the new kid

Chapter 1 - Will Byers

Monday

Breath. Will told himself as he walked into his new school. He was already nervous for freshman year, and moving across the country did not help. 

His family used to live in New York but moved after his dad cheated on his mom. Now Will lived in Indiana. A small town called Hawkins, which apparently has a lot of 'behind the scenes' drama.

After opening the door, Will stepped inside to find a hallway crowded with teenagers. There were posters that said Join the Art Club! and Robotics Competition this Friday. Some kids knocked the books out of a small boys hands. Will tried his best to avoid making any conversation.

Seeing a sign that said "Principals Office", Will knocked on the door. After hearing no response, he opened the door to see three boys and two girls getting yelled at by a tall thin woman. 

She stopped mid sentence and looked directly at Will with a twitch in her eye. "May I help you?" The five teenagers turned around with fearful expressions. Will felt his face heat up. 

"Um, I just uh, I'm n-new here. And I uh, don't know w-where to um, g-go." The principals expression softened. "You must be William Byers then? I am so sorry, I am dealing with some difficult students right now," A boy with freckles and dark hair rolled his eyes. His pretty brown eyes. 

Will stopped for a second. "Hello? William?" The principal waved her hand at him as the dark haired boy gave Will a strange look for staring. Will blinked. "Um yeah, it's Will."

"William I will show you to your first period classroom if you could just wait on one of the chairs outside of this room." "Um, okay thank you." Will started to exit the classroom as the dark haired boy stood up. "Wait!"

Will froze and looked at the principal. She rolled her eyes.

"Maybe William can help us with our problem. Get his opinion. Okay William?" The freckled boy stared at Will with a begging look. Will was sort of scared on him and did not want to risk getting on someones bad side yet. "Yeah, I can help."

The pretty boy's face lit up. "Okay, okay good. So if I was being pushed off a cliff by some bullies because I didn't want them to cut Dustin's teeth out, would it be valid for us to break his arm on accident. That's Dustin, by the way." 

He pointed at a boy with curly chestnut hair and a beaming smile. "W-well..."

"Excuse me, Michael. You left out some crucial details." 

"Like wha–" 

"Like how Troy did NOT push you off a cliff, and you intentionally broke his arm. Also the five of you destroyed nearly half the school from who knows what costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. Plus you brought dangerous creatures into school serveral times. Now William, does this seem like they should be let off the hook?" 

Will's eyes got big. "I-I don't think I should make this decision. Maybe you should just send them to class and give yourself time to think...?"

The principal smiled. "Great idea. Michael, I believe you have biology first period, if you would please take William to class with you, now."

He looked relieved. "Yes ma'am." Mike nodded at Will and the two boys walked outside the office with the four other kids following.

"What you did in there was cool, thanks." A red head girl smiled at Will. He nodded back and smiled. "Bye guys, let's go William." Will followed the boy away from his friends.

"A-actually it's uh Will." "And I'm Mike, it's nice to meet you." The smaller boy blushed. Mike noticed and laughed, causing Will to blush even harder.

When they arrived to a classroom that said "G25", Mike opened the door for Will and led him to a table in the back of the class.

"It's an alright class, but it'll be better with you in it," 

"W-what," Mike chuckled at the boys expression.

"Nothing, I was just saying how it's a boring class."

"Is that so, Mr. Wheeler? Detention tomorrow after school. For both of you. Who are you?" Will turned around to see a middle aged man who had entered through a back door. 

"I-I'm William Byers."

"Willy here didn't do anything Mr. Carter, I swear. Don't make him go to detention." Mike was standing up for him. For WILL. The boy he met twenty minutes ago cared about him. Someone cared about him. Will tried really hard not to smile.

"I'm sorry Michael, but William will be joining you tomorrow. If you wouldn't mind the two of you heading to the principals office. Now."

Awesome. First period and I already am in trouble. Mom's going to be so mad.

"Hey I'm really sorry, Will. I didn't mean to get you in trouble." Mike looked almost embarrassed. Will nodded and walked faster. 

"Wait up, Will, wait up!"

Will rolled his eyes and started to turn around. "What do you wa–" The two boys were barely two inches apart. Mike backed away. 

"Sorry I-" "Whatever, don't worry about it. Just go home, okay? I can't let you go to the office." 

"My mom would kill me if I went home right now." Mike sighed. "Okay, we can go to my house. Just don't tell anyone about this, got it?" Will nodded.

––––

Mike had a large white house with a perfect lawn. Will's eyes got big and Mike laughed. 

"My parents probably won't be home," Mike told Will as he unlocked the front door with a key from his pocket. "So we can eat whatever and just hangout."

"Okay, cool. Cool." Will felt out of place here. Poor. Stupid. Ugly. He didn't know why.

Mike got a glass and water and handed it to Will. Will smiled and took a sip.

"So I think I'm breaking up with my girlfriend," Will spit out his water and Mike once again laughed at him. "Y-you have a girlfriend? Why are you breaking up with her?" "Yeah, she's the brown haired one from the principals office. And I don't know why. I just feel weird about it." 

"Well until you have a reason, stay with her. That's cruel. And don't get with someone else while you're still together. Only awful people do that. And I can j-just tell you aren't like that." Mike obviously noticed the panic in Will's voice. Like he was hiding something.

"What are you hiding Byers," "Don't, don't call me Byers. And nothing."

"Okay, okay, I'll leave you alone. But if you ever need so–"

There was a loud knock. Mike gave will a look and walked up to the door. Will followed. Two kids Will had never seen before stood there. The taller one stepped inside and punched Will in the face.