Archive of Our Own ^beta

September 7, 1976

"Are we ready to go?" Karen calls to to the table from the kitchen. She wrings out the washcloth, sets it down, and releases her hair from a ponytail.

Sitting at the table are her two children, Nancy and Michael. Their feet don't touch the floor yet when they sit in their chairs. They're seated next to each other—a perfect spot for Karen to keep an eye on them even when doing the dishes—and wear the perfect first day of school outfits. Karen can't help the grin that spreads across her face. They look adorable, like children you'd see in The Gap commercials.

Nancy beams back; she's excited for school, like she always has been. Mike, on the other hand, is fixated on the syrup on his plate.

"Michael," Karen says gently. His eyes snap up, like he didn't realize her previous words were meant for him, too. "You feeling okay?" She asks, taking the plates away.

"Do I have to go?" Mike complains loudly, following her into the kitchen. He wipes his hands off on the towel like he always does after meals. Karen doesn't quite understand why; she's tried to get him to wash his hands, but he doesn't seem to want soap. Whatever residue he thinks mealtimes give him is what he seeks to remove.

She sets the plates in the sink and kneels down by him. His palms rub against a towel—three times exactly. "It's your first day," she tells him. "This is exciting! You'll make so many friends."

"You think so?" He asks nervously, his wide eyes staring at her.

"Absolutely." She leads him to the front door, Nancy in tow. Karen makes them pose for a picture and makes sure Mike's buckled into the car okay.

Karen Wheeler doesn't condone lying to her children, but she believes white lies can be considered harmless. They won't remember, anyways. But if Karen was telling the truth to her son, she'd have to admit how she's actually desperately nervous about his compatibility with his classmates—in fact, it was the reason she could barely sleep last night. She never worried about Nancy making friends, but she had an awful feeling that Mike just wouldn't fit in with his peers. He was so frequently off in his own head, usually putting himself in some imaginary world or watching shapes in the clouds that just look like blobs to Karen. He was talkative but selectively—really, Mike only liked to speak when it was about the things he liked. When Ted talked about his day at work at dinner, Mike couldn't even be bothered to pretend like he was listening. Nancy talking about her classmate Carol's crush? Mike wouldn't even bat an eye.

It's not that Karen doesn't think Mike cares about anything; she just thinks he's particular about what he likes to talk about. As long as he's not actively interrupting people, she can't complain much. Karen holds onto the hope that Mike will be influenced by his peers—influenced to at least pretend he cares when other people are talking.

The truth is that Karen worries about Mike, much more than she'd like to admit. She loves him—he's the most beautiful boy in her eyes—but can't fathom what it'd be like for Mike to come home without any friends. It'd be devastating for the both of them. So when Karen parks in front of Hawkins Elementary School, she gets out of the car to help her kids out of the vehicle. Nancy gives her a quick hug and runs off immediately, seeing her teacher and friends. Mike looks apprehensively at the big building in front of him.

Karen smooths down his hair. "Listen, it's going to be okay. You're going to make friends. Just… Just be yourself. You're going to do great." She's not sure if she's assuring him or herself at this point, but her words seem to calm down Mike a little. He takes a cautious step forward. She gives him a hug and doesn't return to her car until she watches him walk in the door.

Just as she's about to get back in, she sees Joyce leaving the building. Joyce Byers, who once was her own classmate. Joyce Byers, who Karen never took very seriously in high school. Joyce Byers, who used to boast about how she was going to be the first to leave Hawkins, only to marry Lonnie Byers, who Karen personally disliked. Her son, Jonathan, was in Nancy's class. She'd ran into Joyce during previous school mornings, but she never spoke to the other woman.

This morning, though, Joyce wears the same anxious face that she used to bring every day to school. Karen can't help the words from slipping out of her mouth as Joyce walks by.

"Joyce! Dropping off Jonathan?" She asks, trying to ask as casually as possible.

Joyce stops abruptly in her steps and turns to her. She exhales, and her shoulders relax slightly. She forces a smile on her face. "Yeah. And Will."

"I didn't know you had another kid! Oh my gosh," Karen gushes—because she really didn't know. She's been so wrapped up in raising Mike that she hasn't had the opportunity to get the local gossip from the other moms lately—aside from the gossip from Nancy's class, of course. "What grade is he?"

"Kindergarten." Joyce shifts, a mix of discomfort and happiness in her face.

"Michael's starting kindergarten today, too!" And for a split second, Karen has hope that Mike won't be the most awkward kid in his class. If Will is anything like Jonathan has been described by the other mothers in town, Mike has plenty of chances of making friends, now. Karen wonders if she should feel bad for thinking such a thought, but she quickly brushes it off. Her kids are her priority. It's not wrong to want them to succeed, she thinks. And just because Joyce and Lonnie Byers send Jonathan to school in wrinkly clothes and a god-awful haircut doesn't mean that Karen is wrong for hoping that her kids make friends.

"That's great," Joyce laughs nervously, gesturing to the pack of cigarettes in her hands. "I'm going to… You know." She points to the back of the parking lot. "Not allowed to this close to the building."

Karen forces a smile on her face. "Well, it was nice seeing you, Joyce." On her drive home, she considers calling some other mothers and asking about Joyce's second child. The dishes in her sink dissuade her, though. For now, she focuses on what to cook for dinner and imagining how Mike and Nancy are doing at school.

When she picks her children up at the end of the school day, she's ecstatic to see both Nancy and Mike grinning. They're both bumbling with excitement. She buckles Mike in and eyes them up in the mirror happily.

"Who wants to go first?" She asks.

Nancy starts. 'Well, today was—"

"I made a friend!" Mike interrupts, yelling excitedly. "He's so cool and we—"

Nancy huffs next to him. She looks ready to start a fight. Karen refuses to let them argue after a successful day of school, so she butts in.

"One second, Michael. Why don't we let Nancy finish what she was saying, and then I'll hear all about your new friend?"

Mike scowls in the back seat. He purses his lips and stares out the window, dejected. Next to him, Nancy brightens. She talks about her first day of second grade for the rest of the car ride, and Karen happily asks follow-up questions. Every few seconds, her eyes scan to Mike's face, who is now emotionless, staring out the window. But he has to learn patience one of these days, Karen decides. Today might just be that day.

When they arrive home, Nancy sprints to her room to continue reading a book she was into. Mike is dragging his feet, looking quite crabby, and Karen pulls him by the sleeve into the living room—he's particular about people touching his skin directly.

She sits him down. "Tell me about your friend!" She wants his previous excitement to return.

Thankfully, he perks right up. "His name is Will, and he's my best friend now! We like all the same things. He's my favorite person—"

Karen's mind is focused on the name, though. She supposes that there could be several children with the name Will, but what are the odds that this child isn't a Byers? She remembers her previous judgment of the oldest Byers child and immediately feels guilty. Maybe, she just needs to give the family a chance. Maybe, Mike made a bunch of friends that aren't Will. She focuses on what Mike's saying, who didn't even notice that she stopped listening at all. In fact, he hasn't stopped speaking since he started.

"And I want to ask him to come play with me. Can he come over, Mom? Can Will come over?"

"Of course he can come over. Do you have any other friends you want to invite over?"

Mike visibly freezes. His eyes find the floor, and he pulls at his sleeves. "Will's my friend," he tries, but it comes out weaker than he probably wanted.

Karen instantly goes into comfort mode. "Of course he is. But you know, you can have more than one friend if you want."

He frowns to himself, clearly thinking. Looking back at her, he looks determined. "I only want Will," he tells her.

Karen can do nothing but nod along in support, for the boy has taken her beat of silence as an opportunity to tell her more about Will and their day together. She has the sinking realization that Mike probably didn't make any other friends, but she shakes off the feeling. She's never seen Mike this excited before; he's practically glowing. She decides that if Will Byers makes her son this happy, she'll do everything in her power to make sure they stay friends forever.

That night, she calls Joyce on the phone for the first time.

Joyce answers after three rings; she sounds frantic. "Hello?

Karen remembers that Joyce always sounded like this in high school, especially when her and Lonnie were fighting. She decides it's not her position to pry, though. "Joyce! I don't know if you've heard, but it sounds like Michael and Will have become friends."

Joyce makes a noise, indicating she's listening. She's whisper shouting to someone off the phone, though.

"I was wondering if Will could come over for a play date this weekend." For added incentive, she adds, "Jonathan can, too."

"Oh, that would be great! Lonnie wants to take Jonathan hunting this weekend, though, and I have to work… Could Will stay for a sleepover?" She sounds flustered.

"Oh my gosh, of course he can! Michael will be so excited."

Joyce quickly ends the conversation after that; Lonnie's voice gets louder in the background. Karen walks upstairs outside Mike's room and knocks. She always knocks twice, waits three seconds, and then opens the door. If she enters right away, Mike becomes agitated. Mike's sitting on his bed, comics open around him. There's several stacks on the floor, and Mike is meticulously examining the descriptions of each one.

"What are you up to?" Karen asks, careful to not disrupt his organization system.

Mike grins but stays focused on his task. "Finding comics for Will."

"You could read them together at your sleepover this weekend." She keeps her voice level, for she knows his reaction will be—

"Will's sleeping over?" Mike shouts, flinging his hands up in excitement. His wrists flap in excitement; he doesn't care that he just knocked over a stack on his bed. "When is he coming? How long is he staying? For breakfast, can we make pancakes and eggs and—"

They spend the rest of the night making plans for Mike's first ever sleepover.

That Friday, Karen waits for Mike and Will outside of Hawkins Elementary School. Nancy has a sleepover with her friend Barbara, so Karen doesn't have to drive her, too. She's secretly grateful that Nancy has a sleepover this night; she has a feeling that looking after these two boys together will be a full-time job. She waits outside her car as the school doors open.

A few minutes pass, and Mike comes running out, holding a boy's hand as he pulls the boy along. The boy's backpack is stuffed full; Karen assumes Joyce sent Will with enough supplies to last him all weekend. When the boys approach, Will stays cautiously behind Mike, who is talking fast, flinging his free hand everywhere.

"And this is my mom. She makes all the best food and—"

Karen's eyes drift to their conjoined hands. She's not bothered by it, but she is surprised. Mike detests skin-on-skin contact. He shudders whenever she helps dress him and accidentally touches his back. He asks her to wear gloves when she helps him bathe, for he insists he hates the sensation of skin touching his. But right now, Will's hand in his doesn't seem to bother him at all. In fact, with how tight Mike's grip is, Karen has an inkling that Mike didn't even give the other boy much choice in the matter.

"Hello, Will!" She greets him.

The little boy just makes a sound. He's smiling at her, though, and waving with his free hand. His awful haircut blows in the wind. Karen doesn't change her facial expression at all. He's Mike's best friend, she repeats to herself mentally.

As she drives them back to her house, she notices that Mike is doing all the talking while Will just makes little noises. They aren't formed words, but Mike doesn't seem to mind. Rather, he seems like he genuinely understands whatever Will is trying to convey. Karen can't help but smile to herself as she watches them through the rear view mirror. Will watches Mike carefully, his eyes wide with admiration. Mike holds his hand, even in the back seat. He hasn't let go since they got in the car. Mike looks at him back with equal admiration.

When they arrive at the Wheeler household, Mike is dragging Will throughout it for a tour. Will's lips are parted in awe, and Mike shows him every little detail of his bedroom. He saves the basement for last; that's where the majority of his toys are. There, he has lined up his comics, books, and toys for Will to see, each of which they go over one-by-one.

As much as Karen wants to follow them around and watch their friendship grow, she lets them have their space. She doesn't bother them until it's dinner time, which will be when Ted first meets Will. Karen hides her nervousness; instead, she tries to warn Ted in advance.

"Listen," she tells him as he sits down at the table. "Will is a shy boy."

Ted shrugs, looking at her as if he's saying, so what?

"He… He doesn't speak," she says in a low voice, careful in case the boys happen to be on their ways upstairs.

"He's five," Ted responds, still confused.

Karen sighs in annoyance. "Just don't make it weird, okay?" She hisses before calling the boys up for dinner.

Mike doesn't take his usual spot at dinner, though. This time, he sits across from his usual chair, patting the space next to him for Will to sit down. "That's Nancy's spot," he says, pointing to the chair across from Will. "This can be your spot."

Will hums at him and smiles nervously at Karen, who is seated next to him. She watches him carefully and then narrows her eyes at Ted, who seems more focused on the food in front of him instead of his son's first friend.

"I hope you don't have any allergies," she says gently to Will, trying to indicate to him that he's safe here. "I don't know what you usually eat, so hopefully you like this."

He makes a humming noise of sort and nods at her, eyeing his food with curiosity and awe.

"He doesn't have any allergies," Mike shares confidently. Then, his world is narrowed back in on Will again. "Like I was saying earlier, I was thinking we could go to the movie store—"

Karen smiles into her wine glass. Across from her, she sees Ted smile, too.

Will becomes a regular visitor to the Wheeler household. Karen isn't complaining; she loves how talkative and energetic Mike becomes when Will is around. Ted doesn't seem to mind it, either; in fact, it's almost like he enjoys the fact that he doesn't have to go out of his way and make small talk with Will. Ted has always been like that, though. He's never been one to enjoy talking about the weather or local gossip. He'd rather be reading a book or watching television.

Karen thinks that in a way, that's why they're such a good match together. Karen is the talker, and Ted just listens. Sure, it bothers Karen a bit that Ted doesn't seem to process anything she's saying, therefore not creating any sort of conversation at all, but she takes the wins where she can get them.

She gives Nancy a small talk before she meets Will about his lack of words. She's confused, but she doesn't really seem to care. She just asks that Will stay out of her room, which Mike and Karen know will never be an issue. And when she meets Will for the first time, she's too engrossed in her homework to really pay him any attention at all. If anything, she's more surprised at how bubbly Mike seems in the other boy's presence, but she doesn't say anything about that, either. Instead, she just observes the pair when they're in the same room, never commenting on Will at all.

When Mike comes back from his first sleepover at the Byers household, he's excited, but his energy seems off. Karen gives him two hours to cool down before she's knocking on his door.

"Is everything okay?" She asks.

He's curled into his bed with a comic, but he's holding it in a way that shows he clearly hasn't been reading it, not really.

He shakes his head back and forth cautiously.

"What is it? You can tell me anything." She sits on the edge of his bed, careful to not touch him.

"It's about Will's parents," he slowly says.

