Stories From Summer; Stranger Tales From The Summer of '85

15. Making Ice Cream Sandwiches

15. Making Ice Cream Sandwiches
(Follow up from the previous chapter)

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El was sat on the Wheeler's basement sofa, reading the instructions to Battleship, as Lucas and Dustin set it up. Will was sat next to the telekinetic, as she finished reading the instructions and watched the boys set up.

Max came thumping down the stairs, with something squished between two dark pieces of what looks like those little animal crackers that Hopper gets for her, that she loves so much (as well as him teaching to put something that he called 'funfetti' on one side or one half).

Mike looked at the dessert in Max's hand, and then looked to El with a smile on his face, "do you want an ice cream sandwich?" He asks, watching as El's eyebrows crinkled and her head tilts just slightly, in a way that Mike finds as cute as a button.

"Ice cream sand-which?"She echoes, and Max sits on the small table in front of the brunette, who's extremely curly hair was rather quickly losing its curl, as the heat in Hawkins causing her hair to become more wavey (like Mike's is becoming more untamable).

"Yeah, come on, I'll show you," Mike holds his hand out, and before she does take it, Max holds her ice cream sandwich out for the telekinetic to try.

Since El apologised for how she treated her, the pair have become inseparable, and Mike is so happy that El has a girl-friend outside the five boys. El takes a bite, the coldness of the ice cream hurting her teeth slightly, but the biscuit outer layer made it better.

El took Mike's hand and they walked up the basement stairs, their fingers intertwined, and smiling at each other - the first summer together is flying without a single bad thing or interruption (they hope that they haven't jinxed it now).

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Mike was reaching into the back of the freezer, where he knew the ice cream sandwich would be, he also pulled out a box of Eggo waffles, which with her powers El lifted into her hands, and happily hugs the yellow box.

Mike finds the ice cream sandwiches and turns around to look at his girlfriend who was sat on top of the island counter, hugging the first item of food that he ever gave her.

"Do you want me to put some ice cream between two Eggos?" Mike asks, putting the ice cream sandwiches back in the freezer, and pulling out the vanilla ice cream tub and then an ice cream scoop from one of the many drawers in the Karen Wheeler's kitchen.

El nodded happily, handing over the yellow box, as Karen walked in to see her son putting two waffles into the toaster, and walked back to Jane Hopper.

"Hello, Jane," Karen smiles, making herself known to the pair. Mike turned around and pushed a smile towards his mom. Since Will came back, and his parents started arguing more, and when El was missing - Mike slipped out of his mom's 'grip', and they are no longer as close as Karen once remembers (as much as she wants to bring their relationship back to where it was, she knows it never will).  

"Hello, Mrs Wheeler," El smiles politely and watches as the two Eggos pop out of the toaster. Mike goes to collect the Eggos, wafting at them in an attempt to cool them down before he puts the ice cream between the Eggos.

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Whilst the rest of The Party™ were waiting for Mike and El to turn back up, Lucas and Dustin went against each other in a game of Battleships. Will knew that the trash talk would be brutal, and the winner would be worse. Whether Lucas or Dustin won, they would hold it over the other for years to come.

"F1," Lucas said, because F3 didn't have part of a boat, neither did E2 and G2. So, it would be the only place it really could be.

Dustin felt yet another sinking feeling as Lucas sank yet another one of his battleships. "You sank my battleship," Dustin mumbles, as Lucas placed the red peg on the board. Will raised his eyebrow as Max continued to eat her Ice Cream Sandwich.

"I can't hear you," Lucas said, putting his head over his ear (a smug smile on his face), wanting Dustin to say it again.

Dustin hung his head, having put a peg on his sunken battleship. "You sank my battleship," Dustin repeats, sighing heavily.

"Look at me in the eye when you say it!" Lucas smiles, his hand on the desk and pushing his face closer to Dustin's - his smug smile still plaster on his face.

As the pair started bickering, Max had her Ice Cream Sandwich hanging between her teeth, "are they always like this?" She asks, having never witnessed the boys fighting over a game (unless it was a video game, but those were different to board games).

Every time," Will states, putting his pencil back to paper, and continued his drawing.