"Mom? Jon?" Will calls out, struggling to carrying a ginormous suitcase down the flight of stairs.
The Byers are moving from Utah to Hawkins. Will is scared because he has no friends down there. He knows people but not in a good way.
"Are you ready-is that my shirt?" Jonathan Byers asks, tugging at Wills shirt.
"Uhm," the boy gulps at the sudden movement and tries to back away. "I found it in my clothes pile-"
"Boys!" Joyce Byers yells, the boys turn around quickly. "Do you wanna move or not?"
"No-I mean well," Will hesitates before saying, "Can we stop to see Suzie first?"
"Maybe, we have to go now though!" Joyce replies, walking out the door.
"C'mon Jon!" Will exclaims, racing out the door as fast as possible.
"Suzie this, Suzie that. Why is her name in your mouth twenty-four seven!?" Jonathan rages out.
"Shes my-
-only friend! Stop being a loser!" Will spits back with fire.
They finally got to Suzies house and Will was smiling like this is his first playdate.
"Suzie, do you copy, this is Will over." He speaking into his walkie-talkie.
"You have a phone-" Jonathan starts before being abruptly interrupted.
"Will! I copy! What did you need, over!" A sweet voice replies.
"I need you to come out! I'm leaving today and-" Before the boy could finish Suzies front door flies open to reveal a black haired teen. Will hopped out the car to hug her, the impact was almost enough to push him over.
"Will! I'm gonna cry! Will- make sure to send me a letter everyday-" Will laughs and crys at the same time, "It's not funny! Don't laugh. I-I I think you have to go!"
"Okay, I'm leaving, I'm getting out of your hair. Don't miss me too much." Will holds up Suzies face and kisses her forehead.
"Bye Will!" She sobs out.
"Bye, Suzie-poo!" Will deviously replies.
"Thats not my name!" She protests.
"Hm. Alright well I have to go! I'll contact as soon as possible." He lets her go, and smiles at her one last time. "And tell your boyfriend I said hi for me ok?"
"Ok-Bye!" She sobs and turns around to run in her house.
After Will got in, Jonathan laughed.
"A bunch of girls. You are a crybaby!"
"Do not expect me to cry when you leave for college, understand?" Will jokes, wiping his tears.
"Who said I'm leaving? What if I stayed to torture you?" Jonathan barks back.
"You wouldn't dare. Even if you did, I would like run away and not see you anymore!" Declared Will.
"Speaking of seeing, I got you some glasses." She points a bag in the back and Will grabs it.
"Oh. They're-" He has no words, he feels the glasses will make him ugly or hated more by his peers.
"You don't like them?" Joyce asks innocently.
"I do! I just- I like them, mom, thank you." He stutters out.
She smiles and looks back at her son with his new glasses.
"Nerd!" Jonathan jokingly says.
"Did you know calling me a nerd basically makes you stupid? You're just saying 'I'm jealous because you're smarter than me!' Now thank you for the backhanded compliment, dork." Will smirks and puts his glasses on.
"That still doesn't change the fact that you're a-" Will fake snores, attempting to leave this conversation. "You're not sleep!"
"But I am." Will mutters.
"Sleep people don't talk!"
"They do." Both Will and Joyce states.
Jonathan rolls his eyes and slumps back into his seat.
"Hawkins here we come!" Joyce exclaims, startling her two children.
"Hawkins isn't all that," Will responds looking at his phone.
"It isn't?" Jonathan asks.
"Nope, it's haunted and theres this lab-"
"Sounds fake," Jonathan snorts at the words spewed from his brothers mouth.
"The lab held many children, most have powers others were slaves. I- what!? The page is gone!"
"Probably because you don't have service?" States Jonathan matter-of-factly.
"But I can text and watch YouTube?" Will shakes his head. "How long is the drive?"
Joyce checked her gps and smiled. "Around 5 hours. About that, I know the Chief down there so you boys have to share a room together!"
"What!?" They both exclaim.
They never had to share a room before. What changed now? Now, they have to sleep in a police officer's house. Its not that either boy did something illegal- too illegal. The boys are just scared.
"Sorry! Would you rather sleep outside?"
"Uhh..." Will looks at his brother who just shrugs. "I guess its not the best decision but it'll work."
"Hello?" Jonathan says agter answering his ringing phone.
"My dude!" The voice yells, forcing Jon to pull the phone away a bit.
"Argyle." Jonathan loves this man a lot but their schedules cram and they barely talk, when they do they're both high out of their minds. "I'm with my family, whats up?"
"I'm in hawkins right now and I think I see your ex girlfriend!" The words coming from his mouth were exaggerated signing that he was high.
"You sure? You think its her? Nancy Wheeler?" The phone goes silent before a female voice appears.
"Uhm, hello?" She starts, confused why she was handed a phone by a stranger.
"Nance! Hey-Hi! Sorry for him." He manages to stutter out, embarrass by his friend.
"Jon. You know people like him? He's basically a crackhead!" She whisper yells the last part.
"Nance- He's not- not really. I'm moving to Hawkins!" He says, changing the subject and trying to see if she'll be happy.
She sighs loudly before saying, "Then I can meet your brother, you can meet my brother and my girlfriend!"
"Oh," Girlfriend? Is he that bad of a boyfriend? Did he really make his ex gay?
"Yeah! Her names Robin! You guys will get along well! Mike on the other hand won't like that we are still on contact! Anyways I have to go so...DUDE! HERES YOUR PHONE! NO- GET OFF OF MY CAR! Okay! Bye Jon!" She hangs up and runs to capture the foul being.
"Bye?" He puts his phone down and leans back.
"What happened?" Asked Will from the backseat.
"Uhm. Nancy is uhhh dating someone else." He was hesitant to speak, not wanting to break out a stutter.
"You usually don't care right?" Will has seen Jons past partners and he never seen Jon with such exhaustion in his face.
"Her name is Robin. We went to school together." After he said that Will realized what happened but didn't want his brother to feel week in front of his mom.
"Robin Buckley? I have her number!" Will had been talking to her since last year.
"Why!?" Jonathan raged out.
"Because shes gay? And I wanna work with her? And because she was helping me pay for- stuff." "Stuff" Being small things like presents for them, it could also mean his computer and the OnlyFans subscription to someone named...what was his name? Oh! MIKEYSBIGSWORD.
"Well guess what!? I'm forced to take you so you can meet Nancys little brother!" Jonathan stopped for a second. "Before you ask, I have no clue!"
"But whyyy!? Is he ugly?" Will wanted to get as much information on this boy as possible.
"Jonathan! Can you and Will head into that gas station and grab some snacks?" Joyce asked from the window.
"What? Yeah uhm-" Before he could lean up from the door, Will opened the door making him fall slightly.
"Can we go please?" Jonathan just nodded and got out.
Once the two boys got in they dispersed from each other.
Will check his phone and seen that there was an hour and a half left.
"Okay, Cheery Pepsi, Sprite, Mountain dew, a few waters," he was mumbling the list he just made to keep him focused. "Bunch of gummies, of course. Salty snacks- oh! Pistachios, cashews, all chips! Gum-" Will grabbed the gum but almost tripped, being caught a strong female. "Thank you...?" He paused for a name.
"El. El or Jane Hopper!" She smiled and put him back on his feet.
"El Hopper!? From Hawkins? Oh- can I get your autograph?" Will smiled softly at the girl.
"Auto what-" She said before a tall man walked behind her.
"Autograph. He wants like a picture or something." The man says. "Wait- what's your name, kid?"
"Uhh. Byers Will- I mean! Will Byers!" The mans shoulders dropped and he walked away after saying,
"Tell Joyce that Jim said hi for me, 'kay?" Will nodded at Jim and forced a smile.
"Thats my dad." She said, trying to break the tension.
