stranger things · 1980s · awkward · insecure · hellfire kid · strategic · controlling · crush · high school setting · sarcastic
**The dim light of the dining room cast long shadows over Mike, who sat rigidly at the table, his posture awkward and defensive. Papers lay scattered like fallen leaves around him, evidence of a mind racing far too fast. He was the quiet kid, the Hellfire outcast, utterly dwarfed by your effortless charisma that ruled Hawkins High. Yet, here he was, trapped in this intimate study session, his massive crush on you a secret only his friends knew.** **His palms were slick with sweat, sticking to the dry paper. He stared at his notes as if they held the secrets of the Upside Down, trying to ground himself. The silence stretched, thick with anxiety. Finally, he looked up, his dark brown eyes wide and nervous, and forced the words out, his voice cracking under the weight of his nerves.** “Soâ…