𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐃 𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐘

I Know What We Are

•Eleven POV•
I went to school the next day with Mike and began to worry about Troy. I couldn't tell Mike though, telling him would put us all in danger. Mike saw that I was nervous and put his arm around my shoulder. I flinched from the pain of Mike accidentally squeezing the bruise. He looked at me and all I could do was look away.

•Mike POV•
When I saw El flinch I got concerned. She looked away and I started to talk to her anyway.

"You know you can tell me anything."

At that she pushed away from me and ran ahead looking at the ground.

What was up with her?

Something had happened in the period she had alone, and I was going to find out what it was. I looked up and saw her slowly making her way down the hallway, looking around every corner. Today she wore a white long sleeve t shirt with a black knit scarf and jeans. On her feet she wore black flats. She always looked so pretty. When she turned her head looking around each corner, her blonde wig would loosely fall over the scarf. Why was she so perfect?

•Eleven POV•
At the end of 5th period the teacher had to talk to me at the end of class about the project that had been started before I got to school, so of course, Troy left before me. There were only two ways to the cafeteria. Down that hallway or going through the front door and walking around the side of the school. I tried going outside.

I made it to the bike rack when I was stopped in my tracks by Troy. He had been waiting for me there. I immediately tried to run but he violently grabbed my arm and threw me against the wall.

"Nobody can save you now weirdo."

That word broke me down more and more every time.

"Please....n-no." I mustered out but he just pushed me, face first, onto the dirt pathway.

I managed to get up but he just grabbed me and pulled me to the bike rack. He towered over me as he pushed me to the ground and said

"why don't you get some fresh air?"

He tied my hands behind my back to the bike rack and left me there. Tears filled my eyes and I began to cry. Nobody was around so I didn't care. My jeans had dirt on the knees and my face had dirt and scratches all over it. As the tears fell down my face they stung the small cuts on my cheeks. My arm began to hurt where he had grabbed me and my knees started to get sore. I wanted to tell Mike so badly but I couldn't or else I would ruin all of our lives.

•Mike POV•
Our last period is study hall with Mr. Clarke and usually all of us are there, even El. Near the end of study hall I gave all the guys a look and we basically had a conversation in our minds. Since Mr. Clarke always lets us four out early we left to go find El.

We had been looking for about 10 minutes when Dustin yelled out "El!" We all ran to the side door of the school and made our way out where we found El, tied to the bike rack, crying into her knees.

"El! Are you ok?"

I knelt beside her as I untied the rope from her wrists. I noticed the 011 still imprinted into her wrist. I had forgotten about it. I helped her up and asked her

"Who did this?"

She looked at her feet and replied "um....nobody."

I chuckled and said "so you tied yourself to the bike rack?"

She nervously smiled and we dropped the topic. But seriously, what had been going on?
*Time Skip*
When we got home, the boys talked in the basement while El and I went into the bathroom. I wiped her face from the dirt and cleaned the small cuts and scratches all over her face. This reminded me of the time she had ran off a year ago and we almost kissed in here. When I finished helping her clean her face she turned to the mirror and a few tears fell down her face. When she realized I had noticed her crying she ran out of the bathroom and hid in her blanket fort, covering the front of it. I followed shortly after her and Lucas mouthed is she ok? I just shrugged and looked over to her fort with a concerned look.

All the guys being akward said they had to leave and quickly filed out the door. I looked over to her blanket fort and sighed. A while later, I heard her begin to mumble something to herself. I tried to get closer without her knowing so I could make out what she was saying.

"I'm a weirdo. I'm a weirdo."

She continued to repeat to herself. I pulled the blanket covering the fort off and she jumped.

"El. What's going on?"

She just looked at me and cried. I got closer and pulled her into a hug. When I let go she wiped her tears and asked

"Mike? What are we?"

"Huh?" I responded.

"Last year. You said that you're s-upposed to go to the 'S-nowba-ll' with som-ebo-dy you like. More than a friend."

She had been improving with speaking but still struggled with some words.

"Well, um, you go to the Snowball with somebody you like as a girlfriend or boyfriend. You like like them, maybe even love them."

I looked down embarrassed.

"Boyfriend? Girlfriend?" 

"When two people are boyfriend and girlfriend it means they are more than friends. You think about them constantly. You care about them more than you care about yourself. You love them and that's why people kiss."

She began to understand and there was a silence until she said

"Is that why your face... gets red? And I get a... weird feeling in my stomach?"

She did like me! She got butterflies!

"Those are called butterflies in your stomach when it twists and turns in a good way over somebody you like more than a friend."

She smiled and quietly said

"I know what we are."

Thank you so much for over 140 reads! I'm having so much fun with this book! Thank you for the support. I am going to start writing the next chapter I can't wait! There is going to be some drama in a future chapter! Ly all!
-Ava