011 ~ A Mileven Fanfic

Chapter the Tenth

Mike's POV

I opened my locker and a pink piece of paper fluttered out, landing on my boots as I watched it fall. I bent down to open it reading,

Dear Mike,

You probably don't notice me much. My name is Anne Riley and I'm in the grade below you. I know you must get asked out all the time, it probably gets annoying being the heartthrob of the school so I hope I'm not a burden in any way. My friends just told me that I need to stop moping around and do something about my feelings so I decided to screw it and ask you out. My locker is 849 near Ms. Dunley's room, I know you probably won't say yes but I promise you to try, you'll have fun!

"Hey there, what's that?" I hear from behind me.

"I don't know, Jane. I think it's some type of like, a love letter?" I respond.

"Hey now! Mike, you're pulling, lets see it!" Jane yells, laughing. I hand the note to her, my eyebrows knit together in confusion. She reads it all the way through, her mouth subconsciously whispering the words under her breath as she goes. When she finishes she looks up at me, smiling.

"So what are you gonna say to the poor girl? I mean, you're so brooding and hopeless, I can't imagine you'll go?"

"I don't know, I mean it has to be a mistake right? She couldn't have meant it for me?"

"Mike, it says your name on the paper. Also, everyone at this school is in love with you I can't believe it hasn't happened sooner. I guess this girl is just the only one here with balls."

"What?"

"Hm?" Jane responds, not paying attention to me. Before I can question her, Dustin and Max walk up, their hands swinging between them.

"What's up?" Max asks and Jane wastes no time explaining the whole debacle. Max throws her head back in laughter and Dustin looks at the ground, sighing.

"Man, it's time you figured out. Every straight girl, all of the gay guys, and 25% of everyone else have dreamed about making out with you in a dark closet." He says, patting me on the shoulder.

"What?"

"Dude, we had like a running joke on how long you could go without realizing. It's kind of incredible actually." Max says, laughing at my dumfounded expression.

"No. No guys, no one is in love with me. No just no."

Max sighs and then proceeds to explain the whole thing. The glo-up, the brooding, the angst, how it all works. I just stand there shocked.

"Look around, idiot. Count every girl that looks at you a little too long, every girl that giggles when they see you. It's a little thing called love and you yourself felt it once." Max whispers in my ear as I stare down the hallway, at all of the females who are in fact, paying a bit extra attention to me.

"But why, I'm not special? I mean, who would be in love with me?"

"Well, I am." Jane, who had been growing increasingly quieter, piped up and then like the other day in my room, disappeared in the blink of an eye.

After a brief period of shock, I dropped everything and ran after her, into the mass of teenagers yearning to get to their lockers in this 5-minute increment of freedom, pulsing as one. I was pushing down the hall until I saw her, packing her books into a locker, a blush coating her face probably due to her out-of-the-blue love confession. When she sees me in her locker mirror, she turns around and immediately begins to spout unsure excuses very unlike Jane's bold personality.

"Look Mike, I didn't mean I love you persay, I just mean I like you, maybe a bit more than a friend. I mean only like I think you're like cool and like I guess like pretty attractive and like-"

"Do you want to get dinner tonight?" I interrupt, boldly and without hesitation. Her expression drops and I have absolutely no read on her.

"What?" She asks.

"Well I like you, maybe a bit more than a friend. I mean like you're like cool and like pretty and like-"

"Oh shut up," she mumbles, her face turning red but sporting a growing smile. "Pick me up at 8."

"Will do." I say, fighting back the smile threatening to devour my face. As I walk back to the group I see that Will has now joined them, all wearing apprehensive looks. With one nod and a smile, the three of them break into cheers, Dustin wolf-whistling as loudly as possible. Besides the fact I now have to reject a 10th grader who actually seems pretty cool, today has turned out pretty nice.

We're driving home, listening to the Clash as per usual (Will has threatened to shoot himself if we ever change it and we genuinely don't think he's kidding) when I think of something.

"Hey Max," I ask. "You said every straight girl and every gay guy has imagined making out with me in a dark closet which means both you and Will have fantasized about me."

Max simply nods. "Not gonna lie, it was more than once." We all laugh as Dustin calls from the back, "I'm right here!" and then I see Will shrinking into his seat through the rearview mirror.

"Hey Will, wanna tell me something?" Will splutters, his face turning beet-red.

"N-n-no, that n-never h-h-happened!"

Dustin laughs, patting Will's head.

"Oh Byers. You're such a terrible liar."

first of all, I'm sorry this chapter kind of sucks. second, what do you think guys wike???? i mean i have extra room in the plot just say the word and will's in love with mike.