Starcourt Mall was bustling with so many people, the majority being teenagers that were off for summer break. Some exhausted younger parents seemed to be dragged there by their rowdy kids. Probably the grandparents didn't want to deal with that or they couldn't afford a baby sitter.
A couple of meat head jocks in football jerseys were trying to hit on some blond girl with permed curls that wore pink yoga pants.
Will nudged Mike and gestured with a finger towards the jocks. One of the guys were black with short cropped hair and was leaning on a huge concrete slab that an equally huge fern growing out of it. The other dude was blond with parted bangs, one side was a little longer than the other. The blond guy was talking to her and waved a hand towards himself and his friend. She eyed them up and down while she chewed on some bubble gum.
She blew a big pink bubble in the blonds face and then it popped. From their distance they were able to see pieces of pink gum stuck in his bangs. Without a word she turned and walked away. The guy patted his friends shoulder in condolence while the blond looked down dejected.
Will remembered a few years ago when he was freshman. He was tired of the usual bowl cut that he had in middle school. So, he wanted to try and grow it out. It took a while, but it grew out long enough that the ends brushed his shoulders. He was walking to his next class while someone bumped him pretty hard on the shoulder and he felt something dangling in his hair. He ran a hand through his brown hair and he felt a piece of wet gum. He tried to pull it out, but only succeeded in hurting his scalp.
Mike snorted in laughter, but Will felt bad for the guy, even though they were usually teased by jocks at school. Despite all that, Will went over to talk to them.
"Hi...um...Excuse me, but you have some gum in your hair," Will pointed up at the tall blond's hair.
He reached up to it, turned to his friend and muttered out, "Oh shit. How the fuck am I my gonna get this shit out.".
His friend shrugged, "Dunno man, maybe just cut it out?"
"I ain't cutting shit, dude! I tried to invite a girl to party with us and all I get is fucking gum in my hair." He said struggling to get the gum loose, but to no avail.
Will piped up, "I had some guy from school put gum in my hair. My mom had to use vegetable oil without cutting my hair at all."
The blond smiled at him, "Oh hey, thanks for the tip little dude. Let's go find some oil."
"And fuck that guy who messed with you. You're pretty cool." The other guy patted his shoulder as they walked away.
Mike walked up to him and wrapped an arm over his shoulder holding him tight, "So, what did you two talk about?" Mike muttered lowly.
"Huh? What? I told him he had gum in his hair and how to get it out."
Mike crossed his arms, " Oh, is that all?"
"Yeah. Is something wrong with that?"
"Of course not." Mike turned his head, looking away.
Mike was unusually quiet and seemed to have a distant gaze in his normally bright eyes. "Hey, what's wrong Mikey?"
"So, the blond dude?" Will followed his gaze back to the jocks that he just talked to. Mike pulled away and rubbed at his arm.
"What? What are you talking about?"
Mike gestured to his head and body, "I know I'm not muscular or strong. I'm skinny and awkward. My hair is a mess. I'm super pale with lanky arms."
He took Mike's trembling hand in his, "Stop it, Mike. I don't want you to ever think badly of yourself."
"That guy seemed nice and probably popular at school. Plus he's good looking."
"I don't give a crap what other guys look like because they aren't you."
Mike looked down, shuffling his feet, "I'm sorry that I'm an idiot."
"I get it. I do. Remember we're on a date, right? Never said that out loud, feels kinda awesome." Will smiled at him. "Anyways, we're here to have some fun, ok?" With Mike's hand still in his, they walked towards the arcade ignoring the stares.
The arcade was filled with the sounds of tokens falling, kids laughing and machines screaming out the winners. The room was dim, but was lit by strips of white lights that lined the room and video game machines flashing.
They shifted themselves through the crowded arcade. Mike's warm arm hung casually on his shoulders as he guided them to the cashier behind a chest high register.
Will fished out his small blue Velcro wallet and pulled out a 20$ bill. He handed the cashier the money, "Could I break this in 5$ bills?"
The bored cashier wore a matching black polo and slacks. He silently took the bill and opened the register to hand back four 5$ bills. He gave a quick thanks and he got a small shrug in response.
