Remember me when im gone

The first four months had been... easy. Almost too easy.

Hawkins had settled into something that felt like normal life again, the kind they used to dream about when everything was monsters and fear and survival. There were no portals tearing open the sky, no shadows lurking behind every wall. Just school, late-night bike rides, movies, and the kind of laughter that didn't feel forced anymore.

Mike and Lucas spent most afternoons arguing about nothing important. Max rolled her eyes at both of them but never left. She and Lucas were still solid-strong in that quiet, unshakable way that didn't need to prove itself. Dustin had somehow become even louder, even more confident, especially lately. And El... El smiled more now. Not the small, uncertain smiles from before, but real ones.

And then there was the thing no one really talked about, but everyone knew.

A month ago, Dustin and El had kissed.

It had been awkward and surprising and somehow perfect at the same time. Dustin had tripped over his own words for an entire week after that, and El had just laughed every time, like she finally understood something about the world she hadn't before.

Everything was good.

Everything was right.

So why did it feel so wrong?

(What happened before this story is on my tiktok @bylershipper4ever)