✓ The Games We Play ⇔ Mileven {2nd - "Wake Up, Mike" Trilogy}

Fifty Six

I know I don't update on Sunday, but I just wrote this right now and wanted to share it with everyone. It's not very good😕 but I wanted to kinda give Will a chance to speak up for himself, which he never does. Idk, hope you enjoy anyway♥️

edit, 6-21-19: I FUCKING LOVE THIS CHAPTER OKOK

Lucas.

"I'm finding Mike. Alone," I say firmly, starting to push my bike away again. But as I turn away, I catch a glimpse of the absolute death glare Will gives me. It startles me, making me turn to look at him again. I've never seen him that angry, I rarely see him angry. He's just never been an angry person, but right now he looks ready to murder someone.

"You know what, Lucas? I am so sick of people constantly blaming me for Mike's pain. I contributed, yes, but I am not why he's sad. Don't think that for even one second," he yelled, walking closer to me. People were noticing his yelling, but luckily ignored it as the bell rang for class. Everyone rushed inside except the three of us. I stood and stared at Will in slight shock, and Dustin stood back with a glum face. He knows he can't stop Will, he needs to let Will talk.

"I'm not saying you're the only reason, I never said that. But you continuously mess up and make it worse, sometimes even purposefully turn him down. Do you think I'm just gonna be ok with that?" I yelled back, stepping away from my bike and hearing it fall behind me. I didn't care, I was just focused on Will.

"But you think it! Everyone thinks it's all my fault! Everyone places all the blame on me!" he yelled louder, his voice cracking slightly.

"We have good reason to blame you, Will, and you know it," I spoke simply, and he pulled at his hair a bit.

"Lucas, I am drowning in the stress that is put on me. I have shit going on that no one knows about, I have to deal with being turned down by the guy I lo-" he cut himself off, closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath. "I deal with being turned down by the guy I really like, and on top of all of that, I have to make sure my best friend doesn't kill himself. It's all on me, no one else. If he killed himself, why couldn't I blame you? Why couldn't I blame Dustin? You guys aren't there for him, either."

His words were sharp, and they stabbed me in a way I didn't like. Because he isn't wrong.

"He wouldn't accept help from either of us," Dustin chimed in, and I nodded. "He only wanted help from you. He obviously likes you."

"Does that change anything?" Will yelled again, obviously hurt by the statement.

"Yes, actually, it does. If I went and tried to help him, he'd deny it and say he's fine. He wouldn't talk to me, he wouldn't talk to Lucas. Not like he talked to you," Dustin kept talking, his voice calm but defensive.

"Ever think maybe that hurts me? Knowing he likes me? It hurts me so much, guys!" Will let out, his voice wavering and breaking while yelling that last sentence.

"Why?" I asked, not understanding why that would hurt him.

"Because! He can like me as much as he wants, Lucas, he will always love Eleven! He will always choose her over me!" I could see how glazed over his eyes are, and it made me feel a bit bad.

"Will, listen. The relationship you have with Mike is none of our business, that's between you and him. What I'm saying is you're letting this crush you have get in the way of keeping him alive," I tried to reason, and he looked over at me sharply. He was shaking his head, and he started actually crying.

"Stop calling it a crush, ok?" he was quiet, and my eyebrows furrowed.

"Why? That's what it is! You have a crush on him and he can't return it fully, so you're being ridiculous and unfair," I insisted, and he once again looked ready to murder me.

"Lucas, shut up! You don't understand what you're talking about, so shut up!" he started out, stunning me, so I kept quiet and let him yell. "Tell me, Lucas, have you ever wanted someone so much it hurts? Physically? It's an actual pain in your heart, it's not just something you think about. You see that person and you ache for them, you'd do anything to have them," he ranted, and I slowly deflated, looking at him in slight guilt, and slight awe. "And now, tell me, if you've felt that aching want before, have you felt what it's like to know they like you, but it's not enough? To be ignored and pushed aside because there's someone better?"

"Will, I get it-" I started, but he cut me off with a dry laugh.

"No, Lucas, you'll never get it. And as for Mike being in more pain than I am, you're right. But don't you dare say I don't feel pain," he demanded, and I squinted a bit at those words. He noticed. "You don't know what real pain is, Lucas. You don't know pain until you've loved someone with every piece of you, given them your heart, and committed all of your time to them, only for them to love someone else. That is pain."

I stared at him as he walked closer again, got on his bike, and rode off down the road. I looked slowly over to Dustin, who looked a mixture of shocked and saddened.

"Go to class, I'm still finding Mike," I stated simply, and he slowly nodded his head. He walked inside, obviously not caring about being ten minutes late.

I picked my bike up, climbing on and riding away as fast as I could.

Will used the word love. He loves Mike, and Mike loves El. That doesn't excuse what he's done, but...I have a better understanding of it, at least.

Will loves Mike.
Mike loves El.
Mike likes Will, but not enough.
Will is hurt, and stressed by other things.

Will slowly crumbles, until he is dust.

-

Considering I'm half asleep, this is probably even worse than I think it is. Sorry