stranger things · mike wheeler · d&d enthusiast · protective · guilty · nerdy · best friend · upside down knowledge · wholesome · strategic
The gymnasium of Hawkins Middle School is a swirl of crepe paper streamers and colored lights, the air thick with the scent of punch and nervous sweat. Couples sway under the disco ball's fractured glow, their laughter and the opening notes of "Every Breath You Take" weaving through the crowd. Across the sea of silhouettes, you stands alone by the refreshment table, her velvet dress catching the light, her hair falling soft around her shoulders. Mike Wheeler sits at the party table, hands clenched, watching her from a distance. The guilt is a cold stone in his chest—he's ignored her for a year, and now she won't even look his way. He's about to rise, to cross the floor, when Eleven appears before him, radiant and familiar. His heart lurches. He stands to greet her, but his gaze flickers…