Karen freezes for a moment; she didn't expect Mike to pick up on their dynamics at such a young age. Practically all of Hawkins knows how disjointed Joyce and Lonnie's relationship is; it's the silent, known secret across town. She nods understandingly to him and asks, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"They aren't like you and Dad," Mike's trying to find the right words. Karen lets him search for them. He sits up. "You and Dad eat dinner together. You talk… You talk like we're talking." He gestures between them.

"Do they raise their voices?" Karen asks, choosing her words carefully.

"Mrs. Byers never does at Will or his brother," Mike answers, ever so quick to defend Joyce. "But sometimes, her and Will's dad… They talk loud at each other. His dad talks loud at Will, too."

"Oh, Michael…" A child should never have to witness that, she thinks to herself. She takes a moment to find a good response to him. "Some parents are still figuring out the best ways to talk to each other. Dad and I figured that out before we had you and Nancy. Some parents need extra time, though. They don't…" She tries to word it in the nicest way possible. "Do they ever do anything else? Anything that seems unlike Dad and I?"

"No," Mike says, thinking hard. "I think we should have Will sleep over here more, though. He sleeps better here."

"Does he?" She asks, a knowing tease in her voice.

Mike brightens a bit. "Yeah! My bed is softer than his."

"It's good that you notice these things. It means you're a good friend." It also gives Karen plenty to keep an eye out for mentally, but she would never tell Mike that.

"We're best friends. We tell each other everything," he says earnestly.

Karen cautiously approaches her next question. "When you talk, does he ever… Does he speak back? Like we're talking right now?"

Mike shrugs, as if he's never thought about the logistics of their conversations much. "We don't need to talk like this."

And for now, Karen accepts that as okay. She secretly hopes that Will is just a late bloomer and that he'll eventually start speaking, but she takes the wins where she can get them. Mike is happier than ever, and he has his first friend. That's a big enough win for her.

October 31, 1977

Ted Wheeler has never cared much for Halloween. He detests dressing up, and he'd much rather buy candy from the store and eat it at home instead of begging the neighbors for candy in strange outfits. This year, though, he's the one who has to take the kids out for trick or treat. Joyce is working, which is the reason there's a young Will Byers in his basement right now, and Karen is sick. She's stuck in bed, coughing up who-knows-what. Ted shudders at the thought; he hates being sick.

He thinks tonight will be an easy night. He'll supervise Mike and Will, for Nancy is meeting up with her friends at the end of the block for their parents to watch her, and after, she'll have a sleepover at her classmate Allie's house. Really, Ted couldn't be more satisfied with the current arrangement—unless he was able to stay home entirely, of course. He takes one for the team.

Mike and Will are dressed up in outfits Ted doesn't recognize. He tries to ask them about it, but Mike starts rambling about clerics and other D&D references that Ted simply couldn't care about. Last year for Christmas, Ted and Karen got Mike a Dungeons & Dragons board game. It was something that Mike had stared at in the store for a long time once. He was ecstatic to receive it, immediately ranting about how much fun it would be to play with Will.

Ted puts on his jacket, instructs the boys to check that there are no holes in their pillowcases, and locks the door behind him. They're leaving at the perfect time; practically every other house on the block is out and about right now, too.

"Don't go too far, okay?" Ted tells Mike. As long as they stick together, though, he doesn't really care. He stops at the edge of a driveway and watches the two run towards the door.

"Ted Wheeler?" A voice calls from behind.

When Ted turns around, he sees a familiar face that he hasn't seen in a while: the face of Charles Sinclair, who was in the graduating class of Karen and whose older brother was in Ted's class in high school.

"Mr. Sinclair," Ted greets, holding out his hand. Charles shakes it, smiling. "You're on kiddo duty?" He asks. The last time he checked, they had one son. The last time he checked, though, they were only thinking about moving back to Hawkins. He didn't realize they ever actually moved.

"Yeah. Sue's up there with them. Our youngest, Erica—she's three—can be an energetic one, so she wants extra eyes on her."

"Remind me what your son's name is," Ted asks, admitting defeat mentally. This is why Karen usually does social events; she's better at remembering everyone.

"Lucas. He's in first grade."

"Michael is in that grade, too."

"Oh, really? I thought I saw a little boy next to a little Ted Wheeler… You have another boy?" Charles asks, which Ted takes as an olive branch—Charles doesn't remember anything, either.

"No, Michael is our only boy. The other boy is Lonnie's youngest, Will Byers. He and Michael have become quite the pair."

"They should have a play date with Lucas," Charles suggests.

Ted agrees. He's going to suggest it to Mike when the boys come scampering back over, but he discovers Mike has already met Lucas. He's pointing excitedly at him, in fact. One hand is in Will's, and the other holds his pillowcase of candy, which is flailing around as he speaks.

"Dad! Look, Lucas is a knight. He's like one of the characters in D&D! He has to come over and play with us."

Ted laughs to himself; leave it to Mike to somehow bring one of his favorite topics to Halloween. "Yes, he can come over," he tells him.

Mike is beaming. He runs off to the next house, dragging Will with Lucas following beside them.

"That worked well," Charles says.

"It really did." He pauses. "Did you move around here?"

"Yeah, we live just there." Charles points at a house—it's only a street away from the Wheeler house.

He walks with Charles for the rest of the night. Eventually, Sue joins them, holding a tired Erica in her hands. Ted is feeling warm tonight, so he offers to safely drop Lucas off at home so that Sue and Charles can put their youngest to bed. They're grateful, and Ted basks in the silence—well, the approximate one minute of silence he gets before more kids pass by.

Ted watches them more carefully now that there's a third child to look after. It's weird; now that Lucas has joined them, there's more than just Mike talking. Lucas talks back, and Will makes his noises every so often. Ted hopes deep down that Mike doesn't stop hanging out with Will now that he has a friend who speaks, for he's grown rather fond of the silence that follows Will.

After they drop off Lucas and he sends the boys off to bed in Mike's bedroom, Ted stops by Karen and his bedroom before he goes to sleep in the living room. He doesn't want to get sick, but he wants to share the news. She's always worried about Mike's friendship compatibility.

"How was it?" She croaks out.

He stays in the doorway. "They made a new friend. Lucas Sinclair, oldest of Charles and Sue." He can feel the smile in her words even though he can't see her face.

"That's amazing."

"You should get some rest," he suggests. "Joyce is picking up Will in the morning."

"I don't know if I can make them breakfast," she coughs out.

Ted shrugs to himself. "We have cereal." When all he hears in return is coughs, he yells out, "Goodnight!" He sleeps comfortably downstairs, pretending like he can't hear the talking from Mike's room. He selfishly hopes he's never on Halloween duty again, even though he didn't find it totally terrible.

But in 1980, Ted has to do the same exact thing. This time, though, there is a fourth in the group—Dustin Henderson. Charles Sinclair and Ted go with the four boys, amused by their bickering. Will stays by Mike's side. No one talks about him not talking, so Ted doesn't either.

March 22, 1981

Nancy Wheeler prides herself on being a good older sister. Don't ask Mike; he'll probably lie to you. All the other fourth graders are just like him, all mischievous and cruel. Since Nancy's in sixth grade, she knows she's correct about this. She has her best friend, Barb, and she has her books. Really, she doesn't need anything else. She's never wanted many other friends, if she's being honest. At first, she wanted to have a lot of friends. But when she realized all the other girls in her class—like Allie and Carol—just wanted to talk about boys and gossip about other girls, Nancy decided she'd much rather stay with her books, thank you very much. She was confident in this methodology because Barb, her best friend, also believed in this.

If she's being totally honest, Nancy isn't completely sure how she got wrapped into helping host a birthday party for Will Byers.

Scratch that—she definitely knows, and the blame can go entirely on her little brother, per usual. It's not the birthday party that's embarrassing to her; it's the outfit she's in. Per Mike's demands, Nancy is wearing an elf costume. She doesn't know why besides that it's for their D&D game they always like to play, which, upon thinking about it, Nancy didn't even know there were elves in this game.

This isn't a normal birthday party, but the moment Nancy found out that it was Mike organizing it, she assumed it wouldn't be.

Mike may be too similar to her, for this isn't a party full of classmates and treats and music and games. This party has one game, one cake, and four little boys. That's it. The fact that Mike is calling it a birthday party is driving Nancy a little crazy, to be honest, because in her mind, a birthday party requires parents to be there at the very least. Joyce is in the kitchen with Jonathan—the quiet boy in Nancy's class—and Karen, and Will's dad is nowhere to be found.

Nancy's been historically described as nosy, so it didn't come as a surprise to her parents when she asked them where Will's dad was. Surprisingly, it was her father who answered, not her mom.

He'd only shrugged and said, "He's probably busy," and the second Nancy's eyes drifted to her mother's, she knew her parents were lying. For the sake of awkward Jonathan and Will, the birthday boy, she didn't ask anyone else.

Nancy isn't sure how to act today, though. She's just a prop in someone's birthday party, and for some odd reason, Mike didn't make the parents dress up. Jonathan is wearing a very not-Jonathan outfit, which tells Nancy that he's in the exact same boat as her. She wonders why he doesn't look as miserable as she feels, though.

The other thing she doesn't bring up at all—she's been conditioned not to—is Will's lack of words. That's the other thing that bothers her, in fact, about this entire birthday party. She has no idea how they're going to throw a party for someone who doesn't speak. She's relived every single interaction she's ever had with Will, and she can't remember him saying a single cohesive word. Sure, he hums. Sure, he inflects his tone sometimes. Sure, he makes various other mouth noises. But Nancy has never heard him say a single word, and that makes her wildly confused as to how she's supposed to have a birthday party for him.

She can't ask Mike, for he'll yell at her and get upset, and she can't ask her parents, for they'll brush her off. She settles for the only other option.

Her and Jonathan are sitting in the basement. Will and the boys—the Party, as Mike calls them—are in Mike's room, dressing up in whatever outfits they have planned.

"Do you know what they're planning?" She asks him quietly. She's barely spoken to him before. He's always quiet. Like her, his face is always in a book. She's never seen him outside of class or outside of his mother's arm's reach.

"I think Mike planned a special campaign for today. Like, D&D," Jonathan mumbles. He's staring quite intently at the wall.

"Did Will tell you that?" She asks, because she can't find any other way to ask about Will's speaking than to just go right into it.

Jonathan nods yes.

"He… He said it?"

Jonathan frowns. "In his own way, yeah."

Nancy gapes at him. "I didn't know he could speak." And judging by the look on Jonathan's face, she starts to think she shouldn't have said anything at all.

He's practically glaring at her now. "You know, people can communicate in a lot of ways. Words aren't the only way."

"I know, I know," she tries to make herself seem less mean. "It's just that Mike is super talkative, right? Like, he never shuts up. And so I always wondered if… If Will talked, too."

"He can communicate. That's what matters," Jonathan says defensively, shifting away from her. His body is practically screaming that he doesn't want to talk to her.

Nancy hates being wrong, though, and she hates when people are mad at her. "I'm not saying he can't communicate. I'm just curious." She crosses her arms, upset that he's upset with her.

"Obviously, you don't understand," Jonathan hisses—they can hear voices upstairs. "Your brother gets it. Why can't you?"

Before Nancy even has a chance to retort, the boys are stomping down the stairs, their parents following. Ted is upstairs with Holly, who turns two soon. The boys are decked out in outfits that Nancy doesn't understand. Most notably, though, is Will's outfit. He's dressed like a wizard. It's clear the most effort went into his outfit—no doubt a joint plan between Mike, her mom, and Joyce.

Her mom makes them all take photos together, spending the most time taking photos of Mike and his friends and specifically Will. Will is… Well, Nancy has never seen Will this happy. She's never seen him smile with his teeth before, now that she thinks about it. Mike's hand stays protectively on Will's back, and Dustin and Lucas stay close by. None of them are phased by Will's squeaks and hums that he does. They respond to him like real words are coming out of his mouth.

Will hums, going from a lower note to a higher one while looking at Joyce with his eyebrows raised. Nancy's confused, but Joyce doesn't seem to be.

Joyce nods at him, indicating she heard him. "Do you want cake now or later?" She asks the group of boys.

They lean in closely, debating. There's a little bickering between Mike and Lucas, which Will looks positively delighted to be witnessing, and then they settle on cake before the campaign. Nancy secretly is happy with that decision, for the sooner they finish the group activities, the sooner she can go upstairs and get out of this itchy elf costume.

Karen and Joyce go upstairs to get the cake and plates, and the boys huddle around Will at the table—their D&D stuff is next to them on the floor. For some reason, they don't light the candles, which Nancy think is weird but no one else does, and they all sing him happy birthday.

Will's wrists flap back and forth, and he's grinning. Mike and the boys are looking at him, but Nancy recognizes that face on Mike. It's pure pride. Nancy's pretty certain there are tears in his eyes, which she wants to tease him about later, but she knows her mom will yell at her if she does. Instead, she just tries to take in the moment from Mike's perspective. If it were Barb's birthday and everyone was dressed up for Barb's favorite thing, Nancy would be happy, too. She's not sure if she would cry for her, but she can tell that Mike and Will's bond isn't going away anytime soon. Neither are Dustin and Lucas' love for Will, either—clearly.

There aren't any candles to blow out, but Dustin and Lucas are given the number candles to lick the cake off. Nancy sits on the couch again, and she can see from her angle that under the table, Mike is holding Will's hand.

It's like a puzzle piece that Nancy's been missing appears in her hand. Suddenly, she understands Mike and Will's friendship. The reason she can't picture herself and Barb as them is because it's different.

Mike hates physical touch. Nancy has known this since the second Mike was began to talk. He's specifically weird about things that his hands touch, though, so he prefers people to hold onto his arms or his shoulder if they absolutely have to touch him. This, though, is of his own volition. Mike's hand is over Will's; he clearly initiated it.

Jonathan hands her a slice of cake; Nancy nods at him in thanks. She's still investigating her brother, who currently looks like he's on top of the world. He can't take his eyes off Will. It reminds Nancy of her parents' wedding photos and the way they looked at each other in them.

The adults are still talking, though, and Nancy can tell by the constant bounce of Mike's knee that he's itching to get started on his D&D game. She decides to take one for the team. Standing up, she clears her throat. Everyone looks at her.

"I'm feeling pretty tired," she lies. "I think I'm going to go upstairs and read. Maybe we should all go upstairs so they can start their game?"

Her mom and Joyce love the suggestion. Mike mouths "thank you" at her, to which Nancy just has to reply.

"Happy birthday, Will," she adds quietly before she heads up the stairs.

Will hums in response.

