Bound By Shadows 3 | Will Byers x Reader (Fem)

~ 4 ~

The final bell rang like a thunderclap through Hawkins High, followed by a literal explosion of noise — doors slamming open, sneakers pounding against floors, voices raised in laughter, celebration, chaos. It was the start of summer. Like actually, finally.

I shut my locker with a clank and adjusted the strap of my bag, brushing some mascara fallout off my cheek. 

That's when Will appeared at my side like he'd just materialised out of thin air, all quiet and wide-eyed.

"Hey," he said, a little breathless, like he'd either been running or psyching himself up just to talk to me. His cheeks were pink — the kind of pink I pretended not to notice.

"Hey Wonka," I said back, throwing a grin his way.

He rolled his eyes but didn't fight it, which only made my grin widen. I bumped my shoulder lightly into his and gestured toward the doors.

"Wanna we escape while we can?"

"Lead the way,"

As we stepped out into the early summer air, the noise got even louder — whooping, yelling, someone tossing a notebook into the sky like it was a graduation cap. The sun was out in full force now, and everything felt hazy and golden, like it was straight out of a movie.

"Free at last," I sighed, tossing my head back dramatically.

"Until August," Will replied, just as dramatic. "And then we're back here. Again. Like some never-ending loop of despair."

I snorted. "God, okay. Can you not ruin summer on day one?"

He smiled — small, shy, the kind of smile that made my stomach feel like it was doing cartwheels. "Have it your way."

We walked our bikes across the lot, weaving past the rest of the group who were all gathered under the big tree by the fence.

Lucas gave us both this annoyingly smug look and raised his eyebrow like he knew exactly what was going on. Max smirks at me like she was absolutely in on a secret. Mike, meanwhile, glared at Will like he'd just stolen his dog. We didn't stop to entertain them.

Instead, we hopped on our bikes and bolted out of there like fugitives on the run. I think Dustin yelled something like, "say hi to Joyce!" But the wind ate his words as the tires hit on the street.

"You ever think we should just... bike until we hit another state and never come back?" I asked over my shoulder.

"All the time." Will admitted.

We took a sharp left turn and peddled faster down the quiet backstreets. My hair flew behind me, tangled in the breeze, and I could feel the heat on my shoulders. Will caught up, riding close beside me, grinning in that rare way he does — wide, goofy and completely unfiltered.

"Remember when we biked this way to get to Castle Byers," he said, "and you crashed into a bush?"

"Excuse me!" I shouted. "It was ONE time. And it was dark!"

"You had a flashlight!"

"Yeah, and it wasn't working! Don't rewrite history please."

Will laughed — really laughed — and I swear something inside me just lit up.

"You screamed so loud!" He said between laughs. "I thought you'd broken your arm!"

"I scraped my knee!" I yelled "You were more dramatic than me."

He ducked his head, still smiling like an idiot. "You were bleeding. And I care, sue me."

We slowed down a little as we rounded the corner toward his street, the familiar cracked sidewalks and overgrown hedges passing by. The silence stretched for a moment, but it wasn't awkward. It felt...thick, golden, like even the air knew something was going on. My chest was pounding, but not from the bike ride.