Author's note: Wow. Can you believe that this is actually over? It just passed by so fast, a whole year! I think this is the fastest I've ever written, maybe?

Thank you all SO MUCH for making this journey with me, and making it special and interesting. For the reviews and the MPs and the kudos, favoriting and all those things you do in fanfiction sites and stuff. You all are the real MVPs, for realz.

A special thanks, also to my beta Jenna (littlecajunlady88) for giving me an insight of the American life in a small town and making this fic less sucky. Couldn't do it without you!

Now, enough blabbing, and let's go to the chapter, shall we?

PS: I apologize in advance for the attempt at writing slam and composing. That's totally my father and brother's territory and my poems skills are not really good, so... Sorry '-'

December

"Why do white people do that?" wondered Lucas, arms crossed.

"What?" asked Lexi by his side. "Dance?"

"Yeah."

"That's a really good question," said Savannah by his other side and Will chuckled, almost chocking on his beverage.

Winter formal. Freshmen weren't supposed to go, but the Freshmen won the classes tournament and the school decided to reward the best players with a pair of tickets each. That left half of their group with tickets – Lucas and the three girls. And that had everyone going to it.

"This is painful," said Lexi. Because it really was, all those whites trying to dance to Run-D.M.C. as if the songs were meant for them.

"I'm sensing that this is the judgment corner," Jennifer said after she left the dance floor with the others. El was particularly enjoying all that hip hop that the DJ was playing. "Why the faces?"

"Because having to watch you guys dance is an actual torture, that's why," explained Lucas.

"Oh, come on!" exclaimed Dustin.

"No, it's serious," added Lexi. "You dance to this shit as if you're from some kind of ghetto. You're from Hawkins, Indiana!"

Distracted, El just kept singing the lyrics, kind of in her own world.

"If you really think about it times aren't that bad, the one that flexes with successes will make you glad-"

"Elle, sweetheart," Savannah interrupted, resting a hand on El's shoulder. "You're too white to sing that. Or any rap, really."

"Why?" asked El, looking at Mike. He shrugged.

"Because no one will buy that you're some sort of gangster, you're not convincing. And you're white."

El looked for Mike again.

"I don't know what 'gangster' is," she said.

"Is she for real?" asked Lexi.

"And how is my skin color an issue?"

"Is she for real?" wondered Savannah, genuinely shocked.

Lucas sighed.

"Unfortunately, yes," he said. "Look, El, you and I are gonna have some extra history studies, huh? Cultural appropriation."

"Okay," El said slowly. "But look, what I'm saying is that rap is angry, and I understand anger. I like it."

They were all silent for a moment, the music and crowd loud around them.

"Right, that makes sense," Lucas agreed. "But try not to be hood about it, okay?"

"Because everyone can rap!" Dustin exclaimed, getting a bunch of 'NO!'s in return. "Yes, everyone. Even Mike."

Typical Dustin, passing the hot seat to someone else.

"Uh, no, I don't." replied Mike.

"You write all those songs for El," pondered Will.

"And your slam poetry is really good," El observed, taking his hand.

"None of those things are like rap," he said, as if it was obvious, and Lucas hummed.

"They kind of are, actually," said Lucas.

"I'm not a singer," Mike exclaimed. "When I write, I write for El to sing!"

El smiled, all melted inside.

"One does not sing in rap, Mike," Lexi explained. "One raps in rap. Damn, white people. You're right, you can't do it."

"Look, we're just having fun, okay?" Jennifer interfered. "Isn't it what music is about?"

The three people of color of their group whined and shrugged and crossed arms, things like 'I guess', and 'Sometimes' among their mumbled words.

"Then let's go have fun, you idiots," Dustin said right when LL Cool J's 'I can't live without my radio' started to play. Their faces lit up, and he took Jennifer's hand, dragging her back to the dance floor. "Come on, Lucas! I bet I can out dance you in this!"

Lucas breathed in dead offended, and El and Will looked at each other.

"Oh boy, this is going to be good," said Will, and even though he didn't like rap all that much (maybe not at all), he followed everyone to see that battle.

