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“I did something stupid.”
El furrows her brow as she answers the phone only to be met by a characteristically blunt remark.
“You don’t do that,” she hums curiously as she tucks the phone between her ear and her shoulder and continues trying to piece through her math homework.
"I know,” Dustin responds emphatically. “I’m a genius.”
She giggles a little at that and asks, “What did you do?”
“Okay, so, remember how I told Max I’d bake cookies for the picnic tomorrow?”
“Yes,” she nods, closing her textbook and leaning back in her seat; sensing from his tone that this is about to become a very big distraction.
“I don’t know how to bake.”
“Dustin,” she chides.
“I know, but it’s cookies! How hard could it be?”
El frowns, glancing down at her book as she considers her next move. Dustin had been so excited about this picnic. It was his idea, and while most everyone else was hesitant -busy schedules weighing down on their ability to spend time with the Party– it was agreed, eventually, that this would be fun.
“But my mom isn’t gonna be home until later tonight, and Steve can’t bake, and I have no idea what I’m doing, and I can’t find a recipe anywhere.” When El was silent, Dustin continued: “Help me. Please.”
She hums, eyeing her textbook again. She really doesn’t want to go back to doing math. Deep breath in through the nose. “Come over,” she says firmly.
“What?” he asks, seemingly so surprised at being interrupted in his rambling that he isn’t able to catch her intention.
“Come over,” she repeats. “I can help.”
“Can you bake?” he asks a little incredulously.
She pauses in consideration. “...We’ll figure it out.”
Dustin thinks for a minute before deciding that this answer is good enough. “Yeah, okay,” he grins audibly. “Okay, I’ll be over in like ten minutes. See you soon.”
“See you soon,” she agrees. She smiles as he hangs up the phone.
She tries to focus on her homework a bit more, but it seems like barely any time has passed before Dustin is pulling up to the house on his bike. She can see him approaching from her bedroom window and she dashes downstairs to meet him. He meets her at the bottom of the stairs, having let himself in. Most of the party knows by now they needn’t knock if they’re expected.
“Do you know how to bake cookies? I mean, have you ever baked them before?” he asks frantically as she bounds down the steps towards him.
She considers, for a moment, that she could always just try anyways– how hard could it really be, after all? But then she remembers the time that she and Will were entrusted to make dinner by themselves and how unprepared either of them had been for that.
“What kind of cookies?”
“Lucas wanted snickerdoodles.”
El’s not even entirely sure she knows what a snickerdoodle is. She shakes her head slowly. “We’ll figure it out,” she offers confidently. “We can ask someone.”
Generally, when El doesn’t know things, she asks someone in her family; but she’s the only one home today. Jonathan is over at Nancy’s house, Will and Mike are at the movies, and both her parents are at work.
“Yes. We should ask someone for help,” she decides firmly. “My dad is on his lunch break, I think.”
“Sweet, let’s go!”
Dustin has his learner’s permit, just like Lucas. Her, Mike, and Will aren’t there yet, but she and Will have both been driving with Hopper a few times, and she knows that Nancy has been giving Mike lessons. Soon, the days of biking through town together will be over, and it’s difficult to think about. But for now, she and Dustin are racing down the hill on Cornwallis faster than she previously believed possible.
“Race you to the station!” he shouts over the wind rushing around them. El giggles and picks up the pace as she pedals down the hill. Dustin quickly picks up speed behind her.
When they pull up outside, they barely bother with the bike rack, tossing their bikes haphazardly against it as they race in giddily. Flo gives them a stern glare from behind the front desk as they almost run right by her before thinking better of it. “Is Hopper in?” Dustin asks, backpedaling to her desk, attempting to keep his adrenaline in check.
“He’s eating lunch,” she answers, shaking her head a bit dismissively, but with a fond smile. “You two getting into trouble?”
“No,” El answers. “We need to talk to him.”
“Go on in,” she waves.
When they open the door, El’s excited to see not one, but both of her parents on the other side.
“Hi, guys,” Joyce smiles from where she’s seated on Hopper’s desk, textbook in her lap and sandwich in hand. She’s started taking classes at the community college, and while she’s home a bit less, El likes that they can study together.
“Hey, kids,” the chief says, mouth full of his own lunch. Joyce nudges his shoulder, and he swallows before continuing. “What’s up?”