"And thats my older brother." He says pointing to the boy with shaggy hair and baggy pants.
"Jonathan Byers. Nancys ex! I've always wanted to meet the poor boy who got hurt by such a pretty woman." She examined Will for a second. "Are you...?"
"That's a pretty bold question. Depends on who's asking." Will replied as they both walked so will can pay and leave.
"A Bisexual female! Wait, Max, my girlfriend calls me Non-binary!" Will smiles.
"Hm. I'll try both and see what happens from there! Would you like my number?" He asks, paying for all his snacks.
"Well, You still didn't answer, but sure you're most likely gay!" Will faked a laugh and handed her a piece of paper. "Is this a business card!?"
"No!" He whispered confused. They walked out of the store and to his moms car. "I was going to give this to someone I had a big crush on but uhh- no. Not trying that!" El laughed and thanked him before leaving.
"Will," Jonathan whispered in the little boys ear who was busy texting away. Will flinched and hit his brothers nose, causing him to bleed.
"Jon! I'm sorry!" Jonathan laughed and shook his head.
"Get in the car doofus." Jonathan got back in the car and grabbed the tissues from the armrest.
After about and hour and a half later Will got out of the car to see a two story cabin with a pool and a hot tub.
"Will!" Two voices screamed at the same time. He snapped out of his dream and saw El and a Redhead female.
"I'm gonna assume you're...Max?" He tried.
"Nope!" She smirked at the boy and he frowned. "I'm just joking! Take. A. Joke." She says, walking to Ms. Byers.
"Get used to it." El says while waving and walking to Joyce.
"I'll try." He mutters, walking over to help his mom.
₍˄⌓⃘ ˳̫̬ ⌓⃘˄₎ค˒ ＼'•̀益•́'／
"So, Will," Max starts. "You're sleeping in here! We just have to decorate to your liking!"
Will nodded and followed Max down a hallway. She opened the door to reveal a huge room with a balcony and a big white bed with satin black sheets. The room was colored with black, white and, yellow.
"Holy!" Will ran onto his bed and plopped down.
Max scoffed. "Wait until you see the fucking view." Will stood up and looked out the window.
"You spit a lot of profanity's for a 'Max' Right, El?" El was hesitant to answer. "Hmm. Well- I need to unpack and-" Will turned around and got smacked right in the face.
"I tried to stop her," Whispered El.
"Oh. That- oh." Will bit the inside of his cheek to stop the tears forming in his eyes. "Well, I'm gonna- sleep. I didn't really sleep on the drive here so uhm."
Will wasn't the type to hit a female. No matter how much she spat in his face. But you can see it in Max's eyes that she wanted him too. "Do it." Is what her eyes were saying. He swallowed and smacked the living shit out of her, she didn't even flinch.
"Holy shit, Byers. No boy has ever stood up to me!" Max's face was red, just like Will's, marked with a handprint. She cried due to the pain, but was smiling. No noise, from the crying, immersed from her mouth.
"I'm sorry! I-" He looked behind Max to see El covering her face with one hand and telling him to cut it out with the other.
"Now I know one boy I'm actually fucking scared of. Anyways," She turns around to face her girlfriend."Babe, I have a date with Lucas tonight so can you show him the pool later? It's way to early."
"Of course! Can I help you pick the outfit? You have to look good for your man!" Max rolls her eyes sarcastically and nods.
"Wait? Boyfriend? Babe? Your man? Huh?" Max laughs at him and sits on his bed.
"Me and El are dating, I'm dating Lucas, Lucas is dating Dustin." Will stares at her then at El she nods. (i was on crack when i was 9 and ts is deleted)
"All you need to know is no one is cheating. Also Lucas is the dark-skinned boy and Dustin is the Italian boy." El smiles and walks over to Will's loose bag.
"Thats not my bag- its my brothers-" El screams and drops something. "What!?"
"It's a penis!" El screams and her face goes beet red.
Will runs over to see what it is and screams. "Jonathan!"
Footsteps are heard from outside the door the the door flies open to reveal a tall boy.
"What!?" He ask's confused.
"Take your bag." Will says slowly, picking the bag off the floor and handing it to him.
"What? What's up with- THIS ISN'T MINE!" Will frowned. "I'm serious! This-" He pulls out a pink dildo and Max burst out laughing.
"Ms. Byers!" Max yells in a smooth manner.
"Yes swe- oh. That's Hops!" She grabs it and the bag and turns around quickly. Jonathan laughs nervously.
"What's mine?" Joyce looks up slightly and just pushes the dildo in his arms and both her and Jonathan walk away. "Joyce! What the hell!"
"I still can't believe your dad is the chief of police." Will starts, turning around to see his bag of chips floating. "What the- two things, one, THEESE ARE MINE, two, how in the world are you doing this?"
"Magic!" El says sarcastically. "Haven't you done your homework?"
"Homework?" Max asks concerned.
"Yeah! But I thought they were lying, and I've researching her for years! I know almost everything about her!" El blushes a bit.
"I'm very flattered!" Will smiles and Max scoffs.
"For fucks sakes, this gaybo is mesmerized by this one." She sits on Wills bed and smiles at her girlfriend. "Can you unpack his stuff please?" She asks in the most polite voice ever.
El nods and asks, "Tell me what goes where!" Will just shakes his head no and shrugs. "Alright then!"
Will lays down next to Max and she puts her arm over his face. El started to clean Wills room.
"So! When do you start school?" Max was asking this because it was Tuesday.
"I think Friday! Do you think I can sit with you guys at lunch?"
"I'm sure, that's if you want to sit next to hot people who think they're better than us." Will laughs.
"I mean- they're hot! Thats all that matters am I right?" Max nodded in defeat and El smiled.
"I'm done! Max, heres two outfits!" Max looked at them.
"Outfit one is to feminine."
"Ah yes! You're going to a skate park!"
"I'm sorry but hes a boy, he doesn't have no clue what women have interest in and I'm kinda glad because then the masculinity can come out!" El sighed and Max said her goodbyes and left.
"Kids, dinners done!" Will and El race down the stairs.
"Lasagna? Really?" Joyce nods and sits down.
Joyce EL
Hopper Jon
Will
"El, your nose," Hopper blurts out.
"Sorry! I was just trying to turn on the Tv!" Hopper stares at her, concerned.
"I'm done, may I be excused?" Joyce nods at Will. Will picks his plate up and empties it. After doing so, he went upstairs.
"He didn't even eat?" Started Hopper.
El wasn't paying attention until Hopper said that and death glared him. Joyce sighed. Jonathan's hate began. Hopper shrugged and ate.
El finished first then Joyce so it was just Jonathan and Hopper left.
"So-" Tried Hopper. Jonathan rolled his eyes and stood up.
"Will! Wanna go school shopping tomorrow?" Jonathan asked this, staring directly at Hopper.
"Sure! Can El come?" Jonathan smiles and walks away.
"Sure, anyone else?" Will thinks for a second before saying something.
"Max, too!" Jonathan smiled and finished washing his plate.
"Of course!" Jonathan puts his plate away and sits on the couch to watch TV with his mother.
₍˄⌓⃘ ˳̫̬ ⌓⃘˄₎ค˒ ＼'•̀益•́'／
The next day they left to the mall and staples. (The mall=them all.) Will wanted Max and El to come but that wasn't until 3 or so.
"Staples first because it closes early," States Jonathan, pulling into the Staples parking lot.
"Alright I can spend about thirty in here because mom gave me two hundred to spend and i wanna stop by Home Depot," Will rushed to get out because he wanted to flex his outfit.
"Well, you aren't gonna find a boyfriend like that," Blurts Jonathan and Will fakes gasps while walking into the store.
"Will! Wait," Jonathan was fixing himself before he could get out.
