Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from the series Stranger Things. I just want to respect them in the way that I see fit. I hope that the community can thank me for that. This takes place during season three. I don't particularly ship Byler or Mileven.

At the Hospital:

Will's POV:

Jonathan and Nancy came to collect us from Mike's house. As much as I kind of resented the fact that I was following everybody around everywhere nowadays, I'm just glad I'm not third wheeling. Mike was pretty annoyed about the whole thing because he wasn't in charge of what was happening. If I had told myself a year ago that I would have been satisfied by making a 'Welcome to my world' joke as a jab to Mike then I probably would have slapped myself in the face.

Anyway, only Jonathan and Nancy were allowed to go back to see that lady who Nancy said was eating fertilizer and chemicals. Honestly, I am just glad that the Mind Flayer didn't make me do that. I'm fucked up enough as it is.

Thud! I look up and see that Lucas and Mike are struggling with the vending machine. I swear, I have no idea where their appetites come from sometimes. It's weird. There are some days where I can't stop eating and others where I feel like I'll never eat again. Sometimes it feels like the only thing I have control over these days is how I treat my body. I still can't decide if that should be like a temple, especially after my argument with Mike yesterday.

El bangs all of the treats from the vending machine onto the bottom. I can tell that part of her was endeared by what they were doing in order to try to get what they'd paid for.

Mike deliberates for a second before sitting next to me. He then looks to El and then to me expectantly. He waves for me to move. I can't help my look of surprise. Then, my feelings turn to anger. Ever since last night when the guys found me out near Castle Byers I have been trying to feel okay. Feel like everything's a normal kind of dangerous. But it's not. I don't blame Lucas for Mike's sins. I can't get the last couple of days out of my head. It's so weird to be pissed with someone that I have admired for years of my life. He's gotten me through so much, But… nonetheless I have to…

"No." I say.

"No?" Mike answers.

"I'm not going to move so that you can have a private conversation or whatever with El."

"Why not?"

"Why not? You're the one that sat over here and not near 'the other species'."

"Um…why are you being like this?"

"I don't know. Why do you think so?" The words slip out before I can stop myself. I hate that I want to see him squirm on this. I hate that I feel like I need him to understand how upset I am.

"I don't know. I thought we were over this argument. You're still acting like a kid who got his D&D taken away!" He's up and out of his chair by now.

I get out of my chair as well. He's being a real dick. "And you're still acting like the asshole that deserved to get dumped by his girlfriend."

"What did you just say to me?"

"And you know what? That's not even the worst part of the last couple of days. I can forgive Lucas. He didn't really do anything. He thought that he was helping you when everything went down. I was being a real dickwad too, but you crossed a line Michael Wheeler. You crossed a line. When you're best friends, you don't use someone's biggest weakness against them. How dare you! How dare you! I can't sit here and be okay with you trying to be with El when I'm not sure I can trust you myself. She saved my life once and I'd feel mighty awful if you got her into something she wasn't ready for!" I am screaming. Reeling. I can't help it.

"Biggest weakness? What? That you're incapable of growing up?"

"Forgive me if I tried to hold onto one thing from the past. All I've wanted all summer is to play one game with my friends and feel like I could go back to before everything happened. I feel like I don't know who I am anymore and I'm not sure that I ever will, Mike. You guys grew the hell up without me and I'm stuck picking up the pieces. So thank you. I'm fine. Just going crazy on my own."

That's when things really started to hit him. I could see Mike going back in time by the way his eyes glazed over slightly, like he could picture that day in his basement as clearly as I did. I'd been so scared, but he'd made me feel better. I understood then why I liked him, but now I have trouble understanding why he was my first real crush.

"Like you're the only one going crazy, Byers!"

"'It's not my fault you don't like girls. Real classy, Wheeler. Turn that into your yearly Fourth of July card. It'll be a blast." I can tell that everyone's eyes are on us now. Max and Lucas are looking at us with shocked faces, while El's is full of confusion and sadness. I feel bad that she doesn't understand what's happening around her.

