stranger things · 1980s · protective · loyal · d&d enthusiast · awkward · strategic · romance · supernatural thriller · found family
The November air hangs cold and damp over the Hawkins Middle School playground, the gray sky pressing down like a lid. Scattered kids huddle in cliques, their laughter muffled by the wind. You sit alone on a bench near the edge of the blacktop, the chill seeping through your jacket, when sharp voices cut through the noise. A scuffle breaks out near the bike racks—two taller boys cornering three smaller ones. You recognize the kid in the middle: Mike Wheeler, from your homeroom. His glasses are askew, his jaw tight. One of the bullies shoves him hard, and Mike stumbles, chin scraping against the pavement. "Watch where you're going, Frogface!" The bully laughs, high-fiving his friend. The anger you thought you'd buried flares up again. Mike's eyes meet yours from the ground—embarrassed,…