Chapter Text
"Mike!" silence. "Mike?"
Mrs. Wheeler finds little Micheal still sleeping
"Come on its your first day! You'll make so many friends and.."
"But mom!"
"Come on put on your new clothes! You'll look so nice!"
Hesitant, Mike rises and starts putting on his new khakis and blue plaid shirt and a navy blue sweater while Mrs. Wheeler goes to wake up Nancy and start on breakfast. It's his first day of kindergarten.
After combing out his knotty curls and actually feeling pretty good in his new clothes, he sits at the table. Of course, reading a comic and spooning Cheerios in his mouth. Sometimes he would find little drops of milk on his sweater and comic. He just brushed it off gently so his mother wouldnt notice. His sister Nancy did notice and told him to go change but he insisted on wearing this specific sweater. Mrs. Wheeler said it "Brought out his eyes." Whatever that meant.
Time flies and he is on the bus sitting next to no one. He sees a group of boys and longs to have such a friendship like theirs
"It's only the first day Mike! You'll find somebody."
He tries to reassure himself but it doesn't quite work.
Still lonely on the playground, hoping for just somebody to come along, he sees a boy alone just like him on the swings. He observes him for a moment then the boy catches his gaze. Not wanting to be rude, he darts his eyes away. The boy doesn't seem to mind?
Mike somehow eventually found the courage with what felt like days to go talk with him. The little boy looks up at him when he walked over.
"Can I swing with you?"
"Sure!"
You could probably see the relief spilling onto both of their faces.
"So whats your name?"
"William but i prefer Will. How about you?"
"Micheal but i prefer Mike!"
They both let out a giggle and keep swinging
After a while Will cant help but ask,
"Do you want to be my friend?"
Mike's heart skips a beat.
Will nods enthusiastically
After recess in class, and even though they're not supposed to, Mike starts rambling about a game called Dungeons and Dragons while Will just nods intently.
"You should come over and play sometime!"
Will accepts frantically nodding because this was his first friend. What else would he do? Either way it sounded interesting.
When they head home, Will tries everything to convince his mom to let him go to Mike's house. She was just glad he made a friend. So of course, she lets him go.
-
"Right down here!"
This is weird for Will. The Wheelers have a huge house and they have a basement. With furniture? He's been in shock the whole time being there.
He sits with Mike at a large table with a board. Mike opens a big book and asks Will,
"Do you want to be a dragonborne? Or a druid? Or a cleric? I think its pretty cool. Its kinda like a wizard or a sorcerer. If not tha-"
"I'd love that!"
He felt bad for blurting out but he couldnt contain his excitement. He's always loved wizards of the sort. Mike was what he called a paladin. Like a fighter of good? From what he understood...
They kept playing and having a blast. They ignored Mr. Wheeler and Nancy's comments about them being "weird" Mrs. Wheeler was still happy for them.
It was hard playing with two people and they probably weren't playing correctly but Mike was just glad to have somebody.
Mike helped Will along the way anyways. Will was the happiest he had ever been.
They played and talked for hours. Learning more about each other with every word. They clicked almost instantly! They both loved comics and had older siblings.
After a few hours and some pizza, Mike meets his mom, Joyce, when she comes to pick him up. The moms chatted lightly and gave the boys just a few more minutes to talk. He was sad to see him go but both boys insisted in playdates in the future.
He goes to bed that night still just dazed at the fact that he made a friend.
Dreaming of them being friends just shocks him to his core.
He could hardly sleep and contain his excitement to see him that next morning at school. Even Mrs. Wheeler buzzing with excitement to Mr. Wheeler even thought he doesn't show just as much enthusiasm.
Mike could hardly sleep that night.
He felt so silly. Dreaming that he finally found a friend. Hoping he would last.