MIKE POV-

---- 1:36 PM ----

"Fight! Fight!" spectators rushed to the scene of the rooftop, surrounding Mike and another boy who he had not yet been acquainted with; his hair was shaggy, sunglasses on top of his head.

The tension was thick, Mike stood alone, surrounded by the crowd of onlookers waiting for the fight; who even called them? These kids needed to do something better with their time! All eyes were on them and neither backed down.

"Was it you who harassed my Angela?" The boy said, a cocky grin plastered on his face, standing his ground. He was brimming with confidence, clearly enjoying the attention. Behind him, Angela stood with her arm around El like a trophy; the doe-eyed girl looked down at the ground, shivering in her spot, forced to be there, guilty and scared.

"'My Angela'?" The ravenette scrunched his face, that was one of the cheesiest things someone can say, this really was a dating sim, who knew Mr Sunglasses was so heroic, "Are you dating each other?"

"Tsk, of course we are Wheeler," The boy said very matter-of-factly.

"Oh... I thought you were her gay-best friend," Mike said, perhaps he shouldn't have made assumptions,

"I'm not gay," Jake roared.

"Got it! Message received! Be who you are! Why are you so upse-?" The ravenette questioned.

"Enough!" Jake screamed, his voice sneering, "What's with all the chatter, Wheeler? Too scared to fight back after what you did to Angela. You're just gonna stand there like a coward?"

"What are you even talking about? I didn't do anything to her." Mike furrowed a single brow, finding this whole conversation hilarious; it was the theatrics of it all, but he didn't forget why he was here, his eyes travelling to the doe-eyed girl, "And why is El here?"

"Her?" Jake paused for a second, "She hurt my girlfriend... and so did you,"

"And...? You're here to avenge your girlfriend?" Mike said as if it was the dumbest excuse for a fight in the world, "This is so stupid, just be civil and talk," he said calmly, trying his best not to physically roll his eyes at the absurdity of the situation; he wasn't fazed... he just wasn't in the mood to fight.

However Jake wasn't interested in backing down, making the crowd's excitement only fuelling at his aggression. "Too late for that, Wheeler. You already messed up. Now you're gonna pay for it."

Without warning, Jake lunged at the ravenette, throwing wild punches aimed at his face, but Mike was quicker, effortlessly leaning back, sidestepping and ducking under the punch, his hands still buried in his pockets, movements fluid yet precise.

Jake stumbled back, surprised how easily his attacks were being dodged; the crowd fuelled his ego, he was losing face. His face contorted with anger, this clearly bothered him, launching another series of punches,

The tall boy continued to dodge, his body moving, twists that seemed almost unnatural. He didn't even bother to take his hands out of his pockets, and each time Jake missed, his frustration grew.

"Come on, Wheeler! Fight back!" Jake taunted.

The doe-eyed girl watched from her spot, Angela's fingernails digging into her side as it was clear her boyfriend was losing. El's eyes softened with fear and hope seeing how Mike moved, it was clear he had the upper hand, yet he didn't retaliate, why? Why didn't he want to hurt Jake? She heard all these nasty rumours about the ravenette, how he was a brute who lived to only cause trouble to others. Yet here he was saving her for the second time today, and not even trying to use his fists,

Jake stumbled back, enraged "DAMN IT!" his anger boiling to the point of no return. He grabbed a chair, hurling it at Mike with all his might, narrowly missing the ravenette, instead crashing into the floor behind him. Mike looked back, it was fine when the danger was just to him, but that could have hit another student.

The ravenette had no choice but to shut this down right now, before Jake flipped out once more and throws a person next time. As Jake threw another punch, Mike swiftly jabbed him in the side of the ribs, hard enough to stun but not to bruise. Jake winced, stumbling back from the unexpected blows.

Mike's expression was calm, bored even, as if this fight was nothing more than a minor inconvenience. He walked up to Jake, simply putting a hand on his shoulder to hold him in place, his voice firm yet not hostile, "Just behave,"

The crowd fell silent, they expected a fight, not a lecture, who knew Mike Wheeler would turn down a challenge, although it wasn't like Jake was much challenge for him, when two merely jabs took him down it was clear Jake wasn't a worthy opponent.

But then, a single slow clap echoed through the air, drawing the ravenette's attention. Appearing amidst the crowd, Troy emerged with a cocky grin plastered on his face, proud of himself... for some reason. "Awesome! You're so cool Mikey!" he said sarcastically.

Mike could feel the annoyance surge in his own body, he did not want to deal with Troy right now; it was like everything Troy does just managed to annoy him, "Ugh..."

"I've heard all about your fights, so you're the real deal, huh?" Troy's tone sounded more condescending then complimentary, Mike could sense the challenge in his words,

"Yeah, yeah, don't cream your pants." The ravenette scowled, not bothering to hide distain, he just wanted to go now.

Troy stepped closer, his grin widening, his voice lowering to a whisper, "Punch me."

