timing : stozier

10

october 13/14

"you don't mean..." beverly acted out being grumpy, crossing her arms and huffing, "that mike? ben..." ben nodded, avoiding eye contact with her. beverly gasped.

"hey! he's really nice, you have to get to know him. he's in my drama and my english. he's a sweet boy! just at least to talk to him, okay? i was planning on introducing him to the group tomorrow? is that okay?" ben defended himself and mike. beverly was so shocked at ben admitting he had begun to crush on mike, a boy he had a drama project with. the two had gotten to know each other quite well, and as beverly found it her job to find ben a boyfriend, he let her know.

"alright, alright. we'll see." beverly put her hands up in surrender. she rolled over on ben's bed, burying her face into his sheets. ben was the only boy whose house she was allowed to go over to, as they had known each other for a long time.

she pulled up her phone, opening a groupchat.

beverly: alright whores

bill: jesus bev

beverly: ben is introducing MIKE to us tomorrow.

eddie: ooh ben love interest?

ben: shut up i swear to god

beverly: obviously, eddie. anyways!!! we are all going to be nice to him even if he's a weirdo,, agreed?

stan: Agreed.

bill: duh

eddie: sure

richie: now we'll be seven gay asses. that's real cute.

beverly: that's a good gc name

ben: if u change the gc name i will kill you

stan: There's not even seven of us yet...

ben: and mike's probably not gay

beverly: but u sure are

ben: i hate you

"how was school today, mikey?" mike took out his earbuds as he walked into the barn, his grandad immediately asking him the same question he always did. but this time, mike had a different answer.

"i think i made a friend today," mike was still questioning it. he'd gotten along really well with the kid named ben in his drama class, and the two had decided to work together on a project. if mike didn't know better, he'd say ben was excited to work with him.

"that's so great! what's their name?" his grandad looked up from his normal workspace, polishing something in between cloths.

"ben. he's really nice and sweet, i think you'd like him. he said he'd introduce me to his friends tomorrow," mike smiled, putting his backpack down on a chair. he thought about the friends ben had talked about. he knew beverly, bill and stanley from that one detention, and he remembered hearing stan come out to them, and then bill, and then beverly. strange.

he recognized eddie's and richie's names, and was fairly sure he'd seen them before. richie was quite loud (if he was thinking about the right guy), and eddie was the short kid by his side. all of them seemed fine, an interesting group of people, though. he was excited to meet them, if not scared.

"that's great, mike. finally, right?" his grandad joked, mike laughing weakly. he nodded, pulling his books and binder out of his bag. he placed them on the counter, thinking about ben. it was a bit weird and new for mike to have someone to call his friend. oh jeez, he was getting ahead of himself, he wasn't sure they would even like him. and a friend group? that was so foreign...