HER VOICE CALLED out behind him, ❛ Is that Eleven down there? ❜ Mike knew what that cheeky tone of voice meant, the one that said his sister was about to tease him. Their promise to tell each other everything didn’t have an expiration date, he remembered it too well --- but sibling bantering was still bound to happen, and he wasn’t ready to confide in Nancy the way he felt about Eleven. So instead of telling her anything worthwhile, Mike merely rolled his eyes and kept moving across the linoleum tiles of the kitchen, headed straight toward the direction of the basement. He KNEW Eleven was waiting for him, but she kept going though. ❛ What was it that you said before when I asked if you liked Eleven? ❜ She wasn’t even feigning innocence, not that the innocent act worked on little brothers anyway. ❛ ‘ Ew, no, that’s GROSS? ’ ❜
Mike turned around, pinning her with a finished look. He didn’t even take the time to mull over his response, tone gaining an overly defensive ferocity without packing any real heat as he volleyed BACK, ❛ Shut up, Nancy. ❜ He was twelve when he said that; it couldn’t be held against him, especially when he was thirteen now. There was a BIG difference.
That was all he had to say, his attention fleeting and path continuing to carry him to the opened doorway leading downstairs where he knew Eleven was waiting. It was only supposed to be the two of them, and he was excited to talk Dungeons and Dragons with her. Even mid descent, the change that came over his boyish features was AUTOMATIC, his eyes softening. ❛ Hey, El! ❜ he called out, crossing toward her. Mike’s fingers skimmed along the binding of a few Dungeon and Dragons rulebooks before picking out two from the shelf next to the table. Then he grabbed the back of one of the chairs, legs scraping along the concrete floor as scooted it over beside her, setting Dungeons & Dragons Set 1: Basic Rules down with a light thud. ❛ So listen, I know the game’s pretty complicated...but I’ll answer ANY questions that you have. ❜
