Chapter Text
Nancy Wheeler had spent the past week discovering that breaking up with someone didn't actually make them disappear from your life.
Jonathan's books were still on her shelf.
His sweater was still hanging on the back of her desk chair.
And every time the phone rang, some stupid part of her expected it to be him.
It never was.
Which should have made things easier.
Instead, it just made everything feel strange.
"You're staring at the cereal."
Nancy blinked.
Across the breakfast table, Mike looked up from a bowl of cereal.
"What?"
"You've been staring at the cereal box for like two minutes."
"I have not."
"You have."
"I was thinking."
Mike shoveled another spoonful into his mouth.
"Dangerous."
Nancy threw a napkin at him.
Mike grinned.
For a moment, things felt normal.
Then he glanced toward the clock.
A weirdly nervous look crossed his face.
Nancy noticed immediately.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"Michael."
"I said nothing."
Nancy narrowed her eyes.
Mike suddenly became very interested in his cereal.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
---
The answer arrived later that afternoon in the form of Will Byers.
Nancy opened the front door to find him standing on the porch.
"Hi, Nancy."
"Will."
"Is Mike home?"
From somewhere upstairs came the unmistakable sound of someone tripping over their own feet.
Will smiled.
Nancy smiled too.
"He's home."
The pounding of footsteps grew louder.
Mike practically launched himself down the stairs.
"Nancy, move."
"I'm literally standing still."
"Move anyway."
Will was already laughing.
Nancy stepped aside just in time for Mike to appear.
The two boys exchanged a look.
One of those looks.
The kind that lasted half a second but somehow contained an entire conversation.
Nancy had seen it before.
Many times.
And every single time she felt like she was missing something.
---
Three hours later, the answer finally arrived.
"Nancy."
"No."
"I didn't even ask anything."
"No."
Mike followed her into the kitchen.
"Please?"
"No."
"You don't know what I'm asking."
"I know exactly what you're asking."
Mike groaned.
"Nancy."
"No."
Will sat at the table trying very hard not to laugh.
Traitor.
---
Eventually, after several minutes of whining, Mike produced twenty dollars.
Nancy stared.
"What's that?"
"Money."
"I know what money is."
"Then we're making progress."
She rolled her eyes.
Mike pushed the bills across the counter.
"Can you go rent a movie?"
"...Seriously?"
"We can't."
"We?"
Will looked at the floor.
Nancy's eyes narrowed.
Immediately.
"Oh."
Mike froze.
Will froze.
"Oh my God."
"Nancy—"
"Oh my God."
---
Five minutes later she was driving toward Family Video while Mike died of embarrassment in the passenger seat.
"You are unbelievable."
"Can you stop saying that?"
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
Will was laughing so hard he could barely breathe.
Nancy felt a little bad for Mike.
A little.
Not enough to stop.
---
Family Video looked exactly the same as always.
Bright lights.
Rows of tapes.
The smell of old carpet.
Nancy pushed through the front doors.
The bell overhead jingled.
And immediately someone crashed into a display near the counter.
There was a loud bang.
A curse.
Then:
"I'm okay!"
A pause.
"I'm not okay!"
Nancy blinked.
From behind a shelf emerged a girl wearing a Family Video vest.
She had short hair, a stack of tapes in her arms, and the expression of someone who had just lost an argument with gravity.
For a second, neither of them said anything.
Then the girl sighed.
"Please pretend you didn't see that."
Nancy couldn't help it.
She laughed.
The girl pointed dramatically.
"See? This is exactly what I was afraid of."
And just like that, for the first time all week, Nancy found herself smiling without having to force it.