Crush Culture [M.Wheeler]

[27] SWING-SET THEORIES

"Will!" Nori calls out as she walks beside Dustin and Max. Earlier, when they had reached the bathroom by Mr. Salerno's, neither Will nor Dart was there.

The only thing left was Will's dropped walkie talkie. Suddenly, the three of them run into Joyce. "Dustin! Eleanor!" Joyce says, walking to them.

"Mrs. Byers?" Dustin furrows his eyebrows. "What's going on? Where's Will?" She asks worriedly.

"The field!" Lucas shouts, barging in through the door, then running back out. They follow through, reaching Will and Mike.

Will was standing still, eyes rolled back. "Will. I just found him like this!" Mike explains. "I think he's having another episode!"

"Will! Will! Will!" Joyce shakes the boy, hoping to make him up. "Sweetie, wake up! It's Mom!"

Nori leans up against Mike's shoulder, covering her mouth in worry. "Will, wake up!" Joyce continues. "Can you hear me?"

With one last 'wake up', Will gasps, his eyes shooting open.

Nori, Mike, Dustin, Lucas , And Max follow Will and Joyce out of the school, watching as the woman brings her son to her car.

"Okay, that totally freaked me out." Max comments. "Did that not freak you guys out?"

"Two episodes in two days." Lucas states. "It's getting worse." Mike nods. "I'm really worried about him." Nori sighs. "You think it's True Sight?" Lucas asks, glancing at Mike.

"What's True Sight?" Max questions, not having been there for there conversation. Mike glares at Lucas, shaking his head. "It's nothing." He responds.

***

"I just— I'm really worried about him." Nori rambles on as she sits on her bed, Mike sitting at her desk. "I know, Nori. We all are." Mike sighs, looking through some of her drawings she had made in her out of school art class during the summer.

"He's gonna be alright." Mike assures, standing up and taking a seat beside her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

"But what if he's not?" She sighs. "What if he is?" He raises his eyebrows, earning a slight smile from the girl as she found it made him look silly.

"How can you know for sure?" She continues. "I promise." He nods. "You... promise?" She furrows her eyebrows.

"Nothing bad Will happen to you or Will, Nori. Cause I won't let anything happen, alright?" He states. She lightly grins, leaning her head onto his shoulder.

"Ellie, have you seen the Farrah Faucet spra—" Steve barges in, startling the girl who quickly breaks away from Mike, sitting at an awkward distance from the boy.

"Steve, how many times do I have to ask you to knock?" She whines. "So we're having boys over now?" He cocks an eyebrow.

"Mike's a friend. Cut it out. The spray is in the cabinet above the bathroom sink." She informs, rolling her eyes. "Thanks. You're the best. And wheeler," Steve glances at Mike.

"I'm watching you, like a hawk. I can sneak into your house at night. Because I'm stealthy, like a ninja." He gestures with  his two fingers, then walks off, closing the door.

"Sorry, he's such a pain in the ass sometimes." Nori sighs. "Believe me, I get what you mean." Mike groans. "Sorry I kind of broke away, I.. I panicked." She admits, scooting over a little closer again.

"That's okay. Hey, do you maybe wanna go to the park or something?" He suggests.

***

Mike and Nori walk out to the park around the block. It was silent the whole way there, neither of them sure what to make of their situation.

Nori takes a seat on the swing-set, Mike joining in beside her. "So.. Steve uses Farrah Fauc—"

"Yeah, don't ask." Nori cuts the boy off, chuckling. "Don't even get me started on that guy. He already drives me insane." She adds.

"I can see that." Mike nods. "His hair is literally his pride and joy. Don't ask me why." She puts her hands up, shrugging. "Yeah, his hair is pretty cool, I guess. Runs in the family." Mike compliments, smiling to the blonde.

"Oh, thanks." She grins, pulling a strand behind her ear. "I'm thinking of cutting it shoulder length. It's growing painfully long." She says.

"Hey, Nori?" Mike asks, breaking off yet another silence. She hums in response. "You really think El is too badass to die?"

"Yeah, of course. I mean, she's... She's El." She nods. "I think she might have been in the school today." He states, causing her eyes to widen.

"Wait, what?" She raises her eyebrows. "Yeah, I was talking to Max in the gym when we were looking for Dart, and... Max just fell off. She said it felt like a magnet pulling her down or something." He nods.

"It's gotta be El." He concludes. "Yeah. I sure hope so. Maybe she'll make some emotional return. Like— like in some movie." She jokes.

Mike chuckles, smiling to her. Nori loves his smile. She truly does. She loves the way his eyes smile as well, and the small smile lines on the edge of his mouth.

She wished they could just stay in that moment forever, but as fate had it, their lives were only about to get more complicated.