"I tried to laugh about it
Cover it all up with lies
I tried to laugh about it
Hiding the tears in my eyes"

Will finds Dustin waiting in line in the cafeteria. He's debating with the lunch lady about the disconnect between children's nutritional needs and what's being served in public school lunches. Lucas is close beside him, rolling his eyes as he slides his tray toward the refrigerator where the milk is kept. He doesn't wait for them to head to the cashier. Lucas and Dustin have ended up with almost identical schedules and Will chuckles to himself as he watches Lucas slump away shaking his head. He can already tell it's going to be a test on their relationship. The lunch lady looks equally unimpressed with Dustin as she plops a generous helping of runny mashed potatoes onto their trays.

Dustin eyes the food grumpily and then shoots an overly sweet, toothy grin at her grumbling to himself while shuffling in the line in front of Will as they check out.

"Hey, we're still on for tomorrow right?" Dustin asks Will as he hands the cashier his money.

"Yeah, for sure. We're gonna go to the video store right?"

"Definitely."

"Will Robin and Steve be working?"

"Yeah!"

"Oh nice. I haven't seen them in a while."

"Yeah me either," Dustin says. "Steve's been working extra shifts, trying to save up for an apartment. I think his dad is getting to him."

"Mmm, I get it. I wouldn't want to be around his dad either."

They head shoulder to shoulder to their table. The Hellfire gang are waiting for them. Dustin grabs the seat next to Lucas, leaving only one space left, between Jeff and Mike. El's on his other side, turned away from Mike and chatting with the only other girl in Hellfire Club. They're giggling about something and then the dark haired girl throws popcorn across the table, hitting her boyfriend in the face.

"Hey!" he yelps, cheeks reddening. "What was that for?"

She doesn't answer him and continues whispering the inside joke into El's ear. Then El turns around and plucks a French Fry off Mike's tray and smiles at Will as she takes a bite.

"Hey Will!" she greets him, her eyes bright and happy to see him. She's been growing her hair out again and it's almost to her ears. His Mom bought her some bright hair clips and she wore one now, keeping the awkward bangs out of her eyes. Will knows how much she loved her hair and feels badly that she has to start all over again.

"Hey El." He responds quietly, giving her a warm smile. She grins, scrunching her nose at him before turning back to her friend. He thinks her name is Devon.

Everyone around them is caught up in their own conversations. Lucas and Dustin are in a heated debate with Jeff over the new Indiana Jones movie, whether it was good. Will tries to tune them out. He hasn't seen it yet.

This leaves Will and Mike sitting in awkward silence next to each other, their shoulders and thighs brushing. Mike's leg is shaking beneath the table and he wishes he could put his hand there to tell him to stop. It's making him anxious. Mike is constantly doing that, and it's the most annoying when they're sitting on the couch together, usually in Mike's basement and it seems only when Will's trying to draw. He normally will shove him with his foot or punch his shoulder.

"Fry?" Will looks down to see Mike offering him one. It's his version of a peace offering. Will blinks at him, taking it gingerly.

"Thanks," he offers.

"No problem," Mike says. "Help yourself."

Will eyes Mike's tray. He chose a cheeseburger, fries, and an apple. The fries are one of the best tasting things the school offers at lunch, but he's not going to take another one.

He looks down at the meatloaf and mashed potatoes he'd picked, grimacing and pushing it around with his fork. They'd run out of burgers by the time he'd made it to lunch. Meat isn't really his thing unless it's a burger. Instead, he stabs a carrot with his fork and hoists it into his mouth. The one thing he truly misses about California is definitely the food. The food, and the fact that the ocean was in such close proximity. God, he misses the ocean. It was only an hour and a half drive from their house in Lenora. He remembers the first time he heard it roaring beyond the dune, the way the sand felt beneath his toes, the feeling as he watched as far as the eye could see and there was nothing but water on the horizon. He remembers the way he couldn't get Mike out of his mind, how he wished he could have seen it. How they could have sat there in the sand together. He regrets that he never did get to take Mike to the ocean when he came to Lenora.

