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Mike cannot believe he let himself get talked into coming to Stacey’s party. He’s surprised Dustin would even agree after she rejected him at the Snow Ball all those years ago. It seems like all of his friends are a little too ready and willing to forgive those girls. Even Will. If anyone should remember what it was like, it should be the kid half the school called ‘zombie boy’ for years. “Mike, come dance with us!”
He turns to see Dustin twirling El through a crowd of half-strangers. He gives her a tight smile, shaking his head. At least they’re having fun. Mike grabs a drink. He drinks it quickly, brining another one with him. He nurses it as he bumps around aimlessly, room to room, eventually running into Will. Mike starts to walk over when he notices who he’s talking to. It’s a guy he vaguely recognizes from some class they had together, maybe a year younger than them.
He’s got curly black hair and cool shoes and a cool shirt. Will seems slightly tipsy, leaning in close to hear Mike 2.0 over the noise of the party. The real Mike seethes. He knows he’s not homophobic, so he assumes he’s just jealous that he can’t hang out with his friend. As Will laughs, resting a hand on the attractive stranger’s chest, Mike finds a bathroom and locks himself in it.
He bangs his fist against the wall, every buried emotion rises to the surface. “Stupid, stupid, stupid!” Mike splashes water on his face, failing to calm himself down.
“Here I am at a stupid graduation party hiding from my best friends like the stupid loser I am,” he rants. Staring in the mirror, Mike can’t help but feel like this is the beginning of the end. His friends are all going to grow up and do amazing things and leave him behind. In Hawkins, Indiana.
“They’re all gonna go to college and make new friends and become doctors and lawyers and get married and have perfect little babies… and what about me?” Someone knocks on the door, startling him, as he snaps, “give me a second!”
Mike bites back tears, wishing he stayed home, even without an answer as to what he’d be doing instead. Anything is better than being at a party. Michael in the bathroom by himself.
That is the thought that finally pushes him to leave the bathroom and go home. As the girl on the other side of the door slips past, Mike steals a glance to where Will and Mike 2.0 were standing. The stranger is still there, but Will is nowhere to be found. He doesn’t know if he’s relieved to disappointed by this.
Making his way through the crowd, Mike tries to find someone he knows. He doesn’t want them to worry when they can’t find him later. From across the living room, he spots Will. Relief floods his body, quickly turning him to jello as Mike takes in the view of a clearly intoxicated Will, dancing with his dress shirt half unbuttoned. “Fuck.”
He is clearly having the time of his life. His hair is all over the place and he’s smiling wider than he has since childhood. The shitty disco lights dance over his skin, making him glow in the dim lighting of the room. He dances like he was made for it, and Mike can’t help be entranced.
He pushes past their classmates to get to him. Will looks up through his messy fringe, pulling Mike in to dance. “Hey, isn’t this so fun? Did you see El and Dustin?” Swallowing hard, Mike pulls away from Will’s grasp. He stares at him in awe before looking around the room, very aware of who might be watching. He whispers in Will’s ear,
“You need to settle down. There’s a lot of people here. People who know us.” He hopes the emphasis clues Will in to the risks associated with them dancing together in public, but he just smiles and grabs another drink. Mike tries to take it away, but Will smacks his hand and jumps up onto the coffee table, shaking his ass to the music.
The room of borderline strangers cheers as Will chugs whatever was in that cup before throwing it to the ground, smiling almost maniacally. Mike shakes his head in distress and tries to hunt down another party member for backup.
After checking upstairs and outside, Mike nearly crosses paths with Troy Walsh and his girlfriend. If there’s anyone he doesn’t want to run into, it’s him. Side stepping the couple, Mike finds himself in the kitchen. There, in the low lighting, Will is scooping yet another drink from the punch bowl. “Shit, Will. How many is that?” He smiles up at Mike, just now noticing his presence.
“Mike! I’ve only had like three. Or four maybe. I don’t remember.” Mike stares in disbelief as Will downs half the cup in one sip, swaying slightly as he lowers it, sloshing the contents.
“You gotta stop, man. You are gonna have a bad time when you wake up tomorrow.” Will lurches, grabbing the collar of Mike’s shirt, leaning in much too close, especially in public as he takes another sip, maintaining eye contact.
“If I wake up tomorrow.” This comment, slurred and giggly, sets Mike on edge. He reaches for Will, but the boy suddenly twists and throws up in the kitchen sink, whining pitiably. Mike gets him a cup of water as he cleans himself up.
“Here. Swish it around and spit first. Then drink all of it, and I’m getting you more,” his tone is clipped, bordering angry. It doesn’t mask the fear underneath. Will moans but follows the instructions as best he can. “What’s gotten into you tonight?”
Will doesn’t answer, sipping the water at half the speed of the punch. Mike steps closer, buttoning up Will’s shirt the rest of the way, letting his hand trail over the fabric a second longer than necessary. Will grabs Mike again, startling the poor guy, head resting on his shoulder. “I don’t wanna feel.”
“You don’t want to feel what? Sick? You’ll feel better soon.” Will just shakes his head, collapsing as Mike takes his weight, supporting him in an awkward half-hug. Will’s face tilts up to make eye contact, and, with glassy eyes and wet lips, Mike is sure this is the most beautiful Will has ever looked.
“Mike, I don’t wanna feel anything.” Snapping himself out of it, Mike looks around, starting to panic. He fights to keep Will upright, despite receiving no help whatsoever from his drunk friend.
“Okay. Let’s find somewhere to sit down. How does that sound?” Will mumbles something incomprehensible and drops the cup on the floor. “Shit.”