A/N: Welcome back, and thank you all for making this story pass 500 reviews! That's incredible, and I appreciate all the feedback this story has gotten. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and remember to review when you're done reading : )
Phieillydinyia: Thank you. Yes, I think they need some time as well.
Ejbeckmann: Thank you. I'll try not to let you all down.
Guest: Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Guest: El is definitely partially at fault for what happened between she and Mike in Lucas's basement, but I feel like the boys would be harder on him than on her because of their dynamic with Mike versus with El, plus he is the one who was actually seeing someone else at the time. But El is certainly not innocent here.
CalvinHobbesGatsby: Believe it or not, I am also a diehard Mileven shipper. I'm going to try to come through for you.
Shrike176: I agree the dynamic between Mileven is extremely different from Lumax, in the show and in this story. Mileven is more of a real relationship, in my opinion, but with Max really being El's only female friend, and with El having such limited experience in the real world, it stands to reason that she would make some questionable choices from following advice that may not be best for you. I am glad that you like it and are looking forward to some scenes with the full party together again! I am also sad it will be ending soon, but in the final note in my final chapter, I'm going to talk a little bit about what's coming in the future : )
NoDownSide: I think the way Mike and El were able to handle that conversation shows how much they understand each other. And I see what you're saying about not wanting Mike to step back 100%. That wouldn't be helpful to their situation. I really hope you like this chapter.
Guest: Keep reading ; )
Caleb: Thank you. I'm glad you're enjoying it, and I hope you like this one.
OdoMango: I'm glad you liked the past two chapters! And I agree it would've been unrealistic for them to get right back together, as much as we may want them to. I hope you like this chapter and enjoy seeing where both Mike and El are going!
Exploding Helmets: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it.
Niko: Yes, it was very important that El learned the severity of the situation. I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Guest: I can't speak on behalf of all ST fans, but this is how I personally interpret what happened between Mike and El during season 3. Mike was being a mouthy shit toward Hopper while constantly making out with his daughter, so Hopper pulled an intimidating dad move and told Mike he needed to spend less time at their house if he wanted to continue dating El (though I wish we could've seen that car ride). Mike didn't want to lose her, but he didn't want to tell her what Hopper did, for fear of her and Hopper's reactions, so yes, he made the conscious decision to lie to her. El knew he was lying, but she didn't know why, and she was hurt and angry. She went to Max, the only girl her age she knows, and while we didn't see that full conversation, all she probably told Max was that Mike was supposed to come over, but he called and said he wasn't coming over and lied about his grandma being sick. That's not a lot of information, and Max probably gave El advice based on how she herself would treat Lucas in the situation of being lied to. She told El to "dump his ass." She did not elaborate on that phrase. El may not have known dumping someone could mean permanently breaking up with them, which is not what she wanted for herself and Mike, this I am convinced of, obviously. When they came face-to-face outside the mall, Mike didn't come clean about the lie, so El parroted Max's advice to "dump his ass" and she walked away. No, I don't think she wanted to end their relationship. I think she was just angry and hurt and confused, and she followed the advice of the only girl she was friends with. I think if Mike and El had been able to talk privately and Mike told her what was going on, El would not have broken up with him. But again, that's just my interpretation. I'm sorry if you feel this story is demeaning to El, that is of course not my intention.
Guest: I'm glad you enjoyed that conversation! And I am sad for it to be ending soon too, but I hope you'll be excited for what I have coming up!
Afanofstrangerthingsandstuff: Thank you so much for recently reading all my stories! I love that my first two stories are still getting some traffic, and I am so glad that you like this one!
Grievesforyou: Thank you. Agreed, they both need time, for sure.
Jane Eleanor Wheeler: Thank you, I am glad you enjoyed it!
Machambaman: Thank you so much. I'm glad you enjoyed it and hope you like this chapter.
LabAlley: Thank you! I really hope you like this chapter.
Stranger Records: Thank you. No worries, I know people review when they can : ) I hope you like this chapter!
Disclaimer: I do not own Stranger Things or any of its original characters.
