---
The redhead girl, Max, was laughing her ass off at this rate, so was Will Byers. The reason that they were laughing? It was at their friend, El.
"Don't laugh!" El exclaimed, she herself was holding back a laugh at what the dare she was told to do was.
Max looked at El, on the verge of tears, "I'm sorry, but I didn't think you'd actually call your dad like that- " She spoke, still chuckling.
El's adoptive father was the sheriff of Hawkins, Jim Hopper, the chief police officer in the town. El and him were very close, we're talking movie nights every week and making sweet foods together all of the time. Her dare was to prank call him saying that she ran off to steal Eggos from the local grocery store and run off with Will and Max.
While Will and Max didn't particularly know what was going on given the telephone didn't allow some magical speaker-like thing. But when El told them his reaction it was absolutely hilarious! He had actually believed her and it took El reassuring that they were just hanging out at Will's house at the moment.
"Well, El, it's your turn to ask one of us." Will spoke, him and Max had just stopped laughing.
El looked at the ground, she was thinking, "Will, truth or dare?" She asked, she a lot of things in mind for Will.
Will had to think for a moment, "Truth." He replied, just to be safe, though with what El witnesses happening sometimes maybe both were a risk.
El smiled slightly, luckily she knew more truths than dares, she didn't want to make Will uncomfortable with certain dares, even some truths might make him uncomfortable and El didn't want that, "Have you ever had a crush on a girl?" El asked, given Will's mortified look, she thought she should not have asked.
Max looked visibly amused, and punched Will's shoulder lightly, "Go on, tell El, she won't judge." The redhead said with a smile, but also a smirk. Kind of a mix of the two.
Will looked at his hands as he started fiddling with them, El was confused as to why though, it seemed Max knew something about Will she didn't. Do friends keep secrets like that all of the time?
"Well... um, I just..." Will began, thinking of what to say, he was for sure not making eye contact though, "I don't like... uh- girls." He finished, muttering the last part so El almost didn't catch it.
Max looked at El, now that it was out, she looked serious and kind of concerned. They were both seemingly waiting for a reaction and Will was noticeably stiff. An awkward silence had filled the room.
"Then let me adjust the question, " El stated, "Do you have a crush on any boys, Will?" She asked, Max looked shocked kind of, but Will looked even more shocked, his mouth slightly agape, was El's reaction not good? Did she mess up?
Will shook his head, "No." He said with a slight smile, it was a genuine and warm one, "Not at the moment." He added.
El smiled, "You acted as if it was a big deal though, why?" El asked, she was still confused about it.
Will looked at the ground again and Max cleared her throat, "Liking the same gender as you is labelled as weird usually." She explained, "For Will's case, he was bullied, being called a fairy and a..." Max paused, not going any further with her statement.
"Oh?" El looked surprised, "Well, you can't control who you love, right?" She questioned, Max nodded and so did Will.
Will fake coughed, "Let's just... get back to the game." He spoke, kind of quiet, "Max, truth or dare?" He asked the redhead.
"Hmm... dare!" She exclaimed.
Will smirked, "I dare you to not go on your skateboard for the rest of the day." He dared; it wasn't the best dare in the book but it was definitely still something.
Max gasped, "What?!" She exclaimed, crossing her arms with a pout forming on her face.
The three laughed, continuing the game; though around an hour later a knock came on Will's door.
Will and El both flinched, not expecting that to happen, "Who is it?!" Will called out.
"It's Jonathan, I'm just here to tell you that Hopper is here to pick up El!" He said through the door.
"Alright!" Will exclaimed before hearing footsteps through the door.
El frowned, "Already? It's only been a few hours though." She sighed before her eyes widened, "Will! I have one dare for you before I go, since you mostly only did truths!" She exclaimed, grabbing her bag as Will looked at her confused.
"What is it?" Will questioned, Max also looked confused.
"You know Mike Wheeler? He's my second cousin, you've talked to him before I think." She spoke as if this was urgent.
Will nodded, the two had talked a little bit during a Christmas party that El threw a year back, what did Mike have to do with a dare?
El smiled, "My dare is for you to try and be friends with him." She said before Hopper called El's name, signaling that she couldn't stay longer if she wanted to, so she left Will's room at that.
Will looked at the door, "Why Mike though?" He questioned, looking at Max who just shrugged.
"Did you two not get along or something?" Max asked, she also seemed to be genuinely confused at the matter.
Will shook his head, "We got along fine, Mike's really nice actually." Will thought for a moment, was she trying to set them up or something? No. Probably not, that's stupid.
Max shrugged, "Maybe to get you more friends, after all you don't have any besides El and I." Max wondered aloud.
Will looked at Max deadpan, "You should probably go too, Max, it's getting late." He spoke, not because he was angry at her it was probably getting late judging by the sky darkening outside.
Max nodded before getting up, grabbing her stuff, waving, and exiting Will's room.
---
El got into the police car that her dad drove, she tried to retain her laughter, seeing the one and only second cousin, Mike Wheeler, looking out the window. Was he waiting for El?
El flinched as Max walked past her waving, "Bye Max!" El exclaimed, waving back to the redhead before going in the car to sit next to Mike.
"El!" He exclaimed, "Did you do the dare with Byers?" He asked excitedly.
El nodded, "I almost forgot, so I didn't hear a response. Though, friends don't break promises... a promise is a dare, so he should do it." She responded.
Mike nodded with a wide and genuine smile on his face. Since Mike and Will had their conversation at El's place during the Christmas party, Mike had been infatuated by the boy. El had to deal with Mike asking about him for almost the whole year until El came up with the plan.
Apparently, her second cousin didn't know how to talk to people, but El didn't really mind. She wanted Will to have more friends she knew he'd fit right in with Mike and his little group.
And after around five minutes of talking to Mike, Hopper got into the car and started to drive off. Hopefully Mike and Will could get along as well as they did at the party.
"Oh, Mike..." El started, catching Mike's attention.
"Hm?" He looked at El confused.
El thought for a second, "Are you against people of the same gender dating?" She asked, curious to know if that would put a block in the friendship.
Mike shook his head, "No, but my parents are." He answered. "Why? Are you trying to tell me something?" He asked.
El shook her head with a grin, "It's nothing." She responded.
YOU ARE READING
The Dare of the Second Cousin // Byler (AU)
Fanfiction(Temporary Cover) Will is dared by El, the second cousin of Mike Wheeler, and Max to befriend Mike Wheeler. So, Will decides to do it with the company of the other two for the most part. And so, Mike, his friends, Will, Max, and El all become a sing...
