Happier With You
Author's Note: Thank you all so much for the reviews, favourites and follows. It means so much to me and you're all amazing :-)
This chapter is a bit of a sweet relief before chapter 10 which is going to be a tough one I'm not gonna lie! So please enjoy and let me know what you think.
P.S I found this song called Back to You by WILD that I had never heard before and it gave me inspiration for this chapter :-)
Chapter 9 – Caught Up with You
El walked groggily into the living room and spotted Hunter sat at the kitchen table, the newspaper and a coffee next to him.
She gave him a warm smile as she walked bare foot over to the table. "Morning," she said to him yawning before taking a seat.
Hunter looked up and gave her a smile. "Good morning."
El looked at the newspaper curiously, "what are you doing?"
"Oh just looking at some newspapers for job listings in West Virginia." Hunter said before showing her more papers underneath. "Your dad managed to get a hold of all of these for me."
Hunter laughed gently, "you know, I never thought I'd be able to look for a job like a normal person."
"We are normal people Hunter." El interjected but when her friend gave her an incredulous look, she couldn't help but smile. "Okay maybe we're not."
El watched silently as Hunter circled a few jobs here and there. After a while she headed into the kitchen and put a few eggos into the toaster, loving the smell of them cooking.
"Have you ever thought about what you want to do for a job?" Hunter asked El as she walked back over and sat down with her eggos.
She couldn't help but smile. "Well I always wanted to work in a library. Especially in the children's section. I really like kids."
Hunter grinned, "yeah I can see you being good at that. You've got a lot of patience."
El laughed gently, "thanks. It's what I've thought about doing since I was 14 and I used to babysit Mike's sister Holly. She used to love me reading stories to her…"
With a heavy feeling in her heart she thought back to those much more simpler days. Her and Mike had decided that because he wanted to go to MIT and they couldn't bear to be apart, she would get a job in Massachusetts and Mike would get a part time job on the side so they could afford to live alone together.
It was a dream they had shared for years with Mike having got a part time job in Radio Shack to start saving for the dream, for them. El couldn't help but wonder what he had done with the money. Had he just spent it all after she left?
"You okay?" Hunter's question brought El out of her daze.
"Yeah sorry…I was just daydreaming." She said embarrassed.
He shrugged, "that's okay. I've been doing a lot of daydreaming too. I just can't wait for a fresh start you know?"
El beamed, "I do know. And in a few days you'll be free of me and my family." She couldn't help but tease.
Hunter laughed, "I didn't mean it like that!"
"I know you didn't. But…I will miss you. You're a great friend Hunter." She said earnestly.
He smirked, "are you just saying that because I have healing powers?"
El rolled her eyes amused, "obviously…" she joked making them both laugh.
The house got a lot busier in the next 30 minutes and El went to take a shower whilst her dad and Joyce left for work and Will went out with Hunter to show him around Hawkins and show him where the clothes shop was seeing as he had so few clothing.
El towel dried her hair, the curls already drying from the warmth of the summer day. She rooted through her new dresses she had bought in the shop, Max having to bring them over the day before because she had left all her bags with her.
She picked a teal dress with a beautiful white and pink floral design. El put white sandals on and wandered around the house, trying to decide what to do with herself.
She sat on the couch and stared at the phone for a good 10 minutes, deciding and then changing her mind about what she wanted to do.
In the end El huffed at herself frustrated and stalked over to the phone. Dialling the number that she knew off by heart.
"Hello Wheeler residence?" Came a sing song voice that El instantly recognised.
"Hi Mrs Wheeler, is Mike there?"
"Yes he's in the kitchen with me now. Who's calling please?"
El bit her lip, unsure as to whether Karen Wheeler knew she was back. "It's El."
She heard Mike's mom gasp. "Oh El! How lovely to hear from you!"
In the background El caught Mike's voice. "It's El?! Mom give me the phone!"
"Oh El you have to come to dinner one night sweetheart so we can all catch up." Karen mused.
"Mom seriously give me the phone!" El heard Mike urge.
