neighbors ~ mileven

watercolor

"No fucking way, the original Spiderman is the ONLY Spiderman. I said what I said." El said as she took another bite of one of Max's "homemade" special brownies.

"Ok but that doesn't mean the Tom Holland isn't as much of a Spiderman as the original" Max rebutted, as she flipped through one of her moms' Cosmopolitan magazines.
"And would you stop hogging all the brownies?!"

"I cant help it! The more I eat, the more colors I hear" El said with a shrug.
"Also, I know billy is like a whole different brand of douche bag but his recipe is, exquisite" she said whilst mimicking a chefs kiss.

"Yea how bout we keep that between us, he'll literally kick my ass if he finds out I took these" Max said with a laugh.
The two best friends were enjoying each others company during one of their infamous sleepovers. Max and El have been friends since their freshman year of high school when their lockers were coincidentally placed next to each other. Just as Max was about to do one of the given Cosmo quizzes with El, rock music blasted from next door. El rolled her eyes as she got up to shut her window to cutoff the wave of music coming from a bedroom that belonged to her next door neighbor, and ex-best friend, Mike Wheeler.

Mike Wheeler and El had a friendship that began at the small age of 9 when El taught Mike how to tie his shoes. The two grew up inseparable, especially after discovering that the other was just a window away. It was until the age of 13 when Mike cut off El and their friendship, so much without a word. It was their first day of summer going into freshman year of high school when El walked over to the front door of the Wheeler home and was greeted with a slammed door from Mike. El continued to try and see him, text him, call him, even throw rocks at his windows and nothing worked. El was not willing to let go of a four year friendship at all, let alone without a reason, so El confronted Karen Wheeler, and was told that he was simply going through something and needed time alone. El completely understood at first word, but as time went on, she couldn't help but doubt Karens words. She knew Mike way too well to ever believe that he wouldn't tell her whatever he was going through. Not even considering that he was blatantly ignoring her. El had not seen him that entire summer.

She saw him for the first time again on their first day of freshman year, they had English class together and it wasn't until El sat next to him that she realized their friendship was over; Mike got up and moved to the seat farthest away from her.

It was an understatement to say that El was sad. El was heartbroken for months. I mean how does one handle losing their best friend, and only friend, of 4 years? Along with the fact that she never got a reason, and because of that she grew to resent him. She hated that he knew how hurt she'd been and that she had to go through her mother's death alone with her father. She hated that he always played music loud enough for her to want to dance to, not that she'd ever admit that. She hated that he never gave her a reason as to why he dropped their friendship so fast. She hated that she felt sorry for him. She hated that she still cared. She hated that she still remembers his favorite things. She hates that she misses him. She hates that he cut off their friendship before she could figure out her certain feelings towards him.

"Why do you always shut the window, you know you love his taste in music." Max says as El sits back down next to her.

"Of course I do, doesn't mean I'm ever gonna give him the satisfaction of knowing that." El replied, shoving the last brownie in her mouth

"I still don't get how he still ignores you. Its been what 8 years? Quite the long time to hold a grudge." Max said

"Uh-uh not a grudge. A grudge implies I did something wrong. I didn't do anything. He cut me off the way a smoker cuts off nicotine. Cold turkey hurts like a bitch but if he doesn't care about me then I'm not gonna care about him." El said

"El I love you, but you can't lie to me. It is okay to admit you still care for him. I know you hate to admit it but it is okay."

"Yea and that's whats bullshit. He dropped me so fast with no reason and I still care. He let me go through a ton of shit alone, and yet I still care. What does that have to say about me?" El said

"That you're a way better person than he'll ever be. And karma will sure catch up to him. I promise." Max said, wrapping an arm around El's shoulders.

"Alright enough of this sappy sadness, lets go eat fruit snacks. I'm feeling the munchies" El giggled as she made her way downstairs with the redhead.

Across El's window, Mike resides in his room blasting Jimmy Eat World's Futures album while painting a watercolor painting to go with his collection. Throughout Mike's room resided art supplies, watercolor paintings, charcoal sketches and 6 or 7 portfolios. Mike has loved art ever since he could pick up a crayon. Mike made the habit of blasting music whenever Max was over El's house across the street to remove his temptation of listening to their conversation. Despite what she may believe, he does still deeply care for her, not that he'd ever let himself acknowledge that. He knows how he handled their friendship and his choice to end it, but has always vowed to look out for her, and just because he ended their friendship doesn't mean that vow should be broken.

~*~

El woke up to Max leaving out the front door since she had an early study group. El walked around the empty house as she popped some eggos into the toaster, her typical morning breakfast when her father had an early police shift. As she took her breakfast upstairs, she figured she'd do what she always does when home alone, compose. El always  had a love for music, her go to instrument was the piano. She gazed at her piano keyboard next to her bed and stroked her fingers along the keys. El had written a total of 12 songs ever since she was gifted her keyboard as a birthday present from her late mother. El started to play the recent song she had been working on while playing around with lyrics to see what would work, when, unbeknownst to her, a familiar window opened across hers.

Almost every Sunday morning, Mike would open his window to hear his neighbor sing. When he first heard her composing he tried his hardest to blast his music in his earbuds, but found it much easier just to let himself have this bit of her. He adored her voice, he always had even when they were little. it was every Sunday morning that he would listen to her current composition and paint. Only it wouldn't be a landscape, or an ocean, or a roman, but her. Her caramel brown eyes that give a peek at her soul. Her brown hair cascading on her shoulders. Her light, extremely light, freckles you couldn't see if you were more than a foot away from her. Her perfect symmetry of her cupids bow along her plump pink lips. Her pronounced cheekbones that drape into her sharp jawline. Mike hated to admit that he could stare at her for hours and not even remotely wish to be doing anything else.

Some might wonder why he acts a certain rude way when encountering the brunette, but yet continues to admire her from afar. As Mike and El's friendship grew over time, so did Mike's feelings towards her. He simply saw her as more than a friend.

He was so, terribly in love with her.

He dreaded being in love, he'd seen how it practically ruined his parents' relationship and love simply terrified him. He'd seen how his father's love for another woman destroyed his mother and told himself that it would be much easier to destroy his chance at love to prevent the inevitable: heartbreak.

So he cutoff his relationship with El.

He knew he was being a dick whenever she would try to talk to him, but he'd rather act like an ass than get hurt the way his mother was. He knew what happened to El's mother and internally hated himself for not being there for her.

He knew she hated him.

In the mind of Mike Wheeler, he found it much easier to just admire who she was and her beauty from afar; you couldn't get hurt that way, right?

AUTHORS NOTE:
hiiiii soooo this is new and it sucks but ty if ur reading :) imma try my hardest to make this enjoyable. I already have a twitter au on @stevesbat which u should also check out. also a baby blue bronco is deadass my dream car before david dobrik made it a thing smh but thanks again for reading :)