Chapter Text
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Will hated his first year in Lenora. Being so separated from his friends, his home. If he had the option he would have never chosen to move.
However, that was then.
This year, with Vecna dead and Jane thankfully separated from any horrid blondes, he decided it would be a good year. He's a sophmore now, he'll be fine. He still has nightmares, but less frequent.
His only problem now, is Michael Wheeler. His best friend he's been god awfully in love with for years. He has two problems with Mike. One, Mike has been all over the place with their friendship, one day so close, the next he's an awkward asshole. His second problem, he fears Mike isn't a good boyfriend for Jane either.
He's terrified when he thinks about it, he just sounds jealous, but really. Jane only knows so much about relationships, and loud, obnoxious Mike is not the staple of the best boyfriend. Especially not long distance. But, it's not his relationship.
Will has to get over Mike, he decided the week before school started. He had to do something, or he'd be sitting on his ass waiting forever. Unfortunately he'd probably be okay with that back in Hawkins, but not in Lenora. Not now.
August 24, 1987. First day of school.
"You have art class." Jane stated, walking into school with Will.
"Yeah. Sorry we have different classes now."
"It's okay. I will be okay."
Jane smiled at him, he smiled back. They went to their different classes.
Will entered the art classroom. It was half full already. There was pencils everywhere, desks made for two, and dried spots of paint splattered everywhere. He took an empty seat towards the back.
The teacher was sitting at the desk in the front, class hadn't started yet so everybody was still talking or wandering around. It took until the last 5 minutes for another student to sit next to him.
"Mike?" The name slipped from Will's lips before he could stop it. The other boy immediately perked his head up, confused. That's not Mike.
"S-Sorry! I thought you were someone else."
Will quickly got embarrassed. This was obviously not Mike. It was irrational, Mike was in hawkins, and he definitely wouldn't go out with such tangled curls, or pale skin, or so.. different. But jesus, did he look like Mike.
"Hah! I would never have such a basic name like Michael." The boy laughed, his words flying over Will's head as he instead noticed the foreign accent on his tongue.
"Uhm. What is your name then?"
"Boris. And you are?"
"I'm Will."
Boris smiled happily, he looked funny. Will was internally panicked. Anyone wearing all black in California summer is different. That's not bad though, anyone not popular gives Will a sense of hope that he won't be bullied.
"Will is short for William, yes?" Boris asked, but he already knew.
"Yeah. Nobody calls me that though."
"Then I will. I'll be the only one."
"I guess." Will didn't argue. He could tell he'd lose if he tried. They both stopped talking once the teacher stood up, but Will couldn't help stealing another glance. It startled his heart to see Boris looking back, not with an expression of any importance, just making eye contact and blinking away.
If Will knew anything about his life, it's that his luck is halfway against him and halfway in favor of him. Of course he'd end up with foreign mike clones being his classmate.
Not really a mike clone though, Will felt slightly guilty for comparing Boris to Mike already, even if it was just a similarity in his head. How rude of his mind.
"You draw very pretty. You could sell for money." Boris commented while the rest of the class was silent, everyone sketching objects endlessly.
There was an obvious difference in skill between Boris and Will's work.
"Thanks.. It's not my best." Will spoke, but immediately wished he hadn't. Did that sound too egotistical?
"Do not intrigue me, William. I can only imagine your best art!" Boris grinned, and Will struggled to tell if he was being sarcastic or not.
"Shush. I didn't mean it like that."
"I know."
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"Do you like to skip class, William?" Boris asked once class was over, already walking out of the classroom, simply expecting Will to follow.
Will hesitated to answer. Truthfully, he had, only once or twice last year and he just covered it up as being late to school. He was too scared to get into trouble at school. Trouble never ended well for him.
Boris, despite looking like Mike, was too obviously different. He looked like trouble, talked like trouble, and after only one class he was already asking about skipping together.
Will could say no, should say no, be cautious and avoidant like he usually is with the people at school. But this is supposed to be a good school year, right? Changing involves a little risk.
It's not a big risk. Not magical or evil, it's a normal risk. Normal risks are worth taking sometimes.
"I haven't really skipped, not really." He finally muttered the words out after a few seconds too quiet. The quiet gave away his answer before the words.
"But you will?" Boris hummed.
"I will. Just for a little."
Boris led Will out of a door in one of the empty hallways, opening to grass and a sidewalk trail leading to the front of the school. They walked in the opposite direction, in the grass.
"Do you always skip out here?" Will asked, unable to bottle the slight thrill he felt. Boris only smiled.
"I just moved here this month. I am simply following where the people aren't!"
"Oh." Will couldn't help sighing. He was skipping class with a boy who didn't even really know where he was going. He's going to try hard to not regret this.
