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Nancy steps into the house, She can hear her mother’s movement in the kitchen so she walks towards the sound.
Karen was finishing up dinner as nancy walked in, she turns around and faces her daughter. “Nancy, your home early, your not usually home until later.” Karen said, surprised at her daughters arrival
Nancy laughed a bit, exhausted. “Yeah i know. just tired.” She leaned against the table. Karen noticed nancys behaviour of course. She might not be the closest to her children but she still knew when something was off.
“Hey.” She rubbed her daughter’s shoulder. “Whats wrong? You can talk to me you know?” She added.
Nancy shrugged, her mother’s hand falling of her shoulder, “its just.” She looks at her mom. “Havent you noticed the way mikes been acting lately?”
“Micheal? Why? Whats wrong?” Karen immediately asked, a bit confused but worried for her son nonetheless. Nancy looked at her mom and frustratingly sighed.
“I saw him sneaking out last week, and again last night.” She paused for a brief moment, gauging her mothers reaction, Shocked, maybe upset, but mostly worried. then continues.
“He’s always secretive and doesn’t talk to me. he doesn’t want to. He’s out of the house before i even know it.” Nancy wanted to continue but she stopped there for now, nancy wheeler always prided herself for being intelligent, a sort of investigator, detective if you will. she knew how to read people, but she couldn’t read her brother, mike. He was had that nervous smile on his face like he was afraid of getting caught.. but getting caught doing what? She wouldn’t judge, she never would. They promised to tell each other everything yet none of them held up their parts of the deal.
Karen’s expression softened while looking at her daughter, she got closer, leaning on the table with Nancy, dinner be damned. She paused for a moment, thinking,
Nancy hesitated for a moment before speaking, she didn’t want to out her brother’s secrets even if she didn’t know about them, but she wanted to get this off her chest. She spoke up, “and uh. Last week? I heard voices in his room.” She paused to glance at her mother, karens face shocked, “voices? When????” She asked.
Nancy thought for a moment, “Tuesday. It was about 11pm.” She answered, then continued “I knocked on his door, took him a second to answer but he eventually did. His clothes were messy, his bed unmade. I interrogated him but i got nothing.” Nancy sighed. She was about to continue before hearing her mother’s voice,
“oh...” Karen added. Like she had found a missing puzzle piece nanny didn’t receive. “What? ‘Oh’ what?” Nancy asked, confused and a bit frustrated even, not at her mother god no. But at herself for not knowing. Karen laughed, one of disbelief and.. humor? What???
Nancy watched her mother life with a baffled expression, “what??” She complained. Karen laughed for a few more minutes before eventually stopping.
She wiped her turns before muttering “I cant believe i didn’t notice it, i was right all along.” Under her breath, but loud enough for nancy to hear. Karen spoke up, focusing on nancys reaction now.
“Will was over on Tuesday, a sleepover. Just between them. I went into the basement to check if will wanted the heater on since it was cold but.. he was nowhere to br found, I panicked knowing joyce will freak out but when i went upstairs? I could hear the boys giggling. Mike sounded happier, he always did around will. when.. when we all thought will died, i knew it shattered Micheal. i worried for him, for my son. because will and mike have always been special to each other, Ive always known that but i pushed that thought deep down, i didn’t wanna acknowledge the weight of it. The weight of..”
karen trailed off, watching nancys face, she caught on by now. Karen could tell by her daughter’s surprised face.
“But.” She mumbled before stopping, and now she was the one laughing. She pushed her hair out of her face before she whispered “huh. Im gonna assume youve known for a while now.” She added
Karen laughed, “ive been suspecting it since they were kids.” nancy mumbled a soft “wow.” before thinking.
Because now sort of made sense now, Will never left the house much after what happened to him. (Hence the sneaking out), the other voice nancy heard in his room, and the reason mike was so anxious. He didn’t want to get caught. nancy leaned her head on her mother’s shoulder. It made alot of sense, those two meant the world to each other. Nancy was.. proud of them, but She worried people would know. Hawkins, indiana. Wasn’t exactly a place for.. queers? gays? People like them.
not everyone accepted their love for each other. But nancy would. Shes been unknowingly witnessing those two falling in love with each other since they were kids. And apparently her mother has too.