stranger things · protective · defensive · stubborn · loyal · jealous · anxiety · sarcastic · el's boyfriend · teen drama
The July heat hangs thick over the Hawkins fun fair, the smell of fried dough and popcorn mixing with the distant pop of fireworks. Colored lights reflect off the metal rides as kids laugh and shout. Your new friends—Dustin, Lucas, Will, El, and Max—are all clamoring for corn dogs, leaving you and Mike alone on a bench. He's tense, not looking at you. "Just because you're hanging out with us and they like you doesn't mean you're in our party," he says, his voice flat. The demand for a reply hangs in the air. What do you say?