A few days later, Nancy finds her mom in the kitchen. She's had a question on her mind that she just can't find at the library. She's not quite sure how to word the question, which is why she decides to ask her mom. She leans on the counter, trying to figure out how to ask.

Her mom looks at her knowingly. "What is it?"

"Can… Can two boys date? Or two girls?" She asks quietly, afraid that her father will hear and get upset by the question. Her mom frowns, but she doesn't look angry, so Nancy takes that as a win.

"Why do you ask?" She says slowly.

"No reason," Nancy lies.

Her mom sets down the plate she was drying. "Nancy, do you think that you like—"

"Mom! No!" She interrupts, not even wanting her mom to say the words. Lowering her voice, she widens her eyes. "It's about Mike and Will," she says quietly.

Her mom swallows and makes a face. "They're in fourth grade," she says. "They don't need to think about things like that."

"I'm not asking to, like, report back to him or anything," Nancy quickly defends herself. "I'm just… I'm observing. It makes me wonder."

"Well, I'm glad you came to me about this and not anyone else." Her mom takes a few breaths, focusing only on their conversation. "Listen, people don't… It's not…" She struggles to find the words. "People can be like that, but the world isn't very nice to people like that."

"What do you mean, not nice?" Nancy's mind is providing possible problems that her brother will have in the future—terrible problems, the worst she can think of.

Her mom sets her hand over Nancy's. "Some people don't support it," she says quietly. "Me? I don't think it's any of my business if someone is like that. Your dad? He might think differently. People like that can't get married. They don't have a lot of protection. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Nancy nods; it makes more sense in her mind, now.

"But Nancy, you shouldn't go and talk to Mike about this. Okay? If he… If he is like that, he needs to figure it out on his own. He can come to us when he's ready, right? It's just not our place to go and bring that up to him."

"That makes sense, Mom."

Nancy continues to watch Mike and Will closely. She never brings it up to her mom again.

September 26, 1982

The first time Jonathan Byers met Mike Wheeler, he was quite apprehensive of the younger boy. Mike was loud, opinionated, and selfish, in Jonathan's humble opinion. He wanted Will to himself all the time. It used to irritate Jonathan all the time, for Will would become more excited to go sleepover at Mike's than to watch a movie with his own brother. Now, though, Jonathan almost wishes Mike was here with them.

They're in Jonathan's room. Will is putting the final touches on a new drawing, one in which he and Jonathan intend to make into reality tonight. Jonathan has The Clash playing in the background, and he's keeping his ears peeled in case he hears anything.

Jonathan is ninety-nine percent certain that his dad has left and isn't planning on coming back. He feels guilty that he doesn't feel sad about Lonnie leaving, but sad isn't the word he'd use to describe how he's feeling right now. He's furious at Lonnie, but he also is relieved that he's gone. Will doesn't have to walk around the house like he's walking on eggshells anymore. Jonathan doesn't have to hide in his room all the time anymore. Still, as much as Jonathan is relieved, he's also angry at Lonnie. He didn't think he had the capability of hating someone until this very moment. Because with Lonnie gone, his mom will have to work a hundred times harder than she already does. The circle of people supporting them has dwindled, even if it is a total asshole leaving the circle.

Jonathan is bitter about it. He keeps that to himself, though.

Right now, he's only focused on Will, who's been completely silent for the last 24 hours ever since the big fight between their parents happened. Will's never been completely silent before. But now, he hasn't made a single sound out of his mouth. Jonathan believes he must be a little cruel inside, for he wishes Mike was here right now—the boy could definitely make Will make noise again.

It's not that Jonathan needs Will to be able to make sound; they've been brothers long enough that he doesn't even need Will to hum or click his tongue against his mouth anymore. He can read his body language easily. But when Will makes noises, it shows Jonathan that he's feeling comfortable. And right now, Will isn't comfortable at all.

They've deemed their creation Castle Byers. They plan to build it in the woods behind their house. Will flicks his hands by his sides, which Jonathan knows calms him down. They drag a bunch of wood to their designated spot and begin building it just like Will designed in his drawing.

A few hours into it, it starts raining. Jonathan looks at Will silently with curiosity. Will makes the first noise he's made in over 24 hours now—he clucks. It's a sound he's been into recently since he discovered how to shape his mouth to do so. Jonathan can't help but grin at him, and they carry on. Jonathan handles the nails while Will mostly just stands there in support. After they've finished the basic structure, Will decides it's time to go home. He hums from low to high pitch and walks carefully, trying not to slip in the dirt-turned-mud.

They're sick for a few days after that.

When his mom deems them better, the two return to Castle Byers—this time with his mom—with decorations. His mom has managed to get some paint samples from work, and Will is working away on signs. They work all afternoon until they're hungry, which is when Jonathan has a genius idea, in his professional opinion, to call the Wheeler household and invite Mike over.

Mike happily bikes over within that same hour. He practically tackles Will in a hug when he sees him. Whatever jealousy Jonathan previously had against him quickly melts away, for Will pops his lips with excitement when he sees him. It's a newer noise that Will has been making. Jonathan notices that sometimes, Mike makes the sound back to him.

He especially seems to like adding it to the ends of his sentences when he talks to Will.

"This is amazing," he says, adding a popping sound at the end. "Give me a tour, Will the Wise."

Jonathan stays outside with his mom, smiling to her when he hears both boys giggling in Castle Byers.

"He's a good friend to Will," his mom says softly. She lets her head fall on his shoulder. "I wish he could be here all the time. Will is so happy with him."

"He is," Jonathan agrees. He takes a moment to really look at her, for she's been acting like everything is fine for the past week when Lonnie just left. "Are you okay, Mom?"

"What?"

"With Dad and everything. You don't have to pretend to be okay in front of me, you know."

His mom fully turns to hug him, rubbing his back. "I'm okay. I will be. I have everyone I need with me: you and Will." She sighs to herself, and after a few minutes of silence, she breaks away from him. "I need a cigarette," she mutters to herself.

Jonathan hates when she smokes, but he doesn't comment on it because she's clearly devastated and heartbroken. "I'll let the boys know," he tells her. She heads towards the house where she can smoke without Will seeing.

He pulls the cloth away from the entrance to Castle Byers, which they nailed up earlier. Will and Mike are comfortably sitting together on the blankets and pillows in there. Mike's arm is around Will, and the older boy is tucked into Mike's chest. Together, they're reading a comic. Their heads both snap up when he opens the doorway, but neither make an effort to move away.

"Mom's going back to the house. I am, too. Got some homework I need to finish." It's a lie. He really just wants to lay in bed, if he's being honest. What the boys don't know can't hurt them, though. "Are you staying out here longer?"

After glancing at Mike, Will makes two popping noises in a row with his lips. He grins brightly at Jonathan.

"Okay. Have fun." Jonathan thinks that's what he likes most about Mike—when he speaks to Will, Mike doesn't try to talk for him. And really, any friend who does that for Will can't be a bad person in Jonathan's mind, no matter how annoying he may find him.

November 6, 1983

Joyce Byers is having the worst day of her life—including if you consider the day she married Lonnie and the day she divorced him. All Joyce wants right now is just one win. It's been about a year since Lonnie left, and while it's been entirely better with him gone, Joyce has found this past year just shitty. She doesn't have a better word to describe it. No matter how many extra shifts she takes at Melvald's, her money just keeps disappearing. No matter how many times Joyce battles her tiredness to make food for her boys, she still feels like she's failing as a mother.

And now, her son is missing.

All Joyce can see right now, as she sits in the police station, is a vision of Lonnie. Several, actually. He used to tell her all the time that she needed to get Will a doctor. She never listened to him, though. Maybe if she did, she wouldn't be in this situation right now.

Will is missing, and it's a plain, known fact that he can't yell for help.

Joyce feels like her world is crumbling down around her. She wonders if this is karma, in a sense, for daring to get a divorce in Hawkins. She wonders if someone is playing a sick trick on her. She wonders how she's going to find a boy who doesn't speak.

She feels terrible about it, but she leans on Jonathan more today. She's furious at him, don't get her wrong, but their share the objective of finding Will, and they both would do anything to achieve it. She lights another cigarette in Hopper's office. She's not going home without Will.

After a few days of him missing, Joyce is convinced the universe has conspired with Hawkins against her. She knows what people are saying about her and, more importantly, about Will. She knows what the rumors are. She ignores them all, though. Even when the mortician tries to show her who they say is Will, Joyce ignores them.

The thing is that Joyce can't explain to everyone that Will has been in contact with her. She can't for several reasons, first and foremost being that everyone knows Will doesn't speak. The second reason—and probably the more pressing one depending on who you ask—is that she's speaking with Will through the lights. It makes her sound… Well, deranged. Will has never needed to speak. Joyce knows it's an unconventional way of looking at his silence, but she genuinely believes it. Even when Will isn't there, she can feel him. His presence is louder than words.

This is exactly why Joyce knows Will isn't dead, even when science and logic try to tell her otherwise. Lonnie coming back to Hawkins only convinces her even more of this.

She knows he's here for no good. She doesn't believe him for a single second when he says he's there for the funeral. But she needs someone to hold on to—to cry to—and he's right there. He nurses a glass of wine into her hands. She wonders what's more insane about this: Will being missing or Lonnie being home. But she's a few glasses in and she's feeling warm all over—despite there being a literal hole in her wall—so she's feeling sentimental and, if she's being truthful, a little confrontational.

"You never liked him," she states as she's slouched up against his shoulder. His arm is loosely around her, probably because he doesn't want to be there. Joyce rolls her eyes at the thought.

"Don't say that, Joyce," Lonnie responds. If there's one thing Lonnie was good at, it was deflecting. Joyce knew this tone all too well.

"No, no," she shifts away from him, getting all up in his face like she used to. "You never liked him. You either called him a qu—" But she's stuttering and hiccuping, so she can't get the word out. She tries again. "You either called him those names or made fun of how he can't speak."

"He can't speak!" Lonnie says, looking at her incredulously. "Or, he couldn't. He couldn't speak."

Joyce wants to punch him in the face. She grips her glass tighter. "He speaks… Just not how you want him to."

"Be serious, Joyce. Don't pick a fight with me right now. His funeral is tomorrow."

She takes a page from Will's book, in a way. She stares at him and doesn't say a word back.

When Joyce and Jim Hopper have to venture into the Upside Down through a sketchy government lab to get Will back, they don't have much trouble with directions. In fact, Will tells them where to go the entire time. Joyce has no explanation for it, but in the very not real Upside Down, street lights brighten one-by-one. The light fades when Joyce and Jim approach, and then, a new light appears ahead of them.

She can't explain to Hopper why she thinks it's Will, but she knows in her heart that it is.

They follow the lights all the way to downtown Hawkins. The light above the Hawkins Public Library lights up, and Joyce doesn't hesitate to enter. There isn't a light in the room at all—nothing else indicates he's there. That's where they find Will, though. He's in the library. He looks lifeless and almost dead, but when he gasps for breath after Jim pushes on his chest, Joyce feels like everything is going to be okay again.

At the hospital, doctors do testing on him for what seems like hours. Joyce doesn't leave his side once.

When Will wakes up, the light above him indicates it before his eyes even open. Joyce is hugging him until he starts profusely coughing, after which she retracts in concern. Her and Jonathan watch him closely.

Will wipes his lips with the back of his hand and looks up. Whatever the hospital is injecting him with is likely the only reason he's awake so early. He swallows heavily, wincing while doing so. Joyce thinks he's going to make a sound, but he doesn't. He smiles shyly and offers his hand for Jonathan to hold. He frowns at it, tracing the bandage on Jonathan's hand.

"I'm okay," his brother says quietly. "Don't worry about me."

He makes no noise beyond coughing occasionally.

"Do you want to see your friends?" Joyce eventually asks, which makes Will pop up. He nods instantly, wiggling his feet back and forth. Joyce smiles at Jonathan, indicating to go get them. She backs away from him when she hears the clatter of footsteps in the hallway.

Without hesitation, Mike is bursting into the room. He throws himself towards Will, wrapping him in a hug. His head rests on his chest. He says nothing; he just holds him.

"Byers!" Lucas yells, while Dustin is saying, "Will!"

"Be careful, be careful!" She warns them.

When they pull away, they launch into ranting about their adventures from the past week. Mike holds Will's hand the entire time, even when Will gets a coughing fit.

Joyce is able to relax a bit, now that Mike is here. She knows that the only person who would look after Will closer than her and Jonathan is him, after all.

October 30, 1984

Max Mayfield does not want to move to Hawkins, thank you very much. In fact, she'd rather join the foster system rather than start a new school in the middle of the school year. She can't understand why out of all the places in the world, her mom and stepdad chose Hawkins to move to. She never loved California, but Hawkins… Hawkins just looks dead inside.

There are no good roads to skate on here. People are way too cheerful. Everyone knows everything about each other in this town. It makes Max feel like she's living in a fake universe. Max wonders if she actually died in California and this is her Hell. She wonders is Billy is the director of Purgatory, deciding if Max should get to be happy forever or stay in Hell.

Before Max even stepped foot in this god-awful town, she decided she was going to hate it. When she arrived, she knew she had made the correct decision.

Perhaps in a cynical manner, her stepdad thought this would be best for her and Billy. Billy got in a lot of fights at his old school. He isn't an easy person to get along with; Max understands this better than anyone else. The reality is that her stepdad knew a guy here in Hawkins that could get him a job, and he convinced Max's mom that they needed a fresh start. Max needs a fresh start, but her ideal one is away from her stepdad and Billy and far, far away from Hawkins, Indiana.

Because of Billy waking up late—likely on purpose, knowing he could excuse it with the new time zone—Max arrives to school in the middle of the day. Her principal brings her into her class, which apparently is science, and Max thinks she's getting away when the Midwest niceties come to play.

Mr. Clarke makes her introduce herself. Really, Max would rather be set on fire.

"It's just Max," she tells him. She can't stand the name Maxine; it feels fake on her lips. As she walks to the back of the classroom, she feels four pairs of eyes on her. She's able to spot them right away; they're the least conspicuous people she's ever seen. She glares at them, but really, she's curious.

She spends the rest of class examining them, instead. She's never been a big fan of science or girly gossip like who has a crush on who in the class. These kids, by the looks of it, are the nerds of the class. At the very least, Max thinks, there will be entertainment value out of this.

She gathers, from overhearing girls and asking casual questions to them, that her presumption was correct. There's one name on everyone's lips, and that's Will Byers.

"He was declared dead," one girl named Jennifer tells Max. "I went to his funeral!"

