worrying

✈︎

Today El would be submitting her project and sending it off to Lorenzo de Medici in Italy. It would take around a week and a half for them to make their final decision and get back to her on whether she got in or not. The girl was freaking out, her anxiety levels were way out of control and she couldn't stop thinking about it all day.

What if her art got destroyed on the way to Florence? What if it got lost in the mail and then it was late for the submission due date. What if Mike didn't check her essay as much as he said he did and there was multiple errors? Right now, El couldn't take any bad news. She was stressed enough as it is and she didn't need any more pressure to be placed on her shoulders.

It was a Saturday morning and Mike drove her to the school so they could get her canvas and then wrap it, and bring it to the postal service. On the way there, her fingers were tapping on her thigh nervously as her foot tapped nonstop on the floor. Mike noticed this right away and tried to distract her by asking her questions or simply talking to her, but nothing seemed to work.

After a while her fingers were still tapping along her leg and Mike hated when she was upset because not all of the time she would tell him what was wrong, so he got anxious it was something bad. Mike reached over and grabbed her hand, intertwining her fingers with his.

"Don't be nervous, everything is going to be fine, okay?" He said softly, trying to convince her but today that wasn't working. "But what if it gets destroyed, or lost, or-"

"It won't. Nothing bad will happen to it."

"You don't know that! It's going to get lost, then it won't make it in time for the due date and they won't accept me! Then, I'll spend the rest of my life working as a receptionist because I don't have anything better to do because I will have given up on my art career." El huffed. She was always so stubborn.

"El, don't say that. If it gets lost, I will go down to the mail place myself and search everywhere until I find it, then deliver it personally to Italy so I know for sure that they got it." Mike said in a joking manner, though he would definitely do that.

El nodded, trying to reassure herself everything would be okay. "Okay, okay. You are probably right."

Mike didn't say anything as they finally arrived to the school, seeing a few cars in the parking lot. Probably the janitors or principle. The car came to a halt in front of the main doors and the two got out of the car and walked to the doors. Mike pressed on the buzzer, hoping someone would be in the office to let them in.

After waiting there for a few moments someone opened the door in front of them, scaring the hell out of both of them. "What do you kids need?" Asked a gruff voice, belonging to an older woman with a blue hat. "I just need to pick up something in the art room. Principle Jones said I could come in and get it today."

"What is it?" The woman questioned. "It's an oil painting I did as a submission for an art school in Italy." El explained, picking at her nails nervously. The woman hummed in response and opened the door wider for the duo to walk inside. Mike and El walked through the school hallways until they reached the huge art room, they walked through the first room and El opened a door to enter the second room, where her painting was being held.

It was still sitting on the easel in the corner as it waited for El to come and retrieve it. She tapped on it lightly to make sure that it was dried all the way and when she found it was completely dry she took it off the easel and held it out in front of her, inspecting it further.

Mike was leaned on a table watching her inspect the painting, she looked completely satisfied with the way it turned out, as she should be. She turned the canvas towards him and showed it off confidently, "Soo, how does it look?" El asked, smiling brightly.

Mike looked at the painting, and then at El. "It's beautiful." He said, making El blush. "You really think so? I feel like I could have cleaned it up more around the corners and such.." She went on and on to talk about the places she could have added more- or fixed things, but Mike wasn't listening. Yes, the painting was amazing (it seriously was) but that's not what he was talking about. Mike had spent years of his life giving El compliments but she never really noticed, but oh how he wanted her to notice. He wanted to tell her just how amazing she was with every word he had, but that could risk a lot of things, and he didn't want to lose his best friend. Not now, Not ever.

"But anyways, we should get going, don't you think?" She asked, holding the painting carefully with her hands. Mike cleared his throat and nodded, "Let's go, Picasso."

El skipped to his side and looped their arms together, making Mike smile down at her. "Post office?" He asked when they got to his car, (still arm and arm) El replied with a quick 'yes' before putting her painting in the backseat, making sure to put it down where it wouldn't get damaged or where it wouldn't fall.

