Mileven is End Game

[valtsv]

fanfiction is kind of incredible if you think about it. it's like i love this fictional character/relationship so much that i wrote a story that is also a love letter that is also a thesis about it.

[milevenisendgame]

It had been 32 days since the most important person in his life had packed up and moved away with her new family, to a new home, in a new town, in an entirely different state. And he was counting down the days until he would see her again. 32 days down, 20 more days to go. He could do this.

But he really wished he could see her today.

It had been two years to the day since they first met. She wasn’t who he was looking for in the woods that night, but nevertheless, he found her. She was cold and alone and terrified, wearing only a t-shirt as the pouring rain dripped from her. He gave her the coat off his back without hesitation and rushed her back to his home where he gave her warm clothes and food, and a safe place to sleep. And in the course of a week, although he hadn’t realized it yet, he had fallen in love with her. And it broke his heart when she had to say goodbye.

After she disappeared, he called out to her every night for 353 days, just hoping for any kind of sign that she was still out there somewhere; that she was okay. And just when he’d begun to lose hope, she quite literally walked back into his life. And right then and there, she saved him in more ways than he could ever express to her.

The anniversary of the day they met was three days later, and he couldn’t help thinking of it as *their* anniversary. And after nearly a year without her, he didn’t want to waste another second.

He biked over to the cabin where she was living straight after school that day, and he asked her to be his girlfriend. Officially. And she made him the happiest guy in the world when she said yes.

He wished he could just jump on his bike and go visit her now, but he would have to love her from afar this year. God, he missed her…

And that was how he found himself biking back to the place that started it all; Mirkwood.

He stashed his bike away at the entrance of the woods just like he had two years ago, and he wandered into the thicket until he came to the place where they first met. He pulled out the swiss army knife he’d gotten from his dad last Christmas and got to work. When he was finished, there was a heart carved into a tree with “Mike + El” carved inside, and “11-7-83” underneath it.

Mike smiled, admiring his work. “Happy Anniversary, El,” he said out loud. “I miss you.”

As he made his way back to his bike, he decided he wasn’t going to tell El about the tree carving. At least, not yet. He was sure the phone call he was going to make to her later that night plus the gifts he’d already sent her in the mail would make her more than happy on their anniversary.

The tree carving would have to wait until Christmas. El was coming to visit, and he already couldn’t wait to surprise her with it.

Spoiler alert… she loves it.

[milevenisendgame]

I am trying not find information on Mileven Week 2020, but I can’t find anything? Can anyone help?

[sro-dulv]

Finn: 😍😍❤️😍 Bill Hader 🥺😍❤️❤️😍😍

Bill: THAT ASSHOLE FINN

[11byers]

Remember the hurt. The hurt is good.

[milevenisendgame]

They left us so utterly broken. 🥺

The song “Right Here Waiting” by Richard Marx released in 1989, but let’s pretend it was 1985, because I can’t think of a more perfect song for our Mileven babies after that season 3 ending.

#strangerthings #strangerthings3 #strangerthings4 #mikewheeler #eleven #mileven #finnwolfhard #milliebobbybrown

[diegoandor-deactivated20171220]

Chapter One: MADMAX

The thing is, nobody normal ever accomplished anything meaningful in this world.

[eriicmatthews]

[milevenisendgame]

I Don’t Know

Hi guys, if anyone even sees this!  It’s Cara from mileven.is.endgame over on instagram.  I’ve had this tumblr forever, but I didn’t really know how to use it.  I”m going to try to start being more active over here.

If anyone has any tips, please feel free to share!

I love Stranger Things.  I love Mileven.  I love Mike Wheeler.  And I really like to write, and I’m not looking for sympathy here, but I don’t think I’m very good at it.  But damnit, I want to get better!

Please do me a favor?  If you see this, can you give it a like, just so I can see how many people are actually seeing it?  Thanks!

Now I’m off to stalk my friends tumblrs and other people’s tumblrs that I like in an attempt to try and get a better feel for this world. :)

-cara

[tibby]

MIKE WHEELER in Stranger Things 3

[wells-graham]

we’re not kids anymore. 

[jxpper]

you have a wound, Eleven. a terrible, terrible wound. and it’s festering.