"Let's catch up soon El. I'll just hand you over to Mike."
"Thank you," El said nervously, feeling immediately anxious at the thought of speaking to him.
"Hello? El?" Mike's voice suddenly appeared, breathless and apprehensive.
"Hi Mike…" she said equally just as hesitant, frustrated at herself for getting so flustered with him. But if she liked it or not, he would forever be able to make her heart tremble.
"Hi…" he spoke back nervously.
El sighed to herself, she really just needed to get to the point. "Look I was wondering if you wanted to hang out today…with me."
There was silence on the phone for a moment and El worried if she had been too forward. But Mike had told her he still loved her, surely that meant he wanted to spend time with her?
Mike groaned, "El I want to hang out with you today more than you know…but I promised Holly I would take her and her friends to the county fair."
The disappointment in his voice was very obvious and El couldn't help but have the same tone when all she could mutter was "oh…"
"Look…I can cancel okay? You are more important."
His words made her heart flutter once again but the look on Holly's dissatisfied face in her mind made her think twice.
"No Mike honestly it's fine, don't worry –"
"Do you want to come with me?! I mean…with us?" Mike interrupted eagerly.
El bit her lip. She had wanted to spend time alone with Mike, to feel herself again and see what was truly happening between them, but she couldn't deny she would love to see Holly.
"You always loved the county fair…" Mike said quietly, hope in his voice.
El couldn't help but smile and think back to the two occasions she had been to the fair with her friends and Mike. The first time she had puked into Dustin's hat that he had been holding whilst they were on the waltzer ride. He swore never to speak to her again, which lasted about 10 minutes after she manipulated a game with her powers and got him to win hundreds of tickets for the gift stall.
And then the second time, she experienced a roller coaster for the first time in her life. Except for when she had levitated, it was the closest she had ever felt to flying. She hadn't been scared with Mike's arm tucked securely around her.
"Yeah why not…" she said daring to grin.
"Really?! That's…that's…erm I mean that's great. Well I've got to pick up her friends from 10.30 onwards, so want me to come for you at like 11?" He asked happily. El could practically hear the smile in his voice.
"Yeah 11 is fine." She said softly, trying her hardest to calm down the pounding of her heart beat and the nervous shake in her hands.
"Brilliant! Well I'll see you then El."
"See you soon Mike…"
"Bye El…"
"Bye Mike…"
"Bye El…"
"Mike?"
"Yeah?"
"Why haven't you hung up?"
"Um…sorry. Bye El!" Mike said nervously before finally disconnecting the phone call, leaving El with a satisfied smile on her face as she breezed over to the couch and tried to distract herself in the land of soap operas.
Mike felt incredibly nervous as he drove to El's house, with three very annoying and high pitched young girls sat in the back of the car gossiping about whether some boy sharing his chips meant true love and whether Lottie Thompson meant to wear two shades of pink on the last day of school.
Mike rolled his eyes and kept his focus on the road. "Girls do you promise you're going to behave yourselves today?"
The girls giggled, "we promise!" Holly teased.
"As long as you let us go on the roller coaster." Lily said eagerly.
He sighed, "look that's not up to me, it's up to whether you're tall enough Lily."
"That's a no then!" Georgia snorted and the girls laughed all over again making Mike feel on edge. Did he really want to spend a precious day with El around those three gremlins?!
But he didn't have much choice. It was either El on the trip to the fair or no El. And he knew the decision he'd make every time.
"I can't wait to see El!" Holly moaned impatiently.
"What's she like?" Lily asked eagerly.
"She's super nice and really pretty." Holly said beaming proudly.
Mike pretended he wasn't listening, but really he was hanging onto every word when it came to El.
"How old is she?" Georgia asked avidly.
"19 like Mike. She's super cool and was totally popular in high school." Holly answered looking in between her friends whilst they all sipped from their milkshakes Mike had bought them from Benny's as a way of a peace treaty that they would behave.
"Didn't she used to babysit you?" Lily asked.
