The Life You Deserve

AN: Hi all! I know it said I updated the story before, but it was only because there was some errors in the last chapter I needed to fix, sorry for the confusion! But here is chapter 10 :-) Summer was meant to be one chapter, but there is going to be another one as I have plenty of ideas!

Because I'm British I got confused on the age of students starting high school in America. So as Mike in my story is born in October and El a November birthday, they are both already 14. I feel like I've lost a year of my story but it will hopefully mean more content in each chapter.

Warning: As the chapter says, this is titled Summer Hormones. So there is mild sexual themes and swearing!

Chapter 10: Summer Hormones

August 1985

The laughter and shouting of six young teenagers could probably be heard for miles, but because of the cabin's isolated location, their joy was solely their own.

Mike didn't think he'd ever been happier when El had called him on the super com, ecstatic that she had passed her exams and would be starting high school with him and the party in September. He was so proud of her and was crossing out the days on his calendar until they would start school together.

He wondered how different high school would be in general, but also how different it would be with a girlfriend. Mike was sure people like Troy would be astonished that he could even get a girlfriend. He scowled slightly as he thought about Troy, he wondered if he'd remember who El was. Even if he did, no one would believe him, he'd probably be too embarrassed to admit he had been beaten up by a girl. A kickass superhero girl.

Mike focused back on the task at hand, leaving thoughts of Troy and high school to the back of his mind whilst he, Dustin, Lucas and Will made El a tyre swing outside of the cabin. El and Max in the meantime were inside looking through Max's old clothes to provide El with some shorts and t-shirts so she could survive the blistering summer.

"Right should we test this thing out?" Lucas said wiping his sweating brow and eyeing up the tyre swing.

"Me first!" Dustin said before launching himself into the tyre swing. Mike had to admit to himself that Dustin was definitely the best one to test the product because he was the broadest out of them all.

Puberty was chasing after the boys and quickly winning. They were all shooting up in height, especially Mike, Lucas was starting to have to shave, Dustin's puppy fat was becoming muscles and all of the boys would be speaking normally and then their vocal chords would force their words out high pitched or low pitched.

Mike certainly couldn't wait for the voice changes to be over with because Max teased the boys relentlessly over it. Not that the girls were any better, puberty was after them too. Both girls had got taller, their shapes becoming more defined, Max more of a sporty figure and El softer, curvier…not that Mike had been staring or anything!

What was worse with the girls is that their time of the month always coincided like they had some sisterhood going on. At that time Lucas and Mike tried their hardest to be good boyfriends and provide the girls with chocolate, ice cream and love whilst also running for the hills with Dustin and Will when the girls got snappy and irritated.

Dustin had called it "survival week" meaning if they did what the girls wanted and kept their heads down then they would survive. Mike felt thankful he didn't have to go through that, and his wet dreams seemed pretty mediocre compared to what the girls went through every month.

"Brilliant! I think we've done a good job." Will said brightly, tapping the tyre proudly as Dustin was pulled out of the swing head first by Lucas who let him fall to the floor with a laugh.

"Ooh torture of Dusty! Let me join in!" Max's voice called from the porch as she descended the stairs with El and went over to witness Dustin and Lucas playful scrap on the dried grass.

Mike felt his heart beating loudly and his eyes widened with love as he watched El take in the sight of her new swing. Her little gasp of excitement made butterflies go wild in his stomach.

She looked so beautiful, her curly hair tied in a high bun, her body clad in shorts and a t-shirt. Mike couldn't stop his eyes slowly look up and down her body, taking in her long lean legs, the way the shorts made her ass look and the fitted nature of her t-shirt. He gulped and looked away, scolding himself for being such a teenage boy. But no matter, he couldn't help his hormones. He was more than attracted to El, he couldn't help the magnetism he felt towards her.

"Do you like it?" Mike asked eagerly, watching El closely as her dainty hands ran across the tyre, her eyes wide with curiosity. She turned to him and nodded avidly. "Thank you!" she almost squealed.

"Hey! It wasn't just lover boy who made that swing!" Dustin said from the choke hold Max had him in, laughing her head off at her victory.

Mike went red but El beamed looked around at all of the boys. "Thank you all so much." She said so sincerely that Mike felt his heart fluttering all over again.

"Do you want to give it a go?" He asked his girlfriend, oddly nervous because he just wanted her to like it.

"Yes!"

Mike sprang forward to help El into the tyre swing, not just to make sure his girlfriend was safe and sound, but also because he had an innocent reason to hold her body for a moment until she was secure in the seat.