"Let's just get five dollars worth of tokens, so we'll have enough for ice cream. Maybe get some snacks for later too." Will said.
He found a token machine and slipped the 5$ bill into it and got tokens back.
"Hopefully Steve is working today and we could get some ice cream on the house."
"Yep, it's sweeter when it's free."
Will peered over the crowd on his tippy toes and spotted a familiar arcade cabinet, Mortal Kombat. "Hey Mike, let's play some Mortal Kombat." He pointed out the game. Will rushed over to it before someone else did. He pulled out some tokens and put it in the coin slot.
On the character selection screen, Will chose his favorite character Subzero and Mike went with Scorpion like always. They frantically moved their respective big red joysticks around and smashed the equally large buttons down. They both attacked with various combos and dodges until both health bars dwindled down.
Subzero was able to get the last hit on the Scorpions health. The game announced 'Finish Him!' in big bloody words in the center of the screen. Subzero shot an ice blast from his hands that froze a dazed Scorpion and smashed him to bloody ice chunks. Mike whispered in Will's ear, "I'll finish you later."
Will whispered back, "You horndog."
"Ruff Ruff." Mike stuck his tongue out and panted like a dog.
"Down boy."
Mike whined like a hurt puppy and Will ran a hand through Mike's shaggy head to scratch behind an ear like the good boy he is.
"Mike! Will! A familiar voice with a slight lisp called out their names. Will snatched his hand back as their friend Dustin came up to them.
"Oh hey, Dustin. I thought you were out with your relative or something?" Will asked.
"My family was gonna visit my aunt, but she decided to come here instead. Saying that the weather there was really muggy and she'd rather have the Indiana dry heat." Dustin said.
Will wanted to spend some time with Mike alone. Especially, since they were on their first official date as a couple even if Dustin didn't know it. Normally they would just invite him to hangout together but he didn't want him to be a third wheel. Plus, he had no idea that they were on a date anyway. Which reminded him that they haven't disclosed their relationship status to their friends yet.
He was starting to think Mike could read his mind when he turned to him and whispered, "Should we tell him?"
He whispered back, "I was just thinking that. I don't wanna hide things from our friends. I...I wanna do it." He smiled awkwardly at Mike. He didn't get to come out to his mom on his own terms, but could make up for that with his friends.
"What are you guys whispering over there for?" then with a lackluster Darth Vader impression, "Plotting to overthrow the Galactic Empire?"
The arcade was too crowded and loud for a private conversation, "Let's talk somewhere more quiet. We-uh...have something to tell you."
"The upstairs food court?" Mike suggested.
The light chatter of the food court was a stark difference from the video game sound effects and kids yelling in the arcade. The various food shops had bright neon signs above them and they formed a semicircle around white tables and chairs.
They found a relatively quiet corner next to the Hotdog On A Stick. They sat on a white booth table with that had pink cushions built in. Mike and Will a sat shoulder to shoulder on one side while Dustin took the opposite side.
"What secrets have you, pry tell? Hmmm?" Dustin said in a better Yoda impression than his Darth Vader one.
"It's not so much a secret. Umm..Well, it technically is one, but more like something that's a part of me. Actually, a part of us. Ugh..Why is this so hard?" Mike snorted when he said 'hard' and Will glared at him.
Mike coughed in his fist, "Sorry. Please continue."
"As I was trying to say. Oh, I know how to explain it. You know how people expect that most other people like pepperoni pizza?"
"Pepperoni pizza?"
"Yeah, because it's traditional. It's expected. People just assume everyone is the same, but sometimes there are other's who like Hawaiian."
"If you guys want pineapple on your pizza. I think there's a place somewhere you could get some here."
"Sometimes, there are people who hate others for liking pineapple on their pizza instead of pepperoni. I hope you don't hate us for liking Hawaiian pizza."
Dustin tilted the hat on his curly hair and scratched his head, "Why the hell would I hate you guys because you prefer pineapple pizza?"
Will shrugged with his hands, "Right? Exactly my point, since it doesn't affect you whatsoever. So, I don't get why it bothers people at all."
"Ok. I'm confused here. What's all this talk about pizza? I thought you guys were gonna spill some sort of juicy secret. I'm not one for gossip, but even I was interested."
