- 𝗍𝗈 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗆𝗈𝗈𝗇 -

-15-

With two sisters, most of the family activities the Wheelers did were normally to please them both. Nancy Wheeler, who was 20, was always cooped in the diner she worked at that Mike and his friends always visited after school. So whenever she was back home on Sunday, the Wheelers would take out their large White Impala to drive to the pool and go swimming.

He hated how routinely his Sundays were becoming. Either Swimming, shopping, or a late night dinner out with his family was not how he envisioned his weekends turning out.

So when Dustin had two extra tickets to the Sunday Night Rugby Game and had offered them to Mike on Friday, Mike leaped at the chance to finally get away from the time-wasting family fun day. "You can bring anyone as a plus one, since Lucas and I are already playing and Will already bought his own ticket on Wednesday." Dustin was implying that he should or would bring Elle with him, especially since they were Hawkins Sweethearts.

"Yeah but, Elle doesn't like Sports a lot. She's says it's rough and that she doesn't like how everyone always gets hurt after a game." Realisation dawned on the curly-haired boys face before he adjusted his lucky blue cap.

"Sorry."

"It's fine."

The two continued walking up along the highway, Cars zooming by them as the rustling of nature bustled around them. Out of all the boys, Mike loved to hang out with Will. After all, Will was his first and only friend when they were kids. But after years and years of friendship, Dustin was always his main supporter, keeping him in check whenever he did some stupid shit (which was quite often). Their bromance was strong, and Mike knew that he could depend on Dustin for solid non-bias advice.

"Hey Dustin?"

"Yeah?"

"If you liked a girl, let's say, you liked her for small things like the way her hair shines and how she's always so comfortable to be around, does that mean that you're like, totally in love with her?" Dustin glanced at Mike before laughing.

"Is this about Elle? Are you liking someone else other than Elle?"

Mike sighed, his breathing heavy and his shoulders slumped. "That obvious?" Dustin shot him a sympathetic look, "Kind of hard to miss the hope in your voice."

"Well, what do you think i should do? I can't just break up with Elle, but neither can i stop these...feelings for this other person. I still love Elle, i just realised that i'm not in love with her anymore, not like when we were twelve." Mike admitted, looking up towards the gloomy sky, as if hoping for some sort of guidance from the gods above.

"Woah woah, okay slow down. Firstly, who is this person you like? Secondly, if you want to talk about feelings, you got to talk to Steve. He's a lot better at relationship talk then i am, he's just got more experience." Dustin suggested, blushing madly when Mike shot him a knowing smirk. When the boys were fourteen, Dustin had gone away to summer science camp and when he did get back, he apparently had a girlfriend. A russian girlfriend named Suzie that loved the song Never-ending Story just as much as science, just like him (really?) .

"Come on Mike, don't give me that look."

"You said you and Suzie were endgame and would survive through the harvest." Whatever that meant, Mike sniggered internally.

"Well i was fourteen! Everyone says weird shit at that age. Besides, she didn't have a respect for DC or Marvel, so that month long relationship means nothing to me."

Mike smiled at Dustin. It was nice to just chat. He missed it, missed this.

"So, who's the girl?"

"Um...okay, first you have to promise not to tell anyone." Dustin in that moment, had never looked so serious in their short lives. "Mike, i'm the secret keeper, not the secret flooder."

"Okay. Well, it's-"

"Mike! Hey Dustin!"

"Max!" Dustin greeted, looking behind them with a smile.

Behind them, was Max. Her long red waves flowing down her back like always, and her dark ocean eyes light and happy. She was still wearing her dark blue ABBA shirt but had her forest green bomber jacket tied around her waist.

"Hey guys! Thought i saw you two losers from a mile away." Max chuckled, bumping fists with Dustin. A sharp twinge of jealousy burned in Mike's heart at the contact the two made. Since when did Dustin and Max get so chummy with each other? Was it the Halloween party? Was it after or in school? Jealousy laced his vision with poison.

"So, can i walk with you guys or not? No way am i abandoning the both of you now after Mr Chickpeas accident." Max gestured towards the sunny short boy next to her sneakily. He rolled his eyes. "Shut up, Max. That was a one time thing!" The curly-haired brunette mock punched Max's shoulder, making the two of them crack up and laugh.

"What fucking Chickpea accident?" Mike asked, his anger clear in his tone. Picking up on his intensity, Max turned around to look at a seething Mike Wheeler. He looked so upset and downtrodden, yet there was something else that stood guarded behind those lovely brown eyes.

Could it be jealousy? Could Mike Wheeler be jealous of her and Dustin? No way. The thought that he could ever feel so strongly about a simple friendship was...well it was almost absurd to even consider. Dustin Henderson was as sweet as honey came, but she didn't like Marvel as much as she loved DC, and Dustin would never ever date her anyways. She was way out of his league.

"You coming, Mike?"

"Yes! Just go on without me, jesus. I need a freaking break." He mumbled before walking past Dustin and Max with his long lean legs, and then breaking out into a full on jog.

There was no way he liked Mayfield. There was no way he was willing to throw away everything all for one girl.

There was no way he was falling in love with a girl he knew he couldn't have.

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