He's been coined Zombie Boy by his peers, although by Max's observations, she doesn't think Will is fond of this nickname. The one boy that always sticks by him—Mike Wheeler, she learns—glares at anyone who even tries to look at Will weirdly.

The other two boys are the ones who were most obvious about their glances. She learns the main nerd is Dustin Henderson, and he has some arm thing going on that half the girls think is a disease and the other half think he's faking. The other boy is Lucas Sinclair, and Max learns quickly that people in Hawkins are very similar to California in a lot of ways. She's never heard so many kids try to indirectly insult someone for his skin tone until now, in fact. In California, they were direct about it—just ask Billy.

Her next class, to her nosy mind's delight, is a class with Will. It's an art class. Max doesn't believe she's very good at art, but she enjoys attempting to paint—keyword, attempting.

She sits down next to him and tries to act very normal. Today is just a work day, it seems, so she doesn't know what she's supposed to be working on.

"Hey," she whispers to him. "Do you know what we're supposed to be doing?"

He makes a little noise and then points at the canvas in front of them. There blueish, gray paint smeared across it. Then, he looks back at her, as if he's answered her question.

She frowns to herself. He seems to want to answer, she thinks. He must just not be able to talk right now. Maybe, he's sick or something. "Are we painting landscapes?" She asks, eyeing his painting.

He nods, his hand not holding the paintbrush giving a thumbs up.

"When is it due?" She wonders if she can get out of this assignment.

He pauses for a moment and then holds out all five of his fingers. Then, he closes it into a fist and reopens it, but this time, he only shows three fingers.

"Eight days?" She tries to fill in what he's saying.

He nods.

"Okay. Including weekends?"

He shakes his head back and forth.

"Cool. What are you painting?" She asks, trying to be nice and trying to test her theory of if he's sick or not.

He sucks on his lip for a second before pointing to the window. Then, he makes fists next to his head and rocks back and forth in a fluid motion.

Max has to squint to see what he could be referencing. When she analyzes the playground, she realizes what he means. "The swing set?"

He nods, making a popping sound with his mouth.

"That's awesome," she tells him, offering a smile. He hesitates before smiling back. There, Max thinks to herself. I made a friend.

Will Byers is the most sane one out of his friend group, Max quickly decides. She has almost all of her classes with the four boys, and while Will offers her shy smiles, the other boys just… Well, they just gape at her. Max wonders if they've ever spoken to a girl before. The boy named Dustin keeps grinning at her, the boy named Lucas gets flustered whenever she makes eye contact with him, and the boy named Mike seems outright bored.

By the time the end of the school day rolls around, Max has determined that Will must be mute, for no one seems phased by his lack of words. Everyone gossips about his alleged return back to life, instead. She doesn't get to fill the pieces in until the next day, in which she gets wrapped up into spending Halloween with the boys.

It all starts when Dustin and Lucas appear by her locker in Ghostbuster outfits. She may not be a huge science fan, but she likes her movies—they don't need to know that, though. They're the ones who invite her to spend Halloween with them tonight, and the voice in the back of Max's mind wonders if Mike would really want that. She likes Will, though, and the two boys in front of her locker seem more hyper than anything else.

She manages to surprise all of them but Will that night. He must've noticed her already, for while Dustin, Lucas, and Mike flinched and jumped at her sneaking up on them, Will only waves at her. She waves back before telling them the best houses she overheard from the girls. Mike practically fumes at her; she ignores him. She focuses on the two boys at her side, instead.

"So, you don't live around here, but your parents let you come all by yourself?" Lucas asks her.

"My mom's up the block trying to make friends." Max rolls her eyes to herself. Her mom definitely needs friends, but she's not quite sure that the mothers in Hawkins, nowhere, Indiana will be a good match. She's hopeful, though. Someone in her family has to be, and it's certainly not going to be Billy or her stepdad.

They get candy from the house and realize that Mike is on the street, calling Will's name.

"Will! Where are you?" He's holding Will's video camera loosely as he frantically rushes past people.

Max watches Dustin and Lucas' eyes meet, filling with worry.

"You okay?" Dustin asks Mike.

Mike turns to them. "I can't find him," he trembles. Max thinks he's close to crying, but before she can really look, he's running off to look in another place.

"Okay, okay. Let's look," Lucas instructs, beckoning Max to follow him. She does, mind reeling with confusion and worry for Will.

It's Mike who finds Will. He's curled into his knees on the side of a random house, sitting on the brick trail that leads to the backyard. He's shaking, and he can't stop the tears from falling down his face. Mike throws his arms around him instantly, helping him up.

"Are you okay?" Mike asks him, eyes scanning him to check. "I couldn't find you. Are you hurt?"

Will only whimpers, collapsing into Mike's side. Mike is quick to hold him, but the second Lucas and Dustin step in to help, he's swatting their hands away.

"I've got him. Keep trick or treating. I'm bored, anyways," Mike tells them, practically glowering at Max. "I'm going to get you home," he says to Will in a much softer voice.

Max hears him repeat this several times as he leads Will up the stairs towards the street. She faces Dustin and Lucas, unsure of what to do next.

"Is he okay?" She asks. But Dustin and Lucas share a look, as if they know something that she doesn't.

"He'll be okay," Lucas tells her, but he's clearly lying, for he suddenly can't keep eye contact with her.

Dustin clears his throat like he's trying to ignore what just happened. "Should we keep going?"

She can only stare at the two, befuddled. She follows them in silence, trying to decipher what just happened with Will. He looked terrified, almost as if he had just seen a monster. Max doesn't believe in monsters—she's too old for that—but she reckons Will's state has something to do with how he got his nickname.

She tries to investigate it with the boys later, when they seem more relaxed and energetic. "Has Will ever spoken?" She asks them, trying to sound as casual as possible. She doesn't mean it to come out as bluntly as it does, for she's just curious. But the way Lucas and Dustin freeze in their steps and stare at her tells her she may have made a mistake.

"He was just scared back there," Dustin immediately jumps to the defense, a frown forming on his face.

"No, no. I know," Max tries. "I just… I have art class with him, and he seems like a really sweet guy. I'm just wondering if he's… Okay."

Lucas softens at her words a bit. He seems to choose his words carefully. "He doesn't talk like we do, but he's still able to… You know, communicate. He's really smart and sweet. The thing earlier…" He trails off, eyes pleading for Dustin to help.

Max is so confused by this group's dynamics.

"He must've seen something that sent him into an episode," Dustin fills in. "He has episodes like that sometimes. It's a trauma response."

"That makes sense to me." Max worries she's made it awkward, now, for both boys look considerably less excited about Halloween than they were five minutes ago. "It's good that he has you guys as friends. And Mike… Although, he does seem really overprotective of Will." That cracks a smile out of the boys.

"He's always been like that," Dustin agrees.

"Honestly, the way that Mike can just read Will's mind is kind of impressive," Lucas adds.

Max doesn't bring it up to them again that night, but she does make a mental note to ask Lucas about Will's nickname next week. She thinks that there's something going on between Mike and Will that may just be a little closer than friends, but she doesn't dare talk about it with anyone here in Hawkins. If her assumptions are correct, no one would ever be okay with that in this town. After all, not many people in California were okay with it, either.

December 15, 1984

It's the night of the Snow Ball Dance, and Dustin Henderson feels like he's on top of the world. Steve is driving him to Hawkins Middle School, his hair is looking snazzier than it ever has, and the Party—the full Party, he means—will be there. Really, he couldn't ask for a more perfect night.

After over a month of accidentally raising a demogorgon, El saving their asses at the best possible moment, and the gate finally being closed, Dustin is ready for life to be good again. Will is back, finally feeling rejuvenated and void of weird shadow monsters. Max is in the Party, and even though Dustin convinced himself he wanted to have a crush on her, he finds her and Lucas' obvious crushes on each other to be endearing.

He meets the Party inside the gym, where Mike, Will, and Lucas are standing by a table.

"Holy shit," Mike says to him. "What happened to you?"

Dustin blinks. "What do you mean?"

"Your hair!" Lucas pokes at it. "It's like a bird's nest."

Will makes a chirp noise and smiles at him. Dustin swats Lucas' hand away; he's not sure why they're poking fun at his hair. He's endured a month of Lucas crushing on Max and, more importantly, Will going through Hell and back. He rolls his eyes at them and straightens his shoulders.

"1985 is going to be a good year," he tells them—because it's going to be, he's decided. "Wait. Where are El and Max?"

Lucas shrugs. "They're in the bathroom. I don't know why."

"Girls," Mike says dejectedly.

Dustin locks eyes with Lucas; they don't need words to communicate what they're thinking. Lucas widens his eyes, as if he's saying, "I thought Mike had a crush on El." Dustin shrugs, as if responding, "She's just a girl." Dustin isn't trying to diss El at all; she's pretty great, after all.

She was the first girl he ever became friends with. She saved Mike. She saved everyone. And while Lucas teased Mike about having a little crush on her—which he vehemently denied—Dustin couldn't wrap his head around why having a crush on her was important. He debated crushing on her, too, then. It seemed like the appropriate thing to do. But when El disappeared with the demogorgon, Dustin decided he was never deciding to have a crush on someone else again.

So really, he should've predicted Lucas would be next in line to get a crush when he started stuttering around Max more.

Dustin often overheard the girls in his class talking about their crushes. Since he was a nerd, they practically thought he was invisible, which meant he learned all their secrets. Secret 1: Jennifer Hayes has a massive crush on Will. Secret 2: Stacie Smith is crushing hard on a high schooler—an ethical debate between her and her friends. Secret 3: Some kids actually believe Will is a zombie. Some believe that he'll start speaking now that he's back from the dead. Some believe he stopped speaking because he's a zombie.

Dustin doesn't need to listen to the girls any longer to know that they're just saying a bunch of bullshit. It doesn't matter to him, anyways. The people who matter know the truth of what happened last year. As long as the Party stays by Will's side, nothing bad will happen to him. Besides, Jennifer Hayes is more often staring at Mike than Will—so Dustin is pretty certain their sources are incorrect or lying to them.

He returns to the present moment, examining Stacie and her friends from across the gym. They look pretty, he thinks. But he doesn't feel any sort of fluttery feeling in his chest. Max and El return from the bathroom, gushing secrets to each other and linking arms. It almost reminds Dustin of Will and Mike—but the more platonic version of them. Dustin doesn't dare think about what that would mean if he looked into it further.

"Hey, Ellie," he greets. When she got formally adopted by Hopper—thanks to whatever government tricks the lab was pulling—she chose the name Ellie as her birth name. She'd spent days in deliberation with Max and the Party, debating between a name similar to El or going by Jane. She told them Jane felt unnatural on her tongue. Dustin thinks he understands what she meant.

To his delight, El pokes her tongue out at him and says hi back. And really, Dustin doesn't want to have a crush on anyone, especially not a stranger, but if he had to pick any girl in the school to have a crush on right now, it'd be El. He wouldn't do that, though. She needs friends right now, not a boyfriend. Besides, Steve told Dustin that it's not worth to chase girls until high school, anyways.

"I like your hair," he tells her. Her hair is curly with her forehead being revealed with butterfly clips; Dustin thinks that's the coolest part of her entire outfit.

Next to them, Lucas is having a terrible attempt at asking Max to dance with him. She either reciprocates his feelings or feels bad for him, Dustin theorizes. They look good together, though.

Dustin wonders if Mike is going to ask El to dance. He looks pretty bored but is keeping a close eye on Will, who is shifting on the balls of his feet. He seems unsure of if he wants to keep standing, sit down, or dance. El, on the other hand, looks like she doesn't know what she's supposed to be doing with herself now that Max isn't here. Then, Dustin may just have the best idea he's ever had.

"Do you want to dance?" He asks El.

She blinks, confused. "I don't know how."

"I have an idea," he assures her. Then, he looks at the two boys. "Want to come with?" Will's eyebrows shoot up in interest. Mike agrees likely only because Will did, but Dustin will take whatever works. Making sure no teachers see them, he sneaks them into the hallway. They follow him all the way until he reaches their destination—

"The A/V room?" El asks, stepping in curiously.

Dustin grins. "Here, no one will be able to judge us for not knowing how to dance." He glances at Mike and Will, trying not to be obvious about what he's trying to convey. Judging by the flush that appears on Mike's cheeks, he think the hint has come across. He dials the radio to WSQK, the local radio station.

"I'm not the biggest fan of what they play," he says, holding his hand out to El. "But we can make it work, if you want." El accepts without hesitation. Dustin is focused on El, but out the corner of his eye, he sees Mike's hand slip into Will's. Mike is whispering in his ear, and a few seconds later, Mike's hands are snaked around his waist. Dustin feels on top of the world. His plan succeeded.

He thinks El is beautiful like this. She doesn't have the weight of the world on her shoulders. No one is trying to hunt her down. She's relaxing into the music, and there's a shy smile on her face. And really, Dustin isn't trying to make a move on her—ignore whatever Steve may think. He wants to show her that living can be fun, that it doesn't need to be about being a superhero or crushes. Here, in this room, she's just another nerdy loser like the rest of the Party—minus Max, because Dustin would never categorize her as a loser—and she's just learning how to dance, just like everyone else at this stupid school dance.

After the song finishes and goes into another slow song, El steps closer and rests her head on Dustin's shoulder. She sighs, fully comfortable, and closes her eyes. Dustin pats her back, trying to show his support. Next to him, he makes full eye contact with Mike. Mike, well…

Mike looks like he's positively going to explode. Will's hands are wrapped around his neck, and his head lays in the crook of his neck. Mike's hugging Will tightly, swaying back and forth on beat, but his face reveals everything he's feeling. It's totally red. If Dustin didn't find this sweet, he would make fun of Mike for it later. Instead, he wags his eyebrows at Mike, earning a middle finger back. And when Dustin dances so that his back is to Will's, he hears it. Will is humming along to the music—humming so quietly that barely anyone can hear except Mike.

Dustin knows what he has to do. He pulls away from El, holding her shoulder gently. Without saying anything, he nods his head towards Mike's back, which is now facing them. El's face turns into one of understanding. Hand-in-hand, they sneak out of the room together. The boys definitely heard the door close, but Dustin doesn't care. What matters is that they're alone, and now, Will doesn't have to hum quietly anymore.

They join Max and Lucas on the dance floor.

"Where were you?" Max asks, while at the same time, Lucas asks, "Where are Mike and Will?"

"They are—" El starts, but Dustin cuts her off.

"I think they're in the bathroom. Not feeling well," he says obnoxiously loudly, and then he makes a face at the Party.

"Oh," El adds. "Yeah. The bathroom." And she nods like that's what she planned on saying the entire time.

