seeing double | mileven

-one

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el closed her eyes briefly, trying to concentrate on what the teacher was talking about. it was a little chilly in the classroom, so she pulled her sweater tighter around her before copying the notes on the board.

it was one month after the snowball. despite hopper's protests, they had enrolled el in school with her friends. she had a hard time focusing a lot, and she couldn't understand a lot of what was going on, but she tried her hardest.

the bell rang, and el sighed in relief, packing up her bag and swinging it over her thin body, shuffling out of the classroom and searching the halls for a certain someone. people bumped into her as she walked, and she frowned, looking around as she walked.

she squealed as mike crept up behind her and grabbed her waist, and he spun her around. she smiled as she saw his freckles, and poked his face playfully.

"how was your day?" mike asked as he gripped her hand, walking with her down the hallway.

el swung their hands back and forth between them. "it was all right," she admitted timidly. "i still don't understand the math. or the biology. or the writing." she sighed and squeezed mike's hand. "at least i have you to help me."

mike smiled. "you'll get better. you're a fast learner. i can always help you. wanna come over right now? i'm not doing anything."

el's smile returned to her face. "okay."

she followed him out the front doors and over to his bike, and she climbed on behind him with a sigh. leaning her head on his shoulder, she watched the scenery go by from her perch. kids were walking home from school, or driving, and el waved cheerily to dustin as hey passed him. they arrived, and el smiled at nancy as they walked inside and sat down at the kitchen table.

"what do you need help with?" mike asked.

el sighed. "basically everything."

"let's start with math." he offered.

el sighed and nodded, and pulled out her homework for him to help her with. she would be even more behind if he wasn't giving her lessons after school.

the front door opened, and whispering sounded from the front room.

"mike? can you come in here please, honey?"

mike frowned. "i'll be right back. start on what you can do, okay?"

el nodded, and looked down at the paper.

find the slope.

how? she sighed and leaned her head on the table. she should have payed more attention.

mike was arguing with someone in the hallway, and el stood up, and walked in with a small frown.

she froze when she saw who he was talking to.

mike.

he couldn't be talking to himself, could he?

she didn't think that was possible.

"el," mike breathed, noticing her presence.

"mike. and... mike?" el was confused. the other boy standing next to mike was wearing glasses and a different style of clothes, but other then that they looked the exact same. he was cute, she thought. she stared at him for a minute, letting her eyes rake into his skin as he stared back at the beautiful girl.

"um... el. this is richie. my brother. my, uh, tw-,"

"your brother?" el said, turning her eyes from the boy who looked so much like mike to mike himself.

"yeah. i never said anything, because..."

"you didn't tell your girlfriend about me?" richie interrupted.

"she - i mean. no. i mean - richie will you shut up?" mike stumbled.

"yeah," el turned to mike with a frown. "why didn't you tell me you had a brother?"

"twin," richie corrected. "whatever." el narrowed her eyes at mike.

"i... el." mike mumbled.

"have fun getting out of this one," richie chimed, starting up the stairs with his suitcase.
"mike, why didn't you tell me about your twin?" el accused, hurt in her voice.

"it never came up, i guess," mike whispered.
"friends don't lie," el said, her voice rising a little with anger.

"i'm not lying!" mike said, a little louder then he meant it, making el widen her eyes and cross her arms.

"why didn't you tell me? you're keeping more secrets? where was he?" el accused, seething with anger. she thought she could trust mike.

"i'm not keeping secrets!" mike insisted.

"where was he then?" el growled.

"he was - um. at boarding school." mike's face was pale and el whipped around, storming into the kitchen and grabbing her things, shoving them into her backpack furiously.

"friends - don't - lie!" she threw her bag on her shoulders and stormed out the front door, ignoring mike's pleas for her to come back.

"please, el," he cried, running after her and grabbing her arm.

"don't touch me, michael," she hissed, throwing him off her and narrowing her eyes, which threatened to spill with tears.

couldn't she trust him?

she stopped, looking around with an angry look on her face, then started to walk down the street.

"oh what now, el?" mike yelled after her. "you're just gonna walk home? you're just gonna get angry and do whatever you want? the world does NOT revolve around you? i'm sorry, okay?"

el continued down the street, ignoring him screaming after her.

"i didn't tell you because - because," mike stumbled, losing her attention. "WAIT! el, please come back! i'm sorry. but you're overreacting about this! it's really- um."

el seethed with anger. she was upset, and now he was trying to tell her she was overreacting?

"liar!" she yelled over her shoulder as she stormed down the street.

he stopped calling after her and she slowed down as she turned the corner, sighing as she walked down the street. where would she go now?

-

when she finally arrived home, getting a ride from dustin, she collapsed on her bed and pulled out her homework. she was mean. too mean.

maybe he was at boarding school. maybe mike was sensitive about it. she sighed as she looked at the paper again.

find the slope.

if only mike was here to help her.

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author's note:

hi guys! it's ayla! this chapter was written by me! we so excited to finally share this book with you! it's a lot different, so we need YOUR help to vote and comment to give it that extra push :) thanks for all the support and i hope you enjoy!