white rose & apple blossom - A Mileven Story

five

Mike's POV

I woke up with the sound of my walkman hitting the floor. Shit! I hope it didn't broke. I clicked play and the music was still on so I guess it was ok.
I looked at my watch that was standing on the night, it was 8:11AM. I decided to get up and go take a shower.
When I finished my shower, I combed my hair. I hate seeing my hair flat and straight so everytime I comb it, I put my head out of my window and shake my head like a dog so it gets in its place.

- What in the name of God are you doing? - El said, laughing. She had caught me in the middle of my weirdest habit. Great.
- Get used to this. I do it everytime I comb my hair. It makes it curl the way I want it to. - I explained myself, eventhough I still knew it was stupid and I looked stupid while doing it. She was still laughing.
- I can't stop!! - she said, choking in her own laugh. That made me laugh too. We were both dying for air now.
- I know it's stupid, ok?
- It sure is. - she said, smiling at me. I stopped laughing and stared at her. She was so pretty and was looking like a doll. She had a cute light green dress and a matching headband.
- Where are you going looking like that? - I asked her.
- Looking like that? What do you mean with that? - she said, raising an eyebrow with a not-so-delightful face.
- Oh, no! You look pretty. Like, really pretty. Are you going somewhere nice?
- Oh... Thank you. - she blushed and looked down. - I dress like this like everyday, I love dresses and stuff like that. I guess I'm really girlish. I'm actually just going to the library to get some books for when my dad has to go to work and I have to sit at home alone.
- I could spend some time with you if you want to. You know... so you won't be alone and... hum... but it's only if you want to! I don't mean to sound annoying...
- Mike. - she interrupted me.
- Yeah?
- I'd love if you'd keep me company. Do you want to walk me to the library? I don't exactly know where it is, my dad would show me but he has to go to work in like 10 minutes.
- Yeah! Sure! I'd love to. I mean, fine by me. I... - I breathed and stopped talking to calm myself down. - I'll be at your door in 5 minutes. - I said, running to my closet as she stepped away from the window.

Ok, Mike think! What can I wear? It has to be something nice, she looks so cute today, I have to look good too.
Got it! I pulled out the new shirt I bought. It had black and white stripes and I loved it so bad. I put it on with some blue jeans. It was pretty hot outside so I decided to just wear this with some black sneakers.
My hair had almost dried completely since it was so hot so I got outside and walked to El's front porch.

I rang the bell and her dad opened the door.
- Mike! It's great to see you, kid!
- Hi, Mr. Hopper! How are you doing? - I asked him.
- Call me Hopper, you make me feel old with the "mister" stuff! I'm great, how about you? - he asked me while ruffling my hair.
- I'm great aswell. - I laughed.
- So what are you doing here, boy?

Just as I was about to answer, El came down the stairs and behind Hopper.

- He's here to pick me up. We are going to the library to pick me some books up,  since I have to be by myself all summer! - she said.
- I have to work, kid! But you can spend some time with the Wheelers if you want, I talked to Mike's parents yesterday and told them I'd let you hang out with them if you ever feel bored. - Hopper said. I felt so happy just thinking about it.
- Hey Hopper? - I asked.
- Yeah?
- Do you think El can hang out with me and my friends this summer?
- Who are your friends? - he asked me, intrigued.
- Lucas Sinclair, Will Byers, Dustin Henderson and Max Mayfield.
- I think they are all good kids. And I was friends with basically all their parents. Sure, why not? - Hopper answered me.
- Thanks dad! - El said, with the biggest of smiles. She hugged her father and said goodbye to him.
- See you later, aligator! - Hopper said to her.
- See you in a while, crocodile! - El answered back as we were reaching the sidewalk.

- What was that? - I asked her, smiling in confusion.
- What? - El asked me.
- That aligator thing.
- Oh. We do this since I can remember.
- It's really cute, I wish I got along like that with my dad. - I said, looking at the floor while walking.
- I'm sorry you and your dad are a little tense... But at least you seem to really get along with your sister! - El comforted me.
- Yeah, we do. I love her a lot. Don't tell her I said that, please.
- Your secret is safe with me. - she said, laughing. - So where is the library?
- It's 3 minutes away. Have you eaten breakfast yet? - I asked her.
- No, I didn't even remember. But now that I think about it I'm kind of hungry.
- I haven't either. Let's go get breakfast.

We walked into this nice coffee house near the park and sat on a table. We asked for our food. El chose an orange juice and a chocolate chip muffin. I ordered a cup of coffee and a slice of cheesecake.
The food came and we devoured it while talking about her hometown and the beauty of this coffee house, that I hadn't notice until she started talking about it.

We got out and stopped by the library to pick her books. El picked George Orwells' "Animal Farm" and "1984", Stephen King's "The Shining" and two more.

We walked back into our neighbourhood and I carried her bag with the books. I handed it out to her when we reached her house.

- Thanks for being such a gentleman and carrying these. See you later, Mike. - El said, kissing my cheek and walking in her house.

- Bye. - I said, with the most whipped smile in the history of whipped smiles. I stood there for 10 seconds smiling like an idiot and I walked to my house thinking that the sun was suddenly shinier than ever