“We need to make snickerdoodle cookies,” Dustin states, placing his palms down on the desk emphatically.
“You guys know how, right?” El asks.
Hopper pulls a mystified face. Joyce hums a laugh. “I do, but my lunch break is about to end and I need to get back to the store soon. But I think Mike’s mom might have a recipe. Maybe you guys can stop by the Wheelers’ and ask.”
“Got it,” Dustin grins. “Thanks!” He grabs El’s hand and practically drags her out of the room before she has a chance to hug her parents goodbye. She doesn’t mind, though; his enthusiasm is making her giggle the whole way out, and Joyce and Hopper seem just as amused as she is.
They don’t race this time, riding a bit more leisurely towards Maple Street. “I like when it gets warm out,” El says, taking in the scenery around them. “Winter bugs me.”
“I like warm weather too,” Dustin agrees. “My allergies act up in spring though.”
“I know,” she chuckles a little. He chuffs a laugh before turning back ahead, eyes on the road as they make their way towards Mike’s house.
When they ring the doorbell, it’s Jonathan who answers. “Oh, hey, guys. You need something? Mike’s not here right now.”
“We’re not looking for him,” Dustin assures him quickly. “Joyce said that Mrs. Wheeler has a snickerdoodle recipe. We need it.”
Nancy steps into the doorway behind him. “You’re making cookies?”
“Yes,” El answers excitedly. “For the picnic tomorrow.”
“Oh, right. Mike’s really excited about that. Don’t tell him I told you, though; he wants to act cool,” she smiles, rolling her eyes.
“We’re making snickerdoodles,” Dustin informs her. “Do you have the recipe?”
“Yeah! Here, let me go find it, you guys come in.”
They step inside the house as Jonathan nods at them and returns to the couch and Nancy heads towards the kitchen. Despite having seen the inside of Mike’s house many, many times, El can’t help the temptation to wander. It’s been a while since she’s been back here, and that fact is somewhat unfathomable to her. She remembers when her entire world was little more than this house.
She makes her way down the hallway, and stops to stare at the pictures of Mike and Nancy, following them through infancy, toddlerhood, and early childhood.
“Mike looked so weird as a baby,” Dustin jokes.
El smiles sadly. “I don’t have baby pictures,” she remarks.
Dustin gives a sympathetic nod. “I’m sure you were a cute baby.”
Her smile gets a little brighter. “I’m sure you were a cute baby.”
“Oh, you bet I was a cute baby!” he grins and waggles his eyebrows a little. “The cutest. I mean, come on, I’m the cutest now, aren’t I?”
The ridiculous look on his face causes her to start to laugh, pressing her lips together to prevent herself from cracking up. He’s not making it easy; in fact he seems to be trying to make her laugh, given that he’s still wiggling his eyebrows. She can’t help the fit of giggles that erupts out of her.
“Well, here,” Nancy interrupts, emerging from the kitchen with a folded piece of paper. “This is the recipe I used last time I made ‘em.”
“Those turned out terrible,” Jonathan blanches from the other room. Nancy shoots him a glare, but El remembers the last time Nancy made cookies, and she agrees with Jonathan.
Dustin, however, seems to welcome her help much more eagerly. “They weren’t that bad,” he dismisses. “Besides, now we’ll know what not to do.”
Nancy rolls her eyes with a slight smile. “Have fun,” she tells them, breezing back into the living room.
“Thanks Nancy!” They both shout in unison as they rush out the door, excited at the new development in their quest. The race back to El’s house goes by quickly and ends with them both crowing gleefully as they throw their bikes onto the lawn and stumble inside.
Dustin makes a mad dash for the kitchen as soon as he enters, though El at least takes the few seconds to kick her shoes off at the door before hurrying after him. There’s no one else home when they get in, so they have plenty of time to bake by themselves.
“Okay,” he starts excitedly, pacing around the kitchen. “Let’s gather the ingredients!”
“What does the recipe say?” she asks, turning towards the fridge as Dustin reaches into his pocket for the paper.
Dustin checks the typewritten list of ingredients. “Crisco.”
El turns from the fridge and moves toward the pantry.
