"Singing the blues."
"Mike?"
Mike looked up to see Nancy standing there in the doorway in front of him.
He just looked at her.
She couldn't read his face. That was happening more often recently. She couldn't tell what her brother was feeling and when she could, it was anger.
"When did you get here?" She asked.
Mike looked beside him then back to Nancy.
"Um. You and Jonathan were sleeping." He answered.
"No, I asked when you got here."
"Oh."
Nancy walked over and sat down next to him.
"I had my first time with Will in here. My first time ever." Mike said.
Nancy raised her head. She didn't really want to hear about her brother's sexual adventures, but she knew he needed to talk, so she was gonna let him talk.
"Really?"
"Yeah. He was my boyfriend." Mike replied.
Nancy nodded. "I know he was."
"But now he's dead." Mike continued.
"Yeah..." Nancy trailed off.
Mike looked over at his sister.
"You know it's my fault, right?"
She looked at her brother with furrowed eyebrows.
"What?"
"Yeah. I killed Will." He nodded.
"No, Mike, you did not. The Mind Flayer—."
"No, Nancy. I made the Mind Flayer kill him." Mike shook his head.
"No you did not. He was the host again and he sacrificed himself for El. For his sister—."
"No, Nancy. He did it because of me. Because he knew I cared about Eleven. He knew she was my best friend. He did it for me, Nancy." Mike replied.
"Mike, Eleven was like Will's sister. He loved her. Maybe not as much as you did, but he still loved her. He was doing it because he loved Eleven and the only way to get rid of the Mind Flayer was to sacrifice himself. You need to stop blaming yourself."
"But if I had been with him sooner, then we would've had more time—."
"Mike. Enough. Stop it. This is not helping with your grief. Concocting theories will not help you move on or help anyone else." Nancy said.
"She's right, Mike."
Mike looked over to see Will and jumped up.
"Shut up, just shut up! Why would you do this to me? Why are you making me do this? If you would've never—if...I should've never fallen in love with you because look what happens when you fall in love! I'm never falling in love with anyone ever again! Fuck you, Will! Fuck you."
Will nodded. "I know. Let it out, love. Let it all out."
"Mike, what is going on?" Nancy questioned as she got up from Will's bed.
Mike pointed. "Will!"
Nancy furrowed her eyebrows. "I think I should call Mom."
Mike looked to Will then back to Nancy and remembered she couldn't see him.
"Shit. No. No Nancy, don't call Mom. Please don't call Mom."
Nancy took another look at him before leaving the room.
He shook his head. "Nancy, no."
He followed her out of the room and to where the phone was.
"Nancy, please."
"No! Mike, there is something wrong with you and Mom needs to know!" Nancy exclaimed.
"Nancy, please, just put the phone down!"
"I'm calling Mom."
"Nancy—."
"Mike, just—."
"What is going on here?"
They both turned to see Joyce walking through the door.
Jonathan sat up and furrowed his eyebrows. "Yeah, what is going on?"
"Mrs. Byers, thank goodness you're back. Mike has gone insane and our mother should know." Nancy said.
Mike shook his head. "No. No, she thinks I'm crazy, but I'm not."
"Whoa, whoa, okay, okay. Explain to me first why you think he's gone insane, Nance." Joyce said.
"Because he was screaming at Will! Or...He was screaming as if he was screaming at Will. But Will is obviously...not here..."
They were all silent after that sentence.
Mike shook his head. "No."
"No?" Joyce furrowed her eyebrows.
"No."
"You weren't screaming 'at Will?'" Nancy asked, doing air quotes around 'at Will.'
Mike huffed. "It wasn't like that."
"Then what was it like?" Nancy raised her eyebrows.
"Nancy." Jonathan muttered.
"What? I'm just—."
"I think I'd like to talk to Mike alone for a moment if you two don't mind. Just to hear what's going on in his head. And then if I think something's truly wrong, we can call your mother, okay?"
Nancy looked at Mike then back to joint and nodded.
"Come on, Jonathan."
Jonathan got up and followed Nancy into his bedroom.
"Why don't we sit down at the table."
They walked into the kitchen and Mike sat. Joyce put her bag down and went over to the fridge.
"Can I get you something, Mike?" Joyce asked.
"Um...No. I just need someone to listen to me."
"Okay."
Joyce brought over two bottles of water anyway. It looked like Mike hadn't eaten or drank anything all day.
"So. Can you tell me what's going on?"
Mike looked over to Will who nodded.
"You know her. She'd never think you're crazy. She doesn't think anyone's crazy. If she did think someone was crazy, then I'd think we'd all be in trouble because she's the craziest person I know. Knew. But I still love—loved her."
Mike smiled, then frowned.
"Mike."
He looked up to Joyce and sighed.
"I can see and hear Will. And so can El."
Joyce just looked at Mike and he stared back.
"Excuse me? Can you repeat that for me?"
"I can see Will. Eleven can because of her powers and whatnot, but me...I have a job." Mike said.
"A-A job?" Joyce furrowed her eyebrows.
"Yes. In order for Will to move on and be at peace, I have to move on. I have to relive everything and when I do. And when I truly accept Will's death, he can move on and be at peace. And then no one can see him. Not even El with her powers." Mike explained.
