A Little Deal

Now or Never

Max paced her room, Supercom in hand, trying to figure out how in the world she could tell El she liked her. She didn't have time to come up with anything as elaborate as what Mike did with Will, and she didn't know how to make a mixtape. Going to the cabin and just outright telling her seemed too lame compared to how Mike and Will told each other. It would also be embarrassing if Hopper overheard her, especially since she knew how he reacted when Mike and El were dating. Sighing, she turned on her Supercom. "Will? It's Max. Do you copy?"

"Yeah, I copy." He cleared his throat. "What is it? Over."

"I don't know how to tell El I like her."

"Oh. I mean, can't you just say it?"

"I don't know. That seems a bit underwhelming compared to what you and Mike did for each other, doesn't it?"

Will let out a laugh. "Max, are you saying you think it's too easy to tell her?"

"No, I don't mean it like that. It's just... I don't want to look like I'm not trying."

"Max, believe me, I doubt El will care about that. You shouldn't compare-" He shrieked out in laughter, making Max jump.

She furrowed her eyebrows. "Are you okay? What are you laughing about?"

"Sorry, it's just Mike. He's here with me."

"Oh, great. Can you ask him what he did to tell El he liked her?"

Will said something to Mike before talking back through the Supercom. "He says he had to explain that they weren't siblings or friends and asked her to the Snowball. She didn't understand, so he kissed her."

"Don't think I'll be doing that."

"Really, Max, I think you should just tell her."

"What if she doesn't feel the same way?"

Will sighed. "Gimme a second... okay, Mike says he wouldn't be surprised if El liked you, too."

"Why?"

He mumbled some more to Mike before answering. "He says because she talks about you a lot and says how you're really pretty."

"She said that?"

"I guess so."

"But that doesn't mean anything. She can say that about anyone."

"Honestly, Max, I would just go for it. She doesn't seem like the type of person who'll freak out about it."

"Right, but when am I supposed to do that? I don't want to go to her house if Hopper's going to be there the whole time."

"Oh, Hopper's not there right now. He's here at my house with my mom."

"Really?"

"I'd say you're in the clear, Max." He paused before adding, "It's now or never."

"Technically, not true, but okay. I'm gonna do it. See you on the other side." She put down the Supercom, got dressed, and grabbed her skateboard.

The trek to El's cabin seemed to take hours. Max wrung her hands together, skateboard tucked underneath her arm, huddled into her coat as she went over what she was going to say. Her heart thumped in her chest as she drew closer to the cabin. When she got to the door, she knocked on it gently. "El?" She paused, waiting for an answer. There was a creaking inside. "It's Max. I need to talk to you."

Footsteps came from the other side of the door and the locks unlatched. El opened it and smiled. "Hi, Max. What do you need to talk about?" She moved out of the way to let Max in, but Max shook her head.

"This is important, so I'm just gonna say it." She exhaled, setting her skateboard down at her feet and shaking her hands out at her sides. "Ever since this summer, since we became real friends, this feeling has been nagging at me, and I didn't realize what it was for awhile. But now I know, and I can't get it out of my head especially because I realized I'm not the only person like me in Hawkins. Not by a long shot. That's when I knew I had to figure out a way to tell you. So, here I am. El, I love you, and I have for a while now, and I'm not expecting you to feel the same way or anything, but I figured I had to tell you because I owe it to you, and you deserve to be reminded of how wonderful and strong and cool and beautiful you are, and I know I sound crazy, and you don't have to say anything back, but-"

"Max."

"I just think since you're not together with Mike anymore, that it would be less shitty to say this to you, but I understand if-"

"Max."

"I understand if... yeah?"

"I love you, too." She grabbed the sides of Max's face and pulled her forward in a kiss. Max's heart leapt into her throat, letting out a small gasp before relaxing into El's touch. They smiled against each other's lips.

When they pulled apart, El's eyes lit up, and she held up a hand. "I have something to show you." She led Max into the cabin and to her room where she grabbed two pieces of paper off her nightstand and handed them to Max. One was a drawing of El, and the other a drawing of Max.

"What's this?" Max asked, examining them. She brushed her fingertips over the paper, fascinated by the vividness of color in both drawings.

"Will drew it. He drew one of you, too. I thought you can keep mine, and I can keep yours."

Max smiled and pecked El on the cheek. "I'd love that."