A New Friend

The first day of school

August 29, 1983
Hawkins, IN

  The new school year was staring at Hawkins Middle.  The throngs of slightly depressed adolescents slogged into the school, none too thrilled to come to the end of summer break.  Parent's waved goodbye to their children, almost too enthusiastically, as they dropped them off for the start of the school year. 

  Mike Wheeler, Lucas Sinclair, Dustin Henderson, and Will Byers placed their bikes in the bike rack, and walked resignedly into the school.  The only class they were really looking forward to getting back to was Mr. Clark's science class.  They were anxious to check with Mr. Clark on the possibilities of getting some new radio equipment.  Mr. Clark was the head of the AV Club for Hawkins Middle.  Rumor had it that Mr. Clark was looking into getting the new Heathkit Ham Radio for the AV club.  They couldn't wait for that.

  The boys went to their lockers, grabbed their things and headed to their first class.  Along the way, they noticed a new face in the halls.  Not far down from their lockers, an unfamiliar boy was warily situating things in his locker.  He looked to be about their age, a bit on the chunky side, with glasses perched on his dirty blonde, short-buzzed head and slightly threadbare clothes.  The boy double checked his card with his class schedule, and headed to class without paying much attention to the other people milling about. 

  As the boys sat down together, the teacher began the roll call.  A few names in, as the teacher called "Andrews, Michael," they found the name that went with the new face.  The boy they had seen in the hall shyly raised his hand from the side of the room closest to the door, casting a few furtive glances about the room.  As the teacher continued calling out names, Mike noticed Troy Harrington, the resident goon, in the back with one of his cronies, James, glancing at the new boy and turning back to his friend.  They would glance and snicker, throwing condescending looks towards the new-comer.  Mike glanced over and Lucas and pursed his lips.  "What a mouth breather," he muttered to Lucas, who narrowed his eyes and Troy and shook his head.

  When class was finished, as everyone was getting up, Troy walked by Michael Andrews' desk and "accidentally" knocked his books to the ground.  "Oops," quipped Troy sarcastically as the rest of the class laughed, while Michael quickly picked up his books, and with a nervous glance around, quietly left the room.  Will and Dustin had got up to help Michael with his books, but he had already picked them up and had bolted, red-faced, for the door.  The four boys knew all too well that Troy was a jerk.  They, too, were often on the receiving end of his bullying. 

  When it came time for lunch, Mike, Lucas, Dustin and Will headed for the cafeteria.  As they entered with their trays, they noticed the new boy, Michael, sitting off by himself with a sack lunch that he had brought with him, consisting of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, some potato chips and a chocolate milk he had purchased.  Mike looked at the other three, and they silently agreed to head in that direction.  Just as they were, however, Troy and his crony James approached Michael where he was sitting.  "Geez, these new kids are just getting rattier all the time," Troy sneered.  "Take a look at this one.  Fat and poor, by the look of him.  How do you do that, eh fat boy?  Be poor and fat at the same time." James guffawed sycophantically.  "What, mommy can't afford a lunchbox for you," Troy asked as he picked up Michael's sack lunch.  Michael made a desperate grab for his food, but Troy snatched it away too quickly.  "Doesn't look like you need this, tubby.  I'll just get rid of it for you," Troy said as he took Michael's lunch and tossed it in the trash. 

   Michael looked dejectedly down at the space on the table that had once contained his lunch.  Troy gave Michael a quick jab in the chest as he and James walked away, laughing.  A few others nearby had laughed, too, but for the most part, no one noticed.
  Mike, Lucas, Will and Dustin walked over to Michael's table.  "Don't mind that mouth breather," Mike told him.  "Every time he blows his nose, he loses half his brain matter."
"Mouth breather.  Ha.  I like that one," Michael said.
"I'm Mike by the way.  Mike Wheeler.  Mind if we join you?"
"Feel free," said Michael
The rest of the boys introduced themselves and sat down.  "You can have my pizza, if you like," Mike offered Michael.  He gratefully accepted.  Lucas offered Michael his fruit salad.  Will offered him his milk.  Dustin took a long look at his chocolate pudding cup, and offered it to Michael, telling him "these are pretty rare anymore.  Stupid lunch lady hordes them, I just know it."     Michael was thankful for the bit of the other boys' lunch that he was offered. 
"So," Mike asked Michael, "what made you move to Hawkins?"
  Michael told them about how his family had moved down here from Michigan when his father was offered a job in a nearby town.  Hawkins was the closest town they could find a house to rent that they could afford.  Michael's father was a hard worker; he just didn't make a whole lot of money.  They had enough, but a lot of the luxuries that some kids had were just not a possibility for his family.  His clothes were not always the newest, and had to last him a little longer than most.  Will sympathized with him the most, with his mom being a single parent.
"How is the science teacher here?  Science was always my favorite class at my old school," Michael asked them.
   The boys all looked at each other and grinned.  "You'll love Mr. Clark," Lucas told him.  "He's an awesome teacher."
A smile crossed Michael's face.  "That's awesome!  I think I have him right after lunch."
"So do we," said Dustin.
  Just as they were finishing, Troy and James walked by again.  "Well, well, we have a new addition to the freak show.  Looks like you'll fit right in with midnight, toothless, frog face and the fairy here.  We'll just add the blob to the roster." James laughed as they kept walking.
"I really don't like those two," said Michael, glaring at the bullies as they left.
"Don't worry.  Neither do we," said Will.  "They're always like that to us."

   Mr. Clark's science class was everything Michael had hoped for.  Mr. Clark was a great teacher, and always presented the material in a way that kept the kids interested.  At least the ones who had any interest in science, and even some of the ones who didn't.  After class, Mike, Dustin, Lucas and Will stayed behind to talk to Mr. Clark, and Michael hung back as well.  "We're just going to ask Mr. Clark about some AV club stuff, so it might be a little boring," Mike informed Michael.
  "Boring??" exclaimed Michael.  "Are you kidding? I love AV stuff!"
  They all walked over to Mr. Clark's desk.  "Hello, boys!  Welcome back!  I see you have a new friend here.  Michael Andrews, isn't it?" asked Mr. Clark.
  "Yes, sir," Michael responded.
  "Interested in joining the AV club?"
  "Very much so." 
  "Excellent!  Always glad to have someone else on board," exclaimed Mr. Clark.  "I'm assuming you're here to see about the recent rumors of a Heathkit coming our way," Mr. Clark asked, turning to the other boys.  "I can say with certainty, that we are indeed getting a new Heathkit Ham Shack!  The school officially has an amateur radio license, and that the Heathkit will be ordered shortly."
"How long will it take to get here?" Dustin asked.
  "Probably a couple months, unfortunately.  They've been having trouble keeping up with orders, apparently," Mr. Clark said. "But don't worry. Mr. Newby down at Radio Shack is on top of this for us."  The boys left Mr. Clarks room and headed to their next class. 

  At the end of the day, all 5 boys walked out to the bike racks outside the school.  "You ride your bike to school, too?" Mike asked Michael.  "You must not live to far from here then." 
  Michael told them where his family had rented a house.  "That's only a couple blocks from my house," Mike said.  "We're all going to be at my place on Saturday for some D&D.  You should see if you can come over."  The rest of the boys nodded their agreement.
  "That would be awesome!  I love D&D!" Michael
said  "I wouldn't expect you to let me join your party so soon, but I'll definitely come over Saturday."

   Michael rode from the school for the first time in a strange new town with four new friends. He counted himself lucky to have made some friends on the first day.  The rest of the week would be interesting, to say the least.