Lost boys • Will Byers

9

Charlie's POV

"Burton!" Steve burst into Charlie's house, as always, at the same time.

Charlie was asleep on the couch, resting after staying up late watching reruns of The Addams Family.

He'd been in his bed, but his mother woke up in the middle of the night, saying how she needed to go back to her own bed. With that, he migrated to the couch.

A hand shook him awake.

"What?"

Steve was staring back at him. He sat down on the coffee table.

"I wasn't sure if you were going to school and—"

"I don't think I can, Steve."

"Well maybe you should... I mean, it's a great distraction and you can always see that guidance counselor lady. Plus they're having an assembly for Will and Danny so—"

"Steve! No." Charlie lifted his face up. Steve lifted his fingers to Charlie's face and ran them across his skin.

Charlie flushed.

"What are you doing?"

"You've got those lines on your face." Steve observed. "You know... the ones you get after a bomb ass nap?"

"Oh... right."

Steve glanced at the clock on the wall behind them.

"Well... I gotta go. If you wanna come I'll wait for you to get dressed...." he hinted.

Charlie sighed, sitting up. He rubbed his eyes then stood up, nodding once and mumbling a quiet, "I'll go,"

"Cool! I'll make you some breakfast. Toast with peanut butter, right?"

Charlie stopped and smiled.

"Yeah."

As Steve went to work in the kitchen, Charlie stumbled into his parents' room. He shook his dad until he woke up, seemingly in a panic.

"I'm going to school today." He informed him.

"No, you're not. I think you should stay in bed today." His father said, eyes still closed.

"Steve's already here making breakfast."

"How do you work your toaster?" Steve yelled from the kitchen.

"I don't want you at school."

"I'm going!"

Charlie rushed into his room, changing quickly. He then brushed his teeth, fixed his hair, and finally walked to the kitchen.

"I figured it out." Steve said, handing Charlie a burnt piece of toast on one of Danny's Star Wars plates.

Charlie smiled.

"Thanks."

He despised burnt toast.

Most of the time, if his toast burned, he'd throw it in the trash.

But this time... Steve made it, therefore making it special.

He ate it anyway.

At school that day, most people seemed shocked to see him there. Everyone stared at him all day long.

Steve was by his side— as promised— of course until he say Nancy and took off in a love sick craze after her.

Then he was all alone.