[milevenisendgame]

The Seventh of November

This is a day Jim Hopper never thought he would see.  This is a day that he would sometimes think about, and what could have been, and how it would simply never be.   It was a day, like so many others, that was stolen from him.  Just like she was stolen from him.

He would never teach her how to ride a bike without training wheels, or to drive a car.  He wouldn’t get to see her off to her first date or her high school prom.  (Nor would he experience the great amusement of watching whatever pesky teenage boy squirm as he arrived to pick her up, finding her police officer dad sitting quite comfortably at the Hopper dining table while polishing his guns.)  He wouldn’t get to see her walk across the stage on graduation day to receive her high school diploma.  Nor college.  He would never walk her down the aisle on her wedding day to give her away to a man she grew up to love almost more than anyone.  (But never more than she loved him.  That wasn’t possible.)  Except he wished it waspossible.

But it wasn’t.

Jim Hopper would never see his daughter do any of those things because she was stolen from him.  A black hole called cancer took her life away at the tender and innocent age of just seven.  It had broken him to his core, and there were days where he had nearly given up himself, days where he wished he’d have gone with her.  But life had other plans for Jim Hopper.

It all started on November 7, 1983, when a frantic, chain smoking Joyce Byers showed up in his office at the Hawkins Police Station.  Her 12 year old son, Will, had gone missing; he’d never come home the night before. Jim didn’t take it so seriously at first; boys will be boys, and Jim was sure he’d turn up eventually.  Except he didn’t.

No.  Not again.  Not another kid.  

Once upon a time back in their high school days, Jim and Joyce were very close.  Life happened and they drifted apart throughout the years; they both grew up, got married, had children, divorced.

But if Jim knew anything about Joyce Byers, he knew she was a good person, and a damn good mother; a fierce, protective mother.  And now her son was missing.  Jim lost his little girl, and he was not about to sit back and watch Joyce lose her boy.

Not Joyce.

Jim would not rest until he found Will Byers safe and well, because he would be damned if another kid died on his watch.  Not again.

Little did he know his life was about to change forever.

And that change came in the form of a little girl called Eleven. A little girl that Will’s little friends had found and rescued in the woods while they snuck out to search for him.  A little girl with telekinetic powers who saved all their asses and helped them find Will once and for all.  A little girl who needed to be saved herself.  A little girl who needed a father.  A real father.

And it just so happened, Jim Hopper needed a daughter.

El changed everything.  She gave him a purpose.  She gave him a reason to smile again.  And little by little, she gave him back all those days he never thought he’d see.

He was there for El’s first day of high school.  Her first day of school ever.  He was there to see her off before every school dance, and much to his own surprise, he behaved himself and always kept his guns away.  He beamed with pride and cried tears of joy when she walked across the stage at Hawkins High School and received the diploma that she earned through sweat, blood, and tears.  And once more just four short years later when she earned her college degree.

And El was there for him, too.  A few short months after she started school, she was there to help Jim get ready for his first official date with Joyce.  She was there again along with Will and his older brother Jonathan when Jim and Joyce sat them all around a dinner table and announced their impending marriage.  She was standing at the altar on their wedding day, joyful tears streaming down her face and tempting to ruin her carefully done make-up as the Byers and Hopper families became one.  Jim attributed all of his newfound happiness to El; it all began with her.  She would never replace the little girl Jim lost, but she certainly filled a void in Jim’s heart; she took that hole and filled it with love, laughter, pride and happiness.

When El came into Jim’s life, she was already a packaged deal with Michael Wheeler, one of Will Byers’ friends who found her in the woods that night back on November 7, 1983.  It was Mike who’d taken her home and hid her in his basement for a week, Mike who’d clothed and fed her, Mike who protected her, Mike who’d given her a proper name.

“Well, my name’s Mike.  Short for Michael.  Maybe we can call you El?  Short for Eleven?”

And from then on out, she was El.  Mike’s El.  She was his before she was ever Jim’s, and although he’d never admit it when the kids were younger, especially in the years of raging teenage hormones, Jim was eternally grateful to Mike for saving the cold, scared little girl in the woods in 1983 and bringing her into his life.

It was early in the morning before dawn at the Byers-Hopper house.  The kids were all home for Christmas break from their junior year of college.  El was still in bed, but Mike couldn’t sleep.   Instead, he ended up downstairs at the kitchen table having coffee with Jim.

