Replaced ||Byler||

Chapter four

The next morning was kind of boring.  Joyce made us all breakfast, although Jonathan overslept so we each got an extra pancake.

El, Will, and I all talked for a little bit, just to catch up.

At around noon Will dragged me out of the house.

Joyce was driving us somewhere since California isn't like Hawkins we can't bike wherever we want to go.

"Where are we going?"  I ask him as I look out the window.

"You'll see."  He smiles as he looks to the floor of the car.

I smile in return.

Not long after that we pulled into the parking lot of a building. 

Joyce told us she would be back at three thirty and we walked to the building.

"What is this place?"  I ask him.

"It's an outside mall."  He says while we walk inside.

"What in the hell."  I mutter to myself.  This is rich people shit.

Will laughs and leads me around.  I can't imagine how many times he's been here. 

"Arcade, let's go."  He says with a smile.  I laugh with a head shake and we both run to the arcade.  It wasn't a race at first but Will still won.

We both laugh as we enter the building.

It wasn't anything like the arcade back home.

There was a lot newer and cooler games here.  There were better prizes as well.  The games were more expensive though.

"They don't have dig-dug.  Unfortunately, they don't have any of the same games the arcade in Hawkins has."  He says while he leads me around.  He shows me all the different games.  It was weird.

He showed me how to play a few so we stayed at the arcade for a while.  After we blew through half the money Joyce gave us, we decided to go get lunch.

"Let's go to Dairy Queen."  Will says happily as we leave the arcade.  I nod with a smile.

He was acting so much different from yesterday.  It didn't seem like he was forcing himself to be happy either.  Like he was genuinely happy.  I wonder what changed.  Why he was acting like a happy kid now but wasn't happy at all yesterday.

I didn't realize when we got to Dairy Queen.  I only noticed Will tense up.  He moved out of the door frame but in a way where he didn't think I'd notice if something was wrong.  Which obviously I did.

"Let's go somewhere else."  He suggests.  Before I can object or agree he was already walking away.  I look back inside the building to see why he just flipped out like that.

The only person I could see was the guy from yesterday.

But why would Will freak out like that?

I run and quickly caught up to him.

"You okay?"  I ask him quickly and out of breath.  He laughs with a nod.

"Just not in the mood for Dairy Queen."  He shrugs it off.  "Let's go to McDonald's."

We walk over to McDonald's, order our food quickly, and sit down to eat.

We ate in silence for a little bit before I finally decided to ask him the question I've wanted to know since I've got here. 

"The guy that was with us yesterday.  Who is he?"  I ask.  I noticed Will tense up but he sighs.  He looks like he's arguing with himself in his head.

He finally looks down at the table and sighs.  "My boyfriend."  He says quietly.  "Mike, I'm gay."  He looks back up at me.

***

Word Count: 597
Date Published: 2/22/23