Jopper : You make my heart skip a beat

Chapter 9

"Do you love Joyce?" El said it as though the answer was obvious. She thought the answer was obvious, at least. He loves her, we know he loves her and we know he knows he loves her. So why won't he just admit it.

She had caught Hopper off guard and she knew it. "W-what?" Hopper stumbled through the word. He's such a bad liar.

El and Will looked at each and smiled before looking back at him. "You do love her!" Will exclaimed loudly. "Shhh! She'll hear you!" He whisper yelled at them, but she couldn't contain her excitement. Hopper let out a sigh which gave them both his answer.

"You have to tell her!" She whisper screamed. I could have a real family. A father and a mother. Hopper and Joyce. I hope Hopper stops being a mouth-breather and just tells Joyce. It's simple, he just walks up to her, says I love you and then she has a family. Will and Jonathan would be my brothers. I would have brothers too! We could make tripple-decker eggo extravaganzas together in the morning for breakfast and eat them together at the table. We could play in the snow together and have a snowball fight. I've never had one before, but they look really fun when people do them on the tv. We could go on walks as a family. We could do anything as a family. My family.

When the door opens, El knows she has to stay silent. Hopper has to tell her himself. 

Joyce carried four pizza boxes into the house and closed the door with her foot.

"What's going on?" She asked, I can't tell her. I know I can't. But I can help her with the pizza!

"Ooooh pizza!" El walked over to Joyce politely taking two boxes off her hands. Hopper had taught El the importance of manners back in the year of being locked in the cabin with no one to talk to. I should always be polite to adults. Even when I'm angry or mad or upset. I can never follow the second part. My emotions get the better of me every single time, but I'm trying to control my powers when I'm angry or upset. I don't want to hurt anyone every again. No one should suffer because of me.

El and Joyce brought the pizza over to the table, El not waiting to dig in. I'm starving! I haven't eaten since my eggos this morning. Hopper gave me the same lecture about not eating eggos twenty-four seven. I didn't know what that phrase meant, but he explained it to me. He said it means doing something all the time. And I don't eat eggos all the time, not for lunch or dinner. Only dessert and breakfast, that's not twenty-four seven. So I don't see the problem.

"Is Jonathan still here?" Joyce asked, El and Will had been in his room for the entire time she's been here, thinking of character ideas and ways to get Hopper and Joyce together. She never saw Jonathan so assumed he was at Mikes house, seeing Nancy. I think Jonathan and Nancy make the perfect couple. Apparently Nancy went out with Steve, but I find that hard to believe. Steve is our babysitter, not Nancy's ex-boyfriend.

"No. He left earlier when we were watching tv." Hopper answered Joyce's enquiry. "Oh ok." Joyce said while Will reached for several pizza slices. Will and El started hungrily feeding on their pizza."This is delicious mom, thank you" he said while stuffing his face. "Your welcome. And be careful." She smiled.

 El noticed the look that Hopper and Joyce shared but didn't know what it meant, so she lightly elbowed Will. He directed his attention away from his pizza and onto the two adults who had seemingly forgotten the two of them were there.

El and Will looked at each other, smiles growing on their faces. Hopper and Joyce seemed so interested in each other at that moment, that El was sure if she and Will got up and left right now, they wouldn't notice. 

She decided to wait for them to break eye contact, but they clearly weren't planning on doing that anytime soon so she turned to Joyce with a smile and said, "Joyce?" This brought her attention away from Hopper as she turned to El, eyes wide. "Yeah honey?" El had an idea and needed to talk to Will now. 

"Can me and Will be excused?" She asked politely. She could tell Will was thrown off by her sudden request to leave the dinner table. "Yeah sure, sweetheart." Joyce smiles as the two of them stood up with their plates in their hands. El pushed her chair out so she could walk away and brought her plate into the kitchen to put it in the sink, Will following close behind her. 

When they were out of headshot of the adults Will whispered, "El, what's going on." "I'll tell you in your room." She whispered back over her shoulder as her plate splashed into the water with a light plop. Will did the same before they retreated back into his bedroom and closed the door.

When the door was closed El knew she had to tell him. I hope this idea works. It has to work. Hopper and Joyce belong together. They just don't know they feel the same way.

"I have an idea." She told him, the biggest, mischievous smile on her face. "Of how to get Hopper and my mom together?" Will smiled turning his chair towards hers.

"Yeah" she replied, trying not to burst. "What is it?" Will asked excitedly. I can't keep him in the dark any longer. That's the right phrase isn't it.? Anyway that's not the problem right now.

"If Hopper and Joyce are stuck together, with no way of avoiding each other, they might confess how they feel." Will looked slightly confused, wondering where she was going with this. She continued, "So what if I..." Will couldn't take it any longer. "Yeah.!?"

"What if I create a snowstorm, keeping us all inside for the next few days?"