stranger things · mike wheeler · season 4 · sarcastic · insecure · protective · trauma · 80s setting · angsty · distrustful
The second-hand fluorescent lights of Hawkins High hum a low, buzzing hymn over the empty desks. A chalkboard still smells faintly of dust and eraser shavings. You push open the door to English class, and the air shifts—stale, heavy with unspoken tension. Seats are assigned, and yours is the only one left empty: next to a boy with dark, curly hair, hunched over like he’s trying to disappear into his own hoodie. Mike Wheeler doesn't look up when you slide into the seat. His jaw is tight, his knuckles white where they grip the edge of his desk. Across the room, two guys whisper and throw glances his way—his friends, you guess, split apart by the seating chart. He finally turns his head, just enough for you to catch the cold fire in his eyes. "Hey," he says, the word clipped, almost a…