Chapter Text
"Should we go ?" Will's lips parted before I could even decipher what the girl in front of us whispered. What was her name, again ? Jenifer ? Stancy ? Whatever. The only important thing right now is that this girl just talked to us, and that Dustin smile seems to be so big it's swallowing his face whole.
"What ?" I mutter.
"The party". Will tilt his head. "Should we go to the party ?"
"What kind of question is that ?" almost yells Dustin.
"I think you guys are a little too excited", sighs Lucas.
I feel my gut twist in a weird sort of jealousy, the remnants of what I felt toward Lucas in freshman year, where he was popular and went to more party that I could ever count, while we were stuck getting bullied and spat on at every turn. I bet he already drank litters of vodka, even smoked a few blunts. I feel ridiculous and feeling jealous is making me feel even more ridiculous. We could've just stop being weird and become friend with his friends. Then, I would've already blacked out at least five times. Fuck.
"I guess we could....". Will turns his head towards me, his eyes meeting mine in a long stare. The sun make his brown hair glisten in a mesmerizing honey color, melting with the orange of his gown, with his perfect long eyelashes and...
All of this is stupid. I was about to cancel that party, the one he seems so happy to go, to ask them to play D&D. They will probably think I'm some kind of loser who tries to destroy their social life, to drag them down in all of my weirdness, when they finally have a chance to be normal, to do what normal people do. No, really, it's stupid. We can play D&D tomorrow, perhaps. Or the day after.
I can never be a stupid teenager getting wasted after my graduation again.
"We could go, yes. Where is... uh... her house ?"
"Stacy's ?" ask Lucas. "It's just a few block from yours. You see the trailer park ? It's right before. Huge house, really".
Jealousy bites back again. I clench my fist, try to swallow whole the image of the four of us in my basement, when we didn't had any worry in the world.
"Oh my god ! I can't believe it, we are going to a party !". I've never seen Will more excited. His eyes sparkle and I can almost see my reflection in them. I force a smile on my face, to make sure that I don't ruin his mood. Come on, Mike. Get it together.
"Sweet", mutters Dustin. "We meet again at 6', at your house, right ?"
"My house ?"
I want to yelp, but Dustin is already running in the opposite direction, followed by Lucas and Max, who looks at me with a huge smile, appreciating how annoyed I probably look right now. I have to hold back my middle finger from rising towards her.
"Why my house ? Why is it always my house ?"
Too late. Everybody went. No, not everybody : Will is still at my side, like always. A slight smile - sweet, tender, amused - grace his face, drastically different from the grim smirk of Max's. He slowly put his hand on my shoulder, chuckling.
"I'll keep them on your doorstep. Karen's not gonna say anything, promise." As if mom would ever say no to any of them, especially after what happenned eighteen months ago.
"Thank you", I whisper. "I just cleaned the basement." I'm not sure cleaned is the word, but at least I can walk in it now. And since nobody sleeps in it anymore, I don't need to keep it organised. My heart flutters. No one sleeps in it anymore, but there was a time...
"You can come in, if you want".
Will furrows his eyebrow. His hand twitch on my shoulder. "What ?"
"You can come in. But... only you." My voices drops lowers, become so quiet I'm not sure he heard me. I don't even know why I said that. Of course Will can come in. Why couldn't he ? Why would it be special ? Why would I need to say it ?
Will's hands grips my shoulder more firmly. His chest rise, he swallow, and the suns glisten in his honey hair. I catch myself staring a little too long, before he nods.
"Alright. I'll come in, then."
I can feel it, deep in my chest, in the darkest part of me - something burns harder, so hard it almost crack open and explode.
I contain it.
***
I haven't ate, washed or did anything but stare at my stupid wall since I got back. Mom is convinced that I'm just feeling what she called "Post-highschool blues", claiming that she couldn't stop cry for hours after her graduation. But it's stupid : I never cry. I don't really know how to cry. The last time I cried... I blink as hard as I can to try and forget the memory of El, then finally find the strength to get up on my feet. My eyes scan the room, my disorganised closet barely holding my clothes in anymore, my days old dishes that mom yelled at me to wash, my notebooks where I scribbled thousands of opening lines for my next D&D campaign. Do I smell ? When did I last washed myself ? Shit, I should go shower for the party. Maybe if I...
"Michael !"
I push the palms of my hands against my eyes. If Holly needs to be picked up from somewhere again...
"Michael !"