Holly nodded, "yep. She was so nice to me, always let me stay up later than mom would have allowed."
His little sister sighed, "those were the good old days when she was Mike's girlfriend."
"Okay cut it out you lot!" Mike said immediately cringing as his sister's friends gasped at this new piece of information.
"Oh my god you should totally get back together with her!" Georgia said eagerly.
"Totally!" Lily said nodding her head.
Mike glared at the girls from the rear view mirror. "Look I bought you those milkshakes so you'd behave. So no talking about me and El…okay?"
"Okay!" the girls said in unison before going back to their gossiping.
They finally arrived at the house and before Mike could think about whether or not to get out of the car and knock, El was locking the front door and coming towards the car with a smile on her face.
Mike found his mouth drop open as he looked at how beautiful she looked in her summer dress. Damn he was so attracted to her that he could barely function. He gulped and gripped onto the steering wheel a bit tighter.
"Hi," she breathed as she got in the car and took the passenger seat.
"Hi…" Mike said nervously taking in her appearance and her natural scent which was hitting him in waves of desire.
"El!" Holly squealed from the back.
El turned and gave the girls a big warm smile. "Hey Holly! Hey girls! So who do we have here?"
"This is Lily and this is Georgia. My best friends." Holly said happily pointing out the girls.
"Nice to meet you both. Are you excited for the fair?" El asked them with enthusiasm and as Mike started to drive he felt his heart constantly fluttering at how much her confidence around new people had grown.
"Yes!" the girls answered as if they were one person. They went back to their gossiping about who they thought might be at the fair from their school year, and Mike watched out of the corner of his eye as El turned and faced the front again.
"I…er got you a milkshake too. I didn't know if you fancied one." Mike said quickly, indicating the drink holder with his hand.
El looked down and picked up the milkshake with an odd look on her face. "You remembered?" she asked him bemused.
Mike couldn't help but side smile and shrugged, "strawberry milkshake with extra whipped cream and a cherry. How could I forget?"
He chanced a glance at her and found she was grinning at him playfully, holding the straw close to her lips.
"Thank you." She told him before taking a sip.
Mike's cheeks blushed and he turned back to the road. "It's no problem."
"So I'm confused…" came Georgia's voice from the back seat. "You bought us milkshakes to behave…did you buy one for El to behave too?"
He instantly wished he could pull over and chuck the girls out, driving off with just El. But instead Mike sighed with as much patience as he could muster. "No I didn't buy one so she would behave."
El looked highly amused with the conversation and was looking between Mike and the girls.
"Oh so did you buy it so she'd be your girlfriend again?!" Lily asked with interest.
Mike's cheeks went crimson and his eyes widened at the question. Man if it was that easy, he'd have bought her a million milkshakes.
"Girls seriously!" He responded instead feeling highly irritated and embarrassed beyond belief.
"I'm sorry about them…they're a bit hyper." Mike cringed, trying to apologise to El quietly so the girls wouldn't hear.
El shrugged and looked at him. "It's fine…they're cute." You're cute Mike instantly wanted to say but held it in with all his might.
"So uh…did you read the book last night?" Mike asked hesitantly, worried he had sounded to needy with his 100 reasons why he loved her.
"Mm hm…" El answered drinking her milkshake. "It was really sweet Mike."
He couldn't stop the bashful smile playing on his lips and he glanced at her again. God he loved her so much. "Well it was true…"
Before El could respond the girls in the back heard the song on the radio and gasped for it to be turned up.
El immediately turned up the volume on Girls Just Wanna Have Fun and Mike groaned loudly, "why are they seriously still playing this song!"
"Oh relax! You know all the lyrics remember!" El shouted to him over the music and she seemed to laugh at the look of utter mortification on his face.
"Hey! That's because you always had it on in my car!" He said teasingly.
El shrugged indifferently, "it's a great song." She said slyly. The girls in the back started to sing along and El joined in, giving Mike a reproachful look. He finally gave in and started to sing too.
