MIKE POV-

Upon seeing Will's body hit the ground, a bright light erupted from the scene blinding Mike as the rooftop spun in circles; was this nausea form the sight he witnessed? Anyone would be sick after spectating their to-be-boyfriend fall from a building.

He held a hand to his head struggling to see colour. When the intensity lowered, his eyes scanned around to see he was no longer on the roof; rather in the hallway standing over a boy, but it wasn't Will... nor it was Troy... but JAMES?

The ravenette took a step back shaking his head... What the hell is going on here? Running over to the courtyard where the brunette had fallen, Mike saw nothing- nothing at all; shaking his head in disbelief, the boy white as though he had seen a ghost.

But without thinking, the ravenette dashed to his classroom hoping to see Will at his desk with the bright demeanour he is known for. Perhaps it was the law of comics: if he died, he would just respawn, that's how it should work, right? Convincing himself of the notion; slightly hysterical.

Bursting into the room, Mike walked over to the brunette's desk seeing a random girl in his seat "This is Will's seat!" proclaiming shocked

"What are you talking about?" The girl complained but her expression immediately changing upon seeing the ravenette stand tall. Being the schools most desirable boy, she was just excited for Mike to show her attention, never really talking to anyone outside his friendship group, "Oh Mike! I didn't know it was you... were you looking for me?" she cooed

"No... Will sits here!" he repeated taking a step back to the front of the class

"Wait Mike!" The girl called pouting defeatedly crossed her arms in her seat.

The ravenette scrolled through the register; leading his hand down. Scanning each name with his finger, repeating the names as his eyes widened until he reached the last name. Dropping the book to the floor he scanned the room spotting a familiar doe-eyed girl alone on her phone, shuffling to her desk without a care in the world, it was weird seeing her without Max, but that wasn't the main point right now.

"El..." He repeated. If anyone knew where Will was, it would be his sister right? Stomping to the girl, his eyes burned with questions coming from his core; his mind exploding, "El!" he called, scaring the girl at her desk.

"Oh... Hey Mike!" The girl smiled bright, seemingly unaffected by the situation that just occurred, did she not care about her stepbrother? Would she really be so ruthless?

"Do you know where Will is?" The ravenette questioned, pleading for a good answer

El furrowed her brows, "Who's Will?"

"Your Brother Will! Your brother!" Mike repeated, raising his voice in frustration.

"I don't have a brother..." she furrowed her brows "Is everything okay?"

"No... You have a step brother named Will!" The ravenette announced, ignoring her question.

"I'm an only child remember!" She tilted her head confused by the taller boy's weird questions

Suddenly a pair of feet ran into the room, approaching beside the ravenette grabbing his arm and flipping him around. It was Dustin, a similar shock on his face "Mike! What happened Where's Will?"

"I- I think he's gone... really gone! What are we gonna do?" The ravenette whispered

"Gone? Like gone-gone?" The curly haired boy was scared to ask the questions, knowing it was true to some degree; they saw the brunette fall off the roof for Heaven's sake.

Mike meekly nodded removing himself from the curly haired boys grasp, rushing out the class; his eyes slightly teary

"Mike where are you going?" Dustin followed with his eyes unable to move his feet "MIKE!" His voice wavering, a tear running down his face. Sure, Dustin and Will only really knew each other properly for two weeks, but they had a close bond; one closer than the other characters; the person who made him confident to come out the closet.

In the bustling school halls, Mike frantically ran around the halls calling the brunette's name, he couldn't be gone all of a sudden? Not even a corpse left behind! Desperately, his heart raced, trying to do something about this; his thinking illogical; scattered while roaming the halls as his voice echoed off the lockers hearing no response.

Feeling dread click in, the ravenette felt his legs go weak carrying himself to the roof; the last place Will was seen. Reaching to the railing where the brunette fell from, to find it intact, perfectly in its place as though nothing happened. It didn't make sense; not at all! Laying his head down on the railing Mike didn't know what to do in this moment... no thoughts came to mind; the image of Will falling imprinted in his brain.

