𝙎𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙊𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙩𝙨

Michael In The Bathroom (Byler)

I've had this idea for so long but I finally wrote it :D also Be More Chill is so fucking good
TW: mentions of alcohol and drugs, homophobia, general angst and stuff, no happy ending

Mike knew he shouldn't be upset. It wasn't Lucas's fault. No, not at all. It was the fault of Lucas's stupid new friends. They were the ones who invited him to this party, they were the ones who said Lucas could bring some friends if he wanted.

It was Mike's own fault for being so excited. For thinking maybe he could have a fun time, get to know some of Lucas's friends maybe. Sure, the prospect of getting drunk or high terrified him, but he didn't have to.

But then, as it turned out, Lucas's friends were assholes. Not that he hadn't pretty much known that. Assholes who barely gave him a second glance, instead basically ignoring his presence.

Hiding in the bathroom, though? That was all Will's fault. Anger boiled under Mike's skin.

He would've been contented to stay in the corner, awkwardly sipping at cans of Coke as they eyed the alcoholic beverages with fascination, but Lucas's friends like Will. Or they pitied him. Or they wanted to make fun of him.
It didn't matter, because whatever it was, they wanted to talk to Will, leaving Mike completely alone in the corner.

And for some dumb reason, Will would rather talk to Lucas's dumb basketball friends than Mike. That made Mike mad. Really, really mad.

So here he was: sitting on the sink counter with his knees to his chest, leaning his head against the cool glass of the mirror.

Jason Carver, who Mike had deduced was that blonde motherfucker who talked about religion far too much for Mike's taste, had plenty of bathrooms anyway. No one would care if Mike was hiding in one of them, trying his absolute best not to cry.

Crying in a bathroom was definitely not what Mike had pictured doing on a Saturday night. But, alas, here he was.

If anyone knocked he would pretend he was throwing up- but sometimes people wouldn't knock and just assume people were making out in there. Which made Mike laugh to himself, because that couldn't be farther from the truth.

If Will was in here with him, then, well, maybe it would be true. If Will didn't get weird about doing that in a semi-public area, that was. Which Mike was okay with. He was more than okay with holding hands under tables or kissing in his bedroom.

Except, however, when Will apparently got so caught up with pretending they were just friends that he left him alone to hide in a bathroom that smelled suspiciously of weed.

It seemed like Mike was always hiding, one way or another. Hiding from his feelings, hiding from his desires... hiding. This wasn't much different.

He'd hidden from Will for a long time. When Will was in California, he'd drafted so many letters to him. Letters that probably would've given him away in a heartbeat if he sent them. He'd shown them to Will shortly after they cut the crap and started dating, and he'd seen them in one of Will's drawers before.

Will made him so happy- happier than he thought was even possible. Now that he knew what true happiness and love felt like, he couldn't believe he thought he ever felt it with El. Truthfully, he definitely hadn't.

But Will wasn't making him happy now. Now Will was making him angry, so angry, and lonely. Lonelier than he'd been before. Lonelier than he'd been on that first day of kindergarten- before Will. Lonelier than he'd been when Will moved away. Sitting in this bathroom, heading loud laughs and beer cans hissing and pounding music, he was alone. So fucking alone.

There was a knock on the door, and Mike almost jumped out his skin.

"I'm having my period!" He shouted, in a hopefully convincing girl's voice.

There a was a pause, and Mike thought they'd gone away.

"Mike?"

It was Lucas. Better than Will, at least.

"Uh. I'm pissing." Mike cleared his throat.

"You've been in here the whole party, haven't you?" Lucas asked with a sigh in his voice.

Mike shrugged, even though Lucas couldn't see him. "What else was I supposed to do?"

"Join us out here, play truth or dare, drink a beer...anything that doesn't include you sitting in a gross bathroom for any longer." Mike could hear the rolling of Lucas's eyes in his voice.

"You see, I would," Mike hissed, "if will hadn't fucking abandoned me."

Lucas paused. "You don't only have to hang out with Will "

"Oh yeah, Lucas, really? Who else should I hang out with, huh? Let's go down the list- I could get all buddy-buddy with Jason fucking Carver, couldn't I? The same guy who called me a faggot about fifty times? Or, ooh, how about Brad Edward, the one who shoved me into lockers for all of elementary! Or what about-"

"I get it, Mike." Lucas shouted. "Everyone hates you and there's nothing you can do to change it! Well, while I'm out here with people who you should give a chance, if you just talk to them, you can have a pity party in here."

Mike went silent as he heard Lucas's footsteps walking away.

The truth was- everyone did hate him. And there wasn't anything he could do about it.

When he'd come out, obviously he expected to be bullied. But that didn't make it hurt less when it actually happened.