Author's Note:
Hey guys!
Thanks again for your lovely words. You guys are awesome and seriously make my day.
I'm sorry there is so little Mike and Eleven in this chapter. These parts are coming I swear.
Enjoy. R&R as always. :)
CHAPTER FOUR:
"So Jennifer has gym this period right?" Max whispered to Elle quietly. They were currently making their way to the cafeteria, Elle wasn't sure exactly why. Something about getting supplies Max had told Elle.
"Uhh yeah, they will be in the gym playing volleyball." Elle replied in the same whispered tone.
"Perfect!" Max grinned widely at the other girl's response. Her mind slowly forming the perfect plan.
"She looks like the type to moisturize." She said aloud, more to herself than to Elle. "Facial stuff?" she turned to Elle questioningly.
"Yeah, she has a whole routine I guess." Elle's interest reached maximum peak now. What was this girl planning?
"It's almost too easy." Max mumbled quietly, a slight chuckle in her voice.
"Can I ask what you are planning?" Elle asked interestedly. Her curious gaze resting on the wild eyed red headed girl walking beside her.
"All in good time my friend." Max replied, clasping Elle on the shoulder quickly before taking off ahead of her. Elle dragged behind, almost completely lost in her thoughts.
Elle was surprised at the use of the word friend. Were they friends again now? Cause Elle could really use one right now. She knew none of her cheerleading buddies could ever help her with what she was about to, not wanting to go up against the head cheerleader and risk their own lives in the popular crowd.
But here was Max. Her best friend that she had basically ignored for the past 6 months joining her revenge plan willingly. Was she doing it to help her? Or was this just because she wanted something to do? Elle is well aware of Max's trouble making behavior at school.
Elle paused suddenly, shifting her eyes around the halls in hesitation.
Why is she helping me? She thought to herself silently.
Max had walked slightly ahead, now reaching out to pull open the doors to the cafeteria. She stopped when she noticed Elle's change from determined to hesitant.
"Are you coming?" she eyed Elle questioningly.
Max let go of the door handle and walked over to stand next to Elle, still frozen in the middle of the hall. They are gonna caught if she doesn't move, Max thought to herself.
When Elle didn't move or say anything in return she went to speak up again "Elle, we really have to go. We can't be stan-"
Elle's attention quickly snapped to back to Max, cutting off the other's girls pleas she bursts out the thought suddenly.
"Why are you helping me Max?"
Max's eyes widened at the unexpected question. Max give a quick thought to her question but the answer was pretty obvious to her. She smiled to herself before giving her response.
"Because I know you would do it for me."
Elle felt her heart twinge a little at Max's answer. Of course she would say something to make her feel even worse about what happened between them when she moved here…
"But I've been so horrible to you since I moved here. I treated you like you were nothing to me." Guilt was thick in her tone, the overwhelming feeling she get whenever she looked at Max soaked in her words.
"Look Elle, we may have stopped hanging out. And honestly it sucked for me watching you become one of them." Max scrunched her face up at the thought of all those months watching her friend turn into a cheerleading barbie, it felt wrong. But the girl standing in front of her now was definitely the girl she called her best friend. The girl that she used to play with in the kiddie pool in the front yard every hot Sunday afternoon, the girl who she shared the details of her first kiss with (Derek Muller with way too much tongue), and the girl who cried with her when Max's parents told her that they were getting divorced. "But I never stopped wanting to be your friend. And if someone hurts you, then I'm going to make them pay. I made that promise to you when we were kids, and I intend to keep it." Max felt mushy just saying it, but she was happy when Elle perked up at her words. She was taken aback when Elle suddenly threw her arms around Max's neck and pulled the girl into a sweet embrace. Max smiled against Elle's shoulder before bring her arms up to wrap around the smaller girl and gave her a light squeeze.
Elle felt her eyes start to well up at the corners, "thanks Max." she added thoughtfully before slowing pulling apart. "I'm ready." She stated surely, "Let's do this."
Max watched the brown-haired girl march over to the cafeteria doors and pull them open.
Atta girl! Max said to herself, before following Elle inside quietly.
Mike isn't sure why he agreed to help Dustin with his stupid plan. He knew very well that whenever Dustin planned something it usually ended up going to shit. But there was something about his lovesick best friend's hopeful and pleading face that he just couldn't say no.
Maybe because you know the feeling of being lovesick too.
He shook the thought away quickly. His mind steering clear girl from a certain brown-haired brown-eyed beauty. He really shouldn't be thinking about her. She had a boyfriend. And not just any boyfriend either. A boyfriend that could kick his ass if he had any idea of the thoughts Mike was having about her.