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Two months. It had been two months since El had shown up at Mike's door, confessing that she wanted to get back together with him, only to be shut down and put in her place by the severity of what she had caused. The insecurities she had awoken within him that she never knew were buried in there. The fears of rekindling their relationship only for him to be heartbroken again. And the revelation that hurt El the most, Mike's thought that she didn't return the feelings of love for him that he did for her.
It had been a strange two months. Complicated, as she adjusted to being around Mike and their friends without showing the affection she always did. Refreshing, as she discovered more about herself and felt the most genuine growth in such a short period of time than she had felt in years. Hopeful, as El knew that all the time she was taking to work on herself, Mike was taking to figure out his own issues that she knew he would come back to her to discuss when he was ready. Thankfully, the last two months had been eventful and eye-opening enough for El that they had not drug on like she had originally feared the indefinite time would.
After El left Mike's basement that day, she had felt a combination of pain, love, hope, and regret. She had known that she had hurt him, but it wasn't until the words came out of his mouth and cut her heart into pieces that she truly understood just how deeply she had. El had wanted so badly to simply wrap Mike up in her arms and apologize, holding him tightly and showering him with love and kisses until his pain and insecurities were forgotten. But she didn't. It had become clear to her rather quickly that mending their relationship was not going to be quick or easy, and Mike needed space. So, in her efforts to show Mike how much she loved him, El intended to respect his wishes and give him the time and space that he needed, vowing also to take time and space to herself. She knew she could improve and work to be a better person, a better friend, and a better girlfriend. She owed it to Mike, and most importantly to herself, to become the best version of herself that she could be, so when the time came for she and Mike to readdress their relationship status, El could be the healthiest and happiest she could be on her own, and completely ready to give herself fully to their relationship.
"I told you months ago to start focusing on yourself instead of worrying so much about dating," Will reminded her when El had gotten home and briefly recapped the main points of she and Mike's conversation.
All Will really needed to know was that the two of them were not back together, but that they had had an open, honest discussion about how they both feel about everything. El had also told Will that she and Mike were both taking time to figure out who they were outside of each other, as Mike had put it.
"I know, but… it's just different now," El said.
She thought back to when Will had given her that advice, and El remembered that she had taken it for a short time… until Max had told her that Mike had asked Lindsey to homecoming. El had concealed it in front of Max, but when she was finally alone, she hadn't been able to breathe. She had started to spiral into a panic, thinking of Mike moving on with another girl, as selfish as she may have been. And that's when she had accepted a date with Brad… right in front of Mike. God, that was probably the most spiteful thing she had done.
"This time I know there's still hope for Mike and me," she elaborated. "We are both taking time to figure ourselves out. I couldn't do it last time… not knowing he was with Lindsey."
"That's pretty selfish," Will said bluntly.
"I know," El agreed quickly. "And I know I didn't exactly handle that the best… But I think this will be good for both of us."
El had spared the rest of the details of she and Mike's conversation; it wasn't Will or any of their other friends' business the intimate details. She had, however, told Will (and Max when she called her later) that Mike had encouraged her to start spending more time with everyone again, not wanting her to feel unwelcome.
So, that's exactly what she did. That Monday at school, the first day back after her talk with Mike, El was so nervous to join the boys at lunch that her hands were shaking, causing the food to jostle around on her lunch tray.
"Calm down, it's okay," Max said quietly. "They're your friends, and Mike even told you he wants you to do this. Like he said, he's the one who asked for space. If he doesn't want to be around you, he'll leave."
El and Max approached the table, and it looked like Mike had informed the others that the girls would be joining them again, as Lucas appeared to have the two seats to his left saved. Mike sat across from Lucas. The girls came up and greeted the four who were already seated; Max gave Lucas a kiss on the cheek as she sat next to him and across from Dustin, and El smiled kindly as she sat across from Will. Mike and El were as far away from each other in the group as they could have been, but they were all six sitting together for the first time in months. It was a start.
