El breathed hard as she ran and ran. The cold air of October hit her face so hard from her fast steps. The feeling of small concrete stones and the harsh surface of the road slapping against her bare feet was not a quiet feeling she liked, but she didn't care.

Her eyes were more focused on the place she desperately wanted to reach. To feel.

The place was just like your soft spot in your house, which could make you forget all your sadness, tension, anger, and whatever bad feeling you have faced.

And El wanted nothing, other than to throw out the weight of all the emotions that she had been discovering from the past few days. Or you could say years, too.

It's been a very long since she has gone there, and a part of her felt like she had completely forgotten about that place. But she knows, that the memory that it holds, will never make her forget its value of it.

Her quick steps halted as she finally reached her destination, breathing heavily. She took a deep breath before walking forward to where she described that place as her small heaven.

"-EL!"

"EL?!"

Their voices echoed in the hallways as they called out to the brunette who had already exited the kitchen. Lucas and Will even dared to follow her behind but the redhead's voice made them stop.

"Guys, stop." They turned their heads to her. "-But, Max, she-", Lucas protested but she shook her head, "I think we should give her some space." Now, it was Will who spoke up, "But Max, we don't know where she's going! What if something happens-"

"Nothing will happen! You guys are treating her like she's some kind of baby that needs attention 24/7." She sighed and passed a hand through her hair. "Just- just give her some time. I'm sure she'll appreciate that." Lucas walked up to her and wrapped his hands around her small body, to which she immediately dug her head into his chest, "Yeah, guys. She needs some space to calm down. Let's just give her that."

Dustin and Will nodded.

"But what about your birthday-?" Ashlyn asked him, raising a brow. At her voice, all's eyes snapped in her direction. "I mean-" the blonde hesitated as she saw all the eyes were directed at her, "aren't you gonna celebrate it now... ?"

Lucas shook his head, "Who gives a shit. El is our first priority." He continued, "And there isn't a fixed rule that you have to celebrate it on that day only. I'm sure we can organize it any other day, when things get good again... and everyone's happy."

Will and Dustin nodded but Max shook her head whose head was still hidden in Lucas' chest. "I've been waiting for this day for so long and now, you're saying this."

Lucas furrowed his eyebrows, looking down at her, "Max- "The redhead let go of his hold and wiped her tears, "No, I get it." Lucas sighed. He knew his girlfriend was waiting for this moment for so long and it was fair enough on her side to be upset. He wanted to say something, but he knows he can't. Not right now.

"Okay, so, um- we should get going then..." Will replied, awkwardly passing glances here and there. Lucas nodded. He and Dustin shook hands with Lucas.

"Happy Birthday."

"Happy Birthday, bro."

"Thanks, guys," Lucas shook their hands and saw them leaving. He then walked towards the corner of the kitchen where stood Mike, who was somehow still astonished by what happened earlier. "You okay, dude?" He asked, shaking Mike's shoulder gently. "Yeah, uh- fine," he replied, seeking out of what seemed like a trance.

Lucas sighed and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Dude- Fuck, I'm sorry that everything didn't go as planned. I'll try to make it up in the future, yeah?"

"Yeah, no-" Mike stuttered, shaking his head, "- I meant that it's fine. I- I... understand." God, he didn't have to be so stupid. If he would have never decided to go with his stupid plan...

"Okay so, um- you and Ashlyn go upstairs and take some rest, you guys need it."

"Yeah!" The blonde chirped from behind before walking forward and tugging Mike's hand to lead him out of the kitchen. He flinched at her sudden touch and unclasped it before turning once again to his best friend."Happy birthday, Lucas," he patted his shoulder. Lucas smiled, "Thanks."

Mike and Ashlyn also exited the kitchen and went to the guest room, where they were staying, leaving only the couple inside the kitchen.

Lucas finally decided to speak up to Max, "Max-" but she was quick. She ignored him and made her way outside the kitchen too.

Lucas took in a deep breath. "I really fucked things up."

El's feet continued their steps as she walked towards that place she knew by her heart.

The place where Mike and she confessed their love for each other. The place where they had their first kiss.

"Mike, why are we here?" El asked the curly boy as they were lying on the cold grass, next to each other.

Mike had decided to take her here, away from the quarrel that was going on in his house. Well, Mike and El were basically at his house, as Karen had invited El to dinner for the first time. The dinner started pretty good: greeting each other, chit-chatting about random things... but the room's atmosphere changed once Mike's father, Ted, blurted out that Mike has to go to LA, for his graduation.

Everyone's eyes widened at the new information as he said it out so randomly. Mike was the first one to react as he asked, "Why only LA? Why not here?"

