Chapter Text
(E)L is for the way you look at me….
It was February 10th and all throughout Hawkins, Indiana, people were getting into the spirit of the upcoming holiday. Downtown was decorated with red and pink decorations, roses were being bought by the dozens, and paper hearts were being cut out in schools.
Those who had significant others were busy making last minute plans for something romantic on the upcoming day; and those in….somewhat complicated relationships…. wondered what to do.
***
El Hopper looked strangely at the decorations she saw at the local market.
“Dad?” she asked her adoptive father, Jim Hopper.
Hopper, who’d been looking over the beer selections, turned to his new daughter. “Yeah?”
“Why is it so...pink in here?”
He grinned. “It’s Valentine’s in a few days, that’s why.”
“Val...in...times? What’s that?”
Jim shook his head as he put a six pack into the cart. “It’s a day where you get something special for someone you like.”
“A friend?”
“Uh, sometimes. But usually it’s for someone really special to you.”
El nodded her head in understanding. “Are you getting one for someone?”
“Just you, kiddo,” he said, ruffling her growing head of hair.
As they continued their grocery shopping, Eleven thought about what Hopper had said; someone you like . It reminded her of the conversation she had had with Mike in the school more than a year ago; he had said that you go to things like the Snow Ball with someone you like.
Was Valentine’s Day for someone like that? She would have to do more investigating.
In another part of town, at Hawkins Middle School, Mike Wheeler was daydreaming in his science class. Not that he didn’t find it interesting; Mr. Clarke was by far his favorite teacher, but he was daydreaming about a certain telekinetic girl.
She had been back for almost four months now, slowly coming out of her shell. Mike was doing his best to ignore the feelings that were stirred up when she’d returned. But with Valentine's Day coming up in a few days he was wondering if he should make some kind of gesture.
He was suddenly brought back to earth when he noticed the room had gotten quiet. He could feel more than a dozen eyes on him. Snapping out of his daze, he sat up and looked at Mr. Clarke, who was looking at him with a patient smile on his face.
“Mike?”
“Uh, y-yes, Mr. Clarke?”
“Is everything okay?”
“Um….yeah?”
“Alright. Then, can you tell us more about what chapter 4 was about?”
“Um, sure.”
“Dude, what happened to you in there?” Dustin asked him as he, Mike, and Lucas walked to their lockers.
“I was just thinking,” Mike told him.
“About what?” Lucas asked.
“Nothing.”
Lucas and Dustin’s eyes met, and they smiled and nodded their heads.
“El,” Lucas said.
“Definitely El,” Dustin said, his grin widening.
Mike sighed. “Just...shut up.”
As they arrived at their lockers, the two boys wouldn’t let up. Finally, Mike gave in.
“I think….I think I want to get her something for Valentine's Day.”
“I knew it!” Dustin exclaimed.
“Get her something, like what?” Lucas asked.
Mike shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe a card or something?”
“Does she even know what Valentine’s Day is?” Dustin asked.
“Probably not,” Mike answered.
“Well, there’s a first time for everything,” Lucas said. “She had her first Christmas, first New Year’s.” Smiling, he said, “Pretty soon she’ll get her first kiss.”
“No, we already….” Mike started, then stopped himself as his face turned beet-red.
“WHAT??!!” Dustin nearly yelled. “You and El….”
Mike sighed loudly. “We kissed, okay? The night she disappeared, when you two went and got pudding….I kissed her.”
“Holy shit ,” Dustin said. “Why didn’t you tell us?”
“Because of how you’re acting right now, Dustin,” Lucas answered for him. Then, to Mike, “So are you two, like, dating and you didn’t want us to know?”
Mike shook his head. “It’s not like that.” He leaned against his locker. “We...we kissed, and we were supposed to go to the Snow Ball. But when she came back, I realized….I don’t think she even knew what it meant ….kissing. And I didn’t want to make her do something she’s not ready for.”
“So, wait, you guys haven’t been sucking face since she got back?” Dustin asked.
Mike shook his head no. “She hasn’t asked about it, or said anything about the Snow Ball, so...she probably doesn’t even remember, or even care.” Suddenly, he looked nervous. “Don’t tell her, okay?”
“About what?” Lucas asked.
“About any of this. About the Snow Ball, or the…”
“Kissing?” Dustin said, a big smile on his face.
“Yeah, that.”
“But I thought you were going to get her a Valentine?”
“Never mind,” Mike said as he grabbed his backpack. “Let’s get out of here.”
As the dismissal bell rang at Hawkins High, Nancy Wheeler walked quickly to her locker. Her plan was to hurry and get what she needed so she could head home without being seen by Steve and his friends. It had been a week since they’d broken up, and so far she had done a good job of avoiding him.
