𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐲

i. no signal.

      

     A YEAR had passed since everything that happened and James was a Junior now, he was sort of friends with Nancy and Jonathan now, Steve even too, they talk when they see each other a couple of times in the hallways at school.

He was leaning against the hood of his car when he heard someone running over to him. "Guess who got a B!" It was Luna, he smiled as he looked at her. "That's great, Lu..." He looked away, looking directly at Steve's car where Nancy was sitting with him, he looked at the perfect timing! Right when Steve leaned over and kissed Nancy. He looked away, ignoring the feeling he got in his chest.

"What's bumming you out, J?" She leaned against the car next to him and he sighs. "Don't look now but you see Nancy and Steve?" He whispered and she nodded, glancing for a second to see the couple were out of Steve's car now. "Yeah. Obviously." She said and he sighs. "I see them sometimes and get this... feeling? I don't know, it's dumb." He shrugged and she smiled. "For a good writer, you're bad at stating your feelings." She says.

"I feel deeply offended..." He shrugged slightly but then sighed. "It's true however." He says and she smiled a bit more. "Is it... jealousy because you like Nancy or jealousy because you want someone like they have each other?" She asked and James looked at Luna right away. "Wh-what? Jealousy? Me? No." He shook his head quickly.

"Wh-what? Jealousy? You? Yes." She smiled widely and he sighs. "Whatever, B, I'm gonna head to class. Later alligator." He said and saluted her. "After a while, crocodile!" She giggled.

After one of their shared classes, Jonathan and James walked out together with Nancy ahead of them. She went back to Tina who was handing out bright orange papers to people leaving the clasroom, "oh, could I get two more?" She asked and Tina quickly looked at her, "yeah, sure." She said and handed two extra ones as Jonathan watched her. Nancy quickly catches up to them before holding out the papers to them both.

"You're both coming to this." He said and James looked at the paper. "Come and get sheet faced." Jonathan read out loud, looking at James who shook his head with an eye roll. "No, we're not." He looked at Nancy who looked at them. "I can't let you both sit all alone Halloween. That's just not acceptable." Nancy said, remembering since Jonathan can't hang out with James on Halloween who said he had plans, he decided to stay at home.

And she was also still trying to convince James to ditch on his plans. "Well, you can relax. I'm not gonna be alone." Jonathan looked at Nancy who raised her eyebrows as James furrowed his in confusion. "I'm going trick-or-treating with Will." Jonathan explained to the girl and James looks away, smiling faintly to himself.

"All night?"

"Yeah."

"No, no way. You're gonna be home by 8:00, listening to the Talking Heads and reading Vonnegut or something." She said and James smiled more at how well they knew each other as he glanced between them, sort of falling behind. "Sounds like a nice night." Jonathan smiled as they finally reached Nancy's locker, slowing down.

"Jonathan, just come. I mean, who knows, you might even, like, meet someone. You too, James!" She smiled and then Steve sneaks up on her, lifting her up making her shriek in fear. James watched them for a while as Nancy turned to her boyfriend, "come on," Jonathan nudged James.

"Oh, my God!" Nancy hit Steve who laughed at her, "take those stupid things off." She says and he pulls her closer. "I missed you." He said as he took off his sunglasses. "It's been like an hour." She says. "Tell me about it." Steve said and James looked back as they walked right when the couple kissed. Why does he keep doing this to himself?

He looked ahead as Jonathan lightly bumped into him. "What do you think? The Halloween party, I mean?" He said and James sighed. "I told you, I-I have plans on Halloween already, Jonathan." He shrugged as he looked away and bit his lip.

After school that day, James got home and did the secret knock on the door of the cabin. He opened the door when it unlocked, he set his backpack down and hung up his jacket before walking over to the couch where the curly haired girl sat. "Hi." He sighed and stretched his legs out.

"Hi..." El said before leaning against his shoulder. "How was... school?" She asked and he reached over for his backpack. He opened it and held up a book. "Signed out a special book today at the library." He smiled and she sits up slowly. "What is it?" She asked and he set it onto her lap. "Uh, Anne of Green Gables." He smiled at her.

"It's a good book about a really cool girl, I think you'd like it, El." He says and she glanced up at him, smiling back at him a bit. Ever since he and Jim found her in the woods, he's been teaching her reading and writing, she wrote and drew a lot when they spend time together, especially during the winter break he had when they found her, the Spring break he had he spent looking for clothes for her at the store and some of his flannels.

And then the summer break earlier that year, they spent most of the time playing board games and he taught her more about how to read and write as Jim worked. "Can I see him again?" She looked up and he stared at her. "Mike?" He sighed and she nods faintly. "Just for a little while... please?" She said and he just nodded his head.

After a little while turned into fifteen minutes and after that fifteen minutes, they just watched tv and sat on the couch. It was around seven when she went into her room again, putting on her blindfold and he just watched her from the couch.

That night, Jim was late and James made their supper ready before he got there, cooking the microwave dinners and setting three at the round table where they always sat to eat.

Then there was the secret knock at the door, James didn't have to leave the kitchen as the door's locks were unlocked and the man stepped inside, taking off his jacket and hanging it up. Jim walked over to the tv and turned it off before walking over to the kitchen where he set down his belt and James handed him a can of beer.

"Thanks..." He sighed and turned towards the table. "Hey, what'd we talk about?" Jim called out and James' eyes widen when he realized he forgot to out away the plate with Eleven's leftover Eggo on it. James went over and sat down with him as El called out, "no signal." Jim gave a confused look, looking at James who just shrugged.

"What?"

"No signal. It's 8:15. You're late."

Jim looks at James who just looked down, pursing his lips. "Yeah, I lost track of time. I'll signal next time, alright?" He said and James sighed, "come on out, Ellie," he said and she finally walked out and sat down at the table. "Now, what did we talk about?" Jim pointed to the Eggo. "Dinner first, then dessert. Always. That's a rule. Yeah?" He said and El simply nodded her head in response.

"Yes... Is what James said." She looked at the seventeen year old boy who dramatically gasped. "You said you were gonna lie for me!" He said and looked away with a hand on his chest. The three of them all take off the foil of their little trays of microwave dinner and dug in.

authors note watch james literally die for not only steve but el too
also,,, figuratively not literally... 😳

+ fun fact: my mom didn't even know that it was el when her, my dad and i binged season 2, she was like "who's that??" and i looked at her, confused, i was like "el, eleven, the bald girl in season 1, her hair grew out" and she was like "ohh"