Who Knew - Byler

8

It had been a couple days since Will had seen Mike. He had been ignoring him, trying not to bump into him when he was with the others. If he saw him, he wasn't sure if he could act normal... not after the talk he had with his mum.

Will had never accepted he was gay. And he sure had never accepted he was in love with his best friend. Sure, deep down he knew it, but he tried to ignore it. Mike was dating Jane and they were happy together. And guys don't like guys. Guys don't like guys.  Will had been thinking non stop these two days. He had barely talked to Max, the one he could always talk to. He had been in the closet for such a long time, years, and now his mum had just literally pulled him out of the closet. Should he tell the others, too?

No, you can't do that, Will. Mike will know you're in love with him and you'll lose him as a friend.  Accepting he was gay felt like such a relief though. He didn't have to force himself to like girls, and he felt so free. But he needed more freedom- he needed to tell someone else. 

-

"So, Will. I feel like I haven't heard your voice in years" Max said, sitting down in Will's bed. "What's up?" Will was still thinking what he had and didn't have to tell her. Should he talk about being in love with Mike all this time, or just about him being gay, or...?

He thought he probably shouldn't tell her he's in love with Mike. He didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable or something. He just wanted to speak his truth, show his real self.

"So, um... I really needed to talk to you because... well... I think I'm..." Will started. He was mumbling and Max couldn't really understand what he was saying. "Dude, speak up. I can't understand a single word you're saying" she said.

Will breathed deeply. "I think I'm..." Max opened her eyes, waiting for him to finish the goddam sentence already. "What? Gay? Well that's new" she said, rolling her eyes, and Will couldn't possibly be more surprised. 

"That's new? What do you mean?" Will asked, worried. "Was it supposed to be a secret or something?" Max asked. "Because dude, I don't think there's one person in this world that doesn't know that you're-" Max stopped talking when she realized that Will had a worried look in his face and was starting to tear up.

"Shit" she muttered, getting up to hug Will. "Will, don't worry. I don't really think everyone knows, I was just being sassy, like always." she said, trying to comfort him. Why can't I be more sensitive?, she thought to herself. "E-everyone knows? Y-you k-knew?" Will asked, crying.

"Well, I knew, but that's because I know you well! No one knows you're gay, Will. Don't worry. And even if they knew, fuck them" she said, still hugging him. She felt like crap. She really messed up. "Okay? Fuck them. You shouldn't care what they think of you." Will couldn't believe it. Max knew it and he'd known her for less than a year. He'd known Mike since he was in kindergarten... he knows him better than anyone. Does he know, too?

"B-but it was pr-private. It's m-my private l-life and it was sup-supposed to be my d-decision to tell th-them." Max let go of him and looked at him in the eyes. 

"Will, it's okay. They don't know. They're just stupid bullies that couldn't find anything else to make fun of in you because you're perfect, so they made up that you're gay. But they don't actually know." 

"This evening we're going to the arcade and you're coming" Max said, wiping Will's tears away. "And you won't care about those bullies anymore." Will wasn't so sure it was gonna work, but he just nodded.

-

Max was playing Dig Dug and Dustin, Lucas and Will were cheering her. She was about to beat her own record. It was almost nine and Will's mum was letting him stay til half past nine. Suddenly, Will heard a familiar voice behind them and turned around.

"Hey guys, sorry I'm late." It was Mike. Will waved his hand lightly and turned back to the machine, but Max had died and hadn't beaten the top score. "Wanna try, Will?" Max asked, but Will shook his head. "I'm gonna go outside to get a little air" he said, and walked outside.

He was standing in front of the door, looking at the sky, when he heard the door open and close. He turned and saw Mike walking to him. "Hey, Will" he said, Will smiling shyly. "What's up with you lately?" Mike suddenly asked.

"Nothing. Why would you ask that?" Will said, trying to hide how tense he was. "You closed your fists. You always do that when you feel tense or uncomfortable. Are you gonna tell me what did I do? Because the last time I saw you, I remember laughing and having a great time and now you've been ignoring me for two days straight" Mike said. He sounded pissed. Mike was never pissed at Will. Will slowly opened his fists again.

"You're the one who's pissed at me for no reason," Will suddenly said, and Mike was surprised. Will never fought back. "You're right. I'm sorry. I'm not pissed at you, I'm more pissed at myself" he said, putting his hands in his pockets.

"At yourself? Why?" Will asked, curious. "Jane's mother's funeral was today and I completely forgot. She got really mad at me" Mike explained. Will didn't really know what to say. When you don't know what to say, say the truth, he thought.

"I don't know what to say" Will muttered, and Mike stared at his eyes. "Tell me why you've been avoiding me." Will sighed. He can't lose his best friend like that. "I haven't been avoiding you." 

"Yes you have." "Haven't." "Have." "Haven't." "Have!" "Haven't!" "Have!!" "OKAY; I HAVE BEEN AVOIDING YOU!" Will suddenly screamed, Mike opening his eyes in shock. They both stayed silent for a while.

"Why?" Mike muttered, and the pain in his voice was noticeable. Will wanted to slap himself for making his favorite boy in the world hurt. "I..." Will started, not really knowing what to say. He wasn't ready to tell him. He didn't think he'd ever be.

"Guys? What's going on?" Dustin said, from the arcade's entrance. Both Mike and Will turned around. "Nothing" Will said, checking his clock. It was nine. He still had half an hour left, but he didn't feel like staying there anymore.

He walked inside, Mike following, but instead of going to The Dragon's Lair, where Lucas was playing with Max, he approached Keith, the worker. "Keith, I need to use your phone" Will said, and Keith nodded. Mike watched the scene with sad eyes. Why was his best friend avoiding him like that?

Will called home and asked his mum to pick him up. "Why? You still have half an hour left" she asked, and Will replied with an "I'm just tired". Joyce told him to wait for her outside, she'd be there in five.

Will said goodbye to the party and went outside. Max and Mike were following him. "Will? Why are you going?" Max asked. "Yeah, why are you going?" Mike asked, stepping ahead. Will felt so attacked, so helpless. He started tearing up. "Curfew" he replied. "Wasn't your curfew at half past nine?" Max insisted. "No." 

Just then, Will heard his mum calling him. He turned around and saw her, in the car. He ran to her, opened the door and sat in his place. He asked his mum to leave already, and she did it without making any questions. Before leaving, Will looked through the window and he saw Max and Mike still standing there. She was confused. He was sad.

Will cried silently, and he thanked that his mum wasn't talking. But before getting home, Will said:

"Mum, you were wrong. I don't like Mike. I love him. And I'm hurting him."

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I DONT HAVE TO GO TO SCHOOL TOMORROW *happy dance* that means i'll probs stay home all day n try to write the next chapter! :) I have something really big on my mind, hehe... but idk if it'll be in the next chapter or later :/

also i'm not really proud of this sorry guys. 

lastly, IM GONNA WATCH BURN THE STAGE IN TWO DAYS WHAT THE HELL IM SO EXCITED SDSKDKSDK