Chapter Text
The large buildings and cities in California were a drastic change from what the Byers originally knew in Indiana. It didn’t help that their late 70’s Pinto was nothing but a pile of rust compared to the new vehicles seen on the streets of Lenora. Lenora seemed like a busy town. Teens are always outside or at the ‘Lenora Hills Mall.’
Will still can’t believe he moved from the only place he’s ever known. The only reason Will didn’t complain about the move was because he knew his mother needed to get away. Her almost boyfriend and Jane’s father, Hopper, had been tragically killed saving the world. He knew that living in Hawkins after everything that had happened to him and his family was crazy. However, he still couldn’t help but feel bitter about the move. All of his friends were in Hawkins. His house was in Hawkins. Mike was in Hawkins.
Thinking about Mike put a bitter taste in his mouth. Over the past year Mike had been an asshole to Will. So had the rest of their party. Ever since the Upside Down and Possessions nobody had cared about Will. He felt unimportant. Joyce was pining over Hopper while also grieving over Bob. Jonathan was busy with helping Nancy with starting her new job as a journalist for the Hawkins Post. Mike was busy kissing Eleven and being a jerk. Lucas was almost the same way with Ma. Dustin had been off at camp most of the summer and when he did come back he spent his time with Steve Harrington. Will was left alone. Even when school started in the fall they all just kept on ignoring Will. He was almost relieved when Joyce told them they were moving.
Will was stuck in his thoughts until a knock came from his door. He whipped a few tears that were threatening to flow from his eyes. “Come in.”
“Hey, you doing okay buddy?” He recognized the voice as his mother. He looked up at her. Her eyes looked tired, and her hair was unkempt. You could tell she had an itch to light a cigarette but thought against it for the sake of her children. “You have a few more boxes downstairs if you wanna bring them up here to unpack a little more.”
“Yeah, I’ll come get them, have you found a job yet?” Joyce shakes her head no.
“I’ll go window shopping for resumes tomorrow. What do you think of eating pizza tonight for dinner?” Will thought for a few seconds about what he would like for pizza. “Yeah, cheese should be fine, thanks mom.” With that agreement to dinner Joyce left his room and made his way down the hallway to Jonathan's room.
After a few minutes Will gets up and runs downstairs to grab his last few boxes. When he opens them a lump forms in is throat. It's all of his old art. All of the art he had given to Mike. He started going through the papers and tears started forming in his eyes at every paper passes through his hands. Why would Mike get rid of his art. Why did Mike not tell him he gave it back. Did Mike not like his drawings anymore? He couldn't believe what had happened. He couldn't believe how heartbroken he had become over stupid drawings he had make years prior. They weren't even that good. It shouldn't have mattered! But, it did. It did matter. It made Will feel so insignificant. So small.
After going through all of the drawings, he noticed a note at the bottom at the box. When he picked it up he noticed that it was Mike's handwriting. It read;
'Will,
Here are all of the drawings I have collected from you over the years. We are starting high school this year, I thought it was finally time to let go. I hope you and El write to me!
From your Best Friend,
Mike Wheeler'
The tears don't stop flowing at this point. Mike was so stupid. So ignorant. So so very dumb. He was an asshole. Will didn't want to admit it but he was also heartbroken. This isn't the same Mike he had known before. This wasn't the Mike who held his hand while watching scary movies, before the disappearance of Will Byers. Before the bald girl with superpowers showed up. This Mike was an ignorant bastard. This Mike didn't care about anyone but himself and his girlfriend. He shoved the note into the box along with the drawings and shoved the box under the bed. This was so stupid. Him crying was so stupid. Everyone back home was right, he was a sadly sensitive boy. He deserved everything that has happened to him. He ended his parents marriage, killed so many innocent people, and now he was crying because of his former best friend, his former crush.
He tries to collect himself. He whipped the tears from his cheeks. He makes his way over to the second box. He braces himself as he opens the box. In it was all of his D&D stuff. His map, dice, and all of his mini figurines all stuffed in a box. The game of D&D had once brought will great joy, but now all he associated with the game was the fight he had with Mike after a failed campaign that Will had written. The same phrase that was said has been running through his head since the fight.
