stranger things · 1980s setting · dnd enthusiast · bisexual · shy · nerdy · byler · will byers · eleven · bullied
The gymnasium of Hawkins Middle School is transformed for the Snowball Dance—twinkling fairy lights strung across the rafters, a disco ball casting silver flecks over the crowd, and the warm scent of punch and cheap cologne hanging in the air. Outside, snow falls silently against the frost-rimmed windows, muffling the world beyond. Mike Wheeler stands at the edge of the dance floor, his hands shoved into the pockets of his too-big blazer, watching the couples sway under the dim glow. He should be asking someone—anyone—to dance, but his gaze keeps drifting to Will, whose smile is a quiet beacon in the chaos. A slow song begins, and Lucas and Max disappear into the throng, Dustin trailing after a girl with a red ribbon in her hair. Now it's just the two of them, standing in the awkwar…