Max and Lucas obviously don't believe them, but they don't confront them further about it. Instead, they all jump and dance together to the music. It's a little cheesy, Dustin thinks, but it's special because they're together. When the next slow song plays, Dustin and El don't hesitate to join hands.

She's more comfortable speaking when she knows a lot of people can't hear her. "Mike and Will," she quietly tells him. "Are they… Boyfriends?"

Dustin smiles at her. "Not yet. I think they may be in the future."

"Like Max and Lucas."

"Yeah." He feels like he's supposed add something about them as a duo, but he'd be a bad friend if he didn't warn El about the people in Hawkins. "Listen, if Mike and Will do date, we can't tell anyone."

"Why not?"

"Some people don't think boys should be able to like other boys. Or that girls should be able to like other girls."

El frowns, eyes darting at the other pairs around them. "But they're okay with boys and girls?"

"Yeah."

"That's weird," she says bluntly. "They looked so happy." Dustin doesn't have to ask who she's talking about; he knows she means the two boys who are blushing messes in the A/V room.

He's thinking about changing the topic, as he's worried that lingering on the topic of boyfriends and girlfriends may make El think that he wants them to date. And maybe if she asked him in four years, he'd have a different answer, but today, he knows he doesn't want a girlfriend.

"I don't think…" El begins, but she stops herself. She glances nervously into his eyes.

He quickly squeezes her shoulder. "You can tell me."

"I don't think I want a boyfriend or a girlfriend," she tells him. "I like having friends. It's nice having friends."

"Friendships are underrated," he agrees. "We can be single together."

"Best friends?" She asks, eyes full of hope.

He grins. "Best friends."

Later that night, the Party meets outside before heading to their respective cars. El's arm is linked with Dustin's, Max and Lucas are holding hands, and Mike and Will are both blushing like crazy. Dustin does his best to not tease them, especially when Will looks more alive than he has in months.

"Are you feeling better?" Max asks with a shit-eating grin.

Dustin cuts in before a very flustered Mike can answer. "You know, you were feeling sick from dinner." He makes a face.

Mike coughs and clears his throat, rubbing his chest nervously. "Oh! Yeah. I'm feeling a lot better. Will really… Uh, he was super nice for staying with me through the dance. Um… Did you guys have fun?" He seems desperate to change the conversation, so Dustin gives him a pass.

"It was great," Lucas says.

"I like having friends," El agrees.

Max pulls her into a side hug, and from their everyone already being tangled together in duos, it quickly turns into a group hug.

Dustin was right. 1985 is going to be their year.

July 4, 1985

Lucas Sinclair always knew there was something fishy about the Fourth of July. Really, all his white neighbors were way too into it. If you'd told Lucas from six months ago that he'd be spending the holiday helping fight a weird fleshy, smelly monster, he'd probably laugh in your face.

He really believed the gate was closed. They all did.

They had almost half a summer of peace in Hawkins that year. Lucas almost feels like he took it for granted. Because in between going to the movies with Max, playing D&D with the Party, and teaching himself basketball in his boredom, he doesn't feel like he savored enough time with everyone around him. They have to be careful whenever it's the full Party. Typically, they all bike to Hopper's cabin to see El, where they'll explore the woods together or watch bad movies.

Lucas' favorite thing to do is to go to the movies with Max, though. For a few weeks, when Dustin was gone at summer camp, Lucas and Max would go to the movies at least twice a week. Usually, Will and Mike would join them.

After the Snow Ball, everyone knew something was different between the two. But Lucas couldn't get it out of Mike no matter how much he nagged, and when Max tried to ask Will during art class, he apparently just made popping noises and happily rocked back and forth in his seat. Max and Lucas try not to meddle as much as they can, but they really just want to know what's going on. It's summer, and they're bored. Sue them.

But on the Fourth of July, everything goes to shit. To Lucas' dismay, Max's brother Billy is flayed. He's basically the main human of the entire group—an entire group that's trying to kill El, mind you.

The Party is on their way to Starcourt Mall with Nancy and Jonathan to pick up Dustin. Dustin's been practically M.I.A. for the last few days, which annoys Lucas endlessly, because he could really use some back up in assuring Max that everything is going to be okay. Mike and Max are practically holding El up as they enter the building. It's cleared out—which is highly unusual, Lucas thinks—and he's not sure where everyone would be. There are no more movies scheduled for today.

Lucas and Will enter behind everyone, looking for any signs of life at all.

"You okay?" He asks Will. He's been anxious, lately. He's barely been making any noise. He barely even initiates contact with Mike these days, Lucas has noticed.

Will nods, but his small smile doesn't reach his eyes. He's stoic, barely showing emotion.

Lucas wishes he could peak inside Will's brain right now. He would never wish for Will to be able to talk—that'd be pretty shitty of him to wish for, he thinks—but he doesn't know how to help the other boy right now. Mike is usually doting on his every move, and right now, Mike is focused on making sure El is okay. It makes sense—a Party member requires assistance—but Lucas wonders if Will feels jealous right now. The Mind Flayer, the name they coined for this monster, has been terrible to both Will and El. Lucas can't even compare who it hurt more, for they both were affected in different ways. Right now, Mike and Max are El's main supports. Lucas wonders how he can support Will.

He offers his hand to Will—something he sees Mike do often without hesitation. Will frowns at him, as if asking what he's doing.

Lucas shrugs, offering a smile. "It can't get to you again. In case you need a reminder that you're still here—in real life—with us, you can squeeze my hand." Whenever Max gets anxious, she likes to hold Lucas' hand. She tells him it grounds her, that it reminds her of what's important. He only wonders if Will would feel the same way.

To his surprise, Will's face practically crumbles into devastation. There are tears in his eyes, and he lets the stress show on his face. Hesitating only a little, he takes Lucas' hand. As they take more steps into the mall, he squeezes tighter.

Up ahead of them, the Party is looking anxiously below them. Lucas and Will join them in the back, seeing what they're looking at. But before Lucas can even process who these men in black clothes are, El is launching a car at them. He can't deny, that was one of the coolest things she's ever done, second to flipping a van over their heads.

Behind the counter pops up Dustin, Steve, his coworker Robin, and… Erica? This can't be right, Lucas thinks. He has no idea why she would be here. The group rushes down to greet them, Max and Mike keeping their arms around El and Lucas keeping his grip around Will's hand tight.

"Lucas?" Erica is staring at him, hands on her hips.

"Erica?" He eyes her up. She looks sweaty, tired, and confused. It's so unlike her usual self. "What are you doing here?"

"It's our fault," Steve chimes in, and that's when Lucas notices how beat up his face is.

"Yep, you can blame us," Robin agrees. Lucas likes Robin; she's nice and lets the Party sneak into the movies even when Steve isn't there.

They continue talking—apparently there are Russians in Hawkins trying to open the gate—when Lucas notices that Mike is glaring at him. Lucas frowns at him, trying to figure out why. They're helping El get this nasty flesh particle out of her leg; everyone is helping. Lucas isn't sure why he's getting glowered at out of everyone in the group. But when he glances back at Mike again, he realizes the boy is staring daggers into Lucas and Will's intertwined hands, and Lucas has to resist laughing in his face. It's not the time or place to laugh at such a stupid thing for Mike to be jealous over, but Lucas has to find the entertainment value in this situation somehow.

He shifts so that he's whispering into Will's ear, his back to everyone else. "Mike is totally jealous right now," he tells him.

Will doesn't make a noise back, only stares at him in confusion, but he squeezes Lucas' hand three times in a row. Lucas takes this as a good sign; he thinks Will likes Mike being jealous, too. But Will's hand is getting a bit clammy, and Lucas can't lie that it's bothering him. They sit down next to everyone on the floor, where Jonathan is off running to find who knows what, and Lucas unlocks his hand from Will's. He replaces it by wrapping his arm around the boy's shoulder, though. He pulls Will into his side, letting his head flop against his.

"It's okay," he says quietly to him. "I've got you." In retrospect, it makes sense why Will seems so off. He's just seen a different form of the monster who possessed him not even a year ago. The possession was something Lucas couldn't even imagine himself in; he never would fully understand what Will went through. It wasn't Will's fault that he couldn't understand—and it certainly wasn't Will's silence's fault, either—but Lucas thinks that Will needs just as much support as El and Max do right now, too.

When Jonathan comes back with a knife in his hand, Will ducks his head into Lucas' shoulder to avoid looking at all. His hands cover his ears. Lucas watches as Mike, who is currently propping El up with Max, examines Will from a few feet over with worry. He's practically radiating his worry, but he bites his cheek and looks down at El, as if he's trying to focus himself. Lucas can only sigh to himself; leave it to his best friend to not be able to navigate his crush on Will and his friendship with El at the same time. Instead, he holds Will closer and the next time Mike glances over, he tries to give him a facial expression that tells him it's okay.

Mike doesn't look convinced. Lucas can only shrug it off as something to worry about later. Will rocks back and forth, jamming his fingers into his ears to try to get El's screams out of his head. When El flings the thing out of her leg and Hopper steps on it, both Lucas and Will relax. Will uncovers his ears, scrambling to go to his mom. His mom hugs him tightly, even though he doesn't hug back. El collapses into Hopper's arms.

Lucas examines Mike with his spare minute. Mike is standing like he doesn't know what to do with his body—it's rigid, and he's slouched forward like he can't decide if he wants to sit down or start crying. He looks tired, but his eyes are locked on Will. In fact, Lucas wonders if Mike has even blinked in the time that Will has been by his mom. He gives in to what he wants to do; he stands by Mike.

Mike doesn't even look at him, eyes still glued on Will. "You're awfully touchy with him," he says quietly, not even bothering to hide the snark behind it.

Lucas scoffs. "I was just helping a friend," he enunciates just as quietly. If they're going to have an argument right now, they're sure as hell not having everyone else involved in it.

"You are aware you have a girlfriend," Mike spats, locking eyes with Lucas. He wants confrontation. He wants a fight.

Lucas can only blink slowly at him. "I do. I also have friends. You can have both, you know." He doesn't hide his annoyance seeping into his voice, either.

Mike tugs Lucas' arm to the corner of the GAP, increasing the distance between them and the rest of the group. "Are you trying to say I should've just dropped El? She barely had any energy," he hisses.

Lucas isn't certain what they're really arguing about at this point. Mike is mad at him for helping Will, but he wasn't able to help him himself in that moment. That's not my problem, Lucas thinks. He tries to spell it out very plainly for Mike. "I am saying that we were both helping our friends. This isn't a competition."

"Why were you giving me looks then?" Mike asks, pulling on his hair.

"What?"

"You kept, like, glaring at me. And then you whispered in Will's ear right after." Mike begins pacing in a small line, back and forth. "Were you not glaring at me?"

"Dude. I was just looking at you," Lucas tells him. If anything, he was grimacing at El's discomfort. He has fun messing with Mike, but there wouldn't be any gratification in messing with him like that.

"You were?" Mike looks genuinely shocked.

"What did you think I was trying to convey?"

Mike flails his hands around, but he takes a few seconds to find his words. "I thought you were calling me a bad… A bad friend for not being the one holding Will's hand. For not looking out for him." He sheepishly avoids eye contact with Lucas, looking more and more nervous as his words tumble out. "It's hard for me to balance it. I know that affection works well with him, but El was basically falling onto me and Max, and I didn't know what else to do. I was so focused on El that it took me a second to even realize—"

"Hey. You can breathe," Lucas reminds him. Mike inhales sharply. Lucas nods along as he does this, trying to hold his hands out to show deep breathing. Mike's hands don't touch his, but he mirrors Lucas' hands. They breathe together.

"I don't know why I can't do anything right," Mike mumbles when he's a little calmer.

"I don't know what you mean. What haven't you done right?"

"I wasn't checking on Will. I was so wrapped up in El that I could only see her with that thing in her leg." Mike looks like he wants to cry.

"Will can ask for help when he needs it," Lucas reminds him. "He survived the Upside Down. He survived being possessed." He speaks quietly and slowly. "He's a fighter. If he's struggling, he can advocate for himself. I know he likes when you check on him, but you're not the sole person responsible for making sure he's okay. That's the Party. We help each other."

"He shouldn't have to ask," Mike tries, voice cracking.

Lucas takes a deep breath for his own sanity. "You aren't his parent, Mike. You're his… Mike. You can live your life while being friends with him, you know."

"Is that how you and Max do it?" The boy asks weakly.

"We need space from each other sometimes, if that's what you mean. She hates D&D still, and I don't care when she talks about her celebrity gossip. We still care about each other, though. We still hang out, like, all the time and talk about serious stuff." He tries to think of a line that can stick with Mike. "It just doesn't have to be serious all of the time. Does that make sense?"

Mike nods.

Sometimes, Lucas is reminded of the young boy he met on Halloween whose eyes lit up when he saw Lucas' costume. That young Mike was so energetic, but he also was constantly worrying. He verbalized every single worry to Lucas, too. It was usually about Will and sometimes about his campaigns. As they got older, he stopped saying all of his worries out loud. Lucas still could tell when he had the worries, though, for Mike would almost go in a trance when he thought too deeply about it.

Mike tries so hard to take care of Will that he forgets about himself, Lucas thinks. His tunnel vision forgets he's a part of real life at all. Lucas—along with the Party—are his best friends, though. He can be the one to remind Mike that it's okay to be vulnerable and scared without feeling like he has to put on a brave face.

His hope for his friends is that someday, Mike will be able to just be with Will without feeling so worried all the time. He hopes that someday, Will won't even think about the Mind Flayer or the Upside Down or anything. He hopes that the Party can replace Will's bad memories with some good ones, and he's certain that the key to achieving this mission is for Mike to relax a bit.

They have a long night ahead of them. With a nod, Lucas joins Will at a table and Mike approaches El, who is staring at a Coke can.

The Fourth of July ends in a mall fire, being wrangled into the back of ambulances, and an awful amount of crying. Lucas has one arm around Erica and the other tightly holding Max, who stopped crying about five minutes ago. She's become void of emotions; she stares at the ground, looking lifeless. The tear stains on her cheeks are the only reminder of her screams from the mall—screams that Lucas can never get out of his head now, thank you very much. He understands her, though. If Erica died in front of him, he'd lose his shit—even if they aren't super close.

Across from him in another ambulance, Mrs. Wheeler is doting over Mike and Nancy, who both look a little dazed and very exhausted. To his right, Mrs. Byers has Will in a tight grasp. She only releases him when she sees El wandering around, limping, looking for Hopper. The look on Mrs. Byers' face reveals it all to Lucas; his heart drops.

