arm today?" Mike blurted when it was just the two of them again. El glanced down at her cast, her fingertips tracing over her friend's signatures and silly doodles out of habit.
"It's good, thanks to you guys." El smiled.
All week her friends had been taking the "El's pack mule" duty very seriously. She wasn't supposed to carry anything too heavy because it would put unnecessary strain on her bad arm. Her friends had quite literally taken that problem right out of her hands by insisting on carrying her stuff.
"We're happy to carry your things as long as you need." Mike said seriously. El could tell he was thinking about the events of last weekend and decided that she needed to squash that unhappy bug before it seeped into their date.
"Here you go you two. Enjoy." Benny said boisterously, depositing their milkshakes in front of them and leaving the two teens in peace once more. She took a deep breath.
"Do you want my cherry? I don't really like—"
"Mike I like you. A lot." El stated at the same time.
Mike's jaw dropped and his eyes widened. He was halfway between reaching for the stem of his cherry and froze at the unexpected statement.
"I think you're amazing and good and you're really cool. I like you." El rambled, deciding that if she was going to go for it, then she was really going to go for it. There was no one around them in the neighboring booths so it would be very unlikely that anyone would hear them. She had been waiting all week to say those words to him and almost blurted them out in class yesterday. El actually wanted to wait until after their date to tell him, but now was as good of a time as any.
"And yes, I like the cherries. Thank you." El's fingers brushing against Mike's seemed to jar him out of his shock as she plucked the cherry from his milkshake and popped it into her mouth. She chewed it for a moment, watching the adorable blush spread like wildfire across his freckled cheeks.
"You like me?" Mike finally repeated, his mouth still hanging open.
"Yes. A lot." El confirmed. She would say it a million times if she had to, just so there would be no question. She was tired of dancing around her feelings. Now they were out in the open for the better (or worse).
Mike continued to grow increasingly red and El vaguely wondered if she'd just broken him by being so honest.
"I like you too." Mike finally blurted, his brain reconnecting with his body and he sat up straight in his seat.
"I think you're the most amazing person I know. And you're so kind and pretty and wow…" Mike looked at her so happily in that moment that she couldn't help but smile back, seeking out his hand with her own. Their fingers laced together easily, as though they'd done the motion a thousand times over. He was warm and gentle and El sighed at the feeling. All the nerves, all the butterflies and the uncertainty… it had been worth it. Finally it was all out in the open and holy shit Mike liked her back!
"I just never thought you'd like me back." Mike finished, his tone still full of disbelief even as his eyes lingered on their joined hands.
"I didn't think you liked me back either." El admitted giddily.
It was like Christmas morning, Halloween and every holiday all rolled into one she was so excited. They momentarily locked gazes and then it was as though a plug was pulled. All the nervousness, all the awkwardness—gone. El giggled first and then Mike joined her and they laughed.
They'd been so dumb!
Dancing around each other and so uncertain of their own emotions that they hadn't said anything. But this… This was the best outcome El could ever hope for.
Mike Wheeler likes me. The thought repeated itself over and over again as though still trying to convince herself that this was real! All the signs had been there, but to hear Mike himself tell her… It was amazing.
She felt like she could fly and melt into a puddle all at once. It was a strange, disconcerting and exciting feeling.
With that, any lingering awkwardness melted away. They talked about the upcoming Dungeons & Dragons game that Max and El would be introduced into. They'd each been given some literature to read to start building their characters and though Max had accepted it with a grumble, she'd still accepted it.
It was comfortable and fun and El loved it. If this is what dates were with Mike Wheeler, you could sign her up for more! She'd been so nervous, but what was there to be nervous about when you were talking to a friend and drinking a milkshake at Benny's? The hard part was over.
She was busy laughing at some of the more outlandish campaigns he' designed for the game when suddenly Mike got a strange expression on his face.
"El." There was an exasperated smile pulling at the corner of Mike's lips and El found herself trying hard to rip her gaze away from them.
"Yeah?"
"Don't look now… But our friends are stalking us." Mike nonchalantly jerked his head to her left. El spun carefully around in her seat, confused, until she spotted the not so inconspicuous group in the other corner of Benny's. All four people were holding newspapers up… but they had eyeholes cut into them!
"Really? Do they not realize how obvious they are?" El groaned, but she was fighting a smile down when she turned back to Mike. "Have they been there the whole time?"
"Who knows." Mike rolled his eyes. El glanced at the time. It was getting close to dinner and Hopper was expecting her home soon.
"We should probably get going." El sighed, disappointed that their date was over so soon. They'd already been here for an hour and half. Mike stood too, quickly fumbling for his wallet at the same time El reached for her small stash of money in her bag. They paused and looked at each other in surprise.
"I asked you out Mike, I'll get it." She assured him happily. He hesitated and looked like he wanted to argue, but when El pinned him with a hard 'Hopper-esque' stare he relented.
"Okay. But it's my treat next time." Mike agreed.
Next time? El's heart did backflips in her chest. Did that mean there would be another date? Mike didn't seem to notice how pink her cheeks had gone and he waited for her to place the money on the table before the two of them began to head towards the front door.
El paused and glanced towards the booth where their friends had nonchalantly slouched into their seats in an attempt to appear as inconspicuous as possible. She rolled her eyes.
