sunflower 🌻 [byler]

🌻; withered flowers

eight

third person pov

murray bauman started to examine mike. what happened to him was serious, he fell down the tree standing right beside nana’s house, but that wasn’t all it.

he told mrs. wheeler that mike might have made a whole new world of his own in his mind because of everything that happened before, the friendship break up, the rejection.

“mike,” he wasn’t looking at him but for sure, he was aware he needs to talk to him, “can you tell me what happened after you fell?”

“i got up, then there was this boy who helped me get the ball from their house,” he was staring into space while he tell the story.

“what is his name?”

“will byers.”

“then, what happened next?”

mike breathed deeply, “he showed me around, we sat on this huge rock to see the city lights, we’ve done a lot together, i also met one of his friends, max?”

nancy was standing by the door, fighting her tears, “mike.”

and that’s the first time he did look at someone. karen was by his side but he wouldn’t look at her too.

nancy completely went inside the room, as mike continued to look at her, “it’s not real.”

“what’s not real?”

nancy couldn’t fight it anymore, the urge to cry was strong enough she just couldn’t keep it in anymore. tears went running as mike was still looking at her. she held his hands while shaking her head.

dr. bauman then saved nancy from talking, “mike, you didn’t get up when you fell.”

“i did, i remember all of it.”

“you were starring off in space, it was nancy who had the ball, there’s no will-”

“uh- yes there is! i was with him at the sunflower fields!”

mike was already yelling at them. tears were starting to roll down his cheeks, he then look at that one person he knew would believe in him, “nancy, you do believe in me,”

nancy was still in tears, “don’t you?”

“mike, this boy, where does he live?”

“right beside our house, next to that huge tree,” mike was completely confident.

nancy was still holding his hand, she held it more tightly and pulled mike towards the door.

karen immediately stood up, “where are you taking him?”

but nancy was unstoppable, “nancy!”

mike and nancy were already outside, she made sure mike could see that there’s no house built right next to nana’s house, or even that huge tree, except theirs. all that’s in there were withered flowers.

“no, i saw it, it was there!” mike came up with an idea that he didn’t know would betray him too, “i can prove it to you.”

around this time, dr. murray and mrs. wheeler were already outside.

mike was rushing to get something out from his pocket, “this is his drawing,” but all they saw was a blank, crumpled piece of paper.

“mike stop it!”

mrs. wheeler was stressed out, she was just silent earlier, trying to get all the scene in her mind, but she couldn’t just believe it happened to her son.

“let us all go back inside,” dr. bauman suggested, as he ushered mike and nancy inside, “mike you need to rest.”

he nodded and went to his room. he was so tired, he needed his mind off of everything that just happened.

he didn’t go straight to bed, he went inside the shower with his clothes on.

— 🌻

i was back in the sunflower field, the sun was out giving them life. the picnic set up was still here, the food were remained untouched.

“will?”

hands suddenly covered my eyes from my behind, i could feel his soft palms again, “will?”

will laughed, as he went back to his position from a while ago, he noticed that i was starring at him which made his face went serious.

“are you real?”

“what kind of question is that?”

“just answer it.”

i suddenly felt his lips on mine, it felt so real.

“i like you too, mike.”

— 🌻

mrs. wheeler and dr. bauman were having conversations downstairs as nancy tried to check if mike was already asleep, but we all know he isn’t.

she heard that the shower was on, so she went to the door, and found out it was open, it wasn't shut. it was open three inches.

she peaked through the door and found mike sitting on the floor with his clothes completely soaked from the shower.

“mike! what are you doing?!”

mike wasn’t responding, she decided to enter and found mike starring in space once again, only this time he was calling for will, again and again.

—

i smiled at him, i was so afraid earlier when he didn’t respond to my sudden confession.

but what was once a sweet smile, went from a sudden face of curiosity, it started raining, and more of like a storm. the glimmer from the lightning reflected on his face.

“will,”

he was still smiling while i looked at him confused, there’s a storm during the summer.

“are you real?”

— 🌻

mike breathed so deeply, he noticed nancy was out there with him, he leaned on her as she kept him safe in her embrace.

meanwhile downstairs, mrs. wheeler and dr. bauman was having their final conversation, “please do everything you can do for my son.”

dr. bauman nodded.