through the seasons; mike wheeler

ೃ⁀➷ xiii. not in denial

"no, it was my fault," will said. "i...i knew better than to say hi to you while i was with the guys."

"how's mike holding up?" steve suddenly asked and caroline furrowed her eyebrows. "nancy's sister? will's best friend? isn't he in your grade?"

"oh, right, him," caroline said, nodding her head as though being nancy's sister was the only way she knew mike wheeler. "he...he doesn't think will is dead."

steve scoffed. "so who's body is at the quarry?"

"steve."

"what? i'm just saying the truth," steve said, rolling his eyes. "the earlier you accept he's dead, the faster you can move on."

caroline stared at her brother, shock written all over her face. "fuck you." she then stood up from her chair and walked towards the door, steve following after her.

"care, where are you going?"

"somewhere that isn't here, 'cause i didn't know dad was home," caroline said as she removed the lock on her bike. her words were worse with a slap. steve opened his mouth to say something—to tell her that he was just bothered by how she 'defended' jonathan byers—but nothing came out. "you know, i hope that one day, you won't befriend someone and love them, not romantically, just love them. and have them die. because i swear, steve, you wont get any sympathy from me."

steve blinked and caroline was already biking away from him.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

karen wheeler didn't hesitate to let caroline harrington inside her house. the older woman knew mike needed someone right now, that he needed a friend.

caroline carefully knocked on the basement door and then opened it, to find mike on his couch, looking at a bunch of papers. she furrowed her eyebrows as she came in and sat beside him. they weren't just papers, they were drawings.

"did will make those?" caroline asked.

mike didn't answer for a while, just looking through them in silence, before he nodded his head. "yeah... he did."

he turned to caroline, who gave him a sweet smile, and then hugged her. not like the hugs he gave his mom when he was in a hurry or the ones he gave nancy when he needed something. caroline had her arms around him and his head on her chest. it was the kind of hug that could make his worries go away.

after a few minutes, mike pulled away and looked over at the fort; where eleven was (caroline didn't even notice her). "can you please stop that?"

the radio turns off instantly and mike turns back to caroline, about to hug her again, when the radio turns on again.

mike rolls his eyes and turns to eleven, "are you deaf?"

"mike..." caroline said.

he took a deep breath before saying, less-angry, "i thought we were friends, you know? but friends tell each other the truth. and they definitely don't lie to each other. you made us think will was okay, that he was still out there, but he wasn't. he wasn't! maybe you thought you were helping, but you weren't. you hurt me. do you understand? what you did sucks. lucas was right about you. all along."

caroline frowns at his words and the look on eleven's face. she couldn't say anything as mike's head rested on her shoulders again. but she didn't have to say anything, as the radio turns on. instead of the usual crackling, however, a little boy singing came on. and not just any boy. will byers.

"so come on and let me know. should i stay or should i go? should i stay or should i go now? should i stay or should i go now? if i go there will be trouble. if i stay it will be double."