Mike's watching him out of the corner of his eye as he pushes his carrots around on his plate.

"Are you okay?" He asks.

"Yeah," Will says, "I just miss California." He replies, surprising himself with his answer. It's half the truth at least.

Mike's eyebrows raise and he bites his lip. "Yeah, I get it. You seemed…different there."

Will eyes him, surprised by Mike's observation. "It was warm." He tells him, smiling as he thinks on it. If he closes his eyes he swears he can still feel the dry heat.

Mike smiles, eyes surprising him with their sweetness and understanding.

"You always did like being warm."

"Yeah." Will agrees, blushing. "Well, it's okay. My friends are here in Hawkins anyway."

Mike's knee stops shaking. He peeks at Will through his lashes, the line of his mouth softening in surprise.

"Will…." Mike says quietly, exhaling gently. "I…. I'm sorry about last night. I should have timed things better."

"No, No. It's fine. I get it. I shouldn't have freaked ou—"

"No," Mike interrupts him, his voice stern. "Seriously, Will, it wasn't your fault…..I was wondering…" His tone softens and he picks at a notch taken out of the lunch table. "You know, I don't have anything going on tonight. El's visiting Max with Hop. We could go to the arcade… or swim at the lake or something. It's still so warm."

'Yeah, Mike. That sounds really nice actually." Then Will's heart flips in his chest when he remembers. Of course he says something now . He twists his finger under the table nervously. Mike's knee is still resting against his and he smiles at him, almost relieved.

"...But, I-" Will stutters. "I actually have plans tonight."

The way Mike's shoulders drop makes Will flinch.

"Oh," he says, his face falling into a frown.

"I'm sorry, I just….this kid asked me to hang out. He seems pretty cool. I think he's new."

Mike nods quickly, studying his food. "No it's cool, man." He shifts in his seat, leaving Will's thigh cold. Mike bites his lip and eyes him curiously. "Wait, which kid is it?"

Will starts packing up his tray, ready to make his escape to the trash cans and outside in the fresh air. He had P.E. soon, which normally he hated, but today they were running, and a good run actually sounded like exactly what he needed.

"Jamie. I sit next to him in English."

"Oh."

There's an awkward beat between them and then Mike says, "He's not new. He was new last year though."

"Oh ok. Yeah. He's been really nice to me."

Mike smiles at him, chuckling under his breath. "That's good, Will." Will can't tell if he's laughing at him or not.

But then Will watches Mike. His smile doesn't reach his eyes. When he turns back to his tray his brow is creased and mouth frowning. It makes Will miserable. Tonight would have been a perfect day for them to hang out. But what is he supposed to do? Wait around for him forever to have free time outside El and school? That was impossible.

Mike eats one last fry, and doesn't look back at him. He turns his body toward El, nudging her back. Will watches as his fingers trail down her ribs, to the curve of her waist, gentle, like the way a butterfly floats in the air. She doesn't turn, but leans back into him comfortably, still chatting with her friend. Will watches Mike's hand disappear under her loose, plaid shirt. An old one of his. Hot anger builds in his chest and he desperately swallows away the emotion building thickly in the back of his throat.

Dustin notices him and his brows crease together with worry. "Hey, Will," he says, waving his hand in front of his face. "You alright?"

Will blinks, ducking his chin low to his chest as he frantically brushes a tear that's fallen from his cheek.

"Yea-" he says shakily. "I'll uhm-I'll see you guys later, ok?"

He grabs his tray and his backpack and doesn't look back, doesn't respond to Lucas's "Come on, Will!" or Dustin's, "Guys, are you sure he's okay?" or Mike's quiet, "Guys, just leave him alone."

Instead he shoves his leftover lunch in the trash can and roughly stacks the tray on top of it, heading straight for the doors to the courtyard, where there's a breeze and he can feel the sun at his back. Where he can sneak out to his car and hide until lunch is over. Where no one will see him crying.