That whole week, the seating arrangements were the same at lunch. As the days passed, El felt Mike start to become more comfortable with her being around again. That Wednesday, she had caught his eye after laughing at something he said, and she smiled warmly at the light blush that crossed his cheekbones and bridge of his nose before he looked away. It was almost like they were twelve years old again and first exploring their feelings for each other. Though back then, it had been the beginnings of a crush that would quickly develop into a love stronger than El had ever believed herself to be capable of experiencing. And now, it was the beginnings of two lovers attempting to rebuild what had been damaged and hoping to return to a love even stronger than before.
Friday, the last day of school before Christmas break, Mike addressed El individually for the first time all week. In the group setting, he hadn't ignored her by any means, but this time he walked with her from the cafeteria all the way to her locker after lunch.
"I probably won't really be seeing you much for the next three weeks," he had said, and El hid the feeling that she had been punched in the stomach. "So I wanted to make sure to tell you Merry Christmas and I hope you have a good break."
"Thanks, Mike," El smiled painfully at the realization that the progress they had made over the week could easily be lost over the next three. "I hope you do too. Tell your family Merry Christmas."
She had not waited for a response but gave him one last smile before walking away to her next class.
Just as she feared, the first week of break passed without El hearing a word from Mike. She was actually confused that Will had been home most of the week, as she was certain he would've spent nearly every minute at Mike's house with the party.
On Christmas morning, El awoke feeling glum. She loved spending Christmas with Mike… exchanging presents, letting him pull her under the mistletoe and ignoring the sarcastic comments from whoever was nearby, laying against him on the couch when they stayed up after his family all went to sleep so they could finally have some alone time while they rested silently in the colorful glow of the Christmas tree while the snow glistened outside the window. This was the first Christmas morning in years that she awoke feeling a sense of sadness. The first Christmas morning in years that she wouldn't be spending with Mike.
"Merry Christmas!" Will exclaimed the second he saw El emerging, which triggered Joyce and Jonathan to perk up and greet El as well.
"Merry Christmas," El replied, walking over to hug each of them, determined not to dampen her family's Christmas morning with her mood.
Christmas morning passed as usual; the four of them exchanged gifts before Joyce cooked them all breakfast. Afterward, Jonathan announced he was going to the Wheelers' house to spend the rest of Christmas Day with Nancy, and El felt the sting of knowing that she should be going too.
"Are you having a nice Christmas, honey?" Joyce asked, sitting next to El at the kitchen table after Will had gone to his room to call his friends on his supercom and tell them Merry Christmas.
"Yes, I appreciate everything. I can't wait to wear that blue sweater, and I needed a bigger curling iron," El smiled.
"I'm glad you liked your gifts," Joyce beamed. She hesitated. "Is everything… else okay?"
"I'm really not good at hiding it, am I?" El sighed, her lips curling into a defeated smile.
"Not really," Joyce chuckled.
"Everything Mike said makes sense about needing space and time to figure things out. And I know it will be good for both of us. It's just… ugh," El groaned and covered her face with her hands. "I was doing so much better after talking to him, and I thought we were making progress that whole week at school, slowly. But now… this day just sucks."
"Oh, honey, I thought that may be what's bothering you," Joyce said gently, wrapping her arm around El's shoulders. "It's your first real Christmas without him. It's okay to feel sad about that. It doesn't mean the progress you've felt isn't real."
"Really?" El asked, her hopeful eyes shining up at Joyce.
"Of course. Hell, believe it or not, I even felt sad on my first Christmas after Lonnie and I divorced," Joyce admitted.
"You did?" El asked.
"I sure did," Joyce confirmed. "When you spend so many years with someone, you develop traditions, and you become accustomed to having that person and those traditions around. And even though things were bad with Lonnie, the first holiday without him was still hard. It was the first time since the divorce that I really felt like a failure. I mean, here it is, Christmas Day. The one day the whole family is supposed to come together, and my boys were being deprived of that."
"You don't still feel that way, do you?" El asked, creasing her forehead in concern.
"No, honey, I don't," Joyce replied. "Even when sadness would hit me, I knew the divorce was what was best for everyone. I knew that relationship was dead. And when I felt like a failure because my boys couldn't have their whole family together for Christmas, I reminded myself that they were better off having divorced parents and a happy, healthy mother than having miserably married parents who screamed at each other more than they spoke."
