Where Do Broken Hearts Go? (A GreatWise Fanfic)

Chapter 2: From Down This Low, it's Only Up We Go

(Title from 'Up We Go' by Lights)

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When the class is finished and the bell rings, the two boys walk out of class, side by side. They talk about anything and everything. Will never thought he'd get along with someone that wasn't his immediate friends; Lucas, Dustin, Max, Eleven, and Steve. Eddie's more like his older brother than his friend, so that's a little different. Mike's big scene earlier puts him in a state of indifference.

But with Gareth, something feels different. A good different, though. He feels a lot better, but he doesn't understand why. He was the closest with Mike; like how Steve is close with Robin. Oh. He realizes it. He doesn't love Mike, "Platonic, with a capital P," Robin's words ring in his mind. He smiles a little.

He walks into his next class and sits beside Lucas.

"Hey man," Lucas says, "Dustin told me everything; are you okay?"

Will nods, "I'm still a bit hurt, but who wouldn't be?"

"Yeah, I get it," the other boy replies as class gets started.

Will finishes his busy work early and sketches in his sketchbook, humming a song very softly.

"Since when did you listen to Metallica, Will?" Lucas says, giving him a weird look.

"Huh? Oh, 'Enter Sandman' was on the radio this morning," Will replies.

"But that was 'Master of Puppets," Lucas states.

"Okay, and I don't know that many Metallica songs anyways."

"Is He back?" Lucas says worriedly.

"No, we got him, remember?" Will replies. He gives Lucas the same weird look, "Are you okay, Lucas?"

"Yeah," He replies, "Just worried. That's all."

"There's no need. I'm quite alright. I don't know why everyone thinks I need to be babied. First my mom, then Jonathan, then Steve- which I don't mind, because he doesn't invalidate my experiences- then Dustin, and now you. Who's next? Gareth?"

"Gareth?" Lucas says.

"I shouldn't have said that," Will stares at his sketchbook and closes it quickly, making sure Lucas didn't see his drawings.

When the bell rings he packs his things quickly and rushes out of there to go to his third period to meet up with Max. He finds a seat and his leg bounces up and down as he's waiting for her to arrive so he can tell her every detail about the morning he has had. When she walks through the door and sees him, she smiles and rushes to sit next to him.

"I missed you William," She says, smiling, "I'm so glad you're back in Hawkins."

"I missed you too, Maxine," He replies, "I need to tell you about the morning I just had." He then dives deep about what happened between him and Mike, how Dustin and Eddie were comforting him, how he met Gareth in his English class.

"So, Gareth, huh?" Max smiles, "I didn't think you were into metal heads."

"I don't like him like that," Will replies, " We just met, Max. There's no way to tell this soon that I like him."

"Uh huh, sure there isn't," Max smiles more. She knows Will likes him, but Will won't admit it; she sees the blush forming on his face when he talks about him.

"Will," She starts, "You know that I'm the last person who would ever judge you. I know there's something there with him or else you wouldn't be blushing while you're talking about him right now. I'm not trying to speculate, but it's very possible you like him, and that's a-okay."

When she finishes, the bell rings for lunch, and so the two head down and find a table. They sit with Dustin, Lucas, Eddie, Jeff, Gareth, and Nick.

"Where's Mike?" Jeff asks Eddie.

"Over there," Eddie points to a Mike sitting with Jane.

"Why are they over there? Can't you invite them over?"

"Nope," Eddie states, smiling at Will.

"He apologized!" Dustin says.

"So?" Will asks, "Doesn't excuse what he said to me; I can't just get over it anymore. He says off-handed crap like that before, but this time, it was different. This time, he actually hurt me really deep. I can't just forgive and forget anymore. I'm allowing this to hurt."

"But- why?" Dustin asks, "Why do you want this to hurt and eat away at you?"

"I think I know why, Henderson," Eddie steps in, "Will here, was basically told to eat shit by the words Mike spoke to him. Instead of taking it and still being buddy-buddy with his ass, he's showing him how wrong he is. Apologizing right away is only going to do more harm than good."

"Or apologizing at all," Will mutters.

"Do WHAT now!?" Dustin exclaims, "Will, you can't be serious. You're not going to forgive Mike!?"

"Why are you forgiving him for something he didn't even tell you!?" Gareth replies, defending Will, "Weren't you there to hear it, Henderson?"

This time Dustin stays quiet. Gareth made a really good point; he shouldn't forgive Mike for something that wasn't said to him. It's not right and Dustin should've known this.

"Look, you guys are right, I'm sorry," Dustin says, "I just wanted things to go back to normal. However, with Mike being the big asshole he's infamous for being, I can't excuse what he did and can't forgive him for something I'm not a victim to."

"It's okay, Dustin," Will says, "You didn't know."

"Will, do you want him to keep sitting with us?" Lucas asks.

"Who? Mike?"

Lucas nods.

"I mean, he was a member of Hellfire before I was; before I came, I was just a rumor, a topic of conversation, but he was here. In-person. Allowed to have his voice heard at the table," Will explains, "But all of us are somewhat upset with the way he treated me this morning. I just- I don't want to leave out Jane. She didn't do anything."

"Oh but she did Will," Dustin says.

"What do you mean Henderson?" Eddie asks, "What did supergirl do?"

Dustin sighs, "I overheard her talking to Mike earlier and he had told her what happened. She was like 'Oh, I'm sorry he couldn't take a joke, Mike.' I guess maybe she thought he was joking, but she seemed pretty happy Mike said what he did."

Will rolls his eyes, "It doesn't help that she lied to him on my birthday last year."

"What do you mean?" Eddie asks.

"We went to the Rink-O-Mania in Lenora. Mike asked if this was a special occasion, and she said, looking at me, 'No, not at all.' Hell he still thinks I'm 14!" Will replies, "So knowing this, it's not surprising. Hurtful, but not at all surprising."

"Will, I'm so sorry," Lucas says, hugging him.

"It's okay, at least you guys didn't forget. You guys sent me birthday cards a week before, and I can't thank you guys enough."

The lunch bell rings and they head to their next class.