By the time they arrived at the fair El's heart was jittery from being so close to Mike in the car and her stomach felt queasy filled to the brim with butterflies.
Mike bought all the tickets including El's despite her protests and as soon as he handed them out, Holly, Georgia and Lily rushed off towards the roller coaster.
"Are they old enough to go out that thing?" El couldn't ask with concern as she and Mike walked slowly behind.
Mike laughed and the sound felt like a bird song in her body. "I don't think the girls care, they just wanna be tall enough to be allowed on the ride." He mused watching them.
El loved the care Mike had for his sister and the kindness of him taking the girls on a fun day out. His caring nature and kindness was one of the many reasons why she had fallen in love with him.
They stood by the rollercoaster and watched the girls patiently. El looked at Mike from the corner of her eye and admired his shorts and t-shirts, even in something so casual he looked ridiculously handsome.
"You look beautiful by the way. I wanted to say before, but those gremlins went crazy over a milkshake, god knows what they would have said to that." Mike said smiling shyly.
El bit her lip and let her eyes slowly looked up Mike's body until she met his dark eyes that stared her down with intensity. "Thank you. You look really good too."
Mike instantly blushed and averted his eyes nervously. "I doubt that!" he laughed.
"Trust me…it's true." El said softly when he finally looked back at her eyes. He smiled slowly and her heart pounded in her chest painfully.
They heard the excited screams of the girls and turned to watch them again as the rollercoaster went to its highest peak before dipping.
"I'm really glad she's having fun…" Mike said staring at the ride and El knew he was talking about Holly.
"I can't imagine what's it's been like for her, at home with just mom and dad. I'm at MIT most of the time and Nancy's in New York." He explained quietly.
El smiled slightly, "well it looks like she's got some great friends to help her through. And a boyfriend…" she teased.
Mike laughed and cringed, "god don't remind me about Ben."
"I'm just saying…don't underestimate what the power of great friends and an amazing boyfriend can have on someone going through hard times…" Mike immediately looked at her and she knew he had picked up on her not so subtle words.
He turned to her and took her hand delicately in his. "El I- "
But whatever he wanted to say was cut off by the arrival of a very giggly Holly, Georgia and Lily.
"That was awesome! They totally thought we were 13!" Holly laughed, giddy with energy.
"What next?" Georgia said avidly looking at the rides and stalls.
"Ooh lets go on the asteroid ride!" Lily suggested eagerly. The girls all nodded and Mike and El once again followed them, but this time joined in on the ride too.
El couldn't deny that she was having a great time. They all went on a ghost train, walked through the fun house, split funnel cakes and then tried to win prices at the stalls.
Mike who had already won Holly a teddy bear was determined to win one for El as well. She could see the concentration in his face and she couldn't help but think it was the cutest thing she had ever seen.
Finally his water guns hit the target he was after and the stall worker reluctantly handed over a white fluffy teddy.
"Here you go…" Mike said nervously, a foolish grin on his face as he gave El the teddy.
She hugged it to her chest and grinned at him, "thank you." God she was going crazy for him, she just felt like a child all over again.
"Can we go on the Ferris wheel?" Holly asked them excitedly.
"Yeah of course…" Mike said amused as he and El followed the girls to the ride. Holly, Georgia and Lily got into one of the cars. There would have been room for one more but not two.
El could see the dilemma written on Mike's face but when she touched his arm with her hand and said, "we'll take the next car." She saw his eyes light up and he nodded eagerly.
They climbed into the next car and sat down close but not touching. El looked out at the views as they started to climb. She had never been on the ferris wheel before and found herself feeling a little nervous.
"Hey it's okay…" Mike said, his hand falling on top of hers as he smiled at her kindly. She honestly didn't understand how he could read her mind at times.
El didn't move her hand away and instead looked at Mike, the rest of the ride seemed to blur away and he was the only thing.
"Today has been…so special Mike." She told him truthfully, her words soft and gentle.
He smiled at her devotedly and his eyes looked so warm. "It's been really special to me too El."
