WILL POV-

Upon jumping up from the curb, a soft smile graced Will's face helping El with the tray; he felt some sort of weird sense of familiarity around her; it was weird, yet he couldn't explain. She felt like a twin sister; they surprisingly liked the same things and had a very similar sense of style, both loving flannels more than anything in the world.

Taking the tray from her hands, he neatly placed it on the outdoor patio table. The doe-eyed girl smiled "Thanks Will!" she passed a bright grin and a small nod. The brunette scanned the different options of juice before him, placing a small finger to his lips, slapping it with narrowed eyes; "Hmmm..." he wondered, his favourite juice wasn't an option.

"I already know which I want!" El blurted, choosing a glass of blackcurrant, picking up tongs and throwing a few cubes of ice within the glass. Raising the glass to her lips, she took a small sip feeling the cold drink being a stark contrast to the hot's spring day.

Will sighed, wiping his head; it was spring and yet the temperature was skyrocketing, a lot higher than it would be in Indiana.

El brought her drink down, noticing the small boy deep in thought, "Is something wrong?" she asked, a friendly smile on her face.

"No..." Will immediately shook his head, "Just don't know which drink to choose."

"Well what's your favourite juice?" The doe-eyed girl asked.

The brunette took a moment to consider his answer, "Hmm... I like apple juice I guess." he mumbled

El scrunched her face, "Oh no, I didn't anticipate that one! Sorry about that Will." she chuckled apologetically,

Will shrugged with a smile, "No worries, orange juice is always good too," he replied, pouring the orange juice into a glass and only placing one ice cube inside. Taking a few sips, all the tension from earlier dissipated, replaced by a more relaxed atmosphere. El caught his eye, deciding to share a fun fact to keep the conversation interesting.

"You know, in the past oranges used to be considered a luxury," the doe-eyed girl said in a playful tone, "Only the wealthiest or people of nobility could afford it."

"Really?" the brunette furrowed his brows, "Where did you learn that?"

"I saw it in a show I watched once... it was the most interesting part of it!" She chuckled,

"Was the show that bad?" Will giggled.

"Worse! It was a love story, except I'm pretty sure the main character was a lesbian and hated both the male love interests." She ranted, taking periodic sips of her drink, "Personally I wanted her to end up with her best friend; she was better than both boys combined."

Suddenly, hearing the casual conversation, the ravenette jumped up from the curb, startling the pair drinking. He cleared his throat announcing, "Um... I- I need to take a shower." He avoided direct eye contact, his cheeks slightly flushed.

El raised an eyebrow, subtly glancing at the brunette then back at Mike, sensing the unease and realising he might be embarrassed or overwhelmed by the earlier conversation. With a sigh, she decided not to press further and simply nod in agreement, "Sure Mike, take your time."

Will also noted the tall boy's behaviour, but didn't want to make things awkward, just giving a small smile, saying nothing.

Mike managed a brief, goofy smile in return before turning and heading inside the house. Once out of sight, El and Will exchange a look, the brunette knitting his brows in confusion, "Uh, did I do something wrong?" he asked, a touch of concern in his voice,

El quickly interjected before the small boy could have a moment to think, "No, you didn't do anything wrong, don't worry about it." her tone reassuring with a soft smile playing on her lips, "Mike's just... being Mike."

Will scrunched his face, still puzzled but deciding to let it go for now. Taking a sip from his orange juice, he relaxed as El continued chatting about the ravenette; expressing his quirks and hobbies; he didn't understand why she was telling him, but it was something to pass the time.

"He's always been a bit like that," The doe-eyed girl whispered with a fond smile, "Sometimes when he gets flustered or awkward, he just runs away. He is a good guy, he just... doesn't always show it."

"Flustered?" Will scrunched his face, "Why would he be flustered?"

"Oh, um..." El took a sip of her drink, allowing time to think of a response without detailing Mike's secret. She only assumed the tall boy liked Will, and knew it wasn't her place to say anything, "He's umm weird... yep, he's a weirdo and doesn't fit in, have you ever seen him without his stupid leather jacket? That's weird."

The small boy furrowed his brows, feeling as though he had heard something similar before, "Are... are you quoting Riverdale?" he questioned,

"Yes... No... Anyways." she panicked, taking another sip of her drink, trying not to spill Mike's secret, but as she scattered her eyes toward the brunette once again; she sensed some hesitation within him, as though he wanted to ask a burning question but felt afraid to. She urged him, "Do you want to ask something?"

The small boy snapped out of his trance, building the courage to nod and ask his question, "How do you know Mike?"

"What do you mean?" The doe-eyed girl furrowed her brows.