After a couple of songs, El took Mike's hand and they went outside. She needed a little bit of silence for a change, and outside, with the snow falling would be just perfect.

They stepped out in the parking lot and El looked up, tongue out to catch the falling snowflakes like Joyce had taught her. She felt happy. Mike, still holding her hand, felt the same. A snowflake fell on her tongue making her laugh, and she looked at Mike with a big smile. Gosh, she was beautiful. How did he get that lucky?

"You know, you really could emcee," El said out of the blue, and Mike looked down shaking his head. "Think about it."

"El, slam poetry is just poetry," he said, looking up at her. "And I don't want to invade a space that is not mine."

"Music is music, Mike," she insisted, and he shook his head.

"It's not that simple," Mike said. "Remind me to go in more details later, okay?"

El thought about it, and then nodded. There still was so much about the world that she had to learn, and it was a relief to know that she had Mike, her friends, and Hop to make things clearer.

Mike pulled El closer. Her orthopedic boot days were almost over, but she was rocking it anyway, as usual. She was wearing all black that night – black tights, black long-sleeved dress, her Ramones jacket and the boot Nancy had given to her for her birthday - her hair loose down her shoulders and back. She accepted his embrace, her arms around his waist under his jacket, head resting on his shoulder. Her hair smelled really nice.

"She's like floral in a winter night, light and color under the moonlight, warm flavor on my tongue, it's such a delight, I look at her, it's like there's nothing else in my mind."

El smiled without looking up at him. Oh, Mike. So much talent in just one boy.

"He's got that fire in his eyes I can't explain, as if he could take away all of my pain, heart of gold like a genie out of its cage, now my heart is his as if he put it in chains."

Mike laughed, and only then El looked up. She wasn't lying, it was like he knew exactly what to do to bring her down to earth, to give her some direction. He grounded her. And she didn't know what would be of her without him.

"It's true," confessed El looking in his eyes.

"So was what I said," Mike told her, and she nodded.

"I know."

Snow rested on their hair, slowly melting because of their body heat as they stayed in the open for ten minutes, and then thirty, and then another twenty more swaying to the faint sound of the music in the gym. They only stopped when the light and honk of Joyce's car arrived, telling them that it was time to go home.

The only ones who stayed for longer were Lexi, Jennifer and Dustin, who depended on Paula's ride, but they all said goodbye knowing that they'd see each other soon at the Wheelers' Christmas party.

Elle's last day with the boot was December 23rd, and she still had to adapt to using her two feet again, much like Bark, who even though was cast-less for over a month, still was walking funny, as if he'd forgotten that his leg wasn't immobilized anymore.

She went shopping with Hop in the city, which was practical because he didn't like to waste time spending money. They also had the same vision of what a Christmas present should be like, so they saved a lot of time. Also, there wasn't much left to buy because it was literally the day before Christmas Eve, and every shop was packed.

"We are terrible planners," Hop commented when they were waiting in the line, two carts of gifts in front of them. "We are doing this different next year."

"Lucas said that he has everything bought and wrapped since Black Friday," El replied.

"Wise," Hop nodded.

"Dustin said that it was bullshit to buy everyone gifts so early, but he and Lucas are always looking for reasons to bicker, so…"

"Ugh," groaned Hop. "Why are you even friends with these boys? Don't you have your own set of girl friends to spend time with now?"

"I'm not leaving the boys, Dad," Elle stated. "I can have both boy and girl friends."

They made one last stop at a bookstore, and then headed home to wrap the presents and rest. Nancy was home from college already, and she had told El that the Wheelers' Christmas party was usually really cool and energetic, so they'd have to build the stamina for the night.

They wore their best clothes, which meant that they weren't very remarkable, but Hop made sure to state that they weren't going to no red carpet, so they could wear whatever they wanted. El had him buying a cook book, and she prepared a whole batch of Madeleines with black and white chocolate toppings for dessert.

"Hello, Mrs. Wheeler," El greeted as soon as the woman opened the door, and Karen smiled.

"How long will it take for her to call me Karen?" she asked not Elle, but Hopper, who was standing behind her, and he shrugged.

