The Way She Makes Me Feel-Elmax [UNDER EDITING]

|Chapter 5-Girl Troubles?|

-Max's POV- 

-Night of The Snowball-

Ever since the party got back together, every day has been exactly the same. I wake up, go to school, go to El's for a couple of hours, come home, do homework and avoid Billy, stay up to ungodly hours of the night trying not to think about my brunette best friend, go to sleep, and wake up again. That was my rountine for weeks, until today. The first day that anything special was happening. Last Wednesday at lunch, Mike declared that the whole party was going to the SnowBall. So now here I was, in the bathroom with my mom painfully stabbing hair pins into my scalp, getting ready for just that.

 "Ow. That hurts," I said, reaching a hand towards the braid.

"It'll be worth it I promise," my mom said. "Beauty is pain." I try my hardest not to sigh. Maybe it'd be worth it if I actually had any beauty, but all I saw when I looked in the mirror is a huge pile of disgusting sludge.

Billy walked past the bathroom and scrunched his brow. I had purposely timed everything so that I was never left alone with him. I could tell he's pretty upset by it, but since I was only ever home when my mom was he couldn't do anything about it.

After my mom finished with my hair, I rushed into my bedroom. I could hear the car starting up from the garage so I knew I had to act fast before my mom started rushing me. I unhooked the latch on my window and quietly slide it up just enough to slip my fingers through. Once that was done, I headed out to the car and slide in the passenger seat.

***

"And Chief Hopper is bringing you home, right?" my mom asked after some time had passed.

I gave her a silent nod.

Soon enough we pull into the school parking lot and my mom parks. "Have a nice time, okay sweetie?"

 "Yeah, I'll try," I told her as I stepped out of the car. 

I stood there for a moment and watched as my mom pulled away, dreading the event. Hanging out with the party was normally fine, but oftentimes I found myself feeling drained afterwards. A whole school dance is guaranteed to be at least six times worse. A hot, stuffy gym filled with judgmental tweens while dressed in less-than-comfortable formal wear isn't exactly my idea of a fun night. I knew I was going to hate this.

Reluctantly, I stepped inside the doors, and gave an appropriate amount of cash to Mr. Clarke for admission. Once I made it past him I gave Nancy — Mike's older sister — an awkward smile and nod. She seemed to be serving the punch while Jonathan took pictures. Pretty sure they're dating so it makes sense that they volunteered together.

I wandered around and tried to look more "roaming with a purpose" instead of "lost and friendless", my eyes peeled for any of the party members in the meantime. I hoped I wasn't there first. That'd be embarrassing.

"Max!" A familiar voice called out. My head snapped around to see Will sitting at a table and waving me over. Of course I took him on his invitation and take a seat next to him.

"Byers," I said affectionately, a grin spreading across my face. I quickly realized Mike was present too. "Mike."

Mike gave me nothing but a wave.

"What have you guys been doing all night?" I asked.

"Waiting, mostly," Will said, tilting his head to the side for a spoit moment. "Talked a bit too. Mostly guessing what everyone's gonna be wearing."

"What'd you guess for me?"

"Mike said a dress. I said no way you're wearing a dress to something as small as a middle school dance."