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December 15th, 1984.
Hawkins, Indiana.
The middle school gym hall is unlike anything it usually was. Whilst usually a room with bright, intrusive lights that could cause migraines if you were in it for too long, that reeked of sweat and burnt rubber from the squeaky shoes that usually filled the hall, was for once a pleasant environment. Whilst most "events" held in the hall were assemblies or memorials or pep rallies or sports competitions, tonight it was an event to fall in love.
Of course- that was never the intent of the event- it simply felt like it to the middle schooler's occupying the room in their gorgeous dresses and stuffy suits. The decorations within certainly didn't seem to help. White, flowy fabric over the tables for kids to sit at or at the refreshments bar, soft blue and purple streamers and banners, and... still, the smell of sweat- that never seemed to leave the room. It is a middle school after all- and especially in a stuffy and awkward environment like a school dance it was easy to get nervous and sweat. Luckily, most people stayed with their friends or crushes and so avoided getting bothered by the scents.
"Where's Dustin? He was supposed to be here like twenty minutes ago."
Lucas huffed as he looked around the room, hands stuffed in the pockets of his dress pants that were almost certainly two sizes too big and kept anyway to avoid buying more pairs when he'd hit a growth spurt, already frustrated with the atmosphere of the hall.
Though, if you'd stripped away the veneer, he'd admit it wasn't Dustin or the halls he was annoyed with. He'd admit it was the fact that Max wasn't yet here, and, in a still-confidential honesty, he'd admit he wasn't sure if she was even planning to come. When he'd asked if she was coming, she snickered and rolled her eyes, as though the dance was completely lame and she thought the same of him for caring in the slightest about it. He had been practicing in his mirror and survived his sisters' mockery and his parents teasing and gushing for nothing.
Will simply tilted his head in a shrug. "He did say Steve was dropping him off, right? Maybe that's why he's running late." He awkwardly stood between Lucas and Mike, fidgeting with his sleeves as he kept glancing towards the entrance, as though expectant of something big to happen.
Mike doesn't say anything, instead staring at the soft purple lights that looked almost yellow at the right angle with his jaw ever so slightly clenched.
Lucas huffs once more before Will awkwardly waves over someone from the entrance. When Mike glances over at Will, he can see him trying his very best to suppress his shock and giggle. He curiously glances back at the entrance, jaw dropping at the sight in horror.
"What did you do to your hair?" Lucas is the first to comment on the change when their fourth in the group approaches, squinting as though trying to get a better look at the new style.
"What do you mean? It looks great!" Dustin jumps to defend himself, shoving away Mike's hand as he tries to feel the tall curly mountain of hair with a scrunched up face. "It took me like 30 minutes to do this."
Will grimaces, staring at Dustin's hair for a little while longer. "Is this the surprise you wouldn't shut up about?" His gaze drifts back to the entrance, past Dustin and Mike's bickering as Dustin slaps his hands away. He perks up excitedly as he spots two heads in the crowd, waving them over with a smile so big his eyes crinkle.
Jane rushes over excitedly, Max following behind her with a far more reluctant smile than the other girls.
"Oh, hey, I was wondering why you didn't show up with Will." Mike is the first to greet them, though only addressing Jane who grins at him, taking her place in the group as she stands between him and Dustin.
Jane readjusts her dress, smiling shyly as she stares up at Dustin. "...I like your hair."
"Thank you! At least someone appreciates my effort." He exaggerates his offense to the boys' comments, before grinning back at Jane, who reaches up to press her thumb against his front teeth, giggling quietly, a habit she'd developed a while ago when his teeth first started coming in. Dustin chews at his lip for a brief moment before turning to Jane and taking a deep breath, as though ready to say something to her, instead choking up only a millisecond later.
"Are you okay?" She places a gentle hand on his shoulder, leaning into the circle slightly to get a better look at his expression, her eyebrows furrowing. She prays he doesn't notice how sweaty her palms really are.
Dustin hesitates- only for the briefest moment- before he realises how guilty he'd feel if he didn't ask such a gorgeous, kind-hearted girl like herself. "Jane, would you care to dance?" He raises an eyebrow, trying to seem cool and confident, despite how much his stomach turned and his knees threatened to turn into jelly. He extended his sweaty palm to her while the rest of the group rolled their eyes at his cheesy attempt at asking her out.
Jane doesn't seem to care about the corniness of the moment, though, instead taken aback with wide eyes, hesitating before taking his hand, muttering with a wide smile. "I'm not very... good- at dancing."
Dustin shrugs, still trying to act like his heart wasn't threatening to jump out of his chest, despite the fact that Jane, the most incredible girl he's ever met, and likely ever will meet, is agreeing to dance with him. He tries to lead her to the dance floor as he responds, "Oh, I suck at dancing too, don't worry."
Just as they approach the awkward crowd of kids dancing, softer, slower music starts to play, just in time for other kids to be grabbing dance partners too.
Lucas hesitates for a moment before turning to Max and stumbling out an offer to dance together, and only a few more seconds for a girl in their year to ask Will to dance, who- despite his hesitance and need for reassurance from Mike- joins the rest on the dance floor.
After the first song, Mike slumps into a chair at a nearby table. He wasn't exactly popular, so he wasn't too surprised he wasn't dancing, and he didn't particularly have any interest in the girls in their year either, as most of them were grossed out by him. He always wondered- was it his nerdiness or the giant birthmark splattered across his face that made the other kids compare him to frogs and lizards that made the girls hate him so much?
