"And if anyone says 'meet me in front of that converted car'... Don't."
Lowercase intended. (Mike's thoughts).
Eleven woke up especially happy that day. Actually, just happy because she never woke up in a good mood, she wasn't a morning person at all.
But today it was different, it was her first day of school! She would finally be able to be with her friends all day long, she would finally go with them to the arcade and the movies, and she would finally feel kind of normal.
She stood out of bad and turned on the radio besides her closet. She moved her head, hands and feet to the music, mouthing every word.
She walked to her bathroom and got into the shower. She mentally prepared herself for everything that was going to happen next. She prepared herself for the life she was about to begin, feeling the warm water on her body as a comfort.
She was definitely scared, how wouldn't she? But still, the excitement was even bigger.
Everything will be fine, El. Don't worry, your friends will be there! They will help you through anything, and you know everything you need to know, you got this.
She sighed and got out of the shower, wrapping herself in a warm towel and wrapped another one to her hair, that was now some inches under her shoulders. She walked out of the bathroom and tip toed to her bed, where the clothes she had chosen last night where waiting for her.
El smiled to herself, remembering how she would pose for Hopper with her different outfits and how he would applaud and compliment each of them. Only thinking about it made her happy.
She dressed up in a white sweater and black jeans and put on her white converses and began to brush her hair. She had decided to let it fall down naturally in cascades.
She looked at herself in the mirror and smiled. "Hey! I'm El- no wait! I'm Jane." She shut her eyes closed, repeating over and over again 'I'm Jane, not El.' "Nice to meet you!" 'Yeah, like if that is gonna work.' 'Shut up! And why am I talking to myself?' She shook her head and looked down to her jewelry box. She grabbed a necklace that had a heart hanging of it.
She put it on and smiled to herself one last time before leaving her room, closing the door softly behind her.
She walked to the kitchen, were Hopper was making breakfast, his back facing her. She smirked and careful to not make any noise she walked to him. "Boo." Hopper turned around, holding the spatula on his hand as a weapon.
"God kid, you scared the hell out of me." Hopper joined El in her laughter before returning to his cooking.
He put the waffles on the plates as he walked to the table, passing El her plate. She smiled thanking him before she began to devour her Eggos, making Hopper chuckle under his breath.
"You excited for today, Jane?" Hopper had been calling her like that since she got accepted in school, trying to make her get used to the name 'Jane'. She just nodded frantically.
"I have everything ready. My backpack, pencil case, notebooks, everything! And I also have my petition to join the AV club filled and in my backpack." She gave him a thumbs up, still smiling. He smiled back.
She finished her food. "Done." She stood up from the table so fast that she felt a little dizzy. She still ran to her room though.
"Woah woah woah woah. You're forgetting something!" El came back, running just as fast and jumped to give Hopper a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Thanks dad." She smiled and ran back to her room. Hopper put his hand on his cheek, smiling. She made him happy in a way only Sarah could, in a way he never thought he would ever be again.
El brushed her teeth, put loads and loads of perfume on and all that stuff. "Jane, your friends are here!" She squealed as she jumped and clapped her hands. Oh my god it's seriously happening. She passed her fingers through her hair one last time and ran out of her room.
Hopper handed her her lilac backpack and her lunch bag. She gladly accepted them.
"Now remember the rules, Okay? Cause if you don't, you know what will happen, and..."
El rolled her eyes playfully. "I'm not stupid."
Hopper smiled. "Right, you're not. Have fun, and over everything, do NOT use your powers unless you are under any of the situations we already discussed, got it?"
"Got it. Can I go now?"
"Have fun." Hopper leaned down and kissed her forehead, making her smile. She left the cabin and breathed heavily once she was outside. She looked at Hopper one last time and waved at him. She looked back to her friends, who were all walking to her. She saw Mike walking some steps behind them, looking down to the floor, not able to see her yet. She felt a pinch in her chest, but brushed it away.
"El!" They all greeted.
"It's Jane now." She giggled.
Lucas and Dustin walked some steps back, looked at each other and walked forward again "Jane!" They greeted again. El erupted in laughter, making everyone else laugh too. The friends hugged each other.
"So, are you ready?" Said Max, while pulling back from the group hug.
"Kind of. But I think I'll do fine."