“Listen, when you’re ready to propose, don’t come asking for my permission.  That choice is hers.  But we both know she’s going to say yes.  So just do me a favor, will ya?  Let me know before you’re going to do it, yeah?”

The kid went wide-eyed and choked on the coffee he was sipping, but smiled as he cleared his throat and quickly recovered.

“Yeah… Yeah, Hop, of course.  I promise.”

And as expected, the kid was true to his word.

The fall after they graduated college, Jim Hopper walked down the aisle with his little girl, his beautiful, strong, brave little girl, the little girl who quite literally gave him his life back after so much loss and pain, and he happily gave her hand to the boy, no, to the young man who made it all possible.  Jane Eleanor Hopper, her legal name after the forged adoption, became Jane Eleanor Wheeler, Mrs. Michael Theodore Wheeler, or if you asked her, just El.  El Wheeler.

Jim couldn’t have been more proud.

Until now.

It was November again, many years after the events of 1983.

With his beautiful wife by his side, her dainty little hand held in his large gruff one, they walked down the long sterile hallway until they reached their destination. “Room 315. This is it!” Joyce said as she beamed up at him.

Jim took a deep breath and attempted to rub the sleep from his eyes; it had been a long drive from Hawkins.

“Are you ready?” asked Joyce, her pretty brown eyes full of encouragement and understanding, just as always.

“Yeah,” Jim smiled down at her, giving her hand an affectionate squeeze. “I’m ready.”

Joyce grinned and tapped on the door in front of them. A few short moments later, it opened to reveal a tall lanky young man with a mop full of dark hair on the other side. “Mike, sweetie!” Joyce exclaimed as she wrapped her son-in-law up in a warm embrace.

“Hey, Joyce!” he squeezed back, and nodded to Jim, “Hey Hop! Thanks for coming, guys.”

“Are you kidding?” Jim snorted. “Where else would we be?”

Mike didn’t say anything back as Joyce released him, but the huge grin on his face and the hint of a twinkle in his eyes told Jim everything he needed to know. He knew that look. He knew it very well.  He had seen it reflecting back at him for many years now.

“C’mere, kid,” Jim said as he pulled his son-in-law close for a hug himself, seemingly taking the younger man by surprise. But Mike was hugging him back automatically, and when the two men separated, Mike said, “Come on, guys. There’s someone who would love to meet you.”

Jim and Joyce followed Mike through the door where they found El sitting up in a hospital bed, cradling a soft yellow bundle close to her chest. The most beautiful dimpled smile stretched across her face as she beamed up at the three of them. Her skin was absolutely radiant and glowing.  She looked like the epitome of happiness. “Hi, Dad. Hi, Mom,” she cooed to them.

“Hey, kid,” Jim said softly, smiling so big his face was hurting. “You look so good, honey. So happy.”

“I am,” she said, still smiling. Then she looked over at Mike who had joined her and was now sitting on the edge of her hospital bed. “We all are.”

Jim watched as Mike placed a sweet kiss to his daughter’s temple, and in the next instant, they were both staring down in awe at the tiny yellow bundle still cradled up against El’s chest. It moved! And in that moment, both Jim and Joyce released matching audible gasps, Jim squeezing his wife’s hand, Joyce placing her free hand over jaw-dropped mouth.

El and Mike looked up at them.

“Would you like to hold her?” El asked sweetly.

Jim couldn’t find his voice, but good thing for him, Joyce always knew just what to say.

“We would love to, sweetie,” Joyce cooed to her daughter before looking over to her husband. “But please, Dad first.”

“Come on Grandpa, get over here,” called Mike, making both El and Joyce erupt in quiet giggles.

Jim rolled his eyes, but he could feel the smile curling onto his lips in spite of himself.

Grandpa. That was going to take some getting used to.

Jim and Joyce made their way over to the two chairs that were directly next to El’s bed. “Are you ready to meet Grandpa and Grandma Hopper, little one?” El softly cooed to the sweet little bundle cradled in her arms. And then she gave the tiny bundle to Mike who pressed a gentle kiss atop her little head before placing her in Jim’s arms. “This is your Grandpa,” he cooed to his baby girl.

Mike joined El once more, sitting on the edge of her bed, both of them smiling brightly as they watched their daughter being held by her grandfather for the very first time.

