August 1985

The Starcourt Mall opened in Hawkins and changed the entire social structure of the town. Most everyone spent their time there when they had some free time. This included Mike, Lucas, Dustin, Max and Mike's new girlfriend Jane. They had met last year at the Snow Ball. Will saw him smile at her and encouraged him to say something.

Will didn't go to the Mall. He did the arcade sometimes but it was just too confusing and sometimes stressed him into tears. He always felt terrible about it. Even though Mike never seemed to show it, Will was certain he was being troublesome to Mike. Will Byers had gone into a self imposed solitude this summer and three weeks in, he realized that this might be his future. His best friend with a girlfriend and his other two friends with mysterious lives he didn't know.

Will vigorously sketched with his colored pencils. He sat near the edge of the woods leaning on a tree. He was more isolated than ever right now because he was unable to wear his hearing aids. A very nasty ear infection sealed the left ear canal almost completely shut. The hospital had to shove a cotton ball wick into it so Joyce could help drain the medicine into his ear. The pain was bad enough at one point the doctor wanted to keep Will overnight but the family couldn't afford it.

No hearing aids for Will meant almost no one could talk to him without him having to write everything down. Jonathan had managed to get some sign language and use it, but his Mom just couldn't seem to master it. Will hated seeing her so hopeless, so he told her not to worry about it. The only other person he talked freely to was Mike. Will hadn't seen Mike in almost two weeks.

Will looked at his sketch and was mostly disappointed. He was working on landscapes now but he was struggling. Maybe it was a lack of concentration. He blew out his breath and crumpled the sheet of paper, setting it on the ground. It took a second to realize there was a foot right next to it. Will jumped. He looked up and calmed instantly. Mike smiled down at him.

'Sit?' Mike asked.

'sure' Will responded.

Will saw Mike pick up the crumpled paper as he sat down. Will wanted to object but Mike wouldn't have listened anyway. When it came to stuff like this, Mike Wheeler may as well have been the deaf one. Will watched as his best friend opened the paper back up. Mike gave it a long glance and looked almost confused.

'Why don't you like it?' Mike's eyes continue to tell of his confusion.

'Not what I was going for' Will shrugged.

Will's signing seemed a bit sluggish. Then Mike remembered he probably didn't get much use except when they were together. He looks at Will's face from his side view. Mike can see the tired eyes and slouching body and it makes him want to reach out. He wants to protect Will, to love Will.

'You like her?' Will signed.

Mike watched as Will set his drawing stuff down and faced toward him legs crossed.

'Who?'

'Do you know a lot of girls?' Will grinned.

'I guess I like Jane, why?' Mike says the words out of his mouth as well, even though Will can't hear them.

'you guess?'

Mike is starting to feel interrogated. He can feel a slight temper build inside of him.

'I guess I just don't understand what you're asking here.'

'She makes you smile. I saw it.' Will smiled

Something seems off though to Mike. Will doesn't talk about others when they're together. Will seems sad but Mike can't seem to piece anything together. Maybe it was stress.

'You seemed happy. Want to see you happy.'

'Why are you saying this stuff Will? Are you okay?'

'I okay. Just I don't think you should always worry about me. Your life. Not mine.'

Will's face drops and he looks away. He's still not explaining this right, Mike is completely lost. Mike reaches over and lifts Will's face with his thumb and index finger.

'You think I don't wanna be here?' Mike asked. His face reflected that he was certain this was a close guess.

'No. I know you do. I don't want-' Will stopped and thought and tears started to fill his eyes.

'Shouldn't ruin yourself for me. Lucas and Dustin already know.'

Mike understood suddenly why Will was talking like this. He was feeling abandoned and alone. They couldn't call to stay in touch and Mike knew that Dustin and Lucas didn't always understand how sensitive Will was. There was no one else like him. He felt alone so easily. Mike never blamed him. Will never said anything unless pressed like this. Mike had tried to stop by a couple of times but Will had been sick with his ear infection and couldn't even get out of bed according to his mom.

'Will, I came here because I wanted to see you. I did try to see you a couple of times but you were really sick in bed.'

Will looked ashamed and tried to look away again.

'I won't just disappear okay? I promise.'

'What about Jane?'

'She left a week ago. She was only here because she needed help from Chief Hopper and Nancy to locate one of her sisters that used to live here.'

'She's gone?'

'Yes.'

'Sorry, you seemed to like her a lot.' Will looked genuinely apologetic.

'She was pretty cool but it wasn't a girlfriend thing.'

'Oh.'

'Were you jealous?' Mike smirked.

'No.' Will Smiled sadly. 'Just-I'm sorry for being stupid.'

'You are not stupid.' Mike hardened his gaze to show he didn't like Will thinking that about himself.

'Sometimes this is confusing and lonely. You're the only one who can listen.'

Mike watched as Will seemed to swallow and then he fought a sob. Will was trying to tell Mike that it was okay to move on like Dustin and Lucas had. He didn't want Mike to feel responsible for always being there and now everything about the conversation fell perfectly into place. Mike had been right.

'I love you, Will. Did you know what that means?'

'No'

'It means you made a huge mistake and you're stuck with me.'