"Go figure this kid," he answered, and she looked at El.

"It feels kinda wrong," said the girl, and Karen dismissed it with a gesture.

"Come on in you two," she said instead, giving them space to get in.

Elle went straight to the kitchen, where Nancy was helping put everything together. The whole house smelled amazing. She put the dish with her Madeleines on a free space.

"Do you need help?" asked El, and Nancy shook her head smiling.

"Nah, it's fine," she answered getting closer to greet El with a couple of kisses on the cheeks, which was unusual in Indiana but, she explained, quite common in college. "I want to know what you brought, though?"

El lifted the lid and Nancy stole a Madeleine for herself.

"Mike is in the basement," she said, mouth full. El raised an eyebrow. "In case you're wondering."

She actually was wondering, and it still was surprising how most people could read what was in her mind. And to think that she was considered the freak.

"Go," insisted Nancy. "We'll call in case we need help."

El still saw and greeted Holly and Mr. Wheeler before she headed to the basement. She already could hear the sound of Mike's guitar from the corridor. He was playing something different from his usual songs, which got her curiosity up. When she went down the stairs, she saw him on the sofa, feet on the coffee table, guitar on his lap and a pencil between his teeth as he played. Mike smiled when he saw El.

She didn't say anything, just stepped closer, and he stopped playing to write something on his notepad. Three phrases, and then he was playing again.

"You remember that song I showed you a couple of weeks ago?" he asked over the sound of the guitar. "The one you liked the chorus?" El nodded. "Sing the hook for me?"

El cleared her throat as she tried to remember how the hook was. The song he had shown her had a different beat from the one he was playing now, so she'd have to adapt.

"Okay," said El, and she waited for his nod to start. "So high we fly, we touch the sky, for there is nothing in the world but you and I. So high we fly, on clouds we lie, I'm feeling so complete when you are by my side-"

"She's like floral in a winter night, light and color under the moonlight, warm flavor on my tongue, it's such a delight, I look at her, it's like there's nothing else in my mind. Don't get it twisted, switched, 'cause here's what I say, since we met it's like my head is up in flames. Upside-down life in a sec, straight to the cliff ahead. I can't count how many times she saved me from my death. Special won't to describe the way she moves, she shook my world, she shook my life to the point of no return. She had to leave, but she came back, and here is the thing: now that she's back with me I'm capable of anything-"

Mike pointed at El, who despite smiling like crazy was able to get back right on cue.

"So high we fly, we touch the sky, for there is nothing in the world but you and I. So high we fly, on clouds we lie, I'm feeling so complete when you are by my side."

Elle seriously couldn't stop smiling.

"You rapped," she said in wonder, sitting by his side.

"Well, it's just you and me," Mike confessed. "Don't tell Lucas I dared."

She chuckled, and then made the gesture of zipping her lips.

"It's brilliant, really," El told him. "But you gotta start giving me more than songs as presents."

Mike shook his head.

"Who said this song was your present, silly?" he replied.

Not to get it wrong, El loved Mike's songs, she knew all of them by heart, but even Nancy had mentioned how a girl should have material things.

"I got you something too, but only after midnight, right?" she said, and he nodded. Mike usually did this thing where he'd start playing without even noticing, which was so enchanting and lovely. El knew the song he was playing now, Baby it's cold outside, from the radio.

They didn't know how long they spent just sitting there looking at each other, no chat, no kissing, just the guitar, the looks and the company. Clear head like the middle-July sky, mint smelled like the fresh start that comes by – Mike thought, and maybe he should write this down, but he couldn't stop looking at her, he just couldn't, and she just couldn't either. He changed the song he was playing to Can't take my eyes off you, and El started to giggle, quickly followed by him.

"Everyone decent down there?" they heard Dustin call, making then giggle even more.

"Yeah, very decent!" Mike answered, and only then the boys came down the stairs.

"We never know, with how easily El takes her clothes off in front of people," Lucas commented, and Dustin gestured as if taking off his shirt.

El and Mike exchanged a look. They would never forget that, would they? Mike just shook his head.

She still didn't mind being stuck with those nerds. Life was good.