---- 12:34 PM ----

As Lunchtime rolled around, Mike hesitantly made his way to the roof. The whole day consisted of staring at the portal... it seemed notable to him- something about it beckoned him to approach, inviting him with every pulsating core.

Dustin closely followed, bringing the party with him including El who found it weird she was invited. During the day Mike found out weird things have been occurring; It seemed as though the story has started over: a fresh start for the characters; no one could remember anything from the previous cycle. Max and El don't even remember dating, while Lucas had no crush anymore, but the worst being the trio couldn't remember who Will was.

But the whole group did feel one thing... like an empty missing feeling- Max complained all day, saying she felt as though one of her good friends has left the city. She didn't understand why she felt this way. El held her head low, quiet; the ravenette forgot that before Will had arrived, she was merely a shell for the 'ideal woman'; a sexist stereotype...

The athletic boy crossed his arms. The entire situation was explained to the trio earlier but he was the most resistant to accept it. Why would a boy just disappear into thin air? Lucas refused being the most hesitant, but his morbid curiosity and sense of longing brought him where he is now.

"So, what are we gonna do?" Dustin whispered

"What CAN we do?" The ravenette remarked "No one can remember him... Not even Max, El or Lucas!"

"We are right here asshats!" the redhead jokingly threw a hand in the air.

"Will Byers is our good friend... and he's gone missing!" Dustin explained again

"Say that name again?" El asked stepping closer as though a light flickered behind her eyes.

"Will Byers?" The curly haired boy repeated with a questioning tone

"Does he have a bowlcut and a mole above the corner of his lip?" she stated in perfect detail seeing the curly haired boy nod. Fumbling with the locket around her neck, she showed it to the group. It contained a picture of them on the train ride to the camp "I thought it was weird because I have no clue where this was taken, and when I asked my dad, he said the same thing, and said I've just 'always had it'!" rambling to prove her point. Passing her locket around to the others as Mike continued looking off into the distance completely aloof to the conversation in his own thoughts.

"I don't remember taking this picture!" Lucas tilted his head

"That was during camp!" Max deadpanned mockingly, but then gasping "I remember the camp!" eyes widening as her memories bubbled to the surface; Will, the camp, the fight and the fact El was her...

"Girlfriend!" The girl by her side whispered exchanging a soft smile with the redhead. Their intertwined emotions, and the pure impact of Will's mere presence had a lasting impression on them, allowing them to remember their real selves.

Seeing the reactions of his friends, Lucas hesitated; crossing his arms against his chest defensively speaking, "I still don't remember him... How do we know if this Will person is even real?" being the most logical of the group proposed a question.

"We have photo evidence!" El waved her arms around

"That could be fake!" The athletic boy retorted, still sceptical.

"Fake?" Dustin placed a hand on his hip, clearly remembering the picture as his own memories were unaffected.

"Are you calling my girlfriend a liar?" The redhead remarked, outraged by the notion.

"I'm saying maybe we should think before we head into something we have no clue about!" Lucas exclaimed.

Mike's patience grew thin with every passing word, turning to face Lucas, "How could you, out all people not remember?" his voice filled with frustration

"What's that supposed to mean!" The athletic boy scrunched his face

"Oh, come on! You can't be so dense!" The ravenette rolled his eyes "You had a crush on him... we bonded over it and became better friends because of our shared crush!" urging his words, not wanting to let Lucas forget the boy who changed them all for the better.

The athletic boy froze, the words cutting deep to his core; his stance crumbling as: a million pictures, words and memories flooded his very eyes; realising the truth in Mike's words. He indeed had feelings for Will...

"I- I remember now" Lucas murmured, his voice engulfed with surprise and embarrassment. His erased emotions overwhelming him, remembering the one he forgot. "I'm sorry guys" apologising and swiftly turning to the ravenette. "And sorry to you Mike!"

With Lucas now on board, the group sat down on the floor in a large circle. They brainstormed ideas, but the portals kept entering the conversation for each plan. Now that the whole party could see it... it seemed like a viable strategy, but one thought lingered: How the hell would they get up there?

The portal was way too high for them to reach and too far to feasibly jump... but they couldn't do anything about it.

