Chapter Text
1. Flashback
September, 1981 - Hawkins, Indiana,
Inside the Byers' tool shed…
(Darkness. The shed door creaks open, revealing a beam of light. 10-year-old Will Byers enters, walking his bike in, followed by his best friend Mike.)
WILL: I just have to put my bike away – my dad gets angry if I leave it in the yard. You can keep yours here too while you're over...
MIKE: Okay. Cool.
WILL: So, whaddya wanna do? Read comics?
MIKE (looking around the shed): Naw, maybe later.
WILL: Listen to music?
MIKE: No… Um, I had this idea but I'm... not really sure how to explain it.
WILL: Okay…
MIKE (fidgeting with his fingers): Well, I was thinking – it's kinda stupid, but… since we're gonna start dating girls soon, probably, it might be good to… uh… practice first. You know, like, kissing and stuff. Just so we don't embarrass ourselves...
WILL: Y-you want us to practice kissing? Like, with each other…?
MIKE (flustered): You know what? Nevermind. I, I told you, it's a dumb idea. Forget I mentioned it.
WILL: No – it's not dumb.
(A look of surprise flashes across Mike's face. Did he hear that right?)
MIKE: I mean, I, I just thought it would be easier with a friend, you know? Someone who won't make fun of you if you do it wrong. Someone who…
WILL (nodding): Makes you feel safe.
MIKE: Yeah. Exactly! Who knows, maybe we'll get good enough to really impress the ladies. (He raises his eyebrows comically several times.)
WILL (laughing): Okay. So… what do we do?
MIKE: Well – I've skimmed through some of Nancy's romance novels, and from what I've read… first, (in a silly dramatic voice) we stare longingly into each other's eyes.
(They both smirk, pretending to stare longingly at each other.)
WILL: Okay?
MIKE: Then, you gently caress her face. (With a slight tremble, Mike lightly touches Will's cheek.) And you wet your lips – to soften them… and... to let her know you're ready.
(They both lick their lips.)
WILL: Okay?
MIKE: Then, you slip your hand behind her head and slowly pull her towards you. (Mike strokes Will's hair, swallowing nervously. They both lean in.) You close your eyes, and…
(As their lips touch, they both inhale sharply. They kiss for a minute, with more passion than either expected. When they part, they both stare at each other, stunned, blinking and breathing rapidly.)
WILL: Wow! That was… um…
MIKE (whispers): Intense.
WILL: Yeah. Do you think we did it right?
MIKE: It... felt right.
WILL: Uh-huh. (He pauses a beat, then suddenly looks worried.) Um… Mike, can we not tell anyone, though? My dad already hates everything I do. I... I feel like he would be really mad if he found out about this.
MIKE: Sure. It can be our secret.
(With a small, relieved smile, Will nods.)
WILL: Yeah, our secret.
(They look at each other in awe for a moment, reflecting on what has just happened.)
WILL: So… (A wide smile spreads across his face. He raises his eyebrows mischievously.) Wanna do it again?
(Mike grins and nods.)
(A montage flashes through clips of the boys sneaking to the shed every day over several weeks, laughing, kissing, being silly, having fun – set to Tommy James and the Shondells' 'I Think We're Alone Now'.)
" 'Children, behaaaave,'
That's what they say when we're together,
'And watch how you plaaaay,'
They don't understand
And so we're running just as fast as we can,
Holding on to one another's hand,
Trying to get away into the night
And then you put your arms around me
As we tumble to the ground and then you say
I think we're alone now..."
(BANG)
(The music ends abruptly as the shed door slams open. Will's dad peers in. The boys instantly straighten up, Will standing in front of Mike with one arm behind his back, holding Mike's hand tightly where Lonnie can't see. The intruding air smells of stale cigarettes and beer.)
LONNIE (blinking as his eyes adjust): What's going on out here?
WILL: N-nothing?
MIKE: Homework.
LONNIE: Huh? What kinda homework are you doing in a shed?
(Drawing a blank, Will begins to tremble a little. Mike quickly steps in with an answer.)
MIKE: Um, it's... for Science. We're… we're building something. We came out to get some tools and stuff.
LONNIE (scowling): I think it's time for you to be heading home, Mr. Wheeler. It's getting late.
MIKE: Yes, sir. (He whispers in Will's ear.) Are you gonna be okay if I go?
WILL (nods almost imperceptibly): I'll be fine. My mom's home.
(Outside the shed, Mike mounts his bike as Will stands in the doorway.)
MIKE: I'll see you tomorrow, okay Will?
WILL: Yeah. Bye, Mike. Be careful.
The next day at school…
(Will and Mike are washing their hands at the sinks in the boys' bathroom. Will looks around to make sure no one else is there.)
WILL (discreetly): I think we have to stop, okay, Mike? Yesterday was too close.
MIKE: Stop?… Oh. Okay.
WILL: My dad's getting really suspicious. He keeps asking why we're in the shed all the time, what we're doing out there. If he catches us, we're dead. Literally.
MIKE: But we're not doing anything wrong…
WILL: I know. Like, it's not even real, right? We're just pretending.
MIKE (hesitates, looking a little crushed): Um… yeah. Right – pretending.
WILL: But my dad won't care. He won't even wait for an explanation, he'll just murder us on the spot.
MIKE (shocked): He wouldn't really, would he?
WILL: Uh-huh. Like, really really. He tells me all the time he'd rather have a dead kid than a f *g for a son.
(Will makes an angry, disgusted face, and starts tearing up.)
MIKE (horrified, eyes wide, whispers): Holy shit!
WILL: He'd probably kill you first just to hurt me more. God, I HATE him so much! (crying, shaking) I don't even know what I did wrong! He treats me like some worthless piece of garbage. Why does he hate me, Mike? What did I do wrong?!
MIKE: Nothing, Will! Nothing. (Adamantly, he grips Will's shoulders.) You are not garbage, you hear me? Don't you ever think that. You are the best person I know. Okay? (Mike hugs Will, trying to comfort him.) The best person I know. (Will keeps sobbing.) Shhh… it's okay. Don't cry. We'll stop, okay? We can stop.
WILL (nods, still crying): I'm sorry. (sniffs)
MIKE: No, it's fine. I never want to do anything that could get you hurt, okay? Not ever. I promise.
(Holding Will against his chest, Mike soothingly strokes his hair. Gradually, Will starts to calm down.)
WILL: C-can we still hang out after school?
MIKE: Yeah, of course. We can work on our comic book together. That's always fun. Right?
WILL: Yeah. (Will takes a few deep breaths, visibly relaxing as he exhales.) Mike...?
MIKE: Yeah?
WILL: Um, maybe we should go to your house instead, though.
MIKE (chuckling faintly): That sounds like a good idea.
(END SCENE)