Chapter Text
MIKE
Will’s smile was all he needed.
He saw out of the corner of his eye that Lucas and Dustin were talking with Mr. Clark, but all he could see was Will. The way his eyes crinkled slightly, his lips making a small shift upward, his eyes sparkling. Whoever he liked in California sure was lucky. He could stare at it all day.
Wait, what?
He snapped out of his head, ignoring whatever thoughts had popped into his brain, just in time to hear Mr. Clark say, “There just weren’t enough teachers who were willing to stay on this year. Most moved out after…” he paused for a moment. “After the earthquake hit, so I'm teaching all grades this year.”
He almost sounded… suspicious.
I mean, he is a science teacher. He probably knows that whatever happened outside was not just some random earthquake.
The class slowly filled up and they all took their seats near the front of the class.
“It’s like the party’s all back together, isn’t it” Will said to him, still smiling slightly.
“Yeah,” he said, returning a smile. “It almost feels… normal”
Famous last words.
Sadly, ‘normal’ meant boring as fuck.
School managed to do the impossible: make living in an apocalyptic world seem like a drag.
Mr. Clark’s class was interesting, as usual, but the minute he left the classroom, he was hit with that wave of familiar school air that immediately puts everyone down. Suddenly, his clothes felt itchy and wrong, his hair fell flat and greasy, and his legs felt heavy and sluggish.
Lunch couldn’t come fast enough.
High school had been a big jump for him. The whole party had breezed through middle school, with only the occasional B or even rarer C, (mainly in Spanish for him) but high school had dropped them from a fifty foot pole and expected them to hit the ground running.
Now, instead of a one in a while occurrence, his average grade was a B, and C’s were much more common. He’d pulled more all-nighters for school work than he’d ever done in middle school, even counting the countless sleepovers the Wheeler’s had hosted back in elementary school. English had basically saved his GPA, even if his stories weren’t exactly “school appropriate.”
The clock was ticking tirelessly slow in his math class, and as he stared at it, his mind drifted back to Will. The way his eyes– Wait, what the FUCK am I thinking about?
After what felt like days, to the point where he could almost feel the tension around him, (but it was really only after fourth period) his class all filed into the hallway for lunch. He met up with Will and Lucas as he walked down the hall and finally found Dustin outside the cafeteria.
Mike had barely realized how little he had been eating these past few… weeks? Months? He hadn’t really noticed the pains in his body in general. There were much more important things happening then Mike missing a meal or two. He knew that.
He instinctively looked over to his left to look at Will, but he wasn’t there. He whipped around and saw him, breathing heavily, being shoved around by the people piling into the cafeteria behind him. He was staring at the floor, gripping his arms around his elbows.
“Will?” Mike started pushing past the people in front of him.
“Mike?” Lucas called from behind him. “Where are you going?”
“I’ll be a second! Just grab a table, okay?”
He finally reached Will and put a hand on his shoulder. “Will?” He said quietly. “Will, is something wrong?”
Will looked up at him with scared eyes, but his voice was steady. “No, I’m okay. It’s just a bit crowded here. I just need a minute outside.”
Do you want me to come?
He didn’t say the words, but he could see that Will understood.
“I’m alright, really.” He turned around and walked out of the cafeteria, looking as though he’d quite like to run.
WILL - 47 SECONDS AGO
Until they walked into the cafeteria, everything was fine.
The crowded halls had barely even bothered him, despite the hundreds of bodies pushing against him, racing for the mediocre school food. But the second he had walked into the cafeteria he felt the sides of his head throbbing, every part of his body felt itchy, and he could feel every thread of fabric on the clothes touching his body. And the back of his neck had started to tingle.
Everything was wrong.
It’s nothing. It’s nothing. Everything is alright. Everything is okay
It’s just me that’s… wrong.
If he stayed in this room a second longer he’d gouge his fucking eyes out.
“Will?”
His eyes shot up and met Mike’s. “Will, is something wrong?”
Everything is wrong.
“No, I’m okay. It’s just a bit crowded here. I just need a minute outside.”
He looked into Mike’s face and read the message in his eyes. “I’m alright, really.”