Dustin continues: “There is a note off to the side that says ‘TASTES BETTER WITH BUTTER’- but Crisco doesn’t need to sit out to get to room temperature.” El sets the container down on the counter and promptly heads back to the pantry when Dustin reads, “Sugar. Then two eggs and a tablespoon of milk- I’ll get those.”
“Okay,” El hefts the bag of sugar to the counter and sets it down, asking, “What next?”
“Preheat oven to 375 degrees,” Dustin says, now searching a cabinet for a medium size bowl. He quietly whoops in victory when he finds the bowl required.
“Okay,” Dustin plants the bowl on the table. “Crisco, sugar, eggs, milk... oh, and vanilla extract. And then we need a smaller bowl for the dry ingredients. We're gonna combine all the wet ingredients in one bowl, all the dry in another, and then mix the dry into the wet.”
El peers over Dustin’s shoulder to look at the recipe. She’s surprised at how simple it seems. She was so used to microwave meals; she thought that using an oven would be complicated. It’s not too bad, she thinks to herself as she collects the flour, salt, and baking soda. It’s pretty fun, actually, especially when she’s doing it with Dustin.
El starts mixing the wet ingredients together, and Dustin sifts in the flour mixture with scientific precision as El continues stirring.
Once El’s arm gets tired, Dustin takes over mixing. “Oh, but-” El protests as he picks up the spatula. He holds the bowl against his chest as he stirs so she won’t take it from him. He tilts his head, suggesting a challenge.
“I could use my powers,” she points out, “or switch to my other arm.”
“We’re doing this together though, right?” He smiles. “I mean, unless you want to have, y’know, achy arms at the picnic tomorrow. Or a headache,” he adds teasingly.
He has a point. El doesn’t usually get headaches after using her powers for little things, but she would be silly not to let him mix the ingredients. This whole thing was his idea, after all.
“That’s fair,” she concedes. “I guess I’ll mix together the cinnamon and sugar.”
So she does, and together they roll the balls of cookie dough in the cinnamon/sugar mixture.
With the cookies in the oven, all there is left to do is wait and lick the spatula clean.
The sound of the front door unlatching is followed by Joyce calling out, “I’m home!” El and Dustin head down the hall to greet her. “How are the cookies?” she asks with a smile.
“They’re almost done,” El nods excitedly.
“Great!” Joyce beams proudly. “They smell really good.” Then she asks, “Are you staying for dinner, Dustin?”
Dustin, already on his way to the living room where the phone is, calls out, “Yeah, I just need to call my mom!”
El likes how Dustin makes himself at home wherever he is; at all of his friends’ houses, he seems to blend seamlessly into the environment, learning his way around quickly and not being afraid to take up space.
She thinks Joyce finds it charming too, if her knowing smile is anything to go off of. Dustin may be in the habit of making himself at home everywhere, but he’s been spending a lot of time in the Hopper-Byers household lately. She isn’t one to complain– none of them have been; everyone seems to enjoy his company. Even Hopper, though a little begrudgingly, has really seemed to start liking him.
El realizes now that she and Mike weren’t meant to be together, and her dad knew it. As for Dustin, though, Hopper actually likes Dustin, almost as if he can tell that Dustin would be good for her. Not as a boyfriend, El corrects herself, blinking a little in surprise. Sure, Dustin and Suzie broke things off last summer, but- El hasn’t thought about dating ever since her second-and-final breakup with Mike. She sees Dustin in the other room holding up the phone receiver to his ear. Dustin turns, meets her eye with a smile, and gives her a thumbs up. No, not as a boyfriend… unless?
El shakes her head at the thought and moves to take the cookies out of the oven. They look delicious, and smell even better. As she sets the tray on the counter, her mom asks, “Ooh, can I taste test?”
Dustin returns from the living room and gives Joyce a stern look. Joyce quips, “Quality control!” with a playful shrug. She turns to El for backup, and El can’t help but smile back.
“I thought it was 'dinner first, then dessert'.” El recalls.
“Oh, that? That’s Hop’s rule.” She flippantly waves a hand, then takes on a penitent air. “But you’re absolutely right, Dustin. These cookies are for the picnic tomorrow. I completely understand if you won’t let me have any.”
“Oh-kay, fine, you can have one ,” Dustin relents. Joyce cheerfully plucks a cookie from the tray. Dustin turns to El and rolls his eyes.
