should I stay or should I go? | mike wheeler x reader

the flayed

"I found him," El says as she looks for Hopper. "Where is he?" Max asks. "Woods," El explains. "Woods?" I ask. "He's with... Will's mom." El continues. "My-- My mom?" Will asks. "What are they doing?" Max asks. "Ill...annoy. They're going to Ill-annoy." She replies. Mike's mom knocks on the door, telling him it was time for breakfast. "Not now, Mom!" He shouts back, "Illinois? Illinois, like the state? The state of Illinois?" He asks, turning back to us. "Ill-annoy." El stammers in response.

I was in the bathroom with Max and El as they made fun of Mike. I remained silent. I was slowly starting to think, maybe Mike wasn't lying.

Mike's pov

"Something's not right. El said she couldn't get Hopper off her back all summer, and now all of a sudden, he's hiking with Will's mom to Illinois? And Dustin's MIA, too? I mean, this can't be a coincidence," I rant. "What does it matter? The bottom line is, they're not here. It's up to us," Lucas explains. "Up to us to do what exactly?" I quiz. "Find Billy and stop him," Lucas replies. "Okay, yeah, that's a really nice sentiment, but even if El could find him again, and that's a pretty big if, then what?" I ask. "We burn the shit out of him and make sure he doesn't escape this time," Lucas suggests. "Okay, then what?" I ask. "Then we win," Lucas exclaims. "No, see, that's the problem. We don't. We don't win. We got the Mind Flayer out of Will before and he just came right back. We don't just have to stop Billy, we have to stop the Mind Flayer," I explain. "How in the hell do we do that?" Lucas questions. "I don't know," I sigh. "Maybe El does," Will suggests. "What are they still doing in there?" I whisper. "I don't know. Girls just like hanging out in bathrooms," Lucas shrugs. "Why?" I ask, pushing the box of cocoa puffs away. "I mean, I don't know," Lucas repeats. "They're conspiring against me," I insist. "That's what you're concerned about now?" Will whisper-yells. "It's not my main concern. It's just a sub-concern," I defend. "I thought it was already over," Will quizzed. "It's not over, okay? We're just taking a break," I explain. "She said she dumped your ass. She even left the jacket you gave her in your room! That doesn't sound like a break," he adds. "It wasn't! You guys do realize that we can still hear everything you're saying, right?"Max calls from the bathroom. "Conspiring. I told you, they're conspiring," I whisper. We heard another knock at the door, "Not now, Mom!" I yell. "Mike, open the door," Nancy yelled back. I went up to the top of the stairs and opened the door revealing Nancy and Jonathan.

time skip + your pov

"It was the same thing, the exact same thing that happened to Will last year. And look at this. Look at the body temperatures." Nancy explains. "He likes it cold," Will blurt. "Okay, so this crazy old woman who was eating fertilizer--" Mike starts, "Mrs. Driscoll," Nancy butts in. "Right, yeah, Mrs. Driscoll. What time was this attack?" Mike asks. "Last night," Nancy replies. "Right, but what time last night?" Mike asks again. "Around 9:00," Nancy replies back. "You waited all night to call?" Jonathan asks. "I was waiting for the doctors to run some tests," Nancy responds. "You weren't there?" Will asks, "Well, I'm here now, aren't I?" Jonathan replies. "Hallelujah!" Nancy exclaims sarcastically, earning an "ooh." from Lucas. "Um, so, wha--what time was your... sauna test?" Nancy asks, "around 9:00." we all say in unison. "Well, that proves it. That proves my theory." Nancy exclaims. "She's flayed, just like Billy," Mike says. "Flayed?" Jonathan asks. "The Mind Flayer. He flays people. Takes over their minds. Once they do that, they basically become him." Mike explains. "If there are two flayed--" Lucas starts. "-We have to assume there are more." Will continues. "Heather. Billy was doing something to her. She was scared. She was screaming. Bad screams." El explains. "What's a good scream?" Lucas asks. "Max said--" El began. "-Doesn't matter," Max says, cutting El off. "I'm sorry, I'm lost. Who is Heather?" Nancy asks. "Heather's a lifeguard at the pool," Max replies. "Heather Holloway?" Nancy asks, and El nods. Jonathan and Nancy look to each other, "Tom." They blurt at the same time.

time skip

Everyone ran to the car. Mike, Will, and I were the last there, so we had to get in the trunk. "Seriously?" Mike asks. "Welcome to my world," Will sighed. "Seatbelts," Nancy demands.