So Mike had told Dustin he would help him.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Dustin exclaimed reaching up to hug his tall friend. Mike pushed him away quickly, noticing a couple of cheerleaders down the hall eyeing them with a sneer. Mike watched them mumble something to each other before giggling uncontrollably before walking down the hall.
Great, not only are you frogface. You'll now be frogface with a boyfriend. Perfect way to get Elle's attention… His thoughts automatically connecting themselves to Elle. They were doing that a lot lately.
"Alright so, all we need to do now is get Max's locker number." Dustin said matter of factly, turning to walk forwards. Mike followed behind him reluctantly.
"Ok… and how are you going to do that?"
"We're going to get it from the office's files." Dustin smiled up at him before continuing, clearly ignoring Mike's concerned expression. "I'll distract Penelope, the office lady, and you will sneak in behind her and take a look at the locker combination file in the back office."
"Hang on" Mike grabbed Dustin's shoulder suddenly, stopping him in his tracks. "Why do I have to get the locker combination? You're the one that needs it." Mike eyes him suspiciously.
"I know that Mike." He pauses slightly, "but you aren't nearly as charming." Mike rolls his eyes, knowing his friend is right. Mike could never pull that off. Nerves turning him into a rambling, sweaty mess.
They slowly made their way to the office, both having study hall this period and knowing their presences wont be missed. Dustin continued to reveal his plan to Mike.
"Then I will drop this into her locker." Mike watched Dustin curiously as he swung his bag in fron of him, unzipped the top pocket and shove it under Mike's face. Mike looked down to see it filled with multiple packets of red vines.
"Red vines?" he asked confused.
"Yeah, it's her favorite."
"And how do you know that? You've never even spoken to her."
"Mike," Dustin grasps his friends shoulder lightly as he continues "Max and I don't need words. Our connection runs deeper than that." His voice full of admiration as he stared longingly into the distance.
Dustin breaks away from his daze and begins to zips up his bag, he notices the look Mike is giving him, quietly adding "and I see her eat them all the time."
Mike chuckles at him, "why don't you just give her a card like a normal person?"
"A card? Really?" Dustin asks dumbfounded, like it's the stupidest thing he's ever heard. "That's way to basic of a Valentine's gift Mike.
Mike shrugs at him in response.
"Besides food is the language of love. How many times have I said that to you guys?"
"Once. Just now."
They continued to bicker until they rounded the last hall towards the office. As they did, Mike collided suddenly with someone turning the corner at the same time, his tall frame sending them careening to the ground. He reached out quickly to grab them as they fell backwards.
"Oh my god, I'm really sorry. I didn't see you there."
Mike looked down at the small person in his arms. Elle beamed back at him. Her arms grabbing the ones that had a hold on her.
"It's ok Mike. Thanks for catching me." She flashed a smile up at him. He lost the ability to speak, to do anything really but stare at her. He stood there awkwardly, his hands still gripping her.
No wonder I can't get her out of my head. Her hair was pulled up into a high ponytail again, pulling the curls away from her face. He took in everything about her, taking a mental image of her face. The smallness and delicate nature of her face, pushing thoughts of Mike's hands cupped around it into his head. He was getting lost in the depth of her big brown eyes, the softness of which was currently locked with his own, neither of them wanting to look away. His eyes shifted slightly to take in her soft pink lips, his mind once again taking him to a place where his name escaped them before he took them with his own...
It was Dustin's voice that broke his thought process. Mike had completely forgotten that there was other people even around.
She has a boyfriend. She has a boyfriend. She has a boyfriend. He repeated to himself over and over again.
"Hi Max." His curly haired friend said to the girl standing next to Elle. Mike looked over to them. Max, whose attention had been on Elle and Mike and the tension that filled the air between them, suddenly looked at Dustin.
"Do I know you?" she asked incredulously, eyeing him carefully.
"Uh we have trig together. You probably don't see me, I sit at the front." Mike winced at his friend's attempt to hid his disappointment. His huge smile faltering at her words.
"Right. Pun boy." She added dismissively, clearly wanting the conversation to end.
Dustin didn't seem to take notice, he perked back up at her name for him. "Yeah, that's me. But my real name is Dustin!" he exclaimed, a little too loudly.
Mike was watching the exchange carefully when he heard Elle's voice quietly in front of him.
"uhh Mike, you can let me go now."
Mike snatched his hands away like they were touching smoothing scolding, his face reddening at his stupidity.
You wastiod Mike.
He relaxed when she chuckled at him softly. His smile returning to his face at the sound of her laughing, even if it is at him.
"What are you guys doing out here anyway?" She asked up at him, her head tilted to the side as she eyed him suspiciously.