Liar.
He tried his hardest not to run out of the cafeteria, but once he saw the double doors leading outside, he crashed through them, breathing in the air like he’d been underwater.
He walked down the stairs and leaned against the wall. Just a minute. That’s all I need.
“Whatcha doin’ here, Byers?”
Will whipped around and saw a small group of seniors in green basketball jackets walking towards him.
What was the new captain’s name again? That’s right.
Chance.
The Party had had a close call with the basketball team earlier in the year while they were on night watch, but they;d avoided getting caught. Lucas had filled them in on the names.
“Lunch bell’s about to ring, Byers.” Will didn’t like how he kept saying his name.
“You know,” Chance continued as he stepped forward, seeming more talking to himself than Will. “I’ll never understand why they picked you of all people,” Chance looked him up and down and Will couldn’t shake the horrible feeling of being trapped in a corner. “I mean, so many people… good people, and they picked you.”
What the… ?
“What are you talking ab–” Chance’s hands shot forward and shoved Will into the brick wall behind him. The two other boys grabbed his arms and held him there. “Good people died that week, and your fucking cultist friends brought you back. From what I’ve heard, there’s not much good your kind can do.”
Will’s eyes widened.
His arms went slack in the boys arms.
I was right. I am wrong. And everyone can see it.
MIKE - 7 SECONDS LATER
Where is he?
“Hey, guys,” Mike said, hitting the table slightly to get Lucas and Dustin’s attention. “I’m gonna go check on WIll, okay?”
“Alright,” they both said, eyes expressing concern.
Am I overreacting? Will might just need space.
No, I should go check on him.
His thoughts carried him out the door, only to hear a loud pained grunt below him. He stared down at the three boys pinning Will down.
“Will!” he yelled, without thinking. Will looked up at him, wide-eyed. Chance looked over too, a small smirk playing around his face. “Oh, look, does the faggot have a boyfriend?”
Anger flared through Mike’s body. He saw the distraught look on Will’s face for a split second before his fist collided with Chance’s face. “Call him that again and I swear I’ll–”
WACK!
Chance swung at Mike this time, hitting him so hard he fell. His elbows scraped the concrete and he saw a few drops of blood fall onto the ground.
Chance grabbed Mike’s collar. “Listen here, you crazy fag–”
A sound of jingling keys interrupted Chance’s rant and all five boys’ eyes darted around for the incoming teacher. Chance shoved Mike back down to the ground and quickly walked back into the school, not without throwing Mike a dirty look.
Mike scrambled up and rushed over to Will. “Will, are you okay,” he said, tucking his arm under Will’s “I should have come with–”
“Mike, you didn’t have to do that.”
“What?” Mike stared at him, slightly horrified. “Will, are you serious right now? Those guys were–”
Will put his hand on Mike’s shoulder, silently telling Mike to stop talking. “Mike, I know you meant well, but please, don’t throw yourself into danger to help me. I’m not worth it.”
But you are, Will.
Will gave him a small smile. “I’m gonna take a walk for a bit. I’ll be inside in a few minutes.”
Mike stared at Will’s back growing slower and smaller into the distance, until he turned the corner around the school.
I should’ve said more.
WILL
As he walked into the forest, that ever-growing voice just kept getting louder.
They were right. They were right. THEY WERE RIGHT.
“Shut up!” Will yelled into the trees.
Laughter filled his head. Horrible grainy laughter, like he was hearing it through a broken radio.
“GET OUT OF MY HEAD!” He screamed, his voice echoing around him. He felt something powerful push up from his stomach and a wave of force soared out from his chest. The trees around him crumpled on impact, leaving him in an open field with a circle of fallen trees around him.
He stared at what he had done.
Was that… me? Wait…
The voice was gone. Usually, he could always feel it, here, in Hawkins, but now…
Pain shot through his head. The pain was so great his vision was starting to blur around the edges. He fell to his knees, clutching the right side of his face.
My eye…
Another shot of pain tore through his head. His face shot upwards towards the sky.
A tall tree, a book in one hand. What a nice place to read. Mr. Whatsit was right, this place is great!
Holly.