I'm updating, finally! I've been busy with school coming up next week and Volleyball practice everyday except for weekends.

Sorry it's not very long. I'm a bit rusty with Mileven.

The school bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. Mike gently shut his locker door and leaned against it, waiting for El to come out of her last class. He waited for her by his locker which was right next to his but he was a bit worried. El had an Algebra test today that she had been working hard and studying all week for. He drummed his fingers against his leg anxiously.

He finally spotted her in the crowd of students and with a smile on his face he started over to her. His smile soon turned into a frown when he saw her wipe at her eyes. Mike hurried towards her and dropped his backpack on the floor, wrapping El into a tight hug. 

"What did you get?" He whispered, his hand a fist in her hair. 

El sniffed and placed her chin on top of his shoulder, hugging him tighter. "I studied so hard and got a C-."

Mike pulled away but kept his girlfriend at arms length. "That's still a passing grade, El." He brushed the hair out of her face.

El shrugged and started walking to her locker. "I-I know but I worked hard."

"And that's what matters!" Mike smiled and El shouldered her backpack that Mike handed to her.

El smiled and put her arm around Mike's waist. "Yeah, I guess so."

Mike leaned his head on top of hers, which was leaning on his shoulder. "I think I know what might cheer you up a bit."

"Really?" El looked up at him with hopeful brown eyes. He nodded and led them outside to their friends who were waiting for them by the bike rack. Mike gave all of them a look that practically screamed, 'Don't ask about the test!' 

"Max," Mike started. "Do you mind taking my bike back to my house?"

Max narrowed her eyes. "Why?"

Mike rolled his brown eyes in annoyance at the redhead. "I'm taking El for ice cream. She got a low grade on her test and she's pretty upset about it. I'm hoping the ice cream will cheer her up a bit." He told her quietly.

Max nodded. "Yeah, I will."

"Thanks." Mike laced his fingers through El's and he looked down at her. "Let's go."

El stared up at him with her eyebrows scrunched together as they started walking to the ice cream shop. "Where are we going?"

Mike squeezed her hand and smiled down at her. "We are going out for ice cream." 

El's eyes lit up like a child's on Christmas morning. "Really?" Mike nodded and she smiled wide; already in a better mood. She may have gotten a bad grade on her test but she had an amazing boyfriend that knew how to make her feel better. She smiled up at Mike gratefully.

Mike glanced down at her smiling at him. "What?"

El shrugged and swung their hands between them. "Nothing."

Mike raised an eyebrow. "Then why were you staring at me?"

El blushed and moved in front of him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and cocked her head to the side, smiling. "I'm just glad that you're my boyfriend." Mike wrapped his arms around her but moved one so he could tangle his fingers in her hair. 

"I'm glad you're my girlfriend." He smiled and leaned in. El closed her eyes, tilted her head up, and waited for the pressure of Mike's lips on hers but it never came. He pecked her forehead instead. El opened her eyes and pouted. Mike looked anywhere but at her. 

"Mike!"  El whined. "What was that?"

"A kiss." He said then started walking away.

El ran over to him and tangled their fingers together. "Not the kiss I was expecting." She shrugged to herself and leaned her head on Mike's shoulder. With her other hand, that wasn't busy holding Mike's, she played with one of the strings on her hoodie, well, actually Mike's hoodie. 

Mike opened the door to the ice cream shop that was near where Joyce worked. He held the door open for El and she stepped inside, cold air instantly hitting her face. Mike stepped in behind her and led El over to the ice cream. "Pick any flavor you want, El."

"Any?" El asked, not taking her eyes off the many different flavors.

"Yup." Mike replied. "You could even have one scoop a certain flavor then the other scoop be a different flavor."

El's eyes widened, she looked up at Mike. "Really?" Mike nodded his head. "Um, okay, I'm going to get one scoop chocolate and one scoop strawberry." 

"Okay." Mike looked over at a woman who was typing on her phone behind the counter. "Excuse me? We're ready."

The woman set down her phone and grabbed the ice cream scoop. "What can I get for you, kids, today?"

"I'll have two scoops of mint chocolate chip, please." Mike told her. "In a bowl."

"Okay..." She handed him the ice cream and turned to El. "What about you, Honey?"

El's eyes widened and she moved closer to Mike, wrapped her arms around his waist from behind. She buried her face in the back of his shoulder. "Can you order for me? In a bowl." She mumbled.

Mike nodded and placed his empty hand on top of her interlocked ones that were around his waist. "She'll have one scoop of chocolate and another scoop of strawberry in a bowl." El lifted her head  and moved to Mike's side, one arm still around his waist. She grabbed her ice cream from the woman who handed it to her.

"Thank you." She said quietly.

"No problem." The woman replied. "That would be $8.00." 

Mike fished the money out of his pocket and handed it to her and the two teenagers went to find a spot to sit. They sat down at a small booth next to a window. El took a bite of her ice cream ad smiled. "Thanks, Mike."

Mike swallowed. "No problem, El." He scooped up some more ice cream on his spoon. "I hope this cheers you up a little."

El nodded her head up and down and ate another spoonful of ice cream. "It does. Hopper never takes me out." 

"Well, maybe, we could do this every Friday after school?" Mike suggested Mike suggested "As in a weekly date."

"We should." El replied. "I like ice cream."

Mike laughed, taking her hand across the table and intertwined their fingers. "Well, that's good."

"Mike..." El said, suddenly turning glum. "I have to tell you something but don't get mad."

Mike's heart rate sped up and he set his spoon down. "Okay, what is it?" 

"I'm..." She suddenly smiled. "Going to steal a bite of your ice cream!" She quickly leaned over the table and stole some of his ice cream. Sitting back down, she ate the bite of frozen goodness, and laughed and Mike's expression.

