things change - byler

.22

TW mentioned SA

I walk inside the empty house, and started heading up to wills room until mike grabbed my shoulder and turned me around.
-"what are you freaking out about??" He whispered.
-"tell us what's going on!" Dustin freaked.
-"I'm not saying anything until I know for sure. Stay out here and do NOT try to eavesdrop because I will know and I will hurt each and everyone of you." I threatened, making them slowly walk to the kitchen and living room area.
I slowly opened the unlocked door, to see a dark, messy room. things were broken all over the place. Broken glass was in the corner of the room, shredded paper was all around his desk. some of his things were just knocked over. It was like there was an earthquake.
will was laying down, with his face towards the wall, away from me.
-"Will? It's just max, can I talk to you?" I whispered, shutting the door behind me.
-"just go away." He said, sniffling.
I disobeyed, slowly walking towards the edge of his bed and sat with my face, facing towards him but my back to him.
-"can I tell you something?" I asked, not hearing a response, which I took as a yes.
-"before I moved to Hawkins, billy had a friend his age that would come over all the time. he was always just there, hanging out with us. Billy was never nice to me, but he was. He was always smiling and seemed funny." I began to explain, and I noticed Will starting to turn his head to me, talking about my dead brother.
-"but uh, one day. Billy left the house for about an hour, leaving him home alone with me. he came into my room, and.. touched me in a way I didn't want to be touched." I explained, tearing up slightly.
will finally sat up, looking at me with his hands in his knees.
-"and when billy died, I finally told my mom. after I told her, things just felt better. Like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders. i felt like I started to heal the more I talked about it. it just made me feel like I had a new beginning." I said, looking at him.
-"I'm so sorry max.." he said, looking like he was tearing up.
-"Will, I'm going to ask you something. I want you to be truthful to me, because it won't go between our friends. Just you and I. I will understand. were you in that same situation?" I ask, holding his hands.
he looked down, and when he looked up I noticed the tears falling again. i pulled him into my arms as he cried, uncontrollably. I took that as a yes. I rubbed his back, telling him it was going to be okay. But it was horrible, I could tell how much it affected him.
-"how can you explain that without crying?" He asked between breaths.
-"like I said, the more you talk about it, the better it gets." I said, pulling him away from my arms to look at him.
-"you don't have to speak to anyone about this unless you're not ready. I understand what you're going through and how you must be feeling. I won't speak of this to anyone. I promise." I said, squeezing his hand gently.
-"what about mike?" he asked, sniffling.
-"mike doesn't have to know, either." I shook my head, hugging him one more time.
-"do you want help cleaning this room?" I ask, before he nodded weakly smiling.
As I helped him up, we started cleaning around and putting things back to the way they were.
I felt so horrible for Will. I never want anyone to feel something like that, especially one of my best friends. I've never seen him cry so much, or really at all. I wonder who did that to him?

•••

we waited in the living room for what seemed like hours, watching tv and playing with bouncy balls on the hard wooded floor. After about 45 minutes, max finally walked out alone. I rushed up and over her unlike everyone else who was practically sleeping.
-"what happened? Is he okay?" I ask frantically.
-"he doesn't want anyone to know, I'm not saying anything." She sighed.
-"is it true? Did somebody hurt him?" I asked, with a small crack in my voice.
her silence made me almost know my answer.
-"who hurt will? Why did he look at me like I was purposely hurting him??"
-"mike, you just don't understand the situation."
-"and you do??"
-"yes! You wouldn't understand because you've never been in the situation!" She yelled at me.
I scoffed, about to walk past her.
-"I'm going to talk to him."
She grabbed my arm tightly and twisted me back to her before I could walk up the stairs.
-"absolutely not! I'm not even supposed to be having this conversation with you! if you ever speak a word to Will about this, so help me mike, I will kill you with my fucking hands. Do you understand?" her grip tightened on my wrist.
-"ah, let go!" I tried to pull my hand away.
-"mike. Do.. you.. understand?" she said, looking angry at me.
-"yes, let go!" I said, pulling my arm away.
she was starting to head out the door, that was when the rest of them noticed.
-"where are we going??" Dustin asked.
-"are we just leaving him?!" I ask.
-"yes, we are. you'll see him on Monday. Call him or whatever, but don't ask him anything about what happened at the party!" She ordered, getting in the car to drop everyone off, except for El who stayed at her house with will.
i sat in the car on the way home, thinking. I had so many questions about the entire thing.
was he actually assaulted?
why didn't he want me to know about it?
why won't he talk to me?
why won't max let me talk to him?
he must hate me.
I would hate me.
Who could do such a thing to Will?
why him?
he's such a sweet and good person.
wait,
what if Troy has something to do with this.
wait, that's almost impossible.
troys not even gay.
who could it have been then?
no girl would do that, at least not in our school.
so it had to be a guy.
but who??
I miss him so much.
I hate seeing him like that.
my heart breaks for him every time he's upset.
what's going to happen next?
am I the monster to him?
i want him to be safe.
but I can't guarantee that if he's scared of me.