"You'll do great. Now let's go." Max passed her arm to El's shoulder, pulling her with her. The party walked to their bikes (and skateboard) and El gasped when she saw Steve next to a two persons bike.
"Steve!" She ran to him and threw herself to him. He lifted her from the floor.
"Hey Jane! Are you excited?" He left her back to the floor and patted her shoulder. Since they met each other after she closed the gate they had formed and special bond, and everyone knew that El was now like his little sister, maybe his daughter even. He would protect and care for her like one.
"Of course I am!" She giggled again, she was really happy, you could tell.
"Well, let's go, you don't want to be late on your first day." Steve winked and hopped on the double bicycle, followed by Dustin. El walked to her own bicycle (hopper gave it to her on her birthday and taught her how to ride it) and hopped on too.
They all rode their bikes to school, laughing and telling jokes to try to keep El distracted from school.
Once they were almost there they stopped by a red light. "The last one to get to school has to pay for my lunch!" Dustin screamed and with that, Dustin and Steve rode as fast as they could.
"Hey! Not fair!" Lucas said, speeding up. Everyone laughed and began to pedal again, only that this time faster.
Dustin and Steve were the last ones to arrive, El and Lucas being the first ones.
"Son of a bitch! Steve! We were supposed to win!" Steve just chuckled and raised both of his hands to the air.
"My bad."
"Looks like you'll have to pay your own lunch Dustin." Said Will, making everyone laugh.
"Now kids, we already talked about what you can and can't do, so don't let me down. Jane, sweetie, take care. And remember to follow the rules your dad, Joyce and me have already discussed with you, okay? Now go and have fun." He ruffled Dustin's hair and waved at the other kids as they made their way to the building in front of them.
"Yes mom." Dustin laughed as he walked away from Steve and to his friends.
Mike walked behind Eleven. He heard her whispering 'Everything will be okay, don't worry, you'll be fine, you got this, you go-' Mike noticed that she had stopped talking to herself once they reached the door.
She widened her eyes and missed a breath. She could feel how her hands began to shake and it got even worse when she saw everyone staring at her.
Mike wanted so badly to hold her hand, to tell her she looked beautiful and to tell her everything would be great. But he couldn't.
When El returned, a couple of months after their reunion, Mike and El decided to 'take a break' from their relationship. Well, actually Mike had, not El, but she had to respect his decision.
El looked at Mike, heartbreak and pain in her eyes. Tears were falling from them as her lip quivered.
"B-but why?" Her voice sounded weak, as if she was trying so hard not to cry.
"I just... I don't really know why, I just need you to understand." Mike was looking straight to her eyes, even when that hurt him.
"I thought we were in love." El whispered, her voice almost breaking as the word 'love' left her mouth.
"I did too. But we're 14, El. It's not like if these was going to last forever. And things change, El. I'm sorry." He tried to put his hand on her shoulder, but she moved backwards before he could.
"Maybe you changed. Goodbye Mike." With those last words, finally the tears came out of her eyes like waterfalls, and she stormed out of Mike's room.
Mike cried for weeks, and so did El.
He really missed her, he missed her so bad. He hated to see her like that and he wanted to help, but since their 'break up' he had barely talked to her, as things between them were really awkward. This was the first time in months they had seen each other, and for him she was still as beautiful as always.
El closed her eyes and breathed in. She held the air for some time and let it go. She opened her eyes and smile, she wouldn't let anyone make her feel weird and upset anymore.
"Guys, I'm going to go for my schedule and locker password."
"I'll go with you." Lucas walked with El to the principal's office as they talked and made jokes with each other.
El picked up everything she needed and walked with Lucas to where their next class would be, which was science. El was really excited to be in this class, as she was truly fascinated by everything around her. Maybe that's why she loved learning and was kind of a nerd now.
They got to the classroom just on time. El sat down in front of Max and next to Will. Next to Max was Mike (they weren't still very fond of each other but that's how the teacher arranged the seats) and behind the two of them where Dustin and Lucas.
"...And that is how we obtain the force used to move an object from its place. Raise your hand if you understand." Surprisingly, only El and Mike raised their hands, both of them doing it so fast that their arms could have easily ripped off their bodies.
