Chapter Text
January 7th 1981, Hawkins, Indiana
Mike Wheeler was walking home from school, it was the first day back after Christmas break and snow was covering the ground in thick layers making it impossible for him to bike. His friend Lucas was walking beside him talking about the new friend they had made today, Dustin Henderson. Dustin had curly hair and lisp, which he told them was caused by the fact he was missing teeth because of a genetic condition called Cleidocranial Dysplasia. They had introduced themselves at lunch time when his best friend Will had suggested they talk to him, they had quickly become friends due to their shared interests, comic books, science and he had even played D&D before, a role-playing game Mike, Lucas and Will had recently become interested in. When the pair got to Lucas house they said goodbye and Mike walked to the house next door where he lived. When he got inside the rest of his family was sitting in the living room, even his dad was there, which was odd, they rarely spent time all together in private. His dad, Ted Wheeler, was sitting on his Lazy-Boy Recliner, his focus on the illuminated TV screen, his sister Nancy was sitting on one end of the couch her cheeks still pink from the cold, Nancy was in seventh grade and had recently decided that she was too cool for Mike and now they rarely spent time together, whereas they used to watch movies together when they parents would fight or they'd do homework while sitting at the kitchen table together, but now she spent all her time in her room talking on the private phone line she’d gotten for Christmas or at her best friend barbs house. His mother, Karen was sitting on the other end of the couch, she was currently seven months pregnant with what was going to be Mike's new little sister, his mom was the only person who had interest in what Mike had to say, whether it be about a story he wanted to write or whatever he was obsessed with at the moment shed always make time to listen him.
“Micheal, come sit” His mom patted the spot next to her on the couch “Your father and I have some news”
“What is it Mom?” Nancy questioned, looking between the two suspiciously.
Mike hoped that the two of them weren't talking about getting a divorce or separating, Will’s parents had recently split up and he didn't want that for his family, although he was secretly glad that Will's mom was leaving his dad, he always thought Mrs. Byers deserved better and their house felt warmer with Mr. Byers gone.
“We're moving to California" His dad said, finally looking away from the sports match playing on the TV.
“What, Why?” Mike cried shooting from his spot on the couch in alarm, he didn't want to move away, everyone he knew was here, the Byers who sometimes felt more like his family than his actual family, his friends were here, Will was here!
“Your father got transferred to a branch in California for work” His mom grabbed his hand to make him sit back down next to her. “Itll be nice, California’s warm, the baby will grow up there, you two will make lots of new friends im sure of it”
“Everyone i know is here, Mom, i just started middle school i cant move now” It was Nancy’s turn to start protesting.
“No buts, we're leaving Friday, there are boxes in the hallway to pack your things” His dad was pointing towards the hallway vaguely, his attention already back on the television.
Nancy and Mike both turn towards their mother to start arguing.
“You heard your father, ill come help you guys pack” His mother took led them upstairs to start packing.
January 21st 1981, San Diego, California
Mike Wheeler was not happy, he had just been taken away from his friends, from Will and now he had started at a new school in some town in California where he did not want to be. The only consolation was that his mother had taken him to the arcade and it had been really nice, he'd met a girl named Max there and they'd played some rounds together and they were super evenly matched, she had bright red hair and he actually enjoyed talking to her, they could play argue in the way he used to be able to do with Nancy before she'd started taking herself way to seriously, but anyway he was starting a new school today and he was totally lost. He'd already missed two weeks of school because of the move and now he could not for the life of him figure out where he was supposed to be, he'd asked three teachers and they'd all said the same thing, «its that way» while pointing in a general direction before going back to whatever they were doing previously. Now he was sitting on the floor with his back against the lockers, he wasn't too worried about missing class, he was a smart kid, all his teachers back in Hawkins said so. He had given up on finding a way to his class, when Max, the redhead girl from the arcade walked by and spotted him.
«Hey, you're Mike, right? We met at the arcade over the weekend” She knelt down in front of him. “Are you lost?”
“Yea, I tried to find my class, but I just couldn't” He looked up at her, noting the bright blue eyes. “I even asked some teachers but they were super unhelpful”
“That's all of our teachers in a nutshell” She gave him her hand to get up. “What class are you in? I can help you find it.”
“Thank you” He looked down at the paper the front office had given him this morning. “I have Mr. Simon”
“Im in his class too, i can introduce you to my friends” She started walking really fast down the hallway. “I mean only if you want, I don't really care”
“I'd like that, thanks” He smiled at her.
“Cool” She smiled back.
