I DO NOT OWN STRANGER THINGS. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THE DUFFER BROTHERS. BEFORE WE GO ANY FURTHER, LET ME JUST SAY THAT I HAVE AND DO STILL SHIP MILEVEN. HOWEVER, AFTER CONSIDERING THE PERSONALITIES AND READING THE EPIC STORY, THIS IS WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE (WHEN DOVES CRY) BY PLUMSFROMYOURICEBOX, I CAN'T HELP BUT SEE THE BEAUTY IN A MIKE AND MAX PAIRING. IF YOU ONLY SHIP MILEVEN OR LUMAX, DO NOT FLAME ME. I WILL ACCEPT GENUINE CRITICISMS OF THE STORY, BUT NOT HATE BECAUSE I AM SHIPPING A COUPLE THAT YOU DO NOT LIKE.

Hawkins Middle School. Hawkins, Indiana. October 29, 1984.

Mike Wheeler sat in Mr. Clarke's science class, feeling dejected for the 2nd time that morning. He tried to pay attention to Mr. Clarke's lecture about the human brain, but it was no use. The first time was at breakfast when he saw a commercial for new chocolate chip Eggo waffles. The second was when he arrived at Hawkins Middle School. As Mike had dismounted his bicycle, he'd seen a head full of long blonde hair that he could have sworn was her; but it was not her. It never would be her. El had died months ago after destroying the demogorgon and while everyone else seemed to have moved on, Mike had yet to do so.

He still messaged her every sing Le night since she had vanished. It had been almost a year of wallow talkie calls. Mike would pour out his heart and every night, he was rewarded with silence. The same unbearable silence. Mike didn't want to admit it, but he was starting to lose hope. With how much El cares about his friends and him especially, Mike knew that if she was still out there somewhere, she would find a way to let them know she was alive.

Perhaps El was dead and Mike was just deluding himself. All he knew was that despite how painful it was to remember her, it was more painful to try and forget. It was apparently easy for the others. Lucas, Dustin, and Will started talking about her less and less and less until finally, they just stopped talking about her period. Maybe it was time to leave the past in the past. But he couldn't, he just couldn't.

While Mike was dealing with this inner turmoil, the entire class came to a halt as principal Keery came in, flanked by a girl none of the party had ever seen before; for if they had, they would have certainly remembered laying eyes on a girl that awesome.

She had a head of fiery red hair and a pair of shiny blue eyes to go with it. She had patches of soft freckles on her face, but not so many that so that her cheeks were completely covered in them. She was wearing a red jacked with white stripes, a pair of light blue jeans that looked liked they endured a thousand washes, and a pair of green sneakers to finish it off. It was a basic look, but you had to tip your hat to the girl for making even a low down basic look as that look awesome.

"Ah, this must be our new student." Mr. Clarke said with his classic smile.

"Indeed, all yours." The principal said as he quickly excused himself. The ginger girl tried to quickly put her ass in a seat, but Mr. Clarke was having none of it.

"All right. Hold up, you don't get away that easy." Mr. Clarke chided as the redhead stood back at his desk with a groan. "Come on up, don't be shy."

"She is hot..." Lucas whispered to Mike, who could only nod in return.

"Dustin, drum roll." Mr. Clarke commanded as the bard of the party slammed his textbook shit and have his science teacher the sound he desired. "Class, please welcome, all the way from sunny California. The latest passenger to join us on our curiosity voyage: Maxine!"

"It's Max." The red headed girl quickly corrected with an annoyed look on her face; as if was the millionth time she'd had to explain the concept.

"Sorry?" Mr. Clarke asked, not used to being interrupted.

"Nobody calls me Maxine, it's Max." She explained as the party all looked at each other with the same though on each of their minds.

"Mad Max..." Lucas whispered what the other 3 were thinking. It had to be the same Mad Max from the arcade. A girl who looked that badass had to be into arcade games. Besides, the only other Max in Hawkins Middle School was a kid who was incredibly clumsy.

"Well, all aboard, Max." Mr. Clarke said optimistically as Max went to the back of the room and plunked her shit down next to her while the party stared in wonder. Mike especially found himself in a trance while watching the ginger haired beauty. Max looked over at the party and for a moment, her eyes locked with Mike. Was she as mesmerized by him as he was by her? He hadn't seen any girl that held his attention like that since El.

As soon as her image popped into his head, Mike forced himself to look away. How could he even be thinking about another girl? El had been his first kiss, the first girl he had ever loved. Perhaps he was too young to know what love was, but what he'd had with El had to be pretty damn close. Mike couldn't betray El's memory in such a way; even for the badass Cali hottie that was Mad Max Mayfield.

Mike decided then and there that he would have to keep her at arms length. He was afraid that if he spent time with her, that he might want to become friends with her; and if he became friends Max, he might want to be her boyfriend and that was a line he just couldn't cross. Not after the impact that El had left on his heart.

IS THIS THE BEGINNING OF NEW LOVE? REVIEWS NEEDED AND APPRECIATED