"Mmmm... Jane! Could you help me explain to your partners, please?"
"Me? Um, sure. Well, first of all..." as El explained, her eyes shined and she couldn't stop herself from smiling. Science was something she deeply enjoyed and she was finally learning and understanding it the way a normal person would.
Mike stared at her in awe, probably red, his head resting on his hand. She was a science nerd, just like him. How could I be so fucking stupid?
"Now, did everyone understand?" The kids mumbled 'yes' as some of them just nodded. "Thank you Jane." El nodded with her head and flashed a smile. "Maybe you could consider joining the AV club, your participation would be really appreciated, right guys?" Dustin, Will and Lucas nodded frantically.
"Of course!" Dustin turned his eyes to Mike, who was still stunned. His eyes hadn't left El, and his mouth formed an 'o'.
Dustin rolled his eyes. "Mike, hey Mike! Wake up you bastard!" He waved his hand in front of him, but Mike just stayed in his position.
"I think he might be dead." Max grinned and Lucas snorted.
"MIKE!" Dustin clapped his hands and Mike jumped on his seat.
"32!" The classroom erupted in laughter, and Mike turned even more red.
"32 is not the answer I was expecting from asking you if you were okay with Jane joining the AV club, Mike." Mr. Clarke said, making everyone laugh even more.
El looked at Mike for the first time in a long time to the eyes. Her mouth was slightly opened and it looked like she was expecting him to say something.
"Um, I guess it's fine." The look on El's face was almost painful to see. She bit her lip and cleared her throat.
"I actually have my petition paper filled already. I was told I had to give it to you, Mr. Clarke." El pointed to her backpack. The bell rang and El slightly jumped.
"Then please give it to me, Jane. And it will be a pleasure to finally have a girl in the team. Max gave it a try some time ago, but she said it 'wasn't her thing'." He winked as he accepted the paper El was giving him. She smiled in response and hurried to grab her things.
She left the classroom and Max was already waiting for her outside. "Let's go, our next class is... Dramatic Arts? Really? Why do we have to take this shit?" El giggled as they walked.
"I'm actually kinda excited about it."
"Well you're excited for everything right now. Still, it's no surprise since we found out you are really talented with arts." She winked and El just stuck her tongue out.
"You're talented too Max. You sing pretty." Max snorted as her cheeks got redder.
"Thanks, El."
Suddenly El bumped into someone, the notebooks she was holding to her chest falling.
"Oh god I'm sorry." The person in front of her kneeled down just as she did, helping her to pick up everything. "You okay?"
El looked up from the floor to see a pair of piercing blue eyes. "Yeah, I'm fine." The boy stood up and held his hand for El to take. She did and he pulled her up.
"I'm James." He smirked, his perfectly white teeth on display.
"Jane." She smiled back and they shook their hands.
"Are you new?" El nodded.
"Well, guess I'll see you around, Jane." He waved and walked past her as she did the same.
Just a few moments later James yelled. "Hey Jane!"
El turned around. "Yes?"
"Maybe I could give you a tour later, if you want." He scratched the back of his neck nervously.
El smiled. "I'd love that, thanks James. See you later!" She waved and walked to her classroom.
"Max hurry up or we'll be late!" El pulled Max's hand and together got just on time to their class.
The boys were already there, and they had saved seats for the girls.
"Guys, you'll never believe what just happened." Said Max as she sat down next to Lucas.
"What just happened?" Asked El, furrowing her eyebrows.
"James Smith just flirted with El. Like, he even asked her out in a tour around the school."
"What is flirt?" El was now even more confused.
"Well, when someone is flirting, they are trying to get a person to like them. Like James just did."
"Well, I liked him. He was nice to me." El shrugged and Dustin snorted. "What?"
"You don't understand, sweet El. When someone flirts, they try to get someone to like them like something more than friends."
"Oh." El just blinked and smiled. Max giggled.
"Did it work?"
"Shut up Mayfield." El said as she rolled her eyes playfully, making Max laugh.
Will turned his attention to Mike, who was as red as a fire truck and had his fists clenched. He huffed and rolled his eyes.
"So what? Maybe he was just being nice, that's all." He mumbled, and only Will heard. He patted his back and gave him a reassuring look, to which Mike answered with a smile. Will was the only one of the party that knew everything that had happened between El and Mike. The others didn't even know they used to date.
