"Hello, this is the Wheeler's*", a woman's voice answers the phone. That must be Mrs. Wheeler. "It's Jane. Could I speak Mike please", I tell her. "Yea, just a sec*", she responds. "MIKE! PHONE*!", I hear her yell.

"H-Hello?"

"Yeah it's El. Where are you?"

"Uh.. I can't see you today.."

"Huh? W-Why?"

"It's ... because of my Nana, she is veeeeery sick"

"But..Hop said i-it was just a false alarm"

"Well it turned for the worse way. She.. uh.. she might...die."

"WHAT?!", another voice shouts.

"MOM GET OFF THE PHONE!*"

"DID NANA CALL?!", the voice continues.

"NO! JUST GET-OFF-DA-PHONE!!*"

The voice scoffs and hangs up. I'm pretty sure it was Mrs Wheeler.

"Was that.. your mom?", I ask.

"Uh heh- yeah.. uh she just uh.. went a bit.. crazy b-because we have to go to the nursing home.. to see Nana..?"

"Oh.. you can come after?"

"NO-"

I wince because of his yelling.

"Uh .. well no. I think I have to ... be a bit alone with uh.. my f-feelings...?"

"Do you lie?*"

"No! Uh friends don't lie!"

It's clear, that he's lying.

"Well okay got to go sorry bye..",

he says quickly and hangs up.

Hm. I don't get boys. Or Mike. I'm really confused. Did I do something wrong again? I didn't..right? I hope not.

I need some advice. From a girl. But Joyce is at work. Wait.. Max? Yeah I want to talk to her. No longer thinking, I go outside. I can vaguely remember the way I went, when I saw her first time, so I just go in that direction and hope, that she's again outside, on the street.

About 20 Minutes later, I remember the things around me again. The lantern, the road, the little flowers between the patterns of the pavement...

and my prayers actually come true! There's the redhead, skating on her skateboard, doing different tricks and sideflips. She looks stunning: She has a striped t-shirt on, which is tucked in light blue shorts. Oh and she has sunglasses on top of her head, which are red, as a ripe strawberry and there's a smirk on her freckled face. Somehow I get full of energy and I have the urge to hug her, so I squeak "MAXIEEE" and run up to her. Her eyes wide, as she sees who's calling her and she almost falls off her skateboard. Just in time I run into her arms, so she doesn't crash on the road. She wraps her arms surprised around my chest, because I'm about a head shorter than her.

I have so many questions. El came out of nothing and now she hugs me. And she called me 'Maxie'. That is new. But adorable...

I'm still very surprised, but I dig my head into my bestfriend's hair. Now she squeezes me even tighter and I enjoy it.

After a long while we let go. "W-What are you doing here? And why are you suddenly so hyper?", I ask confused. She looks up to me.

"I.. I just needed some advice..."

"Uh huh.. and what's with the hyper?"

"I guess I just have my five minutes", she giggles. I smile awkwardly. "Well about the advice...", I start, because I do not give good advice, but El looks with a begging face up to me; "okay let's go..", I give up, pick up my skateboard and drag her to my small, weird house. We stop infront of it. "Wait El..", I look ashamed on the ground. "What is it Maxie?", she says. I smile weakly when she pronounces my new nickname, but it's gone right after. "My.. family isn't very uh.... welcoming or uhm comfortable..", I mutter. "Oh well, it's alright! I do have you!", she replies and smiles. My heart melts. How is so much sweetness legal... I can't do anything else but smile.

I unlock the door. We enter the corridor and Neil's head pops out of the living room. He scans me and then El. "Who's this?", he brings out. Now my mother's head pops up behind him. I tense up. El squeezes my hand. Wait shit...we're still holding hands. "Uh this is my-" "Girlfriend?", Billy mocks, coming out of nowhere. Neil's left eyebrow rises. "No she's my new bestfriend!!"

I'm really trying not to cry infront of everyone. Stupid family.

"Well that is wonderful!", Mom breaks the silence. "I am Maxine's Mom, Susan. And you are?", she smiles. "I'm...Jane", El answers. "Ah. Welcome Jane.", Mom nods. Awkward silence again. "So, do you want to grow roots or what? Go on upstairs!", Neil tells and catches an annoyed look from mom. "Yeah.. right.. sorry Neil", I say quickly and drag El upstairs.

"I am so so so sorry about them", I apologize to El, as we enter my room. "Don't worry, it's all fine", she replies. I sigh relieved. "Your mom is nice", she adds. "Y-Yeah I guess..", I mumble.

"So. You wanted advice?", I start. El nods. "Okay. Want a seating?", I offer and point on my bed. Eleven smiles and takes place. I sit infront of her and she begins to talk."So it all started yesterday......"

"- and so he just said 'okay sorry got to go, bye' and hung up", she ends. "He's a piece of shit*", I respond. "What?*", El looks up to me, with hazelnut brown, confused eyes. "Well how you said, it's obvious he's lying. His Nana is definitely not sick and Mike doesn't have jack shit to do today.* He's probably with Lucas", I tell. "How do you know Lucas?", she asks.

"Well the week, where we got bestfriends on Friday, he always managed to come up to me at break, in school. We talked, some Dustin was there too. Well they told me a bit about them and how they know you ... so uh they said you have some kind of power? I didn't believe them so I kind of just go out of their way now", I explain. "Uh huh yeah right ... I was wondering why Lucas and Dustin weren't hanging with us these days...", she replies. "But anyways I guarantee you, Mike and Lucas are playing Atari right now*", I say. "B-But friends don't lie*, right?", she mutters. "Yeah well- boyfriends lie*!", I assure her.

El looks like she's thinking hardly.

"Okay here's what we're gonna do: you're gonna stop calling him and ignore his calls, alright?", I tell her. She doesn't look very affected. "He treated you like garbage! Give him a taste of his own medicine*!", I shout. Finally I can tell El, what I think of Mike. Even though I mostly just heard of him, but sometimes he uses to walk up to us in break and annoy me and make out with Eleven.

"Give him the medicine...", El notes. She seems to agree now, so I have an awesome idea. "And if he doesn't fix this, or explain himself ... then dump his ass*", I smirk. Eleven's eyes wide, but she slowly nods. "Got it."

I'm getting excited. The imagination, that Mike would finally fuck off, is just too good.

I'm still processing Max' advice, but then she suddenly jumps of the bed, says "Come on!", and takes me by my hands. "Where are we going?", I ask surprised. "To have some fun", she responds and drags me behind her. "There is more life, then stupid boys, you know", she adds and we go downstairs.

Max drags me further outside, until we are by a bus station. "Come ooon... where are we going?", I ask over and over. "You'll see, darling", she answers and winks. Did she just call me darling? Isn't that what couples say to each other? I blush a bit.

We get off the bus and now I can finally see, where we are: .