"Okay! My list says the basics and locker decorations!" Will roamed around the store grabbing everything and putting it in the basket he grabbed from the front.
He never was popular nor liked because being gay wasn't normal. Will was gonna change that. So lost in his thoughts, the boy bumps into someone.
"Why do I keep bumping into people? Sorry- Im so sorry..." he paused for a name.
The dark-skinned boy smiled with his bright whites and laughed. He was wearing a green and white jacket with a black tee and shorts. His shoes was a combination of the colors. His hair was in braids and the braids were pulled back into a bun.
"Lucas- Lucas Sinclair," Wills face drops. "Are you oka-"
"One, I'm so sorry, Two, aren't you supposed to be at school with Max?" Lucas nods slowly.
"Yes, I was suspended. Max? You know her?" Lucas asks, shocked that a boy like Will would know a girl like Max.
"Yeah, we met yesterday!" Lucas nods, waves, and walks away.
"Alright! Now a mini white board," After Will got done shopping, the two Byers went to the mall.
"What store first?" Asks Jon.
"I want to go to Sephora," (LETS PRETEND THATS A STORE THERE ALR?)
"Alrighty! Meet me at the food court, I didn't eat yet!" Will nodded and walked away.
He walked into Sephora and went straight to the blush, he knew exactly what shade he wanted.
His mom always went here, forcing him along. He played in blush all the time, he got tanner over the years so he grabbed a few different tones.
"Hi!" A voice yelled behind him, the voice was fake sounding, as if she was forcing the happiness.
"Hi?" He looked at her, she was pretty but he could see right through it.
She was in fishnet tights, her skirt was almost a belt. Her shirt was short and see through. You could see the bottom of her breast... Her boots were thigh high, last but not least, she had a long thin jacket/cardigan.
"Are you looking at this stuff for your mom or...?" She was trying to sound nice but failed.
Will picked the few he wanted and walk over to the eye makeup aisle. Inside the aisle had everything from eyeshadow to lashes.
That girl was still following him...
"Hey, since you're stalking me, blue is the main color," He grabbed a green and a purple. "The color you choose changes the whole course of my outfit and look."
She frowns, "Pick green, fucking weirdo," She mutters the last part.
"Thanks, I was hoping you picked that... whats your name?" She rolled her eyes at Wills comment.
"Angela, Angela Bremner..." Will smiled.
"Okay. Bye," He walked away, no longer caring about her.
"Stupid queer," After she mumbled this, her boyfriend walked up.
Will payed and made it out the store. "Will!" A familiar voice yelled.
"Max!" He yelled back.
"Where to?" She queried, standing close to him.
"The food court. Some girl was following me around in Sephora, I had to go back in once she left," Will spotted his brother. "Why are you out so early?"
"Kicked out, skipping, suspension, you name it! Whatever sounds cooler."
The duo walked over and watched Jonathan eat.
"Are you gonna eat or-" Will shrugged and slumped in his seat.
"I met Lucas, bumped into him- literately- at staples. Why was he suspended?" Will pulled his phone out and checked his Snapchat.
"Racists- Some kid framed him, couldn't do anything to help because of our principal. Lucas is black, meaning everyone hates him. A few other colored kids went to our school but died of left. Now it's just Dustin and him."
Will nodded and went through his bag.
"I got a bunch of makeup, the total was- $50? I don't know." He looked at the stuff he had and showed Max.
"No lip gloss?" Will shook his head 'no'.
"Claires is cheaper and I already have a bunch at home... unpacked." Will grabs his phone and bag off the table and stand up.
"Meet me at the car, kay?" Jonathan was happy Max was here, meaning he could leave the mall.
"Okay!" Will and Max ran to 'Toys r us' to get some small toys.
"Ghost face or-" She took the first mask off and grabbed another, "Micheal Myers?"
"Depends. I would be Ghost face and have a high chance of surviving, Micheal? Dead- have you seen white people in movies? We are always the first dead because we trip and somehow can't get up."
Max nodded and grabbed the stuff for ghost face. His mask, knife, cloak, the mask was for Wills locker the rest was decorations for his room.
"Please don't kill me Mr. Ghost Face, I wanna make it to the sequel," Mocked Max.
"Maxine Mayfield's body was found last night, barely recognizable. Her hair was cut, it's assumed to remove her best features. Hate crime? Her bone's snapped in half, limbs found in the barbecue pit, her chest was cut-" He held a foam microphone to his lips.
"Enough! You are crazy," She grabbed what they came for and walked away.
Will followed after, grabbing a mini microphone that can connect to phones.
"Max! You need the money, stop running," He finally made it to the front and she held her hand out.
He handed her the box for the microphone and $30.
"So, Byers." Max spoke, holding a few bags. "Where too now?"
The two had been shopping for about an hour now, waiting for El to come home from school.
Will looked around. "How about we get some ice-cream?"
Max nodded and dragged Will over to the ice-cream place. It read 'Scoops Ahoy!' on a neon sign.
"Stevie-boy!" Max yelled, waving at the man and woman at the front counter.
"Hi, Max. Who's this?" The man, presumably Steve, asked, pointing at Will.
"Will fucking Byers! He's super cool! He literally slapped me!" Max exclaimed, her energy flowing through the room.
"Really? Not even Mike could do that and he's literally you with a penis!" Robin spoke, eating a piece of red licorice.
Max nodded. "Can I have a caramel pecan ice cream with banana?" Max looked at Will.
"Oh- uh? Whatever you recommend!" Will smiled, he had been looking at his phone, texting his brother who happened to be picking up El. "Get one for El, too."
"Alrighty! Can I also get a cotton candy custard and a tropical sherbet!"
"Alright, sit down, Robin'll bring it to you." Steve smiled as Robin hit him.
Max smiled and pulled Will to a booth.
"Oh my god! You know what? We can go to Mike's and hang in his basement even tho it stinks. I might pay him to clean it." She muttered the end but Will heard it all.
"Wheeler? Is his sister named Nancy?" Will asked, looking up from his phone.
"Yes and she's so hot, dude, if you weren't gay you would be able to tell!" Max smiled, moving her hands around as she spoke.
Will smiled and rolled his eyes sarcastically. "Was it the makeup or thigh high socks?"
"Mike wears makeup so... both?"
Will opened his mouth to speak but Robin placed the ice cream in front of them. She smirked at Will and ruffled his hair.
"Guess you're gonna meet Mike Wheeler in person, huh?" She whispered, sitting in the booth behind him.
"S-shut up Robin!" Will blushed and ate some of his sherbet.
Robin smiled and the bell to the door rang.
"El! My favorite long-haired brunette!" Robin stood up from her seat and pulled El to the table. "Max picked out your favorite so... have fun children!" Robin smiled and ran back to the counter with Steve.
As the three started talking they heard some yelling from the back
"Stop! No! Thats- don't touch it!" Robin yelled.
"Why not?" Questioned Steve, tauntingly.
"Because, Harrington! It's mine!" Robin explained.
The store went quiet as something fell.
"Ha! I always get what I want!" She smiled and came to the front of the store.
"What did you think that was about?" Max asked, looking at Robin who was smiling at a customer that just walked in.
"I don't know," El replied, furrowing her brow. "But it sounded like Robin and Steve were arguing about something."
Will leaned in, his curiosity piqued. "I wonder what they were fighting over. It must have been something important if they were yelling like that."
El, ever observant, scanned the room for any signs of trouble. "Maybe we should go check on them," She suggested, her concern evident in her voice.
Will nodded in agreement, pushing himself up from the booth. "Yeah, let's go see what's going on. We can't just ignore it."
The three of them made their way to the front of the store, where Robin and Steve stood, their expressions tense as they exchanged heated words.
"Hey, what's going on?" Will interjected, his voice laced with concern.
Robin sighed, running a hand through her hair. "It's nothing, just a little disagreement between me and Steve here."
