"I had fun today," (Y/n) said as she walked out to Mike's driveway to get her bike.
"Me too! Maybe we can do it another time," Mike said shyly.
"I'd like that," she said with a smile. She walked down the steps and grabbed the bike, waving to Mike as she rode off. It was almost dark outside.
She quickly sped down the street, feeling the cool wind in her hair. With a grin, she held her arms up above her head, controlling the bike with her torso and legs.
"This is not a good idea," she said to herself, snapping her arms back down to the handlebars.
She arrived home about ten minutes later, walking in to see Steve sitting on the couch with a bowl of soup.
"Hey kid. How was Wheeler's?" He asked, eating a spoonful of soup.
"Fun," she said, hanging her jacket on the hook.
"Were the other ones there?" Steve asked.
"Nope. Just me and the frog boy, as you called him," (Y/n) said with a chuckle.
"Hope his girlfriend doesn't find out," Steve said with a shrug.
"Shit, I forgot about her," she said, face-palming.
"Yeah. El, or something. I don't remember," he said.
"El? Eleanor?" She asked.
"Maybe. I don't know. Probably," he said.
"Huh," (Y/n) said. She kicked off her shoes and bolted up the stairs.
She didn't know how to feel. She was hurt. But she didn't know why. Why was she angry about a kid in her class having a girlfriend? It didn't make sense.
"Fuck," she mumbled.
"Shut up in there," (Y/n)'s other brother, Troy, yelled from the hall.
"Fuck you Troy!" She yelled back. Steve laughed from the living room.
She looked at herself in the mirror, confused. Why was she so hurt?
"He played me and lied..." she muttered to herself. She scoffed at herself in the mirror and sat down on her bed. No longer confused — angry.
Why would he play me? Why would he lie? Does he... like me? No, that's not possible. He was just being nice. But why did he lie about his girlfriend? None of this makes sense.
(Y/n) was lost in thought. She thought about Mike for what seemed like hours, trying to unfold the situation she was in.
"Dinner," Steve said, poking his head into (Y/n)'s room.
(Y/n) groaned and stood up, not wanting to leave her thoughts. She trudged down the stairs past Troy to the dining room.
"(F/f) for my favorite sibling," Steve said with a smile.
"Hey!" Troy yelled from the living room.
"Fuck off, snack shack!" Steve yelled. Him and (Y/n) giggled as Troy stomped up the stairs.
"Thanks Steve," she said with a smile.
"No problem. I noticed you were upset so I decided to try and make you feel better. You've seemed down since you came back," Steve said.
"Yeah, I guess. It's been kinda hard," she said with a shrug.
"I guess so. Boarding school must've been tough," Steve said.
"Especially since I was sent there because I-"
"Can you guys stop being so sappy and make me a fucking sandwich?" Troy yelled, bursting into the dining room.
"Make yourself a sandwich, you thick piece of garbage," (Y/n) yelled back.
"Steve, are you gonna let her say that?" Troy asked.
"I thought it was funny," Steve said, crossing his arms and smirking. Troy groaned and walked into the kitchen.
Steve and (Y/n) laughed as he walked out, ruffling her hair.
-
The next day at school, (Y/n) was hesitant to see Mike. She had every class with him, so he was hard to avoid.
"Hey (Y/n)!" Mike exclaimed, walking up to her at her locker.
"Oh, uh, hi," she said awkwardly. A girl with red hair was standing next to him.
"I'm Max, by the way. I'm the girl of the group. Well, the other girl. Welcome to the party," the redhead said with a smile.
"Nice to meet you. The party?" (Y/n) said kindly, switching her gaze from Max to Mike.
"Oh, we call ourselves the party," Mike explained. (Y/n) closed her locker and leaned against it.
"We?"
"Me, Mike, Lucas, and Dustin," Max explained.
"And now you. Unless, you don't want to join us," Mike said sadly.
"No, I do. I was just confused. Well, uh, thanks! I guess," she said, trying to ignore her anger towards Mike.
"There are two other members. Will and E-"
"He moved. But he visits sometimes, though. You can meet th- Will, on Thanksgiving," Mike said, a blush spreading across his face. Max gave him a weird look.
"Alright, I think that should be fun. We should get to class," (Y/n) said.
"See ya, (Y/n)!" Max said with a smile. She walked the opposite way into a classroom, leaving Mike and (Y/n) alone.
She spun on her heel and sped towards her classroom, ignoring Mike.
"Hey, wait up!" He said, laughing and catching up to her.
"Sorry," she said coldly.
"What's up?" Mike asked. She sighed and stopped, facing him.
"Why did you lie about your girlfriend?" She asked.
"What?" Mike asked, playing dumb.
"I know Eleanor isn't your cousin, Michael. I know her name is El, and I know she's your girlfriend. I know she's the one that called you and you lied about her! Why?" She yelled, ignoring the strange looks she got from other people.
"I just, I, I don't know. It's just—"
"What? It's just what? Friends don't lie, Mike," she exclaimed.
"Don't say that! I.. I like you, okay? I have a crush on you!" He yelled.
"But... your girlfriend?" (Y/n) asked, confused.
"I know! That's why I didn't mention her. I feel terrible, and I don't know what to do," Mike said. (Y/n)'s face softened as she felt pity for him.
The first bell rang, meaning the two were late for their first class.
"Let's ditch," she said quietly.
"What?"
"Come on, it'll be fine," she said with a smile.
"Okay," Mike said, returning his smile.
She dragged him by the hand and pulled him out of the school, running towards her favorite strip mall.