Chapter Text
It’s the final week of May, and the students of Lenora Hills High School couldn’t be more antsy. In just five minutes the school bell will ring, and they will all be free from the prison they’ve spent the last one hundred and eighty days stressed and fatigued.
Will’s leg bounces up and down in anticipation. He continues to glance at the clock, confused by how slowly the hands are ticking. He pretends not to care, hoping time will pass quickly.
After what felt like years off of his life, the bell rang. Immediately, chaos erupted. Students fly out of their desks, book bags are emptied, and supplies are thrown with no regard for the mess that the poor janitors would have to deal with later.
Will stands from his chair and makes his way out of the building, occasionally bumping shoulders with students doing the same. He has just graduated his junior year of high school. Now he’s a Senior, undecided if he should be excited for summer or terrified for his future. He’s going to be out in the real world soon. All by himself… That last sentence doesn’t hurt as much as he thought it would.
He loves his family. They are always there for him when he needs a shoulder to cry on. Anytime he starts to spiral, his sister is there to snap him back to reality. When he starts to overthink and needs some reassurance, his mom is already offering positive affirmations. Jim is loving and supportive of him too, but Will just isn’t as close to him. Jim knows this but doesn’t mind in the slightest.
He knows how Lonnie used to treat Will. The scars are still present even after almost eleven years. He tries not to overstep, but he wants Will to know that he really does care for him. Will is very thankful that his mom was able to find such a good guy. He is so grateful for the way he treats all of them.
And Johnathan, he’s been there for him since the beginning. Will cherishes the only happy memories he has in his old home, and they all have his brother in them. He will forever be thankful for the mixtape he gave him. It has helped him calm down more times than he can count. He isn’t physically around anymore since he’s moved off to college, but they regularly keep in touch.
Still, Will thinks it would be nice to have a place of his own. He would visit his family as often as he could, but he refuses to stay with them forever. It would hurt him too much. He already can feel like a heavy burden on his family; no way would he live off of them like a leach for the rest of his life when he is fully capable of becoming a functioning adult.
But that also scares him. He isn’t sure if he’ll be all that successful. He wants to be a designer of some sort but isn’t fully decided. For his whole life, Will has known that he wants to do something with art. He doesn’t like to toot his own horn, but he recognizes his own talent. He wants to turn his passion and skill into a career. He’s just constantly questioning if he’s actually good enough.
That little voice of paranoia has been eating at him lately. He attempts to block it out, ignore it, but it's getting harder. And Max noticed. That’s why she invited him to go out with her tonight.
Will meets up with his best friend outside. She’s sitting on a bench, clearly waiting for him and impatient as he strolls over.
“Hey, it’s Lenora’s brand-new Super-Senior! Look out freshmen!” She taunts.
“Shut up, Max. If anything, they should be looking out for you. You go after anybody! Zero standards.” He jeers back.
They begin walking away from their now hollow prison and continue down the street toward their houses.
“I have more standards than you, thank you very much! Anyway,” she says switching the subject, “you should totally come to that club-thing with me. Lucas is performing in his band tonight.”
Will’s silent, and his lack of a response makes Max continue anyway.
“Cmon Will! He’s been so excited for me to come watch him, but I don’t want to go by myself. I’m just a hot high school girl; some guy might try to abduct me!” She says flicking her hair off of her shoulder.
Will knows Lucas, but they aren’t really that close. He lives in Indiana, but comes to visit whenever he can to see Max. Will gets along with him and they share many interests, but he just isn’t around enough to be considered a true friend. Still, he would support his hobbies in a heartbeat.
“Oh my gosh, Max. You’ll be fine whether I’m there or not. We both know you can beat the shit out of literally anyone, no matter who they are.” He says, rolling his eyes.
It’s true. Max has always been a fighter. Tough and strong, but so kind and caring towards him and his sister. Will is happy to have her as a friend.
“Bro, it’s so obvious that you’re stressed. It’s literally summer! Just come and have some fun. Maybe you can even get wasted!” She teases.
Will huffs a laugh at her comment. “Who would drive us home? We both know you won’t stay sober.”