Steve scoffed, crossing his arms. "She's just being possessive over some stupid toy she found in the back."
El's eyes widened in realization. "Wait, is it that the cat toy you were talking about, Robin?"
Robin nodded, shooting Steve a glare. "Yes, and it's not just some stupid toy. It's a rare collectible, and I found it first."
Steve rolled his eyes, clearly unimpressed. "Whatever, it's not like you're actually going to do anything with it."
Will stepped in, trying to diffuse the tension. "Okay, okay, let's not make a big deal out of this. Why don't we just agree to share it or something?"
"Yeah- Steve! We can like... co-parent!?" Robin smiled and looked at Steve.
Steve let out a sarcastically frustrated sigh. "Fine, whatever. But if anything happens to it, it's on you, Robin."
Robin nodded, a huge smile on her face. "Deal." She hugged Steve who stood stiff.
"Wait! I wanna call my dad and ask for a kitty!" El ran back to their booth and grabbed her phone.
Will and Max followed her back to the booth and sat in front of her.
"You think he'd say yes to a puppy too?" Will jokingly asked as her dad answered the phone.
El shrugged and spoke happily to her father. "Hi daddy! Can I pretty please get a kitty and a puppy?"
After a few moments of animated conversation, El hung up the phone with a triumphant grin.
"He said yes!" She exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
Will and Max cheered in response, sharing in El's joy.
"That's awesome, El! Looks like we're getting a new addition to the family alongside me," Will said, his smile widening.
Max grinned, already envisioning the fun they would have with their new furry friends. "Yeah, we're going to have so much fun playing with them."
El beamed at her friends, her excitement bubbling over. "It's going to be so much fun having a kitty and a puppy to cuddle with. Let's go!"
El sprung up from her seat with a smile on her face.
"Wait, El? Can you grab these bags?" Max asked, pointing to the bags on the table.
El nodded and grabbed the two bags. The three young adults walked out of the ice-cream shop and down the escalator to the pet shop, each holding two bags of their own.
As they entered the pet shop, a wave of excitement washed over them. The air was filled with the sounds of barking puppies and meowing kittens, and the colorful displays of toys and treats caught their attention.
El's eyes lit up as she surveyed the array of animals before her. "Look at all the puppies and kittens!" She exclaimed, practically bouncing with excitement.
Max grinned, her enthusiasm matching El's. "I know, right? They're all so adorable!"
Will smiled, enjoying the infectious energy of his friends. "Let's take our time and make sure we choose the right ones. We want them to feel at home with us."
El nodded eagerly, already scanning the cages for potential candidates. "Yeah, let's make sure they're healthy."
They spent the next hour visiting each cage, interacting with the animals and getting to know their personalities. El fell in love with a playful black panther cub(unbeknownst to her) with purple eyes and Will found himself drawn to a shy but sweet australian shepherd with dark green eyes.
"Will! Come look how cute he is!" Max yelled from across the shop.
Will looked up and saw who El was holding. Will picked up his dog and walked over to the girls.
"I was thinking of naming her Zanna!" El spoke, holding her pet close to her face.
"Why'd you pick Zanna?" Asked Will, petting the cub El was holding.
El shrugged. "The name just came to me. I think it means love or something? I read it in a book. What are you naming her?" She asked, pointing to Wills dog.
"I'm thinking Sailor, because of Robin!" Will smiled and held up the dog to his face.
Max frowned slightly. "I wish I could get a dog. My landlord says I can't and Lucas is kinda allergic."
"You live with Lucas?" Will asked, looking at Max's face intently.
"And Dustin. Els father says he doesn't trust any of us." Max rolled her eyes and put her hands to her hips.
"My daddy didn't say that! He said he doesn't trust me!" El exclaimed, not realizing it still sounded bad.
"El that doesn't make you look good.." Will whispered, fondly.
"But I always look good?" El looked at the two, genuinely confused.
Will giggled as Max facepalmed.
"Whatever floats your boat." Max smiled and walked over to the toy section.
Will and El exchanged amused glances before joining her. They spent a while browsing through the assortment of toys, debating which ones would be perfect for Zanna and Sailor.
"This squeaky toy would be perfect for Sailor!" Will exclaimed, holding up a bright blue bone-shaped toy.
Max grinned, nodding in agreement. "Zanna would love this plush mouse to chase around."
El's eyes widened with excitement as she spotted a feathered wand toy. "Look at this wand toy! It would be great for both of them to play with together!"
With their selections made, they made their way to the checkout counter, eager to bring their new furry friends home. As they signed the necessary paperwork and paid for their purchases, El couldn't contain her excitement, bouncing on the balls of her feet.
"Max do you think you can bring pets to your apartment?" Will asked, wanting to meet 'Dustin'.
Max nodded. "As long as they aren't mine. I can babysit them for up to a month and Lucas only comes in my room like once a month."
Will smiled. "I wanna meet Dustin; do you think it'll be okay to stop by and say hi?"
"Yeah, he's usually cooking or baking things so me and Lucas don't have to worry about food." Max clapped her hands out of remembrance. "One time he made this little cake thingy and it was so good!" She exaggerated the 'o' when she spoke.
"Dustin told us what it's called! You never pay attention!" El exclaimed, swatting Max's arm. "It's called 'tiramisu' and he even took the time to teach me how to pronounce it!"
"How come I'm holding all the bags? I only bought two items."
Will and El giggled and shrugged at the same time.
" I didn't bring my car because I wanted to force you guys to let me hitch a ride, totally not because I have no gas money right now. I'm hitching a ride with you guys."
Will chuckled. "Well duh! How else are we supposed to go to your apartment."
Max rolled her eyes. Will pulled out his phone and texted his brother and mother.
thing2:
jonny can you pls pick me and el up?
max is coming too...
thing1:
but hop said no company bc hes cleaning?
thing2:
we were thinking of going to her place for a bit
she said she will tell u the way
catinthehat:
of course you can go sweetie!!
im so glad you asked me!
thing2:
sorry mom!
catinthehat:
youre fine hun!
next time ask me first!
and jonathan take your brother and his friends to maxs house
thing1:
fine
thing1:
ty guys!!
Will looked up and smiled when he saw his car pulling up.
"Over here!" Will yelled, directing his friends to Jonathans car
Max and El looked over from where they were sitting and ran next to Will.
As Jonathan pulled up, Will opened the door and gestured for Max and El to hop in. They eagerly complied, sliding into the backseat with their bags of goodies from the pet shop.
"Thanks for the ride, Jonathan!" Will said, flashing his brother a grateful smile.
Jonathan nodded, giving them a quick glance in the rearview mirror. "No problem, Will. You guys are heading to Max's place?"
Will nodded, sliding into the backseat with El and Max. "Yeah, we thought we'd hang out there for a bit."
Jonathan grinned, "Just make sure you guys behave, alright?"
"We'll behave, promise!" El chimed in, her excitement palpable.
With that settled, Jonathan pulled away from the curb and headed towards Max's apartment.
The ride was filled with lively conversation and laughter as they discussed their plans for the evening and speculated about the adventures that awaited them with their new furry friends.
Before long, they arrived at Max's apartment building, and Jonathan pulled up to the curb. Will and his friends thanked him once again before piling out of the car, their excitement building as they made their way up to Max's apartment.
As they entered the apartment, Dustin greeted them with a warm smile, his hands covered in flour as he worked on something in the kitchen.
"Max, can you introduce me to your friend instead of making that face." Dustin said, nodding his head over to Will.
"W-what face?" Max asked, practically drooling over the scents filling her nose.
"Hi! I'm Will! I just moved in with El not so long ago!" Will spoke, cutting into the twos conversation.
"Well, I'm Dustin and I'm making homemade ravioli!" He flashed another quick smile and continued his work.