Mike looked over at Dustin quickly. His friend shook his head at him pleadingly, mouthing something along the lines of "don't say anything" to him.
"Uhh we are just heading to the.. uhh… the…" he struggled to think of something, anything, not really sure of what to say.
"We are just heading to the bathroom." Dustin cut in suddenly.
"Right, to the bathroom." Mike repeated, nodding his head a few too many times to be normal. "What about you guys? Don't you have history this period?" The thought came out of his mouth before his brain could stop them. He really hoped it didn't come off stalkerish.
Elle's eyes widened slightly at his question, curious to how he would know that. But before she could say anything Max spoke up.
"Yeah, she does. Just a personal emergency. Girl related." She gave the boys a knowing look. A chuckle nearly escaped her lips as she watched their expressions quickly change from curious, to confused to realization.
Elle gave a Max 'what the hell' look before turning bright pink. "…Right, a girl emergency." She agreed slowly through gritted teeth. "And we'll be going now…" she added, smiling quickly at the guys in front of them before looking back her giggling friend.
Elle grabbed Max's elbow quickly and pulled her down the hall. She couldn't get away fast enough.
"Max!" She looked back quickly to where their interactions with the boys just occurred. Mike was still standing there, watching her leave. When their eyes met, he quickly looked away, his face turning a darker red then before, and turned the corner. "Why did you tell them that?"
Why is he so impossibly cute?
"Why do you care what those dweebs think?" She asked Elle, confused as to why it mattered.
Elle sighed loudly, ignoring her friend's questioning gaze. "I don't." She said casually. Hoping she had managed to convince Max that she didn't care.
In her head she repeated what she really thought: Because she doesn't want a cute guy like Mike to know those things about her.
"Max what are we doing in here?" Elle asks as she watched Max check the name on each locker. She didn't get a response, the other girl to preoccupied with her mission.
"If you are looking for Jennifer's locker its around here." She walks past the next week aisles of lockers before stopping at the front of the one marked with Jennifer's handwriting.
J. Hayes
Max squeals in delight. "Do you know the combo?" she inquires hopefully.
Elle quickly puts in the combination. Jennifer's birthday. It was easy to remember, it being a few days before her own.
"Again, this is way too easy." Max repeats her earlier comment again. She smirks as she opens the locker and pulls out a bottle branded as facial moisturizer.
Elle watches curiously as Max untwists the cap and pulls it aside. She reaches into her pocket and pulls out the blue food coloring they had taken from the cafeteria moments before.
Oh. Elle thought, finally connecting the dots.
Max glances up at Elle as she starts cackling wildly. She brings her finger up to her lips, shushing the girl's laughter in an instance.
"Sorry." Elle whispers in return. "You are so evil. I love it." The girls share a small giggle before Max hands the bottle of food dye to Elle.
"Would you like to do the honors?"
"Definitely." She grabs the tiny bottle from Max's hand and empties its contents into the bigger bottle sitting on the bench.
Moments later, the girls are waiting casually outside the doors of the locker room, having just watched the students return from the gymnasium.
Elle waited impatiently, the anticipation almost killing her. She ran through a few scenarios in her head, picturing her ex-best friend's face turning a violent blue. She could barely keep the smile off her face.
A few minutes later, students started to leave the locker room. Dammit, it didn't work. She looked to Max in disappointment.
Max gave her a small smile and a comforting shrug, "we will think of something else." She assured her, and beginning to walk away from their spot near the doors.
Suddenly, a shrill high-pitched scream came from the locker room.
The girls shrink narrowly avoided the doors as they swung open. A frantic Jennifer, with a face as blue as blueberry pie, barged through them. Two of her cronies followed her out.
"Jennifer just show us, it can't be that bad." One of them said, not really believing her own words.
"No!" She screamed at them. Her face now hidden behind her hands. "Bring my stuff to my car. I'm calling my mum!" She ran down the hall towards the office door.
Max and stood there for a minute, staring in the direction Jennifer just left in. They turned to each other slowly. The moment their eyes met, they erupted into a riot of laughs. Elle raised her hand to Max. The other girl slapped her hand against Elle's in victory.
One down. Elle thought to herself. One to go…
This is not going to work.
Those were the thoughts troubling Mike as he sat down in one the chairs available in office. The office secretary, Penelope, eyed him questioningly, her eyes huge under her thick rimmed glasses.
"I'm just waiting for the guidance counselor" he offered in explanation. She shrugged her shoulders and turnback to her desk. Mike smiled at himself satisfyingly. That worked, good.
He eyed the door to the office a few times. Dustin was supposed to come through them and distract Penelope while Mike snuck around the back and grab the file where they kept everyone's names and locker combinations.
