Well, I lied, Christmas Eve WILL be in the next chapter. I hope you guys liked it! And thank you for your reviews! I appreciate it! :D

"Did he just say I love you too?" Lucas hissed, loudly. Everyone turned to look at him, including Mike and El, who glared at him, and the rest of the nosy party. Mike grabbed her hand and led her back into the kitchen, making sure they couldn't be seen this time.

"But is that what he said?" Will asked, looking at Lucas.

"I can confirm." Hopper said, raising his hand slightly.

"Me too!" Karen added.

"How did you two know?"

"She told me." Karen said, shrugging. "Last week."

"And I watched her draw the picture." Hopper added. Karen smiled, remembering the conversation.

"She told me he was her favorite person in the world, and told me not to tell." She said, and everyone smiled at the innocence.

"I love it, El." Mike told her, admiring the picture she drew him. "I'm gonna hang it up in my room." She grinned widely.

"I love you, Mike." She whispered. Just hearing her say it made his heart burst with... love? Pride? He didn't know but he loved the feeling.

"I love you too, El." He hugged her, and she hugged him back, burying her face in his shoulder.

"Did you grow?" She asked, her voice muffled. He chuckled.

"Probably. My pants are getting too short." She giggled. She pulled away and pecked him on the lips. He kissed her again, longer this time, but they were interrupted when someone cleared their throat.

"You two might wanna stop making out in here before Hopper sees you." Steve told them, leaning against the doorway. They blushed and Mike glared at him.

"We were not making out!" Mike grumbled, bumping into Steve purposefully as he walked by him. Steve laughed and followed them. The three sat on the floor near the Christmas tree.

"Hey Steve, can I drive home tonight?" Max asked, grinning cheekily. Steve laughed sarcastically.

"Not a chance." He said, rolling his eyes.

"I'm serious though, I do want to learn how to drive before I my 15th birthday." She said.

"We'll see." He told her, winking at her, and she took that as a yes.

"Sweet!"

"So," Hopper tossed a couple M&M's in his mouth, "Who, in your little party, is the oldest?"

"Mike." They chorused.

"What, did you flunk or something?" Steve asked him. Mike rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"It's because he was born so late in the year." Karen answered. "If he was born before September first he'd be in high school this year."

"Oh okay, I gotcha."

"Imagine if Mike had been in a grade higher than all of us." Dustin said, lookin at Lucas and Will. "We all probably wouldn't have been friends."

"You think he'd have been friends with Troy-" Lucas joked, but Mike interrupted him,

"Really? I will punch you." Mike glared at him.

"I'm kidding, dude, you're too nice to have been friends with him." Mike rolled his eyes but gave him a smile. For the next few minutes, everyone had small conversations with each other, Max and Lucas sneaking kisses here and there, Mike and El kept staring at each other, and would've kissed a few times if it hadn't been for Hopper. Mike didn't even notice his mom go upstairs, but he did notice the envelope Nancy handed him. He raised an eyebrow and took it from her. He opened it and pulled out a birthday card that had a ten dollar bill in it.

Happy birthday, ya tall awkward lover boy. Love, Nancy.

Mike rolled his eyes at her but couldn't help the smile on his face.

"Thanks, Nance." He told her. She grinned at him. He started to put the card back in the envelope when something fell out. He picked it up and saw that it was a guitar pick. He looked at her, confused.

"Surprise, Mikey." His mom said and he turned to look at her, and she was standing in the doorway with a guitar in hand, a blue ribbon stuck on the side of it. His jaw dropped as he looked at her. She smiled at him. He stood up and walked over to her quickly.

"Is that...?" He asked. She nodded.

"Grandpa wanted you to have it, and grandma just found it." She told him. He took the guitar from her, admiring it. He turned it around and saw that it something had been engraved on it.

Mikey, though I'm not here to teach you anymore, always remember what I taught you. Whether it was about life or love, always remember. Love, Grandpa.

Mike bit his lip as he looked at his mom.

"I don't know what to say." He said quietly. She smiled and squeezed his shoulder gently.

"You don't have to say anything." She assured him.

"I think," Nancy started, "that you should play us a little something." He turned around and looked at her, and saw the biggest grin on her face. He rolled his eyes but nodded, and sat back down beside El, who looked at the guitar with the weirdest face he's ever seen.

"What is that?" She asked.

"It's a guitar." He told her. "It makes music. See?" He ran his fingers across the strings and it made a sound, and she jumped, causing everyone to laugh.

"Not good music." She told him. He chuckled, and picked up the pick he'd dropped, and played a few chords. She raised an eyebrow at him. "Good music." She decided and he chuckled again.

"I didn't know you could play guitar." Hopper said. Mike shrugged.

"It never came up in conversations." He said. "I don't know a lot, just what my grandpa taught me."

"I'll teach you." Steve piped up. Mike raised an eyebrow.

"You play guitar?" Dustin asked. Steve nodded.

"It's not that big of a secret, dipshit."

"Can you not call me a dipshit?"

"Nah, you're a dipshit so I'm gonna call you a dipshit." He looked at the rest of the party. "Same with you shitheads."

"Are we shitheads or dipshits?" Lucas asked. Karen rolled her eyes and sat on the couch next to Nancy. Steve chuckled and looked at Mike,

"Both, now, I promise I won't break your guitar, can I play a bit?"