🚲Behind That Fake Smile💔ZodiacTheSpringer

Four

Will POV:

I had opened the door to Dustin, Lucas and Mike. I hadn't expected them to come over so soon into moving in. They all stood there with large welcoming smiles, and Dustin even barged past Mike and Lucas to hug me tight.

"We're so glad to have you back!" He shouted, practically almost shaking me up and down.

Lucas came after him. We high-fived each other's hands before he pulled in for a tight hug.

Mike placed his hand on my shoulder and told me that he was glad that I was back in Hawkins.

It was great to have a 'Welcome Back' greeting from the people that I loved the most, but I was really hoping to settle in properly before I had the party show up. We were still unpacking and getting the water and electricity sorted out.
Mom wasn't expecting the guys to come over either. She glanced at us a bit uncertain but went back to doing what she was doing after she said a quick 'Hi' to the others.

We walked straight to my room and I chucked some pillows on the ground for the guys to sit on. We all sat in a circle looking at each-other.

"I didn't know you would come back," Lucas told me.

I whipped my head up to look him after looking down at my hands. It took a bit of time for me to function what he had said since I wasn't quite paying attention and more lost in my thoughts.

"Er...Yeah. Me neither," I responded a bit unsure of what to say.

"I was certain you'd stay in California!" Mike joined in, leaning forward an inch.

I leaned back slightly and glanced up at the ceiling while playing around with my thumbs. "I guess I thought the same..." I spoke quietly.

I tried to avoid Mike's eye contact that seemed to be burning through my chest. I knew if I took a moment to look back at him; my gaze would hold onto him for an uncomfortable amount of time.
During my time in California, I always longed to see Mike again. To perhaps talk to him face to face.
Know that I was in my wish. I wasn't sure on what to do. I felt awkward sitting close to Mike once again. I continued to fiddle with my thumbs and looked to the wall.

A while of silence started to form and I was sure that none of us knew on what to say next.

"I'm going to get my toe-nail pierced this Friday,".

I looked over at Dustin in complete confusion. Was this him trying to break the silence? The others were looking at him too, but he only shrugged as though he hadn't just said that at all.

I got up from my pillow and looked down at the others.

"Want something to eat?" I asked them. "Jonathan went shopping before so we've got a few things you could eat,".

"How 'bout a Popsicle!" Dustin said.

"It's the middle of autumn!" Mike pointed out.

"Well, yeah! But they are still good." Dustin replied.

I watched as Dustin and Mike stared at each other menacingly until I quickly went to support Dustin's side knowing that to offer food then not let them have it would be kinda disrespectful.

"Don't worry, Dustin." I told him. "I'm sure we've got some in the cooler,".

I walked out the door and towards the kitchen immediately starting to think I should've gone with Mike's side. It was a bit strange to have something cold on a cold day.
Maybe I shouldn't have taken a side at all. I thought about next.
I opened up the cooler and flicked through the different frozen meals until I found a box of 'Firecrackers' tucked in the corner with frost beginning to cover the sides. The popsicles had probably been there for a while and we hadn't cleaned them out.
But Dustin being Dustin: he wouldn't notice the difference between 'out of date' and 'still good to eat'.

I opened up the box and pulled out a popsicle. The packaging around the frozen ice cream was startling cold and actually hurt quite a bit in my hand.
I accidentally dropped it onto the ground in total shock from the pain of frostiness. My Mom looked around the corner, wondering what I was doing.

"You okay?" She asked me.

I quickly nodded back and reached down to grab the popsicle and ran back to my room where the others were having a large argument about something I didn't understand or care much about of either.

I clutched onto the popsicle, waiting for the argument to die down.
It didn't take long for them to notice me in the doorway, staring at them, confused.

"Sorry," Lucas apologised.

"No. It's alright." I sat down onto my pillow and passed the popsicle to Dustin, which he ripped open immediately.
He started sucking on it, clearly enjoying the sweet taste of old sugar as though he hadn't had a popsicle in a long time.

"Calm down." Mike snorted at Dustin with his arms folded in his lap.

"Do you want one too?" I asked him.

Mike looked over at me with his dark eyes that stared straight into my soul. I had completely forgotten about the question I had asked him and found myself lost in the darkness his pupils held in front of me.

I snapped back into reality when Mike waved his hands in front of my face.
"Drifted off, ey?" He smiled at me.

"Er, yes. Just thought I noticed something behind you," I lied, quickly turning my head to face the floor in complete shame of myself.
I began fiddling with my thumbs again and slouched on my pillow.

"So..." Lucas began. "What will we do?".

"Do you still have some of your old board games?" Mike asked me.

Without looking at him, I nodded and went to my cupboard. It was practically empty but some stuff from the black bag had been placed in the bottom corner, stacked neatly on top of each other.
The board games were down the bottom and I had to take off the stuff on top before I could reach it.
Game of life, Monopoly, Cluedo and Guess Who was all there. I would've taken out Dungeons & Dragons out as well but I had given it away before I had left for California.

I placed the games (still stacked on top of each other) in front of the guys and sat back down.

"So?" Dustin looked around at all of us. "Which one?".

I shrugged and so did the others. But we did manage to break it down to Cluedo. Making it the game we would play.

We began to play. I was Prof. Plum.
Mike was Mr. Green.
Lucas was Colonel Mustard.
And Dustin was stuck with Mrs Peacock.

We played for 20 minutes before the mention of Dungeon & Dragons came up.

"Yeah. It was fun," Mike smiled as he looked down at his cards. "It would've been fun to play with you, Will," he added.

"What do you mean?" I asked him after rolling the dice. I looked up at him again but this time, focused on what he had said.

Dustin and Lucas looked to Mike as though they were expecting something out of him as well.

Mike looked back at me with his face going bright red. He gripped tightly on to his cards.

"I thought you had told him, Mike!" Dustin said between his teeth.

"You said you had called him all last year about Hellfire club." Lucas added.

"What's. Hellfire club." I asked, suddenly very irritated.

Mike's eyes flickered to each of us, starting to stress out.

"I-it doesn't matter anymore. It's over." He stuttered.

"Will. Do you know what he is talking about?" Lucas asked me.

"N-no" my blood started to boil up in rage and curiosity.

"Like I said. It. Doesn't. Matter. Anymore." Mike spoke louder to be heard.

Everybody stared at Mike. His hands were all sweaty and were shaking vigorously. He dropped his cards and stared at his feet while Dustin and Lucas continued to yell at him.