"It has nothing to do with actual pizza. It's a metaphor." Will looked around trying to find some way to explain it without outright saying it, just in case if there were people that were being nosy.
"A metaphor?"
Will noticed the couples around them and then it clicked, "You see all the couples around us? What do they all have in common?"
Dustin glanced around to survey the food court and looked back at him, "They're all eating?"
"No, that's not what I mean. Ugh..ok I'll just say it….each couple are male and female."
"Yeah, so? That's pretty normal."
"Pepperoni pizza is considered pretty normal too."
Will could swear he saw a light bulb turn on in Dustin's head. The look a recognition flashed in his eyes, "Oh, I-uh think I get it now."
"So, uh..what do you think about that?" Mike asked.
"It's not a big deal that you guys are single. I know it must seem like everyone at the mall are already dating, but I'm sure you'll find some single girls here."
Will smacked his own face with both hands and dragged them down in frustration, "We're not single."
"Oh, why didn't you just say that? So, who are the lucky ladies?" He rubbed his hands together.
"Umm...That's what I was trying to explain. There are no ladies." Will bit his lip and forced himself to see Dustin's reaction.
"Huh? But you just said that you guys aren't single though."
"Right." Will cleared his throat, "We're on a date."
"So you guys are on a double date? Where are your dates then?"
Will's right eye began to twitch, "Right here."
Dustin looked back and forth in confusion, "I only see you two."
"Exactly."
"I don't get."
Will pushed his sweaty bangs behind his ears, "Oh my god, Dustin. You're usually way smarter than that. I didn't think I would have to practically spell it out for you." Will gestured between himself and Mike, "We..Are..On...A...Date..Together..With...Each..Other..Got it now?"
Dustin just sat there like a frozen statue with his mouth hanging slightly opened.
Mike chuckled, "I think we broke him, Will."
He snapped out of his stupor, "But I thought you liked Jane, Mike."
"I do like her, but when I had kissed her it felt like kissing my sister." Mike said.
"I wouldn't mind kissing your sister." Dustin said with a smirk.
"Eww…Don't even joke like that."
"So..You're not disgusted?" Will asked.
"By Mike's sister? Quite the opposite."
"Not that. I meant by us. You know, that we're together."
"You're both the same Mike and Will to me. I'm cool with you guys as long as you don't get freaky in front of me. I don't need to see any of my friends naked."
"You wouldn't be the first to see us-" Will lightly smacked Mike's shaggy head before he could finish that sentence.
"I guess I should feel honored that I'm the first you told."
"Yeah, about that." Mike said.
"You're not. Well, if it's any consolation, you're the first friend we told." Will added.
"First friend you told? Then who have you told already?"
Will rubbed his heated face, "Uh..My mom found out first."
Mike looked at him with a guilty face, "Sorry."
Will gave Mike's knee a gentle squeeze, "It's ok."
"Wait a sec. When did you guys get together? Have you two been dating in secret?"
"No, we haven't. Ummm...Since the first day of summer break." Mike said.
"This year? But that was like literally a few days ago. Also, I had no idea that either one of you liked guys."
"I know it seems soon, but I knew I loved Will since he was taken by the Demogoron." Mike admitted.
"Wow. Who knew you were such a sappy romantic?" Dustin grinned.
Then Mike had the nerve to stroke Will's hair and tucked some of it that fell in eyes behind his ear. He might've closed his eyes while Mike was doing that.
Dustin's mouth broke into a huge amused smile as Will's face flared up. "How did your mom react? I hope she didn't go crazy and threaten Mike if he ever hurt her baby."
"I'm not a baby." Will pouted his lips dramatically.
Mike and Dustin busted out laughing in response.
"Actually, my mom is really supportive of us and even said we make a cute couple." Will smiled at Mike. Mike wrapped an arm around him and Will pressed his face into the crook of his neck.
"Oh my god. I think my teeth are gonna rot out my head from all the sweetness. I thought that Suzie and I were bad."
"Speaking of sweetness. I could go for some ice cream right about now." Will said.
Mike whispered in his ear, "You're sweet too."