"So what you're saying is that even though you were sad about what you had to do, the good outweighed the bad," El inferred.
"Exactly. I know your situation is completely different from mine. But just know that it is completely normal to feel sad that Mike isn't with you on Christmas, and try to find the good that will come out of this," Joyce said, stroking El's hair.
"It is really hard for me to not spend this day with him," El said. "But, I know this time apart is what he needs. I'm doing what he needs, and if that will make him happy, then… that outweighs being sad about it."
Joyce squeezed El tightly and reminded her once more than it was okay to feel sad and that if El needed anything, Joyce was always there for her. El spent the rest of the day putting away her Christmas presents and watching Christmas movies with Joyce and Will.
Around 7:30pm, the phone rang, and Will answered it in the hall. El heard the distant sound of his voice, but she did her best to tune him out and watch the movie that was playing on the television. That is, until Will poked his head around and said her name to get her attention.
"The phone's for you," he said.
El furrowed her brow but stood from the couch and walked toward the hall. Who would be calling her? Max, Lucas, and Dustin had all already called to wish both Will and her a Merry Christmas. She had assumed Mike had called Will either on the supercom or on the phone and just not asked to speak with her.
"Hello?" El said when she put the receiver to her ear and Will exited the hall.
"Hey, El. I just wanted to call and tell you Merry Christmas," Mike's voice replied, and El could hardly control the smile that stretched across her face.
"Umm… thanks, Mike," she managed to reply. El felt ridiculous at the lump forming in her throat. "M-Merry Christmas."
"Are you okay?" Mike asked, and El chuckled. It was just like him to pick up on her slightest discomfort.
"Yeah," she said through a breathy laugh. "Yeah, I'm fine… Did you have a good Christmas?"
"Yeah, it was good, just busy. Mom hosted the whole family this year, so I spent the whole afternoon making smalltalk with people I only see maybe once a year," Mike replied. "I'm sorry I didn't get the chance to call sooner, but the day flew by and all of a sudden it was dark out."
"It's okay," El said quickly, feeling relieved that he hadn't been ignoring her, he had just been busy with his family.
"But how was your day?" Mike asked.
"It was good," El replied. "We did presents and breakfast this morning, and I've just been hanging around the house watching movies with Mom and Will all afternoon. Jonathan left this morning to spend the day with Nancy… but I guess you already knew that." She and Mike both laughed.
"Yeah, he's still here," Mike said. "But that's good. I'm glad you had a good Christmas."
It fell silent as El's mind flashed back to all the Christmases she and Mike spent together, and she had to bite her tongue to keep herself from bringing any of them up. She wondered if Mike was thinking about those times too.
"Hey, El, I have to go," Mike broke the silence after a few moments.
"Oh, okay," El said. "Thanks for calling. Merry Christmas, Mike."
"Merry Christmas, El."
After they got off the phone, El didn't hear from Mike again for another few days. She was in the living room when Will came in and asked if she wanted to join him and the rest of the party at the arcade. El quickly agreed, and the two of them hopped into Will's car to go meet their friends.
When they arrived, Mike and Dustin were already inside, and Lucas and Max had not shown up yet. Will immediately approached Dustin and said something that El couldn't hear. Dustin and Will started walking away, and Dustin called over his shoulder that they would be back in a few minutes. El realized they had left she and Mike alone, and she looked over at Mike. She caught him staring back at her, and he suddenly looked to his left like he was looking for something, but El didn't buy that, as she knew Mike had this place memorized. She bit her bottom lip and waited as Mike stood across from her with his hands in his pockets.
"So, uh… I don't know where the hell they ran off to, but…" Mike trailed off like he was searching for something to fill the silence with between he and El.
"Play me in Dig Dug?" El offered quickly, hoping it could ease the tension. Mike looked at her for a moment as if he was considering her offer, and then he broke into a smile.
"You're on," he said simply and led her over to the Dig Dug machine. "Ladies first."
"Thanks, but, they save the best for last. So you can go first," El teased, grinning and gesturing toward the game.
"Are you trash-talking me, El?" Mike teased back, placing a hand on his chest and feigning shock. "I've been playing video games since I was born."
