youth - byler

chapter 2

- 🌨 -

he made his way up to his room, rubbing his eyes as he pushed his way through his door. he glanced in the mirror and pulled a face. his hair was messy and looked like it could do with a brush. he had dark rings under his hazel eyes.

he better get a good sleep tonight for when he saw mike tommorow.

he sat on his bed, holding his knees and turned to look at his canvas. the heart on the warriors shield was a bright white still. he needed to colour it with red, finish the painting with the completion of the heart.

but as he walked towards the painting, holding a paintbrush in his hand and lowering it towards the, he began doubting himself.

i mean..would mike really like this? sure he had thought the drawings will had given him before were cool but they were kids then. and this was a real work,  not some stupid kiddy drawing.

he tried to ignore the fact that he would spend hours when he was younger on a drawing for mike. carefully colouring it, sketching before pressing hard and writing 'for mike' in his best handwriting at the top.
some things never change huh. except this one he had spent months on.

he sighed. if he didn't like it, he would just.. well he couldn't really just take it back but he would just say something like .. ',, you don't have to keep it, i could give it to jonathan or something.' ugh, no that sounded stupid. he sighed, putting down his paintbrush as he massaged his temple with his thumbs.

'hey buddy.'

he turned to see jonathan timidly smiling at him. his eyes were slightly red and watering, and he was holding something in his hand in a fist tightly. will didn't wanna know what it was. he hated seeing his brother like this.

'hi.'

'you okay? i heard you saying my name.'

oh. had he been speaking his thoughts out loud? how embarrassing.

'yeah. fine. thanks.'

'okay. mum left some money on the counter for food if you wanna go out to get anything.'

'ok. thanks.'

jonathan looked at him for a moment more, then left. will felt a pang in his heart. they used to be so close. now all jonathan ever wants to do is smoke weed with his stupid friend, argyle. he knew it was his brothers way of coping with the trauma he'd been put though for the past 3 years, but it didn't change the fact it had distanced them. it wasn't just the weed, it was the fact will was growing up and keeping more and more to himself.

he looked at the painting. he needed to complete it. mike was coming tommorow.

he lifted his brush, coating it in a rose red, and then slowly starting to paint the bleak heart in the colour. it was a bright red. it stood out in the painting. just like how mike stands out.

he stepped back to look at it, and gazed at the art in front of him. it was okay. it could be better, but he hoped mike would like it. now he just had to let it dry.
he let out a small sigh, before opening his door and going down the stairs. he could hear el chattering away to someone. jonathan and el had about 1 conversation a month, so he doubted it was him. and joyce and hopper weren't home.

so it was mike, on the phone.

he brushed past el on the phone and went to the cupboard to grab a cup for some water.

'... yes ! oh mike by the way, at school today i got handed a certificate saying i was a good student and my friend angela congratulated me saying i deserved it!'