El woke up, she had been nuzzling Mike's neck, her arm snug around his waist.

I don't want to move. I want to lie here with Mike forever. Except for school that's what I would do.

"C'mon Mike… time to get up. I'll make you breakfast."

"I'm not hungry." Mike sounded sad.

"It's the most important meal of the day." El recited.

"No it's not. Some cereal company came up with that, and it stuck to mothers like glue. I'm not hungry. I'm not going to eat. There are Eggos if you want them."

El carefully disengaged herself from Mike. He was being a little grumpy and she didn't want to antagonize him further.

"Ok… if you change your mind…"

"I won't."

XXXXX

Mike woke up feeling El's soft lips on his neck. I wish I could just lay here forever with her. Not pretending.

He was a little short with her when she asked about breakfast. Stop that, she's just asking. You don't need to be an asshole about it. You love her, that's the last thing you want to do.

El helped him get ready and would say "Sorry" every time he winced in pain. She was keeping her face neutral, but he could tell she didn't seem happy.

As they were holding hands walking to school Mike said, "Sorry El, I'm not being very good company today. It's no you ok? I'm in a lot of pain and I don't want to be mean to you."

El gave him a smile that made his knees feel a little rubbery, "It's ok, as a pretend girlfriend I will put up with all your moods. Because we pretend love each other."

Mike stumbled. I don't pretend El. I know I love you. How can that be after only a few days? I don't get it.

"Troy still hasn't seen us together. That's going to be the real test."

"I told you, Mike. I will be very convincing ."

XXXXX

El waiting for Mike while he was at his locker, they were earlier than usual, El had been keeping Mike on a better schedule than he had been before the incident.

He insisted he didn't want any help so she listened to him grunt painfully has he got his books together. They would go in her backpack, but he wanted to get them himself.

The school hall was empty of students. Except for one. Troy

"Mike," El said she tried to mask the panic in her voice. "Kiss me."

She pulled Mike into a kiss. This is it. I have to convince Troy that I'm Mike's girlfriend, and I may never get another chance to kiss Mike. I have to let him know I love him.

So she put everything she had into the kiss, all her fears, all her kindness.

All her love.

Mike, I love you. I love you. I love you. She screamed at him in her mind.

On the second I love you. She parted her lips and pushed a timid tongue between his lips. She wanted to let him know it was ok for him to do so also.

On the third I love you, Mike kissed her back. He really kissed her back. She felt the truth behind his kiss.

"HA! I'm reporting you two." Troy yelled and ran away.

They parted.

El could feel the tears trailing down her face and when she looked at Mike she saw his own tears.

"Mike? What's wrong?" They didn't look like tears of physical pain. They looked like something much deeper.

"I'm sorry El. I can't do this anymore. I don't want you to be my pretend girlfriend anymore

"It's too hard."

El could feel that her entire world was about to collapse. She was seconds away from her heart imploding. Her soul would be empty without him.

"Y-You d-don't?"

"No. I want you to be my real girlfriend. I love you. If you don't feel the same way, just say so and put me out of my misery. And don't tell me we're too young. I will feel this way forever about you. I can't explain it. I know we only met a few days ago."

He hung his head. Clearly waiting for her heart's rejection. Instead, El's heart hammered. She had not been expecting that at all. He loves me! He loves me!

"You want me to be your real girlfriend?" El held her breath. Please. Please say yes Mike.

"Yes. I want you to be my real girlfriend. I love you. I can't imagine not loving you. I just can't."

"Mike, I love you too sweetie. I've wanted to say that since we met."

"You did?" El's smile felt like it was matching his own.

"I have a real girlfriend."

"I have a real boyfriend."

They smiled at each other.

XXXXX

When El pulled him into a kiss he stopped breathing. Her lips were so soft. It was too much and he couldn't stop his tears. Don't do this El. Don't do this if you don't mean it. Kiss her Mike, let her know you love her.

He couldn't stand it, he had to tell her.

And then that was it. El was his girlfriend. He almost couldn't believe how easy it had been. They held hands on their way to Mr. Clarke's class.

"Mike? What did Troy mean when he said he was reporting us?"

"No kissing in the school classes or hallways."

" Everyone kisses at their lockers. We just did." She smiled at Mike.

"Yeah, but somehow Troy ended up as Hall Monitor this week, and he already doesn't like me. You got dragged into this."

"I don't care. I wanted to kiss you in front of Troy. I've wanted to kiss you since I first saw you."

They sat beside each other Mr. Clarke's class he was about to write something on the blackboard when the PA speaker sounded. "Would Jane Hopper and Michael Wheeler please report to the Principal's office."

"Oooooh," went through the classroom.

"Show time," Mike said, he grabbed El's hand.

On their way, Mike said, "Um, they said Jane Hopper? What's that about?"

"I'll tell you later… ok?" El hung her head.

Oh that doesn't sound good. He thought.

They were led directly into the principal's office. They both sat holding hands.