"What?!" Mike exclaimed. "You scared me!"

El giggled. "I got you!" 

"Yes, yes, you did." He sighed. "El, I thought you were cheating on me or something."

El frowned and set down her spoon. "I would never do that to you, Mike. I love you."

Mike smiled. "I love you, too, El. And I know people might think we're crazy because we're only fifteen but, El, they don't know what we've been through. I love you, so much that it cares me."

El leaned halfway across the table and Mike leaned in the other half, pressing their lips together. They stayed like that until they heard the door opening. They pulled away since they weren't the only people in the shop anymore. They continued to eat their ice cream in a comfortable silence. 

"I'll have two scoops of Cookies N' Crème, please." A girl said, causing Mike to look up. "In a bowl." 

Mike's eyes widened. He recognized her from sixth grade. Jessica Andrews. She was The Party's friend but was not in it. She hung out with them in the halls, outside, the quarry, the arcade, movie nights, etc. And it was obvious that she had a crush on Mike. Always scooting closer to him during movie nights. Glancing at him when they went swimming. Walking close to him in the hallways. 

She had moved to Indianapolis at the end of sixth grade due to her dad's job. Mike glanced at her. Same long brown hair and forest green eyes. She was a bit taller, a couple inches taller than El.

"Mike?" He snapped out of his thoughts and turned back to his girlfriend. "You okay?"

Mike nodded. "Yeah, I just saw one of my old friends from sixth grade that moved away."

"Oh, okay." El smiled and continued to eat her ice cream. 

"Mike?" They heard a girl ask. Mike turned his head to see Jess standing there with her ice cream. "Oh my God. It is you! I saw the hair but I didn't know if it was actually you."

"Hey, Jess." Mike said. "What brings you back to Hawkins?"

Jess swallowed a bite of ice cream. "My dad's job moved him back here. I start school next week."

"Cool." Mike said and looked at El who was watched Jess with narrowed eyes, probably figuring out Jess's feelings towards him. Mike nudged El's foot with his under the table. El looked over at him and he smiled in which she returned. 

"Hey, uh, do you mind if I sit with you?" Jess asked, gesturing to the spot next to him. "I'm here alone."  

Mike quickly glanced at El before he replied. "Yeah, of course." He scooted over to make room for her. She sat down and looked at El.

She stuck out a hand. "Jess Andrews." She said. "Are you also Mike's friend?"

"Yeah, something like that." El said, shaking Jess's hand. "I'm El."

Jess frowned. "Oh, did they not include you in their Party either?" She asked. "Don't worry. I wasn't included either but they still-"

El interrupted. "No, I'm part of The Party." 

Jess's frown deepened. "So, they finally let a girl in, huh?" She glared at Mike.

"Yes, two girls." El nodded.

Jess's eyebrows shot up. "Two? Who's the other one?"

"My friend, Max. Lucas's girlfriend." El giggled. 

"He's got a girlfriend?" Jess disbelievingly said. Mike and El both nodded. "Actually?" 

Mike piped up. "Dustin's got one, too. She lives in Utah." 

"Oh." Jess blinked. "Wow." 

Mike picked up El's empty ice cream cup and threw it away along with his. He went back over to the table. "I'm going to run to the bathroom. Then we can get going so Hopper won't worry too much."

"Okay." El smiled as he walked away.

"Why would the Chief worry?" Jess asked, brows furrowing.

"He's my dad." El saw Jess's confused look. "Adoptive." 

"Oh." Jess slowly nodded. "Look, I need to ask you a few things before Mike gets back that you can not tell him."

"Um, alright." El said. "Ask away."

"Has Mike mentioned me at all these past few years?" She asked.

El really felt bad because none of the boys had but she didn't want to lie. El bit her bottom lip and twiddled her thumbs. She decided on just telling the truth. "Maybe before I knew them but I've never heard him mention you, sorry."

"It's okay." Jess told El with small smile, though she sounded disappointed. "You can't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you. Especially Mike." 

"Okay..."

"Well, I like him." Jess admitted. "Like a lot. I never dated anyone because I was waiting to come back to him. I think he likes me too and I really want to be with him. I've waited four years for this. So, how should I ask him?"

El raised her eyebrows. "I think you shouldn't ask him." She leaned against the backrest and brought her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs.

"What." Jess said. "Why? I know he likes me. Do you like him?" Her eyebrows shot up and she gasped. "You do! No need to be jealous, El. He likes me and I've known him longer."

El rolled her eyes. "He has a girlfriend, Jess."

Jess's shoulders slumped. "He does?"

"Yup." El popped the 'p'. 

"Who is it?" Jess asked. 

"You're oblivious." El had just learned that word. "Me."

"You?" Jess smiled amusedly. "Sure it is. You're just saying that so I'll back off because you like him."

El rolled her eyes, again. "Fine, think that."

Mike came back from the bathroom. "Ready to go, El?"

El hopped up- no pun intended- quickly. "Yes."

"Alight. Bye, Jess." Mike waved. "See you next week."

"Bye!" Jess waved. She watched as Mike caught up to El and laced his fingers through his. Jess frowned when Mike kissed El's cheek on the way out.

------

"What were you and Jess talking about?" Mike asked when they were walking down the sidewalk.

"You." El laughed. "She asked me how to ask you out."

"Really?" Mike smirked. "And what did you say?"

"That I'm your girlfriend." El replied, kicking a rock away with her foot. "She didn't believe me though. She thinks that I just said that because I like you and I want her to back off because you, apparently, like her."

Mike crossed his arms. "You only like me?"

El wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his. "No, I love you."

El pulled away and held his hand firmly in hers as they walked. "She was right about one thing though."

"Yeah? What's that?" Mike asked, giving her a side glance.

"She does need to back off. You're mine."

Mike laughed.

The End.