There you were again. Just, existing, and it was enough to make El’s stomach errupt into… butterflies? Yes, that was it. She remembered hearing the phrase on the television and how it caught her ear. What an odd thing to say, she remembered. Then again, she felt so grown up everytime she learned a phrase like this. And human. The boys, aside from Mike, and occasionally Will, would giggle when she tried using sentences when she learned them. At least, when she used them wrong.
Even Max would chuckle, shake her head too, but at least she’d correct her. She’d be able to learn.
El loved learning, especially when it meant showing off to you. She loved picking up simple phrases, and odd sayings, and being able to casually use them when in conversation with you. You always understood what she was trying to communicate, even if she did get it wrong, sometimes.
One of the many reasons why she loved “being your company”. Don’t be fooled, though. She is very bright and incredibly perceptive. She could always tell when something was wrong. Like today.
You were acting very strange, in fact you had been for some time now but today was by far the most concerning to her. You had managed to keep up the charade from the others to the point El was completely baffled as to how they couldn’t possibly see something was clearly bothering you! Didn’t they know you at all? She had only known you a year and already she felt as if she had known you her entire life, naturally she had picked up on your tells very early.
So here she was, with the biggest frown on her face (quite contradictory to the baby pink strawberry ice-cream cone sitting in her hand) as her eyes sit on your isolated form back at the table. Your head was down, your face a complete blank slate as your eyes glazed over as your mind was taking you far away. Herself, Max, and the boys were currently waiting in line at Hot Dog on a Stick and while the others were currently engaged in a discussion about The Terminator, El was hellbent on figuring out why you were so distraught.
“Something is wrong.” El stated again, her attention never once wavering from you aside from the flickering glance she sends to Max in worry.
Max glances over her shoulder to find you waiting somewhat patiently where they had left you across the food court. You had offered to save the table while they got food, and it wasn’t much longer that you felt a second pair of eyes boring into you that you looked up. Max and El were staring at you from their place in line between the boys, and out of reflex you felt your eyes squint a little as you sent them a genuine smile. Max returned your smile before returning to El, muttering something that looked like reassurance judging by her body language to the anxious looking brunette who had her full attention on you.
You squirmed a bit under her stare, your eyes finally breaking away from hers hoping she would drop it. Your stomach was doing flips and a heat raged from the tips of your ears to far below your neck, your heart pounding. It was a feeling you were getting a lot lately around El, and as time crept on it was getting harder to deny these feelings. It has really been throwing you off lately, and surprise surprise, Lucas, Mike, and Dustin either didn’t notice it or were too hesitant to address it.
Unbeknownst to El, Max had in fact tried to approach you about your odd behavior. And while you had managed to avoid spilling your guts to Max, you didn’t necessarily have to for her to understand. Max was no fool either, which was brought this specific air of confidence to her now as she watched El carefully, waiting to see what El would do.
“Y/n’s just had,” she frowns thoughtfully, before fighting a smirk at El. “A lot to think about lately. It’s probably best to leave it be.”
El looks to her best friend, her eyes quickly scan Max’s face for any sign of… well anything. She wasn’t quite sure what Max was up to, and the Mayfield girl wasn’t exactly giving her much to work with. She quickly fell into a shrug, any trace of mischief quickly vanished from her face which confused El. For all she could tell, Max was serious and she quickly decided she didn’t like that at all.