Joyce was sitting right next to him, their knees touching due to the close proximity. She leaned over Jim’s shoulder to gaze down at the baby girl, both of them absolutely mesmerized by her and taking her all in.

She had El’s cute little button nose and a head full of silky soft hair almost as dark as Mike’s. She had El’s eyes, too. Bright eyes that were looking right up at him. And Jim Hopper was done for. “Alright. You got me. I’m wrapped around your little finger already, little girl.”

Mike and El shared a chuckle.

“Just like her Mommy,” Joyce added.

“Always,” Jim said as he looked over at El and caught her eye, the smile she gave him in return absolutely radiating with happiness and admiration.

“She’s so beautiful,” Jim said, looking down at the baby girl and then back up to her parents. “You guys did good.”

El turned to Mike. “We did, didn’t we?” she asked him as a playful grin danced upon her lips.

“Yeah, we did,” Mike replied and rubbed his nose against hers in a sweet Eskimo kiss.

“So,” said Joyce, still fawning over the little one nuzzled in her husband’s arms, “does this beautiful baby girl have a name?”

“Yeah,” Jim added. “Are you finally ready to tell us this top secret name so that I have something to call my granddaughter?”

“Oh, please!” El chortled. “You’re just going to call her, ‘hey, kid’ for the rest of her life anyway.”

Mike nodded in agreement with his wife, shit-eating grin and all.

“Yeah, yeah,” Jim said with a roll of his eyes. “Let’s hear it!” And after a beat, he cooed to his new granddaughter, “What did Mommy and Daddy saddle you with, huh?”

“Jim!” Joyce reprimanded, “I’m sure it’s a lovely name.”

And boy, was she right.

Jim gave his wife a wink before focusing his attention on his daughter and son-in-law across from him.

The new parents were smiling at each other, sharing all knowing looks. They’ve known her name since the very beginning, but they never told another living soul aside from each other. Not even Will or the rest of those kids they referred to as “The Party” while growing up.

“It’s a surprise!” El had told him at the gender reveal party Karen Wheeler had insisted on throwing for them over the summer. “You’ll like it. I promise.”

And if there was one thing El always did, she kept her promises.

Thank you very much, Mike Wheeler.

“Dad,” El interrupted his train of thought, “We’d like to officially introduce you to your granddaughter.” She looked over at Joyce. “Mom, you too.”

She paused and glanced over at Mike beside her, all bright smiles and love and happiness written all over both of their faces before she spoke again.

“We’re so excited for Sara Teresa Wheeler to finally meet her grandparents.”

Jim’s eyes grew wide and he felt his breath hitch. His throat closed up and he couldn’t remember how to speak. Before he knew it, there were silent tears running down both of his cheeks. El’s eyes were glistening, too, as well as Mike’s and Joyce’s. There was not a dry eye in the room aside from the ones belonging to the sweet precious baby girl that had now fallen asleep in his arms.

“S... S... Sara?”

“Yes,” El nodded, a single tear escaping from her eye and running down her cheek. “Sara for the daughter that was taken from you, and Teresa for the mother who never even got to hold me.” El let out a light breathy sob, but still managed to smile. Mike immediately wrapped his arms around her and placed a kiss to the top of her head for comfort.

“Do you like it?” she asked, still held tightly in Mike's embrace, her big brown doe eyes glistening, full of hope and seeking approval.

Did he like it? Jim more than liked it, and he had just been reduced to an absolutely trashy puddle of emotions.

“I’m so honored,” he said, smiling through his tears. “I love it. And I love you,” he said to El, before looking over to Mike, “I love ALL of you, and I’m so proud. Look what you did!” He lowered his gaze to the little sleeping beauty cradled safely in his arms. “You made me a Grandpa,” he whispered, eyes still on Sara.

“We did,” El said to Mike who ghosted the faintest of blushes on his pale cheeks before pressing his forehead against El’s and smiling at her lovingly.

Jim ever so gently handed Sara over to Joyce, kissing both of his girls on their foreheads before going to El and Mike and wrapping his arms around them both.

“Thank you so much. This is the happiest, proudest day of my life.”

And it was. It really, truly was.

[milevenisendgame]

Dear Mike | To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

Dear Mike,

You found me in the rain.  It was dark, cold, and scary.  You and your friends looked just about as scared of me as I was of you.  I wasn't the lost boy you were looking for and they wanted to leave me behind, but you wouldn't let them.  You gave me the jacket off of your back even though it was pouring, and you took me home.

