Day 15
Mike
Mike knew that when he was with El, he had become an idiot. He passed all his days to kiss her because it was what peoples in series did and ignored everyone: Lucas, Max, Dustin, Will... But he understood the problems way later after El dumped her, when she said she loved him and kissed her. He understood it wasn't a kiss like all they shared before. It was a goodbye kiss. He was sad for a moment but he understood what El wanted and seeing her being so happy when they weren't together anymore made him understand how better things were this way. And later again, when Dustin told them that Suzy and him ended their relationship because her parents didn't want her to keep that relationship, Mike decided to focus more on his friend to be a better one. Well, better than he had been.
El, Lucas, Dustin and Max were having a snowball fight, laughing like idiots while he had to get trought his lost, next to Will who abandonned way sooner because he was sick for a few days, sat on a bench of the park. Because he wasn't following the terrible fight, he didn't knew what was happening and when he looked back at them, he frowned, trying to understand what was happening.
"Who's winning?
-Boys." Will answered without leaving his comics from his eyes.
-How could you know?
-Lucas is extremely good at throwing things.
-Yeah but Max and El too.
-Lucas's better than Max and El won't attack Dustin.
-Why not?"
Will didn't answer so he loked at him to try to understand his silence and saw him completely red, hiding behind his comic, like if he regret that he talked. He frowned again and looked at the others to see what Will could see and not him but there still wasn't anything for him.
While Max and Lucas fell on each other and laughed, threwing snowballs at eachother faces, he noticed El helping Dustin to get up from snow. He watch closely and was intrigued by her smile and when he understood, taking a huge inspiration of surprise and face Will who was trying to disappear on the bench.
"Is El in love of Dustin?
-Talk louder, go on!"
Mike shut up immediately and looked again at El who was still smiling at Dustin and laughing at what must be a bad joke because he wasn't good about humor. He sprawled on the bench and put his hands on his mouth, dismayed by his stupidity to not see anything before.
"For how long have you known?
-A moment. A long moment. I can't believe no one noticed it. Well, maybe Max knows it. El says a lot to Max, casually.
-And Dustin?
-What, Dustin?
-He knows?"
Will sighed, closing his comic and faced Mike.
"No, he doesn't, if he knews, I wouldn't tell you that you talk too lood.
-Why didn't she tell him?
-Because not everyone is good at feelings.
-But she had no problems to telle me her feelings when we were together.
-Yeah? After how long?"
Mike opened his mouth to answer and realized that he didn't have the answer. He blushed and shut his mouth. Will took pity on him.
"It's okay Mike. She loved you, really. But now, you have to let her the time to talk to Dustin by herself.
-No need to specify.
-I'm sure that yes, I have to.
-You're exagerating.
-Maybe, we'll see.
-o-o-o-
Mike watch Dustin closely. He was chossing the comics he was going to buy. He seemed happy. He head was a little red because of the book that fell on him, this idiot.
Dustin finally notice his look and frowned, staring at him.
"What's wrong?
-Nothing, I'm just looking at you.
-Yeah but why?
-Nothing!
-Okay, Okay!"
Dustin seemed a little bored by his action but turned back to his comics. Mike noticed then he had taken a Wonder Woman comic.
"You read Wonder Woman now?
-Yeah, why not?
-I don't know. It's just El favorite hero."
He tried to catch his reaction when he talked about his ex but that wasn't what he was expected. Dustin seemed sad and uncomfortable.
-You still love her?
-What? No! No, of course not! You don't have to worry about that!
-Why would I?"
Mike felt panic growing. He had no answer for Dustin about that. He just smiled and looked away.
"Mike?
-I just said that like that.
-Okay..."
Dustin turned back to his comics choice for a while before grunting because Mike was still staring at him.
"Oh my god! Juste tell me what the problem is already!
-I... I was wondering if you were in love with someone."
Dustin raised an eyebrow high.
"Is that your way of telling me you have feelings for me?
-No!"
He couldn't help but blush and stuttered and took a step back to stop blushing.
"I wasn't talking about me.
-Yeah, sure.
-Really! I was thinking about a girl."
Dustin was really surprised.
"Wait, you know a girl who has feelings for me?
-Non."
He answered to fast.
"Tell me.
-No, really. I promise.
-Alright, let's say I believe you, I don't have any feelings for a girl.
-Oh..."
He was strangely disappointed. Well, it was logic, he knew El had feelings for Dustin and wanted her happiness.
"So, what make you believe El has feelings for me?
-What?"
He was too loud. Dustin was blushing bothered to roll eyes.
"Why do you think El, our friend Jane Hopper, has feelings for me?
-Why do you think of her?
-First, I know you're sure a girl we both know has feelings for me. Then, she's close enough and old enough to not take that as a joke and you respect that she hasn't told me yet, so it's one of our friend wich include: El, Max, Robin, Erika, Suzy and Nancy. Once again, Erika is too young. And it's not Suzy because she doesn't talk too much to you, she'd rather talk to Erika and Robin. To continue, Max and Nancy are in a relationship. So there is only El and Robin left and I know it's not Robin because it's a touchy subject for you so it's El."
That... was incredibly well thought. And El was going to kill him.
"I... I can't tell.
-Listen Mike, I don't know what you're trying to do but I don't particulary like it.
-It's not a joke if that what you think!
-Really? Because it looks like.
-I promise!
-It doesn't matter."
For the rest of the day, Mike kept promising to Dustin it wasn't a joke and that it was real but this one didn't listen.
At the moment they had to separate, Dustin held Mike back.
"If I had feeling for El, would you be mad?
-Of course not!
-Are you sure?
-Dustin, we're friends and it's more important that all the feelings I could have for a girl, even El.
-I don't think you should tell her that. But... I appreciate, really." He hesitate a moment, tightening his comics against him. "Maybe. Maybe I like Jane.
-Really? You should tell her!
-It's out of the question. El really really need honnesty so if she still tell me about her feelings, so she's not ready to have relationship. I won't obligate her to tell anything if she's not ready, she deserves that I take the chance to wait for her."
He could understand that.
"You're a good person.
-I do my best for it."
-o-o-o-
"I wanted to tell you something.
-I'm listening."
Mike was busy to take notes of the colors changings of his chemistry exercice he was doing with El who was doing it as well on their lesson sheet. He had to make sure to make no faults but listening to her distracted him.
"I'm dating Dustin."
Beautiful mistake. He cawed a "what" of surprise wich resound in all the class and get everyone atetntion. He noticed Dustin's look, exactly, and stared at him until he lowered his eyes before looking at El.
"Since when?
-Yesterday."
Obviously, she had wanted to tell to her friends as soon as possible now that she felt ready.
"I see.
-Do not be mad at Dustin.
-Why do you all think I will react badly?" It was upsetting.
El shrugged.
"I don't care about who you date as long as you're happy, and I don't care if it's Dustin. But I'm happy you tell me.
-So you have nothing to say about it?
-At all."
El seemed relieved to learn that and he could see her relax.
"That's good."
Yes it was.