"Like how did you, meet someone like Mike?" he said, indicating the differences between them; El seemed like a sweet, law-abiding citizen, while the ravenette was a harsh criminal.

"Ohhh..." El finally understood the question as her eyes lit up with memories, "Actually, I was fostered by the Wheeler family when I was younger. They took me in when I was about 6 years old, and I lived with them till I was around 11."

The brunette's eyes widened in surprise, "Wait, you lived with his family? That's... I didn't know."

The doe-eyed girl allowed a small chuckle to grace her lips as she nodded, "Yeah, they were really amazing to me. Mike's parents and Nancy and Richie treated me like part of the family. But Mike... he was like a big brother to me."

Will couldn't help but smile at the thought, "Sounds like you really had a close bond, huh?"

El nodded again, her expression softening, "Mike was always looking out for me, teaching me stupid things and making sure I was always safe. He even stood up for me at school; we really only had each other as friends,"

The small boy blinked, taking it all in, "Woah, I- I can't imagine how that must have been."

"It was special," El chuckled, her voice carrying a weight of emotions, "Mike was the first person I really connected with, but when I was 11, I got adopted by a family in California. So I had to say goodbye, but it was a good opportunity for me." she passed a soft smile,

Will glanced at her, sensing a hint of longing, "You missed him, didn't you?"

"Yeah... of course I do, I miss all of them but... I love my adoptive family, or my real family," She corrected herself, her eyes lighting up, speaking fondly of her real family, "My mum, Joyce and my dad Jim are incredible. They welcomed me into their lives with open arms, and I couldn't have asked for a better family,"

Her voice carried a mix of gratitude and affection, he could tell she loved her parents and never resented them for separating her from Mike; it was clear they meant the world to her, "My mum is an amazing mother, she always knew how to make me feel better, even when times got tough and I was a stupid teenager. My dad was different, he was gruff, but he had a heart of gold, and very protective; he was the chief of police." She paused for a moment, "And there's also Jonathan, my big brother- he's always there for me; he's quiet, but he always listens and gives the best advice."

As El continued to gush over her family, Will couldn't help but feel a little inkling of sadness when he contrasted with his own strained relationship with his father, Lonnie. While El found a loving and supporting family, Will's own experiences left him isolated, mistreated and unlovable.

But not wanting to bring the mood down, he pushed his own feelings down, nodding upon hearing each word the doe-eyed girl was rambling about; it was meaningful to him. It was something he always wished he had so badly but felt fuzzy inside hearing her fond words leave her mouth.

"I actually just went to California to meet my family just a few days ago, for a birthday party for my younger step-brother." El announced.

"Oh, you have another brother?" Will tilted his head.

"Umm yeah... I did," she emphasized, "We celebrate the birthday of the step-brother I had before I was adopted. I don't know all the details, but after Joyce's divorce, my step-brother went missing when he was visiting his father; he was really young; maybe around 4 years old or something, and we never really found out what happened to him. So, my family decided to honour his memory by celebrating his birthday every year."

The brunette felt his heart about to pool onto the floor; touched by the sentiment, understanding the mix of emotions that must come with such a tradition, "That's really touching," He whispered, "It's like you're keeping his memory alive."

El nodded, her expression flowing with nostalgia, "Exactly! Even though I never really knew him, I feel connected to him through my family,"

Will couldn't help but admire El's resilience and strength from her adoptive family's love and support, "I'm glad you still feel close to him, despite never meeting him."

The doe-eyed girl nodded, her eyes reflecting a sense of contentment, "Even Mike joins us sometimes,"

"He does?" Will's eyes widened,

"Yep! Every 22nd of March!" she announced, "He knows how much it means to me and he lives close, so it's easy!" she chuckled.

"22nd of March?" the brunette repeated in hushed tones under his breath; inaudible so she couldn't hear. It was oddly bittersweet that he had the same birthday as her missing step-brother, but he wouldn't disrupt her speaking, 

"He was busy with 'work' this year though." she air-quoted while rolling her eyes, knowing what 'work' really meant for Mike.

The conversation became reflective as they stood, occasionally chatting and taking sips of their respective drinks, Will finding himself appreciating the connection he was forming with El despite never meeting her before.

As the minutes tick by, the small boy's mind lingered with the mention of the missing step-brother and the date of March 22nd. It felt strangely significant; sure, that was his birthday, but he couldn't really use that information to justify why it felt important to him. But for now, he allowed himself to be present in the moment, pushing those thoughts aside, listening to El's stories and finding comfort in her company. 

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1878 Words

Oh I wonder who the missing step-brother could be?

Stay Safe <3