"When did... That appear!" Lucas pointed at the floating gateway in the sky.

"It was small at first, but it started growing!" The curly haired boy, who had seen the portals for the longest time -baring Will- answered

"Do we know what caused It to grow?" The redhead questioned; her demeanour serious.

"That's something I haven't found out myself..." Dustin answered scratching the back of his neck disappointed in his lack of knowledge

Mike, who had been deep in thought this entire conversation finally uttered a word "Will..."

"What?" Lucas questioned

"Will said the first time he saw the portal was when El asked Max out for the first time! And then it only grew larger after camp!" The ravenette jumped from the floor pacing around as the other members followed with their eyes.

"HE SAW THAT?" The doe-eyed girl panicked.

"So maybe the key is you El!" Mike stopped in his tracks, pointing at the girl.

"Me?" El furrowed her brows.

"You're the main character and every time you stray from the story- the portal grows!" Dustin added as the notion made sense in his head deciding to support Mike, "That's why it grew more after camp... because you made your relationship official." Spit-balling his thought process.

"So, what do you want me to do?" The doe eyed girl questioned, feeling the intense pressure on her shoulders.

"Anything... as long as it breaks the story!" The ravenette answered

El pondered for a quick moment repeating the words on her tongue, thinking of the best way to break a romance comic. Suddenly, the perfect idea came to mind turning to her girlfriend with a silly grin. "I think maybe... if we kiss?" whispering as a blush already spread across her face.

The redhead nodded profusely, never expecting the words to come out of her mouth "Yeah, I mean only if your fine with it!"

The doe-eyed girl turned Max to face her, mustering her courage under the bright glow of the portal. El placed her hands on the redhead's cheeks cupping them, her fingertips reaching her flowing locks to lean close; inching further and further allowing their lips to touch, perfectly moulding together. The time slowing as the redhead fastened her eyes shut, relishing in the moment; falling deep into the kiss, but remained short lived as the portal stretched further, hanging a few feet away from the ledge.

The doe-eyed girl pulled away shaken by the sudden sound; the blush still prominent on her fair skin.

Max leaned away awkwardly looking in the other direction as her skin matched the same as her hair; almost indistinguishable. "Damn portal being homophobic!" mocking with a hearty chuckle.

El rolled her eyes "You'll get more where that came from later!" Winking playfully.

"Anyways..." Mike averted the subject "Now, we need to go through!"

"And how do we do that?" Lucas questioned

"We'll jump over, its only like a feet or two!" The ravenette playfully exclaimed

"I'll go first!" The doe-eyed girl arose from her seat approaching the precipice. Climbing atop the railing, her girlfriend joined her side. Interlacing fingers, the girls took a breath, together taking a pounce, venturing into the unknown. Their willingness, a testament to the strength of their friendship and determination to find the brunette.

Dustin, the ever loyal and curious boy he was, stepped forwards, his eyes set on the glowing portal before him, the same portal he took notes of during class to analyse its every move. With a comforting nod, the boy hyped himself, taking the plunge into whatever behold itself on the other side, confidently screaming while entering and becoming quiet the moment his body was absorbed by the portal.

Finally, it was Mike and Lucas's turn. Exchanging a quick glance, the boys climbed the railings. Without hesitation, they stepped forward, their feet leaving the roof to leap to the swirling portal, consumed immediately.

As they transversed, the colours of the portal blurred; images passing by but distorting and merging together as purple particles pass; a rush of wind blowing. A deafening silence accompanying them as the portal slushed around, morphing as the entrance appeared smaller with each passing second.

This was the moment of truth; the moment they surrendered everything. Whatever behold them on the other side was something they would have to be content with, but with their friendship and love for Will; the party remained confident seeing the exit.

Emerging on the other side, they found themselves in a realm familiar to theirs, the mystical portal spitting them out like a child spitting out watermelon seeds and emitting a few particles before disappearing for good.

The party found themselves in the woods; it wasn't clear why they were here, or where 'here' was, but one thing was for sure... they were in the real world. 

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2471 Words

Stay Safe <3