"Right, hold on tight to the ropes and I'm going to push you," Mike said in almost a whisper next to El's ear. With her hair up in the bun a lot more of her skin was exposed to him, and it caused goose bumps to rise up his arms. El didn't speak but nodded, he noticed her gulp nervously, not sure if it was from his whisper in her ear or from the prospect of the swing.

Mike moves his hands to the tyre edges and slowly started to push her, he could her laugh with surprise as he pushed harder causing her to speed up. "Do you like it?" he called to her, smiling to himself at her giggles.

"Yes! Keep going!" She shouted back laughing against the breeze being caused by the pushing. Mike grinned, loving how thrilled she was in the moment, his heart could have exploded knowing how happy she felt.

After a while of watching El swing the others grew impatient except for Mike who could have pushed her all day, even with his weak muscles. "Anyone want to play hide and seek?" Will asked the group.

Max, Lucas and Dustin quickly agreed but Mike could see El's hesitation, clearly wanting to keep on swinging. "No, I'll stay here with El." Mike finally said looking at his friends but still concentrating on swinging El.

"Of course you will." Max muttered in amusement, causing the other boys to laugh as they all raced into the woods.

"Mike?" El asked once the group had disappeared. "Yeah El?" he asked her, slowing down the pushing slightly so he could hear her.

"Will you swing with me? Like...in the tyre?"

Mike felt his eyes widen at the thought of being squished in the tyre with El. Their bodies so close. He held his hands on the tyre to make it come to a stop. "Er…I…I mean…do you think we'd fit?" he squeaked out.

El looked at him over her shoulder, looking so perfect, her eyes glistening with…was that mischief?! "We can try…" she offered.

Mike felt himself immediately heat up, his body almost shaking when he realised she was flirting with him. Damn she was sexy and she had no idea! He turned his eyes onto the swing and frown slightly, "er…so how do we do this?"

El pondered the question for a moment and then shrugged. "You try and get in normally and I'll try and lift myself up and then sit on you."

She said it was such innocence that Mike honestly didn't know if she knew that her sitting on his lap was going to drive him crazy. He knew he shouldn't do it, he could practically imagine Hopper murdering him…but how could he refuse her?

"Okay," he said sheepishly, gulping down his nerves as best as he could. El placed her hands higher up on the rope and impressively lifted her whole body up. "Damn you're strong…" Mike said impressed as he also held onto the rope and awkwardly fitted his body into the tyre with El.

Mike felt all the air leave his lungs when El sat back down onto his lap. Holy shit he thought to himself, they were both wearing shorts and her bare skin against his was incredibly. He exhaled a breath that he tried to keep quiet not wanting El to know how nervous he was.

His hands laced around her hands on the ropes and using his long legs he pushed them slightly. Mike tried desperately to concentrate on swinging the both of them, but all he could think about was that his beautiful girlfriend was in his lap, his lap whilst the smell of her hair blew into his face making his body shudder.

"Hmm…this is better." El said calmly, her head under Mike's chin as he swung them. He couldn't help but smile despite the intensity of the situation. His nose nudged her temple slightly before he placed a soft kiss there.

His mouth moved down to her cheek and with a surge of confidence, he allowed his lips to slowly travel to her neck. "Yeah it is…" he said against her sweet skin, where he could feel her pulse hammering.

One of El's hands left the rope and moved back to caress her fingers against his cheek, slowly bringing his head even closer to her neck. Mike couldn't help but smile against her skin knowing that she seemed to have liked the kiss on her neck.

Mike closed his eyes and gently pressed his mouth to her neck once more, before blowing warm breath on her skin, he opened his eyes with a grin to see the goose bumps his actions had just caused.

"Does that feel good?" He whispered to her, his voice deeper and huskier. He felt a fire starting to burn in the pit of his stomach at having El this close.

"Yes," she gasped nodding slightly. "Do it again." She urged.

Mike smirked and leaned in again, kissing where the edge of her jaw and neck met before blowing his breath against the skin. He tentatively gave the skin a little lick and El almost jumped in surprise.

"Sorry!" He immediately apologised, his cheeks crimson. "I got a bit carried away." He mumbled wanting the ground to swallow him up.

El turned to look at him and he realised with stunned shock that her eyes were wide not with fear or anxiety but with lust. It made the fire almost explode in his stomach as it began moving to his groin.

She shook her head slightly, her gaze not leaving his. "No…I loved it." She whispered before pulling his head closer to her with the hand that was still on his cheek.

