𝐇𝐮𝐫𝐭 𝐌𝐞 ; 𝘉𝘺𝘭𝘦𝘳 ✓

𝟑.

Hawkins High | Tue 10:53 AM
Jane "El" Hopper

El walked through the empty hallway with a hall pass in her hand. The only sound that was heard was the thump of her sneakers against the tiled floor.

When she walked pass the bathroom, she gasped as she was pulled inside. Before she could react, Max's lips were already locked with her own.

El dropped her hall pass and pulled Max in tighter, wrapping her arms around the other girls waist. El felt nothing but butterflies and heat that ignited every time she would just think about her red-headed lover.

Max cupped El's cheeks and kissed rougher. After a couple of seconds, she pulled away and smiled at El's dazed expression.

"Good morning." She said.

El sighed before saying, "I wish we didn't have to sneak around like this."

Max pulled away from her hold and went to look at herself in the mirror. "I know, I know." she said.

"When are you going to break up with him?"

El had been asking this question for almost 6 months at this point, and she was starting to get very impatient.

"Trust me, I will soon." Max said while walking over and kissing El once again.

El knew this wasn't true. Max needed Lucas to stay popular, and at Hawkins, popularity means everything.

"I've gotta get to class" El said while pulling away abruptly and grabbing her hall pass off the floor.

She didn't know why she still got mad at Max for her answer. She knew what Max was going to say before she asked, so she should just deal with it. Besides, it's not like they're together, so if El really wanted to be with someone she could just go find someone else.

El continued to walk throughout the halls and think, being too conflicted to go back to class and try to learn something.

***

El sat at their table silently enjoying her food while the others talked. Every minute or so, she would glance over at Max and observe her features, but then look away so she wouldn't get caught staring.

El rested her head on her hand and her elbow on the table as she slouched over and away from Mike. He always talked with a lot of mannerisms and would often accidentally elbow her.

Max sat next to Lucas and rested her cheek against his shoulder as he talked to Mike. It made El extremely envious. Why couldn't they just break up already so that El could be the one she leaned on?

"I'm thinking about trying out for QB this year." Mike said to Lucas.

"Coach is not gonna let you play that, El tell him!" Lucas said, causing El to shift her eyes from Max to Mike.

"Mike you're still really skinny, so your probably gonna get kicker again." El said as if she knew any other position other than kicker and quarterback.

"You know what? Your right Eleanor."

"I know I am, Michael."

"You two would be cute together." Max said, jumping into the conversation.

"In what universe?" Mike said while laughing.

El completely agreed. Even if El was straight, her and Mike just don't go together. Mike was too sarcastic, he got offended really easily, and he was too talkative.

Despite this, the whole grade had a crush on him at one time or another, which led El to believe that they only like what they see and will be disappointed with what they'll get.

From an outsiders perspective, it may seem like El really dislikes Mike, but she still loves him for who he is, it's just who he is is the reason why he's not right for her.

"Jesus Mike, you didn't have to let me down that harsh." El joked.

The table laughed and continued to joke back and forth with each other for the rest of the lunch period.

***

After grabbing a couple of books, El began to walk to her next class. She heard a loud bang and turned around to see what it was.

"Oh are you gonna cry you little queer?" Troy asked the boy he just shoved into the lockers.

El knew exactly who Troy was messing with, it was the same person every single time. El felt bad for him, because even though he never said he was gay, people still believed he was.

El wondered how bad people would treat someone who actually came out. Maybe they'd treat them worse. Maybe they'd focus all of their energy on making someone's life a living hell, like Troy already does to Will.

Maybe El should help Will...wait no...she doesn't want to be known as the cheerleader who hangs out with the queer, or is she just as wrong as everyone else for thinking that way?

Just as El was about to tell Troy off, she was interrupted by someone calling her name.

"Jane!" the person said.

El turned her head to see the cheer coach, Heather Holloway walking towards her.

"It's El." she said being a little annoyed with her presence already.

"The name on your birth certificate is Jane and that is what I will call you." Heather said while crossing her arms.

"What are you even doing on this hallway? Aren't you a senior?" El asked.

"I just wanted to know if you were trying out for cheer this year."

"Yes I am. Is that a problem?"

"Well it will be if you keep giving me all that attitude. I'm the one who's choosing the team this year so you should be trying to get on my good side."

El rolled her eyes and said "Whatever Heather, i've gotta get to class."

"Don't forget your Pom Poms!" Heather yelled as she started to walk away.

"I won't!" El yelled back, heading to her fourth period.

To be continued...
[6/9/20 | 983 words]