Work Text:
the sweltering heat festered in the day and cooled off greatly in the night. the sweet release of cool air came washing over you through your open window. summer vacation started only two weeks ago, but the thought of visiting the public pool everyday made you smile. maybe one of these days you’ll ask your best friend to join you, even though he doesn’t like people much.
and that’s how he wiggled into your mind this time, huh?
jonathan byers. yup. you two grew closer over the school year due to the outrageous events that took place in your little hometown. thankfully, his little brother came back safe and sound, but what happened to poor barb still makes your heart ache, despite your friendship fading after the fourth grade. you shooed those thoughts away again as you shifted and bounced around your mattress, reading a teen magazine that got increasingly boring, though one of your favorites began to play on the radio.
road shimmer, wigglin’ the vision. heat heat waves, i was swimmin’ in the mirror.
you groaned and bit your lip, turning towards the phone that rested on your nightstand. you could ask him to the movies.. but what if he thinks of it as a date? you wouldn’t want to make him feel uncomfortable around others. you can’t go swimming, it’s past 7. your parents would probably say no to a sleepover, but you’re just so bored!
road shimmer, wigglin’ the vision. heat heat waves, a...
with another groan and a slap of your face, you took a breath of courage, picked up the phone, brought it to your ear, and silently dialed the number that you memorized way too quickly when you received it. you checked the time on the radio. 9:23 pm. surely he’d still be awake-
“hello?” oh, it’s joyce.
sometimes all i think about is you, late nights in the middle of june
“oh, hey joyce! it’s y/n,, i was just calling to uh,, see if jonathan was around?” you couldn’t help but feel your cheeks flush as you say his name. you heard shuffling over the phone and his mother yell his name, then you heard a muffled ‘huh’ in response. somehow, the churning in your stomach wasn’t a bad feeling at all.
heat waves been fakin’ me out
“yeah, he’s right here hun,” you could practically hear her smile over the phone before she handed it over to her eldest son.
can’t make you happier now
“h-hello?” he cleared his throat after his stutter.
“hey, jonathaaaan!” i smiled but immediately felt like i sounded way too happy, so i pretended to cough and clear my throat before my smile ultimately reappeared.
usually i put somethin’ on tv, so we never think about you and me
“heeeey, y/nnn? uh, what’s up, dude?” he chuckled quietly but you could still hear it. you felt something bloom in your chest and you shifted your seating position on your bed once again.
but the day i see our reflections clearly in hollywood, layin’ on the screen
“oh, nothing much, i just wanted to see what you were up to. i know it’s a thursday, but i’m just so bored! i want something to do,” your feet crossed and you glanced over the mirror in the corner of your room, catching a glance at your flushed face, which only made it worse.
you just need a better life than this, you need somethin’ i can never give
“oh well, i’m not really busy at the moment... uhh, scratch that, i forgot, i have to go pick up will soon at the wheeler’s.”
fake water all across the road, it’s gone now the night is calm but...
you contemplated the information and sighed softly, “oh well, that’s okay. do you have work tomorrow?”
sometimes all i think about is you, late nights in the middle of june
“no, thankfully i do not,” he hummed to himself though it felt like you could feel it in your chest, “i mean, i-i could always pick you up and we could hang out here for the... night?”
heat waves been fakin’ me out, can’t make you happier now
“o-oh really? that would be awesome! i’ll just tell my parents i’m staying at a friend’s then, i’ll be ready in five!” the excitement you felt was hardly contained, though you had to take a few deep breaths to sound cool over the phone, and calm your nerves about the upcoming interaction you’ll have with your parents.
you can’t fight it, you can’t breathe
“okay, see you then.” the ding of the phone hanging up made your stomach churn even further, and all you could do was sit on your bed and nibble at your lip.
you say something so lovin’, but..
you rush downstairs to let your parents know about the impromptu sleepover, though you twist the truth just slightly by saying a ‘friend’s’ house, and not specifically your male best friend, jonathan byers. by some miracle, your mother didn’t argue with you and simply sighed with a nod.
now i’ve got to let you go
rushing back upstairs, you shove some clean clothes in a bag and some other things you two might enjoy, like a horror movie (when will’s asleep) and a photography magazine you snatched while thinking of him.
you’ll be better off in someone new
he arrived rather quickly, though when you were stomping down the stairs, your mother made a reply to ‘behave and be safe’. with a quick kiss to her cheek, you announced your departure and accidentally slammed the door shut behind you, causing you to cringe. you sighed but happily waved to the duo in the car and opened the door to slide into the passenger seat.
i don’t wanna be alone
“what’s up, little byers? how was the dnd game?” you turned to talk to the younger brother as your best friend peeled out of your driveway, and onward to his house. you two shared a glance as will explained how weird the other boys were being. you acknowledged his statement with a confused expression and turned to face forward, “well, that doesn’t sound like them at all. sigh, girls are so complicated.”
you know hurts me, too
you noticed jonathan bite his lip and rub a freehand over his chin, seemingly deep in thought. your smile fell gradually, and you suddenly were aware of your hyperactivity. you fiddled with the hem of your shorts as some song on the radio drowned out your thoughts.
you look so broken when you cry...
the three of you entered the byers home with a warm welcome from their mother, joyce. you smiled and hugged her in return, letting her know that your parents believe you're at someone else’s house and not theirs. she gave you a mischievous smile and a soft, backhanded slap on the shoulder.
one more and then i’ll say goodbye
the two of you stayed up well throughout the night enjoying horror movies and trying not to wake everyone in the house, yet the soft touches you two accidentally shared made your heart skip a beat. the small glances he gave you when you weren’t looking, however, tell a different tale.
sometimes all i think about is you, late nights in the middle of june
sometime during the night, after you had fallen asleep, the whispers in your sleep revealed to him how you truly felt, which only left him with despair. when you got up in the morning, you noticed he wasn’t asleep in his bed. you headed out into the kitchen to jab at him for being up so early, but the way he was staring at the table and how his hands were folded together made you pause in the hallway.
heat waves been fakin’ me out, can’t make you happier now
he exhaled slowly and turned to face you, his expression worrying you further, “i-i’m sorry, y/n. i don’t think of you that way... i think i-i’m in love with nancy..”