Joyce stared at him and he knew.
She thought he was crazy. Which highly surprised him.
But, that wasn't true.
"Mrs. Byers, I know how this sounds—."
"Is he here right now?" Joyce asked.
Mike let out a breath of relief. She believed him.
He looked over to Will. "Yeah. He's here right now."
Joyce looked over to the empty chair Mike was looking at.
"Will?"
"Hi, Mom."
"Hey says hi."
Joyce covered her mouth with her hand. "Hi, baby."
Will smiled and Mike half-smiled at him.
"Can you tell him...Can you tell him that I miss him."
"He heard."
"I know, Mom. I miss you too. With my whole heart."
"He says he knows and misses you too. With his whole heart."
"Oh my god. " Joyce whispered. "Um...I want him to know that I got a new job. And that he's the reason I did so. He's—He's the reason I keep going everyday. Because I know he'd want me to."
Tears were now escaping her eyes. Mike was holding his in.
Will obviously couldn't cry, but if he could, he would've been.
"Tell her...Tell her that I thank her for doing it for me and...and that...that she will forever be my mom and I will forever be her son even in death. And that I love her."
Mike exhaled. "He says...He says...that he thinks you for doing it for him and that you will forever be his mom he will forever be your son even in death. And he loves you."
Joyce nodded and wiped her face.
"I love you more."
"I love you most."
"He loves you most."
She exhaled and nodded.
Mike looked to Will and he nodded.
"I'll see you in a bit. Keep talking to her."
Mike nodded and turned back to Joyce.
"He left."
Joyce nodded and let out a breath.
"Thank you for that, Mike."
"Thank you for believing me."
Joyce shook her head. "You don't need to thank me for that. That was a given."
Mike nodded. "I think you should call my mom."
"Why?"
"She doesn't know where I am right now."
Joyce sighed and nodded. "Okay. But I won't tell her anything."
She stood up and went over to the phone and dialed the Wheeler's number.
Jonathan and Nancy came back into the room.
Mike looked at Nancy.
"She's calling Mom. You happy?"
"Mike I wasn't trying to be mean, I was trying to help you."
Mike just shrugged. "Whatever."
"Your mom's on her way, Mike."
"Thank you, Mrs. Byers. And thank you for believing me when others couldn't."
Mike gave Nancy a look who turned away.
Joyce put her hand on Mike's cheek and rubbed his cheek with her thumb.
"Of course. You were always the light of my son's life, by the way. He loved you."
Mike nodded. "I loved him more than anything."
Joyce nodded. "So did I."
She then pulled her hand away and walked away.
🧸
Mike closed the door to the car and as soon as he did, Karen pulled away.
She was driving very quickly onto one of the neighborhood streets.
Mike watched on the monitor how the high the speed was getting.
She was doing fifty in a thirty
"Mom, can you slow down?"
Karen looked over at him with anger written all over her face.
"So you're asking me to do something after I wait fifteen minutes for you to get your bike to then learn that you had just left with it? Hm, Michael?" Karen cocked an eyebrow.
She was stern, but she didn't raise her voice. Karen was never one to really raise her voice at her children. Sure, she got mad at them, but never really yelled at them.
"I'm sorry, Mom, I just really needed to do something." Mike apologized.
"You're always needing to do something, Michael. And you're always in and out of the house. Or running around crazy."
"I'm not running around crazy, Mom. I'm not some crazy person!" Mike exclaimed.
Karen sighed. "Michael, look I know you're grieving and you went to Will's house because of that. I know how much you loved Will. He was your best friend—."
"Oh my God. I'm tired of this. I'm tired of you saying how much I loved him! Because you have no freaking idea how much I loved him, Mom. Will was my boyfriend!" Mike exclaimed. "I loved him like a boyfriend."
Karen slowed down and pulled the car over before putting it in park.
"What?"
"Mom. I like boys. I mean, I like girls too, but...Will was my boyfriend. And I loved him like a boyfriend." Mike nodded.
Karen stood quiet for a few minutes.
"My son likes boys and I had no idea. How could I miss this?" Karen questioned.
Mike shook his head. Why did he do this? Why did he think his mother would accept him. He started crying.
"I'm sorry, Mom." He cried.
Karen shook her head. "No, Michael. Please don't be sorry, you did nothing wrong. I just mean I can't believe I missed a big moment in your life. It must've been so hard to have kept that from certain people. It must've been so hard to date Will because of the world we live in. If anyone should be sorry it's me. It's me for not noticing. I just want you to know Mike, I still love you no matter what. You're my son. My beautiful boy. I care that you like boys, but that's because who you are matters so much to me. I want to cherish who you are."
Mike reached over and hugged his mom, sobbing. Karen was sobbing as well and took her son in her arms.
"I love you so much, Michael."
"I love you too, Mom."
They sat like that for a few minutes. Mike smiled into the hug. He felt so safe. This was the safest he felt in so long.
"I love you, my baby boy."
"I love you too, Mom. I love you."
They both exhaled and pulled away.
"Let's get you home, baby."
Mike nodded and Karen drove away, at a normal speed this time, making their way back to the Wheeler house.
AUTHORS NOTE
it's me again. here to make you cry.
muah,
lea <3