things change - byler

.12

i walk inside the house, all the lights were out. I assumed that they all already went to bed. I went upstairs to get ready for sleep, with an uncontrollable smile on my face. mike asked to hang out with me, with just each other. Was he really serious about us being like.. together? It sounds too good to be true, it's the 80's. you could literally get killed if you were gay and people found out. I'm terrified of that happening, even though everyone at school already knew just by the way I act. Which by the way, makes me incredibly insecure. I'm not as soft and shy as people think I am.
I walk downstairs to grab an extra blanket when I heard the front door opening, el came in and smiled at me while turning the light on.
-"what happened??" She smiled, I knew what she was asking.
-"nothing, we just talked." I smiled.
-"about?" She asked, wanting further details.
-"talk about it tomorrow, I'm too tired right now." I said, walking upstairs.
-"that's not fair!" She whined, before I turned off the light behind me leaving her in the dark.
I heard her groan before I closed the door to my bedroom.

•••

my mom walks into the kitchen with mail in her hands the next morning, el and I were eating a bowl of cereal that next morning.
-"Will, el. Could you both do me a favor and go to hobby lobby to get some home decorations and things to put around the house." She asked us.
-"why can't Jonathan do it?" I ask.
-"because, I don't trust his opinions, he'll buy something stupid. I trust the both of you."
el and I looked at each other, and then looking at her again.
-"you can bring your other friends to help? I'll give you 200 dollars to buy things, just things for the back patio and photo frames and such, please?" She asks pulling out her wallet.
-"fine." We both agreed, taking the money.
we put our bowls away, and started getting ready to leave.
i knew I had to call max, I didn't trust either Lucas or mike to drive us that far out of town, they're both maniac drivers but max is pretty good. I called, and it took a long time for her to answer.
-"hello?"
-"max? my mom wants el and i to go shopping for the patio, do you and everyone else want to go?" I ask.
-"don't have to ask me twice, I'm free. I'll drive, ill pick you up last."
-"are you sure your car has enough room for all 6 of us?" I ask.
-"looks like someone's gonna have to sit on someone's lap."
i stay silent, hearing her laugh at the other end quietly.
-"mike and you." She coughs.
-"not happening, I'll stay in the trunk." I laugh, not joking.
-"be there in half an hour." She said chuckling.

i hang up, waiting outside with el with the money. Once she stopped in her moms car, the backseat was full and max was saving the front seat for el, just so I had no choice but to sit on mikes lap, but I refused to. I hit the back of her trunk with my hand, but she wouldn't open it.
they all get out of the car one by one.
-"I thought you were joking!" Max said, as I open the trunk with the button.
-"no, I'm sitting in the trunk." I said, climbing inside.
everyone laughed at me, not knowing if I was joking or not. I could tell Mike was getting a kick out of it, he looked at me with a glow in his eyes.
I shut the trunk by myself and they could hear me laughing through the trunk. They get inside the car,
And she starts driving. I start losing breath in there, getting nervous and claustrophobic. Everyone was asking if i was alright, but I was too busy trying to unfold the arm rest. Once I succeed, dustin was complaining that I was hurting his back. I peak my head out, seeing mike and Lucas laughing at me.
-"you alright in there?" Mike joked.
-"it smells like weed in there." I cough, getting air.
-"will, get back in there! I'm gonna get a ticket!" She yelled.
-"I cant breathe!!" I laughed, knowing we were still miles away from the store we needed to go to.
-"Will, get out of there. Seriously, we could get in trouble." El said, i rolled my eyes.
-"I cant, shut the thing." I said, pulling my head away and sitting back into the trunk.
i laid down and waited for what seemed like hours, but was only 10 minutes. i felt the car stop and them getting out of the car. Once I heard all the doors shut and silence, I was waiting for the trunk to open, but it never did.
-"guys?" I yell, starting to knock on the trunk.
they never responded, i thought they left me. I started to panic, being in a small space and not being able to get out was freaking me out.
-"guys, let me out!" I yelled, starting to bang on the thing.
I heard laughing from the other side before the trunk door opened and they looked at me, laughing.
-"is it fun in there?" Mike laughed.
-"that wasn't funny, I actually hate you." I said to them, seriously. But they couldn't stop joking around about it.
-"you sounded so scared!" Dustin giggled.
-"it's really not that funny." I said, as mike pulled me out of the trunk with my arm.
they were silent because of how serious I looked, but eventually started laughing again. I rolled my eyes, beginning to laugh myself.
we walked inside the store and began to look around.
max ran up to me with a box in her hand.
-"you should get a hammock for your backyard!" She said.
-"why?" I ask.
-"because! And it'll look good in your backyard on those two trees, and it's on sale for $19.99!" She begged.
-"fine, put it in the cart." I said.
she smiled, continuing to shop with me.
mike and Dustin were in the other isle, looking, while max, el, and Lucas were with me.
we bought a few things for outside, for inside, and got food afterwards. I knew I couldn't sit in the back again, since I couldn't trust them. I had no choice but to sit on mikes lap, but i tried not to make it extremely awkward.
we were listening to music the whole way home. max was driving a little fast, trying to get home faster. But all of our stomachs dropped when a police car drove behind her with their siren.
-"shit! Will, get in the back!" she yelled.
-"what?? Why can't anyone else!?" I screeched.
-"because, you're the only one who can fit! Hurry up!!"
everyone practically pushed me through the armrest and quickly shut it behind me. I tried my best to stay quiet, trying not to get caught.
I was praying she had a credible ID, because she's only 15.
after what seemed like hours, I stopped hearing the polices voice.
they opened the thing and I stuck my head out.
-"she let me off with a warning, let him out." max said, as they pulled me out as she drove slower.
-"my hair was everywhere, it was messed up from being shoved head first threw a small space. They all laughed relieved, before starting to arrive to my house.
we took the 4 bags of things we got and started walking inside and hanging them all up. we gave my mom all the picture frames we bought, before going outside to put the hammock up, along with all the other outside things we bought. once it was up, max laid down on it, testing it.

