Heartbreak Story - Byler

IX - There is No Need to Hide Away

Note: Tiny, little time skip.
Warning: Homophobic slurs.

We were all sitting around the table in my basement - Dustin and Lucas on one side, Will and I on the other. It was just the four of us and we were crushing it at D&D, just like old times. Everything was perfect.

Beneath the table, Will's soft hand was placed on top of mine which rested high up on his thigh. His laugh was contagious and I felt a smile stretch across my face from one side to the other as my gaze remained focussed on his own bright grin.

"Oh god, get a room!" Dustin groaned as he caught sight of me staring at Will. My Will.

A blush tinted my cheeks a dark crimson and my gaze dropped to the floor but Will supported me, firing back: "You're just jealous that I got the hottest guy in the school and you're still single."

"Heyyy, I caught Emily Williams eying me up earlier today." Dustin defended himself.

"Oh sure." Will rolled his eyes as he teased Dustin but it was all playful. He started giggling, Lucas and I soon following his lead. Dustin sat with his arms folded and stubbornly glared back for a second before he burst out laughing too. Will's hand still lay on my own and I knew I was the luckiest person in the world.

"Michael." A muffled voice disturbed me and I frowned. "Michael, wake up. It's time for school."

My eyes snapped open as I was torn from a dream so real it felt like it could have been a memory. I felt so at peace just pondering it over in my head that I couldn't understand why anxiety was causing my stomach to do backflips, what could possibly be wrong?

And then it all came rushing back.

Everything that had happened in the previous two weeks: Will's injuries, our fight and I suddenly wished I'd never woken up. Today was the day Will was going back to school meaning it would be the first time I'd seen him since he kicked me out of his hospital room. I'd called his house a day later, begging to speak to him but Joyce just told me no. I called the day after too, and the day after, and the day after, and the day after but only ever got the same response so I stopped calling altogether. The thought that I would be seeing him later simultaneously made my heart explode with joy and sink with dread. It was a strange sensation considering I hadn't felt it working for weeks and had begun to question whether it even still remained in my chest.

I heaved myself out of bed, dread making every step I took wobbly and unstable. I dressed in a disorganised blur, washed in a messy haze and stumbled my way downstairs. My mom was giving Holly her breakfast when I hit the ground floor, I gave them both a kiss on the forehead before heading out the door to my bike. I was old enough to drive but I'd always felt more at home on a bike than behind a wheel so I never chose to. I didn't even have a car.

On the road, I met up with Dustin and Lucas as we all pedalled our way to the high school. My two companions made small talk and joked with each other the entire ride there but my stress levels were too high to allow me to join in and my mouth remained tightly welded shut.

At the gates, we hopped off our bikes and headed to the rack to chain them up where we found Eleven leaning against it and Max circling it on her skateboard. Will was nowhere to be seen and I let out a breath I'd been holding for what felt like an eternity.

"Hey." Max beamed at us as she lightly leapt off her skateboard and skipped up to Lucas, placing a gentle kiss on his lips.

"What's got you so smiley, huh?" Lucas asked, affectionately gazing down at his girlfriend who smiled even brighter.