He hopes it's the nerdiness. At least that part of himself he can hide. At least that part he only has himself to blame. He knows it's not.
He sits and stares at the crowd, a few heads in particular jumping out. Lucas and Max- they made a sweet couple, even when Lucas kept getting shit from Max's brother. Lucas had been his best friend since he moved into the neighbourhood and ran away into the woods with Mike to hide from the racist bullies that relentlessly tortured Mike and were jumping for a new target. Max was... okay, too. She mostly talked to Lucas and Jane, but when he did get the chance to talk to her, she seemed cool. She always had spare arcade tokens, which is always handy.
Then there were of course, Dustin and Jane. Dustin started hanging out with them back in the 8th grade, right when he'd moved back with his mom after his parents divorce. He didn't have anyone to talk to yet, and the trio back then was discussing DND tactics, and he butted in- much to Mike's initial dismay- but he ended up joining their party and becoming one of his best friends. And Jane was great. He loved her- for a short while he thought it was a crush, but the more time he spent pining, the more he realised she was just his best friend. Besides, from the moment they'd met Jane, Dustin had thought she was incredible, and he could never do that to him. He was so incredibly serious when asking for Will's blessing to try to ask her out, to which Will laughed in his face.
And then his gaze wandered to Will. Oh, what he could say about Will.
He watched as Will smiled so awkwardly and hesitantly at one of the most popular girls in their grade, trying to hold eye contact with her despite it.
His gaze never left him.
Mike was always watching him, no matter how much he wished he wasn't. No matter how much he wished he could gouge his own eyes out every time he looked at Will.
He always watched him. He watched him as they hid behind trees in the forest from Troy and his asshole friends and how red his cheeks would go from the cold winter air. He watched him as they biked to school and he talked comics with Lucas. He watched him as he tried not to get frustrated about the yelling in his ear about which spell to cast in their DND campaigns. He watched Will everywhere they went, every second they spent together, every time Will talked and every time he didn't. He watched every celebration when he won a game. He watched every tired blink at their sleepovers. He watched Will constantly, no matter how much he didn't want to.
No matter how guilty he felt.
He hated the ache he felt every time Will got upset or scared. He hated the ache he felt every time Will smiled at him with that stupid mouth of his. He hated the ache he felt every time Will even so much as glanced at him with those stupid hazel eyes of his.
Oh, how he hated those eyes.
He hated how bright and green they looked in the sunlight and how deep and brown they looked in winter. He hated how much he wished he could stare into them every single second of the day.
And this- ladies and gentlemen- was why he was sitting alone. He knew it was some sick way of punishing him for feeling like this about another boy- his best friend in the entire world, no less.
He hunched over, forcefully tearing his gaze away from the boy of his affection when he saw a very specific, annoying chaperone making her way over.
"Hey nerd." She sat down at the table, placing a paper plate with snacks down and two red cups with fruit punch down.
Mike sighed as he sat up, rolling his eyes at her. "Go away, Nancy."
Nancy ignores his request- or rather, his rude and passive demand. “Are you not gonna dance?” She gently sways her body to the rhythm of "Every Breath You Take” by The Police, snagging one of the pretzels off of the snake plate between them.
Mike ignores her, instead staring back out at the crowd.
Nancy follows his gaze, her entire body and heart softening when she looks back at him. She stays silent for a few more moments. “...You know you can tell me anything, right?”
Mike still doesn't bother to look at her, instead picking at his cuticles and desperately trying to keep his gaze away from Will- he hated how difficult it was to do something so seemingly simple.
“About anything. I'll always be here to listen, Mike, and I'll always love you.” She watches him whilst she blinks away the tears in his eyes. She wants to be there for him like she had wanted someone to be there for her. “No matter what.”
Mike chews his lip and he glances back at Nancy. He opens his mouth to speak, but the words get caught in his throat, unsure of what to even say. He finally settles on a quiet “Thanks…”
They sit quietly for a while, Mike sipping the fruit punch and Nancy picking at the small snack plate. “So, Dustin and Jane are cute, huh?”
Mike glances back up, watching as Jane rests her head against his shoulder, arms wrapped around each other as their bodies sway to the rhythm of some cheesy love song, Dustin resting his head against hers, big, warm smiles on both their faces. Mike can't help but smile at them. “Yeah, I guess it's sweet.”
Nancy stands up as the song nears its end and Will wrangles himself away from the girl- her friends helping him out by calling her over for pictures together. “I should get back to chaperoning.”
“Sucks to be you.” Mike rolls his eyes, smiling softly.
Nancy steals a handful of pretzels from the plate she brought. “I spat in your drink earlier.”
“Sure you did.”
Nancy smirks, lowering her voice right before she leaves. “I meant what I said. I'm always here for you, Mike.”
Mike stares up at her, glancing down at the floor and nodding. “Yeah, I know. I'm here for you too.”
Nancy nodded in acknowledgement, before gesturing over her shoulder and walking away.
Will slumps into a chair next to Mike, sighing quietly. “Hi.”
Mike snorts a laugh at Will's frazzlement. “You good?” He can't help but stare into his eyes and the way the soft lighting made gentle strokes of colour light up and glow within them.
Maybe he would take Nancy up on her offer to talk sometime.