Harrington 3

Danger

Max, Eleven and I spend the next couple hours just messing around and doing girl stuff. It's a nice change from always hanging out with the boys. I mean, I always had Max, but recently it's felt like my relationship with El was been drifting. I used to be so close with her, but then Mike came along and then I never saw her. After six months it feels like we're finally going back to how we were, we even laughed about things that happened years ago, like when she made that guy pee himself or when she stole eggos from a convenience store. I find myself liking the change, but also wondering what Will is doing, or even Dustin. Has he cracked the code yet?

I try to push those thoughts away and just enjoy the sleepover, and soon we're lying on the floor, El and Max flipping through magazines while I sing along softly to the radio, chucking a ball up and down while staring at the ceiling.

"Lucas has done less to get me back and I've given him like, six chances," Max is saying as I explain to them my situation with Jonny.

"Yeah, but Lucas never cheated on you."

"That's true." Max nods, flipping the page of her magazine as El frowns at me.

"Cheated?"

I turn to her, "While we were dating, he kissed another girl."

She looks shocked, "You can do that?"

I laugh, "Yeah, but you're not supposed to. It's dirty."

"Dirty," she repeats.

"Like, mean. Hurtful." I shrug, "But now Jonny is doing all this sweet stuff in order to get me back, and I'm not sure what to do."

"I say take him back," Max says as if it's that easy, "He's obviously sorry, and he's learned his lesson. You guys were so happy together. You never fought like me and Lucas do."

I look at her and groan, "You're supposed to tell me he's scum and I should never give him the time of day."

"Okay." She shrugs, "He's scum and you should never give him the—"

I cut her off with another dramatic groan, and she sighs, sitting up and catching my ball out of the air before chucking it across the room.

"You wanted my opinion, and there it is." She pulls her legs beneath her as I sit up as well, Eleven soon following, "Jonny is not some dumb boy. Think about him in comparison to someone like Dustin, or Lucas. Or anyone in our group."

I do think about it, and she's right. Jonny doesn't fight over stupid things, and he's not obsessive. He's not like the four boys in our party, who make dumb mistakes and try and fix them which only ends up making them worse. Once he was the perfect guy, and in all honesty, it still seems like he is, even with all that he did.

"My life is so complicated." I shake my head in frustration, "I'm too young to be making these life changing decisions."

"They're barely life changing, Liz," Max says and rolls her eyes, "You're making too big a deal out of this. I say take him back, and if it's a mistake then you'll know, and you'll learn from it like he's learned from his. You'll regret not trying."

I know she's right. If I don't take him back I'll always wonder what would've happened if I did. Like it or not, I was happy with Jonny. Maybe I can be again.

"All right." I grin, my heart leaping at the thought of being with him again, "Maybe I will."

She grins in response, and Eleven giggles.

"Took you long enough."

I raise my eyebrows at her, having never heard her say such a normal expression. I burst into laughter, and so does Max. Soon we all lie down and go through the magazines again, fawning over boys we'll never meet.