Chapter Text
⋆｡𖦹°⭒˚｡⋆MIKE ⋆｡𖦹°⭒˚｡⋆
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Pheobe bridger
0:26 ———♡——— 3:50
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Mike slumps against the chair, pushing his eggs around with his fork. He’s still wearing the same grey sweats from three days ago and his Hellfire shirt, the one he dug out from the bottom of his drawer after months of ignoring it. It’s comforting in a pathetic sort of way, even if it reminds him he’ll never wear it to Eddie’s campaigns again. That part still stings.
“Mike, stop playing with your food and eat. Your shift starts soon, doesn’t it?” Karen flicks his forehead. Mike rolls his eyes and checks his watch. 10:30 a.m. His shift doesn’t start until half past eleven, but what does she know.
“Actually yeah, Mom, I’m kinda running late. I’m not even hungry anyway!” he says, grabbing his bag, stuffed with his Scoops Ahoy uniform because he refuses to wear it a second longer than he has to.
“Mike, you didn’t eat dinner either! You’re going to get hungry!”
“Mom, I work in a food court. I’ll get something there.”
He’s already out the door as she yells after him to at least get something healthy. Her voice fades behind him like everything else he’s been avoiding. He swings onto his bike and speeds off. Where’s he going to spend the spare hour before his shift you ask? The quarry, obviously.
Mike has spent most of the past few months there. Sure, it has some unpleasant history, memories he’s dwelled on a few too many times, but it’s quiet. Th world stops feeling like its pressing in on him and he cant hear his dad in the back of his mind, all of his worries dissolving in the water.
He reaches the quarry quickly and slumps against a tree, far enough from the edge that he won’t fall, but close enough to stare into the depths of the water below. The water is dark and unmoving, like it’s holding its breath with him.
He pulls out his uniform. It’s hideous. Blue and white stripes, a ridiculous sailor hat stamped with “AHOY,” and a big red neckerchief that feels like a joke at his expense. He still has no idea why he has to do this. His parents, well, specifically his dad, said he needed a job this summer. That he’d been holed up in his room too long and needed to “do something productive.”
And maybe they’re not wrong about the holed-up part. If he’s not at the quarry, he’s curled up in his room reading comics, sleeping, or, if he’s feeling especially motivated, writing. But still. It’s stupid. The family doesn’t need the money, and since Mike never goes outside, he doesn’t need money either. He needs something else. Something he can’t name.
His dad is sick of it, though. Sick of him. At this point, Mike thinks he’d rather see him playing D&D, “that silly children’s game,” with his “bad influence” friends. If he can even call them friends anymore.
They haven’t spoken in weeks. Not because they didn’t try. They called, they asked him to hang out, they tried (much more than he deserved). But Mike couldn’t face them. Couldn’t face the disappointment he’s sure is sitting in their eyes. Couldn’t face the version of himself he used to be around them, the one who was brave and loud and hopeful.
He knows they must hate him. Why wouldn’t they? Eleven probably told them everything about the breakup. She said they were still “friends,” but he’s sure the Party, and El herself, must realise, like he has, that he doesn’t deserve that privilege.
He was a horrible boyfriend. She told him as much that afternoon in late March. He couldn’t say three simple syllables. Couldn’t give her the comfort she needed. Couldn’t even find the right words. If he couldn’t even do that, what good was he?
And worse, he couldn’t even be a good friend. At school he hides in the bathroom or the library. If he does sit with Will, Lucas, and Dustin, he barely speaks. He hasn’t talked to El since the breakup. Hasn’t answered Lucas’s calls. Hasn’t comforted Dustin about Eddie. Hasn’t visited Max in the hospital once.
But worst of all, he hasn’t made good on any of his promises to Will.
Oh, Will.
He’s only a street away, but Mike feels like he’s further than when he was in California. He doesn’t know anything about what Will’s been up to lately, though it’s all he thinks about. He stares at Will’s painting pinned to his wall for hours, apologising silently. Reading through unsent letters. Thinking about Will, his face, his smile, wondering if he’s done new drawings, picked up new hobbies, maybe gotten a new job. Thinking about what girl in Lenora he li—
BRRRRRRT.
Mike’s watch blares. 11:15. Shit. Starcourt Mall is close to his house, but practically across town from the quarry. Of course he’s going to be late to his first shift at fucking Scoops Ahoy.
___
Max flops onto her bed, phone already pressed to her ear before she even gets settled. It rings once.
“Hello?”
Jane’s voice it soft, a little breathless, like she sprinted to grab it.
Max grins. “Hey, Jane.”
“Oh. Hi, Max.” Jane sounds instantly lighter. “How was work?”
Max groans. “Ugh. Don’t even get me started.”
“What happened?”
“Okay, so Troy got fired for being a little bitch, right? And you'd think they would at least take a week or two to get a replacement, but no, they've already got a new guy?"
"Whoa."
"And get this: the new guy was supposed to have come for a quick debrief session today, and he didn't show up or even give notice? I got up like 30 minutes earlier than I needed to, dude!"
"That's rude!"
Max smiles at how innocent she sounds sometimes, even when she's trying to be mean. "Who do you think it’s gonna be? Vickie mentioned I know him, though she didn't think to mention how I know him."
"…Steve?"
“God, please no,” Max snorts. “Though I hear he doesn't have a job anymore or something."
"Oh yeah, Jonathon and Robin were complaining about that!"
"When'd you talk to Robin?"
"Well we talked over the phone, cus Jonathon was reintroducing her to us"
"Why?"
"Oh, did I not tell you? Jonathan said Robin's our supervisor at Surfers Boy! "
“Yeah, well, Will didn’t tell me either,” Max says, rolling onto her back. “You know how everyone’s getting jobs this summer. I know we're getting older, but it feels weird.”