"Yet the high scores on this game all belong to someone called MadMax, who as you may recall, is my best friend. She may have taught me a thing or two," El shrugged playfully.
"Very well," Mike relented with a chuckle, taking the role of Player 1.
El and Mike quickly lost themselves in the game, taking turns handling the joystick and battling each other, each trying to live up to the smack they had playfully talked before starting. When El won, Mike insisted that they play the best two out of three. Mike won next, so they started their third game as the tie-breaker. When Mike finally lost, El shot her arms into the air and jumped up in victory.
"Told you!" she teased him, grinning widely.
"All right, you win," Mike laughed as they stepped away from the game they had been occupying for the past half hour.
"What do I win?" El asked playfully.
"What do you win?" Mike repeated, furrowing his brow.
"Yeah, I beat you. So what's my prize? What do I win?" El teased.
"Well, what do you want?" Mike smiled.
El's playfulness slowly left the smile on her face, and she felt a hint of sadness coming back. She noticed the second that Mike realized the change in her demeanor, because he looked down at the ground and shoved his hands into his pockets again.
"We should, uh…" Mike cleared his throat and looked around, spotting the rest of the party. "Come on, they're over here."
El nodded and followed him to the machine that their friends were all huddled around, Lucas and Max having shown up by now.
"Hey, nice of you to join us," Lucas greeted Mike and El when they reached their friends.
"You're the ones that were late," Mike retorted.
"We've been here for fifteen minutes, man," Lucas said. "We gave up on calling your names. There was no getting your attention."
"It's like you guys were in your own world," Dustin chimed in.
"Yeah, well," Mike shrugged, and El snuck a glance up at him from the corner of her eye. "We were wrapped up in the game. You know how that goes."
After the afternoon at the arcade, El went back to not hearing anything from Mike. She didn't hear from or see Mike again until New Year's Eve. El had been preparing for another sad holiday, assuming that even though she had felt like she was doing really well, spending New Years without Mike would still hurt, albeit slightly less than Christmas. However, her expectations of spending New Years with just her family were quickly changed when Dustin excitedly told the party that they were invited over to Steve Harrington's house for the night.
Apparently, Dustin had been badgering Steve about his New Years plans, and when Steve admitted that he didn't have any concrete plans, Dustin begged for Steve to let them all come over until he finally gave in. El was certainly excited to spend the holiday with her friends, and she hoped all of them showed up.
When they got to Steve's house, El and Will were greeted by Steve with a blonde on his arm that they did not recognize. Steve welcomed them inside, and El and Will turned into the living room to see Dustin waiting at the end of a beer pong table. Dustin lit up at the sight of El and Will entering, immediately claiming one of them as his beer pong partner to take on Steve and his woman. Will lost the silent battle that he and El had and joined Dustin at the end of the table. El chuckled and made her way into the kitchen where she found the biggest array of alcohol that she had ever seen. More than there was at the frat party, more than there was at Tyler's homecoming party. She shook her head and grabbed a cup. Moments later, she was joined by Max who immediately took her cup and fixed her a drink.
When the girls reentered the living room, El saw that Lucas and Mike had also shown up, probably at the same time Max did. Max pulled El onto the couch with her to talk while Dustin and Will played Steve and his female companion in beer pong. When Max saw that the cups on the table were dwindling, she shot her arm up and exclaimed that she and El would play the winning team. El snapped her head toward Max, telling her with her eyes that she had never played before, but Max assured her it was pretty self-explanatory.
Dustin sank the winning shot, and Steve claimed that he lost on purpose. Max and El took over at the end opposite from Dustin and Will, and the teenagers reassembled the cups. El was on her second drink and was starting to feel loosened up. She threw the ping pong ball like Max instructed and sank it right in the center cup. Max squealed and hugged her, spinning her around, and when El's gaze fell over the couch where Lucas and Mike were sitting, she blushed when she saw Mike watching her.
The game continued, both teams staying mostly even with each other. In the end, Dustin ended up with the winning move against the girls, claiming that he doesn't really even need a partner and can beat anyone on his own.
