Neighbors - Strangerthingsau

Chapter 5

A Smile Can Change Everything

After Max and El found room for all El's new clothes, they both went over to Mike's basement. Well, more like Max asking if El wanted to go hangout with the rest of the party... El politely saying no... Max dragging her over anyway... and now here we are! In Mike's basement. The guys are finishing up their game of D&D, while the girls are doing their own thing on the couch. El and Max were talking in hushed tones, so the guys really couldn't hear the conversation, other than them giggling every now and then. The guys didn't really mind them talking, except for Mike.

He kept on getting distracted by the two, wanting to know what they were talking about. How did Max somehow break into El's house, and come out being best friends with her. That doesn't even make any sense? If anything the people who are being nice to her and letting her have her own personal space should be her friends.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door bell going off.

"Pizzas here!" Will exclaimed and ran upstairs to get the pizza.

A minute later he came back down stairs with the pizza in hand. He set the box on the table in front of the couch. The party was silent for a moment, each of them grabbing a slice of pizza.

"So El," Dustin said making El look up, "since you are the newest member of our party we need to give you a name that works with you?"

"Party?" El asked confused with all of the information she was just given.

"It's our friend group," Mike explained, "we all have different places in the party."

"I'm our ranger, Will's our cleric, Mike's our paladin, Dustin's our bard, and Max's our zoomer." Lucas explained.

"Zoomer still doesn't even exist." Mike said rolling his eyes.

"It does now!" Max said.

"Anyway," Mike sighed and turned to face El, "our 'titles' relate to who we are, we just need to find one that fits you."

El looked at him in the eyes while listening to him explain everything and when he finish she gave him a soft smile. A smile that made Mike's face go red. A smile that made his heart race. A smile that he wanted to take a picture of and keep forever.

Sadly, he couldn't and El's smile disappeared from her face as she turn to face the person that was talking.

Mike didn't hear one word the person was saying, nor did he know who was talking. He didn't care. He just sat there. Staring. He stared for a minute or two, until he realized he was being creepy and stopped. Hoping no one saw.

During their lunch El made friends with Dustin and started to trust Lucas. The only person that she really didn't have a relationship with was Mike. Mike has only said a few things to her. She thought he didn't like her because according to Max, Mike isn't one for change.

Max told her at the mall when they were getting their ice cream, how she had a hard time getting Mike to let her join the party. So, El thought that she would probably be treated the same way. She was ready for it. That changed he talked to her about the party. He talked like she was the the newest member of the party. Like she was in it, just like that.

As the party finished up, El grabbed some of the dirty dishes on the table and brought them upstairs to get them out of the way. Mike thought this would be the perfect chance to talk to her alone with no one else to interrupt them. He quickly grabbed some dishes and followed her up to the living room.

"Kitchens this way." Mike said nodding his head in the direction of the kitchen.

"Thanks." El said moving towards the kitchen with Mike right behind her.

Think! Mike thought. What's a good question to start a conversation with?

"How did you like Chicago?" Mike asked as El set the dishes in the sink and turned to him.

"Fine. I really didn't get out much." El said stepping out of Mike's way so he can set his dishes in the sink.

"How come? It's a big city, I'm pretty sure there's a lot of stuff you could do there."

"There was." El sighed. "But between homeschool and not really knowing anyone, I didn't have a reason to leave."

"How come you're homeschooled?"

El shrugged her shoulders. "It just worked out better that way."

"Hmm. Well the good news is that now you're here. And you are going to public school, and you're not going to be alone because you have a group of friends already."

"Yeah. I do."

There it was again. That smile. Mike wanted to stop time in that moment. Just to keep that smile on her face. But, just like last time, he couldn't. She walked away. Leaving him behind as she went back down stairs to the rest of the party.

Mike couldn't move. In fact, he refused to move. He just wanted to turn back time and see that smile on her, just one more time.