A/N: This is the first part of a three part segment that includes "Max > Mike" and "Angel."
"Max, are you there?" inquired El through the walkie.
Picking up my mine I respond with, "I'm here, what's up?"
"Sleepover?" El says.
"When?" I ask, smiling at the thought of spending time with her.
"Now?" she questions.
"Ok, cool!" I say excitedly, trying to keep my composure. Whenever I interact with El I'm always happy, something about her just lifts my mood. I trail off into thought about what we'll do, Maybe she'll let me take her to the mall again, we could get ice cream, see a movie...my scenario is interrupted by El's voice.
"Max? Did you hear me?"
I quickly respond, "Yeah, sorry, the signal must have been bad or something. What did you say?"
"Don't tell Mike you're coming," she repeats.
Confused, I answer, "But why..." I stop, not wanting to seem like I was ignoring her. So I leave it. "Ok, see you soon El."
"OK, see you soon!" El says.
I turn off my walkie and start to pack my backpack, I love how how El copies words and expressions I use. It makes me feel like she's really listening to everything I say. People like my mother don't even seem to hear me. As I'm leaving the house I yell, "IF ANYONE CARES I'M GOING TO A SLEEPOVER!" I wait a minute for a response, of course there's none. Then I skateboard over to El's cabin and knock on the door.
Hopper answers it and lets me in, "She's in her bedroom, food's in the fridge, there should be enough to last you the three nights," he informs me quickly. "I'll be back Monday morning. Take good care of El...don't let her have too many eggos. I didn't want to leave her right now but I have to go to the county sheriff conference."
I nod, "Ok..." Three nights? Maybe I missed that while I was daydreaming. Hopper grunts in approval and grabs his hat and duffel bag, leaving me alone with El. I walk over to her bedroom door and push it open. I'm surprised when I see all the drawings of Mike's name are gone from her walls, upon further inspection all things related to Mike have vanished. My eyes turn to the small figure curled up on the bed. "El?" I say, now concerned. She raises her head and looks at me.
She looks like she's been crying, "You came," she says smiling.
"I'll always come," I say matter-of-factly.
"I know," El says, scooching over to make room for me.
I close the door and put my stuff on the floor, flopping onto El's bed so that I'm lying on my side. "Why were you crying?" I say bluntly.
El looks at me and speaks, "Mike dumped me."
I raise my eyebrows and start rambling, "What an idiot! I can't believe that he would pull shit like this! He's never going to find anyone as good as you. I mean, this is really his loss when you think about it. You can do SO much better than him." I pause for a second, "Why did he break up with you?"
When I ask panic fills El's face. "You can't know," she says, "You would get mad at me too."
What could she say that would make me mad? "I promise that I won't," I reassure her.
"Ok," she says hesitantly. "Remember in the magazine I saw Mach-eo and thought he was hot?" El says.
"Yeah."
She continues, "Mike has ones with girls like Mach-eo, pretty girls. I saw it and I..." She stops, scared to keep going.
"El, I'm not gonna get mad. You can tell me."
El looks at me timidly, "I said I wonder if they're good kissers. He got mad and asked me..." she trailed off.
I try not to show how shaken I am by what I think El just told me, "What did he ask you?"
"He asked me if I wanted to kiss the girls, I said if I didn't want to kiss him I would. Then he said I could go ahead because he wouldn't kiss me anymore, that he wouldn't date a girl who wanted to kiss girls."
My head feels fuzzy and my hands are shaking a little. El, El who loves Mike...wants to kiss girls. Before I can stop myself I say what I've known for a long time, "I want to kiss girls too." I can feel my cheeks turn red. What was I thinking?!? She knows it's not right, not normal. But to my surprise El takes my hands into hers and looks me in the eyes. I can feel butterflies in my stomach, her gaze is enough to make me melt. I feel how I felt about Lucas before we broke up for good...but the feeling is stronger, more present. "El?"
"Max?" she asks questioningly.
"Can I kiss you?" I say, surprising myself with my confidence.
El nods. We both lean in a little. And then I kiss her. It's slow and sweet. It's new, exciting, and terrifying all at once. I feel like I'm flying, and when we pull away I feel the most like myself that I've ever felt. El is blushing, "You're a better kisser than Mike." I smile, pleased with myself. El grabs my hands, "What do you want to do tonight?"
"Kiss you," I say smirking.
El laughs, "What else?"
I raise my eyebrows, "So there WILL be more kissing...?"
El playfully rolls her eyes and lets go of my rights hand, dragging me into the kitchen she sits me down at the table. "I'm going to make us dinner," she exclaims.
"Is this a date?" I ask her.
Grabbing the eggos out of the freezer she answers, "Yes."
I sit at the table and quietly watch her move around the kitchen. After some time passes she comes over to the table with our drinks and table settings, followed by a plate that she places in the center. "Eggo Extravaganza!" she proudly exclaims.
"Looks fantastic." I tell her.
El sits down and we dig in. We're pretty hungry so we don't speak while eating, just look at each other and blush. When we finish I get up and offer my hand to El, she takes it and I pull her up and twirl her. El giggles and falls into my arms. "Max, you have whipped cream on your mouth." I make eye contact with her and give her a kiss, making sure to get some of the whipped cream on her. Now we're both giggling. El and I are all smiles as we clean up the kitchen. When it's time for bed we go into her room, but a newfound awkwardness over changing looms in the air. I end up changing in the bathroom.
When I go back into the room El is sitting on her bed brushing her hair, I sit next to her and take my brush out of my bag. El looks at me, "Can I brush your hair?" I nod and hand my brush to her. El moves behind me and starts to work. Her movements are careful. Her hand touches my neck, sending tingles down my spine. When she's done she runs her fingers through my hair. "Pretty." El mumbles, barely audible.
"You're pretty," I say, returning the favor.
El's smile is suddenly gone. "El? What's wrong?" I say, now worried that I messed up.
She looks up at me, "People will be mad if you're my girlfriend."
My heartbeat speeds up, girlfriend?!? "We don't have to tell them...I mean if you're alright with that..." I say.
"I am," she says.
I smile, "I have a girlfriend." El kisses my cheek and then I kiss her lips.
After what seems like forever El pulls away. "We should sleep."
I let out a long sigh, falling back onto the pillow. El turns her lights off and shuts the door, then gets into bed. We cuddle up close and fall asleep, happy and looking forward to tomorrow.
