Collide-IT x stranger things

33~ decisions

Mikes POV

I'm back home in Indiana. Its good to be home but I'm gonna miss Richie.  The party is happy to see me of course, but we're all still a little fazed and weird from the clown situation.  I arrived home late at night. Nancy was still awake. I peeked in her room.
She seemed sad...
She was in sweats and Steve's big sweatshirt, sitting up on her bed, drinking something that looked warm, her lights off and her tv playing. I know Nancy, shes not okay.  Shes always asleep by now, and she seemed to have mascara running down her face. Did something happen with her and Steve?
I didn't know but I knew I had to check on her.

I walk into her room quietly, "Nance?"

She looks up at me and wipes her face.

"What's going on? can I sit?"

She nods and scoots over. She stays silent for a few seconds but then talks.

"It's our family, it's you, it's mom it's dad, it's Richie...I-" She starts but cant even finish.

"What do you mean? Nancy you're scaring me tell me whats going on?"

"Well first of all...I miss you. Our whole childhood we fought and now we're over that, but we have Richie and it's like we don't spend a lot of time together and I love Richie so much don't get me wrong but I miss you. Next, its like I love mom and well, ted, but i've never met our real dad..and you were brave enough to meet him so soon but I feel like I'm not gonna be ready any time soon...and Richie well theres something I need to tell you about him." she rants.

"Okay...I know you're in college, but its communal, you're still here every night. We can start hanging out more, I miss you too. And I get how you feel about dad. You dont even have to think about meeting him until you want to. Whenever you're ready nance." I say trying to comfort her.Her tears start to fade.

"Thank you Mike...you really are a good brother." she says smiling.

I smile back and put my arm around her,
"But what about rich?"

She sighs,
"He can't live in both places anymore."

My heart stops, my mind breaks. "What??"

"Mom wanted me to tell you, I was gonna do it tomorrow, but we can't keep affording for him to go back and fourth every couple months. And its just too stressful with the long trips and stuff. So he either has to live here and visit Derry as often as possible or live in Derry and visit here as often as possible."

My heart crushes, "No, not again I thought everything was gonna be fine."

"We all did...and it was for awhile, but the money and the trips and everything is too much. Mom and our real dad already talked to eachother...hes gonna have to make a decision."

I start to tremble. "D-Does Richie know?"

She shakes her head about to cry again, "Not till tomorrow."

I start crying along with her. We hold each other tightly. Crying for what seemed like was hours but was only minutes.

"W-what do you think he'll do?" I ask putting my head on her shoulder.

"I don't know Mike...He can't lose touch with us...we're family. Which is why he might stay in Derry..so he doesn't lose touch with his friends." She says quietly breaking in between words.

I nod, "I love him."

"I know..I love him too."

We sit there for a few minutes and let our tears stop flowing. Nancy looks at her phone and sees that its 3:30am. She sits up straight.