only fools fall for you [mileven]

2 - surprises

We go inside and Jonathan waves to us. 'Hey guys. Mike! Can I talk to you?' he asks.

I nod. 'Sure.' Lucas, Will and Dustin go into Will's room and I stay in the living room with Jonathan.

'How's Nancy? It's been a year since Barb, you know...'

'Yeah, I know. She's doing okay. Every now and then I hear her crying. We talk a lot more though.'

'Are you okay? You know, with Eleven gone?'

I don't move. I remember the way she flinched at the make-up brush, and the way I flew back up the cliff. Jonathan notices the tears in my eyes, and he wraps his arms around me. 'She'll be back, I promise,' he whispers.

'I'm not so sure,' I say quietly, wiping my eyes.

At night, Nancy drops by to pick me up.

'Grab your bike.' She smiles. I look back at Jonathan and grin.

'Bye guys!' I shout.

I hear them all shout "Bye!" and I walk out into the cold air.

'Cold winter, hey?' Nancy asks, opening the back of the car.

I throw my bike into the back and she closes the door. 'Yeah.'

Jonathan runs out of the house with a box in his hand. 'Nancy!' he shouts. She turns around, beaming.

'Jonathan.' She says, under her breath. He runs up to her and hands her the badly wrapped box.

'Sorry about the wrapping. I know it's late, but I had to give you a Christmas present.'

'Thank you so much.' She puts her arms around his neck and kisses him. On the lips.

'Hey, what happened to Steve?' I ask, after he pulls away.

'Yeah. What happened?' he asks.

'Nothing.' Nancy smiles.

Even in the dim sunset behind the clouds, I see that Jonathan's bright red.

Nancy gets into the driver's seat, and I hold my hand out for Jonathan to high-five. He slaps my hand and ruffles my hair, going back inside. 

All the way back home, Nancy's smiling.

'About time, Nance.' I grin.

She moves her hand away from the wheel and slaps my arm.

'I'm joking. Did something happen between you and Steve?'

'No. We're still friends. We're just...drifting.' She takes a long breath and turns the corner onto our road. And when we reach our house, I gasp.