𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 (𝐛𝐲𝐥𝐞𝐫)

𝟎𝟎𝟏

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏
𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬?

5:41 pm 

1986, March 9 Sunday

Hawkins, Indiana

Sattler Cliff

hawkins is cold. clouds part ways to allow the crimson sun to ignite the pink sky. pink, oranges and violets paint the evening atmosphere. content sigh falling from the teenager in sight. his legs dangling from the edge of a steep cliff, thick white smoke finding their way out of his mouth. his dark obsidian hair falling onto his dirt brown eyes.

"thought i'd find you here." a soft voice filled the silence.

"hey el." he replied, turning his head slightly to smile at the girl.

"hey mike." she echoed.

her walnut hair flowing where the breeze flows. she had a smile contagious enough to make anyone smile or to the least, grin. she was wearing the windbreaker, mike gave her last christmas. that was when mike asked her out and when he had the most jubilant day of his life, or so he thought. she takes a place besides the boy and laid her head on his shoulder. her feet now dangling in sync with the boys.

"what are you doing here?" eleven questioned.

"contemplating the afterlife." he shrugged.

the two burst into laughter. mike wished that it could be like this all the time, even though he knew nothing is permanent, there is always something that would change.

their laughter dies down and there was a silence. but it isn't the uncomfortable kind of silence, it's the type of silence where you can just do anything without being made fun of. it's the kind of silence where you can tell each other anything without even having to speak it.

"it's getting cold, we should get you back to the cabin." mike whispered.

el nodded her head in agreement and removes her head from his shoulder. mike stood up first and gave her a hand. she gladly took it and walked off with him to their stationary bikes hidden under the bushes.

"race ya back!" eleven yelled, as she got on her bike and zoomed off to the cabin.

"you're on!" mike called out while trying to catch up to her.