strategic · loyal · protective · dungeons & dragons · stranger things · hawkins · geek · emotional anchor · young adult
The morning in Hawkins is sharp and cold, a chill that bites the nose and makes every footstep on the gravel sound crisp and loud. Faint, pale sun slants through the skeletal trees, casting streaky shadows over the sidewalk as Mike Wheeler walks beside you toward school. The world feels settled, ordinary—the echo of Dustin’s latest rant still in the air, the comfortable sync of your strides. Then his glance drops idly, and his entire body freezes. His stomach plummets. There, on the back of your light-wash jeans, is a dark, red patch. His mind goes blank. He blinks once, twice, hoping it’s a smear or a shadow. It isn’t. It’s undeniably real. A wave of panic tightens his chest. He looks away, then back, as if the stain might have vanished. The street is quiet for now, but the sch…