Boris finally sat down in the grass once they were far enough, not on school grounds. He pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, lighting it without care. For some reason it worried Will the least. Will had been around adults smoking enough to barely mind it, it smelled better than Jonathan's weed at least.
"Where are you from then?"
"Russia, Australia, Poland, New Zealand, Texas, Alaska, Canada, Sweden. Originally Ukraine."
Will had to try and empty his brain to take in the list. If anybody else said that he'd think they were making things up.
"I moved here too. Just from Indiana." He said. Boris nodded.
Boris held his cigarette towards Will in offer, but pulled it away once he shook his head. Will was already skipping class, he can't break too many rules at once. God forbid his mom finds out.
"You go home after school?" Boris asked, and it was the first time someone seemed so curious and focused on him. Will wasn't used to it. In the past he'd probably not want to get close, afraid of the let down, but right now this was all he wanted. He hasn't had a moment like this with Mike in so long, it felt better than ever even just doing something so simple.
"Yeah. With my sister." He answered, and Boris laughed.
"A sister, eh? Is she pretty like you?"
Will feels his heart skip a beat. He must be joking. Boris doesn't look like he's joking, blinking at Will with a quiet giggle.
"She's pretty."
"You are so nervous, William. Like a small animal."
It took only about 20 minutes for Will to realize Boris might just be too open, talking about his father's work and all the places he's lived, throwing in random nonsense. Will's brain kept telling him it's not smart to hang around the most obvious bad influence he'd ever seen, yet he couldn't listen to the thoughts for some reason.
Boris stared ahead at some trees as they conversed, taking the last drag of his cigarette, discarding it into the dirt. It was too easy to tell that Will listened more than he talked. Boris still asked questions though, simple enough to coax him into being comfortable, but Boris would never be able to act normal. Far too unlike him.
"So. I will give you phone number. You call after school, I will answer." Boris spoke like it was already set to happen, digging around in the pockets of his pants. He pulled out a ripped piece of paper and a pencil that was probably broken in half before, like he had just been waiting for this moment.
"Uhm. My mom's on the phone a lot, I might call a little late."
"That's okay. I'll be up."
Boris handed the paper to Will.
"I should go back to class."
"да. Wouldn't want to miss your sister."
Boris hopped up off the ground abruptly. He pulled up Will with him, the two stumbling for a second. Then they went back in the school, just in time for the next class. Now, they have different classes.
"Will!" Jane approached him at their lockers once lunch started. She looked confused.
"I looked for you after first period, where were you?"
Will panicked for a moment, opening his mouth but the words delayed.
"I made a friend in art class, I walked to the next with him. I'm sorry."
He lied, and he felt bad for even implying that he forgot about her or didn't pay her any mind, but she only nodded slowly.
"A friend? What is your friend's name?"
"Boris."
"Sounds different."
"He's from Ukraine. It's in Europe."
Jane had limited knowledge of the world, she enjoyed learning geography and different places, she easily learned to tell when something was foreign to good old suburban America. She was good at noticing things.
"Ukraine. Why is he here?" She asked, and the two started walking to the cafeteria together. Will doesn't like being the bearer of information.
"His father has a job that involves traveling, so they traveled here."
"Well. He must be nice."
Will looked around the cafeteria when they walked in, trying not to be too obvious. Boris was nowhere around.
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Perhaps being unusually giddy makes time fly faster, Will doesn't know, but it felt true as the day flew by. He found himself at home, glancing at his mom every so often to see what she was doing. She was at the phone.
It wasn't until she started preparing dinner that she got away from her constant work. Will had Boris' number shoved in his pocket still.
He felt bad calling at dinner time. He doubted Boris was the type to sit down for a family meal, but still.
"William! I knew you would call!" Boris picked up the phone within only 9 seconds exactly. He sounded overjoyed.
"Yeah. I'd be an asshole if I didn't."
"Hah! I agree."
"Soo, what do you wanna talk about?" Will hoped he didn't sound too awkward or cliche. He only really talked with the party on the phone, and even that was scarce. He just felt relieved his mom didn't pay attention to what he was doing, busy cooking.
"Whatever you like. Don't be too quiet, I'll think you hung up on me."
"Whatever I like?"
"Yes! Tell me what you like. Unless you only like me."
Will chose toignore the last part, glad nobody could see his face heat up. What does he like? Painting, his friends, his favorite music, when Jane paints his nails, sometimes he goes to the small alternative store at the mall, but never dares to buy anything.
"Uhm. Do you know what D&D is?"
"D and D? Never heard of such a thing."
"Oh my god. It's a game, my favorite!"
"Then I must know."
And that's how they ended up on the phone until Will was called for dinner.
Will didn't think his plan of moving on would come so easily, but he guesses it's the perks of being Will Byers. Nothing goes how he expects.
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