Byler one shots

29

Here—Will, come here!”

Mike reached out and took Will by the wrist. Will flinched, twisted, and turned to look at Mike. His stomach flipped.

It was the tail end of 1984, the very day before Christmas break. Mike’s pale face was illuminated by the sun reflecting off the thin layer of snow already turned slushy and speckled with dirt and pine needles. Mike had changed a lot in a year, Will noted for the ump-teenth time. His jaw was more pronounced, his hair more voluminous, all of his face looking less kiddish and more like a teenager. An awkward teenager, sure, with his sloped nose and wide smile, but a teenager nonetheless. Will still felt like he looked like a little kid, a heya-mister-would-ya-like-a-lollipop little kid. Mike was grown-up, in Will’s eyes. Handsome, even. Not just cute. Handsome.

“Yeah?” Will said gently. He could barely see the frostiness of his breath.

“Come on, I wanna show you something.”

“What is it? The bell rang!”

“So?”

The small brunet looked around. His classmates were starting to shuffle towards their classes, looking like flocks of penguins in oversized, bright blue and forest green snow jackets.

“So we have to go to class,” Will tried.

Mike smiled, almost crazily. “Let’s skip. No, it’s fine, really—“ he had cut Will off from trying to talk, “—Your phone’s broken, remember? Even if the school calls, your mom won’t know. And so what if she does find out? It’s last period! And we’re about to go on Christmas break!”

Will looked at Mike in silent awe, now aware of how wrapped up in his own delusional delinquency Mike was. “Yeah, no, you’re crazy.” He started to walk towards the classrooms again, but Mike grabbed his arm and held it tight. When Will looked around, Mike’s face was set.

“We’re going.”

Will was, to put it gently, so terrified he felt like vomiting. “M-Maybe I wont get in a lot of trouble if we’re caught,” he whispered. Mike didn’t appear to be listening as he lead Will towards the grass. “But you’ve gotten in t-trouble enough this year, your parents’ll kill you. Mike? Mike, are you even listening to m—“

Mike dragged Will behind one of the school buildings, shushing him and pulling them both behind a bush before crouching down. Their backs were against the school wall, its brick slippery with snow, and to their right was the school fence. Will turned slowly to Mike, who was smiling sheepishly.

“Cool hiding spot, right?” he asked. Will nodded in silence, and looked at his own hands blankly. Mike bit the inside of his cheek and looked sideways at the smaller boy, then heaved a sigh. “Hey, come on, I’m sorry,” he murmured as he snaked a hand around Will’s shoulders. “I just really wanted to show you something. If we get caught, I’ll take the heat, okay? You can blame me all you want.”

Will finally looked back up at Mike. His eyes were so sincere, and he was so dorky looking, Will cracked a smile and laughed. Mike first looked relieved, and then started to laugh, too, smacking Will’s shoulder and rocking a little.

That’s when Will noticed how close they were.

He was pressed right against Mike’s side, with his head nearly in the crook of Mike’s neck. He could feel Mike’s breath against his cheek and neck when Mike laughed.