we all sat outside, talking to each other for a while, getting pretty bored.
I was laying on the hammock when Mike came up and laid on the opposite side, putting his feet in my face.
-"ew, get your feet off of me." I pushed them, but he kept shoving them in my face to annoy me.
-"stop, get off!" I complained.
-"no, you stop!" He whined, as I kept slapping him away from me.
-"shut up, you're giving me a headache!!" Dustin yelled at us.
we stop arguing, rolling our eyes at dustin, before continuing with the day.
after the sun started setting my friends were getting ready to leave, once everyone was gone and el was inside, mike and i got on our bikes and started riding around town.
-"where do you wanna go?" Mike asked me.
-"I don't know, surprise me." I replied.
he smiled, before we rode about a mile, I could recognize where he was taking us. It was the quarry.
we stopped our bikes when we got to the top.
we both walk to the edge and sit, with the golden sun shining on our faces.
-"you look nice today." He said, looking at me.
-"thanks." I said, I could see that he didn't know what to say.
It was quiet for a little, i could hear the birds chirping.
I look over at him, it was the first time I really looked at him. the side of his face looked red, like unnaturally red. the more I looked, the more I noticed the outside of his eye had a tint of purple. It wasn't too noticeable far away, i only noticed it because his face was like a foot away from me.
-"what happened to your face?" I ask, touching his eye. he flinched and moved my hand down.
-"it's nothing.. really." He chuckled awkwardly.
-"mike.." I whispered softly, tilting my head.
-"i.. it was just- my dad. he found out I took his truck last night." he said, looking down.
-"your dad hits you??" I ask.
-"no. No, he's never done that before. last night, he was just angry. he and my mom, they had a fight. and when I came home in his truck, he just snapped.. i guess. he's not like that, it's really nothing. it's not that bad." he assured me.
i noticed the look on his face, he looked sad. like he's been holding something in him, and it was about to come out.
-"mike.. what's wrong?"
-"Jesus, sorry." he chuckles, sniffling and wiping his face.
-" My dad, he may make great money and seem like he has a happy life, but he doesn't. he hates his family, he never wanted Nancy. he wanted a boy, but when they had me, he was disappointed. I don't play baseball or football like he wanted me to. I let him down by not being the ideal son he wanted. That's why he favors holly, she actually likes to do things with him that I couldn't. my mom didn't even want me at all, she just wanted Nancy. My mom favors Nancy, she's like her best friend. And in a way, if I was the son my dad wanted me to be, maybe we could have a good relationship, you know? but I can't give him what he wants. I've never gotten any affection from either one of them. i don't know, I guess I just see everyone with their parents, and I just get kind of disappointed. And I know, if they knew that i was.. gay. I cant even imagine what they'd think."
I look at him, I had no idea what he was going through at home. i understood what he was going through, my dad wasn't exactly great either. I didn't even know what to say.
-"I don't know why I'm telling you this. I guess, I'm just scared of becoming my dad. I feel like, I pushed you away just like he did to me. I'm sorry." he said, the sun was shining from his eyes.
i looked him in the eyes, completely speechless, i didn't have anything to say. i wanted to say something, but nothing came out.
he sniffled, rubbing his eye with his jacket.
-"hey, that was so long ago. I'm way past that. And, you're nothing like your dad. you're funny, you're warm hearted, and you're really smart. you're a great person, okay?" I assured him, making him smile.
I slowly connect my hand with his.
-"and plus, you have a great sense of fashion. With that outfit you wore at the airport" I joked.
-"people in California wear that kind of thing!" He defended.
-"maybe in the movies!"
We both laughed, still holding each other's hands.
-"I like talking with you, Byers." he said, calmly.
-"i like talking with you, mike." I smiled.

i leaned into Mike, making our faces closer. he ran his fingers through my hair as he smashed his lips onto mine. I could feel a smile leaving my face as we kissed, I could feel him smiling too. He pulled me closer to him with his other hand and kissed slower. I never noticed it was dark out, not until we had to pull away after hearing a noise that freaked us.
-"what the hell was that?" I ask, looking around from where the noise was coming from.
It sounded like leaves crunching and branches snapping. I suddenly felt crumbling under us.
-"mike, get up!" I yelled backing up from the edge.
-"what?"

the rocky edge collapsed, making him fall off the cliff.
-"MIKE!!" I yelled, looking down where the cliff was.
he was floating in the air, upside down. He started yelling, I was too confused and shocked to say anything. He started levitating back up next to me. We looked at each other, confused. But mike got a sense of deja vu. He stood up and turned around, all of our friends were there, with el and her nose was bleeding.
she saved him.

again.