You took me to your home.

I'd never had a home before... But you took me to yours and made one especially for me.  You took me to the basement with pillows and blankets and you built a fort for me to sleep in.  It was warm, and for the first time in my life, I felt safe.

You were shocked when I told you my name was Eleven.  And then you told me your name was Mike; short for Michael.  When you asked if you could call me El, I said yes.  I went my entire life before you without a name.  Before, I was just a number.  But you, Michael Wheeler... You changed everything.

In just one week with you, you showed me true kindness and human compassion unlike anything I'd ever known before in my life.

You gave me a home where I could be safe.  You gave me fresh clothes to keep me warm.  You gave me food that my weak body so desperately needed.  You gave me a real name of my very own: El.

Your El.  Always your El.

I love hearing you talk; the sound of your voice is one of my very favorite things.  I love how excited you still get every time you explain something I don't understand.  You taught me what it means to be a friend.  You taught me what it means to make a promise.  And with each new thing you taught me, are still teaching me,  you always go into great detail and have never once lost your patience with me.

I love how you always keep your promises.  You said one day I'd have a bed of my own and all the real food I could want and people to take care of me.   And even though it's not how you expected it to turn out,  I have all of those things now.  I have my own bed and my own clothes.  I eat three meals a day and all the Eggos I could want.  And I have Hop and Joyce and all of our friends, but most importantly, Mike, I have you.

You called me every night for 353 days just hoping to hear my voice; hoping I was okay. You never gave up on me.

You promised me the Snow Ball.  You kept your word. We went.  You kissed me.

You found me in the rain and you SAVED me, Mike.  You saved me.

Everything good in my life is because of you.

I love you.  Forever. I promise.

Love always,

Your El

[alexstewartts-deactivated201812]

I told you Bill. I fucking told you. I don’t wanna die. It’s your fault. You punched me in the face, you made me walk through shitty water, you brought me to a fucking crackhead house, and now… I’m gonna have to kill this fucking clown. Welcome to the Losers Club asshole!

[patriciawalkerd-deactivated2020]

1.08 // 2.08

[milevenisendgame]

A Normal Life | Chapter 3:  A Promise Kept

Chapter Selection: [1][2]-3-

________________________________________________

“Now listen,” Pop began, “I know you’re excited, but remember;  it’s just for one night.  Just one.”

I sighed and closed my eyes, exhaling deeply.  “Just one night,” I whispered.

“I’m sorry, El.  I know it’s not what you were hoping to hear.  I know another year is a long time to wait, but...”

“But we need to be safe,” I interrupted him.

He sighed and gave me a warm smile.  “Yes.  Nothing is more important to me than keeping you safe, kid.  That, and your happiness.”

I smiled.  “I’m happy.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Halfway happy?”

“More than halfway happy.”  And I meant it.  

“C’mere, kid.”  Pop pulled me into a tight hug and kissed the top of my head.  “Thanks for being so understanding.  I know this last year hasn’t been the easiest, but it wasn’t so bad, huh?  We’ll get through this next one in no time.”

I nodded as Pop let go of me.  “I’ll be right back,” he said before walking away and disappearing through the front door of our cozy little cabin.

I walked over to the couch and took a seat, hugging my knees to my chest.  I could tell just how much he hated breaking this news to me.  Dr. Owens had agreed to help me live a “normal” life after Pop and I rescued him and closed the gate, but he said it would take some time.  The first step was my new Birth Certificate that Pop brought home just yesterday.  And now, I would be granted one night out; one very special night of freedom.  But for the next year, I had to play it safe.  Pop was right;  I didn’t want to hear that I’d have to wait one more year until I could leave this cabin or even step foot outside whenever I pleased.  I didn’t want to wait one more year to go to school.  I didn’t want to wait one more year until I could see my friends whenever I wanted.  But for this one night out, I’d wait forever.

My thoughts suddenly trailed back to more than a year ago.  It was late at night.    Pop and Joyce had taken the boys and I to Hawkins’ Middle School.  They built a sensory deprivation tank for me in the school’s gymnasium using an old wading pool and 1,500 pounds of salt.  I had just made contact with Will, who was still alive in the upside down, but just barely hanging on.  Pop and Joyce rushed off to Hawkins’ Lab to find him before it was too late, leaving the boys and I at the school where they thought we’d be safe.  

