She was now waiting to see if her dad would make it in time to at least view the judging. He had promised her two days prior that he would try to get off work early to attend the fair, so El kept her hopes up that maybe he was on his way.
However, as moments continued to move by, her hope flickered and her smile continued to slip.
"May I have all of your attention?" the man who wore a label that read 'Judge' called out to the crowd of anxious students. El glanced once more at the entrance door, and after coming to terms with the fact that Hopper wasn't going to make it to this event either, she sighed and gathered around with the other students at the front.
"First off, we would like to all congratulate you all for your hard work, you all have had some brilliant and interesting creations. However, there were some that exceeded our expectations, and so we are happy to announce the third place winner of the 34th annual Hawkins Middle Science Fair as... Shayla Mason!"
A round of applause.
"Second place goes to... Mike Wheeler!" El smiled lightly at the name, clapping cheerfully for the boy.
He was always nice to her, although they weren't exactly friends, more so acquaintances. She still was proud of the boy, he had created a thin laser that could cut through steel, but had enough control to not damage other items in the building.
Mike caught El's eyes for a moment, grinning boyishly at her, to which she returned happily.
"And first place, we are proud to announce, goes to... El Hopper!!" A loud outbreak of applause fills El's ears, her eyes wide and cheeks flushed lightly.
She grinned shyly, walking up the small step and onto the miniature platform, shaking hands with the judges and allowing the blonde haired woman to slide the metal over her neck.
It was slightly heavy, but her heart felt full of accomplishment. Until she glanced into the crowd and was bitterly reminded of the lack of someone in the audience.
She smiled once more, slightly duller, before stepping off the stage and returning to the crowd.
The students who placed were informed to stay in the room for just a few more moments, once the rest of the crowd cleared out, for pictures.
Mike walked over to El, his gaze trained intensely on the floor.
"Hey El." he shyly mumbled, sticking his hands in the pockets of his fleece denim jacket.
"Hey Mike. Congrats on second place! You did a really good job!" El tried to remain positive, pushing away the slight ache in her heart.
"Thanks! Y-You too, your creation was brilliant. I mean, it's basically telekinesis!" Mike grinned excitedly, fangirling over her creation.
El giggled lightly, playing with the curls that just barely went past her ears.
"Thank you." she tilted her head with a small grin, playing with the bottom of her knit sweater.
"Do you have anyone waiting for you after pictures?" Mike asked curiously, attempting to continue the conversation.
"O-Oh, no... my dad was supposed to come but I guess he got lost in his work." she chuckled awkwardly, trying to keep the conversation as light as possible.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. This was really important."
"Yeah... life happens though." El bit her lip gently, sadness flooding her body.
𝐟𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩, 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬- mileven (pt. 4)
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