010 & 011-Elmax

12

—This chapter takes place during S3E1: "Suzie, Do You Copy?"—
—Max's POV—

My face falls as I see my phone screen turn on. Literally all I want to do is sit here and cuddle with my girlfriend but someone just has to text me. I quickly pull away from El's embrace and reach over to her nightstand and pick up my phone. It's a text from Mike.

Mike & Ike🤓 Just now
Are you still coming to theater???

Me Just now

Yeah. I'll be there in 30

I put my phone right back down and snuggle back up with El. Today I'm meeting the party at the new mall that opened two months ago. We've snuck in the movies before but this time, the plan had a slight change.

El starts combing her fingers through my hair. Out of the corner of my eye I spot the two bracelets on her wrist. One of them was a blue bracelet that looked as if it were braided. I don't know the story behind it-I'm not sure El does either-but I do know that Hop gave it to her. The other was one of those silicone wrist bands with the pride rainbow wrapping all the way around. Hopper also bought her that about two weeks after she told him she liked girls and guys. She didn't even turn it into a big thing; she just casually told him she found girls attractive and would definitely date one.

She hadn't told him that we were together though, which I feel relieved about, but somewhat guilty for.

"Pretty," El whispers as her hand moves from my hair to my chin.

"You're prettier," I say with a soft smile.

El chuckles while shaking her head and pulls my face closer to hers so our lips touch. Even now, months after we started going out, she still gives me swarms of butterflies. Soon my lips won't pull away from hers and we're full on making out.

Still, I'm on high alert. So I hear when Hop steps on the creaky floor boards outside El's room. I quickly pull away and whisper an apology before scooting away from El a bit. When Hopper opens the door it seems as if we were just sitting here talking right before. I turn to look at him with a smile, my feet now dangling off of El's bed.

"Hey girls," Hopper says.

"Hi," El and I say at the same time.

"Max it's getting close to eight-fifteen so..." Hop informs me.

"Oh. Yeah, thanks," I say. Hop gives a nod and closes El's door back.

I turn back to El with a mischievous grin on my face.

"Are you ready for tonight?" I ask in a whisper.

"Yes," El answers quietly while nodding.

"Meet you at the window." I grab my phone and slide it into my fanny pack that was sat on El's dresser. "Okay, bye El!" I shout extra loud, walking out of her room and closing the door back. "Bye Hop," I say with a wave to the bearded man relaxing in the recliner. He shoots me a wave back before I walk out of their cabin.

Instead of leaving like I made Hopper believe, I take my bike and walk it around the cabin until I'm underneath a window. This isn't just any window, it's El's window. Soon the light that was shining through disappears. A few minutes later the window slides open and out pokes El's head. She looks skeptically at the ground. It's only like a six foot drop.