February 1st 1981, San Diego, California
Mike Wheeler was settling into his new life, while he missed Will dearly his mom had said he could call Will once a week and for however long as he wanted, despite the long distance bill. He'd gladly taken this opportunity and he and Will still told each other everything, on their first call Will had told him all about how he, Lucas and Dustin missed him, even though Dustin had only known for a few days, they'd hung and said goodbye after Mike had been told about the move, he still wished they'd got to be closer. Then Mike had told Will all about Max, how she was equally as good as him at the arcade, how she let him hang out with her and her friends, a quiet boy named Nate and an energetic girl named Rebbeca, Bex for short, he'd felt really guilty at first that he was making new friends instead of being Loyal to his old ones, but when he'd voiced this to Will, he'd been told that it was stupid to feel guilty for making new friends and then they'd both reassured each other that they'd always be best friends and the will had to go to because it was bedtime. Mike had just gotten off another call with Will and this time Dustin and Lucas had been there, all three of them had crowded around the phone and talked about their weeks and D&D and Dustin had gone on a half hour long rant about how to stupid Mr. Karim, the English teacher, had ended with the three others laughing hysterically and Dustin quite worked up and was angry. When they finally hung up the phone it was nine o'clock where Mike was, which meant it was midnight for the other three boys, they'd have talked for longer, but Mike had to get to bed because he and Max were going to the skate boarding park together tomorrow, so that she could «show of her skills». When she said that Mike laughed so much that he spilled his milk from the school lunch everywhere, which made Max, Bex and Nate laugh and pretty soon they were all laughing themselves to hysterics while the lunch tried to get them to get up and clean the mess that the milk made. Now Mike was in bed anticipation curling in his stomach, he was having a hard time falling asleep and he was not happy about it.
February 2nd 1980, Lemon Grove California
Mike Wheeler was sitting on a bench with Bex, observing as Max and Nate circled around each other and tried tricks out their skateboards. Max had tried to teach Mike to skateboard and he'd managed to get a few feet before completely falling over and scraping lots of skin off his forearm, he’d starting crying, which was so embarrassing, but Max had just calmly bandaged his arm up and sent him to sit with Bex. It had felt really nice to have someone else care enough to take the time to take care of him, even if it was another fourth grader. He and Bex were having an animated conversation about Lord of the Rings, which had been one of the things to bring them closer, they'd discovered they both loved the books at lunch time on Wednesday at which Max had called them both nerds. Now that she wasn't here to make fun of them they were really discussing all of their thoughts on the novel. After Max and Nate were done they went back to Bex’s house, it was the closest to the skatepark, to watch a movie and eat lunch, it was the most fun Mike had had since moving away from Hawkins, away from Will. It felt freeing, like a weight had been lifted off of him, he felt free to do what he wanted and make a life here, he was happy again. Which is why it really sucked when everything went downhill in March.
March 14th 1980, Lemon Grove California
Mike Wheeler was lying in a sleeping bag on the floor of Bex’s living room, Bex was sleeping soundly in her room and Nancy was snoring away on the couch above. When his mom went into labor his dad grabbed their bags and rushed them here before taking his mom to the hospital to give birth, that was two days ago. Nobody had called with any news and Mike had a sinking feeling in his stomach, the kind he got whenever Mr. Byers was about to start yelling at them and calling him and Will “fairies” or when Max had been about to trip down the stairs at school and sprain her wrist, she hadn't been able to skate for two weeks while it healed. He'd had before his mom went into labor and over the two days that followed it got deeper and deeper. It turned out the feeling was right because when he woke from his restless sleep a few hours later his dad was standing above them talking to Bex’s parents quietly. When he saw that Mike and Nancy were awake he burst into a fresh set of tears and was lead into the kitchen by Bex’s dad, while her mom sat down in front of them and told them the worst news of Mike’s life, worse than the news he received just under three later from chief Hopper, worse than the news five years from now that would make him lose everything. His mom was dead, complications from childbirth, baby Holly didn't make it either. Upon hearing the news Nancy burst into tears and hid her face in her sleeping bag, but Mike just stared around numb, sad and that day turned into days, which turned into weeks, which turned into…
March 30th 1981, San Diego, California
Mike Wheeler had watched his mother get buried today, he still hadn't cried, Nancy was mad at him, called him a robot, and said he didn't care about mom. His dad was getting better, he'd been healing, stepped up as a father, he still cried himself to sleep each night. Bex and Nate gave him space, unsure how to proceed, Max kept trying to break through his haze, she cared so much and usually she didn't show it, but she was getting desperate.
April 8th 1981, San Diego, California
Mike Wheeler cried today for the first time. He just started bawling in the middle of math class, they were working in pairs and he and Max were doing terrible, Max was alright at math, not bad, but not good either and Mike was still in that haze. Since Max was just talking to him trying to get him to open up again she was not focused on the work. Then Mike started crying and they went out into the hallway together. Mike didn't think he had the words, but as soon as Max asked what was up he just started talking and the words just flowed. He described his feeling of numbness, the haze that was suffocating, how deep Nancy’s accusations of not caring cut and how worst of all, the one person who would listen to him ramble and would cook his favourite dinners when he was sad wasn't there to cheer him up. Max had hugged for the first time since they became friends, on the floor of that hallway and rubbed his back and murmured comforting words in his ear and for the first time in nearly a month the haze was gone and Mike had never been more thankful for Max than he was in that moment, murmuring thank you over and over and over again. He felt like things might just turn up instead of staying awful and he was hopeful again for the first time since March 14th.