Mike got up and extended his hand and helped Will up. He pulled the boy into a hug. Mike was careful to hug the side that didn't have the cotton in it. He stood there for a little bit rubbing Will's back as he felt the boy's soft sobs. Mike felt terribly for him and it made him also want to cry. When they pulled apart, he glanced Will up and down and then signed.

'We should go to your house. It's going to get too hot soon.'

'Sure.'

Mike watched as Will bent over to grab his art supplies and smiled mischievously. He pulled his hand back and slapped Will right on the butt. Will wheeled around and shoved Mike but the grin on his face let Mike know he wasn't mad. All of the sudden both boys were wrestling. Mike made sure to be careful of Will's ear. This did put him at a disadvantage. He didn't mind as Will's excited breathing and short laughs made him happy. When they both ran out of breath, Mike stopped and helped Will gather his things and they headed to his house.

"Mrs. Byers, do you mind if I stay the night?" Mike said as he came through the door.

"Not even a hello first?" Joyce asked sarcastically. "You are not very good at buttering moms up are you?"

"You are very pretty today Mrs. Byers, can I please stay the night?" Mike said in a false overly sweet tone.

"That's better, but needs work. Yes you may stay the night. It's just soup and grilled cheese for dinner." She called

Mike doesn't care. Will and him head to Will's room without a second wasted. It always felt good to visit here.

Both boys sat on the floor in Will's room and worked on putting together a 500 piece puzzle. Mike was glad to do something so relaxing after the in and out chaos of Nancy and Jane. His father had also been in a foul mood because of some problems at his job. Mike wouldn't explain these things. They weren't his problem, so Will didn't need to worry about them.

Mike watched Will work on the outer rim of the puzzle. He loved how Will's face got all serious about it. Mike started to realize how attractive he was finding everything about Will. He didn't really consider it attraction though, he was Fourteen after all. Pushing the thoughts from his mind he Mike started to put the pieces of his side of the puzzle together. Time flew by until the smell of dinner hit the air.

"Mike, it's dinner time. Let Will know please." Joyce called.

"Okay." Mike called back.

'Dinner' Mike signs

Will shoots up from his sitting position and Mike feels the same. They are both very hungry. At the dinner table it's Will, Jonathan, Mike and Joyce. The boys sign something to each other and Jonathan starts to look annoyed. Joyce is lost at first.

'Let's see if Jonathan can actually tell what we're saying.' Mike snickered.

'Okay. Yeah.' Will signed enthusiastically.

'Jonathan smells weird.' Will signed.

'Because Nancy is his girlfr-' Mike gets cut off when Jonathan signs.

'Stop it. I do not smell weird.' Jonathan signed.

He lost his self confidence as he did and smelled himself. This caused both boys to erupt into giggles. Joyce looked at all three boys.

"What is going on?"

"Nothing Mom, okay they're just being dumb."

'Jonathan stinky bathroom.' Mike signed

Will slaps the table and throws his head back and the cackle that comes out causes both Mike and Joyce to laugh.

"Are you two being mean?" Joyce asked smiling

"Yes." Said Jonathan coolly. "I do not stink!" He signed firmly to show his anger and annoyance.

"You do stink a little bit, honey." Joyce said chewing a bite of grilled cheese.

'You mom says he stinks too.' Mike barely can sign while he's laughing.

Will is in an absolute laughing fit and now Jonathan is joining in. Were they being mean? Yes. Was it making Jonathan happy to see Will laugh like this? Also yes.

After dinner both boys sat down for a couple of shows on TV. Mike signed simple plot points so Will could follow what was happening. Joyce made them some extra buttery popcorn and gave them some alone time. It was about 10pm when she came to check on them and found both boys had crashed and burned.

Jonathan had the same idea too. He had gotten back from seeing Nancy a few minutes before and was trying to wake them up. The couch was horrible for sleeping. Joyce waved him off and asked him over.

"Don't worry, I'll get them up in a little bit." Joyce said softly. "I always worried about Will finding a friend. Then he found a best one right off the bat. Will has some pretty great luck. I was also worried that might change as they got to this age. Girls start coming into the picture. I know he was feeling pretty lonely the last couple of weeks."

"Yeah. Will has a lot going on in his head right now. I don't think any of it includes girls." Jonathan said looking over at the back of the couch.

"What makes you say that?" Joyce asked in confusion.

"We talk a lot even though I'm not confident in signing yet." Jonathan sounds a bit sad. "I suspect that he likes Mike."

"Well yeah of course he likes-" And Joyce stops for a moment catching up to the thought properly "Oh? Oh. You really think that?"

"I said I suspect. I don't know for sure. It's at least complicated for him right now." Jonathan said softly.

"Well we probably shouldn't say anything unless there's a need then. Okay?" Joyce said a worried expression hitting her face.

"Was already way ahead of you mom." Jonathan said.

"My baby is growing up and I really hate it." Joyce said out loud without thinking.

"Thanks mom, I love you too." Jonathan said sarcastically. He gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek and headed to his room for the night.

Joyce by a miracle did manage to raise the dead and sent Will and Mike staggering to Will's room. Mike helped Will get into bed and then got his sleeping bag out of the closet. As he unrolled it, he watched Will turn over and snuggle into his blanket. Mike wondered what it would be like to snuggle with him but the thought didn't last through his tired fog. Mike got into the bag, zipped up and went to sleep within a couple of minutes.