𝙴𝚕𝚢𝚜𝚒𝚊𝚗 ~ 𝙴𝚕𝚖𝚊𝚡

《𝟷𝟶》

August 23, 1985
3:05 PM

When the girls left, Lucas kept staring at the tree Max's bike disappeared behind long after. Everyone was silent. Everyone heard what just happened and except for the dark-skinned boy, the other members of the party were exchanging quick glances before one of them stepped forward and went to Lucas, placing his hand on his shoulder. It was Mike. He just assumed that they are both feeling like shit right now. Even though from entirely different reasons. But he wanted to be there for his friend. Lucas turned around and looked at him, eyebrows still pinched together, before taking a glance of the shore again. His face was one of realisation. He's always had his slightest suspicions. He put two and two together and looked at Mike again. All the times Max made up an excuse just to avoid meeting with him...all the times she rather spent a day with the brunette at Hopper's cabin than with him. She was suddenly so detached from him. Not wanting to tell him what's wrong and seeming scared almost when he asked. The way she laughs when El says something stupid, even if it's not funny. And now, breaking up with him and once again, going away with El...

~ "...Do you think she likes her?" The black haired boy asked, looking at Mike. The other boy frowned.

~ "Who likes who?" He asked.

~ "Max. She's been all over El ever since the day we killed the Mind Flayer. She's...acting strange." Lucas said and Mike suddenly seemed uncomfortable.

~ "I-...I don't know. Maybe you should just ask her? Even if she did...I don't think that El would feel the same." Mike said, wanting to just hide somewhere right now.

~ "I will. I'll talk to her about it. There's no way that...I can get Max back. Like any other time right? She's done this more than five times now. And I'm just...yeah I'll just figure something out." Lucas started rambling, thinking of a plan.

~ "Uhh...yeah, sure." Mike has never thought about Max in that way. Yeah, she wasn't your usual girly girl and stuff but...he was suddenly remembering things from the past. How happy Max seemed when El dumped Mike a month ago. How she always stepped closer to the brunette when she felt that something wasn't right. Now that he thought about that, it was actually making sense to him too. He realised that while he was thinking, Lucas started walking to the shore, collecting his clothes and picking up his bike.

~ "Where are you going?!" Dustin shouted after him. Lucas turned around and waved at them.

~ "I Have to talk to Max!" He shouted back while mounting his bike and riding away.

~ "Come on! Can't it wait?!" Dustin shouted again, but Lucas was too far away to answer. The curly-haired boy sighed and looked at Mike and Will who were awkwardly stanidng there, being quiet.

~ "Okay guys...I guess I'll go too." He said, making his way towards the shore. He was obviously upset. Mike stepped forward.

~ "Hey, Dustin? Wanna go to the arcade tomorrow? I'll ask Lucas if he wan-" Mike was cut off by Dustin.

~ "I have something. I'm helping Steve at Family Video and then I promised Suzie I'd talk to her on the Cerebro. But maybe some other time...bye guys." The boy answered, waving at them before going to his bike and disappearing too. Mike felt even shittier now. Did he just lose his friend? He feared that Dustin won't be interested in hanging out with the party anymore. Even though it was always him who did his best to hold the party together. Will saw that the raven-haired boy looked at his leaving friend with a sad expression and something in his stomach dropped. He wanted to see him smile again. Once Dustin left too, Will stepped closer to Mike and placed a hand on his shoulder, wanting him to look at him.

~ "Mike? Are you okay?" He asked carefully. It was all too much on Mike. First he lost El, then Dustin. Two of his best friends now turned their backs on him and he felt like shit. A single tear rolled down his cheek as he looked at Will. The other boy didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around his boyfriend and Mike gladly accepted. Will of course knew about what happened with El. Mike was so stressed out about telling her...and obviously, he had a reason.