𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬 ~ 𝐛𝐲𝐥𝐞𝐫

15

Mike waited patiently on the Hopper-Byers doorstep. He rang the doorbell one more time before Joyce opened the door.

"Oh, hi, Mike, what are you doing here?" She asked.

"Well, my mom let me come over because I need help on my Lab work. Is Will home?" Mike asked.

"He's upstairs." Joyce said letting Mike in. Mike nodded as he walked up the stairs and up to Will's door. He knocked.

"Who is it?" Will said from behind the door.

"Uh.. it's Mike. I need help with something." Mike responded.

"Mike- Shit." He heard Will say before he heard a loud noise. "Ow fuck." Will whispered before there was silence. Then the door opened. Will stood in front of him, rubbing the back of his head and squinting in pain. "What.. what are you doing here?"

"Did- did you fall off your bed?" Mike asked. Will frantically moved his hand from his head.

"What- no! You don't know that- just answer my question." Will replied kind of frustrated. Mike just held up his book and smiled.

"I need help." Mike responded. Will sighed. He looked down a bit.

"Can.. can you get me some ice first?" Will asked. Mike smiled a bit.

"Sure." Mike replied before going downstairs. Will went back in his room and sat on his bed, rubbing the bump that was now forming on his head.

"God I'm so stupid, how did I fall off the bed?" Will asked himself. Mike came back in with an icepack that Joyce gave him. He handed it to Will who put it on the back of his head as Mike sat next to him. "What do you need help with?"

"Well, I don't get this one part of the lab." Mike said.

"Which part?" Will asked.

"The part about the Punnett squares." Mike started as he pointed at one that he finished. "Is this right?"

"Yes, you're exactly right. Anything else?" Will asked. Mike nodded.

"Okay, so then for this one what do I do?" Mike asked. He pointed at a Punnett square with "F" and "F" at the top and "f" and "f" on the side. Will looked at it for a moment.

"You'd get the same answer for each square, capital F and lowercase f." Will replied. Mike nodded as he began filling it in.

"Makes so much sense." Mike said smiling.

"Anything else?" Will asked.

"Yeah, how did you fall off your bed?" Mike asked smiling a bit. Will smiled back in embarrassment.

"I just.. kind of.. leaned off I guess." Will said. Mike laughed a bit. Will laughed too, things were actually starting to feel normal again.

"Did you hurt anything else?" Mike asked. "Other than your head?"

"I actually fell on my shoulder.. and my knee too." Will replied.

"Ouch." Mike responded as he looked down at Will's knee, which had a fresh bruise, "Sorry I scared you."

"What? You- you didn't scare me." Will responded.

"Mhm. Sure." Mike said smiling. "Anyways I should probably get back home, see ya."

"Bye." Will said. Mike put his hand on Will's knee lightly, staring at Will before saying something.

"Uh.. I hope your knee, and shoulder.. and head feel better." Mike said with an awkward smile. "Bye." He said before getting up and leaving. Will looked at him in confusion as the door closed.

"Bye." Will said quietly, a light smile forming on his face. He looked over on his bed to see Mike had left his lab book. "Shit." He picked it up and went downstairs, hoping Mike was still there, and he was, and so were El and Hopper, bringing groceries home. Mike hugged El, Hopper glaring at him as he did.

"What are you doing here?" El asked.

"Oh.. uh.. I just came over to ask Will for help on the lab homework." Mike replied. Will quickly walked over to Mike and tapped his shoulder.

"Forgot your book." He said. Mike slowly grabbed it from Will.

"Thanks." He said with a soft smile, before turning back to El. Will quickly walked back upstairs, shutting the door behind him as he leaned on it. He sighed as he heard Mike say his goodbyes downstairs. Will sighed as he sat on his bed, laying back as he looked at the ceiling. He then heard his door open, and saw El standing there.

"Hey, what's up." El said, walking into his room with a cheery smile as she sat on Will's bed. Will smiled back.

"Nothing, just sitting in here." Will responded awkwardly. El laughed a bit. "How was the store?"

"Like usual, boring." El said, "It was nice to see Mike when I got back though, what did he need help with?"

"Punnett Squares." Will responded.

"Ah.. yeah I hate those too." El said.

"Hey.. uh, I have a question." Will suddenly asked.

"Shoot." El responded.

"How do you know you like someone? Like for sure?" Will asked.

"Oh well.. I don't know. You just feel it I guess." El replied, "Why? Do you like someone?" An excited smile formed on her face, while Will just awkwardly stared at her.

"What? No. I just-" Will started, before El interrupted him.

"Is it Darren? I bet it's Darren." El asked.

"No, no, no. I'm just asking.. just in case." Will replied awkwardly.

"Okay, well if you ever do like someone, tell me." El responded smiling.

"Will do." Will said with an awkward smile. El then smiled as she exited Will's room. Will's smile faded after she left, and he fell back on his bed, his mind heavy. He looked over at the icepack, now melting on his bed, just like him. He put his head in his hands and let out a sigh. He thought about his conversation with Mike. It was the first time every worry from his mind floated away since that night they had at the skating rink. But awkwardness ruined it yet again, and the worries shot him in the head.

"Jesus, Mike. Why do you do this to me?" Will thought to himself as he looked back at the ceiling. He heard El in the next room over listening to "The Way You Make Me Feel" by Michael Jackson.

"I feel your fever
From miles around
I'll pick you up in my car
And we'll paint the town
Just kiss me baby
And tell me twice
That you're the one for me
The way you make me feel"

Will sighed as he turned over and looked at his closet door. Random photos and drawings filling up the surface of it. Next to a picture he drew of a dragon was a two polaroids they had taken when they were eating outside of a gas station in 10th grade. Mike had just gotten the camera for Christmas, and used it all the time, taking random pictures at random moments. He had taken plenty of pictures that night, but let Will keep one of him drinking a slushy, and one of Mike posing that Will had taken. Will smiled at the memory, before turning back on his back.

"It almost feels normal again." Will thought to himself, recalling the conversation they both had in comparison to their old ones. He smiled to himself again, looking back at the photo. "Almost."

To be continued..