Chapter Text
Dustin lay back onto the dusty old couch in the basement of Mike’s house, sipping a Coke while Mike was arguing with his sister about staying in that night, since she had some date with a guy she refused to identify. Will stayed back home due to an “awkward older brother emergency”, so it was just the four of them, consisting of Lucas, Mike, Eleven, and himself. Apparently, being fourteen wasn’t old enough to handle a night home together, which seemed a bit ridiculous since Nancy was going on a blind date(?), which would probably end in disaster.
“Dude, he should just say we’ll go home so she can just leave. That way we can stay until like, three in the morning, probably,” Lucas said as he lay on the rest of the couch, messing with an unplugged NES controller, visibly bored. Eleven, who rested her head on the new old coffee table(new to the basement, old in age)and sighed, eyes threatening to close.
“Hey, wanna make fun of Mike and how he totally goes all goo goo over El again?” Dustin suggested nonchalantly, though he couldn’t hide his mischievous smile as he pretended to take another sip. Lucas gave him a wicked smile as El raised her head off the table and huffed irritably.
“No, he doesn’t.”
“Eleeeeeeeeveeeeen,” Lucas cooed, his hands clasped to his chest, fluttering his eyes ridiculously fast as he pretended to be a love struck Mike. “Oh please, please kiss me until I can’t breathe! Touch me everywhere! Oh, Eleven, oh!”
“Stop!” Eleven said, her face red as she made a couch pillow slam into Lucas’ face. The two boys giggled stupidly, Lucas’ laughter muffled as the boys lazily continued to tease El. She just rolled her eyes, though the furious blush on her face gave her away.
“God, what a pain in the ass ,” Mike muttered to himself as he made his way down the stairs. Dustin and Lucas kept on snickering, much to Eleven’s dismay.
“Honestly, the crap I go through just to please you jerks. What did you two even want to spend the night for?” Mike said, sitting down on the couch and effectively forcing himself a spot on it. Lucas groaned and dramatically rolled onto the ground, barely missing the coffee table due to Eleven inching it towards her with her foot.
“Eleven, don’t use your powers to save Lucas. He’s much nicer to be around when unconscious,” Mike said teasingly. El shook her head.
“I just used my foot,” She said. “No powers.”
Lucas huffed in mock offense. “I’m not even worth using your powers on? How rude, El.”
“You say that every time she doesn’t to doing something stupid or what you tell her to do, like throwing a PVC pipe into my bike wheel spokes or stealing donuts from Hop,” Dustin said, setting his Coke onto the table. Lucas scowled playfully.
“You just laid me out like that? Dude, you better watch yourself now.”
“Why? I got El to whoop your ass if you try and kick mine,” Dustin said with a smug satisfaction, since they all knew it was true.
“Mike, help me out here,” Lucas pleaded. Mike snorted and shook his head as he walked over to a stack of clean clothes on his washing machine. He took his shirt off, which made Eleven turn away, and tossed it at Lucas’ face before pointing at Dustin in warning. Dustin put his hands up in mock surrender, before sticking his tongue out at him and picking his Coke up again. Lucas pulled the shirt off his face and tossed it back, which Mike caught easily.
“God, what friends I have. At least you care about me, right, El?” Lucas said, standing up and walking over to her before planting himself right next to her. He placed his head on her shoulder and pretended to cry, which caused Dustin to giggle again, and Mike had to try not to laugh himself as he grabbed a clean t-shirt and walked back over to his friends. He ruffled Eleven’s hair on his way to the couch, to which she slapped his hands for and glared at him, where he just laughed and rushed to the couch before three pillows were launched at him.
“Seriously, though, we need to get down to business,” Dustin said, clapping his hand together and standing up. Mike looked at him suspiciously.
“Business? You buggin’, Dustin?”
“Oh my god, don’t ever say that ever again. Don’t say any slang ever again,” Lucas whined. Mike smiled mischievously and sat back.
“Take a chill pill, Lucas. I sound rad, and the fact that you can’t take it is bogus.”
Lucas lifted his head off of El’s shoulder and put his face in his hands.
“Christ, we’ve lost him.”
“Hey. Hey,” Dustin said, snapping his fingers. “Focus on me.”
“What do you want to say, Dusty?” Eleven said sleepily. Dustin perked at the nickname, and rubbed his hands together before holding his arms out like a curly-haired Jesus.
“My brothers, we are gathered here tonight to introduce an innocent sister into the wild, wild, world of the Nerds. As our newest member and friend, it is our responsibility to help her pull of the task of initiation: pulling an all-nighter.”
“Holy shit, dude. This is gonna be wicked,” Lucas said, clapping his hands in excitement. Mike grinned ear to ear.
“We’re going to drink so much Mountain Dew. El, you’ve gotta say yes to the all-nighter. It’s like, the best memory I have from my childhood. You’ll love it, I promise.”
“Uh...Are you sure? Because we all have to get up at ten to take me back home to Papa Hop-”
“Of course I’m sure! These two airheads are the ones who planned it anyways, so we’re all in this together!” Mike said, trying to grab his friends’ heads into his arms, only to have Lucas wriggle out of his hold and tackle him onto the couch. Dustin shook his head as he leaned away from what was turning into a fist fight, and grinned at Eleven.
“You in, El?”
El looked down at the coffee table pensively. She had stayed up all night before, and it wasn’t a pleasant experience; at least, not what she had experienced was. Being forced to stay awake in a soundproof room with Dr. Brenner drilling her with exercises and instructions was hell. But these three were her friends. Maybe this experience would be different, judging by how excited they all were.
Eleven’s thinking was interrupted as she was knocked in the face with a pillow.
“Dude, you just hit your girlfriend!” Lucas laughed, rolling off the couch again as Mike pushed him off. Mike looked at El in both concern and fear, but El just giggled, before shaking her head and smiling at her friends.
“I guess I’m in.”