"How long does it take for them to get back to you?" Mike asked on their way to the post office. "About a week and a half. A week and a half of torture." She mumbled.

"What if the people at the school speak only Italian and you can't understand a word of it?"

"Have you seriously forgotten I've taken 3 years of Italian, and done other classes to understand it further?" Oh yeah. That.

"Right. I forgot about that."

"Obviously." She snorted. "Say something in Italian then."

"sei un pezzo di merda."

"What'd you say?" He asked curiously, glancing at her from time to time. "I said you're a piece of shit," She giggled, "Ha-ha, very funny, hilarious! I could just drop you off on the side of the road and drive away with this kind of treatment."

"But you won't," She said honestly, "And how do you know that?"

"Because you love me." You have no idea he thought, but instead he simply stuck his tongue out at her in response. After a while they arrived at the post office El got the painting out of the car carefully and Mike ran over to open the door for her. El borrowed some paper and wrapped the painting in layers of it so it wouldn't get damaged. She stuck a stamp on it and addressed it to the adress she was given and then did the same thing with her admission essay, then she taped them together and gently put it in the "to deliver" pile.

El stood their hesitantly, debating on whether this was all worth it. Mike could see her thinking so he walked up next to her, "It's going to be fine. I promise." He said reassuringly. El chewed on the inside of her lip while not breaking her stare from the package.

"But-"

"No, it's going to get there and you're going to get in, and that's final. Got it?" El nodded, "Okay... but if it doesn't get there, I will kill you."

Mike chuckled, "I'll accept that, but c'mon let's go get some ice cream ,okay?"

✈︎

The best friends ended up at their favorite place to get ice cream, Connie's Custard. The name itself was a bit weird but the teens had been going there for as long as they could remember. The shop had tons of flavors and toppings you could choose from, which is why they liked going there.

As they walked into the shop the usual bell rang above their heads and the woman behind the counter welcomed them brightly, "Welcome back, kids!"

"Long time no see, huh Connie?" El chuckled, as they had been there only a few days prior. "How's the art project coming along?" The older woman asked, "I sent it off just like 15 minutes ago."

"Oh I just know it's going to amaze them! You will get in for sure."

"El doesn't seem to think so," Mike said while nudging his best friend. El rolled her eyes and walked over to where the cups were, choosing the medium cup before going over to the ice cream dispensers and putting a mound of vanilla and chocolate in her cup. "No it's not that, I know it looks great but I feel like all the other submissions will be so much better!"

"They probably drew a stickman and sent it in with this huge sob-story that makes no sense." Mike snorted, grabbing a cup and filling it with peanut butter custard and then going over to the counter and sprinkling chocolate chips and sprinkles on it. "Don't worry El. It's going to be fine, I can't wait to find out if you got in or not!"

El chuckled, "You and me both. A week and a half couldn't come any slower."

"At least you have Mike to keep you company!" Connie smiled, gesturing over to the tall boy who was paying for their ice cream. El smiled, "Yeah.."

Once Mike paid for the ice cream he handed her hers and they walked over to their usual table by the front window. "El, how many times have I told you. You have to get toppings or it's not fun!" He said while clapping his hands. "Shut up. Toppings just disguise the flavor!"

"What flavor?! You have vanilla."

"That's a flavor."

"barely."

El rolled her eyes, "You are so ridiculous." Mike stuck his tongue out before eating a spoonful of his ice cream. "In like a month you're going to be in Italy eating gelato with your new best friend." Mike mumbled, imagining the scenario in his head.

"Mike, don't say that! I could never replace you." Mike shrugged, "But it could happen.."

"But it won't. I'm not throwing our friendship away for some random italian, I probably won't even know what they're saying, they talk too fast."

"Whatever, all I'm saying is you better not ditch me in Italy when you have like a swarm of friends to pay attention to."

"I'm not going to have a ton of friends, and when you come to visit you will be my main priority, like you are now. You have nothing to worry about."

"Okay then." Mike shrugged, he wasn't entirely sure about that. El made friends wherever she went. El reached across the table and grabbed his hand, "I need you to trust me."