“If it means that you’ll stop looking like a depressed puppy that just watched its entire family die, I’m willing to be the designated driver.”
Will raises an eyebrow, “Really?” He questions skeptically.
“Yes! I’m serious!”
Will thinks it over in his head. He hasn’t let himself relax like that in a while, getting a drink or two probably wouldn’t hurt.
“Okay, fine. But if you get drunk, I’m leaving you to get abducted and I’m walking myself home.” He jokes.
Max pumps her arms in victory. “I promise dude, you are going to have a blast! I’ll pick you up later!”
And just like that, they have reached the small intersection where they part ways. She turns, waving ecstatically in his direction, and disappears down her street. Will appreciates having a friend like Max. He’s known her since he’s moved here.
Will used to live in a small town. He can’t quite remember the name, but he supposes it doesn’t really matter. All he knows is that it was in Indiana. He tries not to think about his old location, too many bad memories. He had some friends there, but he remembers being bullied by most of the kids at school. It didn’t help that he would also get bullied the second he got home.
That’s the main reason his mom had them move. She knew they had to get out of that house. The move was sudden, and Will didn’t get to give a proper goodbye. Not even to his best friend.
He can’t quite remember his name, but he remembers his features perfectly. He had swooped black hair that, now that he thought of it, could probably be curly if he had taken proper care of it. The boy’s complexion consisted of a prominent nose, a few scattered freckles here and there, and deep, curious eyes. Will likes to imagine what he might look like today. He thinks he probably grew into his looks. “He probably looks even better than I can imagine,” he wonders, “but not in a weird way! Right?” Will gets a strange feeling whenever he reminisces of this mystery boy. He hopes that he can see him again. “Would we still get along?” He thinks so.
Will and his mother left in the middle of the night and didn’t bring much with them. Johnathan had left earlier in the day, saying he was going to stay at a friend’s house. He remembered his mother waking him up in a sweat, “stay very quiet, ok?” She whispered. He doesn’t know why. He knew his mom didn’t like Lonnie. They argued a lot, they fought, and sometimes it got physical. But he was told that they broke up and came to the agreement that Mom, Johnathan and him, would move, and Lonnie could keep the house. So why leave everything behind? Why be in such a hurry? Why not say goodbye?
Will thinks he knows the real reason but doesn’t bring it up. It wouldn’t do them any good. They’ve moved on, so why dwell on it now? Johnathan had followed them in his own car, leaving his friend’s house and arriving here. He knows that someone had to know where they were going in case something happened. He remembers his mom talking to her closest friend, Karen. She probably knows where they are. He assumes so because they still keep in touch.
Will arrives home to silence, which isn’t unusual. Jim is the Chief of Police and Johnathan; obviously hasn’t been home is a while. His mom works at the convenience store just down the street, and Jane likes to visit her instead of coming straight home. Usually, Will would be there too. He works at the counter and starts his shift after his mom’s. However, since it’s the beginning of summer break, he’s taken off until Wednesday.
Will likes the quiet. It gives him a chance to decompress and finish his work. But school’s out, so he tosses his assignments for over break onto the dining room table and heads up to his bedroom.
Will swings his bedroom door open and flops onto his comforter. He lies on the bed contemplating what he should wear tonight. He checks the weather channel, probably his favorite app of all time, and sees that it’s going to be hot. That’s what you get when you live so close to the shore, you get beach like weather. Always hot and muggy. Rarely, the night air might get chilly. Will doesn’t really mind though. He has never been a fan of the cold.
He sets his phone down and opens his closet doors, revealing his relatively large wardrobe. He settles on a navy-blue t shirt with a white collar and a pair of light, breathable jeans. He grabs a thin black string bracelet with a little seashell charm that Jane had gifted him. She got it for his birthday a couple years ago. He loved it instantly, especially because it was something he could fidget with instead of picking at his cuticles.
He set the outfit out on his dresser and plopped onto his beanbag. He isn’t really sure why he had both a giant beanbag and a huge bed, but he wouldn’t complain. He decided to sketch a bit while he waited for everyone to get home.
