𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐀𝐍 𝐀𝐂𝐓, elmax

ch. 7 ✧ the date

"Wanna go to the skatepark?"

El turned her head towards her "girlfriend" standing by her side. She nodded at the redhead as they continued walking towards the exit of the school.
"Sure!"

El had felt kind of guilty all day, knowing that Max didn't know about her and Mike's afternoon yesterday. El tried to convince herself that it was stupid and didn't matter since the girls weren't actually dating, but something just didn't feel right.

As soon as the two walked out of the door Max dropped the skateboard she'd been carrying under her arm onto the sidewalk.
She hopped on it and started slowly pushing her way forward, not going too fast for El to keep up with her.

Max must had noticed El being distant by the brunette's blank expression, cause she quickly swung herself and the skateboard in front of the other girl, blocking her way.

"Aren't you excited to spend a little time with you girlfriend?" the redhead snickered, lifting an eyebrow.

El stopped abruptly to not bump into her friend balancing on the skateboard in front of her. She flinched at the word "girlfriend" even though they had already mentioned it multiple times. But admitting to be gay out loud in the public made her feel so much more vulnerable than when it was just the two of them.

The brunette girl anxiously looked around her, making sure no other students or teachers were listening.
"Can you not," she began quietly, "speak so loudly?"

Max frowned and stepped off the skateboard.
"Relax," she picked up the board and continued to walk next to El, "you need to be more chill about this whole thing, if you wanna pull the prank off properly."

"I know... it's just... whatever"

With that, El took the redhead's left hand and carefully intertwined their fingers.
Max startled looked down at their connected hands and met El's eyes with a bit of blush showing up across her nose.
She processed to softly smile at the brunette, El nervously smiling back.

✧ ✧ ✧

"Haven't you got a helmet or something?"
Eleven stared at the skateboard lying still on the cold concrete of the skatepark ground.

"No, El, it's not dangerous! See," Max smoothly got onto the skateboard, took off with her left foot and skateboarded in a circle around El.
It didn't make the the girl any less nervous since she'd never even stood stood on a skateboard before, and Max was basically a professional. She did it every day.

"I don't know..." El mumbled, "I just don't wanna-"

"You're not gonna fall," Max assured, knowing exactly what her friend was going to say, "I won't let you fall. I'll help."

Max braked the board in front of her "date" and put it right by her feet. She then offered her hand for El to hold while stepping on.

El took the other girl's hand and hesitantly mounted the skateboard. It wobbled back and forth underneath her feet, and she immediately grabbed Max' other hand out of reflex.

"I got you, don't worry," Max laughed as a strand of her red hair floated in front of her face due to the soft wind blowing.

"You're actually supposed to put your dominant foot first, and push forward with the other," she tried to explain, looking down at the way El had positioned herself on the board.

El glanced up at Max.
"Wha- what?"

"Your right foot should probably-... you know what, never mind. I'll show you. Stay on the board."

El tried balancing on her own as Max let go of her hands and stepped on the skateboard, her back to Elevens chest.
"Just hold around my waist. Tightly, I don't wan't you to fall off," Max giggled, "Keep both your feet on the back of the board."

Eleven nodded and did as she was told. She grabbed each side of her friend's hips, but quickly put her arms tightly around Max' waist as soon as Max started rolling.

The two skated around for a bit, Eleven feeling very tense and constantly worrying about falling off the board. Eventually, she let herself relax and gently rested her head on Max shoulder.
Max' red hair got in El's face, slightly blocking the view, but she didn't mind it. It somehow felt calm and safe - felt like Max was in control and that she knew what she doing.

"See - not so dangerous, huh?" Max snickered. El could practically feel the smirk on the other girl's face, though not being able to see it.

"Only because you're in the lead. If it wasn't for you I would've already broken three bones."

Max laughed at that. The sweet sound of her laugh made Eleven giggle along.

Eleven smiled against Max' red hair. Suddenly, everything seemed so perfect and harmless. She didn't want to be anywhere but right where she was in that moment. Not even with Mike.

In that moment she didn't want to be with anyone but Max.

✧ ✧ ✧

a/n
finally an update, jeez i'm so sorry for being inactive. haven't been motivated to write whatsoever.