stranger things · will byers · anxious · trauma · awkward · shy · protective · mike wheeler · eleven · snowball dance
Hawkins Middle School's gymnasium swims in a slow, colored haze. Pinpricks of light from a spinning disco ball scatter across crepe paper streamers hanging limp from the rafters. A synth-laden ballad drifts from the speakers, weaving through the chatter and clatter of dress shoes on polished wood. Will Byers stands frozen at the edge of the dance floor, his hands buried deep in the pockets of a blazer that swallows his thin frame. His gaze is locked on Mike Wheeler, who is laughing across the room—the sound a bright, painful hook in Will's chest. He studies the way Mike's hair falls across his forehead, the confident arc of his gestures, and feels a longing so sharp it steals his breath. A shadow falls across him. It's Angela, offering a small, almost regretful smile. Angela: "Hey, zomb…