Dustin suddenly appeared at the window of the office door. Giving Mike a wide smile and thumbs up through the glass before opening the door with a neutral expression.
Penelope looked up as Dustin entered, greeting him warmly. "Afternoon Dustin!"
"Well if it isn't my favorite person in the entire school." He flashed her a toothy grin.
She scoffed at him in slight embarrassment. "Right back at you!" They shared a quick laugh before she spoke again, "what can I do for you today?"
Mike watched the interaction curiously. Maybe he was as charming as he thinks he is, he thought to himself. He suddenly remembered why they were really there. Quietly standing up and making his way to the back of the office, where the filling cabinets were located.
Jesus, there's heaps of them. How is supposed to find it?
He was partly listening to the conversation Dustin was sharing with Penelope, something about Dustin's cat Mews and a problem with her paw. Penelope had four cats herself (big surprise) and was questioning Dustin about the problem (maybe she could help).
Dustin looked over Penelope's shoulder at Mike, giving him a hurried expression. Mike gestured wildly to the drawers, hoping Dustin understood what he was asking.
Dustin turned his attention back to Penelope. "Poor Mews, its her left paw, third claw that's bothering her. Mom is worried sick." Dustin said, emphasizing the words Mike needed him to hear.
Mike turned back to the filing cabinet. Left side, third drawer. He repeated to himself. He quickly opened the drawer, careful not to make any noise. He found the file almost immediately before grabbing and closing the drawer again. He turned to give Dustin their planned signal, a single thumbs up.
As Mike was about to raise his hand, the office door flung open. Startling all three people in the room. Jennifer Hayes entered the room, her face bright blue in color.
"Call my mother now!" she cried loudly at Penelope.
Mike and Dustin looked at each other wide eyed as Penelope turned around quickly to grab the phone. She stopped suddenly when she saw Mike standing there, file in his hand and eyes wide.
"What on earth are you doing back here?" She asked him angrily. Mike dropped the file onto the ground.
Shit. I knew it. He gave a frustrated sigh, as Dustin sunk face into his hands.
Max and Elle were currently standing in front of Billy's truck, parked in the lot outside the gym entrance. Max had given Elle a spare black hoodie she had stashed in her locker, to be incognito, she had told her.
Elle had to admit she was a bit conspicuous in her cheerleading uniform, it usually brings quite a lot of attention. I mean, that's how she first meets Billy. His eyes meeting hers out on the field during her first cheerleading practice. She still remembers the dark flirty expression he had given her when he came up to her afterwards.
"What did you want to write?" Max said, pulling Elle from her thoughts, and handing her a can of red spray paint.
She decided to go simple but direct. Max quickly showed her how to work the can as they started to spray angry red letters across the black truck doors.
Elle was just about finished the final letter when she heard someone shout from the entrance of the gymnasium.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" She recognized Billy's voice immediately, despite its angry tone. A tone he never used with her before.
"Shit, Elle we gotta go now." Max whispered to her and started pulling her hand to run away from the scene of the crime. Elle yanked her hand away
"No. No more pretending." Elle said decisively. "You can run if you want. I don't want you to get in trouble too" She said sweetly.
"No way! We go down together." Max gave her a quick wink before adding, "here he comes." She nodded in the direction of Billy, both girls watching as he ran over to his car.
Elle pulled down the hoodie from her head as he approached. Slowing down as he noticed her sanding there, the spray can still grasped tightly in her small hand.
"Elle, what the hell are doing?" He glanced over at her handiwork, "Did you write asshole on my car? My dad only just gave it to me, this won't come off! What the hell is wrong with you?" he was furious with her. This being the first time he had ever screamed at her in anger.
But it was nothing to what she felt. The image of Billy with his hands and mouth all over Jennifer suddenly appeared in her mind.
"Elle. Can you hear me?!" he shouted again, this time coming to stand right in front of her, his face inches from her own.
Big mistake. She thought quickly. She took a step back from, let out the breath she had been holding and punched him full force in the nose.
It had hurt her hand and she shook it slightly, wincing in pain. But all pain was forgotten as she looked down at Billy, crumpled down before her.
He was on his knees, having fallen down when her hand collided with his face, clutching at his nose. Blood was seeping out from underneath his hands. "Ow! I think you broke it."
"Good." She said simply before turning around to walk away with Max.
She noticed max wasn't staring at her, but past her and past Billy too, her mouth hanging open. She saw lips mouth a curse. Elle snapped back around to follow her gaze.
"Oh shit." She whispered to herself as she saw Vice Principal Turner stood there with his hands across his chest.
