things change - byler

.25

i woke up, too lazy to go get out of bed and go to school. My mom and hopper weren't home, so they wouldn't even know! and it's not like els going to rat me out or anything. I laid in bed, trying to fall back asleep. But it was too late, my mind was now wide awake.
I saw my mom cry in front of me last night for the first time in a long time, it was painful to watch. I can tell she's worried about me and suspects something. I hate hiding from her, but I can't tell her about that day. Not yet, I try to practice in my head what I would say if I told someone. I always end up angry or sad and fall off track.
I walk to the bathroom to brush my teeth, I checked the clock on the wall, it was already 8? El just left without me. She probably suspected I wasn't going to go, hopefully.
As I spit out the bubbly toothpaste in my mouth, I hear a knock on my door. Who would be here at this time? It's not mail day.
I walk down the steps after putting a shirt on and opening the door, letting cool wind in. There standing was mike again, I smiled awkwardly at him.
-"what are you doing here, mike? don't you have school?" I ask with a raspy and exhausted voice.
-"yeah, I just saw El walking out by herself. I wanted to skip and stay with you today. Is that okay? Because I can leave if you w-" He started freaking out since I wasn't answering him.
-"no, mike. Come in." I smiled at his nervousness.
He walked in and took his vans off at my door, my mom hated shoes being worn in the house, she adored mike because he was really the only one who followed that rule. Besides max.
i jumped on the couch, laying face down.
-"you tired?" He asked.
-"yeah, a little. I didn't sleep well last night." I yawned.
-"I'm sorry, go back to sleep." He said, sitting down next to my head.
i laid my head in his lap as he played with my hair and rubbed my back for what seemed like hours, he never stopped until I fell asleep. I was surprised he didn't stop from his arm getting tired.
i fell asleep quickly though, I was kept up by these voices echoing in my head.
Thinking about my dad.
Troy...
Mike.
i can't believe he knows about it
i can never look at him the same way again.
i don't think he can either.

•••

i woke up, Mike wasn't on the couch anymore. For some odd reason, it scared me. I jumped up off the couch and turned my head multiple times trying to look for him.
-"mike??" I yell.
-"yeah?" He yelled back, from the kitchen.
He was next to the phone when I walked over to him, that's why I didn't see him.
-"I brought food for you, when you were to wake up." He said, holding a bag of take out from Wendy's.
I smiled, as he wrapped his arm on my shoulders and we walked to the living room to watch a movie together while eating.
as we were eating, we were sharing food with each other.
-"I'm quitting my job today, can you drive me to drop my uniform off?" I said, out of nowhere.
-"what? Why??" He asked, surprise.
-"because, I don't have a ride." I brushed the real meaning of his question away.
-"no, of course I'll drive you. But why are you quitting?" He asked.
-"because.." I sigh.

I know Troy goes there every Friday or Saturday when I work, he does it just to mess with me. He won't be able to if I don't work there anymore. He should be arrested, he could be watching mike and I right now.

-"I hate my boss." I lied, mumbling.
-"okay, I'll take you in a little bit." He said, letting me have a sip of the milkshake we were sharing.
It was my favorite flavor, strawberry. I was surprised he knew, I never told him that.
-"how did you know I love strawberry milkshakes?" I ask.
-"lucky guess." he gave me the cutest smile making me feel better. I smiled back, with a glare in my eyes. didn't think I could look at him the same way like this ever again.
-"you're so cute when you smile." He complimented me, making me laugh.
-"shut up, I'm trying to watch the movie." I giggled, side eyeing him.
i heard a knock on my door, i got up insisting on getting it instead of Mike. When I opened the door, nobody was there.
i stepped outside to see who just knocked, but nobody was there. Was it the neighbors ding dong ditching?
I roll my eyes, before walking back to the living room.
-"who was it?" He asked as I sat down next to him.
-"not sure, nobody was there." I sighed, not looking back at him.
he had a disturbed look on his face, before looking away and ignoring it.
I check the clock, it was already 2? My mom gets home at 3:30
-"we should go, I have to drop it off before my mom gets home." I said, getting up and throwing our trash away.
-"does she not know you stayed home?" he asked, standing up.
-"no, I actually have to stay out of my house until 3:15, can I stay at your house until then? If that's alright." I ask, kind of shyly.
-"of course you can, don't even bother to ask." He shook his head, giving me a soft smile.
-"great.. let me go get dressed real quick." I gave him a brief smile, before walking upstairs and threw on some clothes. A white tee shirt with black shorts that almost went to my knees. It was the first things I could find.
I threw on socks that went high up my ankles, with vans. I walked downstairs, Mike looking at me immediately while waiting at the door.
-"ready to go?" He asked.
-"yep." I skipped down the stairs.
once I opened the door, the kids from down the street were about to knock, and almost fell through when I opened it.
they ran away, as fast as they could. I looked at mike rolling my eyes, before I sat in the passenger seat of his car as he drove.
Since it wasn't too quick of a drive, I put headphones on and listened to my favorite song.