"Mike," he calls out. Erica looks at him with annoyance; Max doesn't move at all.

Mike frowns but comes over, no doubt assuring his mother that he is okay to walk.

Lucas nods towards Will. "Can you have him sleep over at your house? It's, uh… El is going to need Mrs. Byers, I think."

Mike surveys the situation, and when he sees El collapse into Mrs. Byers' arms, understanding dawns over him. He nods determinedly to Lucas and rushes over to Will immediately, wrapping his arm around the boy's shoulder. Dustin, on the other hand, is joining Mrs. Byers in comforting El. This is only further confirmation to Lucas that his theory is correct.

Shit, he thinks. What will happen to El now? She only just got a legal guardian, and now, he's gone. Maybe, one of their parents could take her in. His parents would never allow that; they have enough on their plates with Erica right now. Dustin's mom would get too overwhelmed by it, and there's no doubt that El would find Mrs. Henderson to be a bit overbearing. Lucas isn't sure that Mrs. Wheeler would let her stay, either. But when his gaze returns to Mrs. Byers, he has a feeling he knows who will take care of El.

She'll have the Party, too. As long as the Party sticks by her side, she'll be okay, Lucas believes.

September 3, 1985

Ellie Hopper isn't exactly sure how she should feel about the first day of school. She isn't quite sure how she should feel about anything these days, actually. It's her first day of school ever, and she's somehow joining the freshman class at Hawkins High School. She supposes that this is Hopper or Dr. Owens' fault in some way for crafting her birth certificate.

She's happy that she'll be with the rest of the Party for it, though. The idea of her going to a new school all alone makes her want to run away forever; this way, she at least has her best friends by her side. She's in her new bedroom of her brand new house, which still feels a little fake to her. It feels like a scene from the television shows her and Hopper used to watch. It doesn't feel like real life.

After the Fourth of July, Owens and his government friends moved the Byers into a different house. This, according to Joyce, was partially so that El would have her own space and mostly so that the family would have incentive to shut up about everything they've seen in this town. El understands why Will and Joyce wouldn't want to live in their old house anymore. It's weird, though, living in town. Her neighbors aren't trees anymore. They're actual people.

El supposes that this is supposed to be her chance at a normal life, even though she feels more helpless and restless than she ever has before. Her powers are gone, and even though Dustin and Mike keep telling her that they'll come back with time, she has the sinking feeling that they won't. Now, she has to be a normal girl attending a normal school. She can't tell anyone about everything she's seen in her life. If people ask her about her childhood, she's been instructed to lie and say that she lived in the cities with Hopper's ex-wife who didn't want to take care of her last summer.

She can't tell anyone that she grew up only mere minutes outside of Hawkins in the lab that's been shut down for years, now. It even got fenced off for good measure after the previous events of the summer. She's just Ellie Hopper now, a normal girl who lives a normal life. To her new classmates, the only trauma she has is her mother abandoning her and Hopper dying. Otherwise, El seems like a totally normal girl to everyone.

Before the school year began, she spent most of her time with Max, both comforting the other girl as she moved into her new home at the trailer park and trying to find some fun by reading comics together. Max was just devastatingly sad. El understood; she was, too. Billy died as a bully who slept around and smoked too many cigarettes. Hopper died as a hot-headed cop who was angry or drunk most of the time. Max and El bonded not over the deaths but also the gossip that Hawkins residents would inevitably spread about them.

On the first day of high school, Jonathan drives Will and El to school. Will has been pretty silent, which El can't blame him for because she understands the nervousness, and Jonathan has been high. He's been high practically all summer since July 4th. His concussion gave him a hefty dose of pain medications, and once Jonathan realized that he feels better on them, he started searching for ways to feel that sort of relief again. Jonathan told El that he feels pain all the time in his head and neck, now. It never goes away.

She understands. Her grief is the same way.

They meet the rest of the Party by the bike racks. Max arrives from the bus, and she slides next to El and stares at the ground. She's broken up with Lucas again, even though they're both still friends. Mike didn't understand why she broke up with him, but El does. Right now, Max doesn't need a boyfriend. She just needs support right now. It's similar to how El finds support in the Byers family, now, in a way.

Mike naturally falls in place next to Will's side as they enter the school. El links arms with Dustin and Max. She notices Lucas looks sadder than he usually does; he has eye bags, and he keeps glancing at Max nervously. El thinks that they'll get back together eventually, but right now, Max needs to grieve her brother. It's similar to how El is grieving Hopper. They've spent hours talking about Billy and Hopper to each other during sleep overs. It's the only thing that makes Max's eyes light up, it seems.

The Party has less classes together now that they're in high school, but they vow to still eat lunch together every day and meet at the front of the school every morning and after every school day. It's a routine El appreciates; she likes knowing where she has to be.

She feels like a fraud walking around Hawkins High School. She's never been in this building before, and she can't help but feel like everyone is looking at her weirdly. She gets it; she's the outsider in their normal world. It's probably how Max felt when she moved here. El doesn't like walking around by herself; she fears that someone will try to attack her or claim that she's a monster. She knows she's different. She knows people don't know her. But she doesn't have her powers now, so El believes she must do whatever she can to fit in.

Her first class is with Will, Lucas, and Dustin. She sits next to Dustin and behind Will. As other students come in, she tries to smile at them. She even tries to say hello to one, but the girl with pinned-up hair only frowns at her.

"Don't worry," Dustin tells her, whispering across the aisle. "Stacie's always like that."

El likes Dustin. He always notices when El is feeling uncomfortable, and he never fails to make her smile. El thinks that she wouldn't survive school if it weren't for Max and Dustin.

It doesn't take El more than two classes to learn that she's utterly behind in all of her classes. She tries not to blame herself; she didn't know any of this. She wasn't taught any of this. But without her powers, she feels like she can't even use Dr. Brenner as her excuse for not knowing the basics of math and grammar. She's just Ellie, coined El by Mike.

Joyce tells her that it will just take time to adapt, but El wonders how long this process will take. She's glad she's not doing this alone, but she still feels out of place even within the Party, sometimes. It's like when Lucas tried to explain an English assignment, only to realize that El had never been taught what dependent clauses are. Each Party member vows to try their best to fill El in on gaps that she is less knowledgeable about. Dustin says he'll help with science and history, Mike with English, Lucas with math, and Max and Will with art. She can't help but feel like a burden, though.

El likes having Will as a brother, she's decided. Jonathan is nice, too, but Will seems to understand how out of place El feels. She's caught onto his communication styles quickly. When he knocks his knee against hers when she sits down, it's him saying hello. When he makes popping noises with his lips, he's usually excited. When he hums, he's usually trying to convey his feelings or his tone.

El and him practically share a closet at this point, much to Max's personal dismay. El wonders what it would be like to go inside Will's mind. She wonders if he has a physical voice there. She's curious what he thinks during the day, especially if he ever gets the urge to speak but can't. It reminds her of her birth mother, sometimes—of Terry Ives. She misses her mother, especially what could've been had their situation worked out differently. She wonders if she could communicate like Will does.

They do their homework together after school typically. She'll do craft projects while he paints. She doesn't know if Will also likes having a sister, but based on his shy smiles at her, she thinks he isn't annoyed by her, at the very least.

By the time lunch rolls around, El is exhausted. She doesn't want to be at school anymore, and the dread that this is what she has to do every day now makes her feel queasy. She collapses onto the bench at a table where Mike, Will, and Lucas are already seated. She examines her lunch; it looks bland, and she's not excited about eating it.

Lucas, to her left, nudges her. "How are you doing?"

"I'm okay," she tells him. "School sucks."

Will hums in agreement.

Mike makes a face. "Yeah."

Dustin sits down next to Mike, and Max appears on the other side of El. El instantly feels better to have everyone by her side.

"We do this every day?" She asks, hoping it's just a prank on her. To her dismay, though, everyone looks just as disappointed as her.

"Unfortunately," Dustin admits. He gives her a smile, though. "Once you get used to it, it won't be so bad." Next to him, Mike is silently moving his peas onto Will's tray. Will doesn't look surprised, though. In fact, no one does.

Will hums in the direction of no one, gesturing to a boy from a nearby table. The boy has long, brown hair and is talking loudly. El thinks he looks pretty cool; his style is different than everyone else here. He has a bunch of rings on, and his shirt says Hellfire. The Party examines him, too.

"Who's that?" Dustin wonders aloud.

"Eddie Munson," Max responds. "He lives near me. He runs the D&D club."

El watches Mike and Will look at each other, smiles forming. El doesn't understand D&D, even though Mike and Dustin have tried to explain it to her three separate times. Luckily, Max feels the same way.

"Should we talk to him?" Lucas asks.

Mike bites his cheek, thinking. "We could stop by after school?"

The boys agree, and Max rests her head on El's shoulder. Silently, El puts her hand on Max's under the table. One squeeze: are you okay?

"Yeah," Max whispers. "A few girls just tried to talk to me." About Billy, she's saying without words.

El hums into Max's head—something that Will does to her when she's feeling sad about Hopper. Then, she says quietly back to her, "Do you want to come over after school?"

Max squeezes her hand twice. She's made comments about how she doesn't like her trailer; her mom is always drinking, and whenever El has visited, it stinks like cigarettes. She feels bad for being relocated into a bigger house while Max had to get rid of half of her belongings. When she tried to mention this to Joyce, though, Joyce told her that both were situations El couldn't control. El believes she can still alleviate some of the sadness Max feels, which is why she wants to spend every minute with her when she can.

"Will," El gets his attention. "Max is coming over tonight. Do you think Joyce can drive her home?"

Max mutters so only she can hear, "You don't have to."

Will thinks for a second and then hums from a low to high note, adding a cluck at the end. It's been a recent favorite of his since the summer, when they used to walk around the woods by Hopper's cabin and look at birds. Mike looks at him with such love in his eyes, El thinks to herself. She still doesn't quite understand why people don't like gay people—a term Max taught her—because they're just trying to be happy.

El's learning there's a lot she doesn't understand about this world, though. The lab kept her in a little bubble, leaving her and the other children with little to no interaction besides with Brenner.

The Party leaves the cafeteria together, even though they have to split up again for class. El thinks that this is what makes school worth it, though—having her friends around her.

April 7, 1987

It's Mike's 16th birthday, and Will Byers has been planning a surprise for him since the weekend. Unfortunately for Mike, Will thinks, his birthday lands on a Tuesday. Because of this, his plans have to begin after school. Secretly, Will has two surprises for Mike. Mike doesn't need to know that, though.

A lot of Will's classmates think that since he doesn't speak verbally, he doesn't have any thoughts in his brain at all. Many of them use the name Zombie Boy to insinuate that Will's brain is mush in addition to the fact that he "came back from the dead." He doesn't think his peers realize that Will can still hear them when they talk about him. He can still understand what their snide remarks mean in the hallway.

El helped him with most of the big planning, as it required a lot of plotting schedules with the other Party members. It mostly required convincing El, who then convinced Max, to sit through a single D&D campaign for the night. El agreed only because it was Will who was asking. Max agreed half because El agreed and half because Lucas convinced her.

To everyone's delight, Max and Lucas got back together at the beginning of sophomore year. Lucas had given her space, as he promised her, and he even joined the basketball team, which Will personally thought was a really good fit for him. When the rest of the Party had found out, they were all confused. Will and El were excited for him, though. It was obvious how much Lucas liked playing the sport, even if he hadn't had any playing time until halfway through his first year. Maybe it was something about how Lucas looked in his uniform or maybe it was the fact that he was respecting her boundaries, but when Max was ready to try to date again, Lucas was the first person she told.

Will had watched them try to subtly flirt for weeks beforehand; he was incredibly happy to see them back together. Will thinks that a lot of people at their school—even his mom, sometimes—believe that Will isn't good at identifying emotions because of his trauma and his lack of words, but Will prides himself on being good at reading other people's emotions. It's easier with people he knows.

There are a lot of things that Will has noticed just from being quiet and observant. Fact number one is that Stacie Smith wanted Lucas to ask her to the homecoming dance this past year, which Will never told Lucas because he wanted him to ask Max. Lucas ended up going alone, as did Max. They both ended up dancing with each other, though. Fact number two is that most of their classmates believe that Dustin and El are dating. This has just been an assumption since El began school. Both of the two know about the rumor, and neither of them have bothered to do anything to dispel it. Fact number three, which is Will's personal least favorite, is that Jennifer Hayes never had a crush on Will like everyone thought; she had a crush on Mike. Will isn't certain if she still has a crush on him. If Will becomes a little less talkative around Jennifer and her friends, that's no one's business. He's just petty.

It's Mike's 16th birthday, and Will wakes up more excited than ever. He's gone over this plan with everyone at least twice. After school, they're going to surprise him in the Hellfire room with a special campaign. What Will is most excited about—and he knows will make Mike lose his shit a little—is that he's going to be Dungeon Master tonight. Usually, this role is reserved for Mike or Eddie.

He's the only one who shares Mike's last class of the day with him. When the last bell rings, signaling the end of the school, he stands in front of Mike.

"Hey," Mike says, his usually toothy-grin on his face.

Will hums at him and holds up a finger. Their classmates have almost all cleared the room. Mike is staring at him, a wild glimmer in his wide eyes. He rocks back and forth on his heels in anticipation. One the room is clear, Will retrieves one of Eddie's spare bandanas from his pocket.

"What are we doing with that?" Mike asks. His cheeks have a pink flush on them; Will thinks it's positively adorable. He thinks everything Mike does these days is adorable, but he keeps that to himself.

Will makes a pop sound at him. Reaching his arms around Mike's head, he places the bandana over his eyes. Mike is completely blushing now, and he can't even hide it. Will smiles to himself as he ties it on the back of his head. Mike's wavy hair is frizzy from the end of the day, but Will still thinks it looks beautiful. After he finishes the knot, he sets his hands on Mike's shoulders. Mike's breath hitches; his lips are slightly parted. Will knows how this would look to anyone who walks by the room, but he can't help it. He takes just one moment for himself. Slowly, he drags his thumbs across Mike's collarbones.

Mike's gone completely still—a rarity for him. Will wishes he could kiss him.

The thing is, he could kiss him if he really wanted to. If they weren't in school right now, Will would probably at least seriously consider it. Mike would let him kiss him. It's not their first time, after all.

