Work Text:
BLACK SCREEN
CUT TO
INT.PHONE RINGING.APARTMENT.NIGHT 1
A yellow phone rings in the dark hallway. A light behind it snaps on with an audible click from the switch. Behind the phone, WILL BYERS comes into focus as he stumbles closer to it, clad in a David Bowie T-shirt and plaid pajama pants. He grabs the phone.
WILL
“Hello?”
MIKE
“Hey.”
WILL startles at the sound of MIKE's voice on the other end of the phone, suddenly much more awake. He looks up at a clock on the wall that reads 2:27 am. He turns back to face the wall where the phone sits.
WILL
“Mike? Why are you calling so late? Or– early, I guess?”
There is a pause. WILL grows a worried expression on his face. ‘Mike and I haven't spoken in a year and a half? Now he just calls me randomly at 2 in the morning?’. Finally there is a response.
MIKE
“When was the last time you looked at the sky?”
WILL blinks. ‘What?’
WILL
“Um, the sky?”
MIKE
“Yes! Yes, the sky? When was the last time you looked at it? Like really looked at it?”
WILL looks around, still rather confused.
WILL
“I…I don't know.”
MIKE
“Exactly!”
WILL
“What?”
MIKE
“We need to appreciate the sky more. It's really beautiful.”
MIKE's words are beginning to slur and WILL grows more visibly anxious.
WILL
“Mike, are you drunk?”
MIKE
(Ignoring WILL)
“You know, most people, when talking about the sky, talk about the stars or the sunset. Wanna know what we don't talk about nearly enough?”
WILL
“Mike–”
MIKE
“The clouds!”
WILL runs a worried hand down his face.
WILL
“Mike–”
MIKE
“You used to like looking at clouds. Said you missed it while you were in California.”
WILL furrows his eyebrows, sighing like he has given up.
WILL
“When did I say that?”
MIKE
“In your letter. You said ‘I miss clouds. I miss you’ but you crossed that last part out.”
Oh.
WILL
“Mike, I…”
WILL trails off, not sure what to say.
MIKE
“It's okay, Will. I get it. I…I was scared of how much I missed you too. That's why I never sent my letters to you. They're in a box under my bed.”
WILL blinks, a tear forming in his eye. ‘What?’
WILL
“Mike, why are you calling me?”
Another pause. WILL worries. ‘I lost him.’
MIKE
“I guess I'm in a similar situation now.”
WILL
“What do you mean?”
MIKE
“I have my clouds, but I still miss you.”
Oh. The tear falls from WILL's eye as he gives a soft laugh.
WILL
“I–I miss you too, Mike.”
MIKE
“Yeah?”
WILL
“Yeah.”
There's wet laughter on both sides of the phone. ‘We are both so dumb, avoiding reaching out cause we thought the other wouldn’t want us too. Missing out on this.’
MIKE
“Can I tell you a secret?”
WILL looks confused but nods. He remembers that they're on the phone and verbally answers.
WILL
“Anything, Mike.”
There's a small pause.
MIKE
“Will Byers, I am so in love with you.”
What? No. He's not supposed to say that. Not now. Not when WILL thought he had just gotten over him. Not when WILL's boyfriend was in the room down the hall. No. No.
MIKE
“It's okay if you hate me now. It actually might make this easier.”
What does that mean? Tears are falling freely from WILL's eyes now.
WILL
“Mike, why are you– Make what easier? Mike, are you drunk right now? What are you saying?
MIKE
“I'm not drunk.”
WILL relaxes, but only slightly.
MIKE
“I'm bleeding out.”
What. No. No no no no NO NO NO NO NO N–
MIKE
“It's– It's okay. It's better like this.”
Tears are pouring down Will's face.
WILL
“Mike, no. No, it's not better. It's not better! I– where are you? Mike, where are you?”
MIKE
“Don't worry, it's all gonna be okay. Just go outside and look at the clouds for me, okay?”
WILL
“Mike–”
There is a click. MIKE has hung up.
WILL
“Mike!”
WILL is shouting and sobbing now. He dials 911 as his boyfriend, CARLTON rushes out of their room at the sound of his cries.
CARLTON
“Will?”
WILL
“Mike…”
EXT.MIKE NEXT TO A PAY PHONE.CHURCH.NIGHT 2
MIKE sways, looking at the phone he just hung back up, covered in a dark layer of blood. The same blood that coats his wrists and the ends of his sleeves. His blood.
He stumbles into the church. He had planned to die looking at the clouds above him. He always liked the clouds. They were always very under-appreciated in his opinion. However, talking to WILL had made him think of paintings. He wishes he had brought his painting. That was still hung up on his wall, but it would be nice to have it here now. To look at it one last time.
But he doesn’t have his painting. So instead he stumbles between seats in the chapel and looks up to the ceiling. There are paintings on the ceiling. Of angels in Heaven. He can also see demons in Hell.
According to TED, that's where he's going.
MIKE isn't sure he believes in Heaven or Hell, but he likes the art. It reminds him of WILL.
Sirens wail outside, but they are just barely too late. MIKE WHEELER is already dead, dark eyes fixed up at the paintings, and beyond that, the clouds.
EXT.MIKE'S FUNERAL.CEMETARY.AFTERNOON 3
The service was long over. Nearly everyone had left besides a few making gentle conversation with the grieving family of the 19 year-old
LUCAS SINCLAIR, MAX MAYFIELD, and DUSTIN HENDERSON are crying together.
WILL BYERS sits separately in front of the new grave. It reads “MICHAEL JAMES WHEELER 1971-1991”. Tears spill down his face, flushed red with salt and the cold. He pulls out a figurine from his pocket. A paladin with a painted heart on his chest and shield. WILL kisses it before placing it next to a white rose.
WILL
“I love you too.”
He looks up. There aren’t any clouds in the sky today.
FADE OUT