There's Just One Who Could Make Me Stay

Still the yearning stays

Mike didn't sleep well that night, for a few reasons. The biggest one was because of the boy, Will, that he'd talked to. Well, they didn't exactly talk, but they communicated at the very least. The smaller, lesser reason was because of his parents relentless arguing.

All Mike wanted in that moment was to leave.

He couldn't hear exactly what they were saying, but he did hear some definitely unpleasant words, followed by a mention of "our son" most times. He sighed, sitting up and looking out of his window to the scattered trees in the distance, giving away to the forest and eventually the quarry.

The quarry was on Mike's mind a lot. He'd heard old stories of bodies being pulled by the water, and would sometimes imagine his body there. It's not like he wanted to die, but it's not like he had someone to live for.

At least not in Hawkins.

That's when Mike's plan started, and he pulled out a stray notebook, flipping to a random page.

If he could leave Hawkins, even for a week or two, he'd do it. And his heart was set on it.

Operation Hawkinsless

It was a dumb name, but wouldn't give anything away at first, if someone were to see it. The plan went like this:

1. Mike would get a job, somewhere, and save up money for bus tickets, or (even better) plane tickets.

2. Mike would leave a few weeks after he had the needed amount, to avoid suspicion.

3. Mike would end up in Indianapolis, eventually, and would be left to figure out where to go from there.

4. Mike would send some form of word to his parents, saying not to report him as missing and he'd be back within a month or two. Even if it wasn't the full truth, at least it'd help.

The plan may be shitty, but it was better than nothing. Maybe it would solve all his problems, because as he finished the rough concept, the loud voices of his parents had died down to a quiet tone, and he heard his mom climbing the stairs.

Yet one specific brown-haired boy stayed fresh in Mike's mind.

_______________________________________________

The next day, at school, Will sat across from him again. They sat in silence, as the busy lunchroom echoed with yells around them. Mike winced at a few, he'd cover his ears if he could, but now wasn't the time.

Mike had a notebook in front of him, with scribbles of his plan.

Apparently Will had seen the notes.

"You plan on leaving Hawkins."

He'd said it simply, to which Mike just nodded.

"I don't get why everyone else isn't."

Will nodded to that, waiting for a moment.

"Are you happy?"

What was the answer to a question like that? To Mike, was anybody really happy? Even if people have worse lives than Mike, who have worse families, was there a reason for him to be happy? Was he just not supposed to be happy?

He pulled himself out of his thoughts.

"I think so? Why are you asking me?"

"I mean, by the looks of it you want to run away, and happy people don't tend to run away."

"I know. What is it to you?"

Mike was saved by the bell, signaling the end of lunch. And, god, he had no idea how he was feeling.

It wouldn't matter, in just a few months.