It's not my fault you don't like girls
He hadn't gone a day without thinking of that one sentence. He had wanted to hate Mike for everything that he had made Will feel, but he just couldn't bring himself too. Even though it made him want to rip his hair out sometimes.
He feels himself reach for the last box. He carefully breaks it open and catches a sob forming in his throat. It was all of the polaroids taken by El. Polaroids kissing Mike, hanging out with Max at the mall, and hanging out with Hopper. This box was marked with his name but none of the valuables belonged to him. They were all El’s favorite memories. He couldn’t help but feel jealous. He couldn’t help but cry out in pain of knowing he could possibly never experience that kind of love. He would never be able to share this horrible secret with anyone. He was alone. He was always alone.
Will realized that he couldn’t hate his sister for enjoying her life but, the day her life began was the day his had ended. Even though he wanted to scream and cry at her for the way Mike had forgotten about him in place of looking at her. Looking as if she was the Sun, bright and beautiful and he was just the dark side of the moon.
He collected himself once again and whipped his tears away for the millionth time as it had seemed. He picks himself off the floor and picks up the box with polaroids. He doesn’t remember walking down the hallway until he’s standing at El’s door. Ever since Hoppers death, she had always kept the door open 3 inches. He stared at her door for a little while before finally raising his hand to knock. He waited about 2 seconds for a response but never got one. He lightly pushed open the door to see El with her walkman listening to some tracks given by Max. her hair is way longer. She had the signature Byers haircut and looked like a young and beautiful teenage girl. She was wearing her usual overalls and plaid button up long sleeve shirt.
Will sat the box down on the ground and turned to walk back out of the room. Right before he shut the door he heard El’s voice from behind him. “What's the box for?” Will didn’t trust his voice at the moment so he cleared his throat and responded moments later. “It must have been placed in the wrong box. It’s a bunch of Polaroids of you and your friends.” She smiles but reminds him “They’re your friends too.” He nodded at that even though the party didn’t act like they were his friends. As El was about to voice another thought we heard our moms voice run through the house.
“The pizza is here! Come get a slice.”
Will and El look at each other and suddenly he hears El say “Race you to the kitchen,” She suddenly runs past him and hee follows. He knows he didn’t have a chance of winning but we would do whatever he could to make El feel at home. When he finally made it to the kitchen he could see El celebrating while Joyce and Jonathan laughed about the competition between the two fifteen year olds. Will and El finally took a seat at the dinner table and dished up slices of cheese pizza. The family ate in silence for the next few minutes. Until Joyce breaks the silence.
“Are you three excited for school to start soon?” She smiled and looked at all her children. “You know it starts next Tuesday right?” Joyce caught El smiling wildly while adding a “Yep! 4 days!” to the end of her sentence.
He didn’t like the way he would need to meet new people and start at a new school in the middle of the year. On the flip side, he was excited to be someone new. Someone exciting and not awkward. He didn’t want to be known as ‘Zombie Boy’ or the 'hometown fairy’. Eleven, now known as Jane, was very excited to start school. She had never attended a school except from when the party snuck her in back in ‘83. Jonathan seemed indifferent to the idea; he didn't dislike or enjoy schooling that much, he just hoped to get through the rest of his senior year.
Joyce noticed the look on Will's face at the mention of how long they have left before starting at Lenora Hills High School. She gives a sympathetic smile and Will looks away.
They finish dinner up and head in all different directions. Before Will can get to the base of the steps Joyce stops him. She asks him to take a seat at the table.
“Did you need anything specific mom?” Joyce smiles lightheartedly. She looks at him with that same sympathetic smile. “Just wanna know how you’re holding up, I know moving can be scary.” He presses his lips together. He thinks on how to respond to the question.
“Yeah, I’m okay. I’m just a little tired from all the unboxing.” He doesn’t lie, but he doesn’t tell her the full truth. She looks skeptical but eventually accepts the answer from her youngest son. They talk for a while more about school, work, and family and how she was proud of Will for growing up to be such a caring young boy. She lets him go back upstairs after a while of them talking.
When he gets back to his room he changes into his pajamas and brushes his teeth. When he’s done with his night routine, he finally lays down on his new bed. He stares at his ceiling. Counting the seconds in his head. Thinking of everything and nothing at all, he feels his train of thought slowing down. He soon succumbed to the droopy feeling on his eyelids and fell asleep.