As she got her coat and the books she’d need for the weekend, she turned to go, only to turn right into Steve, which made her drop her books.
“Oh! Nance, I’m sorry,” he said, picking up her books.
“It’s fine,” she said, wanting to get out of there. “It’s fine.”
“Here,” he said, standing back up and handing her her trigonometry textbook.
“Thanks,” she said, putting it securely in the nook of her arm. “I gotta go.”
“Nancy,” he said, smiling. “We’re going to run into each other, it’s a small school.”
“I know, I just... I’ve got to go.” Turning, she quickly walked towards the parking lot.
Unbeknownst to Nancy, Jonathan Byers was sitting in his car in the school parking lot, fiddling with his camera. He’d just gotten out of economics class, and was begrudgingly about to head to work. On the way to his car someone had bumped into him, making his camera fall. He wanted to make sure it still worked.
As he played with the viewfinder, he saw Nancy come out of the school in a hurry. The two of them talked every now and then, but the budding friendship that had began when they were monster-hunting had ebbed away. With his lens, he watched her go to her car, open the door, and fling her backpack inside. Getting behind the wheel, she closed the door and let out a long sigh. Without thinking, Jonathan snapped a picture. Feeling guilty about spying, he put the camera on the passenger seat and walked over to her car.
Her head was against the headrest when he gently knocked on her window, causing her to jump. He gave a little wave.
She rolled down the window. “Hi.”
“Hi. Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m...fine.”
“Oh. I just wanted….” He stopped, as he saw Nancy’s eyes lock on something. Following her gaze, he saw Steve walking out of the school with his friends, as well as a pretty blonde whose waist one of his hands were on. Jonathan glanced back at Nancy, watching her eyes narrow.
He’d heard about their breakup a week ago, but hadn’t talked to her in a while.
“Um….I can go. Sorry to bother you,” he muttered as he turned to leave.
“Wait.”
He stopped, spinning around.
“Did you want something?”
He hesitated, then shook his head. “No. Just saying hi.” He gave her a weak smile, and then walked back to his car.
The three boys were going to hang out in Mike’s basement, but then Lucas had to go home and take care of some chores. So that left Dustin and Mike in the Wheelers’ basement. Will would be over later and although Mike was secretly hoping El would come over, he knew Chief Hopper had the day off and would be spending time with her.
As Mike and Dustin sat in the basement watching Transformers cartoons, Dustin finally spoke.
“You should get her something.”
“What?” Mike, lost in the cartoon, turned to his friend.
“Eleven. You should get her something for Valentine’s Day.”
“Just forget about it, Dustin,” Mike said.
“No, I’m serious. Tell her what Valentine’s Day is, and then give her some flowers or something.”
“What, and embarrass myself?”
“You like her, don’t you?”
Mike fidgeted with his hands. “I guess. I don’t know.”
“Well, she definitely likes you.”
“What’re you talking about?”
“Eleven. I mean, I know she’s one of us now, but clearly she favors you, Mike.”
“She does not.”
Dustin shook his head. “Sometimes you’re really clueless, you know that? She doesn’t hold my hand. When she gets sleepy she doesn’t put her head on Lucas’ shoulder. She doesn’t give Will a hug every time she sees him.”
“That’s ‘cause she barely knows Will.”
“You know what I mean,” Dustin said. “She likes you, Mike. She looks at you like your face is made out of Eggo’s. Step up and get her something.”
There was a knock at the outside door, and Dustin got up to let Will in. Mike sat there, thinking about what his friend had just said.
After an evening of pizza and tv with her dad, Eleven was snuggled up in bed. Tired as she was, she couldn't sleep. She kept thinking about Valentine's Day and Mike. Hopper had said they were for someone special, and she couldn't think of anyone more special to her than Mike (except Hopper). She liked the other boys, but she knew she felt something….different….towards Mike.
Turning in her bed, she sighed. She had more questions, but didn't know who to talk to. Then she remembered...Nancy! On Saturday mornings she went to the Wheelers’ home for tutoring with Nancy. She would ask her tomorrow.
Satisfied, she drifted off to sleep.
A few miles away, Mike was also having a difficult time falling asleep. He kept thinking about El and the things Dustin had said. Did she like him? He definitely liked her, but wasn’t sure the feeling was mutual. Dustin had been right; she didn’t do things like hold hands with the other boys, it was only him.
Well, he told himself, I’ll definitely get her a Valentine’s card. Even he just saw her as a friend, he’d probably still get her a card. As for getting her something else….he still didn’t know about that. He’d have to think about it.