A Little Deal

The Lights and the Mixtape

Will and Max talked for a while longer, passing the time until they had to leave. An idea popped into Will's head while they were talking, but he didn't know how to execute it until Max conveniently excused herself to the bathroom. While Max left, Will grabbed one of the unwrapped mixtapes and rushed into his room. Sitting at his desk, he shoved the mixtape in his boombox and hit record. His mind swam with things to say. "Hi, Mike. It's Will," he started then shook his head. "Well, you probably already know that, but anyway, there's something I have to tell you. For awhile now, I – I've been..." He took a breath. "Mike, I'm in love with you, and I think I always have been. I know you love El, so I'm not asking for anything in return, but I figured I should tell you."

When he took the tape out, he flipped it over in his hands. It felt strange having something so personal concealed right out in the open. No one would even know what was on it. Except for Mike, that is. The thought of Mike listening to it made his heart skip a beat. How would he react after hearing the songs on the tape and then hearing Will's confession? What if Mike took the tape out before he listened all the way through and missed it? Groaning, Will ran a hand through his hair. Maybe he shouldn't have added that last part.

"Will? Are you in your room?" Max's voice called through the house.

There was no turning back now. He went back to the kitchen, mixtape in hand, and took a seat next to Max. She eyed him. "Is something wrong?" she asked.

"Oh, um..." He grasped about the table for wrapping paper and the other mixtapes he hadn't wrapped yet. "I'm out of tape."

"Oh, I might have..." She rummaged through her backpack and pulled out a roll of duct tape. "This is the only tape I have."

Shrugging, Will took it from her and finished wrapping his gifts with it. They looked a bit odd, but he knew his friends wouldn't care. Once they both put on their hats and coats, they set off to Mike's house.

🎄🎁🎄🎁🎄🎁

A tree sat beside the couch in the Wheeler's living room, decorated with lights, garland, and shimmering baubles. Christmas music played from a small radio on the table where both opened and unopened gifts were scattered. Max stared up at the star atop the tree from where she was sitting in the armchair.

"Don't worry," Will whispered up to her. He was sitting on the floor by her legs, unwrapping the present El had got him. "We don't have to do it today."

"I know. I was just thinking."

El and Mike were in the kitchen making cookies. The smell wafted throughout the house, relaxing Max's mind briefly. She nudged Will with her foot and gestured to a small gift wrapped in brown paper with a green bow on top and taped up with Max's duct tape. "What'd you get Mike?"

Will glanced at the gift before staring back at Max. "Like I got everyone else. A mixtape."

"Cute."

"I added something extra to it."

"What do you mean?"

"Before we came over. I added a recording."

"Of what?"

Will gave her a look, and she understood right away. A grin spread across her face. "Wow, you got right on it, didn't you? Guess I have to catch up."

"I don't know how long it'll be until he listens to it, though."

"Just ask him tomorrow if he listened to it."

"I'll just wait until he-" The two of them fell quiet when Mike and El came back into the room and plopped onto the couch. Mike leaned over and grabbed Will's gift to him from the table. He opened it swiftly and smiled when he saw it was another one of Will's mixtapes. "Thanks, Will."