Will sketched everything. He has drawn his room from every angle, in color, charcoal, paint; it didn’t matter. He’s used every medium. He has drawn the view from his window more times than he can count, always illustrating the view of the salty ocean and the beautiful sky. He’s drawn portraits of his friends, family, himself, and he’s starting to get bored. He wants new inspiration.
Will ventures down the hall into his parent’s room. He opens their closet doors and finds what he’s looking for, an old photo album. “Maybe then there will be some new faces” he thinks to himself.
When flipping through the pages, he is happy to not see any photos of Lonnie, and the ones he does catch, the man is just barely visible in the background. It reminds him that they have truly started fresh, that there is no big-bad guy out to get him.
He keeps paging for a bit until he finds the mystery boy. There are pages after pages of photos with them together. Will feels inspired, so he brings the book back to his room and gets to sketching.
~~~{🌀✨🌠✨🌀}~~~
Will is snapped from his trance when he hears the front door open. He springs from his spot on the floor and runs down the stairs to meet his sister.
“Will! I missed you!” Jane yells while she sweeps him into a hug.
“You act like you haven’t seen me in years! But I’m glad to see you too! How was your day?”
He hopes it went well. She’s had her fair share of bullying when they first moved in. Will doesn’t understand why anyone would make fun of her, she’s the most caring individual he’s ever met, but he knows people can be cruel for no reason. Thankfully, Jane found herself some friends, and the bullying began to still. Even so, Will worries for her.
“Fantastic now that it’s over! I am so happy school is out. I can’t wait to hang out all day. I made a list of all the things we have to do together before the next school year.”
She hands him the list and he scans over it. His eyes catch at “number 4. The Boardwalk.”
Will likes being on the beach. It makes him feel more alive and less stressed. All the lights, shops, rides and attractions stimulate him, helps him think less. He’s not always a fan of crowded places, but he would much prefer to be out with his sister and stay out of his own head. He feels so bipolar. How can you always want to be out, distracting your mind from yourself, but also never want to leave your house?
“I’m sure we can make this work.” He says with a grin. Jane’s eyes light up with excitement and the two of them travel to the living room. Will gives his mom a quick wave and she returns a smile as she disappears into the kitchen to start dinner.
They sit on the carpet together while Gravity Falls plays on the TV. Jane has been obsessed with it recently. She seems to like the Mabel girl. Will can’t blame her interest; he finds himself drawn to the show too. The story is complex and has some amazing adventures with all sorts of hidden clues.
While she sits there engrossed in the cartoon, Will remembers his plans for tonight and has some questions about Max’s scheme. Mainly because he isn’t sure how they are going to get drinks when they are only 17, let alone even get into the place. He knows it’s silly to worry though, Max always has a plan. Especially when it comes to drinking.
Even though he isn’t of age, Will has had his fair share of alcohol. He doesn’t like the thought of binge drinking; it reminds him of Lonnie, but he is a sucker for the little buzz it gives him at parties. He likes feeling his mind get a little looser instead of being in an almost constant state of alertness. With that said, Will is a very in control individual and hasn’t let himself get truly drunk. He also only drinks when he is with his friends, which isn’t very often because he is usually the driver. He doesn’t mind though.
He feels like he should tell Jane about his plans for tonight. It’s the responsible thing to do. That way, if anything were to happen, at least one person would know where he is.
“Hey Jane? I’m going out tonight with Max. I’ll be at that place with the big neon lights by the door. The one we can’t tell if it’s a bar or a club?”
“Oh yes! I remember. I’ll be home if you need anything of course” she lowers her voice so their mom can’t hear her, “Are you planning on drinking? I can give you a ride there and come pick you guys up.”
“No, no, well, yeah but Max said she is going to drive.”
She raises her brows in surprise, “wow, I didn’t actually think you were going to, but I’m more surprised at Max staying sober.”
“That’s what I said! But she wants me to come with her to see her boyfriend’s band perform. I guess she might have to drive him home anyway.”
“Ok well, in case you need me, I’ll make sure that I stay up. Do you know when you will be back?”
