The nurse left the room.

El saw Mike starting to look worried. "What's wrong Mike?"

"I saw her looking at a chart. She looked a little worried."

"I'm sure it's nothing."

"And your dad seems to be talking to my mom a lot longer than I thought it would take."

El smiled at him, Mike looked funny again when she did that, "You're mom said a couple of bad words when she left the room."

"I heard. My mom never swears, she must be really mad."

"I would be mad too, if someone I loved was hurt like you were." El looked down.

Someone I loved. Like Mike Wheeler. I'm pretty sure I'm in love with Mike Wheeler. I've only known him for a few hours, and only talked to him for a few minutes. How can that be? Am I too young for the way I feel? No! You are never too young to love. Only soulmates know that. Does Mike even know he's my soulmate? I knew it the second I saw him. I love him. I'm thirteen years old and I'm in love with Mike Wheeler. It feels glorious!

El felt a little woozy. Admitting it to yourself was exhilarating. Freeing. That saying is right. The Truth Will Set You Free.

There was the sound of conversation from the hallway.

The nurse re-entered followed by Mrs. Wheeler and her dad.

"Ok Michael, it turns out you have a cracked rib. We will tension wrap your abdomen. I would suggest you have someone with you at all times. Are you his girlfriend?" The nurse asked El.

El nodded at the same time Mike did.

She noticed her dad give Mrs. Wheeler a quick glance, raising his eyebrows with a little smile hidden under his mustache.

"Ok," her dad said in a commanding voice. Let's get you two home."

XXXXX

Her dad looked over at her in the front seat of his truck. "So, are you going to tell me when that happened?"

"Mike and I figured out that when Dustin and Lucas were with the girlfriends, Troy didn't bully them at all."

Her dad smirked, "so you offered to be Mike's girlfriend did you?'

El looked down, "His pretend girlfriend."

"What the hell is a pretend girlfriend?"

"We only hold hands if someone is around so it looks like we are going out. There's no kissing… or anything else dad. This means I don't have to use my ability on Troy. It's safer this way, and Mike avoids being punched again."

"And you are ok with being his pretend girlfriend? "

El's head hung lower, she felt her lower lip tremble a little bit, she said in a small voice, "No."

"I don't want to see you with a broken heart, honey. Maybe you two should think of a better way. I told you it was ok to use your ability."

"That won't work dad, Troy has to know I am Mike's girlfriend."

"What about the Party?" Her dad rolled his eyes. "You going to tell them it's all fake?"

"We can't take the chance. I'm told that Dustin could blab it out."

"Tell me about it. Joyce and I told Will we were dating, Will told Dustin, and Dustin told the world."

"Dad?" El turned her head to look out the back window. "We've gone past the turn-off to get to Mike's house. I need to see him, he needs me."

"Yes, about that. I've had a talk with Karen, ah, that's Mrs. Wheeler to you so be respectful, anyway she's ok with you staying there with Mike. So we are going to the cabin, and I want you to pack everything you need for two weeks at the Wheeler's."

"Two weeks? But what about our TV nights?" El said, she didn't want to give that up with her dad.

"An old case I worked on when I was in New York has resurfaced. They need me as a consultant. I'm going to be gone about two weeks. I don't want you at the cabin alone. I'll radio you every night."

"At seven-four-zero?

"Yes, 7:40. Even if it's just to say hi and I love you ." El's heart warmed.

"Ok." She couldn't help but smile again. El's foundation was her dad's love. With that she could do almost anything. She would get to see Mike all the time. If she really was his soulmate, he would know. It was just a matter of time.

"You have a big heart El. Mike is going to see that. And I bet… Here's a bet for you. I bet Mike wants you to be his real girlfriend, in oh, let's say Eleven days. I'm so sure of that, and I'm probably going to regret this, but if he doesn't you can have Eggos whenever you want them."

"But you said dinner first and then desert."

"I did. But this is how sure I am of that Wheeler kid. He already told you in front of your dad and his mom and a nurse, with him hooked up to a machine… that you were pretty. As a cop, that's evidence that will hold up in court."

"Thanks dad."

"I would do anything for you, you know that right?"

El lowered her head, she sniffed. "I know dad. You saved me."

He pulled over to the side of the road, and gathered her in a warm hug. "I would die for you Eleven. Mike would be lucky to have you like I do."

"I would die for you too daddy." El could no longer contain herself and bawled her eyes out. She would have sworn she could feel hot water dripping through her curls on to her head.

