𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 ; 𝘛𝘦𝘥 𝘹 𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘯 ✗

𝟐.

1986
( Mike )

Each member of the Wheeler family viewed one another different from reality, hiding how complicated they were even from each other. Not even Holly was fully innocent, each child hiding something from their parents and vice versa. But Mikes case was a little different than his sisters.

He was a pathological liar, digging himself into countless holes for no reason about big things—like the fact that he was being payed to date his girlfriend—and small things—like eating cereal instead of toast for breakfast. So one could argue that Mike was hiding his entire identity from his parents. If they hadn't raised him, he would've told them his name was Frank and that he was born in Antarctica.

The biggest lie he was trying to keep up with at the moment was his presence at school.

After finding out that he'd joined the football team, Ted and Karen had bombarded Mike with questions upon questions, assuming he was one of the players when he was actually the water boy. Too out of shape to even get through tryouts. But the truth didn't stop him from making up elaborate stories about tryouts and practices that he'd only been on the sidelines of, which turned into him being very known and liked around his school and the boy leaving the house every weekend, pretending like he was going to a party. When really Mike was walking aimlessly or taking himself out to eat. Completely fooling his father who would brag about him at work and was glad that his son was the complete opposite of him.

Turns out they were more alike than different.

Mike calling himself popular was a bit of a stretch, the boy being known by many, and disliked by almost everyone. He was on the chubbier side, no where near as big as Ted but just as insecure. And Mike had a tendency to take his insecurities out on other people. Scratch that, Mike had a tendency to take out everything on other people. He was a bitter person, mean without provocation, always on the verge of yelling at someone or fighting, constantly irritated. Never smiling, not even a little bit.

Some people were scared of him, but most felt a unanimous disdain whenever someone mentioned the name Mike Wheeler.

Mike took pride in everyone hating him, figuring that since he already hated himself so much, them doing it didn't hold as much weight. It doesn't hurt anymore when no one wants to work with him on group assignments or when people avoid him in the halls or when he has to sit alone at lunch. He's used to it. He likes it. Being ostracized was better than being bullied.

After school during football practice was the most human interaction Mike would get all day. The guys were able to tolerate his attitude better, making a joke out of it and not taking anything he said too seriously. One of the players showing him a little more attention than the others.

"Mike!"

The voice was Lucas Sinclair's, his moaned call barely audible over the rowdiness of the locker room, Mike trying his best to not look at the boy's bodies. Pretending that they weren't all models and that he wasn't into dick. Lucas making that way harder than it needed to be. No pun intended.

"What do you want?" He asked with his arms crossed, keeping his eyes on the floor so they wouldn't accidentally start checking out Lucas' naked, showering body.

"Can you get my back?"

Lucas smirked, handing him a bar of soap to which Mike stared at in disbelief for a few seconds. This was something about the guy that Mike didn't like; it always felt he was trying to sniff the gay out of him, always putting him in these awkward situations. Testing his theory.