A Deal With God

Chapter 26: Uncomfortable Conversations

In an unexpected turn of events, El sought Max out after Mike stood her up for the day. The two got on like a house on fire: discussing how boyfriends lied all the time, hanging out at the mall without getting caught by the one person of consequence (Quinn), and then coming back to Hopper's cabin where they were now setting up to spy on the boys.

"Is this really gonna work?" Max asked excitedly, watching El sitting cross-legged on the floor of her room, directly in front of the radio. El simply nodded as she tied the blindfold over her eyes.

"Holy shit, this is insane," Max exclaimed.

"Max," El snapped gently.

"Yeah, quiet, I'm sorry," Max rambled apologetically, planting herself on the bed and trying her best to sit still.

In the Void, it didn't take long for El to find the boys. They were in the Wheeler's basement.

"I see them," El said, eyes immediately landing on the object of her affections laying on the couch. Lucas paced back and forth in front of him as they talked back and forth.

"What are they doing?" Max asked, moved off of the bed to sit by her side on the floor.

"Eating," El replied, spotting the bag of chips on Mike's chest.

"I just don't understand what I did to deserve this," Mike said in between chewing.

"Nothing. Nothing. That's my whole point. You are the victim here," Lucas reassured him.

"I know. It's just, why is she treating me this way?" Mike wondered, clearly in denial that he was at fault in this whole situation.

"Hey guys, I'm almost set up here," Will cut in. El turned her attention to him. He was standing over the table, diligently setting up a game of Dungeons and Dragons, and to his left was sat Quinn, staring straight at her.

"Shit," El cursed at the sight of the older girl. "Quinn is there." El informed Max, her tone laced with annoyance.

"Oh yeah, it's Wednesday," Max remembered. Lucas had tried many times to convince her to join their D&D party, using Quinn as a sort of justification that it wasn't just a game for nerds. "Can she see you?"

"Yes, she can," El confirmed, staring back at Quinn. The teen simply sat there, one elbow on the table, her chin resting in her hand. She continued staring at the younger girl, a bemused expression on her face.

"Stop asking rational questions," Lucas advised.

"I know. You're right, you're right," Mike acquiesced. "Because women act on emotion and not logic."

"Precisely," Lucas approved. "It's a totally different species."

"They say we are 'species'," El informed Max, watching Quinn's bemused expression turn to an offended one and her sharp gaze shift accusingly towards Mike and Lucas.

"What?!" Max and Quinn uttered at the same time.

"'Emotion, not logic'," El continued relaying back to Max.

"Guys, it's ready," Will announced, hoping to move on to more important things.

"Will, not right now," Lucas said, waving his arm at him.

"They broke up with you. What else is there to talk about?" Will questioned, his annoyance about the whole matter barely hidden.

"Tons," Lucas insisted.

"Yeah, we're trying to solve the great mystery of the female species," Mike proclaimed.

"What am I, chopped liver?" Quinn interrogated curtly, the crease in her brow leaving no room to assume that she was tolerant of this kind of discourse.