Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Mike Wheeler did not want to go to a public school.

Especially Hawkins High

It had a nasty kind of reputation, one where there was a rumor of at least one student dying at the hands of the principal.

He was perfectly fine where he was before all this but because of his bickering parents and the budget being a little too low this year and with his sister Nancy deciding to drop off of college and becoming a bum around the house, his family had to cut off something to make ends meet. And that apparently was his tuition.

Okay, this isn't so bad. He thought to himself as he made his way towards his class At least nothing's broken or there's no fight breaking out  but as he was thinking this a skinny boy proceeded to throw what looks to be a dead rat through a window and the guy in front of him punched another guy in the nose.

Well, shit. he then quickly walked past everything and got to class.

Chapter Text

So getting settled in a new school wasn't as bad as I thought it would originally be.

Well, aside from the fact that I had to walk in school without shoes on cause the one I had were deemed "inappropriate". They were bright yellow "to bright" said the principal and since we couldn't afford a new one just yet, he told me to leave the pair I had by his door thus, the shoeless trek to everywhere. 

Oh, there was also this guy who randomly cornered me in the bathroom and told me to pull my pants down. He got pissed when I didn't so here I am now, in the cafeteria, getting slapped by a snickers bar that I bought and didn't get to eat. It hurts but no more than knowing I can't eat the food I bought with the only money I had on me. God, what a waste 

Yup, aside from those two things everything is peachy keen, I suppose.

"You should've just pulled your pants down y'know" a pudgy, curly-haired kid sitting on one of the tables said.

He must've sensed my confusion so he stepped closer "Troy wouldn't have bothered ya if ya just did as he said y'know.." he stepped closer and whispered "in the bathroom"

"How'd you know?" I asked

"Oh, he does that to fresh meat. Cornered me when I first transferred here and asked me to do random stuff" he said.

"The Irish Jig?"

"Did that for 10 mimutes straight my calves were on fire" he said. "I'm Dustin by the way" he reaches his hand out for me

"Mike" I said shaking his hand.

He smiled. I made a friend, finally.

"Well, Mike, I know for a fact that we have  Science with Mr. Clarke next.About the only subject where we actually learn something. Come on, we're going to be late" he said stepping out the door and with me following suit.

*********************************************

Turns out Dustin was a chatterbox, while Mr. Clarke was discussing Gravity and its effects, he filled me in on the things he deemed i should know about Hawkins High, that it was boys only up until a couple of years thus the reason why the guys outnumber the girls or that there was this dude named Steve who claimed to have slept with every girl in the school, including the teachers. He filled me with so much information in under an hour's worth of class that when I stood up I swear I had whiplash. He had a mouth of a sailor and he's goofy as hell. And he chose to stick with me. I like him already.

Classes breezed on by without much happening and by that I mean there was someone who flung a tuna sandwhich on our window, a teacher caught someone smoking and a random fight broke out in the hall but all that's normal here I came to know.

I made my way out with Dustin and we were about to hightail it out of there to hit the arcade when I stopped in my tracks.

Dim the lights. Cue the spotlight. Play the soft clichè soundtrack to some romantic movie, and cue the slowmo effects

there on the steps outside school I saw her. Perfection.