"Dustin, do you copy? Over." Mike angrily spoke into the supercomm he had picked up the second he entered his room.
"Yeah, Mike. I'm here. Over." He heard a reluctant Dustin speak back to him through the microphone.
"Nice going dude. Not only do I have detention for the next 2 weeks but now my mom has taken away all car privileges. Why do I even listen to you and your stupid plans. over and out." He threw the supercomm on his bed, not wanting to hear his friends attempt at an apology.
Karen Wheeler was furious when Mike asked her to sign his detention slip.
"Two weeks Michael?" She shook her head at him over the counter as she leaned down the sign the form. "What were you thinking?"
"Mum it wasn't my idea, I swear. Dustin made me help him." He pleaded with her.
"So if you're friend jumped off a cliff, you would jump too." His dad added, not helpfully, from his recliner in the lounge room. Mike heard his older sister Nancy snicker from the couch, she was back for a short break from college in New York. He flipped her off behind his mom's back and she poked her tongue out playfully in return.
"Michael, we expect more. You know that."
"Yes mom, I'm sorry." he replied, he hated when she looked at him like that. Like she was losing her little boy.
"Maye you should take away his driving privileges." Nancy suggested, flipping him off this time.
"Great idea Nancy. No driving for the next two weeks." Karen stated dismissively.
"But mom..."
"Michael, its final. You'll have to take your bike or get your friends to drive you."
He groaned, took his slip from his mother's outstretched hand and made his way to his bedroom, slamming the door and angrily reaching for his supercomm.
He threw his head back onto the pillow after his memory of the previous interaction with his mom.
"This sucks..."
Elle walked into the station late that Friday evening. Flo, the police chief's secretary greeting her warmly and offering her a cup of tea.
"Yes please," Elle replied warmly, "One sugar."
"Of course dear. Your dad is just in his office." She pointed to the door that lead to her father's space.
Elle knew he was going to be mad at her for what happened today. Detention for two weeks the vice principal had given them. Only after Elle had actually explained what had caused their vagrancy.
"I don't much go for teenage drama Miss Hopper, and I certainly don't like it running its course in my school" his nasally voice had explained to her after she tried to explain.
She gave the window a quick knock before poking her head inside the door.
"Hey dad, it's only me." She added, not really wanting to disturb him if he was busy. "Sorry if you are busy, I just wanted to stop by before heading home."
"I'm never busy for you kiddo. Come in." he gestured for her to come inside and shut the door behind her. "I'm just about done here tonight anyway. How about we grab some takeout and head home?"
She nodded at him, returning his warm smile. She stood awkwardly in the middle of the room as he collected his things. She had never been in trouble before, being a policeman's daughter had always ensured she did the right thing, so she was incredibly nervous to bring up the detention thing.
"Hey dad" she watched as he stopped what he was doing to look at her, waiting for her to continue. "I uhh, need you to sign this detention slip." She held the slip out to him and felt it lift out of her fingers as he grabbed it.
"Detention? You?" He asked surprised. "Elle you've never had detention before." He read the form carefully. "Vandalism Elle? What's going on? The other night you came home inconsolable and now this. You can talk to me honey. You know that?" He didn't sound mad, more disappointed. Elle even detected a twinge of guilt.
God she hates disappointing him. She wants to tell him, really she does. But she can't bring the words to leave her lips.
"Elle?" This time his voice full of concern, undoes the package she had all this shit wrapped up in.
She explained what happened that day she saw Billy and Jennifer in his truck, how broken she felt knowing that the two people who were supposed to look out for her at school had betrayed her, and about what Max and her (Mayfield?, he asked) got up to today and how good it felt to get back at them.
She couldn't control herself as tears and words released from her. Her dad took her into a warm embrace.
"It's okay Elle Belle." He squeezed her against him tighter, "I just wish you had told me."
"I know dad, I'm sorry. What Max and I did was stupid. We shouldn't have done it."
"Yeah, it was stupid." he agreed. She tensed, anticipating the lecture she was about to receive. she was chocked though when he continued with, "but I'm proud of you kid."
She leaned away from him slightly, staring up at his amused expression. "What?"
"You stood up for yourself. Not a lot of people have the guts to do that. So I'm proud of you kid." he continued thoughtfully.
She chuckled at his proud papa face and reached up to kiss his cheeks. "Thanks dad!"
"You're welcome." He reached over to collect his keys and his police hat. "Now about that take away huh?"
It was a few days later when she heard that Billy was pulled over one morning driving to school. Max had come rushing over to her locker one morning, cackling about a defective tail light ticket he received. She smiled to herself when max had told her.
My dad is awesome.