Regular People [Elmax]

Chapter 4 - The Nana Conspiracy

Eleven was out on her porch the next day, pacing up and down and staring into the woods looking for Mike. It was 9:32 am, he should've been there by now. He'd never been late to pick her up without calling first. She sighed and marched inside, heading straight to the phone. Hopper was stood in the kitchen eating his breakfast.

"Hey, is everything okay?", he asked.

"Yes", said El as she quickly punched in Mike's phone number, one she'd memorized by heart. She impatiently waited until Mrs Wheeler picked up the phone.

"Hello, this is the Wheelers"

"Mrs Wheeler, it's Jane. I would like to speak to Mike"

"Okay, just a sec"

She heard some yelling then, after a few seconds of silence, Mike finally picked up.

"Hello?"

El sighed, he wasn't even on his way. At least she had gotten hold of him. She walked into her room and closed the door with a flick of her head.

"It's 9:32, where are you?"

"Sorry I- I was just about to call. I, um...can't see you today"

Something in his tone seemed off. He wasn't talking like Mike usually spoke.

"What? Why not?"

"It's my Nana. She's very sick"

That didn't make sense to Eleven. When Hopper got back from taking Mike home last night he said that it was a false alarm. Did Mike lie?

"But Hop said that your Nana was okay, that it was a false alarm"

"Yeah! That's...what...we...thought it was at first but then she erm took a real turn for the worse"

"Oh"

"Yeah. We think she might- might die"

"What?!", it was Mrs Wheeler. She must have been listening from the other phone.

El heard more yelling. Mike told her to get off the phone and his mom sounded confused. Eventually, Mike came back.

"Sorry about that"

"Was that your mom?", El asked, not understanding how Mrs Wheeler would be confused by Nana being sick. Surely she'd have known?

"Yeah. She's so upset she's, she's making no sense...because we have to go to the nursing home...to see Nana"

"You can come over after?"

"No!", Mike yelled quickly. Did he just not want to come and see her? "I mean, I- I just think...I need to be alone today...with my...feelings?", he asked the last part like it was a question. He didn't know what he was talking about.

El finally called him out, "do you lie?"

"What?! No!", Mike sounded very defensive, "Friends don't lie...what mom? My mom's calling me. Better go. Talk to you tomorrow. Miss you already. Bye!", he said the last part very quickly then hung up, not even giving Eleven time to take in what he said, let alone respond.

Confused and upset by what she had heard, El slowly walked out of her room.

"Hey", said Hop as she emerged, "what's going on?"

She didn't say anything, she just put the phone down, returned to her room and slammed the door shut with a flick of her wrist.

What was going on with Mike? He'd never acted like this with her before. He sounded wrong like he was hiding something. But why would he do that? He wouldn't lie, would he? No. Friends don't lie. Eleven wished she had someone else to hang out with and talk to about how Mike was acting but she only spent time alone with Mike. Besides, none of the boys would understand, they didn't have a boyfriend. Then she remembered someone who did have a boyfriend, Max. She'd never really spoken to Max before but she had more experience with boys than she did, it was worth a shot. She waited until she heard Hopper leave for work then started to walk to Max's house. She knew where she lived, the party had been there once or twice to pick her up but it felt weird going alone, it felt weird going anywhere without Mike, he was with her pretty much constantly.