𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋'𝐒 𝐏𝐎𝐕
── .✦ I slowly open my eyes, moving to stretch my arms and legs before sitting up on the bed. I rub my eyes, blinking them violently to get adjusted. I turn my head to the side to see Mike, but he wasn't in the sleeping bag. My eyes droop, and I can barely keep them open as I drag myself off of the bed. I wobble over to the door, which was already wide open. I head downstairs, hearing voices talking from the kitchen. I abruptly stop when I hear my name, and I peek down the stairs at who's talking, making sure they can't see me.
"-eyes were bloodshot, his hair was a mess, he was sweating, I-I-I just I..." I spot Mike leaning on the counter, facing my mom and Mrs. Wheeler with his back to me as they prepare breakfast. "It was definitely not normal!" He says. Mrs. Wheeler looks a little uninterested on whatever Mike is rambling about, while my mom is listening to him intently. The pancake slips off the spatula, and my mom yelps when she realizes.
"Shit." She mutters under her breath as she picks up the pancake, examining it to see if it was still good enough to be eaten. She shakes her head and tosses it in the trash.
"I feel like you guys aren't really understanding what I'm saying!" Mike yells, slamming his hand on the counter. My mom looks up, gently flipping the pancake she was working on before pausing. She turns to Mike, placing the spatula down.
"Mike...this happens more often then you think. It's normal." My mom replies, putting a hand on Mikes shoulder. "There's no need to worry." She gives him a reassuring smile before resuming her work, flipping another pancake. Mrs. Wheeler gives a little nod while she stirs up some more batter for my mom to use.
"Joyce is right, hunny. He's been through a lot of trauma." Mrs. Wheeler agrees, twisting her head around to make eye contact with Mike before turning back. He sighs loudly, letting out a little groan as he rests his elbows on the counter, putting his face in his hands. I take that as an opportunity to walk down the remainder of the stairs and act like I just got up. I yawn and step into the kitchen, even stretching a little to play into the act.
"Morning Will." My mom looks up and smiles at me. "We're making pancakes." I nod, peeking over her shoulder at what she was doing before going to sit down at the table. I can sense Mike staring at me from across the room, his eyes burning holes into my head. I perk my head up slightly to catch Mikes eye, and he quickly looks away. I scrunch my eyebrows and sigh, running a hand through my hair.
Were they talking about me? No, of course not. I don't remember any of this happening to me, and I definitely would know. I'm overthinking, it's probably someone else. I push the thoughts to the back of my mind as everyone starts to get lined up in the kitchen for some pancakes.
After we all finish eating, Mike starts to explain his master plan on where we should go today as El and I follow him to the living room. "Okay. So today, I'm thinking we go to the roller rink, and then also get food there." He explains while me and El listen to him. "When we finish, I have a few options of where to go, because I wasn't sure which place you guys would prefer, but..." As Mike rambles on about his 'master plan', I pray that I won't be a third wheel the whole time. I get that Mike and El have a very...special relationship, but it would be nice if they at least made eye contact with me at some point. "...or we could meet up with the rest of the gang and head to the mall." Mike finally finishes his rant. El nods, while i'm too lost in thought to acknowledge it.
"Well, I kind of want to just hang out with you, so..." El replies, grabbing his hand. Oh great. "Let's maybe not invite everyone else." She smiles sweetly at Mike, who smiles back at her.
"Sure thing." He nods, rubbing her hand with his thumb. They stare at each other lovingly in silence, while I just stay in my spot next to El. I secretly roll my eyes, slightly disgusted by their physical touch. Here we go, back to walking behind everyone in their shadow. Mike stands up, pulling El up with him. They head to the car, completely forgetting about me entirely. I uncomfortably follow behind them, staying a good 5 feet away from them. I slip into the backseat, too upset to speak up about it. It's an excruciatingly long car ride to the roller rink
I watch Mike and El zoom around the rink, standing by the wall. I feel my heart breaking as I see them laugh and joke around. I can't help but feel envy seeing how happy they look. I just wish I could be in El's place, enjoying Mike's attention and being loved by him. As I see them skate around more, a mix of sadness and bitterness well up in my chest. Dark thoughts cloud my mind as I get more upset. Why does Mike prefer El's company over mine? Despite how much I yearn to be the one by Mike's side, I feel invisible, as if my present is barely acknowledged. The music blasts loudly in the background. I cross my arms over my stomach, the feeling of loneliness filling me as I stand against the wall, watching the couple have fun together. Suddenly, a sharp pain shoots through my head, causing me to wince. I reach up to touch my face, and I feel a liquid trickle down from my nostrils. A nosebleed. I discreetly try to wipe it off, hoping no one notices. I realize this won't work, so I head towards the bathroom.
I make my way to the restroom, the noise of the roller rink fade as I open the door to the bathroom. I walk over to the sink, turning on the faucet and splashing some water on my face. As I look up in the mirror, my reflection stares back at me. I can see the sadness in my face, and I sigh. The lights flicker above, causing darkness to cast across the room. I grip the edge of the sink to keep my balance as another wave of nausea washes over me. The pain in my head is unbearable. The walls seems to move as the room spins. The sounds outside from the rink completely fade away, leaving only the ringing in my ears. As I lean against the sink, I feel a familiar presence in the room, but no one else is here. The air grows cold, and the sadness in my chest rises to the point where it hurts. What is happening? I place one hand on my chest, gasping for air as I fall on my knees.
"Will." I hear a voice whisper against my ear. I scream and jump back, looking around frantically for anyone. I start to feel crazy. Why I'm experiencing these things? The surroundings begin to change, the familiar walls of the bathroom transform into something dark and disgusting. It's a world that I know all too well from my nightmares and past trauma. I look around, recognizing the Upside Down. Big creatures fly across the sky, and I can tell it has grown more dangerous these past few years. I scramble and cry out, trying to get up but the vines pull me back down, hugging me tightly against the ground.
