Chapter Text
It all began with a dream.
Mike Wheeler was 13, and it was the science fair. They hoped that this year they would finally win. Year after year after year of continuously losing can deteriorate the spirit of boys who needed to believe everything they wanted was at the palm of their hands with enough motivation. Who have not yet grown up and discovered everything was crueler than portrayed by their favorite movies. This allowed them to continuously be resilient. With the determination burning bright in their eyes they waited hand in hand to hear the announcements:
“In fifth place we have Larry and Johnny with their uncanny replica of the bacteria’s journey while in the intestine.” Mr. Brown began.
Everything was moving in slow motion, but it was exhilarating. The room was dead silent while Mr. Brown tried his best to postpone the inevitable:
“Fourth place Miles and Marina with a model car powered by a potato. Truly something that deserves to be seen by all eyes”
A groan escaped all the contestants, pained by that joke. Mike turned to see his friends, but his eyes (get it) lingered on the brunet that sat next to him.
Will Byers’s brown eyes shone with an anticipation brighter than all suns in the galaxy. He was starting to outgrow his haircut, but Joyce would never admit it. Mike believed it suited him, but if Mike was being honest to himself, he believed any haircut would look nice on his best friend. Everything about him is crafted with such perfection he could resemble a painting. Will Byers had one of those intoxicating smiles poets write about. Smiles that could not be appreciated in a single glance. His smile was Mike’s weakness, and he knew it. Whenever he was angry or having a bad day, he knew that Will’s smile was the only cure, being able to break through the toughest moods Mike often gets into. If Mike could, he would take a thousand pictures for the world to be aware of the only beauty in it. At that moment Mike decided he wanted to be a writer, so he could
Will turned to look at them. His smile grew brighter, and Mike could feel his heart physically speed up. The world around them paused, entranced in the moment between them. Will was a painting he wanted to study. Every brush stroke that composed the full painting.
Mike realized he had been staring for too long, Mike turned to face the announcements.
“...And in first place Dustin, Lucas, Mike, and Will”
Mike didn’t play attention to the rest, all he could think about was about all of their hard work finally paying off. It all began with one dream. One goal. One aspiration.
He realized he didn’t understand why his parents were anxious and stressed all the time. Life was uncomplicated, and had one goal: to find a community. He would be empty handed right now if he didn’t have his friends, this accomplishment of his did not only have his name. It belonged to all of them together, like most things in his life. Every hardship, every accomplishment, every joy, and every pain belonged to them as a group. He knew from this day on that no matter what happens he will never let anything get in the way of him and his friends.
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“You’re ruining our party”
It was raining. If he wasn't so miserable right now he would notice the way raindrops gently fall off the meticulously trimmed grass, creating a beautifully melancholy scene. It feels like the sky is crying along with him, mourning the idea of who he had become.
“That’s not true”
“Really where’s Dustin right now? See you don’t know and you don't even care, and obviously he doesn't either, and I don't blame him.”
For the first time in his entire life, Mike Wheeler was speechless.
“You’re destroying everything, and for what? So you can swap spit with some stupid girl?”
“El’s not stupid it’s not my fault you don’t like girls.”
He could hear Will’s heart break as he betrayed the final piece of trust Will had for him.
When he was younger he used to stay up late when Will couldn’t sleep, talking about anything and everything that mattered to children.
They talked about the past, present, and future, as if the only thing that mattered was this moment when all they had was each other’s company. They would sit one next to the other, and in a selfish way, those were some of Mike’s best memories. When the whole world was asleep, except for Mike and Will. He would indulge in Will’s company, and memorize every word and mannerism as a remedy to the horrors of the world.
Now, it was just Mike and Will. This time, however, the longer Will talked the more starved he felt. The emptiness was consuming them, from the inside out, but Will couldn’t cure him this time. They were drifting apart, and it was all Mike’s fault.
He didn’t know why he said that. Will was leaving because he would rather put up with a storm than deal with Mike any longer. Whenever Mike would feel hopeless, they would run to Will Byers. He always knew what to say to Mike in order to make them feel better. Will would never lie to Mike, he held his trust in his hands and never let go. He was his boat that kept him afloat, but now that Mike severed their friendship, he was drowning, all alone.