_____________________________________________________

“Miiiiiike, I found the chocolate pudding!” Dustin shouted from inside the school cafeteria’s kitchen, his voice cracking.

“OKAY!” Mike shouted back angrily before turning to me.  We were seated at a table inside the cafeteria.  His expression softened as he asked, “Are you feeling any better?”

I shrugged.  “What’s... put-ing?”

“Pudding... it’s this... this chocolate goo you eat with a spoon.”  Mike frowned.  “Don’t worry.  When all this is over, you won’t have to keep eating junk food and left overs like a dog anymore.  My mom... she’s a pretty awesome cook!  She can make you whatever you like.”  He smiled.

“Eggos?”

“Well, yeah, eggos, but... real food, too.  See, I was thinking... once this is all over and Will comes back and you’re not a secret anymore, my parents can get you an actual bed for the basement... or you can take my room if you want, since I’m down there all the time anyways.  My point is, they’ll take care of you.  They’ll be like your new parents.  And Nancy, she’ll be like your new sister...”

“Will you be like my brother?”

“What?” Mike frowned again and shook his head.  “No.”

“Why no?”

“Because... ‘cause it’s different.”

“Why?”

“Well, I mean.  I don’t know.  I guess it’s stupid.”  Mike’s voice trailed off, and he looked down at the ground.

“Mike?”

“Yeah?” He brought his eyes back to me.

“Friends don’t lie.”

“Well,” he hesitated, “I was thinking... I don’t know.... Maybe we could go to the Snow Ball together?”

“Snow Ball?”

“It’s this cheesy school dance where you go in the gym and dance to music and stuff.  I’ve never been, but I know you’re not supposed to go with your sister.”

“No?”

“I mean, you can but... it’d be really weird.  You go to school dances with someone, that, you know... Someone that you... like...”

“A friend?”

Mike shook his head.  “Not a friend, uh...uh... someone like a...”

And that was when he leaned in and kissed me for the first time.  My first kiss ever...

_____________________________________________________

The events that happened right after that are very sad, painful memories that I would much rather forget.  But despite how awful that night turned out,  I never once forgot how special I felt when Mike Wheeler gave me my first kiss, or how he asked me to be his date to the cheesy school dance called the “Snow Ball.”

My thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of the cabin’s door creaking open, followed by Pop’s heavy boot steps on the hardwood floor.  He slammed the door shut behind him and locked the latches. He carried a small brown box in his arms and took it over and placed it on our dining table.

“What’s in the box?” I asked.

“This is a surprise.  Kind of.  It’s mostly for you.”  He pulled the contents out of the box and sat them on the table as well.  It was green and shiny, and it looked familiar, but I couldn’t quite place it.  “This is a telephone, El.”

“Tel-eh-fone? What’s a...”

“Phone.  Most people just call it a phone.  It’s a way to communicate, like we do over the radio with morse code.  Except with this telephone, you dial a number into these buttons, here,” he explained as he pointed to a set a push button numbers labeled 0-9.  “And you hold this part, the receiver, to your ear,” he demonstrated once again.  “And on the other end, someone else will answer, and you can talk to that other person.”

My eyes grew wide at both the realization, and the memory.  I’ve seen a telephone before.  Mike had one in his house, and so did Joyce.  I remember Dustin using Joyce’s phone to call his teacher the night they built my sensory deprivation tank.  Mr. Clark had answered from the other end of the receiver, and after some convincing, he explained to Dustin how to build the tank and what supplies were needed.

“I know what a phone is,” I jumped up from my seat and ran over to the table, my eyes still wide at this realization.  “I’ve seen them before.”

“Yeah?  Right.  Well, now that we’re making some progress with the powers that be at the lab, and your friends know about you, I figured it’s time, right?  It couldn’t hurt.  Give you a little window to the outside world.”  Pop smiled at me with a wink as he took a cord from the green phone and plugged it into the wall.

“Can I... Can I use it?”

Pop let out a deep chuckle, “Sure!”

I let out a tiny gasp and smiled, quickly grabbing the phone’s receiver. 

“Whoa, whoa, wait a minute,” Pop stopped me.  “Not so fast.  There are rules.”

