camp love ~elmax story~

pt. 23

max's pov:

i looked over at el, and she had a sad look in her face still. for the last half an hour i had been trying to ask her what was bugging her, but she wouldn't budge. "el please with cherries on top tell me what's going on." i pleaded. "max it's okay. i'm okay. i was just a little upset that we had to leave the pool." el told me in an unconvincing tone. i sighed and nodded. i knew i was never gonna get an answer out of her, so there was no point in trying. by now dustin had already left, lucas's mom was gonna be here any second, and joyce was gonna pick el and will up in 10 minutes, and i was gonna skate home. ever since we got back to mikes house, something was just off. not only el was upset, but will was acting.. different. normally he is quiet and does not talk a lot, but he's been really quite. also he has been staring at me and el A LOT. other then el, he is the one i feel the most comfortable with out of everyone in the friend group, i'm not that close with him, he just seems really nice and trustworthy person.

"i gotta go my moms here." lucas told us as he grabbed his backpack and pillow. "oh alright man. see you soon?" mike asked as he stood up. "yeah man, walk me outside?" lucas asked. "yeah sure dude." mike answered as they both walked upstairs. as they both left, that just left me, el, and will alone in mikes basement in awkward silence. i looked at el, to will, and then back at el, and then spoke. "soo uh.. how was your guys day?" i asked trying to break the awkward silence. el didn't answer, and will shrugged. suddenly will stood up, and then spoke as he walked up the basment stairs. "i'm gonna go find mike." he told us. i have a thumbs up, which he didn't see, and then i heard el's voice.

"hey max?" el asked as i turned my attention to her. "listen im sorry i've been like this, when i saw you with robin yesterday, and even today, i just— i just for really upset," el confessed to me. before i could speak, she started speaking again. "im know i shouldn't be like this, since you can have other people in your life- it's just i really care about you and i don't wanna loose you.." el admitted to me with a sad look on her face. i slightly gasped, as i now realized why she was quiet after she met robin yesterday, and saw her again just a bit ago. "so you were jealous?" i asked slightly confused. "i- i guess so.. im sorry you have every right to be mad." el told me. "you really have to stop saying your sorry for stuff that's just human el, i understand it's not your fault. everyone feels emotions." i tell her as a soft smile spreads across my face.

"really?" el asked with a faint smile. "yes– now come here." i say as i pull her into a hug, and kiss the top of her head. "i will never get enough of that." el says as she pulls away from the hug. "of what?" i ask as i grab her hand and hold it in mine. "of you kissing me." she says with a smirk. i can feel my face start to warm up, and butterflies form in my stomach as i stare deeply into el's eyes, and she does the same. i was about to speak, when will came running downstairs. "EL! MOM IS HERE!" will shouted. me and el quickly let go of eachothers hands, and move away from eachother as will stands there awkwardly staring at us. "uh.. moms here.." will repeats. "okay, i'll be one second." el says as she stands up off the couch and grabs her stuff. "el you forgot mr. fibley!" i tell her as i grab the stuffed animal off the ground. "thank you!" el says as she grabs it out of my hand, causing our hands to touch.

i try to look away, because i can feel my face burning up. i also grab my stuff, and my skateboard, hoping the rain had stopped by now so i could skate home.

all 3 of us walked upstairs, and mike was standing in the front doorway. "dude do you wanna hang out sometime?" mike asked will as we were all getting our shoes on. "just me and you." mike continued. "uh yeah sure! just call me or radio me." will told him as we all walked out. el suddenly stopped walking, and then looked around with a worried expression on her face. "max it's still raining really heavy, you can't skate home in this!" she told me. i also stopped walking, and looked up in the sky. "i've skated home in worse." i told her. "wait let me ask joyce to give you a ride home!" el said as she ran towards joyce's car and opened up the passenger side door and started to talk to joyce.

as i watched el continue to talk to joyce, i heard the front door start to close behind me. without thinking i spun around fast and spoke before mike could fully shut the front door. "wait!" i said as i stuck my arm out. mike opened the door back up, and stared at me with a confused expression. "yeah..?" he asked as i started to regret my decision already. "uh i just wanted to apologize- for breaking the tv remote.." i awkwardly apologized. "i don't have a lot of money, but i'll try to pay. maybe i could get a summer job or something.." i shrugged as i avoided eye contact. mike slightly smiled, and then spoke. "thanks, i appreciate it." he told me. i also slightly smiled and then i heard el's voice.