"Bye Max. Bye Will. Bye Dustin. Bye Lucas." El called loudly, watching in satisfaction as each one of their friends flinched in their seats in response to their name. They lowered their newspapers one by one, looking properly caught out and sheepish.
Mike and El snorted and waved goodbye to their nosy friends, heading out into the cold air. It was almost too cold to bike at this point, but Mike seemed to enjoy it even in the cold weather and if El got to cozy up to him to keep warm, well, she wasn't complaining.
The ride home was cold and lovely. El huddled closer to Mike as they biked towards her home and they were both breathless by the time they reached the side of the highway by Hopper Cabin. He pulled the bike over and gently helped El off once again, their hands lingering together, both reluctant for their date to end.
El quivered from the cold and the excitement of their date while trying to fight off the disappointment that it had come to an end.
"I had a really good time Mike. Were you serious about a next time?" El asked hopefully, her breath lingering in the air.
"Yes!" He blurted, nodding vigorously. El laughed, feeling as though she could easily take flight right then and there, or just burst in happiness. They shared a goofy smile together.
"Do you want me to walk you in?" Mike offered hopefully, also wanting to prolong their date.
"You should probably stay here, it's getting dark so I'd just have to walk you right out again." The idea doesn't sound so bad. Then she'd get to stay with Mike just a little longer. But El knew Hopper was waiting for her.
Her fingers were frozen solid and it was indeed getting dark, but El was loath to break their contact. She glanced back at the forest almost reproachfully, before Mike said: "El?"
She looked back at Mike and immediately her breath was stolen away. His eyes were dark and hopeful and flustered all at once.
"Can I kiss you?"
El's eyes widened. It only took her a split second to decide.
"Yes."
No sooner than the words are out, Mike gently moved forward to kiss her….
And promptly missed.
A nervous giggle bubbled out of her when Mike's lips landed on the corner of her mouth instead, and he pulled back, blushing from his head to his toes.
"Oops." He chuckled sheepishly.
The fluttering energy exploding in tingles all throughout her body returns full force when El decides to help him out a little. Cupping Mike's cheek gently, his breath hitched as she guided his mouth to hers. Their noses knocked slightly together at first, but El quickly maneuvers around this obstacle.
Their kiss is clumsy but Mike's lips are soft and warm and oh. El sighed contentedly into their kiss as his hands found their way into her curls and suddenly she's floating, fireworks burst behind her eyelids and she's completely lost in him. She drinks him in and tries to burn the feeling into her memory as she struggles to process that she's kissing Mike Wheeler.
El is pretty sure she could die happily right this moment. Why weren't they always doing this? Could she kiss him from now on?
The kiss doesn't last more than ten seconds and as they pull back, Mike looks at her with such a breathtakingly heartfelt gaze that El almost tackled him into another kiss right then and there. But they both know they need to get moving and somehow El resisted the urge.
"You… you're amazing." Mike breathed, his face is glowing and El is certain her face is just as flushed. Their foreheads are pressed together and neither of them wants to move away.
"You too. I mean… wow." El giggled, she can't stop smiling. She's struggling to remember her name right now because Mike Wheeler just kissed her! How could she have any kind of coherent thought right now other than that?
They part ways in the best kind of daze. She bid him goodnight with a kiss to the cheek, because if she kissed his lips again El knew that she wouldn't be able to part. The walk home is like she's floating on white, fluffy clouds instead of the thin layer of snow in the forest.
She threw the cabin door open, the goofy grin on her face not going away anytime soon. Her face is bright pink but the rest of her body is freezing but holy shit she actually kissed Mike! She nearly swooned at the memory.
"You're in a good mood kid." Hopper called from the kitchen with a smirk.
"I am." El agreed sincerely, shrugging her coat off with a huge, goofy grin on her face.
Hopper leaned against the kitchen counter, his arms crossed over his chest, regarding his adoptive daughter in amusement. He snorted and watched as she waltzed into the house like nothing, but he let it slide because they needed to get cooking.
They fall into a comfortable routine soon after that. El prepared the vegetables and Hopper looked after the pasta, keeping a careful eye on the pot and his daughter at the same time.
When they are finally sitting down at the dinner table about to eat, Hopper strikes.
"You know, I had the strangest phone call from Benny…"
El only smiled harder.
…
******OMAKE/ BONUS? ******
"Do you want my cherry? I don't really like—"
"Mike I like you. A lot." El stated at the same time.
Mike's jaw dropped and his eyes widened. He was halfway between reaching for the stem of his cherry and froze at the unexpected statement.
"I think you're really cool and you've got an ass that just won't quit." El rambled, deciding that if she was going to go for it, then she was really going to go for it. Because damn, that ass really just wouldn't quit.
"And yes, I'll take your cherry. Thank you." El said with an outrageously flirtatious and overly suggestive wink.
Mike Wheeler fainted.
A/N: There it is! Chapter Ten, a chapter I've mentally deemed "Fluffmaggedon Part 1". Thank you for your kind reviews! I am so happy that you have all enjoyed my story.
I couldn't resist adding the little bonus scene at the end once I realized that part sounded a little strange... so why not embrace it! :D
Now, onward to the last chapter.