𝚏𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚎/𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚝𝚜

never really over

"Just because it's over doesn't mean it's really over.
And if i think it over, maybe you'll be coming over again."

mileven

June 13th, 1991

it had been two years since she had seen mike wheeler. two years since they had actually seen each other, face to face.

since they had...

broken up.

sure the party had kept in touch over the two years, phone calls and interactions at holidays of course. everyone kept in contact.

well not everyone.

to say el was nervous to see mike would be the understatement of the century. she was terrified. the thought of seeing him, being in the same vicinity as him made her almost die from the inside out.

but she had too.

for nancy and jonathan. they were getting married.

finally.

after a million years of the two dating, making everyone guess if they were actually going to tie the knot. el had received a invitation in the mail to attend the wedding party and the wedding that was the same week.

as if el was gonna pass up the chance to see nancy on her big day. el looked up to the older woman and idolized her for years, it was nancy who taught her how to do her hair, her makeup, her nails, and how to dress.

max helped but...it was kind of a disaster.

but nancy helped. she made everything easier after...her and mike had broken up. telling the younger girl that it was okay to feel like shit after. to feel like it was your fault, like you did something wrong. those feelings were normal.

the older girl was like an older sister in a way. el was thrilled about seeing the whole party. hugging her friends, dancing, drinking champagne. eating cake.

the only thing that made her stomach turn was seeing the boy that once made her weak in the knees. the boy who used to shower her with kisses and tell her she was beautiful everyday. the boy that told her that being weird was okay and it wasn't something to be ashamed of.

that boy.

el had busied herself with her internship at the library in indianapolis. she didn't go to far from home, promising hopper that she would call every week and drive down for friday night dinners with him and joyce byers.

el didn't mind. she was happy to have the independence. even if it hurt sometimes to be so alone, she was free for once. on her own. independent max called it.

she was independent and that was good.

for awhile.

that was until she bumped into mike that summer after they had broken up.

flashback
July 15th, 1989

el was roaming around the almost vacant store, looking for something to wear for the internship that was starting at the library.