"Did Lucas come back yet? I really need to talk to him." Max asked, finally leaving the food trance she was in.
"He should be home-" Dustin was cut off by the door opening.
"I have decorations!" Lucas announced, kicking his shoes off.
He walked into kitchen and placed the bags on the kitchen island.
"Hi El. Hi Will. Hi Max." He quickly spoke as he dug through his bags.
"Hi Lucas!" Will and El both responded.
"What the hell dude! This is a lot of shit you probably don't need!" Max yelled, walking next to him to go through the bags as well.
"Who wouldn't want a dog eraser?" Lucas exclaimed, holding up a eraser in the form an affenpinscher puppy.
Max sighed. "You are- wait are these those scented markers?" Max grabbed the markers from the bottom of the bag and"So, Byers." Max spoke, holding a few bags. "Where too now?"
The two had been shopping for about an hour now, waiting for El to come home from school.
Will looked around. "How about we get some ice-cream?"
Max nodded and dragged Will over to the ice-cream place. It read 'Scoops Ahoy!' on a neon sign.
"Stevie-boy!" Max yelled, waving at the man and woman at the front counter.
"Hi, Max. Who's this?" The man, presumably Steve, asked, pointing at Will.
"Will fucking Byers! He's super cool! He literally slapped me!" Max exclaimed, her energy flowing through the room.
"Really? Not even Mike could do that and he's literally you with a penis!" Robin spoke, eating a piece of red licorice.
Max nodded. "Can I have a caramel pecan ice cream with banana?" Max looked at Will.
"Oh- uh? Whatever you recommend!" Will smiled, he had been looking at his phone, texting his brother who happened to be picking up El. "Get one for El, too."
"Alrighty! Can I also get a cotton candy custard and a tropical sherbet!"
"Alright, sit down, Robin'll bring it to you." Steve smiled as Robin hit him.
Max smiled and pulled Will to a booth.
"Oh my god! You know what? We can go to Mike's and hang in his basement even tho it stinks. I might pay him to clean it." She muttered the end but Will heard it all.
"Wheeler? Is his sister named Nancy?" Will asked, looking up from his phone.
"Yes and she's so hot, dude, if you weren't gay you would be able to tell!" Max smiled, moving her hands around as she spoke.
Will smiled and rolled his eyes sarcastically. "Was it the makeup or thigh high socks?"
"Mike wears makeup so... both?"
Will opened his mouth to speak but Robin placed the ice cream in front of them. She smirked at Will and ruffled his hair.
"Guess you're gonna meet Mike Wheeler in person, huh?" She whispered, sitting in the booth behind him.
"S-shut up Robin!" Will blushed and ate some of his sherbet.
Robin smiled and the bell to the door rang.
"El! My favorite long-haired brunette!" Robin stood up from her seat and pulled El to the table. "Max picked out your favorite so... have fun children!" Robin smiled and ran back to the counter with Steve.
As the three started talking they heard some yelling from the back
"Stop! No! Thats- don't touch it!" Robin yelled.
"Why not?" Questioned Steve, tauntingly.
"Because, Harrington! It's mine!" Robin explained.
The store went quiet as something fell.
"Ha! I always get what I want!" She smiled and came to the front of the store.
"What did you think that was about?" Max asked, looking at Robin who was smiling at a customer that just walked in.
"I don't know," El replied, furrowing her brow. "But it sounded like Robin and Steve were arguing about something."
Will leaned in, his curiosity piqued. "I wonder what they were fighting over. It must have been something important if they were yelling like that."
El, ever observant, scanned the room for any signs of trouble. "Maybe we should go check on them," She suggested, her concern evident in her voice.
Will nodded in agreement, pushing himself up from the booth. "Yeah, let's go see what's going on. We can't just ignore it."
The three of them made their way to the front of the store, where Robin and Steve stood, their expressions tense as they exchanged heated words.
"Hey, what's going on?" Will interjected, his voice laced with concern.
Robin sighed, running a hand through her hair. "It's nothing, just a little disagreement between me and Steve here."
Steve scoffed, crossing his arms. "She's just being possessive over some stupid toy she found in the back."
El's eyes widened in realization. "Wait, is it that the cat toy you were talking about, Robin?"
Robin nodded, shooting Steve a glare. "Yes, and it's not just some stupid toy. It's a rare collectible, and I found it first."
Steve rolled his eyes, clearly unimpressed. "Whatever, it's not like you're actually going to do anything with it."
Will stepped in, trying to diffuse the tension. "Okay, okay, let's not make a big deal out of this. Why don't we just agree to share it or something?"
"Yeah- Steve! We can like... co-parent!?" Robin smiled and looked at Steve.
Steve let out a sarcastically frustrated sigh. "Fine, whatever. But if anything happens to it, it's on you, Robin."
Robin nodded, a huge smile on her face. "Deal." She hugged Steve who stood stiff.
"Wait! I wanna call my dad and ask for a kitty!" El ran back to their booth and grabbed her phone.
Will and Max followed her back to the booth and sat in front of her.
"You think he'd say yes to a puppy too?" Will jokingly asked as her dad answered the phone.
El shrugged and spoke happily to her father. "Hi daddy! Can I pretty please get a kitty and a puppy?"
After a few moments of animated conversation, El hung up the phone with a triumphant grin.
"He said yes!" She exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
Will and Max cheered in response, sharing in El's joy.
"That's awesome, El! Looks like we're getting a new addition to the family alongside me," Will said, his smile widening.
Max grinned, already envisioning the fun they would have with their new furry friends. "Yeah, we're going to have so much fun playing with them."
El beamed at her friends, her excitement bubbling over. "It's going to be so much fun having a kitty and a puppy to cuddle with. Let's go!"
El sprung up from her seat with a smile on her face.
"Wait, El? Can you grab these bags?" Max asked, pointing to the bags on the table.
El nodded and grabbed the two bags. The three young adults walked out of the ice-cream shop and down the escalator to the pet shop, each holding two bags of their own.
As they entered the pet shop, a wave of excitement washed over them. The air was filled with the sounds of barking puppies and meowing kittens, and the colorful displays of toys and treats caught their attention.
El's eyes lit up as she surveyed the array of animals before her. "Look at all the puppies and kittens!" She exclaimed, practically bouncing with excitement.
Max grinned, her enthusiasm matching El's. "I know, right? They're all so adorable!"
Will smiled, enjoying the infectious energy of his friends. "Let's take our time and make sure we choose the right ones. We want them to feel at home with us."
El nodded eagerly, already scanning the cages for potential candidates. "Yeah, let's make sure they're healthy."
They spent the next hour visiting each cage, interacting with the animals and getting to know their personalities. El fell in love with a playful black panther cub(unbeknownst to her) with purple eyes and Will found himself drawn to a shy but friendly australian shepherd with dark green eyes.
"Will! Come look how cute he is!" Max yelled from across the shop.
Will looked up and saw who El was holding. Will picked up his dog and walked over to the girls.
"I was thinking of naming her Zanna!" El spoke, holding her pet close to her face.
"Why'd you pick Zanna?" Asked Will, petting the cub El was holding.
El shrugged. "The name just came to me. I think it means love or something? I read it in a book. What are you naming her?" She asked, pointing to Wills dog.
"I'm thinking Sailor, because of Robin!" Will smiled and held up the dog to his face.
Max frowned slightly. "I wish I could get a dog. My landlord says I can't and Lucas is kinda allergic."
"You live with Lucas?" Will asked, looking at Max's face intently.
"And Dustin. Els father says he doesn't trust any of us." Max rolled her eyes and put her hands to her hips.
"My daddy didn't say that! He said he doesn't trust me!" El exclaimed, not realizing it still sounded bad.
"El that doesn't make you look good.." Will whispered, fondly.
"But I always look good?" El looked at the two, genuinely confused.
