Hold My Heart // Byler

017

Staring at his shaky hands, Will is wondering where Mike is at the moment.

Dinner had been quite the affair today. Mike's father had decided to run his mouth again, which ultimately ended in Mike shouting at him, mainly curses, and running off and locking himself inside his room.

Will had now been sitting in the basement for around two hours, and he doesn't know whether to go find Mike or let him be.

Will ponders this thought for a moment. Let him be, it is.

Just as he begins questioning himself further, he hears the basement door open and he immediately tenses up.

Is that..?

El appears at the top of the stairs, and Will immediately exhales and smiles.

Thinking about it now, he hasn't really interacted with her recently, but then again, he's been quite preoccupied.

She walks down the basement steps and sits beside Will on the couch.

" Hey, El, aren't you supposed to be hanging out with Max tonight..?"

" Really? Thats the first thing you decide to say to me?" Her smile is playful, teasing.

" Sorry. Yeah, sorry. Uh so.. how've you been?"

" I'm fine, Will. So.. you and Mike? Uh.. did he ever.. I don't know, talk to you?" El's tone was knowing, questioning.

" Yeah, actually. He uh- yeah. He.. yeah." Will was flustered by the fact that El asked about Mike, and then he remembered that they were still together.

Shit.

" Oh yeah.. how are you and Mike, anyway?"

" Oh shit, Will! Uh.. well we sorta.. bro-" El is cut off by Joyce's voice.

" El, max is here!"

" Ah, okay! Hey, Will, I gotta go, but I will definitely talk to you later! I love you, Will." She seems extremely sincere.

" I love you too, El". El runs up the stairs, and the door slams behind her, leaving Will, once again, in the silence.

***************

Will immediately begins replaying the conversation in his mind. What was she going to say? That they.. broke up?

Woah.

Will feels a wave of guilt over him suddenly, like maybe he's the reason they broke up.

He shakes his head, almost trying to shake his head clear of thoughts.

He impulsively decides to go check on Mike, partly because he's concerned, and partly because a piece of him feels like he needs to talk to Mike.

He quickly walks to Mike's bedroom. When he turns the corner, he hears music blaring from Mike's room.

He's confused as to why the music is loud, but even more so why when he tries to open the door, its locked.

He never locks his door. Is he okay?

Will begins panicking internally, but then centers himself and taps on the door, barely audible over the music.

" Mike? It's Will."

Almost directly after his statement, Will is practically ripped into Mike's room.

The next events unfold differently than Will would likely prefer.

Mike grabs Will's arm and pulls him into his room. He slams the door and Will is pushed against it, not by Mike but almost by himself, because of the proximity of him and Mike.