One Summer//Byler

Chapter 8; Apologies and D&D

Mike's POV;

"I can't talk to Will! Not after what I said!" I said but Jonathan and Argyle ignore me. Oh shit what am I going to do?! Jonathan knows about how I feel and so does Argyle. I can't talk to Will. What if Jonathan tells him? What if Will hates me? I've done it again. I hurt Will over something so stupid! This whole situation is just stupid!! My eyes start to become glassy in the reflection of Argyle's van window. Suck it up, Mike. Just try to think about what to say to Will since there is no way they're going to let me go home without apologizing to him.

"Come on, Wheeler!" Argyle yells. "We're already here? I don't even know what I'm going to say, I-" Jonathan cuts me off. "Mike." He says. I already know what he's thinking. I open up the van doors and hop out. I don't really have a choice. I go up to the Byers door and start to knock. "Mike, I can open the door. I live here." Jonathan says clearly fed up with me. "I knew that." I say. God, I'm such an idiot. Jonathan unlocks the door. I hesitate. I walk through the front door with my head down. Just get it over with. Rip it off like a band-aid.

I see Will sitting on the couch. He sees me and stands up. "What are you doing here?" He says nervously, refusing to look me in the eye. "I- I came here to apologize..." I say lifting my head just enough to look Will in the eye. "Can we do it somewhere private then? Without my entire family and Argyle watching us." He says. "Yeah o-of course." I say. I'm super tense. He probably hates me now. Will starts walking towards his old room. Well, technically his current room. Whatever, that doesn't matter right now.

Will's POV;

I hold my bedroom door open to Mike. I think I went too far with what I said. I should be the one apologizing. Mike hesitates but walks in. I shut the door behind us. "Thanks, Will." He smiles. It was a fake smile. Somethings wrong. Was it about what I said last night? "Will?" He says. "Oh, yeah?" I say. "I'm sorry about what I said, I was being a total idiot. I shouldn't have yelled at you or lied to you." He says. "No, it's fine. I raised my voice at you first and was pressuring you to tell me." I say. "Will, you were just concerned for me. It isn't your fault at all. What I said was really messed up and was completely unnecessary. I was just causing problems." He says. "Fine, you win." I smile. I still feel pretty sad. "Still up for that sleepover?" Mike smiles. "Yeah, sure!" I say excitedly. "Should we have the sleepover at your house or mine?" He says. "Your house. We always have for years." I say. "Okay, my house it is." Mike nods and smiles.

"I've got to go I guess." Mike says turning towards the door. "Wait!" I say. I sound so desperate. Mike turns towards me. "I know it's stupid, but...do you wanna play D&D?" I say hesitantly. "It's not stupid, I still play D&D." He says. "D&D isn't stupid just my idea is stupid." I say. "Your idea's are never dumb!" Mike exclaims. "Is that a yes?" I ask trying to go off the stupid topic. "Yes." Mike says. "Let's go." I smile.

Me and Mike leave the room and walk up to Jonathan and Argyle who are sitting on the couch. "Jonathan, Argyle, could you drive us to Mike's house so we can play D&D?" I ask. "Did Mike apologize?" Jonathan says. "Yeah, he did." I say. "Then sure." Jonathan says getting up from the coach while side-eyeing Mike. Why is he giving Mike 'the Hopper look'? Did he do something? "Let's go, brochachos!" Argyle raises his voice slightly getting up and snatching his keys off the coffee table.

We all head out the door into Argyle's Surfer Boy's Pizza van. Me and Mike sit in the back next to one another. I get slightly tense. We're sitting right next to each other in this big van. Mike turns to me and I get lost in his really pretty dark eyes. His eyes are really dark yet they sparkle so much in the light. "Should we invite Dustin and Lucas over? To play D&D." Mike says breaking eye contact and looking down. "Uh, y-yeah, sure." I say doing the same as Mike. Did I weird him out? Is he uncomfortable? I should've just payed attention instead of getting lost in my thoughts.