“Your mom said yes?” El asks Dustin.
“Yep.” The two smile at each other.
“Jonathan was supposed to pick up beef for spaghetti tonight. I’m surprised he’s not back yet,” Joyce frowns. “Well, I guess I can get the water boiling.” She eats the last bite of her cookie and gets a pot to fill with water. “This really is delicious, I’m impressed!” she calls over the sound of the running tap.
Just as El is searching for a container big enough to store the remaining 17 cookies, Jonathan walks through the front door with Will tagging behind him. “Sorry I’m late,” Jonathan says, brandishing a shopping bag. “Steve came over, and me and Nancy just completely lost track of time.” He smiles bashfully. “Anyway, here’s the ground beef, Mom, as requested.” He sets it on the counter, away from the cookies. “Those smell really good, by the way.”
“These are for the picnic, right?” Will asks Dustin.
“Yep! Best cookies you’ll ever eat. Your mom approved.”
El sets down a Tupperware bowl on the counter beside the cookie sheet. “Let’s pack them for tomorrow.” No sooner than Dustin and El snap the lid to the bowl closed, Hopper gets home, just in time for dinner.
Will and El quickly set the table and Dustin helps Jonathan by getting out the parmesan cheese and a couple of sides.
They all sit down to eat and chat about the day.
“How was the movie, Will?” El asks.
“It was great,” Will nods. “Also, sorry I couldn’t help you with your math homework earlier. Did you finish it?”
“Uh…” El had forgotten all about her homework. “I’m saving it for later.” She takes a sip of her water.
Will splutters. “El, it’s due on Monday.”
Dustin pipes in, “You do homework at the last minute too, Will.”
“Well, yeah, but…” Will thinks for a moment, falling silent, then stabs his fork into his spaghetti and resumes eating obstinately. Dustin and El exchange an exaggeratedly long glance, then look back at Will, who simultaneously looks up at them with a playful twinkle in his eye. They all burst into peals of laughter.
The rest of the meal goes by quietly. Dustin thinks about how much of a mad scramble the beginning of the day had been. He had been so unprepared to make cookies for tomorrow’s picnic, but then El had been so ready to help, so earnest in her intentions and so committed to carrying the plan through. Her company always manages to brighten up his day, Dustin thinks fondly. He’s glad to have her on his team.
Once everyone is done eating, they all stand up and take their dishes to the sink. Saturday is El’s night to do the dishes and clean up the kitchen. It’s not her favorite chore, so she’s glad when Dustin stays a little longer to help her clean up. “Since we worked together to make this mess, it’s really the least I can do,” he says, bumping his shoulder into hers as they survey the crowded sink.
While doing dishes, they talk, making the work go by quickly. Dustin washes each dish and hands it off for El to dry. Suddenly El asks, “You and Suzie- you are friends now, right? Not dating?”
Dustin hadn’t expected El to ask him this. “Yeah,” he answers assuredly. “Like you and Mike.”
El tilts her head and almost says something, but thinks against it. “Okay,” she nods slowly, drying a dish. “Have you thought about dating again?” she asks carefully before setting the newly-dried plate aside.
Dustin’s heart skips a beat. He isn’t sure if he understands what she means; he wants clarification on both their ends, but he doesn’t want to scare her off. He straightens his spine like Steve trained him and tries to put on a cool, low voice. “Did you have someone in mind?” Well, it ended up coming out somewhere between ‘smooth jazz’ and ‘soothing a wild animal’, but it’ll have to do.
El feels her face turn pink, and she’s grateful that they’re having this conversation while doing chores; her face is turned toward the utensils she’s drying, so she’s sure Dustin can’t see that she’s blushing. “No. I was just curious.”
They finish up the dishes pretty quickly after that. El escorts Dustin to the front door to say goodbye, and right when the precise moment arrives, she finds that the words aren’t quite coming. The silence stretches for a second longer before it’s broken.
“Alright! Well, um,” Dustin claps his hands together, hovering in the doorframe. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he enthuses, “at the picnic!”
There’s her boy, El thinks, always serving up a smile. She crosses her wrists shyly. “See you tomorrow, Dustin.”
He tips his baseball cap to her -a gesture she doesn’t think she’s ever seen before- then hops on his bike and rides off.
El can’t wait for tomorrow.