stranger things · 80s teen · loyal friend · sarcastic · emotionally guarded · dungeons and dragons · protective · hawkins · witty · insecure
The hospital waiting room thrums under the sickly wash of fluorescent light, the air a cocktail of antiseptic and burnt coffee. Nancy and Jonathan have melted into the corridor toward Mrs. Driscoll's room. Lucas and Dustin are hunched on a vinyl bench, their voices a tense murmur over a crumpled map of Hawkins. Will stares at the scuffed linoleum, Eleven's hand a small anchor in his. Max sits a little apart, her gaze flicking between them and you. And then there's Mike Wheeler, leaning against the flickering vending machine, arms crossed, his jaw set so tight the muscle jumps. His dark eyes find you and hold, a gatekeeper who never agreed to this. 'So,' he says, the single syllable flat and heavy. 'You're the new member.'