"max! joyce is gonna give you a ride home!" el called out. "okay! be there in a second." i called back as i walked over to el. i glanced over my shoulder one quick time, but mike had already gone inside. "so when i get home i will ask my dad if you can spend the night, he should be okay with it!" el told me with an excited grin as we got into joyce's car. "hey guys! how was the sleepover?" joyce asked all 3 of us. "it was amazing! so much fun!" will told her with an excited smile. "oh maybe can mike spend the night?" will asked. "not tonight, sorry will. maybe tomorrow night?" joyce answered him as she pulled onto the main road. will sighed but nodded. "oh by the way el! me and will are coming over for dinner again!" joyce told el.

"yay! tonight will be really fun!" el said as she looked over at me with a smile. for whatever reason, my heart started to beat faster, and i tried to hide my blushing face. normally when el looked at me, i didn't get this flustered. "so where do you live max?" joyce asked me. "oh just near the forest lovers lake is in." i told her. "alright!" joyce answered as she turned onto a side road.

~

"thanks for the ride mrs. byers!" i thanked her as i got out of the car. "no problem max, and please, call me joyce!" joyce told me with a warm smile. "does that mean i can also call you joyce?" will asked in a joking tone. "no, it's mom to you mr!" joyce told him as will started to laugh. el suddenly got out of the car, and ran over to me and wrapped her arms around my waist. "woah are you alright?" i asked her. "yeah i'm fine, i just miss you already." el told me as she hugged me tighter. "i'm comming to your house in like 3 hours!" i told her while slightly giggling. "yeah, but i'm gonna miss you a lot.." el said as if it was our last times seeing eachother. "el honey we need to go!" joyce told el. "aww." el conplained as she pulled away from the hug.

"god your so dramatic." i said in a sarcastic tone. she dramatically crossed her arms, and furrowed her eyebrows in an attempt to look upset. "i will see you later okay?" i told her with a soft smile. "okay, bye.." el said as she got back into the car and bucked her seat belt. she quickly looked to the front to see if joyce or wills were paying attention, and they weren't. el quickly pressed her hands up to her lips, and blew me a kiss with a smile on her face. i slimed back and couldn't help but feel my face warm up and butterflies in my stomach as they pulled away from my house.

as i walked up to my house with my backpack swung over my shoulder, and my skateboard tucked underneath my arm, i couldn't help but feel a little dread. yesterday moring before the sleepovers at mikes, me and my mom had a VERY long talk about everything. there was screaming, crying, and a lot of raw emotions, but in the end we're figured stuff out. she told me that she loved me either way, and that she supported me, and that meant more to me then anyone can understand. it still felt a little awkward now that she knows my secret, but it's better then lying. it was not just my secret we were talking about last night too, we also talked about my feelings. how i hated when she called me maxine, and she is now agreeing to call me max. i also talked to her about how neil ruined my life, and a lot of stuff she didn't know about. we also talked about getting me counseling too which is nice.

"mom i'm home!" i called out as i walked though the front door. "hey maxin- max. i'm in the kitchen!" she called back. i slightly smiled as i heard her finally call me 'max'. i walked into the kitchen, and set my backpack down as i sat down at the kitchen table. "how was it?" she asked me as she did some dishes. "it was fun! by the way i'm going to el's house tonight for the night!" i told her with a soft smile on my face, and a hint of redness to my cheeks. "ooh that's fun! soo.. are you two official now?" she asked as she turned around with a smirk planted on her face. "maybee.." i replied with a smile spreading across my face. "i'm so happy for you max. i'm really proud of you too." she told me. as she said that, i couldn't help but smile. she had never said she was proud of me before.