Truth or Dare - Byeler

Truth or Dare

 "Told ya"

Dustin smirked at Lucas, happy that Will had unknowingly helped him prove a point. Lucas, who had been denying the truth for the past few days, shrugged and rolled his eyes. Maybe Dustin had a point, but wouldn't that complicate everything?

The conversation had started after their last Dungeons and Dragons campaign. Upon entering Mike's house, Will rushed ahead of the other two boys, flying down the stairs and taking the seat right next to Mike, who was patiently waiting for them at the table.

"What's gotten into him?" Lucas had mumbled under his breath, not really expecting a response.

A wide-eyed Dustin turned to him, surprised at his obliviousness.

"Are you blind?" Dustin questioned. Lucas pinched his eyebrows together in confusion and shrugged, not understanding Dustin's shock.

Dustin glanced around the hallway to make sure no one was around. "Dude, he's had a crush on Mike for years. How have you not noticed?"

Lucas froze in his tracks, his mouth partially open. "Will? Have a crush on Mike? No way, dude." he shook his head aggressively, "No way."

~

So, they made a bet, and ever since then, Dustin had been pointing out all the ways that Will acted "weird" around Mike. That night, the four of them had decided to have a sleepover in Mike's basement. While the other boys cleaned up empty pizza boxes and soda cans, Will took it upon himself to set up the sleeping bags, and made it a point to put himself right next to Mike.

"Okay, fine," Lucas whispered to Dustin as they climbed up the stairs, "maybe he has a small crush on Mike. But, what's going to happen when Mike notices?"

They reached the top of the steps and made their way to the garage, their hands filled with empty soda cans. As they passed Mrs. Wheeler, they said a quick "hello," and grabbed a cookie off of the counter.

"No clue," Dustin said, his mouth full of crumbs, "but I kind of want to find out"

Lucas let out a short, sarcastic laugh. "I don't think you'll find out any time soon, dude. Mike is even more oblivious than I am."

Dustin shrugged, knowing that Lucas was right. Academically, Mike was extremely intelligent; he never scored lower than a B on tests and was quick to catch onto new concepts and ideas. Emotionally, however, Mike was clueless. Especially when it came to the emotions of his friends. The only way he'd notice what was right in front of him was if it hit him in the face.

Suddenly, Dustin got an idea.

"Maybe he just needs a little push." his voice was low as he reached for the knob of the basement door.

"A push?" Lucas questioned, oblivious to Dustin's plan.

"A push!" Dustin responded excitedly as he made his way downstairs.

They were greeted by an unsurprising sight. Mike had his nose in a comic book, rambling on about a theory he had, and Will was hovering right behind him, his cheek nearly pressed against Mike's shoulder.

Dustin glanced at Lucas, giving him a familiar look. Lucas rolled his eyes and accepted defeat, deciding to go along with whatever Dustin had planned.

~

The night went as expected. They rewatched Star Wars on VHS for possibly the hundredth time, quoting the entire movie. They built and rebuilt blanket forts until they were perfect, and proceeded to act as soldiers on the battlefield until Mike's mom yelled at them for being too loud. By the time 2am rolled around, the boys were on a sugar high and were fighting exhaustion with giggles.