Despite the slightly awkward position in the tyre swing, nothing was going to stop Mike from kissing El in that moment. He crashed his lips to her with a groan, their tongues immediately meeting, stroking desperately.

Mike let one of his hands leave the ropes and he snaked it around El's waist, bringing her closer to him as they made out. Holy shit we're making out! Mike thought to himself as El sighed against his mouth, their breath mingled and it caused the heat in his groin to soon become arousal.

He could have stayed in that moment forever, letting the fire completely consume them both…but that wasn't meant to be.

"Holy fuck!" Lucas gasped.

"Mike's deflowering El in the tyre swing!" Dustin shouted.

"Deflowering?" Max scoffed.

"Ew you guys are gross!" Will shuddered.

Mike and El quickly pulled out of their embrace, Mike so stunned by his friends appearance that he tried to lean away from El as quickly as he could, not remembering there was nothing behind him and with a yelp fell out of the swing.

He shut his eyes for the impact but it never came. His friends gasped and he opened his eyes slowly to see he was floating just off the ground. Mike's quickly looked to El who was concentrating on him, he saw with a slightly movement of her head he slowly was laid on the grass.

"Thank you," he told her weakly, beyond embarrassed and not wanting to look at his friends who were howling. Remembering the result of his make out session with El, Mike quickly sat up on the grass and put his hands in his lap, desperately trying to think of something to make the stiffness go away. Hopper, Hopper, Hopper. Hopper with a gun about to shoot me. Will's dead body, all gross and slimy. Grandma, grandma, grandma.

Thankfully the combination of all three seemed to ease the situation very quickly but didn't stop the teasing from his friends from how they had just found him and El.

"You know there's an empty cabin right there guys? You could have just used a bedroom." Max said teasing.

"Max, the deflowering of El was clearly more epic in a tyre swing." Dustin snorted, wiping at his wet eyes.

Mike scowled at them all but became even more crimson if that was at all possible when El innocently asked, "what is deflowering?"

"It's n-nothing El! These lot are just being shit heads." He mumbled darkly whilst the party laughed even more because of El's innocent question.

"Oh come on Wheeler, surely you want her to know some day?" Max winked evilly. If looks could have killed Max would have been a pile of ash right now.

"Deflowering is when a guy takes a girl's virginity." Dustin said eagerly making Mike's blood boil, he couldn't even look at his girlfriend knowing she would have a confused look on her face right about now.

After a little while there was gasp, "Oh! You mean sex." El said calmly making all the boys splutter.

Mike's eyes widened and he turned to El, "you…y-you know about sex El?" he gasped, completely stunned.

El nodded, "yes Joyce told me about it." She said so coolly. Mike wished he didn't get so uncomfortable talking about the subject, but he guessed it had something to do with the whole girls mature quicker than boys.

"Ew gross…my mom teaching sex ed." Will shuddered.

"Well she'll need it…" Lucas smirked.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Will bit back, mortified even at the insinuation.

Lucas looked at Max who rolled her eyes and turned to Will. "We totally saw her and Hopper making out when we were going to the arcade last Tuesday. They were in Joyce's car and they were so obvious."

The whole group seemed to join in a huge gasp. "My mom?!" Will squeaked. "My dad?" El asked in confusion.

"Well I suppose it was bound to happen. They have the electricity." Dustin said reasonably, making the whole group turn to him in surprise.

"The electricity?" Lucas asked his eyebrow raised.

"Yeah they obviously waited until they felt the electricity. The sexual electricity."

"What, did your mom teach you that?" Max scoffed.

"No Steve."

"Yeah exactly…your mom." Max said rolling her eyes making the others laugh.

Whilst the group bickered and El went back to swinging, there was the noise of the gravel being disturbed and the party turned to see Hopper walking towards them with Joyce. Because of the recent accusations, the whole party went quiet, immediately awkward at seeing the pair together.

Will was the first one to break the silence out of the group, "mom what are you doing here? And with the chief?" he asked sheepishly.

Joyce having no idea of the awkward tension of the group just smiled kindly. "Hi honey, well I saw Hop in town and thought I'd come and see you all. Then I thought you and me could go for ice cream?" she said sweetly, in her Joyce Byers way.

Will went red but nodded looking at the floor, "er…okay mom." Mike couldn't help but wonder if Joyce wanted to talk to her son alone for a reason. Maybe this thing between her and Hopper was more than just making out?

"What's that?" Hopper asked staring at the tyre swing.

El shrugged smiling and carried on swinging, "it's my swing. The boys made it."

