Thirteen: Snow Ball '84
!!!
Y/n is freaking out.
Today was the day of the Snowball; The school's annual winter dance.
Y/n decided she was going to muster up the courage to ask Max to dance. She knew it was highly unlikely that Max would like her back. But there was still that small bit of hope whenever they would hold hands or make eye contact.
So Y/n sat in front of her mirror, doing her hair. She was in a long blue dress with short ruffled sleeves, and she looked gorgeous in her opinion.
She finished her hair, and gave a small smile at her reflection before putting on white heels. She slowly stepped downstairs, revealing the look to her mom.
"Honey, you look amazing!!! I need pictures." Her mom told her before grabbing her camera.
Y/n smiled. "Thanks, mom."
After her mom took some pictures, Y/n decided she was going to get something off her chest.
"Mom?"
"Mhm?"
"I- so... You know my friend, Max?" Y/n asked as she walked over to lean against the kitchen counter.
The two girls had been hanging out at Y/n's house more often since El closed the gate.
"Yeah, what about her?"
"Well, tonight I was gonna..." Y/n bit her inner lip as she tried to find a way to word what she was trying to say.
"I was- um... I was gonna ask her to dance."
Y/n's mom turned around to face Y/n.
"Are you- mad?"
Her mom just hugged her. "I'm so proud of you. I kinda figured, too."
Y/n furrowed her brows and pulled away. "You what?"
"I see how you are around her. People don't act like that around friends."
Y/n just wrapped her mom back into a hug. When they pulled away, Y/n spoke up. "I like guys, too."
Her mom chuckled and smiled. That's when they heard a honk outside.
"Steve's here. I love you mom."
"I love you! Hey!"
Y/n turned around, stopping by the door.
"Good luck."
Y/n smiled at her mom and walked through the door.
!!!
Y/n looked out the window as Steve's car pulled up to the school gym. Dustin and Steve talked about how to get girls, which Y/n found pointless since Steve literally went through a breakup not so long ago but whatever.
Dustin hopped out of the car, tugged on his suit and made his way inside. It was just Steve and Y/n now. Y/n climbed up to the front seat, taking Dustin's place.
Steve broke the silence. "You going or not?"
Screw it.
"I'm gonna ask Max." Y/n paused. "To dance, I mean." She clarified.
"Max?"
Y/n nodded.
"But like... Max is-"
"I like girls, Steve."
Steve raised his eyebrows in realization. "Oh."
"And boys. I like both."
At those words, something finally clicked in Steve's head and he immediately hugged the girl. When Steve hugged her, Y/n exhaled the breath she didn't realize she was even holding and hugged back.
Steve pulled away and patted her shoulder. "Okay, go catch up with your friends, and dance with that girl. Got it?"
Y/n smiled, chuckling a little into her response. "Okay."
"Okay. Go."
Y/n opened the car door and hopped out before shutting the car door. She took a deep breath in, and a shaky one out as Steve drove off behind her.
As she made her way through the double doors, the music that was muffled became clear, and she was greeted by blue streamers, balloons, food stands, banners, basically any form of decoration Y/n could think of was there. It was beautiful.
That's when she saw Max. She looked way more beautiful than the decorations. Max looked at her from across the gym, and they made eye contact.
Y/n's heart RACED. She was bright red in the face, her palms were sweaty, and she forgot how to breathe. She walked up to Max, and got ready.
"Max! You look amazing."
"I look amazing? Look at you, you look perfect."
Y/n gave a small chuckle. "Thanks."
They just stared at one another for a split second.
This it it.
Go. Y/n. Now. Go!!!
Y/n opened her mouth and took a small breath in to start talking.
She got distracted by a voice beside her.
"Max."
Lucas.
"It's nice, right? You wanna... Y'know, Get out there?"
No. No, no, no, no, no.
"Are you trying to ask me to dance, stalker?"
"No. Unless... You want to."
Max looked at Y/n, who's eyes were glossy, but not to the point where Max could tell.
Thoughts raced through Max's head. Of course Y/n doesn't like me. She probably doesn't even like girls, what was I thinking? Should I say no? I mean, maybe Lucas will help me stop liking Y/n.
"So smooth. C'mon." Max said, taking Lucas's hand and walking to the dance floor.
Y/n watched them dance, her heart chipping away every second. Tears fell, but she quickly wiped them away.
Then they kissed.
Y/n was heartbroken.
A sob escaped the girl before she ran outside.
Y/n burst through the gym doors, tears falling, hyperventilating. She put a hand over her mouth to try to quiet her sobs.
"Y/n?"
Joyce.
Y/n looked up at Joyce to see Hopper next to her. She wiped her tears and sniffled. Joyce rushed over to the girl and put her hands on Y/n's shoulders. "Sweetie, are you okay? What happened? Sh, sh, sh." Joyce hushed, pulling the girl into a hug.
Y/n fell apart again in the hug. She walked over to Hopper with Joyce, sobbing.
"Honey, what happened?" Joyce asked the girl.
"I wanted to ask- I..." Y/n struggled to explain.
"I was gonna ask Max, Lucas beat me to it, then they kissed and I- I couldn't." She explained through tears.
"Oh, sweetie." Joyce pulled her back into the hug. When she pulled away, Hopper hugged her. "C'mere, kid."
Joyce offered to take her home, to which she said yes, and when she got home she explained everything to her mom, who gave her ice cream, hot chocolate, and even let her stay up super late. She tried to focus on her movie, but she couldn't.
Y/n cried herself to sleep that night.
a/n:
Two chapters in one day yippee :)
Didn't that ending make you so happy ☺️
I have plans for them in season 3, so hopefully it'll make up for it. Sorry dawgs.
1105 words.