A/N: Thank you all for sticking with it! I hit major writers block, but I've overcome it! I'm already halfway through the next chapter. And it's longer?! You're all welcome ;)

P.S! Thank you to whoever reviewed/followed/favourited. You guys are pretty neat.

"So, you're telling us you met a girl the morning we weren't with you?" Dustin asked, incredulously. Mike decided to tell the guys about his anything but ordinary encounter with this mystery girl, even though he knew no one would believe that 'Mike Wheeler' and 'girl' could even correlate in the same sentence.

Mike settled at the lunch table, ever since he separated from her he couldn't help but stare around the room like a paranoid psychopath. Everywhere he looked all he ached to see was her beautiful curls, her smooth and extremely distracting legs poking out from her short pleated skirt, and those eyes-

"Earth to Wheeler! He's lost it man, I never thought he'd get it this bad over a girl that doesn't even exist-" Dustin was interrupted by a sharp thwack, which turned out to be a painful punch from Mike.

Dustin rubbed his shoulder, moodily picking up his juice and begrudgingly rubbing his shoulder. Mike distractedly twirled his fork in his spaghetti, just thinking about her.

"Hey, who's with Max?" Will piped up, with sudden curiosity. Mike edged his gaze up to Will's, somewhat interested. Instantly, Mike felt his cheeks completely flush. Was his hair okay? Did he have spaghetti sauce on his face? Does she see him as a nerdy waistoid?

"My man!" Dustin pounded him on the back, knowingly. "I've gotta give it to you dude, she's a nerd's wet dream" Dustin wiped his hands through his unruly curls, turning to Mike and purring. The group erupted in groans and scattered 'gross' murmurs at Dustin's bravado.

"Hey, waistoids!" Max greeted loudly as she reached her friends table. Max looked at Mike and smirked, knowingly. "Everybody, this is Eleanor. She's just moved from Chicago" Eleanor smiled politely, but her focus was solely on Mike. She noticed the intense stare from his dark eyes, and she was completely drinking it in.

Eleanor smiled politely as Max introduced her to the table, giving each boy a shy smile. Her eyes met Mike's, and she was taken by the intensity. Mike felt different, genuine. As her mind flicked back to the moment they shared in the home economics building, she felt her cheeks burn and her heart swell. Eleanor found herself squished between Max and Will, but every lul in the conversation she found herself stealing glances at Mike. With every glance she noticed something different; the contrast between his porcelain skin and his chocolate brown freckles, the deep dark intensity that his eyes bore when theirs met, she saw beauty.

Mike's cheeks flared a dangerous pink as he watched her eyes etch over his features, analysing. The shrill sound of the school's bell caused the two flustered teens to break apart, immense embarrassment flooding over them both. Eleanor rose along with Max, waving goodbyes at the boys as they debated what weapons would be most effective in a zombie apocalypse. Mike watched Eleanor walk away, both stealing glances at each other before mournfully walking to class.

Eleanor distractedly entered in her lock combination, thoughts clouded with her new found attraction? Confusion? Towards Michael Wheeler.

"So, what the hell was that with Wheeler?" Max stared at El quizzically, sneaking a cocked eyebrowed glance towards her new friend. Silence.

"I saw it, the love eyes. God, eugh-" Max made a retching sound, dramatically projectiling her hands against her mouth, eliciting a giggle from Eleanor.

"We just .. spoke" Eleanor felt the corners of her mouth pull up, threatening to give off a sickly sweet grin.

"Oh, I'm really going to be sick. SICK! Dorky, pasty, sweatered Mike Wheeler. He is dominant though, if you like that kind of thing-"

"You're annoying. Besides, what about you and Lucas? I could practically see the drool from across the table!"

"It's called a friendly conversation-"

"A friendly conversation, Max? You wouldn't know one of those if it bit you on the a-"

"Hi!" A sickly sweet voice interrupted the conversation, Eleanor saw immediate distaste plastered across Max's face. Eleanor observed the person greeting her. Tall, crimped blonde hair, impeccable purple eyeshadow with a sugar-coated grin. Her eyes kept on Eleanor, refusing to even acknowledge Max behind her.

"I'm Stacy, just letting you know that I'm having a party tonight, feel free to invite people," Stacy snuck a snide side eye toward Max before slipping back to her sickly sweet bravado. "I'll see you there, Eleanor!" Flicking her platinum blonde hair over her shoulder, she pointed up her nose and continued to walk past the two confused teenage girls.

"She can't be serious, can she?" Max crinkled her nose in distaste, looking towards Eleanor for the same reaction. All she read was a thoughtful Eleanor.

"No, no way. How'd she even know your name? You've spoken like five words today!"

"You're being dramatic. I think it'd be fun! We could invite the guys-"

Max let out a loud unceremonious snort at Eleanor's preposterous idea, four nerds at Stacy Wilkin's house.

"I'll make sure I pass on that you're coming to Lucas! I'm sure you'd love to run into him!" Eleanor yelled over her shoulder as she closed her locker, a smirk playing against her lips.

Max's eyes widened, feeling her palms starting to sweat at the thought. She wouldn't.

"You'll catch flies if you keep gulping for air like that, meet you outside at 3:15! We'll carpool" Eleanor called gleaming, knowing that she'd won the battle.

Max stood, mouth still agape. She'd met her match, and her new best friend.