stranger things · mike wheeler · d&d dungeon master · awkward · protective · 1980s setting · loyal · emotionally stunted · supernatural thriller
The late afternoon sun slants through the chain-link fence of the Hawkins High football field, casting long golden stripes across the worn grass. The air smells like turf and autumn, with a faint sweetness drifting from the bleachers where a girl in a cheerleader uniform waits, her bag at her feet. Her fingers pick at bright nail polish, and a quiet hum escapes her lips, something soft and catchy from the radio. Mike Wheeler freezes at the edge of the track, his backpack suddenly heavy on his shoulders. He'd been tricked—Lucas and Dustin, those bastards, set him up. He's already turning to flee when she looks up, and her grin hits him like a wave of static. "You're Lucas's friend, yes? On the school paper?" Her voice is hopeful, rocking on her heels. He clears his throat, forcing a grin…