𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝘆𝗲𝘀, ( 𝗺𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗿 )

[31] THIS IS A DEMOCRACY

MIKE, MARIELLA, and WILL walk down the road. Will still holding the camera and pointing it to Mike. "Did you agree to this?" Mike asks him, Mariella rolling her eyes

"What?" Will asks, holding the camera downwards.

"He's upset Max is here," Mariella answers, shaking her head.

"Yeah. She's not joining our party," Mike goes on, Mariella nudging him harshly.

"It's just for Halloween," Will squints, looking to Mike confused.

"You should've checked with me," Mike says.

"Mike, you're not the leader. We're a democracy," Mariella looks to him. "And besides, it's not all that bad. Max is nice,".

"Mars, you think everyone's nice until they make you mad," Mike responds to her, a small smile on his face as he watches her face scrunch up.

"They were excited, I thought you'd be okay with okay with it," Will says to Mike.

"Mike, why're you being so... Stubborn?" Mariella groans, leaning into him.

"Because! S-She's not one of us. I don't trust her," Mike answers, looking to Mariella with furrowed brows.

"But why?" Will presses, looking as confused as Mariella. Their faces contorted.

"Because after what happened last year, I don't trust anyone but our party. We can't just keep adding people!" Mike elaborates, voice fast.

What he was saying was true. He was scared, he didn't know who he could trust anymore. All he knew was that the party was the people who were constant in his life. The people he could trust always.

He looked between Will and Mariella then looked towards Dustin and Lucas. These were the people he has to protect. He had to. After Will going missing, after Eleven sacrificing herself. He had never felt so helpless. And, that's when he told himself, he'd do anything and everything to protect these people.

"She's ruining the best night of the year," Mike shakes his head, stalking off, upset.

Mariella looking to Will with furrowed brows. "He's dramatic," She says, rolling her eyes.

"Talk to him," Will tells her, pushing her shoulder.

"No!" Mariella protests, throwing her hands into the air and shaking her head.

"Why not?" Will asks her, raising a brow at her curiously.

Mariella goes silent, looking down at her shoes. "Mars?" He presses.

"He... We... We almost... Uh. Kissed?" Mariella says, looking to Will with red cheeks.

"Wait. What? When?" Will blinks rapidly, a laugh escaping his mouth as he looks towards the driveway Mike had stalked off to. "No, you know what? Go talk to him, now!" Will pushes her towards the direction and before she can even tell him no, he shouts out to her, "Go!".

She groans softly, listening to Will and walking up the driveway begrudgingly, shoes stomping against the ground as she spots Mike at the steps of the house retreating back from the doorway.

"Mike!" She calls, jogging over and walking alongside him.

He looks to her, eyebrows raising before asking her, "What?". Stopping in place and looking down at her, curiously.

Though, he did hope that she was going to talk about what had happened. He's been itching to get her alone all night. He just didn't know how to bring it up.

She pauses. She hadn't thought about what she would say to him. Did Will mean for her to talk about the kiss? Or, almost kiss? Or did he mean about Max? She looks down to her hands.

"Well? You there?" Mike asks again, tilting his head and looking at her blank expression. "Mars?".

She looks up from her hands. 'Will must have meant the kiss. Yes, he meant the kiss! Right?' She thought to herself, blinking rapidly.

"Uh. Mm. Uh," She begins looking to him with flushed cheeks, fumbling her right hand against the side of her thigh.

"Mars?" Mike questions, leaning into her slightly.

"Well, y-you see... I-... No, we. Well, uh. What? Uh," Mariella rambles, her cheeks burning brighter as she noticed the amused smile which landed on Mike's face. "We... We almost—" She stops herself, breaking eye contact with Mike and turning her head,  pricing Will darting past them and onto the side of the house.

"Will?" Mariella mumbles, grabbing Mike's hand and following after him. Finding him sitting up and curled into a ball with his arms wrapping around his knees.

"Oh gosh!" Mike says, rushing towards him and letting go of Mariella's hand. Kneeling next to him. "Will? Will? Are you okay? Are you hurt?" He asks him, arm on his shoulder.

Mariella follows, kneeling on his other side as Dustin, Lucas, and Max following after them. "Holy shit!" Dustin shouts out.

"Is he okay?" Lucas asks worriedly as they all crowd the area.

"Not sure," Mariella responds, patting Wills shoulder comfortingly. "It's okay," She says to him.

"Lets get you home, okay? I'm gonna get you home. Hold on," Mike comforts him, helping his hyperventilating figure up. Mariella beginning to rub his back.

"It's okay, you're okay, Will," She whispers, he voice thin with worry.

"Alright, take it easy," Dustin says, trying to help.

"I got him," Mike says, wrapping an arm around Will. "Mar? We can talk... Later, okay? Or tomorrow at school? I'm gonna get Will back to my house," He goes on, turning to Mariella who nodded softly before hugging Will gently, snaking her arms through Mike's grasp on him.

"You're here, Will. We're here with you," She whispers to him once again, nodding before pulling away as Mike nodded to her and walked away.

"Mike!" Dustin calls after him.

"Keep trick-or-treating! I'm bored, anyways," Mike responds as he continues walking.

Mariella watches them get farther away, breathless, shaking her head with her eyebrows furrowed. "He's getting worse," She mumbles, turning to Lucas and Dustin. "He told me to go, I should've have left him alone," She sighs,  rubbing the temple of her nose.

"What's wrong with him?" Max asks, eyes wide as she turns to look between the three friends.

They remain silent, exchanging looks before all just looking down at their shoes.