El watched as Mike gulped nervously and looked at her pensively. "Have you had a chance to…think about what you want?"
His words were almost a whisper and she could tell his tone was laced with fear at what her answer might be.
El sighed and nodded slowly, "yes I have." She paused and looked at the boy she had fallen in love with at 12. Whilst he was now a man and had grown significantly over the years, she could still see the same care in his eyes, the same innocent joy and the undying need to protect her.
"I want what we had…I want what we could have now and in the future." She whispered feeling nervous and scared at the prospect of jumping back in the water.
Mike's eyes widened and he stared at her, as if worried she'd just made everything up. "El I am so sorry for everything I did. I love you so much, I want to prove it to you for the rest of our lives."
El smiled at him sadly, "I know you're sorry…and I do forgive you. I can't forget it…but hopefully over time it will fade. It won't be important." She said quietly.
Mike grasped her hand and their fingers naturally entwined. "The only thing that's important to me El is you. I…I just want you to be happy. You deserve to be happy more than any one I know. And…I want you to follow your heart, no matter where that takes you." He said seriously, his eyes locked with hers.
Before she could say anything more, the car lurched forward and their ride ended quicker than El would have wanted. She cursed herself for not having paused the ferris wheel with her powers.
They climbed out and met up with the girls. After a few more rides it was starting to get dark and Mike suggested they head back home.
Mike reluctantly dropped El off first as it made sense because of where all the girls houses were situated.
"Walk me to the door?" El asked him after she had leaned over and hugged Holly, Georgia and Lily.
"Sure!" Mike said immediately, feeling nervous and tense the moment she had spoken. He gulped trying to clear his dry throat as he got out of the car.
He rushed over to El's side and they walked slowly up the lawn to the house. Mike desperately wanted to kiss her, hug her or even just touch her again. He truly wished they had got more time just the two of them.
"El do you wanna go for breakfast tomorrow? Just you and me?" He asked her hesitantly, worried he was giving her too much too soon but El turned to him and smiled as they made it to the porch.
"Yes." She answered, her bright hazel eyes looking at him deeply and making him become immediately drawn to her like a moth to a flame.
"I'll pick you up at like 8?" he offered quietly, barely able to breathe from the stare she was giving him.
El nodded and then took a breath, her stare breaking. "Good night Mike." She said, one hand clutching her teddy and her other hand on the door knob.
"Good night El." He whispered with longing before wrenching himself away from her and walking down the steps, wishing he'd just had the guts to kiss her.
Mike tried to reason with himself that she might have slapped him if he tried to kiss her. He guessed it would be too much.
"Mike?" El's voice called him and just as he turned around, she was there.
El looked at him for one second, not giving him a chance to respond before she cupped his face in her hands, leaned up on her tip toes and kissed him on the lips.
Mike went into immediate shock. His eyes widened with surprise, his heart exploded into a thousand fireworks, his blood boiled in his veins and his stomach swooped.
El pulled away from the innocent kiss and gave him a knowing smile.
"W-what…what…" Mike tried to say but he was completely and utterly dumb founded at how incredibly perfect it had felt to have El's lips on his again.
A big grin appeared on her beautiful face, "I was just following my heart." she answered in reply to his almost choked out sentence.
He could have cried he felt so happy and he wasn't at all surprised when he felt a large lump in his throat, followed by the most stupidest, happiest grin that had ever existed, landing on his lips.
"Good night Mike," El said playfully, her eyes full of mischief before she ran into the house.
Mike had to just stand on the spot for a moment, trying catch his breath. He stumbled to the car like he was drunk and collapsed into the drivers seat.
For a second he had forgotten he wasn't alone until very loud shrieks and whoops almost split his ear drums from the back seat.
"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god you two kissed!" Holly screamed with delight.
"You totally bought her a milkshake to make her your girlfriend!" Lily shouted with glee.
"El and Mike sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Georgia sang out.
Mike blushed, "shut up you lot!" But he wasn't angry and he couldn't for the life of him wipe the grin off his face. He was happier than he had been in over 2 years.