𝐡𝐚𝐳𝐞𝐥; byler

𝐗𝐗𝐕

or "Joyce fucking Byers"

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10.44 am

"Mornin', sweetie, how are you feeling?" His mom's voice called softly. He felt his bed sink slightly as she sat on the edge of his mattress, and a moment later her hand was caressing his hair slightly.

"Not good," He mumbled. That was true- he felt very bad. So bad, in fact, that he still started to tear up  at the thought of Mike. He was completely heartbroken. But, he knew that his mom was asking for his physical well being. 

"Don't you want to go to school? you only have a few more days until summer vacation, don't you want to-" 

"My stomach still hurts." He said decisively. His stomach was just fine, but it was a good excuse for his absence from school  for the past week or so, and his complete lack of apatite. 

He had gone to school the morning after his talk with Jane and Max, hoping he could talk to Mike privately and apologize again- but Mike was absent from English. In math class, Jane and Max were sited next to each other, completely on the other side of their class from their usual place.

Will tried waving at them, smiling hopefully- but was barley greeted with a weak smile from Jane. When the class was over, they left quickly, not waiting for him.

He knew he deserved it, but it was too horrible. They were his best friends, how could they ignore him like this?

He had walked into the cafeteria alone, his heart beating in his throat. Would he have to sit alone? He had to at least try to talk to Mike first. He had to give it another try. He saw his friends sitting in their usual table, and hurried over.

The sight of Mike, laughing with Lucas, made his stomach turn. He looked so beautiful, and completely happy... How he wanted to go over and have Mike greet him happily, to be pulled into Mike's arms. To kiss him, cuddle in his hoodies. How he knew his chance had passed. His eyes tinkled with tears already, but he pushed them away, plastered on a smile.

"Mike, can we please talk?" he asked, his voice shaking a little. Mike turned to him, and his smile was blown off his face like a leaf in the wind. He didn't look sad anymore, just mad. Angry. He looked at Will for a split second.

"No." He blinked once, and turned back to Lucas- as if Will wasn't there at all. Will stood there, looking to Max, Jane, Dustin, looking for rescue- but they all evaded his gaze. Then, he couldn't contain the tears anymore. He turned around and literally ran out of the cafeteria, hoping no one saw him cry. He had called his mom in claims of a stomach ache- and went straight home, Straight into bed, where he had lied until this very moment.

Not a single person had texted him during his absence. He kept calling Mike religiously, but added Jane and Max to that regime sometimes. No one responded- and every time one of his messages was "unable to deliver", every time his calls went straight to voicemail,  he felt another punch in the gut.

"Okay. I don't want to be that mom, but either we're going to the hospital or you tell me what's really wrong," His mom called again, breaking him out of his thoughts. He raised himself into a half sitting position, and studied her face.
"What do you mean?" He asked, trying to seem innocent.

"Look, sweetie, your stomach isn't supposed to hurt really bad for this long. Either you're dying, in which case we should probably go to the hospital, or something else is wrong. I'm your mom, I know you- and I know something happened. Can you please tell me?" Her eyes were empathetic and her voice was soft and her hand was now pressed tightly against his arm.

Suddenly it seemed ridiculous that he hadn't told him he was gay. She was his mom, Joyce Byers wouldn't disown him for his sexuality. She'd throw him a pride parade, probably. Why hadn't he told her? He didn't really know.

Probably because if he told her there was no way back. And maybe he was scared to have that on him officially. He was scared to admit what he had known for so long- and claimed to be proud of. But how could he claim to be be proud of himself without telling her? He had stayed with one foot in the closet, even while dating a boy for half a year. And now, after he didn't have that boy anymore, he felt he needed her to know. Needed. 

A salty liquid hit his lips, and he realized he had started crying again. He really should stop doing that.

"I'm gay," He burst out. Wow, way to be gentle, Will.

"And gay people don't go to school anymore? I'm really happy you told me, but I know there's something else."

Joyce fucking Byers. The best mother anyone had ever had. 

He had told her. He had come out, he was now out to everyone as far as he was concerned. There was no turning back- and she made him feel like it was completely natural. She didn't seem to care.

He looked at her, his eyes filling with so many tears he really couldn't see, and let himself really break.

"I messed up, mom, and now he won't talk to me." 

She hugged him close, shushing him comfortingly. When his sobs finally cooled, he managed to tell her some of the story.  He didn't tell her about the drag or the party- because that seemed like something he didn't want her to know. He just told her about Mike, about him talking to Mike from a fake profile. And unlike that day with Max and Jane, she didn't seem to be disgusted by his action. She didn't even lighten her embrace.

"Sweetie, it's okay. Everyone makes mistakes. You apologized, and there's really nothing else you can do. He'll forgive you, eventually. Just give it time." She said, and he shook his head.

"What if he doesn't?" He asked, his voice quiet. She smiled, a genuine smile, and kissed the top of his head.

"Than you'll find someone a thousand times better than him." 

There's no one better, not for me, he thought- but didn't say it out loud.

"I want to change schools again next year, okay? I can't stand being-" He started, but she shook her head firmly.
"No. You're not changing schools over a guy. You have to learn to be proud of yourself, Will. I've seen how much you changed over this year, how much freer and more open you are- and you seem happier. You don't know how unique that is, must highschoolers would never have the courage to do what you're doing. Going back to Highland academy won't help you, you were miserable there! Just be proud of yourself, be who you are, sweetie, and everything will be okay."

He couldn't help a tiny smile. His mom's words made him sound... brave, if that made sense. He had never thought about himself that way... but he liked the image his mom was painting of him. He liked this Will that she was seeing.

He hugged her tightly, letting her wrap him in her embrace.

Because that one talk with his mom managed to remind him what he seemed to sometimes forget:

He'd never be alone, not when he had his badass mother with him.

[AUTHOR'S NOTE]

This is a small Joyce appreciation chapter because she's the queen of everything yeah thx bye