Hopper looked exasperated, "well I need you all to come indoors. We've got a few things to discuss…"

Mike immediately felt a panic take over his body, ew were Hopper and Joyce about to announce their relationship to them all? Or was it something worse…had he somehow found out about El and Mike making out?! He tried to calm down by reminding himself that if Hopper had known, Mike would be dead right now, so maybe he was in the clear.

The group reluctantly went into the warmth of the cabin and sat around the table looking expectantly at Hopper who was leaning against a counter, Joyce stood next to him.

"As I'm sure you're all aware, El is starting school with you this September." Hopper began, his arms crossed as he looked at each individual member of the party. They all nodded, unable to hide their grins.

"Well I met with Dr Owens this morning and he agrees that it's time that we start integrating El back into society…"

Mike gasped with excitement, "does that mean she can officially go out now?" he said almost bouncing in his seat.

"Yes but…hang on what do you mean officially go out? Has she been going out unofficially?" Hopper said quickly picking up on Mike's slip. Since March whenever they could get away with it, the party had been sneaking El out. She had been to Mike's a number of times and even Max's, Dustin's and Lucas's. They hadn't been able to get away with sneaking her to Will's yet because either Joyce or Jonathan were always there.

"No!" the whole party said adamantly. Hopper sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, "give me strength…" he mumbled darkly to himself.

"So El is allowed out now?" Max said calmly ignoring Hopper annoyance at the fact that they had been sneaking around for months.

Hopper finally looked back up at the group and nodded his head slowly. "Yes, El can go out. But there are going to be rules and you all need to know the story I'm going with." He said making the party groan.

"Let him finish you lot." Joyce said giving them all a stern look which literally still made her look sweet and kind. Joyce didn't do stern with the kids.

"What are the rules dad?" El asked calmly. Mike turned his gaze onto his girlfriend and couldn't stop the big grin on his face. She looked so excited at the prospect of properly being out in the world that she didn't care if there was a rule or two.

Hopper turned to his daughter, "well rule number one is that you don't use your powers unless it's an emergency. I'm talking life or death emergency El. Rule number two is you'll have a curfew which we'll decide on when you start going out with your friends. Okay kid?" He asked her seriously.

El practically beamed as she nodded. "Yes." She answered happily making Mike's heart swoon at the innocent excitement in her eyes. He couldn't wait to take her out, maybe now they could have a proper date.

"And what's the story?" Mike asked Hopper, knowing that he would say anything to keep El safe and with her family, friends and with him.

"We're going to say that I adopted El at the beginning of summer from Chicago. Her dad is dead and her mom is…well her mom is too unwell to have custody of her. She was home schooled and you lot are friends with her because you all met when you were playing in the woods." Hopper said looking at them all, making sure they were all taking this in and understood the importance of El's cover story.

The group all nodded in agreement before Hopper continued. "And you all need to know that El's legal name is now Jane Eleanor Hopper. So call her El for short if she wants. But don't be surprised if people call her Jane."

"Jane?" Dustin asked in confusion.

"My mama named me Jane." El said looking at her friend with a sad smile that broke Mike's heart. He reached for her hand under the table, their fingers laced comfortingly.

"Just whatever you do, don't call her Eleven in public." Hopper said scolding the children who nodded quickly.

"We won't. We promise." Mike said seriously before something else niggled in his mind and he had to say it. "What er…what should me and El say about our relationship?"

His friends looked at him with smirks as if they couldn't believe he had the nerve to ask Hopper the question. The man in question stared at him deadpan for a moment. "Will people even notice?" He said coolly.

Dustin snorted, "oh trust me…they aren't exactly subtle."

"Dustin!" Mike snapped through gritted teeth before kicking his so-called friend under the table. He couldn't look at the chief and felt the blush of red creep up his cheeks.

Just as Hopper who was glaring at Mike was about to say something, Joyce quickly interrupted looking at El. "Sweetie if you're happy with it, me and you are going to go clothes shopping tomorrow. We think you could do with a new wardrobe of clothes before you start school. And we need to get your school supplies."

El looked ecstatic. "Can my friends come too?" she asked eagerly.

Joyce sighed, "well sweetie we're going to be there for a while and in the girls' section…so I don't think the boys- "

"Can Max come then?" El interjected and Max nodded in approval. Mike couldn't believe how well Max and El had taken to each other, it was like they were their own best friends in a way.

Joyce smiled, "of course Max can come."

