~Will's POV~
Today all of the boys, Max, and I were going to El's house in the woods. I walked through the forest with my backpack on. It was Saturday, so we wouldn't be ditching school.
I carefully stepped over the tripwire and up to the front porch. I did the secret knock the boys had shown me.
I knocked on the door and then waited.
The door suddenly opened.
I walked inside.
There in the living room sat Mike, El, Dustin, Lucas, and Dustin. I grabbed an empty seat.
"So what did you guys want to do?" I asked.
"Well, we were thinking, since El has been gone for a while, we should show her some places we like to hang out," Dustin says.
"And we can show her what we like to do in our spare time," Lucas said.
Lucas and Dustin both looked at each other. I could already tell what they were thinking.
"The arcade?" I asked.
Max stood up.
"That sounds like fun! I'm in!" She exclaims, walking toward the door.
The others slowly stand up too. All of us make our way out the door. I turn back to see Mike and El following. Something seems a little different. I shrug it off and continue to follow the others.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~El's POV~
Our first stop is at the ar - cade. I think that's how you pronounce it.
Dustin and Max were trying to explain to me how to play. I didn't really understand, but I just nodded as they told me different things.
I watched as Max and Dustin kept competing for the highest score. Will and Lucas eagerly watched them. I did too for a while until I noticed Mike was just sort of standing off to the side. I decided to go check on him.
"Mike?" I ask.
"Yes?"
"Are you ok?"
"Yes Eleven, I am ok," he says, seeming a little annoyed.
I move a little closer to him, and he doesn't flinch. Our faces are only a few inches apart. He just stares at me blankly. Something is different about him. It's not just his attitude, but something else. Before I can figure it out, I try to reach for his hand, but he steps back.
"Mike-"
"I don't really like the arcade that much anyways. I am going home," he says, walking outside. I watch as he pulls away on his bike.
I'm left there standing with the others. They were all too distracted to see him leave. I'm just really confused about what just happened.
Mike had told me that he loved me. It was a new word, but I remember how he had explained the word to me. I was even starting to think that maybe love was the right word for what I felt every time I was around Mike.
Now, Mike seemed like he wanted nothing to do with me, and I didn't understand why.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you so much for over 3k views! I am so happy! I just wanted to thank all of you for the positive feedback and amazing comments. You have motivated me so much as a writer. I am very excited about this story arch, and I really hope you are enjoying my story! ~Rocky