When we Finish Moving

Chapter 3 - Don't Go There

Ziggy just asked the one question Will hoped he ignored when Joyce made the comment.  "Who is Mike?"  Will knew it was a matter of time before someone in his family would make the connection.  That is one reason he didn't want Ziggy to meet his Mom.  Little did anyone know is that sometimes secrets need to be kept.  Secrets only a very few knew.  Will was a keeper of these secrets.

"Mike is Michael Wheeler.  He was Will's best friend back when we lived in Hawkins.  He isn't anymore.  He ignored Will after we moved here in early 1985.  He went from a sweet kid to a total jerk."  Joyce wasn't happy how Mike treated Will after they moved.  She can't figure out what happened.

"Mom, Ziggy doesn't need to know any more about this.  Mike is Mike."  Will tried to shut this down.  "He sounds like Mike did what my friends did to me after 8th grade.  I am curious what he looks like, though."  Bob showed up with the 1985 photo album.  "Here Ziggy, this is our latest photo of him."  Bob handed him the Christmas Photo card of the Wheeler family from 1985.  Ziggy looked at the photo and dropped it like he was holding a hot potato.  He turned white and stepped back involuntary like he was scared or something.  "The resemblance is uncanny isn't it?"  Bob said to a shocked Ziggy.  "Yeah, it is."  Ziggy got out. 

Will decided to take Ziggy home.  Will jumped into his 1976 green Ford Pinto Runabout car which Joyce bestowed on him while she bought a new Honda Accord sedan.  The 4-cylinder engine came to life with a vibration Will is use to, but anyone else would call it harsh.  Will didn't say much to Ziggy.  "Are you okay Ziggy?"  What Will wanted to ask is what he thought of Mike's looks.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine man.  I just never seen a person who looks like me before.  I understand if you don't want to answer, but what was this Mike like?  Why did he ignore you?"  Will didn't want these memories to flood back.  I'll tell you, but I don't know where you live."  "Oh, take this street for another 3 blocks, than take a left."  Ziggy gave out directions and Will drove him to his house.  Ziggy started to act more relaxed.  Will finally arrived at Ziggy's house.  "Will, you should come in and introduce yourself to my parents."  Will shut off his car and followed Ziggy in.  Will noticed an Audi car parked in the driveway and knew those cars were expensive compared to other cars so the Katzes were not hurting for money.

Walking into the house, Ziggy brought him to the living room where Mr. and Mrs. Katz were sitting reading books and drinking wine.  Will noticed a painting on the wall, an abstract painting made up of geometric shapes, primarily triangular arrows and a of couple circles.  The painting had a name in the corner, a name he was familiar with.

"Mom, Dad, this is Will Byers, a friend from school.  It was his house I was at earlier."  The woman with glasses and blondish hair came up first.  "Hi Will, I'm Evelyn Katz and this is my husband Roger Katz.  Pleased to meet you."  Evelyn shook Will's hand and so did Roger.  "Byers, I thought your mother said her name was Newby?"  Roger inquired.  "My Mom remarried in 1985 to Bob Newby who is my stepdad.  I still have my last name though."  Evelyn thought that name sounded so familiar.  She remembered something about a Byers, actually a couple things.  Right now she drew a blank.

"Mr. Katz, is this an original Naomi Widman painting?"  Roger's mouth opened wide and a smile slowly came across his wide face.  "Why yes it is.  Do you know of her?"  Will smiled "you could say that.  Actually I met her at the Bloomington Art Festival in 1985.  She was displaying 5 paintings at the Festival at the time while I had 2 of my own.  My Mom encouraged me to display my paintings and I did.  When it was slow she came up to me and introduced herself.  We had about an hour long conversation about small things.  She was really pleasant and said she could make a modest living painting and encouraged me to stick with it."  Will remembered her being nice and not dismissive or rude like alot of adults were to him.  She was a decent person and Will will always remember that about her.