(Wills POV)
Who is he talking about?? I cannot think of anybody else he would like except El.
"Well... who is it?" I ask. Now I'm really curious.
"That's the problem. I can't tell you." What??? Why not? He's already told me this much, why can't he tell me more?
"What? Why not?"
"Because it's complicated. I can't tell you."
"What? Why is it complicated?" Is he maybe... not in love with a girl?
"I can't tell you." He looks down and breathes in slowly. "It's not a stranger."
"A stranger? So it isn't someone you just met?" I ask.
"Didn't I already say that?"
I don't know, did he?
"Come on, Mike. You can trust me. I won't tell anybody," I say, trying to re-assure him that it's okay.
"No."
"No? Why not?"
Suddenly, tears start streaming out of his eyes. He's sobbing. Mike Wheeler is full on sobbing in front of me.
"Will." He looks up at me, his watery dark brown eyes staring right into mine. What is even happening right now??
"Yeah....?"
And for this second, just this second, it's like it was just us. Just us in this entire house, this entire universe. I could already the guilt stirring up inside me. The guilt that I had for liking Mike this way. It's not fair. And I know that I'll never be able to tell him because he'll find me disgusting. He'll hate me. Why do I like him like this? It's like theres something inside me thats... broken. I mean, what normal person falls head over heels for their best friend and doesn't get over it? He's a boy, I'm a boy, why do I feel like this? Why can't I just like girls? Why can't I be inlove with someone that is a girl? Why can't I look at a Playboy magazine or any other poster with girls on it without feeling weird? Without feeling wrong? Every time I look at Mike or even talk to him, I feel like a predator. I feel like I'm doing something to him. Why am I like this? I am a mistake.
"I love you."
The words sound so sweet and they feel so comforting to hear. No one has ever told me that, besides my mom or Jonathan.
But Mike? Why would he like me? Of all people? This doesn't even feel real. Is he lying to me? He probably is. This is probably some kind of joke. He knows I like him, he knows how I feel about him and now he's using it against me.
"No, you don't."
Mike looks up at me, confused. "What?"
"You don't. You can't."
Mike looks confused.
"You can't like someone like me. Why me? I am a mistake. I am not meant to be loved. I am not meant to be... loved by someone like you. You can't l-"
Before I can finish my sentence, he cups my face in his hands and smiles at me. This is the least Mike thing he's ever done.
I can't even muster out a word. What do I say? He has my face in his hands. The love of my life has my face in his grip. What do I do?
"Wha-" He makes the first move.
He swoops in and kisses me on the cheek.
WHAT
WHATW AZT%WZARAUSFQ"(WUSZTGZW/(SUZDTGZU(WUZDTGJWUZEDTGHJIOQ MIKE WHEELR JUST KISSED ME ON THE CHEEK AWASBGHUIWSUDHUWIOWSDHUIWSUDZGHJWKOIUZGBNJUZTF AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
I can feel the blood rush to my face and he pulls back, flustered. Before even thinking, I kiss him back, but not on the cheek. This is probably the best day ever.
Am I really kissing Mike right now??? Is this even real?? I can feel his lips against mine and I don't even know what to do right now. My mind is crowded with so many thoughts at this moment. Am I dreaming??? Mike Wheeler is kissing me, Will Byers, A BOY, right now. I don't even know what to think.
I pull back slowly and my face is frozen in a smile.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I JSUT KISSED MIKE WHEELR AJSBWJHSBDHIWUHSUIWUHDUIWEUHDUIWUEHDBHIEUDHUIEUHDJIEUDHNEU
"Wow," he says and I can see that his face is really red. WAIT
HES FLUSTERED
Oh my God. He is flustered.
"Oh, sorry," I quickly say and we sit in silence for a moment.
"No, don't be sorry. That was..."
"Unexpected?" I say and he chuckles.
"Yeah, unexpected. But..." He looks... happy?
"But...?"
"I didn't expect you to be a better kisser than El."
Okay that was not what I was expecting at ALL.
I can feel myself just bursting out in laughter and falling back into the armchair that I don't remember sitting on.
"Seriously?" I say, snorting.
"Yes!!"
