confusion // elmax

Chapter 5 - hurt

Max POV

I'll kill him. I will actually kill him.

El is lying on the floor in tears with a red and purple mark just next to her eye. Mike is standing over her, his face red and his hand in a fist.

Will and I stand there in shock for a split second before I explode with rage.

"WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK MIKE?!"

Mike shoots daggers with his eyes back at me.

"It's none of your goddamn business."

I curl my own fist up. He needs a taste of his own medicine. I hit him square in the chin with as much strength as I can muster before running over to El.

"OW! What the hell?!" I ignore him.

"El? Are you okay?"

She stares up at me and slowly nods before wincing and grabbing her head. I carefully pull her up into an upright position and throw my arms around her. She rests her head on my shoulder and sobs silently.

"What the hell's going on here?"

I turn around to see Hopper in the doorway looking the maddest I've ever seen him.

"Mike, he-" Will is trying, but he can't finish his sentence. Hopper takes one look at El on the floor with a bruise on her face, and Mike with his hand still curled in a fist. Mike's face goes white.

"Wheeler."

Hopper seems too mad to be able to get words out properly, so he just lunges at Mike. He grabs him and drags him to the door, with Mike kicking and screaming like a three year old.

"What are you doing? Let me go! Stop it!"

Hopper reaches the door and throws him out. Literally throws him.

"AND DON'T YOU THINK ABOUT COMING BACK HERE! EVER!"

Hopper rushes back inside and squats down next to El.

"Hey kiddo. You ok? Does it hurt?"

El shakes her head.

"Not that much. I'm alright."

"If that boy so much as looks at you again, you'll tell me, alright?"

"Ok."

Hopper looks toward Will and I.

"I have to go to work. Can you two look after her today?"

I look over at Will. He seems frozen in shock.

"Yeah. Of course we can." I reply for the both of us.

"Good. Call me if there's any problems, ok? And don't let that boy back in the house. Be good now." With that he gets up and leaves. Will runs back to his room and I have the feeling he wants to be alone, so I don't follow him. I pull El up from the ground and walk her to her room. We sit down on her bed and I study her bruise.

"Are you ok? Does it hurt?"

"Not that much. He was never that strong anyway. It hurts more... inside."

She lets out a sob and falls into my arms again.

"What happened? Why did he hit you?"

"H-he was saying that you are just annoying, and as I was his girlfriend I should only g-get to hang out with him... And then when I tried to say that it was not true, and I could hang out with you if I wanted to, he got mad and h-hit me."

Who the hell does he think he is?

"He can't do that, ok? Only you get to decide what you want to do. Not him. And he can't hit you, either. It's not okay."

"I love you. You are my best friend."

I swallow. She's only worsening my crush for her.

"I love you as well. You're my best friend too, El."

El POV

Now is the time to ask her.

"W-why can't girls date girls? Everything would be so much easier..."

Max stiffens a little.

"Well, girls can date girls, it"s just many people wouldn't-"

"They can?" I ask, surprised. Why did Will lie to me? Well, I suppose he didn't lie. I just took it the wrong way.

I look up into her eyes and find that she's already staring into mine, blushing. I stare back. We get closer and closer, until...

Our lips touch.

GAY

I feel mean leaving you guys with another cliffhanger... oh wait no I don't >:)