Mike sighed, "Okay."

"Okay."

✈︎

The dreadful week and a half passed and boy, did it go by slow. Every day seemed to drag on for an eternity. El was constantly nervous but she always had Mike right next to her to keep her sanity somewhat controlled. School had been let out and now the days dragged on especially long.

But the day of was here and El was waiting impatiently for the mailman to get to her house. Mike was sitting in her living room watching TV and El sat by the window waiting for the mail to get delivered.

"he should be here by now, he's late!" El huffed as she got up and paced around the kitchen. "Keep your voice down, you're going to scare the mailman away." Mike mumbled as he shoved chips in his mouth. El glared at him and ran to the window only to find the mailman, still, not there.

"But where is he? mail does get delivered today, right? I checked the schedule and it said that-"

"El. You are going to drive yourself insane," Mike said as he put his chips down and walked over to her, grabbing her hands so she would stop pacing and he made sure she was looking at him. "The more you anticipate it, the more you are going to work yourself up about it. You won't even have to look at it because I already know you got in."

"What-"

"Don't say anything." Mike said sternly, making her nod as she wrapped her arms around his torso and hugged him tightly, "Thanks for being my moral support the past week." She chuckled, "That's what I'm here for."

"Flashback to what you said a week ago, I would never replace you." El said as she pulled away from him with a smile. Mike's cheeks turned a shade of pink but before El could notice, she heard the mailman outside.

"Oh my gosh! He's here! Oh my gosh, come on!" El dragged Mike out of the house as she sprinted to the mailbox. She opened it quickly and sorted through the mail until she saw what she was looking for.

ELEANOR HOPPER 6754 CORNWALL STREETHAWKINS, INDIANA

She grabbed it and ran inside, throwing all the other mail on the ground, which Mike picked up and ran after her. He got inside and she was sitting at the dining room table looking a the envelope.

"Should I open it?" She asked nervously. "Yeah, open it." Mike replied, giving her a thumbs up.

"Hold my hand?" She requested softly, Mike nodded and walked over to her, grabbing her hand after she opened the envelope. The letter was folded in a half, now sitting on the table. Her future depended on that very letter.

Mike squeezed her hand, encouraging her to open it. She bit the inside of her lip as she reached for it, but she quickly handed it to me.

"You read it first."

Mike took the letter, not letting go of her hand. He unfolded it and read the contents, and then handing it to her. "Go on, read it."

El nodded and looked at the paper and began reading.

From,

Fabrizio Guarducci, President and proud owner of Lorenzo De' Medici.And advisors.

5.23.89

To Ms. Eleanor Hopper

Dear Ms. Hopper,

We are incredibly impressed with your artwork. You show many skills of talent and what you have sent us is truly extraordinary. We congratulate and welcome you to a 5 month summer program to study here at Lorenzo De Medici in Florence, Italy. If you take the offer, you are expected to report to the facility Dean by the first of June at 12 p.m. We expect you to have forms and all of the necessary documentation.

Our school takes only the best artists so please take this offer seriously. Any horse-play will be reported and you will be sent home immediately. We expect a lot from you, Ms. Hopper.

Have a safe flight and pack your bags! We wish you the best of luck.

Thank you.

Yours Truly,

Fabrizio Guarducci, Lorenzo De Medici Art School.

El looked away from the letter and smiled at Mike. "I made it!" She exclaimed, jumping out of her seat and jumping right onto Mike. He quickly wrapped his arms around her and spun her around, "I told you you'd make it! I'm so proud of you!" He said, kissing the side of her head.

But even though Mike was incredibly happy for her, he couldn't help but feel a sort of sadness sink down into his chest. He knew this day would eventually come but now that it's here, it hurts way more than he thought it would. Her wide smile and excited voice just broke his heart, while she was out in Italy fulfilling her lifelong dream, he would be stuck in Hawkins, thinking about her.

Author's Note:

Ah! We still have a few chapters until El has to leave for italy so leave suggestions and ideas for what you want them to do in that time span! I am actually pretty happy with this, so I hope you enjoyed!