Mike's eyes widened, that was the weirdest request he's ever been given; What was he, a masochist? A thought crossed his mind, and he almost gave into temptation, Troy just had a very punch-able face, but he could see where this was going; another pointless fight which started with Troy provoking others.

"So Wheeler?" Troy stepped even closer, "Punch me... or I'll punch you first."

But before he could respond, a stern voice cut through the air, "What are you all doing up here? The roof is off-limits!"

Everyone turned to see a teacher standing at the entrance to the rooftop, arms crossed and glaring at the students. The atmosphere shifted instantly, the bravado draining from the group as they realised they were in trouble.

Troy however seemed unaffected; he knew he'd never get into trouble in this school. Being a smooth talker, he immediately put on a soft expression and turned to the teacher. "Sorry, sir. the door was open, we didn't know." His apology insincere, dripping with fake politeness.

The teacher droned in the background, lecturing the others to get off the roof and into the building. Troy looked at Mike a second longer, they were the last to leave the roof,

The ravenette ignored him, walking over to El, ready to leave the rooftop, luckily, this time she had no writing on her forehead. Troy lingered behind them, clearly wanting to be the last to exit, as if it were some power play. Heading toward the door, Mike noticed Will leaning against the wall inside, waiting for them, "Will?" he furrowed his brows, El mimicking his expression,

Troy followed, immediately spotting Will, a smirk spreading across his face, "You ratted us out?"

Will didn't react, his expression cold and distant. He just stared back at Troy, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a response.

"You really are a teacher's pet." Troy gave a fake thumbs up,

Mike held softly to El's arm, gently guiding her to other side as Troy bumped shoulders with Mike before leaving, but not before he made a remark, one made to elicit a reaction, "See you around Wheeler!" he said casually, as if they were best friends, walking down the stairs and out of view.

"Crazy kid!" Mike muttered under his breath, not even noticing he still had his arm around El in a protective way, he didn't move it yet.

"You okay El?" Mike asked, genuinely concerned after the whole ordeal.

El simply nodded, not meeting Mike's gaze. "Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for helping me earlier."

Mike offered a reassuring smile before turning his attention to the brunette, "Will," he began, his confusion on his face, "What were you doing here anyway? How'd you know we were up on the roof?" a message then appearing before the ravenette's eyes.

[Fondness: -19]

Will looked the pair up and down, seeing the arm that was still over El. Not meeting Mike's gaze, he replied cold, "I just happened to be around," he said, clearly dodging the question, "I'm going to head to class first," pushing himself off the wall and walking down the stairs, his pace brisk, yet natural. Not even looking back before exiting.

As Mike and El walked away from the rooftop, their pace stopped to a slow crawl, walking through halls deep in conversation, "Did you get your phone back? How did they get it in the first place?"

"Angela and her group stole it and dragged me away. I didn't mean for any of it to happen." El's voice filled with guilt. "I'm sorry about it,"

Mike smiled soft, "It's not your fault El. Angela has her own issues, and Troy's an Ass." He chuckled,

"Yeah, you're right... but thanks for the second save of the day," El nodded,

As they continued walking, Mike's curiosity got the better of him. He glanced over at El, who seemed lost in her thoughts, and decided to steer the conversation toward Troy. "So, what's the deal with Troy? Why is he always picking fights?"

"Oh, Troy? His mother is the ambassador of her own brand, so he is crazy rich," El began, looking at him like he was crazy for not knowing him, "And he picks fights with people just for the thrill, cuz he'd never get in trouble,"

"So he's a spoiled brat?" Mike slowly nodded,

"Sometimes, he can be decent." The doe-eyed girl played devil's-advocate for a second.

"El," the ravenette passed a smile, "You have a good heart,"

WILL POV-

---- 3:17 PM ----

As the final bell for the day echoed through the empty classroom, Will quietly gathered his things, packing his books and supplies slowly, preparing to head to art club. the classroom was near silent, the sound of students leaving ceased, save for perhaps a bird chirping outside the window.

The brunette looked down at his phone, email after email, notices about rent, utilities, maintenance; he sighed, he just needed some more time, at least until the next gallery showcase, but even if he applied, how could he win? His art was going downhill; every piece of art he made was derivative and plain, as if it had no soul behind the strokes.

Zipping up his bag, the door creaked open, and Will looked up to see Troy entering the class. Usually, when Troy sought him out, it meant trouble, especially after what happened on the roof. Will braced himself, expecting another round of bullying for being a snitch, contemplating fighting back.

But... something was different this time, Troy's expression wasn't hostile as usual, more mocking-curious then anything. "What's up?" He approached Will's desk slowly, leaning on the table, his hand in in his pockets,

Will rolled his eyes, getting ready to leave but Troy caught his attention again, following him with his eyes, "You're close to Mike? Why's that? Who are you to him?"

The mention of the ravenette immediately made Will turn around, his mind flooding with flashbacks of the confusing and bizarre interactions they've had. Troy was right, what was he to Mike? A classmate? A friend? It was hard to say. Their whole relationship was strange. "He's my classmate.... Just a classmate."