I rolled my eyes and sat the receiver back down.  There are rules.  Of course.

“What’s our number one rule?”  he asked, his index finger extended into the air.

I sighed and crossed my arms.  “Don’t be stupid.”

“That’s right.  Now with this phone, it’s a new thing, so we have some new rules, see?  The first rule is this;  do not, under any circumstances, give our phone number to anyone.”

“Wha...” I tried protesting, but he cut me off.

“EXCEPT for Mike.  For now.  I’m fine with you talking to your other friends, but we still need to play it safe.  The fewer people who have our number, the better.  Understand?”

“I understand.”  I was smiling at the thought of Mike being allowed to have my phone number.  My cheeks felt warm, and I felt little flutters throughout my stomach. Mike could call me whenever he wanted!  

“Rule number two,” Pop started, breaking my thoughts.  “You only answer this phone if I’m not here.  If I’m home, I answer.  Got it?”

I nodded my head in agreement.

“Good.  I wasn’t going to let you answer the phone at all, but then I considered it could be useful during an emergency.  So here’s what we’re going to do.  If I’m not home, and you answer this phone, you say NOTHING into the receiver.  NOTHING at all, do you understand?”

I parted my lips and furrowed my brow at him.  I didn’t understand.

“What I mean is... You wait for the person on the other end to speak first.  You speak after you recognize my voice, or Mike’s voice, whoever it is...  You don’t speak until you know it’s safe.  Do you understand?”

Oh, now I understand.

“Yes, Pop,” I nodded my head.  “We need to be safe.  I understand.”

“Okay.  Good.  Good talk.  Here,” he said, pulling a folded piece of paper out of his pocket.  “Go and call this Wheeler kid so he’ll stop leaving me messages every day at my office.”

My eyes grew wide with excitement and I could feel the smile on my face growing larger as I greedily opened up the folded paper.  Written in blue ink was Mike’s name followed by the seven digits that I assumed made up his phone number.  A few lines underneath that, my name was also written in blue ink along with seven more digits.  My phone number to give to Mike! 

I picked up the receiver, anxious and ready to call Mike, until I suddenly realized I’ve never used a phone before.  I looked over at Pop, who had retreated to the couch, and met his eyes.  I bit my bottom lip and began to set the receiver back down on top of the telephone.  

“It’s easy, kid.  Just dial Mike’s numbers into the phone.  Then you wait for someone to answer it.  When you hear them say ‘Hello’ from the other end, ask them if you can speak with Mike.  It’s that simple.”

“Okay,” I muttered as I lowered my gaze and smiled lovingly at my Pop.  

I pulled the green receiver back up to my ear and very carefully dialed Mike’s seven numbers into the buttons.  After a couple of seconds, I could hear a ringing from inside the receiver.  One ring.  Two rings.  Three...

“Hello?” a familiar voice answered from the other end.

“Mi... Mike?”  I tried to speak, but it was a whisper.

“El?  EL!  Is that you?!?!” His voice cracked.

“Yes, Mike. It’s me.” I smiled, but I knew he couldn’t see.  He must have felt it though, because I could somehow feel him smiling from the other end of the phone, too.

“El, I’m so glad you called.  I’ve been calling Hopper at the police station every day...”

“I know.  He told me.”

“Oh... Well, um... How are you?!?”

I smiled.  “I’m... I’m good, Mike.  I’m happy.”

“That’s great, El!  Me, too.  I’m happy to hear your voice.”

I felt my cheeks grow warm at Mike’s confession.  I glanced over at Pop to make sure he wasn’t listening.  He was still sitting on the couch and his head was buried inside a newspaper.  I turned my head away from him and focused my concentration back to the lovely boy on the other end of the phone.

“Mike, I have good news.”

“Yeah?  What is it, El?”

“Mike,” I loved saying his name, “I have a Birth Certificate!  And Hopper is my new Pop! He’s.... he’s.... a-DOPT-ing.... me.”

“El! Hopper’s adopting you?!?!  That’s amazing!  You’re gonna have a real dad!  El, I’m... I’m so happy for you!”

“Thanks, Mike.  I’m happy.  Really happy.”

“Me too, El.  I mean... I’m glad you’re happy.”

“Thanks, Mike.”

There was a beat of silence before Mike spoke again.  “Hey, El?  When’s... when’s he gonna let me see you again?”

