"Will, Will wake up!" I woke to El's voice in my ear. I wasn't ready to wake up. I was having a lovely dream, one that'll never come true, but was lovely nonetheless.
I peel my eyes open and stare at El. El is in one of her favorite outfits, it's a romper with bright colors coating it. The colors are formed into different shapes and patterns. "I'm up, I'm up." I yawn, I stretch my limbs out and roll back over so I could maybe go back to that dream land. It's rare that I dream anymore after everything. I love El but why'd she have to wake me.
"He gets here today! Come on, we have to leave soon." El's voice is radiating excitement as she pulls on me. I promptly stay put, no matter how hard she pulls. "Will! Come on." I still refuse to move.
"El just go to the airport without me, Mike doesn't want me there. He wants you there." My words sound more bitter then intended but El doesn't notice. I don't mean to be bitter, but seeing Mike isn't as exciting as I want it to be. Mike called a whopping 5 ish times the past year, all he cares about is El and that's good. That's great. I'm incredibly happy El is happy, I love my sister, but I miss Mike. Mike from before I disappeared.
I listen to El rummaging through my drawers. I don't have a choice I guess. "Mike will want to see you too, Will." I want to roll my eyes at her statement but it's not worth it. El doesn't deserve it. I know that. She didn't know and she never will. "Get up, I have your clothes picked out. We leave in 20 minutes." El is out the door before I can even turn to face her. There is a pair of shorts and a t-shirt laid on my bedroom chair.
I take a deep breath before deciding to stand up and begin changing. The outfit El picked out for me is one of the outfits that I thoroughly love wearing but looks wrong today. Something about it just doesn't fit right. I hear a knock at my door after I finish tying my shoelaces. "I'm coming!" I yell through my shut door.
"Will, can I come in?" Jonathan, it was just Jonathan.
"Yeah, sure."
Jonathan pushes my door open, he looks like he's normal for once. Finally not high. But he has this weird look on his face, well not weird, I know that face. I know what's coming but he's blocking the door so I can't slip out. "Are you feeling ok?" Jonathan I think knows everything but he won't openly admit it. I don't think Mom knows yet. Maybe that's for the best, I don't know how she'd react.
"Yeah, of course I am. Let's go before El yells at us." I know it's not time to go yet but anything to end this conversation quicker.
"Will-"
I continued to push past Jonathan, I didn't want to deal with this right now. I can ignore the problems until they go away, or I can try. For El at least. I take a deep breath and head to kitchen where El and Mom are sitting at the table. I take a seat next to Mom. "Goodmorning sweetie." Mom kisses the side of my head.
"Morning." I mutter quietly before pouring cereal into my bowl. I ate my cereal quickly before heading back to my room for one final once over on my outfit. I stare at my outfit for what feels like 10 minutes before deciding I'm ready to go. Before I leave my room my painting catches my eye. The paintings been ready for a week already, its been sitting there staring into my soul for a week. I put hours of work into it. I go to grab it but something in me hesitates, is he going to think it's weird I did this? Spent so much time making a painting with him in mind.
"Will let's go!" I hear El shout from the front door. I grab the painting rolling it carefully into its tube. I walk out to be met with Jonathan and Argyle standing in the door way chatting with El impatiently waiting on the porch. I wander towards the trio, gripping the painting in hand. "Finally. Come on." El reaches through the gap between Jonathan and Argyle with a large smile on her face pulling me towards the Surfer Boy Pizza van. I love El. I am so glad that she's my sister.
I hop into the back of the van and take my regular spot next to El. Jonathan and Argyle seated in the front. "What's that Will?" El questions motioning towards the painting I have in my hand.
"Oh, it's nothing." I force a smile. God, this painting thing is probably weird. We've barely talked and I spend 10 hours on a God damn painting for him. That's longer then we've actually talked this year. I feel weird. All of the time. The rest of the ride to the airport is spent with El just talking about all the things she's planned for her and Mike and I'm happy to listen. It sounds amazing, like stuff I wish I could do with Mike.
The airport is way too warm. It's always too fucking warm here. I miss Hawkins. I miss my friends, not just Mike but Dustin, Lucas, Max. All of them. I want to go back, maybe we can. If Hopper hadn't, well, passed maybe we could've stayed. I tap my feet against the ground while I sit in the uncomfortable airport chair. Mom was too busy with work to accompany us to the airport, her presence would be nice.
"Mike!" I was so focused on the floor that I didn't notice El take off and tackle Mike in an aggressive hug. I finally look up to see him there in all of his glory, Mike Wheeler in the flesh. Mike, my childhood friend who hasn't called since February and it's April. The Mike I feel like I barely know. Maybe I should've tried to reach out more. Jonathan disappeared 15 minutes ago which makes this awkward. Something catches my eye behind Mike and El, curly hair that I could've mistaken for Dustin. I shake my head trying to stop the dumb thought that maybe I could see any of my other friends.
"Hey!" I smile at Mike and try to go in for a hug, instead of a hug I get an awkward side pat. I feel my grip tighten around the painting. It hurts, I feel like crying.
"What? No hi for us?" I hear a familiar voice from past Mike. Maybe it wasn't a dumb thought. It was him, it was Dustin. And Lucas, and Max. El looks as ecstatic me to see the others, I nearly launch at Dustin and Lucas. I wrap them in the tightest hug possible. Avoiding the tears that threaten to spill from my eyes. El has her arms wrapped around Max for a couple seconds before we switch and she hugs and Dustin and Lucas while I hug Max. Max and I didn't have much time together but we got close pretty fast.
"You holding up ok? With everything?" Max whispers in my ear.
"Yeah, I'm alright. You doing alright?" I whisper back quietly. Max somehow saw right through me when we were back in Hawkins. Max smiles and nods her head.
"Will, where's Jonathan?" Nancy's voice makes my eyes widen more then I thought was even possible. Jonathan's going to be so excited to see her, unless he's high. That might be confusing.
"Oh, uh the car. Look for a Surfer Boy Pizza van." I smile and she nods.
They look different all of them, Lucas and Dustin. Mike too. I guess that year apart really did a number on us. Highschool did a number on us. But we're all here together again, aren't we?
Finally.