"That arrogant bullshit is why you don't have a New Year's kiss, Dusty-bun," Max exclaimed, stumbling over to the couch and slumping onto it as Lucas handed her another drink.
"It's been three years. Can you forget that fucking nickname?" Dustin snapped, taking a swig of his beer. "And I'm not the only one without a New Year's kiss. What's your bullshit reason for Will?"
"Will has… wait," Max turned to face Will. "What happened to Jenni… Jenna… Jessi… the girl?"
"Jessica and I still talk every now and then, but, you know, it's nothing serious," Will replied modestly, sipping from his cup.
"Well, there ya go! If it's nothing serious, you can be Dusty-bun's kiss!" Max exclaimed.
"For the love of god, stop calling me that!" Dustin hollered as Max laid across Lucas's lap laughing.
"You're not going to make it to midnight if you don't slow down," Lucas said lowly, stroking his fingers through Max's hair.
"I'm fine," Max waved her hand.
El continued to sip her drink, her mind stuck on Max's comments about New Year's kisses. Technically, Max and Lucas were the only couple there… well, Steve had a girl over, but El wasn't sure of the situation there, nor did she care to find out. What was El supposed to do at midnight? She was not able to ponder this for long because Steve came out with a bottle of booze and eight shot glasses.
By the time 11:45pm rolled around, El was drunk. She stumbled into the kitchen and leaned against the counter. A moment later, she felt someone come up beside her and place a hand on her shoulder.
"You doing okay?" Mike asked, and El turned to him and smiled.
"Are you doing okay?" El quipped, playfully pushing his shoulder.
"I'm not the one stumbling from room to room," Mike chuckled.
"Well you need to get drunker, Mikey, y'only have fifteen minutes," El slurred comically.
"I'm drunk enough," Mike said. "Besides, I need to make sure you're okay… Well – you and everyone else, I mean."
Even in her drunken state, El was touched that Mike was looking out for her. She stared into his dark eyes, a familiar longing awakening inside of her, and she heard herself start to speak.
"Kiss me at midnight," she requested in a firm, but somehow gentle, tone.
"What?" Mike asked, taken aback.
"That's what I want. You asked me what I want for beating you at Dig Dug. One kiss at midnight. Please," El repeated.
"El, I…" Mike sighed.
El held her breath while Mike looked at her, and she tried to focus on the emotion in his eyes, but her head wouldn't stop spinning. She was drunk, but she knew what she was saying, and she knew that she meant every word. Right as Mike opened his mouth to speak again, Dustin appeared in the doorway and called them into the living room for the countdown to New Year's.
El and Mike stood just inside the doorway in the living room. Everyone had their backs to them; Max and Lucas were seated on the couch while Max's head laid on Lucas's shoulder, Steve sat on the armchair with his girl's legs draped over his lap, and Dustin and Will both stood near the center of the room. Everyone's eyes were on the television as the countdown started.
Behind them, El was staring straight ahead, but she was hardly watching the television. She kept glancing at Mike out of the corner of her eye to see if he was showing any signs of taking her up on her offer from the kitchen.
The time was getting closer, and her friends were getting louder.
"13… 12… 11… 10…"
El didn't join them, and she didn't hear Mike join them either. She fully turned her head toward him and saw that he was nibbling the inside of his bottom lip anxiously as the countdown progressed.
"9… 8… 7… 6…"
El kept her eyes on Mike, and she saw him sneak a glance at her out of the corner of his eye.
"5… 4…"
She held her breath again as her heart beat faster.
"3…"
Was he going to do it?
"2…"
He didn't even turn to look at her.
"1…"
El exhaled, deflated.
"Happy New Year!"
Everyone hollered out in celebration except Mike and El. The two couples seated in the living room began kissing, and Dustin and Will ran out the front door, Dustin with two beers in hand, having convinced Will to shotgun them with him at midnight.
El hung her head, almost embarrassed to meet Mike's eyes, and she started to walk away from him, when she felt him grab her wrist.
"El, wait," Mike said softly, and El turned around and looked up at him.
From the corner of her eye, El could see the two couples in the room still making out, but they quickly faded from her view, and all she could see was Mike. His pupils were blown, making his already dark eyes look nearly black. He was looking down at her with a soft, almost adoring, expression, and El felt him begin to rub his thumb back and forth over the skin on her wrist.