Will giggled as Max facepalmed.
"Whatever floats your boat." Max smiled and walked over to the toy section.
Will and El exchanged amused glances before joining her. They spent a while browsing through the assortment of toys, debating which ones would be perfect for Zanna and Sailor.
"This squeaky toy would be perfect for Sailor!" Will exclaimed, holding up a bright blue bone-shaped toy.
Max grinned, nodding in agreement. "Zanna would love this plush mouse to chase around."
El's eyes widened with excitement as she spotted a feathered wand toy. "Look at this wand toy! It would be great for both of them to play with together!"
With their selections made, they made their way to the checkout counter, eager to bring their new furry friends home. As they signed the necessary paperwork and paid for their purchases, El couldn't contain her excitement, bouncing on the balls of her feet.
"Max do you think you can bring pets to your apartment?" Will asked, wanting to meet 'Dustin'.
Max nodded. "As long as they aren't mine. I can babysit them for up to a month and Lucas only comes in my room like once a month."
Will smiled. "I wanna meet Dustin; do you think it'll be okay to stop by and say hi?"
"Yeah, he's usually cooking or baking things so me and Lucas don't have to worry about food." Max clapped her hands out of remembrance. "One time he made this little cake thingy and it was so good!" She exaggerated the 'o' when she spoke.
"Dustin told us what it's called! You never pay attention!" El exclaimed, swatting Max's arm. "It's called 'tiramisu' and he even took the time to teach me how to pronounce it!"
"How come I'm holding all the bags? I only bought two items."
Will and El giggled and shrugged at the same time.
" I didn't bring my car because I wanted to force you guys to let me hitch a ride, totally not because I have no gas money right now. I'm hitching a ride with you guys."
Will chuckled. "Well duh! How else are we supposed to go to your apartment."
Max rolled her eyes. Will pulled out his phone and texted his brother and mother.
thing2:
jonny can you pls pick me and el up?
max is coming too...
thing1:
but hop said no company bc hes cleaning?
thing2:
we were thinking of going to her place for a bit
she said she will tell u the way
catinthehat:
of course you can go sweetie!!
im so glad you asked me!
thing2:
sorry mom!
catinthehat:
youre fine hun!
next time ask me first!
and jonathan take your brother and his friends to maxs house
thing1:
fine
thing1:
ty guys!!
Will looked up and smiled when he saw his car pulling up.
"Over here!" Will yelled, directing his friends to Jonathans car
Max and El looked over from where they were sitting and ran next to Will.
As Jonathan pulled up, Will opened the door and gestured for Max and El to hop in. They eagerly complied, sliding into the backseat with their bags of goodies from the pet shop.
"Thanks for the ride, Jonathan!" Will said, flashing his brother a grateful smile.
Jonathan nodded, giving them a quick glance in the rearview mirror. "No problem, Will. You guys are heading to Max's place?"
Will nodded, sliding into the backseat with El and Max. "Yeah, we thought we'd hang out there for a bit."
Jonathan grinned, "Just make sure you guys behave, alright?"
"We'll behave, promise!" El chimed in, her excitement palpable.
With that settled, Jonathan pulled away from the curb and headed towards Max's apartment.
The ride was filled with lively conversation and laughter as they discussed their plans for the evening and speculated about the adventures that awaited them with their new furry friends.
Before long, they arrived at Max's apartment building, and Jonathan pulled up to the curb. Will and his friends thanked him once again before piling out of the car, their excitement building as they made their way up to Max's apartment.
As they entered the apartment, Dustin greeted them with a warm smile, his hands covered in flour as he worked on something in the kitchen.
"Max, can you introduce me to your friend instead of making that face." Dustin said, nodding his head over to Will.
"W-what face?" Max asked, practically drooling over the scents filling her nose.
"Hi! I'm Will! I just moved in with El not so long ago!" Will spoke, cutting into the twos conversation.
"Well, I'm Dustin and I'm making homemade ravioli!" He flashed another quick smile and continued his work.
"Did Lucas come back yet? I really need to talk to him." Max asked, finally leaving the food trance she was in.
"He should be home-" Dustin was cut off by the door opening.
"I have decorations!" Lucas announced, kicking his shoes off.
He walked into kitchen and placed the bags on the kitchen island.
"Hi El. Hi Will. Hi Max." He quickly spoke as he dug through his bags.
"Hi Lucas!" Will and El both responded.
"What the hell dude! This is a lot of shit you probably don't need!" Max yelled, walking next to him to go through the bags as well.
"Who wouldn't want a dog eraser?" Lucas exclaimed, holding up a eraser in the form an affenpinscher puppy.
Max sighed. "You are- wait are these those scented markers?" Max grabbed the markers from the bottom of the bag and sniffed them. "Oh, they are! I love these!"
Lucas grinned. "See, I knew you'd find something you liked in there."
Max rolled her eyes playfully, but couldn't hide the smile on her face. "Yeagh, yeah. Whenever your done with-" She waved her hand around all the junk he bought. "-this, meet me in my room. I really need to talk to you."
Lucas slowly nodded, hoping it wasn't what he was thinking as Max walked into her room.
El and Will were sitting on the living room floor, watching the cub and puppy interact with each other and the toys.
Lucas finally finished up what he was doing and walked into Max's room to see her putting up a piece of paper on her wall. "Whats up? Are you like- pregnant or..?"
"What!? Lucas, no! I was just thinking and.. well sit down." Max took a deep breath in and sat on her bed, watching Lucas sit in front of her. It's about... well, our relationship. I think we need to break up.."
Lucas's expression softened, his concern giving way to curiosity. "Okay, I understand, is that it?"
Max hesitated for a moment, trying to find the right words. "And I know things have been kind of tense between us lately, and I just wanted to say... I'm sorry. I know I haven't been the easiest person to live with, and I've probably been kind of a pain in the ass."
Lucas shook his head, reaching out to gently squeeze Max's shoulder. "Hey, it's okay. We've all been making our own mistakes when it comes to living in a house together, and it's been a learning process for all of us."
Max sighed, feeling a weight lift off her shoulders as she spoke. "Yeah, but I don't want things to be awkward between us, and I definitely don't want to make you uncomfortable in your own home."
Lucas smiled warmly, his eyes reflecting genuine gratitude. "I appreciate that, Max. And for what it's worth, I been thinking about breaking up too. We just need to communicate better."
Max nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Yeah, definitely. So... are we cool?"
Lucas chuckled, pulling Max into a brief hug. "Yeah, Max. We're cool."
Max quickly pulled away from the hug. "Okay, okay! Enough of that sappy shit. I need to go steal some food from Dustin."
They both laughed and stood up, Lucas nearly falling, and walked out of Max's room.
"Do you think I made a mistake?" Asked Max through the phone.
"No! We've basically known him all our life, he won't be mad. You said it was kinda mutual right?" EL asked, placing her phone down so she can put her hair in a ponytail.
"Yeah.. but we still live together and I don't want it to be awkward." Max mumbled watching El struggle to put her hair up properly.
"It didn't look awkward to me." She rolled her eyes.
"Don't be that way." Max retorted.
"Be what way?" El asked, seemingly confused.
"I don't know, you've been really... bitchy lately." Max finally spoke up.
El paused, her hand freezing mid-air as she processed Max's words. "Bitchy?" she repeated, her tone tinged with surprise.
Max winced, immediately regretting her choice of words. "I'm sorry, that came out wrong. I just meant... you've been a little short-tempered lately."
El let out a frustrated sigh, her expression softening slightly. "I know, I know. I've just been stressed with some things going on."
"Yeah but like, for three months straight you've been snapping and not telling me what's wrong." Max sighed. "You're my girlfriend and I love you, please talk to me."
"To be honest, I don't understand why I have been behaving this way." Lied El, finally giving up on her hair.