XXXXX

El rang the doorbell to Mike's house. Her heart was pounding. Mrs. Wheeler opened the door gave her one of the nicest smiles she'd ever gotten from a grownup. "Hello sweetie."

El turned to wave at her dad, and blow him a kiss. Mrs. Wheeler waved too, but she didn't blow him a kiss.

"You want to take your dinners down to the basement?" Mrs. Wheeler asked her?

"Yes, please."

"El, you know for a guy, this can't be any more embarrassing. I have to get a girl to spoon feed me."

"It's ok Mike. You need to eat and I'm happy to do it."

"Still."

"Still. Nothing. Open your mouth, roast beef coming up."

XXXXX

"How are we going to work this? You have to be in the same room, but obviously not in the same bed."

"I will make Mike a blanket fort where he can't go anywhere without my help. I will be in a sleeping bag outside? Is that ok Mrs. Wheeler?"

Mrs. Wheeler thought for a second. El pulled her towards the bathroom.

"You and my dad have the same concerns." El decided to use every word she needed from her vocabulary.

"Mrs. Byers explained a lot to me. Nothing is going to happen Mrs. Wheeler, we are too young for that, and Mike may be a little immature for it."

"You are wise beyond your years. Thank you. You have made a mother very assured. You are a very nice girl El. Mike is fortunate to have you as a girlfriend. Your dad is raising you beyond anybody's expectations."

"My dad is the perfect dad." She didn't understand why Mrs. Wheeler put her hands to her mouth and looked away almost embarrassed.

But I'm not his girlfriend Mrs. Wheeler. I'm his pretend girlfriend. I'm not going to pretend though. I'm going to look and act like his real girlfriend.

XXXXX

"El. You awake?"

"Yes. I can't sleep. Thinking of everything that happened today."

"Me too."

"I don't know how I'm ever going to thank you. We haven't even known each other a full day, and you are doing this for me. I don't know of any girl that nice. Definitely not one who'd do everything for me that you've done for me today. I'm just glad you don't already have a boyfriend."

"You are?"

"Yeah, no way you'd do this for me otherwise. No way you're boyfriend would let you either. Or let you pretend to be my girlfriend."

Mike fell silent.

"I can't believe you're mother is letting us sleep in the same room."

"Mom's pretty cool, she always wants to be me and my older sister Nancy's friend. Sometimes I think she tries to hard. But then, on days like today, I can't believe how cool she's being."

"Your mom is pretty cool."

"So's your dad, I mean letting his daughter sleep in the same room as a boy. Unheard of."

El smiled. Not with my dad. He's the best in the world.

"Shit."

"What is it Mike."

"I have to pee."

"I don't see what the problem is."

"I'm right handed. Um my whole arm is in a sling."

El thought for a second. "Oh!" She couldn't believe she was about to say it but, "You… you don't want me to hold it do you?"

Silence.

"Ok, you can't tell in the dark, but my face is so red it's heating up the room. No... I don't want you to… to… hold it. Shit. I don't know what to do."

"If you can pull you jammy bottoms down with your left hand, just sit on the toilet."

More silence.

"I guess that would work"

"Girls do it all the time Mike."

"I'm a wasteoid."

"You've never had your shoulder dislocated before."

XXXXX

"Give me your hand." El said.

"What?"

"Show time, Mike. It has to look like I'm your girlfriend. Remember?"

"Oh, yeah… right."

El grabbed his hand and put on what she thought was her prettiest smile

At the Party table she sat very close to him on his right side. Far enough away not to touch his shoulder but close enough to protect from random jostling.

When the party all sat down they looked at the two of them.

"Uh" Dustin said.

"Dustin," Max said. "El is Mike's girlfriend. Were you not picking up on that?"

"Uh." He said again.

"Ignore him, El. It's Dustin."

XXXXX

Later in the girl's locker room after gym.

"El? You know that Mike and I don't really like each other. But… but I know he's a nice guy. He won't hurt you. You will never have a boyfriend like him. Ever. Try to hold on to him. Ok?

El put her hand ot her mouth, and tried not to cry.

"Did he say something wrong. What's wrong?"

"I love him Max. He doesn't know it. But I love him."

"Then tell him. Not telling him is almost like lying. Friends Don't Lie."

"I can't, Max."

"You can't tell him you love him? Doesn't he feel the same way about you?"

"I don't think so Max." Max hugged El and let her cry on her shoulder for a long time.