✓ Wake Up, Mike ⇔ Mileven {1st - "Wake Up, Mike" Trilogy}

Four

Mike.

I woke up drenched in sweat and had a stiff face. I knew the stiffness was from my tears, but I'm not sure why I'm sweating so much. Maybe I had a nightmare and was just too exhausted to remember any of it.

I slowly climbed out of El's tent and went upstairs. I heard my dad asleep in the living room and my mom talking in the kitchen. Then I heard Nancy, so I'm assuming they're talking. That in mind, I snuck back downstairs and out the back door. I got my bike and rode away from my house as quickly as possible.

I passed by Lucas's house and tried to ride even faster, hoping he wouldn't see me. Then I noticed three bikes in the driveway and felt even worse.

I know I'm the one that left school, but I still feel a little jealous. I know they'll be discussing me. They probably think I'm being a baby or something.

I just kept riding, refusing to check if they're following me. If they are, I don't care. They won't see anything interesting.

I finally saw some old, rusty cars come into view and sighed in relief. I looked over at the broken bus and was flooded with memories. So many memories, good and bad.

I laid down in the dirt in front of it, not really caring about getting dirty. I'm already all sweaty and I'll need a shower, anyway. And clothes can be washed.

It wasn't long before I heard bikes in the distance and then footsteps that were supposed to be light. I ignored them, though, because I just needed to be here. To lay here and pretend that I'm back in those days when she was here. I come here maybe once a week by myself, if I can.

I could hear my friends whispering and it just got annoying. Do they think I'm deaf or something?

"I know you're there, you're not very quiet," I spoke up, and I could hear them wading out of the bushes. I sat up and turned to face them. They looked rather guilty.

"We're sorry, we just didn't know where you were going. I thought you were sick," Lucas admitted, and I just squinted a bit at them before looking at my lap.

"I just wanted to be alone. Then I saw all of you hanging out at Lucas's house and I got jealous. And embarrassed, I assume you were talking about me," I mumbled, and I looked up when they walked closer to me. They sat down in front of my legs, and I suddenly felt very silly for being jealous.

"Mike, we were talking about you, but not in a bad way. We just..." Dustin started, but he trailed off and glanced at Will nervously. I gave them the 'go on' eyes and Will decided to answer.

"They were telling me about El. About your relationship with her."

My chest clenched so terribly, it physically hurt. I haven't heard her name in months, not out loud. Then I heard him say relationship and I had to look down again to hide my new tears. I've turned into a real baby ever since she left. I cry every day, a lot of times it's more than once. I just can't help it, she left and took everything with her. She took my emotions, my well-being. All she left was a body filled with tears that constantly restocked.

"Mike, are you crying?" Dustin spoke again, and I shook my head, which just made me cry harder. I gave up and let myself cry freely. I was trying to keep quiet but it wasn't working too well. I was sobbing in front of my friends and they aren't even doing anything to help.

"Mike, she's...she's just a girl..." Will spoke quietly, and I looked up in time to see Lucas and Dustin slap both of his arms on either side.

"She's just a girl? Really? You know what, I don't even care anymore. I'm going home, I'm not dealing with you guys right now." I stood up and started to walk away.

"Dealing with us? Mike, what the hell did we do? We've been nothing but supportive, you can't blame Will! He didn't know, he wasn't there to see how much you loved her!" Lucas yelled at me, and I just shook my head and cried more.

"No, none of you care that she's gone. I'm the only one that's affected by this," I spoke through gritted teeth. I started pacing back and forth, pulling my hair slightly.

"Not fair, Mike, we miss her, too," Dustin said in a firm tone and I stopped dead in my tracks. I spun to face them and gave them a death glare.

"You miss her, huh? Ok, fine, but did you basically live for her? Did you let her sleep in your basement for a week? Did you cry when she was gone for only one night? No?

"Ok, how about this, did you sit her down and promise her a family? Promise her the Snowball? Did you show her the side of you that no one else saw? Did you kiss her for Christ's sake?! No, you didn't, that was me! It was me, I'm the one that went through it all and I'm the one that broke!" I was yelling so loud, I'm sure the nearby houses could hear me. The three of them just stared at me in utter shock, which made me mad again.

I turned around and left, truly not wanting to deal with them at the moment. They know everything now.

They know why I've barely left my house in a year, and I'm sure they still won't understand.

~

edit, 12-14-18: wow I used "and" too much
Also Mike is angsty and rude af