"Yeah... Dustin got this science internship thing, and Lucas is working at his dad's place."
"Yeah, all of us except, well... Mike."
The line goes quiet for a second. Mike's a bit of a sore subject for the party; he's been detached and cold for weeks, somehow apparently worse than Max was. Because even when he was there, he was never there.
"Mike... have you talked to him recently?" Max says cautiously.
"No, he still hasn't reached out to me."
Max frowns. She knows Mike is probably going through something, but does that mean he has to hurt her and Jane again?
"Yeah, well, hey, it's not like you're the only one; that’s gotta count for something."
"Hmm, yeah, Will's really upset too, though he won't tell me. I can see it on his face every time we pass the Wheelers."
"Hmm... Mike does weird stuff sometimes; it's... interesting.”
“Yeah,” Jane says softly. “Interesting.”
Max kicks her feet a little. “Anyway. Are you excited? Your first shift tomorrow, right? You gonna burn the place down?”
“No,” Jane says, Max can practically hear her pout through the phone. “Im gonna make pizza.”
“Like… real pizza?”
“Yes, Max. Real pizza.! Will said I'll do great."
Max smiles. “Of course he did.”
Jane hesitates. “You think im gonna like this?"
Max feels her chest warm but keeps her voice casual. “Yeah! Its all these new experiences, a fun way to pass time, and well, money, you know.”
“I want to call you again tomorrow,” Jane says, voice small but steady.
Max grins into her pillow. “Yeah. Sure thing, Jane.”
“Goodnight, Max.”
“Night.”
Max keeps the phone to her ear for a few seconds after Jane hangs up, listening to the quiet and the echoes of her voice.
---
⁺₊⋆ ☀︎ ⋆⁺₊⋆ WILLㅤ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☀︎ ⋆⁺₊
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Will chomps down on his syrup-covered Eggos, chewing happily as Joyce combs through his hair and pats down his shirt.
“Don’t you two just look adorable,” Joyce coos, pinching Jane’s cheek.
Will grins at his sister. She’s the happiest he’s seen her in years. Her hair is in a curly pixie cut with cute clips purely for aesthetics, and she’s wearing a plaid overshirt borrowed from Jonathan over her Surfer Boy Pizza tee. It’s bright yellow and honestly adorable on her. Will’s not so sure about it on himself; it’s a bit bright, but he loves yellow, so he’s trying. Was Argyle’s really this bright?
“Jon, can you get a picture of them?”
Hopper and Will both roll their eyes, but Jane squeals and pulls Will up by his sleeve, and he can’t help laughing. She’s so excited for this job. She hasn’t been able to go out regularly, and they both miss spending time together since Will’s at school, and she’s stuck being homeschooled. But now they have a job together.
Jonathan snaps a bunch of pictures and promises to show them later, hurrying them to the car.
“C’mon, guys. You’re going to be late, and Nancy’s gonna bite my head off if I don’t pick her up on time.”
“Nancy’s always biting your head off.”
“That’s another thing.”
The drive is calm, only interrupted by Jane’s random musings. She’s mid-ramble about Max (again) when Will stops listening as they pass the Wheeler house. Like always, his mind goes straight to Mike.
Mike’s bike is gone. Meaning he’s out somewhere, which is rare these days. Will hasn’t seen him outside of school (and barely even then) in weeks, maybe months. Will is worried about him constantly. If he’s not distracted, his mind circles right back to Mike. What he’s doing. If he’s writing. His thoughts on the new English unit. If he still cares about Will. If he’s okay.
But at the same time, Will is pissed at him. And Will can be stubborn when he wants to be. So he refuses to seek Mike out.
(Translation: if Mike even looks him in the eye just once, Will will fold immediately.)
—-------
Jonathan pulls into the small parking lot, the bright red Surfer Boy Pizza sign flickering slightly in the morning sun. Will hops out and helps Jane down, waving goodbye as Jonathan reverses. He leans out the window.
“Say hi to Robin for me!”
Inside, the shop smells like dough, oregano, and industrial cleaner. A girl with short, choppy bronde hair and a friendly grin is leaning over the counter, flipping through a clipboard.
She looks up.
“Oh hellooo, new recruits.” She slaps the clipboard down. “Nice to see you guys, been quite a few months, hasn’t it? And haven’t you grown? God, I feel like an old lady.”
Robin squints at them, then snaps her fingers. “Right. Jonathan says you guys are great kids, but anybody can save the world. Do you have the grit to make pizza, though?” She leans in. “We’ll see about that.”
Will laughs nervously.
Robin claps her hands. “Alright, sunshine squad. Jane, you’re on prep with me. Will, congrats, you’re on delivery today.”
Will blinks. “Already?”
“Yup! And lucky you, your first order just came in.”
She hands him a receipt.
Delivery to: Starcourt Mall — Scoops Ahoy.
“Scoops Ahoy? Isn’t that where - ”
Jane jumps up. “That’s where Max works! Aww, lucky, you get to see her.”
“I mean… we can swap if you want, El.”
“No, no, it’s fine! I saw her yesterday. You haven’t seen her in a while.”
Will nods gratefully. She’s right , he visited Max in the hospital a few times, but other than a few group hangouts, he hasn’t seen her much.
“Wasn’t that place open during old Starcourt? It was like -”
Robin groans. “Yes. The sailor place. Yes, the one with the stupid hats. Yes, the one I used to work at. Don’t remind me.”
Will smiles, weirdly excited. His first delivery on his first job.
Robin pats his shoulder. “This’ll be fun, kid. The ice cream’s real good, and you could probably snag a free one from your friend. Though the uniforms are a crime against humanity.”
Will snorts and goes to help Jane in the kitchen, tuning out both Robin and Jane’s rambles.