Nancy rang the doorbell to Heather's house as we stood behind her. When no one answers, Nancy looks at El. El opened the door. "Tom? Heather?" Nancy calls out, once again, no response. "Jesus, it's freezing," Max whispers. "Do you guys smell that?" Nancy asks, and we all sniff, "Oh, God. More chemicals," she exclaims. "You think they're guzzling this shit?" Jonathan asks. "Yeah, either that or they just went on a hell of a cleaning spree," Nancy exclaims sarcastically. "But last year, Will didn't eat chemicals. Did you?" Max asks. "No. This is something new." Will explains. "Mr. Clarke, fifth grade. Posit. What happens when you mix chemicals together?" Mike asks. "You create a new substance." Lucas and Will reply in unison. "What if they're making something?" Mike suggests, "In themselves? I mean, come on, if you drink this crap, it'll kill you." Max says."Yeah, if you're human." Lucas retorts.

We walk into the dining room, Nancy leading the way. "Blood." She exclaims, crouching on the carpet. "Yesterday, Tom had a bandage on his forehead. He was attacked." Nancy exclaims, picking up the wine bottle. "Mrs. Driscoll. She kept saying... "I have to go back." What if the flaying, it's taking place somewhere else? There must be a place where all this started, right? A source." Nancy murmured. "Somewhere he didn't want me to see," El says. "If we can find the source, then maybe we can stop him. Or at least stop it from spreading, or doing whatever the hell he's doing with those chemicals." Nancy exclaims. "How do we find it?" I ask. "Mrs. Driscoll. If she wants to go back so badly, why don't we let her?" Will exclaims.

time skip to the hospital

We were about to sneak past the front desk, but the woman saw us. "Woah, Woah, Woah! Excuse me! Where do you think you're going?" She asks. "Oh, um... I was just going to visit my grandma again. And--and this... this is my family." Nancy lies. The woman glares at Lucas, "Extended." He adds, "I don't care who they are. You know the rules. Two visitors at a time." She explains. "Yeah, but--" Nancy began. "Two! Girl, this child has lost her mind. She brought a whole zoo in here." She cuts Nancy off, then continues to talk to her friend on the phone. Jonathan and Nancy went up while the rest of us stayed in the waiting room. Mike and Lucas went to the vending machine.

Mike's pov

The KitKat we bought got stuck just as it was about to fall. "Oh, come on, you piece of shit!" I groan, hitting the machine. Lucas joins, hitting it as well.

Out of nowhere, all the snacks pop out. We stand back in shock, and Lucas turns to see El wiping her bloody nose, y/n sending her a death glare. "Dude, I think that was it," Lucas blurt. "That was what?" I question. "The olive branch," Lucas whispers. "The what?" I ask. "Oh, my God. You're hopeless. Did you see the way y/n looked at El? All that anger in her eyes. She obviously still likes you," Lucas continues. "Do you think El is trying to make y/n jealous?" I question. "Totally. Okay, I'll distract Max and El, get you an opening. And then talk to her. All right?" Lucas whispers. I nod. "Oh, don't forget, the girl is always right." Lucas adds.

time skip

Lucas, Max, and El were trying to catch candy in their mouths. I took my chance and sat down next to a very bored y/n. Will looks at me, I whisper for him to leave, he nodded in response and left.

"Hey." I blurt. "Hi," she replies dryly. "Does your species like M&M's?" I ask her. She cracks a small smile, holding her hand out. I take her hand, shaking the bag above it. She pops them into her mouth as her smile widened. "I like the new look, by the way. The clothes look nice on you." I observed. "Thanks," she smiles, popping another m&m into her mouth.

another time skip

It had been a couple of minutes later. Lucas, Max, and El were sitting next to y/n, and I. Y/n and I were debating if she had a concussion or not from the events at the pool. Out of nowhere, Will got up and started walking off somewhere, making me look up at him.