"Okay kids! Your attention on me please!" The teacher looked around the classroom until all sound was shushed. "Good. Now, I'm not gonna ask you who you are until I decide if I want you in my class or not. So let's begin. In pairs, that I will choose-" The kids groaned. "Shut up! As I was saying, in pairs you will read a scene of my latest script. The first ones will be... oh, I see we have a Hopper here! Miss Hopper, please raise your hand." El nervously raised her hand as she looked to the floor.
"I expect great things from you, Miss Hopper. Your dad was an amazing actor and a good friend of mine. Why don't you come first with... Whee- Wheeler? Yes, Mike Wheeler? Are you here?" Mike suddenly looked up from the floor and raised his hand, but the teacher didn't notice as he hadn't fully raised it.
Max rolled her eyes. "Fuck it." She pulled his hand up with her hand and he looked at her with anger and shock. She just grinned and winked.
"Mike, come here." Mike hesitantly walked to the front of the classroom, with his hands on his pockets. "Mike, you will be playing Henry, and Jane, you will be playing Elle." Dustin snorted and Lucas smacked the back of his head, making Max and Will giggle.
"Here are your scripts. You can read it whenever you need to but you can't change anything. Got it?" The two kids nodded and began to read the script. Once they finished both of their faces looked alarmed.
"Um, can we act another script?" El asked, rubbing her arm with her hand.
"No. Now... ACTION!"
Mike looked to the floor again. He really didn't want to act that in front of everyone. He waited for the teacher to yell at them and tell them to leave his class, but instead, he heard El's voice.
"Why?" He looked up to her. "Why would you do this to me? What did I do wrong?" Her voice sounded broken, as if she was trying not to cry.
"Sir I really don't want to act this out-"
"If you don't, I will see myself forced to fail you, Mike. Now continue." Mike rolled his eyes and huffed.
"Everything, Elle. Can't you see I'm better off without you? You aren't good enough for me, I deserve better." He looked at her and could see tears falling of her eyes.
"But why am I not good enough for you?" She said through sobs and sniffles.
"Lots of things. You-" he looked up to the profesor, who was looking at El like if he had just discovered a true legend. "You don't deserve to be loved, specially not by me. I don't love you and I never did."
"I- i can't do this, I'm sorry." El covered her face with her hands and stormed out of the room.
"El!" Mike ran after her, his heart beating as if he had just ran a marathon. The teacher stood up from his seat and slowly clapped his hands.
"And that kids, is real talent!"
"El! El wait!" She was fast, and he wasn't, so she was already far away from him to hear.
El bumped into someone again and this time she almost fell on her back, but she got pulled up by the waist before that happened.
"Wow, we really need to stop bumpi- Hey, what's wrong?" El looked up to James, who had a concerned look on his face as he stroke her cheek with his thumb.
Mike stopped on his tracks as soon as he noticed what was happening.
"N- nothing. I'm okay."
"No, you're not. Why don't I give you that tour? You can tell me on the way. Would you like that, babe?" El slowly nodded as she held his hand.
Mike felt a tear running down his cheek. And then other. And other. And another. And many others. He felt his whole body go numb, he couldn't move nor say anything.
"Dude, what happened back there? And here?" Lucas asked as the friends walked behind him.
"Nothing. Now could you just leave me alone?" He pushed Dustin and Lucas out of his way and walked away to get his bike. He just wanted to go home.
Right when he was picking up his bike, the sound of El's laughter made him stop. He turned around to see El and James sitting on a bench under a tree.
"Are you serious?"
"Yeah, I am. I swear it really happened." James laughed as he smacked his leg. Fuck you James.
El laughed even harder. "Oh my god."
"Um, Jane, can I ask you something?"
"Sure. Anything."
"What were you crying about when I found you in the hallway?" El's smile disappeared and her eyes turned glassy again.
"Well, there was this guy, who I deeply loved. I was in love with him, and I thought he loved me too. But for some reason I don't know he decided to leave me, and-" a sob coming from her mouth cut her off, and James rubbed his hand on her back. "I really miss him." I miss you too princess.