A wide smile curled up on my lips.  Oh!  How could I have forgotten!  I was just so excited to talk to Mike on the phone...

“Mike!” I practically shouted through the telephone receiver.  “I have more good news!”

“Yeah? What is it, El?!?”  He sounded excited.

“Well, it’s halfway... good news.”

“Halfway good news? What’s....just tell me, El.  What is it?”

“Pop is working with Dr. Owens, from Hawkins’ Lab.  That’s how I got the Birth Certificate,” I began.

“Go on,” Mike encouraged calmly.

“Dr. Owens is helping us.  Helping me.  He says I can live a normal life soon.”

“El, that’s absolutely fantastic!  You can come over and hang out with the guys and me in the basement.  We’ll teach you how to play Dungeons and Dragons, and watch movies, and we can go to the arcade, and...”

“MIKE...” I cut him off.

“Yeah?”

“Mike, Dr. Owens says it’s going to take... time.  To live a normal life.  It takes time.”

“Oh,”  he sounded sad.  “How long?  How much time, El?”

I swallowed before answering him.  “A year.”

“What?  A whole year longer?  No.... I... I can’t....  I can’t wait that long, El.  I just got you back!”

Mike sounded so sad and helpless.  My heart sunk, and I could feel tears welling up behind my eyes.  I couldn’t see Mike’s face, but I could feel his emotions through his words.  He was near tears, too.

“Mike, do you trust me?”

“Uh... yes, of course, El.  I trust you.”

“It’s going to be okay,” I cooed the same phrase to him that Pop had said to me numerous times throughout the past year.  “You can call me whenever you want.  But... JUST YOU, Mike.  No one else can have my number.”

“Really?  I’m the only one?”  Mike sounded a little happier than a moment before.  I could sense his smile through the phone.

“Yes.  We have to be safe.  No bad men.”

“Right.”

“And you can come and see me.  Pop already told me he would drive you.”

“He... he did?  He said that?” Mike’s voice cracked.  It was cute!

“Yes,” I said, thinking back to a conversation that Pop and I had during breakfast today.  “He told me this morning.  He will make sure we get time together.  He said a year was too long and he shouldn’t have kept me from you.  He’s sorry.”

Mike didn’t say anything in response, but I could hear his deep breathing through the telephone receiver.  In that moment, I thought back to all the nights throughout the last year that I would slip into the black void of my mind and go visit Mike in his basement.  He would be calling out to me, asking me to say or do anything to let him know I was there; that I was okay.  But I couldn’t, and it broke my heart into pieces.  It broke both of our hearts.  And it’s breaking Mike all over again just talking about it.

No.  No more.  I have to fix this.

“Mike?” I called, almost a whisper.

“Yeah, El. I’m still here.”

“Mike,” I smiled.  “I didn’t get to tell you the rest of the good news yet.”

“You... You didn’t?  But I thought...”

I cut him off, “I get one night, Mike.”

“What?’ he pondered.  “One night?  What are you talking about?”

“Mike, you promised.  Remember?”

“I promised?  El, I’m so confused.  I promised what?”

“In the classroom.  At school.  Before... before I went away...” the memories of that night are too painful to bare, and silent tears begin running down my cheeks.

“El...” 

“You promised I’d have my own bed.  And now I do.  You promised I’d eat all the eggos I wanted, and Pop makes sure of it now, and...”

“And I promised I’d take you to the Snow Ball.”

He remembered.  I smiled, silent tears still streaming down my cheeks.  “I get one night, Mike.  Just one.  Can we still go?”

“El, of course.  We’ll go.  And we’ll dance, and drink punch, and... we’ll even sneak in some eggos if you want.”  We both giggled.  “It’s gonna be great.  I promise.  It’ll be like this whole last year never even happened.”

My silent tears still stained my cheeks, but they had turned into happy ones. 

“I can’t wait, Mike.”

“Me neither, El.  I can’t wait to see you.” 

Mike had to go after that;  his mother was calling him to dinner.  Before we said good night, I gave him my phone number and explained Pop’s rules to him.  He understood and promised to call me the next day.

“And, El?”

“Yes, Mike?”

“In seven days, we’re going to the Snow Ball.”

I smiled. “Promise?”

“I promise,” he said.  “Good night, El.”

“Good night, Mike.”