"he's hanging out with my idiot brother!" mike announced to the party
"really?"
"yeah! what does he even see in that loser?!" he huffed sitting down
"are you jealous mikey?" dustin teased
"no! shut up." everyone laughed a bit at his clear defensiveness. jane patted his back.
"oh mike, we're just teasing." she began to rub it sympathetically
"i know, i know, but seriously why him?"
"my brother is such a dick!" richie groaned falling back into his bed.
"as much as i would love to stay and shit talk your brother, i must go." eddie frown collecting his things.
"shall i walk out eds?"
"first, don't call me that. second, yes please." he smiled as richie led him out the room. will found himself frowning a bit
"are they together?" he asked the room mindlessly
"oh god no." stan answered
"d-don't tell richie, but eddie ha-has a crush on h-him." bill commented starting to play with stan's hair
"oh," will muttered. he was going to ask further questions but his phone rang
lucas: u need to come back like rn
will: why?
lucas: mike will not shut up abt u 'ditching' us :/
will felt his cheeks flush and he set his phone down. mike was thinking about him? apparently will couldn't keep his excitement down because when richie returned he immediately asked him.
"why are you so happy?"
"oh it's nothing," he covered his face with a pillow. richie chuckled and stan giggled softly.
"did bill fall asleep?" stan looked up from his book to see a sleeping bill on his shoulder. his face tinted red as he nudged him off softly. now bill was resting his head on the side of richie's bed.
"should i go back downstairs?"
"why would you wanna do that?" richie began fidgeting with a stress ball on his desk
"mike is a bt frustrated i left," will shrugged
"oh, let him a be a bit frustrated will." he nodded.
"i'm gonna go up there and-" footsteps were heard and will came down.
"finally decide to join us?" mike tried to act like he didn't spend the last hour over explaining why will should be here. sometimes people are still nerds at heart.
"i'm sorry mike!"
"god, i bet you'd date him." mike huffed and max got an idea
"oh my god! mike, you are a dumb genius!"
"wait what?"
"will."
"hm?"
"i bet 50 dollars right now to date richie for a month." max grinned and mike immediately interjected
"um, no!"
"ugh, come here." max pulled mike up and they began to deliberate together
"max what are you doing?!" mike whispered yelled
"look, if will dates richie and breaks his heart he'll stay and hangout with us! he won't have a richie or losers club to hangout with. we stay sorta popular, the party stay together, and we don't ned to hear you rant about will leaving for that long ever again." she smiled and mike nodded agreeing with her plan.
"will, you need to date my brother."
"what?!"
"think about it! you date richie then break up with him and everything can go back to normal! we can be a full party again!" to will that meant dnd and the way mike was looking into his eyes he couldn't say no.
"plus, you get 50 bucks." max added
"and this'll fix things?" mike and max nodded. will's eyes darted to everyone else and their faces gave him mixed signals. but if it meant they'll stay a party...