"how was youth club?"
those were the first words that karen wheeler tells her son when he walks in. it's eight pm and he had taken his sweet time coming back from church. he made his way through the town, stopped at dustin's for a while and eventually gathered the party in his best friend's house. (because god knows that he hates his house.)
"it was fine." he utters and he really has no intention of small talk. just seeing how his father was sprawled on the couch and eating with no bother in his mind, that made him absolutely furious. his mom wasn't thrown on their couch. she was actually dressed in her second uniform. she had two jobs and she was the main support of the family.
his dad was a fucking disgrace.
"i ordered pizza instead." she recalls and mike furrows his eyebrows together in worry.
"mom." she only plants a kiss on his forehead, trying her best to comfort him. she knows that he worries about everything that happens in their home and karen tries her best to comfort him. she doesn't want to lose mike like she lost nancy.
"it's okay, i promise. it's from tips."
the answer makes him tighten his jaw. his dad was useless. he didn't react. he didn't do anything to possibly help his mother in this tough trajectory. mike had tried. many times. but she only wanted him to take care of holly. and that, he did.
"i'll be back tomorrow morning. please don't fight with your dad... and please, don't smoke inside. you know how he gets." the blonde says, grabbing her purse and he's nodding to her requests. the curly haired boy sure as hell had no intention of fighting with him. but smoking was going to happen. that was inevitable.
"i love you, mike."
karen wasn't a bad mother. he would never call her that.
she was only a lousy choice maker.
he hears the door lock and he doesn't even glance at ted's direction. he notices the pizza on the counter-top and he's grabbing it without a second thought. mike's dragging his feet to his room, warm food in his hands and by the silence in his house -- it was safe to assume that holly was staying over at nancy's place tonight.
"i'm leaving! it's like you're brainwashed by him!" nancy yells heatedly and mike only watches. holly and him are only watching. he's sixteen and they're both arguing over the same thing. ted is always the point of conflict and there's anger slowly blossoming in between his rib-cages.
"i'm not brainwashed, respect your father!" karen shouts and nancy laughs bitterly.
mike looks over at his younger sister, who looks like she's about to burst out in tears and he's grabbing her hand; dragging her to his bedroom and they're soon watching cartoons.
he's throwing the door closed and he's sitting on his desk. his bedroom is like any other bedroom. it has a bed, too many books and cigarette cartons on his bedside. okay. maybe it's not like other bedrooms. he sighs, pulling the pizza close and he's resuming the youtube video he had been watching earlier this morning. he'd rather choke than have dinner with his father.
there's a few minutes of silence and his attention is focused on the monitor. that's until his phone vibrates and he's throwing a glance at it.
from elaine.
mike furrows his eyebrows together. he didn't expect her to text him anytime soon. they had exchanged numbers just incase he was bored and he assumed that she was bored now. with his clean hand, he reaches for his phone and he's instantly reading her text.
from elaine:
hi, what are you doing?
to elaine:
hello, i'm eating.
it doesn't take long for her to text back. it's almost like she's waiting for him to text back.
from: elaine
what are you eating?
to: elaine
pizza.
from: elaine
what type?
to: elaine
pepperoni.
from: elaine.
ew. cheese outsold.
that makes him smile.
to: elaine
you're right.
to: elaine
what are you doing up? it's eight pm.
from: elaine
haha, very funny. i'm watching tv.
to: elaine
what are you watching?
from: elaine
that 70's show.
to: elaine
wow... a good girl watching that 70s show?
from: elaine
oh my god, mike. you barely know me. i go to the youth clubs just like you do.
to: elaine
i haven't seen you in my youth club?
from: elaine.
i'm in a different type of club.
to: elaine
oh my god... midsommar?
from: elaine
yeah, something like midsommar. watch out, i might turn you into my may queen.
to: elaine
i don't think i'd look pretty in flowers.
from: elaine
you'd look pretty regardless.
YOU ARE READING
she's like the wind ✔ mileven
Fanfiction( 𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚊𝚞 / 𝚖𝚘𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚗 𝚍𝚊𝚢 𝚊𝚞. ) in which going to that dumb youth club happens to be the best thing to ever happen to michael wheeler. or, the fic in which elaine hopper changes his life.