Then, Mike leaned in and his lips met hers. It was soft, but El could feel the passion was still there. She closed her eyes and rested one of her hands in his hair while he wrapped his arms around her waist. El tasted the alcohol on his breath, but he also tasted like him. She felt Mike start to pull back, and she pouted when the kiss ended just as quickly as it had started.
"Happy New Year, El," Mike whispered.
"Happy New Year, Mike," El said just as softly, her head still spinning, but this time she knew it was not from the alcohol.
After New Years, they only had one more week off from school, and El wondered daily how things would be between Mike and her. Would they still only see each other at lunch, and even then with minimal interaction? It seemed like he had gotten a little more comfortable with her during break… he called her on Christmas, kissed her on New Years, and El was pretty sure they had both been flirting a little bit at the arcade that day. The six of them had all hung out at Mike's house twice, and while it was still difficult for El to be spending time with him without touching him, kissing him, or saying the affectionate things she used to, it was also nice to feel welcome at his house again with their friends. But still, would being back at school change the progress they had made?
Friday, just three days before returning to school from break, El sat down on the couch next to Joyce, and Joyce instantly noticed the pensive look on El's face.
"Is everything okay?" she asked, and El sighed.
"I'm a little nervous about going back to school," El admitted. "I know it's going to take time to completely fix everything, but I feel like Mike and I have really made some progress the last few weeks, and I don't want that to change when we get back to school."
"Change how?" Joyce asked, slightly confused.
"When it's just the six of us, it's fine. It's comfortable and familiar, and no, Mike and I aren't one hundred percent normal by any means, but… I don't know. It feels like us, almost," El tried to explain. "But at school there are other people and distractions and classes… People who know things and have heard rumors. It's just different."
"El, I know it's high school, but do you really think other students are paying any mind to what's going on with you and Mike?" Joyce asked. "Sweetie, people are focused on their own friends and their classes, and sure, maybe they'll talk about a rumor or something that happened for a little bit, but with the amount of kids at that place and the amount of stuff that happens on a daily basis, I can assure you, you don't have anything to worry about."
"Okay…" El said slowly. "But what if… what if things just feel different when we're back at school? I don't know why, I'm just worried about it."
"Overthinking it is going to stress yourself out," Joyce explained. "You and Mike are taking this time to yourselves, and I know you're going to see each other some, but ever since you and he had that talk, what have you really done to focus on you?"
El thought for a moment. She thought she had grown a bit. After all, she was respecting what Mike wanted and giving him the space he asked for. When they did see each other, El never initiated it, she only came places when invited, and she never called him. Before, El thinks she would have been too selfish to be able to do that. She expressed this to Joyce.
"Those are all good things, El, but I mean what have you done for you? Not for Mike," Joyce clarified.
"Well… I guess nothing," El admitted after another moment.
"Take some time to focus on yourself outside of your relationship. Focus on what you enjoy and what makes you happy, other than Mike. Maybe you'll discover a new passion or make a new friend or just learn something new about yourself," Joyce encouraged her.
So that's what El did. She had always had an aptitude for English, particularly writing, as she found it to be the perfect outlet to express herself. El had kept journals for several years, though she didn't write in them daily, just when inspiration struck her or her thoughts were overflowing and she needed to get them out. She knew there was a creative writing club led by her new English teacher that encouraged students to hone their writing skills, and El decided to check it out. After the first meeting, she found that she loved it. She loved being provided with prompts to just let her imagination run wild with, and she loved the ability to simply make her own thoughts and experiences into something. It gave her something to do, and it allowed her to explore a passion that she never really allowed to come through.
El also decided that she was going to try harder in her classes. Not that she didn't try before, but El often hurried through her homework so she could hang out with Mike, even though he encouraged her to take her time with it. She loved learning new things, and even though it was the final semester of her senior year, El figured it was not too late to delve into her studies and finish her high school career as strongly as she could. Plus, she figured that instilling these new study habits now would benefit her later in the year when college started.