"Mr. Wheeler I think it's inappropriate for you to be holding hands, given what's been reported."

"We admit it Mr. Coleman. We kissed. She's my girlfriend. I know it's not an excuse but everyone who's going out together kiss at their lockers. Troy reported me because he doesn't like me."

"He doesn't like you?"

Mike pointed to his shoulder immobilization rig. "He dislocated my arm."

"There were no witnesses to that."

"Mr. Coleman, the reason that there were no witnesses in a lunchroom full of students looking at us was because nobody wants their shoulder dislocated by Troy. He's a bully. Everyone knows it. I don't know which mouthbreather made him Hall Monitor"

The principal was silent for a moment. "I was the mouthbreather who did. Be that as is may, what you two were doing was beyond kissing."

"What? No it wasn't, we were just kissing."

"That's not what this week's Hall Monitor reported. Furthermore, you will get three days suspension for it. In the meantime I will be talking to both your parents."

"What was reported?"

"That's for your parents and I to discuss."

Mike smiled.

"This is not a laughing matter young man."

"I'm not laughing, I feel sorry for you. Mr. Coleman."

"You feel sorry for me?"

"Yes, my mom is not happy that Troy wasn't punished for dislocating my shoulder. And now he's lied about something I did. Not only that, I'm not an expert on law, but i'm pretty sure punishment for something we aren't even told of isn't going to sit right with… Jane's father."

"Oh?" Mr. Coleman.

"Not to drop names but I'm sure Chief Hopper is not going to like that his daughter was suspended for three days, and doesn't know why. Sorry Mr. Coleman. I kinda feel sorry for you."

"You are dismissed young man. You too Miss… Hopper."

XXXXX

El held Mike's hand tightly on the walk home. He was smiling. She frowned, "Why are you smiling? We just got sent home, for three days!"

Mike stopped, looked at her, leaned in and kissed her softly. She returned his kiss, and when she opened her eyes she had to smile back at him.

"It's the beginning of the year. We aren't going to miss anything. We're both A students we could catch up even if we did. I have a girlfriend. Both our parents are away and you are taking care of me. But now I can kiss you."

El's was now grinning wide, her smile couldn't hold her feelings anymore.

"Your parents and my dad are going to be mad."

"Not at us. We don't get into trouble, so they'll know something is up. So, we have three days to ourselves. What do you want to do tonight?"

El looked down, "I don't want you to laugh at me."

"I would never do that El. Go ahead tell me."

"I want to kiss you until I can't keep my eyes open any longer. And then I want to fall asleep in your arms. But… I can't really do that with your arm in that immobilizer."

Mike saw looked at her, he got an idea. "I can make this work."

They went home and kissed. The few times it got heavy, they would part panting, "I keep forgetting to breathe El. You really do take my breath away.

She smiled shyly, "I'm breathing heavy for the same reason. "We can't tell our parents Mike. They'll think we're already doing it."

Mike rolled his eyes. "I know."

"Speaking of that Mike, I'm tired. You said I could fall asleep in your arms?"

"Yes, instead of sleeping behind me. I'll lay on my back. You snuggle up to my on the left side, and I'll put my arm around you. It'll be like falling asleep in my arms… halfway anyway."

"Halfway happy."

Mike laughed. "Except I'm all the way happy El. I'm going to change into my jammies."

He went upstairs. He came down stairs and didn't see El.

Where did she go?

The bathroom door was open a little he went in to see if she was there.

XXXXX

El heard the bathroom door creek, as she was pulling up her pajama bottoms and heard.

"Ohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygod."

She turned around quickly, and ran out back out. Mike was sitting on the sofa his face in his hands. She could see that his face was so red it was almost purple.

"Sweetie? What's wrong?"

"I saw your bum. Sorry, I didn't know you were in the bathroom, the door wasn't really closed."

"I don't like the door closed. What did you see?"

"Your bum, El as you were pulling up your jammies."

El giggled. "Ok. Show me yours and we'll be even."

"What?"

"It's only fair."

Mike stood up. Turned around and went to pull down his pajama bottoms.

"Mike! I was just kidding!" She giggled again.

Mke turned around even more purple than should be possible for a human face.

XXXXX

El lay in Mike's arms… his left one anyway. Snuggled up to him as close as she could get. His hand was on her hip. Not quite on her bum, but she didn't care if he put it there or not.

"Should I even ask what you want to do tomorrow?"

"You can, but the answer is going to be: I want to kiss all day."

"Me too, we won't get this kind of kissing time when our parents get home."

"Mike?"

"Yeah, El?"

"I'm thirteen years old, and I've found the person I love and want to be with for the rest of my life. If that's not you Mike… if…."

"It's me. El. It's what I want too. We are lucky to find each other this early in life."

"I know. I don't want to do anything that will make you think I don't love you."

She knew there would be one or two things to tell him that might make him question her love. She didn't have to tell him today, or this week.

But she would have to tell him.

And soon.