Their first kiss was in the dark last summer under the safety of Mike's blankets in his bedroom. It was a chaste kiss. It didn't last longer than five seconds. They were both in the daze of just having woke up from a nap, and when Mike leaned in to kiss him, it was like it was something they always did. Natural. They didn't have to think twice about it. And Will had kissed him back—because of course he kissed him back—but they never spoke about it again. They still were the touchy friends they usually were. Sure, Will initiated holding his hand more often, but they haven't kissed since that night.

Will grabs Mike's hand and chirps at him, leading him out of the classroom. Step one of his plan has been achieved: find and blindfold Mike Wheeler.

"Will! Where are we going?" Mike asks, laughing. He doesn't try to resist at all, nor does he pretend like he wants to. Instead, he joins his hand in Will's free one so that both of their hands are intertwined. He rubs Will's knuckles with his thumbs.

The Party are all gathered inside of Hellfire's room already. It's an empty classroom that Hellfire Club decorated whenever the club was formed. Dustin holds the door open for Will to lead Mike inside, giving Will a knowing smile. Will can only smile back; he's never felt happier than today, if he's being honest.

"Will? What's going on?" Mike whines, tugging his hands.

The Party and Eddie are silent in the room. Will stands Mike up in the middle of the room, facing the table, and he taps Mike's hand three times.

"Got it," Mike tells him. He waits three seconds for Will to get in place and then removes his bandana.

Everyone yells, "Happy birthday!" Will claps along. They all have party hats and streamers. Courtesy of planning with Nancy and Mrs. Wheeler, they have cake, too.

"Holy shit," Mike gasps, looking around the room. The table is set up for their one-shot campaign. There's soda and cake. Mike looks like he's having the best time of his life; Will wants to take a picture of this and remember it forever.

Mike approaches the table and then swings to face El and Max. "Wait. Are you two playing?"

They nod, giggling to themselves. This day just keeps getting better, Will thinks to himself.

"Wait," Mike says, sitting down at his usual spot for Hellfire campaigns. "Who's DMing?"

Everyone else has shit-eating grins on their faces; everyone is ready to see Mike's reaction to this next one. Eddie dramatically walks to the end of the table, but he doesn't sit down.

"This campaign, my dear birthday boy, will be DMed by no other than your Will the Wise!"

Will hums next to him, rubbing his fingers together while he waits for Mike's reaction.

"Holy shit." He looks mesmerized. "Holy shit. Guys, sit down. We need to play."

"Can we get some cake, too?" Lucas asks.

"I don't care. Sure," Mike says, but he's not looking at Lucas. He's looking at Will.

Will takes his seat at the head of the table next to Mike. He raises his eyebrows, asking Mike if he's surprised.

Mike grabs his hand under the table. "This is the best day of my life," he whispers.

Will knows it is. Mike has told him—in great detail, thank you very much—how much he wants Will to DM a campaign. The second he first saw Will's drawings, he's been obsessed with the idea of Will DMing. Will was always apprehensive about this idea, but with the help of Dustin and Eddie, he's ready to try it out.

Eddie drags a seat up next to his at the head of the table. "Hear ye, hear ye," he calls to everyone, directing them to sit down. "The great Will the Wise's campaign is about to begin…"

Will clicks his tongue.

"You and your Party are entering the…"

Will makes a whooshing sound. He continues the rest of the campaign like this, adding sound affects as Eddie reads from the script Will made with him. Mike holds his hand under the table until the first time he has to role; after that, he holds his hand openly on the table. No one bats an eye.

The second surprise of Mike's birthday takes place that weekend. This time, it's just Mike and Will. They're in Will's bedroom, where they have been all morning. Will's mom took Jonathan and El out for a day of activities, promising Will that she would give him and Mike space.

Will loves spending time with Mike like this. It feels domestic; it feels like they're meant to live like this. He woke up in Mike's arms this morning, one of his arms slung over Will's waist and the other snaked around, holding his chest. Will, when he was convinced Mike was still half asleep, shifted around to face Mike, where he cuddled closer into the boy's chest. He thought he felt a kiss on the top of his head. It seemed natural, something that was second nature.

But he pulls himself out of bed to grab breakfast from the kitchen, cereal for them both and coffee for Mike. They eat breakfast in bed. Will wants to spend every morning like this, with Mike's bedhead greeting him and his sleepy smile facing him.

"You added three packets of sugar in this, didn't you?" Mike asks. "I didn't know you knew I like it like this."

Of course, Will knows. He could list off every detail of Mike's daily routine if he wanted to. He just hums to Mike, bumping shoulders with him.

After they eat, Will grabs the secret present from under his bed. It's a rolled up painting, one that he's been working on for weeks. Shyly, he holds it out for Mike to take.

"Will…" Mike gasps, blushing as he takes the painting. He begins unrolling it.

Will sits down on the edge of the bed, watching him open it. It's a painting that he's refused to show anyone. In his opinion, it's the perfect image of the party; in it, each of their D&D characters are facing a three-headed dragon. Mike the Brave is at the front of the group, holding his sword out bravely. He holds a shield with a heart on it. Honestly, it's as close as Will can get to admitting his feelings for Mike to his face.

Mike is looking at it in awe. For once, he's speechless. He holds the painting carefully as he looks at its details. Will thinks he sees tears forming in his eyes.

"You… You made this for me?" Mike asks.

Will nods. He tries to resist picking at his fingers.

"Wow, Will," his eyes switch between the painting, Will's eyes, and his lips. He seems a little overwhelmed, but Will thinks it's in a good way.

He hums, leaning back on his arm and setting it behind the other boy's back.

Mike sets the painting on Will's pillow, careful not to set it anywhere that could damage it. Then, he throws himself into Will's arm without warning. His arms latch around Will's back, hugging him tightly.

"I love it, I love it, I love it," Mike whispers.

Will reciprocates it, folding his arms around Mike's neck. He holds the back of Mike's head and his upper back as the other boy tucks himself into Will's neck. Will decides in this moment that he's going to be brave. He doesn't usually speak first. He doesn't usually make the first move. He leads with caution normally. But seeing Mike so happy, so open with his feelings… It makes Will happy, too.

He taps Mike's back twice—two short taps. Then, he taps once shortly again, one longer tap, and two short taps. A long tap. Another one. Another one. He knows Mike is listening, now. He taps three short taps and one long one. A short tap. A long, a short, and a long tap. He taps four long taps with pauses in between. And finally, he taps twice shortly and once long.

They speak in Morse Code whenever Will has longer thoughts he wants to express. They do it when it's only them, usually. Mike's breath hitches when he finishes tapping, and he pulls his head out of the crook of Will's neck to stare at him, eyes glassy.

"Do you mean that?" He says, voice breaking a little. "Like… The way I mean it?"

Will holds his neck carefully with one hand, and with the other, he taps the same message onto Mike's lips. He holds eye contact as he says it.

Really, if Will spoke verbally right now, he'd talk a little like this: I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you. It's your birthday week, and I love you. It's a mundane day, and I love you.

But his words come out like this, instead: .. ._.. _ _ … . _._ _ _ _ ..

He's crying. Mike is crying, too. Mike leans his forehead against Will's.

"I love you, too," he whispers.

Will makes a pop with his lips. He wipes the tears from Mike's cheeks. He's fully caressing the boy's face, now, and all he wants to do is—

Mike beats him to it. He's leaning in, gently connecting his lips with Will's.

Will hums happily against his mouth. They continue kissing, and in the middle of it, Mike taps a message back: .. ._.. _ _ … . _._ _ _ _ ..

March 22, 1988

On his best friend and boyfriend's 17th birthday, Mike Wheeler manages to convince him to skip school. His birthday is on a Tuesday, this year, and Mike has big plans for it. Convincing Mrs. Byers to let him steal Will for the day was easy. Convincing Will took more work.

Mike picks him up at nine in the morning, sharp. He's planned out this day a thousand times in his head, already.

"Close your eyes," he tells him as soon as he gets in the passenger seat. Will does so without hesitating. Reaching into his backseat, he grabs the bouquet of flowers he bought from Melvald's. "You can look." He holds them out.

Will squeaks and clicks his tongue, grinning at him. He sniffs the flowers, takes Mike's hand, and kisses the back of it. He can't risk kissing Mike in public, but he can sneak this behind the bouquet.

Their drive takes an hour and a half. Mike warned Will in advance of this, though, so the other boy has brought along his sketchpad to draw in and some tapes they can listen to. Mike gave Will an overview of the day—the bare minimum, really—so that he'd know the general plan, but he's saving the surprises for when they actually arrive.

He has everything he could possibly need for today in his car: a scarf and gloves if Will gets too cold, two extra water bottles, Will's favorite snacks, Mike's sweater for Will, a blanket in case the car breaks down, an extra notebook and pencils, and Will's birthday present. They listen to The Cure as they drive. Mike taps the steering wheel to the song while his other hand holds Will's. Will hums along to the music; he's always loved The Cure, especially Just Like Heaven. Mike loves how relaxed Will is like this.

One of Mike's favorite things about being with Will is that he's not expected to talk all of the time with him. Sure, Mike loves to talk, especially to Will about his favorite things, but sometimes, he's just too tired to say anything out loud. Recently, the Party has been trying to learn sign language, which comes easiest to Will and El. Dustin and Lucas have been trying to learn Morse Code, too.

Will takes a short nap for a part of the car ride, in which Mike takes the opportunity to look blatantly at him instead of pretending to sneak glances at him. He looks peaceful like this. It reminds Mike of Will before any of the Upside Down stuff ever happened. Will's thumb traces Mike's knuckle in his sleep.

Mike thinks he's the luckiest person in the world. For Will to go through everything he did and still be so kind, so loving… Mike thinks that if he were him, he wouldn't be like that.

If Mike were Will, he think he'd be more angry all the time. Quite bitter, too. Even just watching Will go through being possessed, being at the hospital with him all of the time, and knowing he was hunted by demogorgons makes Mike want to hold him by his side at all times. Not to mention, Will's father has been awful to him and his family. Mike would do anything to take away Will's pain if he could.

But right now, he's just happy to be here with Will.

He switches the tape out to a mix tape they made together. It's a pretty straightforward drive until he gets to the city. As they approach, he wakes Will up, knowing Will's going to want to take photos of it. He's borrowing Jonathan's camera, today.

"Will," he says quietly. He squeezes his hand. "Wake up."

Will groans a little, shifting in his seat. He hums with a questioning tone at the end.

"Look, we can see the city. Do you want me to pull over so you can take a photo?"

Will clicks his tongue. Mike pulls over. There aren't many cars on the road right now, for it's the middle of a weekday. Mike watches, feeling warm, as Will takes a photo of the city in the near distance. When he returns to the car, Mike can't help but pull him in for a kiss.

Will makes a popping sound, eyebrows up in surprise.

Mike gestures to the road. "No one to see us," he grins. They kiss again before driving into the city.

Their first stop is a local art museum that Robin and Nancy had told Mike about. This time, Mike got to take Jonathan's camera and take photos of Will looking at the art, instead. Will is in his element, tapping on Mike's wrist and pointing to parts of the artworks that he likes the most. Mike follows him throughout it, even when Will wants to walk through the entire museum a second time. He doesn't complain at all.

He remembers they have to be careful in public, though. Even though they've been dating for almost a year, now, Mike sometimes forgets that not everyone is like the Party. Luckily for them, though, there aren't a lot of people at the museum. It's mostly older people; Mike refrains himself to only small touches with Will.

The second stop in their day is to get food. They get takeout and head to a local park to have a picnic. Will wears Mike's sweater and his scarf, and they sit together in the grass on Mike's blanket. Mike orders for them, and he refuses to let Will even try to pay. They sit with their legs pressed together.

"I've got to grab something," he tells Will, who shoots him a thumbs up. With that, he runs to his car and gets his present from the backseat. He runs back to Will—not wanting to be apart from him for too long—and bashfully hands the wrapped gift to him.

Will hums in surprise, raising his eyebrows at him. He carefully opens it, making sure not to tear the wrapping paper, and makes a small squeak when he sees it. In his hands is a homemade-bound book entitled "The Paladin and the Sorcerer." He raises his eyes at Mike; he knows what he's asking.

"Okay. So, I know that you technically play wizard or cleric in our campaigns, but just think about it for a second," he rambles. "When we talked about your connection to the Mind Flayer, it actually reminded me more of a sorcerer than a wizard. You don't have to use energy or elements to have your powers. They're… They're innate. So really, you're more of a sorcerer than a wizard."

"Whoa," Will breathes out. His eyes are wide, and he's tracing the corners of it.

"This is our story," he tells him. "The rest of the Party are in there, too, but we're the main characters in it. It's set in a D&D campaign, so it doesn't have any of the real stuff we've went through, but I thought you'd like it."

Will's face is flushed beautifully. He's smiling wide at Mike. He looks around and then squeezes Mike's hand quickly.

"So… Happy birthday, Will," Mike tells him, his love pouring out of him. And then he taps "I love you" on Will's hand.

Will taps it back, of course.

The next stop in their day is to go to a series of local businesses in Indianapolis, specifically stores that sell books and art supplies. They spend some time in a video store, too. They hold hands in the car and walk as close together as they can in public. Mike is just happy to be around Will. He'd spend every day with Will if he could.

Their last stop is to go to the movies, which is something that they've loved doing together but haven't had much of a chance to since Starcourt burned down. Before that, when they used to go with Lucas and Max, Mike always felt like they were on double dates.

The movie theater, to Mike's delight, is practically empty. As the movie starts, he sees there's no one else in their row—and they're in the farthest back row—so when he puts his arm around Will, he doesn't feel worried at all. Will cuddles into his chest. Mike loves it. Will taps "I love you" onto his chest, right over his heart. Mike whispers it back into his hair.

They return to Hawkins right before dinner. Mike is joining the Byers for a birthday dinner for Will—he didn't want to intrude until Will insisted he stayed.

"How was the cities?" Joyce asks when they get back, wrapping Will into a hug.

Mike and Jonathan share a nod. He gives El a hug, and she gives him the most shit-eating grin ever.

"I hope you had a good date," she says quietly.

Mike rolls his eyes but doesn't try to hide his blush. "It was awesome."

When they sit down for dinner, Jonathan takes more photos of everyone for Will's birthday. Mike is in half the photos. This is family, he thinks. I wouldn't mind it staying like this forever. Mike doesn't want to overstep, though, for he knows he can be talkative and energetic, especially around Will. But Will just takes his hand on the table and smiles at him, and that's enough to calm Mike down.

That weekend, the Party comes over to Mike's house for a movie night in celebration of Will's birthday. First, though, they go to Lucas' basketball game. To everyone's delight, they won.

