love at first campaign |gareth x mike|

4.

"hey,"

mike turned around when he heard the voice of dustin.

"hey," mike smiled.

mike seemed happier in these few weeks. it seems like everything happened for a reason. everything is in place.

corroded coffin is playing at the hideout again. ever since he's kinda befriended the members of hellfire, he's gone to every single performance. not cause they're good, which they are, but to see gareth.

"are you busy tonight?" dustin asked, but before mike could answer, they answered for him. "never mind, eddie's band is playing tonight. have fun." then they walked away.

gareth heard the conversation, of course he did, he was at the table.

"hey, man, you should hang out with dustin. sounds like they miss you."

mike sighed, knowing gareth was right.

"yeah, we used to hang out together all the time. things changed though."

"what kind of things?" gareth asked.

"i dated someone, but them, their siblings, and their mom moved, so we broke up. we kept in contact but somewhere along the way we stopped calling or writing letters. then lucas barely hangs out with us, he's busy with his basketball friends, since max and lucas broke up she stopped kinda hanging with us but occasionally she'll hang out and go to the arcade with us." mike explains while gareth listens.

"oh," is all gareth said.

there were now only four members of the party, again. not the same four as it originally was, and half of them is only there very rarely. too busy with other things. too busy for him and dustin.

silence fell upon them. there is nothing to say. not right now.

the bell rang. time to go to 4th period.

"i'll see you later, gareth." mike said and grabbed his bag, walking out.

"bye mike,"

***

it was one of the times max wanted to hang out, but not at the arcade, at her house.

ever since billy died and her step-father left, she hasn't been doing alright. actually, max didn't even wanna hang out, she just needed company.

"i feel like i'm going to die soon, i don't know why, i just have a bad feeling something is going to happen to me."

"max, nothing is going to happen. you're safe." lucas tries to reassure, but it's not working.

dustin and mike didn't know how to help, really. this is the longest conversation they've had with max all year, usually it's just a "hi," passing through the hallway, like they were strangers that know each other just by face, not name, but they've seen each other before so they feel the need to at least say hi.

but they're not strangers. maybe they are. but they don't really fit the definition of "stranger" do they? they're more like old friends who used to know each other like the back of their hand, or their town. they have memories together, they weren't all good, but there were some really good ones.

"this doesn't feel right." dustin said out of no where.

"what do you mean?" lucas asked.

"it feels wrong that eleven and will aren't here."

"it's whatever now." mike said.

"how could you just say that?" max asked, raising hee voice.

"both of them moved on, haven't they?" mike said, raising his voice as well.

this always happens. they hang out, someone said something, and no matter what it is, max and mike always get into it.

"what's your point?" max raised an eyebrow.

"my point is," mike softened his voice, "we all should move on. they have, so should we."

"you don't mean that." max said.

"and what if i do? we can't go crying about the past."

"okay, anyway," lucas said, trying to divert the conversation.

seeing two teenagers fight about two old friends, having being old friends themselves, is interesting and all but there's more important matters.

"we're listening," dustin said.

mikes watch went off, signaling he had set an alarm.

"shit, sorry, i have to go." he said, grabbing his bag and bike and going really fast.

"what's wrong with him?" max asked.

"he like's someone." lucas said.

"he's going to hang out with his crush, he does it all the time." dustin added.

max just nodded her head.

the atmosphere became thick with uncomfort. it got so uncomfortable the three decided to split ways, it becoming unbelievably hard to breath.

mike made it to the hideout early enough to hear the last bit of the practice and in time to see the actual show.

gareth saw mike and gave him a beaming smile, to which mike returned.

if he could fall more in love than he already is, he would.

sorry for not having updated in a few days <3