When I see You Again ~ Elmax

Chapter 4 ~ Butterflies

A/N Enjoy!

El sat down. Her stomach fluttering. Why was this happening? Max had just warmed up to her again. Now she felt weird. Was it because Max told her she used to like her? She got up from where she was and began pacing. Her thoughts ran around. She started to lift things up subconsciously with her mind. Her nose bled yet she didn't notice. Joyce suddenly burst in making El jumping causing everything to fall to the ground. "El honey are you ok?" El nodded. Joyce walked back out. She couldn't think straight. She had an idea. She needed someone to talk to away from everyone.

"Hello?" Dustin picked up the phone. "It's El". El answered. "Hey! You ok?" He sounded happy. "Can we hang out? I need to go out with someone". Dustin laughed. "Of course. I'm playing DND in a bit if you want to tag along?" El smiled. "Yes please". She was going somewhere. "Ok can you get here in 5 minutes?" El looked at Hopper. "Yes". Dustin said his goodbyes. They hung up. "Hop can you take me to Dustin's house?" The man stared at her. "Of course".

They jumped in the car and drove to the house. They arrived exactly five minutes later. Eleven said goodbye to her father and knocked the door. Dustin opened the door. "El!" They hugged. Dustin led her to the room where the group were playing. Eddie was shouting stuff which freaked El out a bit. She became more comfortable as time went on. She laughed as people argued and cheered. Eventually the campaign finished. Dustin sat down next to El. "Everything ok?" El shook her head. "Is that why you called me?" El nodded. "Ok. Want to talk about it?" El turned towards him. "Can you keep it between us?" Dustin nodded. "So I found out that a friend liked me. And now I feel weird because I don't if it's because I like them back or because it has wrecked our friendship. I feel guilty. I don't know what to do".

Dustin nodded processing the information. "What's so bad if you like them back?" El looked away. "I can't. I don't think. They told me it's bad". Dustin nodded. "Is it someone I know?" El nodded. "Ok. And you don't know why you feel weird? Hm. Maybe you do like them back but because they said you can't, you feel weird?" El looked back. That made sense to her. "And if you don't it might be because they said it's bad. So you feel like they still like you therefore jeopardising your friendship". El looked confused. "Jeo-pard-ising?" Dustin smiled. "Wrecking". El understood. Dustin quickly remembered something. "The gang is coming over in 5 by the way".

El panicked. She sat waiting for the awkward moment where she would see her again. The butterflies. She felt weird. Again. Her head ran around again. She felt this impending doom. Why? Eleven couldn't understand what was happening to her. Why was her head spinning. She had fought monsters from a different dimension. She had escaped the government many times. Yet she was most scared to see her best friend. Maxine Mayfield.

The gang arrived one after the other. Will. Mike. Lucas and last but not least Max. They all grabbed snacks and talked. El stayed on the sofa. Looking up at everyone. Max smiled. El looked away. Max felt alone. She decided to sit down next to El. "Hey". El looked at Max. "Hi". The girls sat there. Not looking at each other. Max eventually gave up on trying to focus on anything else. "Did I do something? Was it because of what the letter said?" El looked at her. "No". Max became slightly more pressing. "Then why won't you look at me?" El became slightly more guilty. "I can tell you. But not here". Max grabbed Els hand and led her to Dustin's backyard. They sat on the porch. "What is it?" Max asked.

El looked at Max. "After you told me about how you felt before. I feel weird". Max nodded. "What do you mean weird?" El looked down. "I don't know. But when I got home from when we went skateboarding I had a weird feeling. Like there". She pointed to her stomach. "Like what?" Max looked at her. "Like a weird tingle". Max stared into Elevens eyes. "Like butterflies?" Max asked. El nodded. "So what does that mean?" El shrugged. "I don't even know". Max put her hand on her shoulder. "Take some time to think". El looked at her. "I know it's one of two things". Max nodded. "Dustin said it might be because you have just confessed you liked me so I feel weird or I like you back". Max looked shocked.

"Oh". Max looked at El. "Well, take your time to figure that out. It would be really helpful if you told me once that happened. So I can process this. Because it's confusing for me too. But it might not be if you can work something out". El nodded. "Thanks for telling me El". Max got up and walked back inside. El sat there. She looked at her hands. The hands Max held. The reason the butterflies. She pictured Max. Her beautiful eyes. The freckles. Her hair. She remembered the times she would go over Max's house. The way Max made her feel confident. Happier. Maybe Dustin was right after all. She would just have to wait and see.