PLAY THE PART | mileven

twenty eight

she doesn't know how she managed to sit through all of her classes after having her break up with mike — but somehow, she did.

she even held it together for the most part, not a single tear escaped her eyes as she tried to devote herself entirely to the professors.

though if you'd ask her to repeat a single thing that was being said today, she wouldn't be able to say anything.

her mind was entirely elsewhere.

her throat clogged up; each time she swallowed her saliva down, it felt like there was a hand around her throat trying to choke her.

the exact moment where she walked away from him replayed on her mind like a broken cassette. it was hard to focus or think of anything else for the entire day.

when she arrived home and creaked the door open to step in, she heard the distant sounds of a tv running and dishes clacking together.

she stepped towards the living room to see will sitting on the couch, watching something while eating. somehow something this normal triggered her like nothing else.

she was in shambles inside while everyone kept going on with their day.

"i hope you're happy." she started with a weak tone, her throat started to hurt by the way she clenched it in order to keep her sobs away. "mike and i broke up."

she knew that the accusation was wrong now — mike and him were decent to each other ever since hawkins. but she still couldn't help but spill the frustration out of her — even if wrongly placed.

he snapped his head in her direction at her voice, her bag fell to her sides. he could spot the slightest tremble on her shoulders.

"what?" he instantly stood up, walking in her direction. once he was close enough, she couldn't keep it in anymore, tears escaped her eyes like downpour, she couldn't stop it if she tried.

"why did you break up? what happened?" confusion clung to his facial features, he couldn't make any sense of it. they seemed so happy together, nothing indicated that things were going wrong between them at all.

"we just.. we didn't—" she hiccuped with an involuntary sob, her shoulders trembling even more. "—didn't work. we didn't—"

her sobs took over and the confusion on his face merged into something compassionate. "oh, el." he softly said before wrapping his arms around her to pull her in a hug.

she pressed her face in his chest and sought out for any type of comfort she could get in that moment. she burns inside, god damn, she can't control the permanent damage of the fire scarring her.

she wished that maybe her tears could burn it out — but each salty droplet escaping her eyes seemed like adding fuel, like it was the reminder of everything she's lost.

"it's okay, you don't have to talk about it right now." he drew gentle circles on her upper back with his palm, only stepping away to look her in the face. "actually how about we call max and have a sleepover together? i feel like it's been ages since our last one with the three of us."

his question made her think whether it'd be better for her to keep herself locked in her room all alone to peacefully cry her guts out or take the opportunity to distract her thoughts with the people she loves.

she weakly smiled, nodding her head. the latter is it. "i'd like that."

will guided her to sit her down on the couch and grabbed a blanket to reach her over before he went to find some popcorn and chips for them to eat once max arrives.