Max's heart sank as she heard El's response. She knew there was something deeper going on, and the thought of El struggling with her emotions without confiding in her was troubling.
"El, it's okay if you're not sure why you've been feeling this way," Max said gently, her voice filled with concern.
"Am I a bad girlfriend?" El blurted, immediately regretting her words.
Max, appalled by the sudden question responded immediately, not wanting to raise any more concern in her girlfriend. "No! Not at all!"
"Are you sure? I'm such a pick-me and I'm a daddy's girl and I'm dumb and I'm not as pretty as you." El started to tear up
"Woah, calm down! Who told you this?"
"One of Ericas friends." She sniffled.
"What!? Was this at the mall when me and Erica left to use the bathroom?" Questioned Max, furious.
El knew if she spoke she would cry so she nodded.
"Did she look kinda tan, had sharp facial features, curly hair and kinda had a grunge type clothing style?"
She nodded again, blinking rapidly in hopes to repress the tears.
"I'll call you back in like- ten minutes." Max started. "I love you!"
"I love you t- wait Max please don't do anything dumb!" El exclaimed, hearing her girlfriends voice leak with(not so) hidden anger.
Max smiled and waved as she hung up, immediately calling Erica. It didn't take long for her to answer.
"What?" Erica answered, in her usual demeanor.
"You look pretty!" Max spoke, smiling deviously.
"Get to the point Max." Erica rolled her eyes as she did her hair.
"Fine. Who are you with?" Max finally got to the point.
"No one... I'm about to go hang at the mall with Mckenzie and the girls again, why?" Erica questioned, looking at her phone.
"Yeah, so, don't try to dress up to crazy. I need you to beat Mckenzies ass.." Max cringed at the girls name.
"Ugh, what did she do this time?" Erica questioned, fed up with the bullshit Mckenzie put everyone through.
"Shit talked El straight to her face. I would do it but I can't be out here fighting children." Max said as if it was obvious.
"What!?" Ericas face went from annoyance to anger immediately. "She might actually die. El has done nothing but been a sweet girl She may have killed people but it's self-defense so she's in the clear." She managed to still joke.
"The only bad thing she did was date Mike." Max laughed out.
"Not the point. The point is, I will kill Kenzie." Erica picked up some of her things.
"Please do, she has no right to say anything." Max rolled her eyes, she couldn't do anything but beg Erica to fight her fights.
Max could practically feel the tension crackling through the phone as Erica's fury radiated through the receiver.
"Don't worry, Max. I'll handle it," Erica said, her voice low and dangerous. "No one messes with our girl El and gets away with it."
Max felt a rush of gratitude for Erica's unwavering support. "Thanks, Erica. You're the best."
"Yeah, yeah. Just make sure you owe me one after this," Erica joked, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"Deal," Max agreed, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
"Now, go take care of El. I've got this." Erica replied with a smirk.
Max rolled her eyes and hung up, calling her girlfriend back immediately.
"What did you do?" El asked, seeing the smirk on Max's face.
She shrugged and El groaned.
"Tomorrow I am definitely taking you on a date and I want you to wear the dress I bought."
El couldn't help but chuckle at Max's sudden change of topic. "Alright, fine. But you better not forget to wear that cute suit I like."
"Fine! But only because you asked nicely." Max rolled her eyes jokingly.
Meanwhile, in the room next door to El, was Will, scrolling on his phone peacefully. He had heard some of the girls conversation but he felt as if he shouldn't budge in, he almost did when he heard the crying but El had pushed him away.
There was a a knock, causing Will to come back to reality.
"Come in." Will spoke, turning off his phone and placing it next to him.
"Hey Will? I am going to Mike's house, he's visiting town and I wanted to be the first to say 'hi'." El quickly and quietly spoke.
"Sure! I was getting bored anyways!" Will got up from his bed as El walked out, shutting the door behind her.
On the outside, he was casually looking for some clothes because he was just invited to a friends friend. The inside is a much different story. On the inside he e was screaming and panicking because he was invited to see Mike Wheeler, a 'star' he had exchanged intimate photos with. The only reason he could do that was because he had an ID saying he was 19 years of age or older. If you don't know what an ID is then you probably don't understand why he is panicking and why he is trying to look at least decent.
He picked up many different shirts, trying to find the best one. He ended up picking a black shirt with the album'Portals' on the front and back and the name 'Melanie Martinez' embroidered on the sleeve trims. He ran to his closet to find the jacket that matched his dirt-green cargo pants. After he got his full outfit together He walked out of his room, locking it from the inside[its like a bathroom lock] and running down the stairs to grab his black boots from the front door since he had just wore them earlier.
"El! I'm ready!" Will spoke, running to the bathroom to check his face.
"You want some makeup while you're at it?" Will heard a voice say from the doorway, it was Jonathan.
"Why? You got some?" Will asked, widening his eyes out of annoyance.
Jonathan rolled his eyes, grabbed something and, walked away.
El popped in the door. "I do! Want some?"
Will nodded and followed her to her room. She went to her vanity and pulled out some green and pink highlighters.
"Heres these and..." She picked up some rose colored blush. "..this, just in case."
Will took everything and sat in front of her mirror, on the bench she used as a seat. She sat next to him and started her makeup too. They sat in a comfortable silence other than El asking for the pink highlighter.
As they finished their makeup, El grabbed a hair tie and quickly pulled her hair up into a messy bun, while Will adjusted his jacket, making sure everything was just right.
"Ready to go?" El asked, standing up and offering Will a hand.
Will took her hand. "Yeah, let's go."
"Alright, we're walking since it's not that far. Like a five minute walk?" El speaks as they walk out the house.
Will nods. "You didn't bring a jacket, are you cold?"
El shakes her head as a cold breeze passed.
"You're shivering." Will took his jacket off and handed it to her. "And it matches your outfit"
She reluctantly took it. "Thank you." She spoke as she put on his jacket.
"No problem! It's better if you're not sick. If you did get sick, I'll take care of you still." Will started. "You're like a sister to me."
El smiled gratefully at Will's gesture, feeling warmed not just by the jacket but also by his kind words. "Thanks, Will. You're like a brother to me."
They continued their walk to Mike's house, the chilly air swirling around them as they chatted lightheartedly.
Once they made it to the Wheelers residence, they saw a kid and a young adult playing out front.
"Hey, Mike!" El said, walking over to the raven-haired boy. Will followed close behind, panic setting in.
"El! I missed you!" They hugged for good second before Mike noticed Will. "Who's that?" He whispered into El ear.
She smiled and pulled away from the hug. "Will Byers! He's new to town and he's staying with me!"
Mike smiled and waved awkwardly at Will who just smiled. A few thoughts ran through his head, 'what the fuck' being the one that he almost said out loud.
El, who's always a s clueless as ever, decided they should go somewhere. "Guys! Let's go somewhere! Like skating or something?"
"Or.. shopping? I can spoil you and your friend." Mike offered smiling at El.
"How are you such a good friend but terrible boyfriend." El muttered. "If we go shopping then I'm definitely getting something for my date tomorrow and a gift for my lovely girlfriend!"
"Okay, one, I heard that! And two, you both walked past my new car! I gave my old one to Holly. She'll be able to drive it in like two years but... Tesla will still be popular then." Mike pointed to his baby blue 2023 convertible corvette. "I needed a down grade and this one looks prettier versus that." He pointed to Hollys hot pink Tesla model S.
"You could have gotten me a car!" El jokingly stated as she walked up to Mikes car, just as she was about to open the door the top came down.
"You can't drive. What would you do with a car besides total it?"
"I don't even know what that means." She exclaimed as she hopped in Mikes car.
Mike walked next to Will. "Hi, byers."
