𝐡𝐚𝐳𝐞𝐥; byler

𝐗𝐈𝐗

or "apple lake"

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Mike kept mauling this new perception of Will over the weekend. This new way his mind seemed to grasp Will.

It was like suddenly Hazel's appeal, the way he felt about her, dropped to a mere wondering. He was too busy thinking about him, his mind didn't have time for her.

He wasn't just shy, sweet Will who knew all the lyrics to Mr. Blue sky and was a really good listener anymore. He was WILL BYERS.

Will Byers, with the sparkling Hazel eyes and the bright smile and that overgrown brown hair that drove Mike crazy, with this quiet confidence to be himself. He was extraordinary, in his own shy way.

And the fact that it was so shy just made Mike like him even more, because it meant he wasn't doing it for other people. It meant that he was being himself, bold clothes and pink eye shadow and everything, not to be noticed but to be himself.

And Mike didn't know many people like that.

Mike didn't really know if he liked boys or girls. He had crushes on both girls and boys in the past, but only ever kissed girls. Well, a girl, and that was in a very drunken party. He had liked it, and so just assumed that meant he was straight.

But this whole thing with Will... Made him re-think some stuff. Would it really be weird if he kissed a guy, just to see?

Would it really be that weird if he kissed Will?

Monday, 9.32 am

He kept imagining how it'd feel to kiss Will. How it would feel to just take that leap. Cross that line. Could he even do that?

He glanced at Will, sitting next to him. He was focused on the test they were supposed to be taking, writing ferociously on his piece of paper. He looked at his lips. Bright, full lips, pursed in concentration. Could he just lean in, brush that hair away from his face and kiss him? He couldn't deny that he wanted to... He wanted to know how Will tasted.

For some reason, he could only imagine that sweet-sour flavor of orange-flavored juice box.

"Eyes on your own test, Mike!" Mr. Brown called from the front of the class,  and Mike hurried to drop his gaze, cheeks aflame. He couldn't concentrate on the stupid test- his mind couldn't seemed to let him. He only had about 10 more minutes, and still had a whole question (out of two total) left.

Focus, Mike... You need to pass this...

okay. Question two- why do so many of the novel's characters have nicknames?

the hell should I know? I didn't write the fucking thing! Maybe Harper Lee just really liked nicknames, with a name like Harper Lee I bet she never even had one... I wonder if her friends called her H or something... I wonder if she had any friends, and how many husbands-

and that's why Mike failed so many tests. Because that's how quickly his mind spiraled. 

He didn't have time, and he didn't have an answer to the question, and that meant he wouldn't get over a 50% and fail and be kicked out and-