Byler- The Unwanted Return of Everything (And How It Finally Ends)

The Truth

"These things taste just like they did when I was ten." Dustin gawked at his chocolate milkshake, holding it out and turning the glass to observe it. "That's crazy. Did you taste these, Lucas?"

Lucas nodded, unable to answer as he rapidly drank his own through a red and white striped straw.

Mike tasted a slight sip of the vanilla shake that sat in front of him. He hadn't tried it yet, distracted by the various conversations at the table, silently catching up on the lives of his friends. When the flavor hit his tongue, he had a similar reaction to Dustin. It tasted like edible deja vu, something he'd definitely eaten many times before. He tried to visualize him and Lucas and Dustin and Will getting milkshakes here after school one night. Dustin and Lucas would have chocolate, Will would have strawberry, and Mike would have vanilla, being teased by his friends for his basic preferences. As he drank more, the memory came back in fuller detail. It made him long for his childhood.

The lunch outing had been going wonderfully. Mike was having a lot of fun, talking to his old friends, and the weight of the world was finally off his shoulders. He felt normal, almost. A young guy who is out to lunch with his buddies. He didn't have to worry about monsters, he had to worry about school. He didn't have other-worldly problems, he had love-life problems. It felt really good in the moment. He envied people who got to have this throughout their entire life. No Upside Down, just life.

Will was sitting next to Mike, at the corner of the booth, at a strange angle to the lights that made him look like a ghost hiding in the shadows. He twirled the straw of his own shake. Mike looked and noticed he hadn't even eaten his food yet.

Mike nudged the boy lightly. "Aren't you hungry?" he asked quietly, studying the untouched plate. "You should eat."

Will shrugged, not looking at Mike. He sighed and smiled, finally turning to face him. "I'm just not really feeling like it. I had a big breakfast. I promise I'll eat it eventually."

Mike nodded, giving up. Will didn't seem like he was in a very good mood. Mike almost regretted making him come along to the lunch, but it wouldn't be the same without him, so what was he supposed to do? He believed strongly that Will needed this more than anyone, and he was determined to help him out.

"I can take you home if you really want," he offered, disappointed in Will's lack of enthusiasm.

Will raised an eyebrow and shook his head. "What? No, no, no. I'm doing fine, Mike. It's fun, don't worry. I like catching up with everyone. Everyone had such interesting stories from college."

"If you say so." Mike studied Will for a moment longer, trying to pick up on any signs that he was lying. He was hard to read, although. His mannerisms were like those of a different person today. Eventually, he turned away, realizing Dustin was trying to get his attention.

"Mike!" He waved his hands across the table. "Did you hear me?" He turned to Lucas, leveling his eyelids. "He's not listening."

Mike shook his head. He hadn't heard Dustin. He wasn't even aware he was part of whatever conversation the rest of the group was having. He didn't have much to talk about anyway. He didn't feel like making anything up right now. "What? Sorry, no. I didn't."

Dustin was unaffected by Mike's lack of paying attention. He just nodded and continued on. "Well, we were talking about, like, crazy people we met at college. I asked you if Harvard kids were all preppy and stuck-up. Or are they all secretly aliens?"

Mike shook his head, laughing. He wasn't faking the laugh, the thought of everyone at Harvard being extraterrestrial seemed plausible. "I don't think they're aliens... but there's always a chance, I guess."