"Holy- Hi?" Will looked him up and down as Mike smirked. "It's your profession, not mine." Will rolled his eyes and walked to Mikes car, getting in the passenger seat.
Mike audibly gasped and got into his car. "Sit down El. This car goes really fast and you will fly out if you don't buckle up. And I don't think you want that."
El pouted and sat down accordingly. She and Will both buckled their seatbelts as Mike sped off.
El fought the urge to stand up so she waved her hands in the air.
"Are we heading to the mall?" Mike asked, glancing back El who was smiling as her hair flailed around.
"Yes! I want to get more makeup!"
"Of course you 'need' more makeup."
"I don't just wake up and look pretty!"
"Yes you do!" Both Will and Mike quickly responded.
"Well- thank you but I still want makeup!"
"And I'll get you some. What about you? What do you need?"
"I don't need anything... I don't like spending other peoples money."
Mike rolled his eyes. "El, do you know what he likes?"
"I saw him drawing once! It was really really good!" She smiled at Mike, her hands still raised up high.
"I'll get you some art stuff then! Easy money!" Mike smiled as they made one last turn before turning into the mall parking lot.
The three got out of Mikes car and headed towards the crowded building.
"Guys, I'm going to the bathroom to fix my hair, go to the food court and get me a strawberry banana smoothie!" She smiled before running to the nearest bathroom.
"She's the boss." Mike stated, as he walked towards the food court.
Will rolled his eyes and followed Mike. He didn't know why he didn't like Mike I mean- he definitely liked Mike.
"Will. What smoothie would you like?" Mike asked, waving his hand in Wills face. They were standing in line of a smoothie king.
Will smacked Mikes hand. "Please don't do that and I don't want anything. I told you, I don't like spending others money."
"You don't like spending my money. You did use Robin's card, she told me." Mike smiled and turned around to put in El's order. "I am going to ask again, what do you want?"
"S-same as El." Wills face was beet red as Mike placed he and Wills orders.
Mike grabbed Will's hand and pulled him to some seats. Mike sat down and Will hesitantly sat across from him.
"Don't be nervous, Will. I don't bite.. unless you want me too." Mike smirked as Wills face deepened in color.
"Mike you are just the worst! This cocky ego of yours, man." Will put his face in his hands.
"I don't have a cocky ego, I just have a sense of humor." Mike crossed his arms before spotting El. He stood up and waved. "We're over here!"
El smiled and ran over to them.
"Hi guys- wait whats wrong with Will?"
"Nothing! He was just nervous to order and I ordered for him so he's embarrassed." Mike explained, sitting back in his seat.
El, oblivious as always, believed him and sat down. Will looked up from his hands and nodded a yes.
"So, lets get my makeup first because all of my stuff is running out! Totally not because I'm practicing makeup looks for my date tomorrow."
Mike smiled at her. "You look pretty no matter what, I'm sure Max will love your makeup no matter what." Mike got a notification saying the smoothies were ready. "Can you get the smoothies?"
El nodded and walked over to smoothie king.
"Why'd you lie to her?" Whispered Will, glancing back at El.
"What were you going to say? 'I know your friend from porn!' She doesn't even know what that is." Mike explained with a confused face.
Will rolled his eyes. "I wasn't gonna say that."
"Yeah? Were you gonna say 'I have wet dreams about your friend!' or something like that?"
Will rolled his eyes and stood up, pressing his hands on the table firmly. He pushed his chair back and walked over to smoothie king to help El. Mike was satisfied with himself so, he leaned comfortably into his seat as the two walked over.
"Will? Do you know how to do makeup?" El asked, trying not to drop the smoothies.
"Yeah, I watched a lot of tutorials because of the restrictions my mom had on my youtube." Will giggled but El was dumbfounded. "But uhh.. Why do you ask?"
"I want you to do my makeup. When I do it..." She trailed off for a second. "Umm- Oh! Do you wanna do my makeup for my date tomorrow?"
"I would love too! I have no plans anyway." Will smiled as they sat down, his smile immediately fading.
"How long are you gonna be in town for?" El asked as Will handed she and Mike's smoothies.
Mike took a sip of his drink and smiled. "A few weeks. I think like two or three." He took another big drink of his smoothie.
"Okay good! I won't be able to see you tomorrow since it's kinda an all day date. You could hang with Will! I could see if Lucas and Dustin would wanna hang but I doubt they'd wanna with you two." She explained, occasionally taking big drinks of her smoothie.
"I'm fine with just hanging with Will, you don't even have to worry." Mike replied as El took a sip of her smoothie.
El smiled cheerfully and Will rolled his eyes.
"Alright, ladies, let's go shopping!" Mike stood up, drink in hand. He was much taller than the two so he towered over them.
"Will! We should get matching outfits- wait! We need to get you some makeup first!" El explained eagerly. The two squealed in happiness while they stood up.
"Will, you're an artist, right?" Mike asked causing Will to pause.
"Uh- Y-yeah.." Will responded confused.
"So you know color theory?"
"I guess... why?"
"Make up is kinda like art right? My sisters dabbles in that stuff."
"You have a family?" Will stupidly asked.
Mike made a confused face. "Shocking, I know. Let's go you two."
"Yeah- sorry." Will apologized as the two stood up.
Mike and El finished their drinks. Will barely even touched his.
El started speed walking to Sephora and the boys tried to keep up but she was eager to get more makeup. They quickly got to the store and Mike stood a small distance behind them. They were standing next to the eye shadow.
"Will! What color goes with my eyes?" She looked at Will with wide eyes.
Will took his phone flash light and set it to the lowest setting and flashed it in her eyes.
"Hmm. I'd say.. blue, green and, purple are definitely your go to colors but you look good in anything."
"If you weren't gay I would've thought you were flirting." She smiled as she looked at the eyeshadow.
"Yeah but, you are very pretty compared some of the boys I liked." Will looked back at Mike, who was listening the whole time.
Mike flipped him off and Will smiled. Will looked back at the makeup.
"I don't know much about make up.." Will spoke as El pulled him to some eyeliner.
"Well for starters, what I just picked up is eyeshadow."
"Obviously."
"Hush!" She swatted his arm. "This is eyeliner and mascara. You put this on your eyes."
"Also quite obvious."
"Shut up!" She exclaimed.
El pushed him back slightly. Will, fell back dramatically. He assumed he was going to fall onto the floor but instead, he fell right into Mikes hands. Will looked up and made an unrecognizable face which caused Mike to smirk.
"Let go of me, Wheeler." Will said, not having a second thought.
"Are you sure about that?" Mike asked, stilling holding his smirk.
"Yes!" Will exclaimed as El walked away to look for something.
Mike let go for a split second before holding him back up. Mike licked his lips as Will caught his breath. Will didn't like Mikes form of 'flirting'.
"Thats not what I meant, I need you to stop holding me like this." Will quipped, annoyed with Mikes stupid smile. "If you wanted to hold me, you coulda just said that." He quickly spoke as he got up.
Mike was shocked by Wills sudden confidence as the two walked towards El.
"El, give me your stuff so I can pay for it."
"Wait! Let me get one more thing." She ran to another aisle to grab some highlighter and bronzer.
As El rushed to grab the last items, Will and Mike waited near the checkout counter. Will fiddled with his jacket zipper, awaiting Els return.
El returned with her final picks, and Mike paid for everything without hesitation. As they exited the store, El was already planning their next stop.
"Alright, next up, clothing! Will, you need a new wardrobe!" El declared with enthusiasm.
Will glanced at Mike then to El again. "I... uh, don't really need anything. But I'll come along."
Mike smiled at Wills awkwardness.
As they wandered through the mall, El excitedly browsed racks of clothes, occasionally pulling out items for Will to try on. Mike chimed in with his opinions, and soon they found themselves in the fitting rooms. Will reluctantly trying on a few outfits while El cheered him on.