"Well Jane, he must have been an idiot for letting someone like you go." Thanks for the reminder bitch. "And, for your information..." James put his hand over El's, that was resting on top of her leg. "I would never hurt you. And, I don't know, maybe I can help you get over him." Hell no.
"How?" El frowned and tilted her head, giving her an adorable look.
"Like this." James began to lean in and El just stood there, not knowing what to do.
oH HELL NO BACK THE FUCK OFF BITCH.
Mike threw his bike to the floor and ran fuming to James. He tapped his shoulder from behind right when he was about to kiss El, making him growl as he turned around.
"Wha-" Mike punched James square in the nose. "AGH!"
"Stay away from MY girl asshole!" James groaned in pain as his nose was bleeding.
"Mike! What the hell?" El had covered her mouth with her hands.
"He was about to kiss you El!"
"So what? You got a problem with that? Cause as far as I know, you are not together anymore. Why don't you actually do something right for once in your life and leave us alone, huh?" James said, trying to scare Mike off. Instead, he just increased his anger. Mike pulled James by the collar of his shirt.
"Yes, i do have a problem with that. I want you to leave right now or else your nose will not be the only thing that bleeds today. And I want you to stay away from her. Got it?" The darkness on Mike's voice and eyes were enough to make James nod as his face went pale.
Mike let go of his shirt and James ran away from the pair.
Mike turned around to see El's shocked face, and as soon as he saw her, his face softened.
"Why did you do that, Mike?" El seemed calm, which surprised Mike.
"Why don't we go somewhere else? We kind of have public here." El looked around her and noticed a lot of people staring at them. She turned her attention back to Mike and nodded.
Together they walked to Mike's bike and hopped on.
The way to Mike's house was silent, each of them thinking of what would they say once they got there.
Once they arrived they went downstairs to the basement. El looked at the blanket fort in front of her and smiled to herself. "You kept it."
"What?"
"The fort. I thought that you might have destroyed it after, well, you know." She shrugged.
"I couldn't bring myself to." She walked to the fort and sat down inside. Mike sat down on the couch, facing her.
A few moments passed and none of them dared to say anything.
"El, I'm sorry. About everything. I know that-"
"Can I ask you something?" She interrupted him and Mike nodded in reply. "Why did you leave me when I needed you the most?" Mike's heart broke to pieces.
"I- I don't know." He looked up to the ceiling.
"Mike."
"Yeah?"
"Friends don't lie. And we don't lie to each other."
"I guess... I was scared."
"Scared of what, Mike? Of what?"
"Of getting hurt again. I thought that this way maybe my feelings for you would just disappear and yours would too and if anything happened to any of us the other wouldn't suffer a lot. But my feelings for you are even stronger than me. They didn't disappear and I don't really think they ever will."
"So you left me because you didn't want me to be hurt?" Mike slowly nodded. "Well, guess what? You did! And it still hurts! We promised to always be next to each other over anything. You broke your promise." Tears were falling from her eyes as her lip quivered.
Mike couldn't stand seeing her like that. He stood up from the couch and walked to the fort. He sat down next to El and tangled their hands.
"Leaving you was the most stupid thing I've ever done. It's the thing I regret the most, and I think about how stupid I was for leaving you every single time. It hurts me too. I miss you El, I need you with me. I love you so fucking much. Please forgive me. Please, come back with me. This time, I promise nothing will keep us apart. Nothing."
"I... I've missed you too, Mike. And what you did hurt me, it really did. But I need you too. And I want to forgive you. So I do." Mike pressed his lips against hers and she answered to the kiss instantly. He cupped her head with his hands as she put her arms around his torso.
They pulled and pressed their foreheads together as silent tears fell off their eyes.
"I love you, El."
She smirked. "I know." She gave him a peck on the lips. "I love you too."
4446 words!
That was a shitty ending, sorry. I'm starting to realize most of my endings are crap tbh. :(((
Tbh I don't think this will be how El's first day of school will be like, so maybe I will do another version of it.
So anyways I'm really upset about the whole drama in the fandom. Like, I'm trying so hard not to think about Millie using Finn to make that Jacob Sagittarius jealous.
I don't even know what to think about her right now, I just hope that she realizes that what she did was wrong and never does something like that again. And I don't like Jacob but if Millie likes him then us as fans have to support her.