College. That was another thing. The thought of leaving Hawkins in a few months and leaving Joyce behind and separating from most of her friends still made her stomach turn. El decided she wanted to be as prepared as possible for the life changes that would be coming her way, so she started researching more about the university… what types of clubs and extra-curriculars they offered, what opportunities for part-time on-campus jobs they had. She wanted to make the most of her college years, and El wanted to be prepared.
Her new focus on herself instilled a change in El that she hadn't been expecting and couldn't quite explain. She felt happier. She felt healthier, both mentally and physically, somehow. While she still loved Mike and wanted to mend their relationship, she found herself not feeling nearly as sad all the time.
El still saw Mike on a daily basis, as the six of them ate lunch together every day. She didn't even notice when it happened, but somehow the seating arrangements started changing, and El found herself sitting across from Mike during lunch. Sometimes she would feel their feet touch one another's under the table, and she wondered if it was intentional, but neither of them pulled away.
One day, about three weeks in to January, Mike seemed like a whole new person. He looked and sounded happier, like he had experienced some type of huge relief. He smiled brighter and talked and laughed more. El didn't know what happened, and she wasn't quite sure if it was her place to ask, but she was happy about whatever it was.
El hung out with the entire party at Mike's house just once a week. She wanted to make sure to give Mike time with his friends without her around, and El also wanted to spend time just hanging out with Max. Plus, with her new hobbies and interests she was uncovering, El found a whole new appreciation for alone time, and she often took advantage of it.
Soon, February was starting. Max and El were hanging out in El's room one day after school.
"You know, I'm really proud of you," Max said. "You've really come out of your shell more the past month or so. The old El would've never gone out of her way to become more involved at school."
"I wish I had done it sooner," El said. "I love you guys, all five of you, but I've made a couple new friends, and I'm really enjoying school now. And I'm getting excited for college, even though…"
"I'm going to miss you too," Max said knowingly. It was silent for a moment. "So what about you and Mike?"
"I'm still hopeful," El replied, smiling at the sound of his name. "I knew all along that I wouldn't know how long this whole time and space thing would last."
"Have you guys talked since that day in his basement? It's been almost two months," Max said.
"We hang out with you guys, but no, nothing one-on-one," El replied. She shrugged. "I still miss him, and I love him so much, so I'm doing my best to be patient and wait for him to figure out whatever he needs to so we can both be ready."
Max nodded but remained silent, so El continued.
"I think something happened about a week ago," she said. "Mike seemed different… happier, relieved. I don't know what it was, but it seemed like a good sign."
"I know what it was. Lucas told me," Max said. "Do you think you're going to try and talk to him again? Showing up at his door that day really worked out in a way… If you hadn't, that talk may never have happened, and you both may not be where you are now."
"I don't think so," El replied. "That day, Mike and I were completely honest with each other about everything, and we both know we still love each other. He asked me to give him time, so that's what I'm doing. It hasn't always been easy… The first month was pretty hard. But I'll wait as long as I need to. I just want him to be happy."
A few days later, the six of them all hung out at Mike's house all evening. As everyone was leaving, Max said she forgot something and turned to go back inside. El offered to wait for her, but Max told El to go ahead and she would have Lucas give her a ride home. El shrugged, not thinking too much of it, but also wondering why Max didn't want her to wait if it would only be a minute or two.
That had only been one day ago.
Now, El stood at her locker, getting her books out for her morning classes. It had certainly been an eventful two months, but she was overall happy with where she was personally. Her only hope was that Mike was happy with where he was too, and that soon, the friendship that they had been rebuilding would be ready for the next step.
That's why El's breath caught in her throat when she looked up and saw Mike walking toward her. He hadn't stopped by her locker before school in so many months. She closed her locker door and looked up at him. He looked nervous, which she found cute, given their entire history together. She looked into his eyes and waited for him to speak.
"Do you have a minute?"
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A/N: I hope you enjoyed this little variation of a timeskip from El's POV. The next chapter will be from Mike's POV, his end of some of the events in this chapter, as well as some conversations and stuff that happened in his life over the past two months. Be on the lookout for that : ) Please remember to leave me a review!