Mike stands there. It's like he's suddenly realizing what it is that he said. "Oh my god! Will you have to believe me that wasn't what–"

"What? That wasn't what you meant? Mike I want to believe you, but you don't just say something like that and have it mean that I don't like the girls. I'm perfectly fine with Max and I am indebted for life to El. I actually defended them. I knew that Max was in the mall with El but I didn't do anything because I knew that El needed it. She needs to see the world through eyes other than your goddamn own!"

I'm sobbing. I'm yelling at him desperately so that he can understand what I am trying to get into his skull.

"I don't agree with you. I was able to help El out in the past. I can still do that." He yells at me. I punched him before I quite knew what I did.

"Mike, listen to me right now! I know that you messed up your relationship with El, and right now you messed up yours with me, but the girls wouldn't be here if they weren't sure that we couldn't defeat the Mind Flayer without them! Right now you need to get your head out of your ass and actually think about the problem at hand you asshole! The girls can wait until the mind destroying monster gets the hell out of our godforsaken town! Not that I particularly believe in God and 'Oh gosh, I just punched you in the eye' I grab my knees slightly winded.

Mike gives me a look that tells me that he understands and then while holding his eye jokingly says "Do you think you're finished?"

"For now." I say breathlessly.

"So that just happened…" Lucas said.

"Yeah, and you better believe it when I said to figure this stuff out later. I think that we all need a little bit of a breather to focus on the big stuff at hand.

"Agreed" Max says. We've been becoming better friends for months. I don't doubt her good intentions when it comes to El. She has a bold way of protecting those that she loves and I respect that. If anything, she showed me that I need to stand up for how I am feeling about things.

El still looks kind of shaken up, but relieved that things are becoming more lighthearted. I'm going to need to check up on her later.

At the mall:

Mike's POV:

We just reunited with Dustin. As it turns out, he's been hanging out with Steve, a girl named Robin, and Erica of all people. That girl can be a real brat. I feel like Robin and Steve are probably a thing. I don't think I've met many high school girls who weren't charmed by him, including but not limited to my sister Nancy Wheeler.

My eye really hurts. I never knew that Will could hit that hard. I feel awful. I can't believe that I said that to Will and that fact that it was in my vocabulary. What was he supposed to think? If it was in my mind that maybe I'm a little closer to Troy than I care to think. I'm going to have to work on that.

Suddenly, Dustin makes a face.

"What is it, Dusin?" Steve asks?

"I'm trying to figure out why Mike looks almost as bad as you. Dude, did you get whooped by a Russian soldier?"

"No, believe me he didn't." Max interjects.

"Then what?..."

"Um…Dustin…drop it." Will is holding up his hand. A row of bruised knuckles are just as prominent as my purple black eye. "Let's just say that it's been a crazy couple of days."

Dustin and Jonathan both look horrified. I can tell by Jonathan's face that he's going to talk to Will about this later.

"It's okay. I deserved it. In the meantime, let's go flay the Mind Flayer while we can still get to it."

"At least we can agree on something." I hear Will mumble jokingly. I'm hoping things might be okay after all. I was worried that he may never forgive me.

—-

After the explosion at the mall:

Will's POV:

Everyone in the party is seated around me. I'm still waiting on my mother and Hopper.

"You know, I think this week was one full of crazy firsts. I didn't think I'd come out during an argument with Mike in which I punched him in the eyeball."

"I think that calls for a redo. I stole your thunder in a way that made me sound like a jackass that didn't deserve to be your friend. You took a baseball bat to Castle Byers because of me. You don't deserve me for a friend. I keep saying you're the best thing that ever happened to me, but I don't treat you like it. I can't believe that was even in my brain."

"It's okay. It's in mine all the time. I just wasn't ready to face those demons."

"It's not okay and you know it. I feel positively awful."

"I suppose I forgive you. Just don't do it again 'mouthbreather'." Mike and the others come to hug me.

"Um…can someone explain what's been happening?" El asks. I have to fight back a watery chuckle.

The End.