Will shakes his head. He doesn’t even know when Max is picking him up. She isn’t very good at sticking to a schedule; she just kind of runs on her own time.
“Speaking of which,” he says looking at the clock, “it’s getting late, so she’ll probably be coming for me soon. I’m going to go get changed.”
Jane waves him off and goes back to watching TV.
Up in his room, Will changes into the clothes on his dresser and slips on a pair of well-worn white sneakers. He isn’t too worried about being cold but grabs a black zip up to throw in the car just in case.
He gets a notification from Max, letting him know she’s on her way. He grabs his wallet, throws some extra cash in his back pocket, and heads downstairs.
He waves goodbye to his sister and yells a quick “Bye! Love you!” To his mom in the kitchen. She replies with “wait where- “before Jane begins to make a cover story for Will. He appreciates her lying for him. He’s not going to be in any danger, and it’s better that the “Chief of Police” doesn’t get involved with his late-night plans. “What they don’t know can’t hurt them,” he thinks to himself.
“Get in loser! It’s time to let go and party!” Max exclaims from her Jeep.
“Max, shut up! My mom is inside and my dad is going to be home any second now.”
“Then that’s all the more reason to get a move on!” She says excitedly, waving him in.
Will slips his seatbelt on and Max pulls off quickly toward their destination. Will wouldn’t say Max is a bad driver; she’s actually pretty safe. She just doesn’t concern herself with the speed limit sometimes.
~~~{🌀✨🌠✨🌀}~~~
The bar is bustling tonight. He guesses it’s what to be expected for the first day of break landing on a Friday night. Max parks behind the bar and starts walking towards the “employees only” door. Will doesn’t even question it.
Max knocks on the door in a pattern similar to that of a secret code. Sure enough, a girl opens the door and greets them like they are VIP guests. They step inside, and Will thinks they are in a storage room.
“Thanks again girl, I’ll make sure to repay you” Max tells the employee.
She looks only a couple years older than him, around Johnathan’s age maybe? The girl has blonde hair that stops right where her shoulders begin, and dark eyeshadow on her lids. Will thinks she fits the vibe of the place but swears he’s seen her somewhere else before.
“Nah, don’t worry about it! The least I could do is let you in the back door. Are you kiddos planning on drinking tonight?” She asks with a playful smirk.
“Yeah, probably not me though. Gotta drive this guy home.” She motions her thumb towards Will who just gives her a teasing side eye. She lowers her voice for only the girl to hear “but you know, I could make Lucas drive us home… he won’t be drinking since he’s performing...” She pulls back laughing mischievously.
The girl giggles. “Okay, okay. If you guys want anything, make sure you ask for me and I’ll get it for you. Or just ask for Steve. I’ll see you guys later then.” She waves and walks further into the back.
Max walks into the main part of the establishment like she’s done this a million times, which she very well might have. Max takes them to claim a table and sets her stuff down.
It’s loud in the building, but everyone seems to be having such a great time. Will is getting more excited by the second. Why worry about the future when you’ve just snuck into a club with your best friend and you’re about to have the night of your life?
“Alright Will, are you ready for tonight? Cause I’m stoked.” She shouts.
Will nods. He can barely hear her over all the commotion going on around them. He is sort of nervous. He always is. It’s his brain constantly overthinking every little thing, and he hates it. But tonight, he’s going to shut it up and party hard.
“Alright then Byers, let’s go get you a drink!” Max exclaims. She drags him by the arm up to the bar.
They settle on bar stools. Max leans one arm onto the counter. Will found the scene hilarious.
“ROBIN!” She calls loudly. It could have ruptured Wills eardrums if the music wasn’t already so loud.
The girl from earlier appears again with 2 drinks in her hands. She sets them down in front of them, winks, and disappears without a word. Will is honestly impressed. He can’t believe Max was able to pull all of this off.
“Wait,” he realizes, “why did she bring two, I only— MAX?!” He yells. She has already started chugging. “I thought you were the one driving?!”
“Yeah, I changed my mind. Lucas will take us home!” She said cheerfully.
Will took his own drink and rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t stop himself from grinning. They went back to the table, and he knew tonight was going to be a blast.