Chapter Text
Will was going to move on. He was sure of it. Yeah, so what if he’d been hauntingly aware of his feelings for like 3 years? Michael Wheeler had been the bane of (read as: reason for) Will’s existence for far too long and today he was going to fix that. Obviously, Will wasn’t optimistic enough to believe that this kind of thing could be solved in a day but with the shallow hope that had begun to drip through Will’s heart now that his sister had broken up with Mike (for the final time) combined with the fact that they had much more world-shattering things to worry about he had to at least try. So, sitting cross-legged on the makeshift bed he was occupying inside the Wheelers’ basement he opened his sketchbook, picked up a pencil and began to devise a plan.
How To Get Over Who Who Shall Not Be Named
Step 1:
Will groaned. Despite his initial persistence on the matter Will had no idea on how to go about this. Sure, there was that period in California where he finally came to the conclusion that Mike wasn’t going to send any letters and tried to get over him through movie logic (read as: find someone new), but that went nowhere as Will had a habit of involuntary picturing Mike while making out with his numerous ‘flings’.
As if the universe had reached inside his brain and heard his troubles, the answer knocked on his door. Literally.
“Hey, Will,” Jonathan called down as he walked down the basement steps agonisingly slowly. “What’s up?” He asked whilst sitting down on his own mattress, placed a couple feet next to Will’s.
“Nothing!” The younger boy all but shrieked as he instantaneously shut the sketchbook, a bit too dramatically, before his brother could read what he had written.
“Okay then,” Jonathan replied, smiling softly at his brother’s antics. Will looked at his brother hard, contemplating whether or not he should ask. After about 10 seconds he sighed.
“Jonathan, have you ever had to get over someone?”
Jonathan raised his eyebrows slightly, that clearly wasn’t the question he was expecting. After a couple seconds of debating whether or not he should tease his brother or just answer simply, he replies.
“A couple times, why?”
“How’d you do it?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean,” Will starts, annoyed at Jonathan playing dumb. “How’d you get over her?”
“This about anyone in particular?” Jonathan teases and wags his eyebrows. Will simply glares.
“Answer the question.”
“Well,” his brother suddenly took on a look of deep thought, “it kind of just happened, it’s not really a thing you can force.”
Will sighed dramatically.
“But,” Jonathan drew out, “if I had to guess my best solution would be to distance yourself from this person, distract yourself and put yourself out there.”
Will stared expectantly.
“You’re kidding?”
Jonathan shook his head.
“That’s all you have? God, you’re like no help.”
“Hey! That was some good advice.”
“Sure, but I could’ve gotten that from like every movie ever.”
Jonathan rolled his eyes. “Fine, I see how it is.” He stood up and made his way up to the basement door before he stopped.
“Will,” he stuck his head back out and made eye contact with the boy, “just remember you can talk to me.”
Will sat and watched as his brother walked out and shut the door. Despite his vocal criticism, Will appreciated the advice Jonathan gave him. The only issue was that it was pretty hard to distance yourself from someone you’re sharing a house with. And someone who has an annoying obsession with proving they’re a better friend by hanging out with you non-stop.
“Will?” an all too familiar voice called out (which was quite uncanny considering he was just thinking about him). Jesus, Will was so sucked into the idea of getting over Mike that he didn’t even notice the boy walk in.
“Yes, Mike?”
“Did you wanna watch a movie? We could have a Star Wars marathon.”
Will had to admit the idea did seem appealing. He hadn’t seen the trilogy since Return of the Jedi came out. He watched the movie only a month after he returned from the Upside Down and it was the first time he went 2 hours without thinking about that place. But how the hell was he supposed to get over his stupid crush if he couldn’t even say no to a movie?
“I don’t know Mike, I’m pretty tired.”
“Oh,” Mike’s face fell, “but you don’t need to stay awake through it. I kind of just want some company.” He reassured sheepishly.
Christ, Will was a sucker.
“Sure,” he answered, slowly standing up.