"What ?" I snap back, arching down to find my pants in the huge pile of half dirty clothes on the floor. I almost forgot that I removed my gown, and since my clothes itched, I also tossed away my pants and my shirt - which technically, would allow me to shower faster. I finally find my shirt, when the stairs try to creak. I sigh loudly :
"Mom, I said..."
"I think she's gonna kill you, one day."
This voice... my body tense, my toes curl and I whip my head higher, towards the silhouette that stands in the doorway. In front of me, standing out from the plain yellow wallpaper, smiles Will, dressed like I've never seen before. Obviously, his bowlcut is gone : he slicked his hair slightly back, in a way that resemble Steve, whilst still being more soft, less playboy. He traded his linen shirt for a more rich color, a beautiful dark blue that allows the brown of his hair to stands out, that blends with his skinny jeans. He looks almost different but still perfectly the same, as if he was a butterfly freshly out of his... shit, was what the word, again ?
"Mike ? Why are you...?"
Will eye me up and down, furrow his brow then become bright red. He force himself to look away, still taking a peak across the room. Confusion fills me. I go to scratch the back of my neck, when I notice my completely naked arm. Oh shit !
I whip out the first shirt I can find, try to put it on, then realise panicking is probably more embarassing then to play it cool. Why do I even panic anyway ? It's nothing : Lucas and Dustin already saw me half naked thousands of times. It shouldn't be different with Will.
"S-Sorry", I blurt out, not noticing that I am also bright red. "I didn't except anyone to come so early ! I really should've... I don't know why I... Shit, where is that stupid sock ?"
Will, his eyes fixated on the wall right next to me, tilt his head.
"Mike, it's 5'50."
"What ?! No it's not !"
Will searches for a clock, but gives up when he realise that all I have are stupid posters.
5'50 ?! I don't even have a shirt on and Will is already here ! Shit, I don't have a shirt on in front of Will ! God, I'm so screwed, I didn't even told my mom I am going to a party ! It hit me back piece by piece, like a snowball rolling down a hill. I am going to a party !
Where the fuck is this shirt ?!
"On the chair, I think."
I raise an eyebrow, realising a bit too late that I was thinking out loud. Red flushes down my cheeks. Did I said everything out loud ?
Will is probably fed up with my panic, because he steps in the room, overcoming this awkward situation to reach for a random pair of pants on the ground. He examines them, confused, and I realise that I'm just stuck here like somebody glued my feet to the ground. If I was an arcane machine, I would probably be overloading. I am probably overloading.
"Sit down, Mike. I think it's time for a makeover."
I raise an eyebrow, even more stunned. But my feet somehow decide to obey Will and I sit down on my messy bed, who creaks when I unfold the sheets.
"A... makeover ?"
"We have ten minutes, twenty if Max is late again, and you are not wearing a WSQK shirt for our first party together. I think I have an idea, if you trust me."
Our first party. He obviously meant us, all of us, Dustin, Lucas, Max, him and me, but my heart still skips a beat. Will really does see us a team. Because this is what we are, right ? A team.
"I trust you" I mutter, and a part of me ask itself if I'm really talking about the clothes or something else, because my voices waver a bit. Will tense slightly, then turns around toward my closet. It should be closed, but it's second away from exploding, clothes coming out from everywhere. He somehow find his way into this mess, pull out a shirt and smiles at me, more happy than I ever seen him.
I'm getting a makeover.
***
I was expecting... no, I don't know what I was expecting, but I feel a bit refreshed - whilst still being convicted that I look really stupid. However, like I told him, I trust Will. If he chose that outfit, that must means he's right.
"Oh my god ! Guys, it finally happened !"
Max is leaned on her bright red car, one finger pointed towards me. Lucas face light up when he sees me.
"You changed your hair, Mike ?"
I shrug. I didn't really change much - just ditched the side part to put my hair back on my forehead. Will also ran his hand one or two time in it, insisting that it gave me a sort of "wild" look. Whatever.
"This suit you better, man." smile Dustin.
I furrow my brows. Did everybody thought my hair was ugly and just didn't told me ?
Max straighten slightly when Will comes next to me. A light shines on her face. "Hey Will, nice outfit ! I love the shirt."
It's his turn to smile. "Thanks, Max. I tried something new."
She comes up to him and give him a tap on the shoulder. "Well, it worked. Ready everyone ?"
I take a look back at the house, at my basement, where still lies my game master board. I would've really liked a D&D game better. But still, because I changed my stupid hair and almost got whooped by my mom telling her so late, I whisper.
"Ready."