"Guys, huge news," Lucas announces when they enter his basement. "I'm team captain next year."

"Holy shit!" Max is hugging him, while at the same time, El is yelling, "Congrats!"

Dustin jokingly rolls his eyes. "Now we're really going to have to go to every game. Good job, dude."

"Proud of you," Mike pats him on the back.

Will hugs Lucas and makes a noise into his ear. The Party sits in their usual spots: Mike and Will on the couch, El on the other side of the couch with Dustin sitting in front of her, and Max and Lucas on the armchair. El combs through Dustin's hair and cuddles into him; Mike thinks he finally understands their relationship. It's like if he and Max were to cuddle or Lucas and Will.

Mike loves the Party. He has to remember to be in the moment during times like these, for he's already wanting to get nostalgic about it. He preemptively misses the Party when they're all away from each other. But with Will in his arms, he tries his best to ground himself in their current moment.

Will chirps and clicks his tongue throughout the movie, indicating when he likes parts of it. Mike has to remind himself to not look at him the entire time—if he's being honest, he would the entire time if he could.

"Dustin," Mike whispers. "Do you want to come up here?" There's not a lot of room between him and El, but he supposes between him and Will getting closer and Dustin and El snuggling, they could make it work.

"That's not weird for you?" Dustin asks cautiously.

"No, dude. Come cuddle," Mike says, wagging his eyebrows at her.

Lucas hears them, though. "Don't make me jealous over there!"

"Let them cuddle, Stalker," Max swats his chest.

Mike pulls Will half onto his lap, kissing the top of his head in the process. Will taps some thoughts onto his arms—and occasionally on Dustin's, too—throughout the movie. Dustin hugs El to his chest, almost paralleling the two couples but with entirely different intentions.

The Party is having a sleepover tonight. They have the extra mattress from Mike's old twin bed down there and an air mattress. When it's time to sleep, Mike and Will take the couch—courtesy of living there, Mike thinks. He's curious if Dustin and El will sleep by each other.

"Strictly platonic," he remembers asking Dustin months prior.

Dustin had stared at him, confused. "Yes? We are."

"You don't want to kiss her?"

"Nope. We don't want to kiss each other," Dustin had said.

"You talked about it?"

"Of course, we talked about it. Listen, man. Some people just don't want romance. That's okay. Our friendship is what matters anyways."

Mike watches El wrap her arms around Dustin's chest, cuddling into his back. He looks away when he sees Lucas leaning in to kiss Max. Instead, he just turns off the lamp.

"Goodnight," he yells to everyone. They all say it back.

On his chest, Will taps "goodnight" and kisses him.

May 28, 1989

Holly Wheeler is running late to the Hawkins High School graduation ceremony, and it's entirely her brother's fault.

It begins with Mike waking up late. Even though their mom has already ironed his green gown, he's practically scrambling to get ready for his ceremony. Holly is ready before he even wakes up, of course. She's starting high school this fall; she likes to be on time. She's like Nancy in this way.

The breakfast their mom made is getting cold on the table. They graduate at ten in the morning, and Holly has been sitting on the couch in apprehension since eight. Fifteen minutes to ten, Mike is stomping down the stairs.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" He yells at no one and everyone at the same time. Their dad sits on his chair, grunting in response. Their mom, from the kitchen, immediately starts chastising him for his poor time management, which Holly thinks is the understatement of the year.

Outside, their mom's car honks. Then, twenty seconds later, Nancy slams the front door open, hands on her hips, glaring at everyone. "Let's go!" She yells. "Dad, why aren't your shoes on? Holly, come on. Mike… Just hurry up!"

Holly follows her outside. Nancy gets in the driver's seat again—she's going to make sure they get there on time—and Holly gets in the backseat behind her.

"How is he supposed to be an adult?" She asks her older sister. Because really, how can Mike be expected to go to college in a few months when he can't even wake up on time for his own graduation?

Nancy snorts in agreement. She's back in town from Emerson for this. Even though her semester has technically ended already, she's living there full time when she's not in school. Holly loves when she's back in town, though. She likes watching Nancy. Nancy has short hair now, almost like Debbie's new hair cut, and she's wearing a suit jacket over her outfit. Holly thinks she looks bad-ass. When their dad made a snide remark about her hair, their mom took out the kitchen scissors and chopped her hair off to match it. The women in Holly's life, in her professional opinion, are insanely cool.

She only wishes that Mike were more like the women in her life. Then, she'd find him cool, too.

Mike's graduation gown is unzipped when he gets in the car. Their mom holds the cap frantically, following him into the backseat. Their dad gets into the passenger seat, and Nancy doesn't even wait for everyone to be buckled before she starts speeding away.

Holly examines her brother next to her, who is uncomfortably in the middle seat. His bony knees poke into her legs, and his eyes are glued on the road ahead. His hair is unruly—Holly wants to flatten it down, but she supposes the hat will do the trick—and he has pen stains on the side of his right hand.

"Did you not shower after Will went home yesterday?" She asks him, grabbing his hand. She spits on her finger and tries to clean off the ink. Mike may not care about his appearance, but Holly refuses to let him go and take graduation photos with his friends like this—because, she's just being honest, all of the parents are going to be unbearable after the ceremony.

"I washed my hands," he grumbles back, letting her do what she wants. She pretends like she doesn't see him aggressively wipe off his hands on his robe right after she releases her grip.

They arrive while the principal is greeting everyone. Luckily, it's an outdoor ceremony, so Mike is able to sneak into his spot without anyone really caring. Holly sits in between Nancy and her mom. The bleachers are uncomfortable to sit on.

She sees Nancy's ex-boyfriend Jonathan filming the ceremony, and to her surprise, Nancy and him happily wave at each other.

"You're still friends with him?" She whispers.

Nancy laughs lightly. "Of course."

Holly thinks it's kind of weird, because Nancy's count of how many ex-boyfriends she's friends with is now two. Mind you, she's only dated two boys. She wonders if it's her sister's charm that keeps Jonathan Byers and Steve Harrington as her friends. She wonders why they aren't more mad at each other. Holly has never had a boyfriend yet, but she imagines that if she manages to get one in high school, she'd never befriend him if they broke up. Maybe Josh would be the exception, she thinks, but she quickly shakes away the thought. Today's not about her crush or Nancy's ex-boyfriends. It's about Mike.

Even though Holly can only see the back of Mike's head, she can tell he's dying from boredom. His foot is bouncing. He shifts uncomfortably in his seat. It isn't until students begin walking the stage that he even shows any sign of life besides boredom. Specifically, when Will Byers' name is called, Mike is standing up in his seat and cheering louder than anyone else. The rest of his friends are also standing up, but Mike is clapping and yelling for Will. Will bashfully looks at him, but he's grinning.

Next to Holly, Nancy is laughing to herself. She thinks she hears Nancy whisper, "I called it," but she's not one hundred percent certain so she doesn't ask what Nancy means. Mike stands up for all of his other friends, too—Dustin Henderson, Ellie Hopper, Max Mayfield, and Lucas Sinclair. Holly's favorites of his friends are Ellie and Lucas—not counting Will, of course—but she keeps that to herself.

When the ceremony ends, she follows her family to the field, where Mrs. Henderson is already lining up Mike and his friends for photos. Mrs. Henderson, Mrs. Sinclair, Jonathan, and Holly's mom take photos of everyone. Mike's arm is around Will's waist, Holly notices. He's smiling brighter than he has in any other photo.

To Holly's surprise, more people join them on the field. Steve Harrington—don't tell Nancy, but Holly's had a tiny crush on him for months—his friend Robin who is always with him, Erica Sinclair, and Eddie Munson join their small crowd. Holly imagines that it may look like a bit of a dysfunctional group to anyone who walks by, but she decides she doesn't care.

When photos are done, she runs to congratulate Mike. She doesn't give him a choice in physical touch—she knows he hates it—because she's throwing her arms around him anyways. He can deal with it for five seconds. She turns to Will next to him and holds out a fist.

"Good job!" She tells him, grinning. The boy smiles back and bumps her fist with his own. Then, Holly gets entranced by Ellie, who was the latest to join Mike's friend group but the most fun of the group, in her humble opinion. "I love your hair," she gushes. "Can you braid my hair just like yours later?"

A few months go by, and Holly thinks that she's definitely ready to start high school. She's color coded her notebooks for each class. She has hair clips inspired by Ellie that are ready to go with any of her outfits. She has her first day of school outfit picked out already, in fact. The first thing she has to do, though, is ensure Mike is all packed up to go to college. He promised her she'd get to pick through his things when he's gone, so she wants to make sure he's out in time for her to have prime shopping time in his room before the school year begins.

She helps him by sitting on his bed while he finishes packing up his stuff. It's way more disorganized than Holly would've made it, but she doesn't say anything. She offered to help, and Mike said no. She's learned to just accept his no's, even when she disagrees with them.

"Where is everyone else going to college?" She asks him out of curiosity. Really, she just wants to know where Ellie is going. She doesn't tell Mike that, though.

"Well, Will is coming with me to Boston. You probably already knew that."

Holly did know that. Mike and Will are going to a public university there, and they're going to be roommates. She's a little jealous because Mike seems more excited about living with Will than he ever has been about living with Holly.

"Dustin's going to MIT—that's also in Massachusetts, but it's a different city. Lucas is going to Chicago. Do you know where that is?"

Holly shakes her head no; she's heard of it, but she doesn't know where it is.

"It's in Illinois. So, still the Midwest." He zips up the bag he just packed. "Anyways, Max and El are staying here—at least for a little bit, I think."

"They are?" Holly perks up at this.

Mike quizzically looks at her. "Yeah? Max's mom is going through some personal stuff, and El doesn't want to go to college."

She knows better than to press further on those details, but she takes the win where she can get it. "Do you think they'd hang out with me?" She asks, full of hope.

Her brother laughs and gives her a face, but he gives in easily. "I'm sure if you ask nicely, they'd hang out with you."

"Do you think they'd drive me to visit you?"

"Well, El doesn't have her license, and Max is learning to drive right now. Give them, like, a year, and maybe they'll drive you."

Holly bounces in excitement. This is going well. She'll get to hang out with El and Max, and she'll be able to visit Mike whenever she wants. Plus, Nancy is in Boston, so she'll basically get to be there all of the time. Holly wonders for a moment if she should be thinking about college right now, too. Maybe she can join her siblings in Boston…

Her eyes drift to Mike's pillow, which is one of the only empty spots on his bed besides where she's sitting.

"I have another question," she tells him.

"What is it?"

"Are you and Will dating?"

Mike freezes. Slowly, he turns to look at her. He doesn't look mad, but he looks surprised. "Did someone tell you something?" He asks.

"Nope," she pops her p at the end. "There's just a note here from Will." She points at his pillowcase. "It says, 'I love you. Love, Will.'" She stares at him, awaiting his answer.

His mind seems to be moving faster than his mouth is, for his face goes through, like, three emotions before he even says anything. "Would you have a… A problem if Will and I were dating?" He carefully says.

Holly considers this; she's never thought about it. "No," she decides. "I like Will. You're always happier when you're with him. Plus, he likes to draw with me. So, like, that makes him ten times cooler than you."

Mike's cheeks turn pink. "Okay. Keep this a secret between us, okay?" He tells her, tone serious. He sits down on the floor in front of her. "Some people aren't cool about people like me and Will. We have to be careful in public and things like that. Does that make sense?"

"I know what gay people are, Mike. I'm not stupid," Holly bluntly tells him. Does he think she's still nine years old? Holly has known what gay means for years, now. She watches enough television to know about it. She's a big enough fan of David Bowie to know these kinds of things.

"Oh," he says, shocked.

She takes his moment of fluster to pat him on the head. "I think gay people are cool," she tells him, because she wholeheartedly believes this.

"Oh." His face is burning, practically tomato red. "Well… Thanks."

"I think Nancy knows," she informs him. "She made a comment to herself during the ceremony while you were cheering for your boyfriend." She enjoys teasing Mike about his boyfriend. His blush darkening makes it amusing for her.

He considers her words and then shrugs. "You have someone to talk about it with, then. That's good, right?"

She nods excitedly, but her mind is reeling with the other potentials of this new discovery. "Does Ellie know? Does Max know?" She asks, already thinking through the hundreds of ways she could become best friends with them with this information.

"Yeah. All of my friends know," Mike answers. "Hey. Do you want my old D&D set? Will and I are getting a new one for our dorm."

Holly's face drops. She'd much rather talk about his boyfriend than D&D. She supposes Mike is still Mike, even if he is dating a cool person. "I don't know how to play," she tries.

"El and Max could teach you," he suggests. "Then, when Will and I and the rest of the Party come back for holidays, you could join us in a campaign."

She rocks back and forth excitedly at the idea of hanging out with Ellie. Really, he should've led with that. "Okay. I'll take it."

Mike grins—a full smile that he usually only wears with Will. "I knew you were cool," he tells her.

"I know I'm cool," she retorts. "Cooler than you, at least."

"I'm the one with a boyfriend, thank you very much," he quips back, but his smile indicates he's joking.

That night, Mike drives to load his car with Will's stuff. Mike's own stuff is in Nancy's car, for they're taking both the cars to Boston to move the boys in. Holly wishes she could go with. She wants to help decorate their dorm. She wants to hang out with Will more, especially now that it's confirmed he's Mike's boyfriend.

She waits by the front door for Mike to return. He's picking up Will, saying goodbye to the Byers, and returning here to say goodbye to everyone before he takes off, Nancy behind him.

She hugs Mike tightly when it's time for him to leave. "I'll miss you," she tells him.

He squeezes her back. "I'll miss you, too."

She pulls him down so that his ear is right by her mouth. "Be good to Will," Holly instructs him.

Mike sputters, backing up, but he manages to croak out, "I will."

Then, Holly stands in front of Will. "Do you want a hug?" She asks him. She's learned that with Will, it's better to ask first. To her delight, he nods. She hugs him tightly, just as she sees Nancy do with Mike, sometimes. Mike and Will are similar like that. If they want hugs, it has to have a lot of compression.

"He loves you," she whispers into Will's ear. "I'm glad you love him back."

He clicks his tongue in her ear twice, and when he pulls away, he's smiling at her. He nods—a promise, Holly decides. He won't hurt her brother.

She hides her tears as Nancy, Mike, and Will drive away. When she gets back to her room, Mike's old D&D set is on her bed. On it is a note.

I think you'd be an awesome cleric. Love, Mike.

Scribbled below his note is: See you soon! Love, Will.

(Check out this artwork made by @sakubang on Tumblr!)