Ted, however, did not take an effort in answering his son's questions but the answer was simply there, plastered on his face as his eyes were secretly glancing between his son and the new girl, who had been hanging out with him 24/7 for the past two months. One thing was for sure, this girl was the reason behind his son's this year's poor academic results, and there would be no way in hell that he would have let her affect his future, which was still ahead of him, so bright and welcoming.

So, he just shrugged off his questions by saying, "I'm going to LA for my new project so I thought you could come with me. Plus, there's a friend of mine that has connections with the Pacific States, Univ, so he can help you off with anything you need in there."

Mike was so confused as well as frustrated. So, he left the dining room, without uttering out a single word, but not before tugging El's hand along with him.

Since the closest place to there was Lover's Lake, he decided to go there. He was flustered at first, as well as El, but they decided not to mention it as they decided to lay underneath the starry night in silence. But that was until El broke it.

"I don't know," Mike shrugged as his eyes were glued to the dark blue sky above him, "-just wanted to be in peace for a while."

El silently nodded but didn't dare to tear away her eyes from his face.

There was something magical about him, right now. His perfectly shaped face, carved by god himself, glowed under the shining night. His eyes twinkled as tiny and shiny crystal stars reflected back into them. His freckles, which she was absolutely crazy about, looked like stars themselves. And god, his lips, chapped like always but still looked perfect to just kiss them right then and there.

Her heart was going crazy, beating so fast at the sight in front of her eyes. The feelings that she had bottled up inside her heart for the past few weeks, were just ready to come outside her throat since she have last found them out.

She decided to take things slow, or maybe wait till she even gets a hint that Mike has those feelings too (well, she wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't), but after hearing Ted's words, and realizing Mike would be gone far away in just a matter of time...

She knew this was the right time to do it.

"I love you."

Mike's eyes widened at her words and he immediately turned his head to look at her, to make sure his ears weren't ringing. But when he saw her big, doe eyes, containing such a passionate stare, staring right into his brown ones, he knew that what he heard, what she said, is not just the stupid dream, that he was having every night.

Their faces were just a centimeter away, the tip of their noses brushing against each other and their exhales hitting each other's skin. But everything changed... when Mike made the bold move to lean in to place his lips against hers.

The kiss didn't stay long as El came to her senses at what the fuck was happening.

She pulled away quickly, gasping, before sitting up straight. Mike furrowed his eyebrows and sat up too. "El, what happened?" He asked softly, putting a hand on her knee. But his eyebrows lifted upwards as two drops of tears fell onto the back of his hand that rested on her knee. His hand immediately reached to cup the side of her face to make her look at him, "El?"

"I-I'm so sorry," she shook her head, pressing her lips together. "What are you sorry for?" he asked, his voice still so gentle that didn't help the stinging pain in her chest in the slightest.

"I'm so selfish," she finally faced him, "I don't know why I decided to say this out loud, even after knowing that you're going away. I-" She was cut off as Mike placed his lips against hers again.

This time she didn't pull away, instead, she scooted a little closer. The sensation was so strange and new, electrifying every part of her body. Millions of butterflies were fluttering in her belly, her knees and hands felt like melting.

After when they thought they finally needed to catch their breath, they pulled away, resting their foreheads resting against each other.

"I love you too," Mike replied, smiling. El widened her eyes, but before she could pull away, he placed a finger on her lips. "I'm not going to LA."

"What-"

"I don't give a shit about what my dad has planned for my future. I'm the one who has the right to make decisions for myself, not him."

"But-"

"Ellll," he chuckled, "We both love each other, that's what matters, alright?" She nodded, smiling as they both faced the night above them, foreheads still touching and hands laced together.

"Promise me that you'll never leave my side."

He placed a sweet kiss on the side of her forehead, "Promise."

El smiled at the bittersweet memory as she sat in the exact spot, where she and Mike once did.

Her breathing had gone normal and her tears had tried, just like they always did when she comes here. Years have passed, but she still thinks about how much effect that memory and this place have on her.

She sighed as she looked up at the sky above her, looking the same as it did that night. Dark blue sky, greyish clouds scattered here and there, and bright shining stars, gazing right at her.

The sky seemed to be laughing at her. Laughing at her stupidity. Laughing at her fortune.

How fast did the time change? How did she and Mike drift apart? How did Mike, who once promised to be at her side, leave her all alone when she needed him the most? How?

She knew the answers but she didn't have the courage to recall them.

She was tired, so drained, and all she needed now, was sleep. So, pushing her feelings once again, to the deepest corner of her heart, she stood up before exiting out of where she described the place as her small heaven.

So... yeah, here it is 😭 I absolutely fucking love this chapter and I'm sure this chapter is gonna have a soft spot in my heart now lol. Hope you enjoyed. Pls lemme know your thoughts.

Meet ya in the next chap! Stay tuned...

-lils