thunder && lightning ❁ byler

2 -

will byers pov
   I didn't have an exact reason for skipping D&D earlier. I don't even know why I skipped. I could have faked a smile and then maybe I would be a real happy. Maybe forget for a few hours.
   But no, I ditched.
   I fu¢king ditched.
  $hit, what was I going to do? I knew they would ask me on Monday. What would I say?
   Oh! I know! I could tell them I was sick.
   Wait, then they would think it was a slug...
   Oh god Will! They don't even know about that!
   Ok, problem-
   My train of thoughts is interrupted when Jonathan pushs the door open quickly, as if out of breath. He sighs, and a strand of hair leaves from the front of his eye to the side of his forehead, with an arm slightly upward leaning on the door.
   "Your friend- Mike- he's here to see you."
I raised an eyebrow with a half open mouth and slowly stood up as Jonathan raced out. "What's he in a big hurry for?" I ask aloud.
"Nancy drove," a voice replies. I peek out of the door frame to see a 5'4" figure who pulls down his hood. "It's raining, so I had to get a ride..."
"Oh ok, Mike?"
"Yes?"
"Nothing, I just can't see well."
"Here," he steps forward and puts and arm above my shoulder, and feels around my wall and flicks on a switch. His face gleams along with his smile.
I smile a real smile, pathetically. "So... what's up?" I ask awkwardly, shifting my weight on my feet.
"Well, you skipped D&D. I know you're not sick," he said quietly.
"Yeah, I'm not."
"Let's go sit out back," he says quietly again. Once he sees I don't follow, he grabs my hand and yanks at it to get my feet to move.
I get a slight nudge in myself to move, and we're walking through my family room. He lets go and I frown slightly.
Left, right, left. My feet pat the ground in my socks and I watch the soles of his favorite shoes hit the ground.
He unlocks the door and opens it, not bothering to wait for me to go first. He closes it after me, however, and tells me to sit on the edge of our porch.
We sit iconically with our hands in our laps and our feet crouched up to our chests as the sound of rain echoes into our ears.
   "So, why did you skip Dungeons and Dragons this afternoon?" Mike questions me.
   "Um. I don't really know. Maybe because I don't want to be with Lucas and Dustin?" I don't remember feeling this, but it sounded right.
   "How come?" He questions onward.
   "They use mean words. Homophobic words. And, I don't know, maybe they just wanna sound cool or maybe they really mean it..." I trail off slowly.
   "Probably fitting in. I've said f@g before so that Troy wouldn't call me that," he replied scarcely.
   "Oh really? Troy sucks," I say, not knowing what to say.
   "Yeah, he does."
   I can see why you didn't want to go."
   "Yeah, I mean, it's just mean."
   "Totally..."
   We sat in silence with only the rain to talk. The rain only grows harder.
   "We should go in. It's getting cold," I announce, shivering.
   "But the fun's just starting!" Mike yells, bouncing up from his spot and holds out his hand to me below him. I gulp, seeing his area in front of my face.
Stay straight... But don't look straight... Look up!! HIS EYES ARE UP THERE!!
   I grab his hand and he shoots me a smile and turns forward and yanks my arm once more, causing me to slip and fall into the now muddy grass.
   I chuckle, but realize my elbow stings. I should get a jacket, for my short sleeve won't do me well. I tell Mike this, and go inside quickly with tears swelling in my eyes.
   Just as I'm about to slip my jacket on, I look in the mirror and see the cut on my elbow. It looks circular, with crosses in the circle. Like a waffle, I think to myself.
   I wash it off and head outside, pulling the light jacket on as I walk outside.
   There stands Mike, with his arms spread out and his tongue hanging out of his mouth.
   "What the H3ll are you doing?!" I whisper-shout.
   "What does it look like? I'm bathing!" He yells. He dances in the cold and beckons me. "C'mon, don't be like that."
   "Be like what?"
   "Don't be a Barb!"
   "I don't even know who that is."
   "Ok, whatever. Just have fun!"
   He sighs at my refusal.
   "It's not that hard."
   Again, I don't move.
   "Not this again..." He pulls my hand for the third time and this time I move along. He attempts a not-so-slick moonwalk and stumbles backwards.
   Now I laugh, and my eyes squint up from my wide smile and erupting laughter.
   "Help me up!" Mike calls from below.
   I reach his hand out like he did his, and he grabs it.
   This time not to pull me up but to pull me down.
   Him being easily five inches taller, I'm pulled the ground and ontop of him in now pouring rain. I roll over and off of him and he rolls so our faces are turned towards each other.
Oddly, he begins to whisper something, but I hear a loud noise and jolt upwards.
   My second biggest fear.
   Thunderstorms.