Mike could tell how excited El was to buy new clothes, everything she owned was hand me downs. But he couldn't help but feel down at the thought that she wouldn't need to borrow his clothes anymore.

He loved it when she would return a sweater in exchange for another. Mike would never tell a soul, but he'd put the used sweater back on and get into bed, smelling El's scent on the sleeve until he'd fall asleep. Mike wasn't just in love with El, he was obsessed with that beautiful girl.

El's eyes were wide with enthusiasm as she looked at rack upon rack of clothing, different colours and patterns that excited her. In the lab she had worn beige clothing, if you could even call them clothing, but this was a completely new world to her. Even the fact that she was stood in a clothing store was a novelty to her.

"What about something like this with ripped tights and leather?" Max said eagerly holding up a short black dress. El blushed and laughed, "no I don't so."

Max huffed, "of come on! I thought you looked so cool in your punk clothes when I first saw you. I couldn't pull it off." She said putting the black dress back.

El smirked, "it was bitchin…but not me."

"Well what is you?" Joyce said returning with some jeans. El sighed and looked around the store not really sure what her style was. She had gone from lab clothing into Mike's clothes, to Nancy's old dress, to Hopper's old clothes, to her punk attire and then hand me downs from Max.

"What did you feel most comfortable in? What was your favourite?" Joyce added to her previous question after El hadn't answered her.

El thought back to the many different styles she had worn, but with a smile she knew what her favourite was. She had felt her most confident and comfortable in the dress of Nancy's and her snow ball dress.

"Pretty things. Dresses." She concluded looking at Joyce who smiled and Max who rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed her influence hadn't turned El into a tomboy.

The ladies moved into the more girly area and El gasped with excitement as she picked out dress after dress and handed over pretty skirts and tops. She was in her element only interrupted by Joyce who had to remind her that Hopper had a budget.

El started to try on clothes and could barely recognise herself in the mirror. She looked like the other girls at the snow ball, she looked normal…she looked pretty. El beamed and put the clothes on the buy pile.

Joyce insisted that El get some jeans and sweaters too, explaining she'd get cold in the skirts and dresses when winter came. El was happy to get the jeans but more reluctant with the sweaters. She allowed a few of them into the buy pile but she was already adamant that when she needed a sweater she'd be wearing one of Mike's.

"Right sweetie we just need to get you a bra. I'll go ask the lady if she can fit you." Joyce said happily before wandering off.

El frowned and turned to Max. "Bra?" she asked confused.

Max smiled slightly and nodded. "Yeah you know those little cropped tops I gave you to wear under clothes? Well they are like training bras. What you need now is the real deal." She said calmly.

El watched Joyce come back with the sales assistant and pretty looking clothing pieces she guessed were bras. After being measured and given bras to try on, El actually liked the look of them on her body.

"Okay so you're a 32 B." Joyce said as she brought more bras to the changing room. They were different materials and colours.

"What does that mean?" El asked as Joyce handed her a white and pink lace bra. "It's just your size sweetie. And likelihood is that you'll need a bigger size as you grow."

El nodded and turned her attention back onto the bras. She was bought four of them, one white, one black, the white and pink lace one and an aqua blue lace one.

Once they had bought school supplies with the help of Max who had brought her own stationary list with her, they were shopped out.

Joyce treated the girls to dessert at the ice cream parlour before finally dropping them both off at home.

El put away all her new clothes with pride and put her new school bits into her backpack. She could feel the nerves clenching in her stomach even now.

"El are you there?" Came Mike's voice from the super com that was sitting on her bedside table.

With a big smile El jumped onto her bed, crossed her legs and picked up the radio.

"Hi Mike."

"Hi El. I missed you today. Did you have fun shopping?"

El beamed like she did anytime she heard Mike's voice. "It was really funny."

"What did you buy?" he asked with interest.

El told him about all of her stationary and her new backpack before moving onto clothes. "And I have really pretty dresses and skirts, jeans, tops…oh and bras."

She immediately heard the line crackle slightly as if Mike was clearing his throat rapidly.

"Are you okay Mike?" El asked with concern.

"Er yeah…sorry. So sounds like you got a lot of stuff."

"Yeah the bras are my favourite. They are really pretty. I'm a 32 B."

"Oh…er…that's…that's cool." His voice was thick again and El frowned hoping he wasn't getting a cold. She brushed off his awkwardness and asked him about his day. El lay back on the bed and laughed at his jokes and smiled feeling incredibly love sick and happy. She couldn't wait to spend the rest of the summer with her boyfriend and friends.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Let me know what you thought :-)