"boys don't cry" (byler) (stranger things)

03- late

~

Will jolts up, wiping a cold sweat from his forehead. Another weird dream. He sighs and yawns, lying back down and turning over in his bed. Will stares at his wall. Blank, since the drawings and polaroids of his friends were ripped down without care by his father, leaving small holes in the paint where the thumbtacks used to be.

Will sighs and turn back over, staring at the ceiling intently. He rolls over and stares at his clock, which was blinking '7:24'. Will gasps and sits up, throwing the blanket off himself and scrambling out of bed, kicking the clothes from yesterday on his floor away so he could open his closet.

He pulls out a long sleeved shirt and pulls it on, picking out a pair of shorts and socks to go along with it, cursing under his breath as he pulled his clothes on quickly.

Will rushes into the bathroom and grabs his toothbrush, applying deodorant with the other hand. He looks in his mirror and fixes his hair, before finishing brushing his teeth and spitting out toothpaste in the sink.

He rushes into the kitchen and packs up his bag, his books sprawled out on the kitchen counter from his homework the night before. He sighs in relief as he pulls on his bag and grabs a pair of house keys, heading for the door before a loud voice stops him.

"God DAMN it William, are you late for school again?!"

Will turns around and looks at his father with a small smile, his eyes full of shame

"I-If I leave now and ride my bike I could probably still make it to first period,"

Will explains, his father grimacing and rubbing his forehead

"God fucking DAMNIT WILLIAM! How many fucking times to do I have to tell you to get to school earlier. It's not that FUCKING HARD!"

Wills father exclaims, slamming his fist against the wall in pure anger. Will stepped back a little and gulped quietly.

"I know! I'm sorry! You know my alarm doesn't work and I-"

Lonnie interrupts the frantic boy,

"Just shut the HELL up and get out."

Will nods and dashes out the front door, grabbing his bike from the garage. His stomach grumbled, wanting the breakfast he skipped to go to school. He started pedaling to school and takes a deep breath of the fresh air. Will loved his bike. He loved taking long bike rides around the neighborhood and listening to the quiet sounds of Hawkins.

He liked being outside, the atmosphere in his house was just overwhelming. The smell of alcohol and the sounds of faint television. The sounds of silence in his once lively and bustling household. It felt empty. It didn't feel like home.

~

Will arrived at the school and threw his bike into the racks with the others,
rushing through the school doors. He stopped at his first class and looked inside. Class has already started. "No point in going now" Will thought, waking his way to the nearest bathroom.

Will walked inside and sighed, looking at himself in the mirror. He looked tired. He turned around when he heard the sounds of giggling and two boys emerged from a stall. It was Troy and James, just some douches from Wills middle school. Troy put an unlit cigarette in his mouth, either trying to look cool or just being dumb.

"Byers? Huh, hey James! It's zombie boy!"

Troy snickered and elbowed James, pointing to Will. Will turned around and started washing his hands so he didn't look suspicious. James suddenly gripped his shoulder and smiled at Will,

"How's life been? 'You get a girlfriend yet?- Or a boyfriend? Huh, little fairy?"

James shook Wills shoulder and laughed with Troy. Will shook his arm free and glared at the boys, grabbing a paper towel to dry his hands.

"You guys haven't changed a bit. Real mature, all right."

Will scoffed, throwing the paper towels away before heading to the door.

"Hey. Don't you think about insulting us, Byers. You're not tough now. You're still the scared little boy you were in middle school. You always will be."

Troy spits, and Will stops for a second before walking out of the bathroom quicker than before. Great start to the day, already being threaded and reminded of my flaws. Yay.

~