𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞; byler

Chapter 14- Mike

MIKE HAD FORGOTTEN how beautifully Will could draw. 

As he stared over his shoulder at the sketch his heart filled with longing. "That's a beautiful drawing, Will," he heard himself say. He smiled hopefully at the beautiful boy, hoping he would return the smile. It had been so long since he saw Will smile.

But the brunette simply stared at him with frightened eyes, like a deer caught in headlights. He hurried to stuff the sketch pad in his bag, and this time Mike knew the drawing wasn't meant for him.

That day Mike cancelled his plans to see Jane. He didn't even say hi to his family. He ran upstairs and emptied his closet of sweatshirts, going through each one quickly, looking in each pocket and every crease, he knew he had somewhere....
Finally, in a small pocket inside a grey raincoat Mike found it; a folded up piece of paper torn out of a sketchpad. The last drawing Will had made for him.

Mike sat on the bed and unfolded the paper with shaking hands.

 It was the first time he had looked at it since that night, the beautiful sketch overlooked in the guilt he had felt.

The drawing was stunning, though maybe Mike thought it more stunning then it was since he missed Will so much. 

Mike looked at the paladin in the sketch, so brave and regal with his suit of armor. was that how Will had seen him? Suddenly, Mike saw something he hadn't seen upon first viewing the drawing. 

On the paladin's suit of armor, right where his heart would be, was a drawing of a cleric, a cleric with hazel eyes and a smile on his lips. 

The drawing was so small it wasn't very obvious to the watcher, but it made Mike's heart hurt. He needed Will. Needed him. He had to go and see him...

And maybe if his mom didn't choose that exact second to yell "Mike! phone call for you!" He would've actually went. But what choice did he have besides running downstairs to answer the phone?

"Hello?" he breathed, a small part of him hoping the caller was somehow Will.
"Mike?" Of course, It wasn't. The caller could only be Max.
"Yeah," he said, his heart sinking a little bit.
"Listen, Jane and I are about to go dress shopping- what color is your tie?" Max asked.
"What tie? what dress?" Mike asked mindlessly, already longing to go upstairs to look at Will's drawing some more.
"What dre- Mike, the snowball is tomorrow! you can't seriously not have a tie yet!ugh, I can't. Jane, talk to your boyfriend." There was a short pause and then Mike heard Jane's sweet voice.
"Hi," she said.
"Hey," Mike responded, his heart jumping to the sound of her voice.
"Max says the dress has match with your tie. She says It's important, "Jane said, and Mike heard the innocence in her voice.
"Why?" he asked, starting to get annoyed by the bizarre request.
"Oh for fuck's sake just give me that," Max's voice called from afar, and suddenly her voice was closer.
"Just give us a color, Wheeler. Do you even have a suit?" 
"I don't fucking know, Max, just buy a tie for me and I'll pay you back. Bye." He hung up the phone, annoyed.

He climbed back upstairs. the snowball. how could he have forgotten? they had literally just talked about it at school that day! He folded the drawing and stuffed it in a drawer, and tried to be happy with the notion that he'd be going with Jane, who he loved. 

Yes, he loved Jane. It was her first ever dance, She was exited, he should be too! He went downstairs once again, this time watching television.

But at night, when he closed his eyes, the only dreams he had were of a cleric shaped pin on his chest.

[ AUTHOR SAYS]

ok this part is definitely my all time least favorite, It's short and boring but I'm glad I'm done with it so I can get to the really interesting (and kind of last) portion of this book. If you stuck it out this far, THANK YOU FOR READING!