I'm sorry

The promise

"Are you going to tell your parents?" El. asked

"No they'd start.............." Mike stopped talking looked down and continued to walk

"They'd start what?" El. said grabbing Mike's hand stopping him

"I can't tell you" Mike said turning away from her

"Please I won't tell anyone." El. said with a pouting face as Mike turned around

"Fine Follow me." Mike said pulling El. off the road into the woods

"Where are you taking me?" El. asked now walking next to Mike

"You'll see" Mike said walking faster

"Where are we?" El. said as they arrived at a small building that looked like it was made out of scrap metal

"My safe place." Mike said unlocking the door

"Your wha..........." El. stopped when she saw knives on a table in  a corner and dried blood on the table, floor, and occasionally a few spots on the wall

"Mike what the hell is this?" El. asked standing in the middle of the shack

"I already told you, it's my happy place." Mike said

"Mike show me your arms" El. said knowing why the small shack looked the way it did

"Alright" Mike said taking off his jacket

"How long?" El. said inspecting both arms with scars all over them

"Since I was eight" Mike said wincing every time El. accidentally touched one of the newer scars

"What were you saying earlier  about your parents?" El. asked letting go of Mike's arm

"You promise no matter what you do you won't tell Hopper anyone right?" Mike asked very seriously

"Promise" El. said 

"Promise?" Mike said with a little more seriousness

"Mike friends don't lie." El. said 

"Ok What I was going to say earlier was my parents would start abusing me twice a day instead of just three times a week" Mike said lifting up his shirt showing bad bruises all over his body

"Why didn't you tell anybody?" El. asked looking at Mike 

"Because I didn't feel comfortable telling anyone" Mike said looking down ashamed

"Why didn't you tell Will?" El. asked hugging Mike tightly

"Because I didn't want to see him hurt." Mike said starting to cry into El.'s shoulder

"Hey it's ok it will get better." El. said rubbing Mike's back

"No it won't." Mike said starting to cry harder

"Yes it will i'll help you. Lets make a deal. If you feel like cutting yourself or worse and after your parents hurt you call me and we'll just stay on the phone and talk and if it's bad i'll come over, ok?" El. said

"Ok deal." Mike said drying the tears away smiling

"Hey tomorrow come get me around 11:30 and we'll go get some paint and paint the walls. We'll make this a new secret hangout only you, me, Max,and Will after it's done?" El. suggested as Mike put his jacket back on

"Ok that sounds nice now we better get you home before Hopper kills me." Mike said looking at his watch

"Ok lets go." El. said walking out the door

It had been a few minuets and El. and Mike got to El.'s house.

"See you tomorrow." El. said waving at Mike

"See you tomorrow" Mike said walking away

The next day

Mike walked to El.'s house listening to the birds.He turned a corner and walked in the El.'s driveway. He immediately saw a red headed girl on top of El. and the two were making out.

"Oh hey Mike sorry I wasn't paying attention to the time." El. said standing up after Max got off her quickly

"Thats ok we need to get going before Will gets there to see his mom." Mike said as El. grabbed her bag 

"What are you two going to do?" Max asked

"It's a surprise." El. said quickly

"Ok i'll see you later." Max said grabbing her bag walking off the porch

"Ready?" Mike asked

"Yeah." El. said

The two walked joking around until they got to the store.

"Alright what color?" El. asked when they got to the paint aisle

"I don't know. What about, pink?" Mike suggested 

"Why pink?" El. asked

"Because it's a color in all of our pride flags." Mike said picking up a bucket of pink paint and putting it in the cart

"Ok. Now we need some decorations and furniture which well have to go somewhere else for." El. said

"Alright lets go." Mike said pushing the cart

After a few minuets they checked out and went back to the shack.

(9/23/19)