"So why is he so nice to you? And why is he playing hero?" Troy rebutted, his gaze never leaving as he waited for his answer, his expression hovering between amusement and curiosity.

His mind cast back to Monday night, when Mike said, 'Believe it or not, but I've been your fan for a while,' and earlier today, during lunch, he could still hear the ravenette's voice in his ears, 'No, I just... like you.' What did that mean? Will mentally kicked himself, he should have asked follow-up questions, but seeing the eyes on him, he responded, "No idea, ask him yourself," he said cold, leaving the room without another word.

Troy watched him leave, scoffing, "How bitchy."

MIKE POV-

"Why did you text me 'cheeeeese' earlier?" Dustin squinted at his phone, reading the practice texts Mike was sending him.

"What? Isn't that a saying?" Mike by his side questioned.

"I think you mean 'sheeeesh'," Dustin replied, "And no one really uses that anymore,"

"Oh... that makes no sense," The ravenette pouted like a child.

The pair walked out of the school building, casually chatting, Dustin giving tips about texting. The curly haired boy took a baseball cap out his bag, placing it on his head; he felt very naked without one. Turning the corner, they found themselves at the back of the school; the scenery, a spectacle- very picturesque. The ravenette slowed his pace, his attention drifting as he passed a group of students with easels, looking through the crowd, spotting Will to one side, quietly working,

Dustin noticed Mike had stopped and followed his gaze, "Earth to Mike!" waving a hand over the ravenette's face, "What's up?"

"Oh... nothing," There was something about seeing Will like this, so focused and in his element that Mike stop in his tracks... he could watch Will paint for hours.

"Wanna watch him paint?" Dustin asked, almost as if he was just as curious, he knew Mike was weirdly interested in Will, but it didn't seem like he had any malicious intent so he allowed it to continue.

"Huh? Just for a while." Mike replied, his voice distant as he dragged Dustin closer to the artists, now peering in like two observers. They sat on nearby bleachers, many other students passing the time nearby, some hanging with friends, others having a picnic.

[30 M to Love Supremacy Zone]

Mike rested his elbows on his knees, watching where the art club had set up for the day. Sketchpads and easels were scattered around, students spread out, focused on the beauty of the surrounding scenery. Will was amongst them, seated a tad further away from the others, his easel set up before him.

Will's movements seemed a little off today. He was distracted, his eyes occasionally drifting away from his art no matter how hard he tried to focus. Each time his hand moved back to the page, it seemed hesitant, as if he wasn't fully there.

Mike watched as the teacher walked over to the brunette, "Will, why are you still distracted?" she berated, her tone disappointed and annoyed,

"I'm sorry Miss," Will muttered an apology, his eyes downcast; the painting was perfect in Mike's eyes, he didn't see anything wrong with it; to him, this was award winning.

"How long are you going to keep apologising?" the teacher continued, crossing her arms, shaking her head.

"I'm really sorry," Will clutched his paintbrush tighter, feeling disappointment spread throughout his very core.

"Take a break Will." The teacher sighed, her voice slightly warm.

Mike frowned as he watched this, feeling a strange mix of concern and guilt; as expected, it seemed as if Will hadn't healed at all despite what he might say.

It was understandable, as if in one swoop Will had lost his whole family: his brother far away, his mother in prison and his dad only ever coming home to take money. Mike remembered when he was at private school at age twelve, he couldn't pull himself together for over a year; feeling like his whole family abandoned him too.

According to the original story, Will was supposed to quit art when he left for California, leaving his art supplies in his house without a second glance- it's impossible to know if he would have started fresh when he got to California.

the brunette sat on the ground, cross-legged, like a child in a time out. He stared at his canvas as if pinpointing his mistakes, criticizing every brush stroke on the painting; it wasn't good enough for him.

Mike had to resist the urge to walk over to the brunette and give him a tight hug when he saw the look on his face; his foot subconsciously moving forward.

[Sub-Mission Triggered!]

A message popped into existence before Mike's eyes, but it displayed another, more cryptic message,

[Question: What's crucial to a happy life?]

[Answer: A close friend]

The ravenette almost verbally exclaimed, at this point, he thought nothing could shock him; he was literally inside a dating sim! The question, nor the answer shocked him... but it was written in his handwriting, as if being scrawled out in real time. Freaky.

[Sub-Mission: Make Will Byers a Friend]

The mission displayed clear, his mouth dropping; how would he get Will to make a friend? He seemed so indifferent to everyone! But at this point, perhaps he shouldn't have been too surprised, "He doesn't even like me! How am I supposed to make him a friend?" he muttered under his breath, staring at Will from across the field, he was all by himself,

[Hint: Fondness Levels Revealed]

[Accumulated Fondness: 21]

"Mike? Mike? MIKE?" Dustin nudged his shoulder confused.

"Huh?" Mike pulled away, turning to Dustin, but the most interesting thing was above his head; like a sign, a number appeared,

[-30]

Dustin furrowed his brows, was there something on his head? He took off his cap for a second, dusting the top of his cap.

Suddenly, the ravenette turned to look around at the art club members scattered across the field, numbers appearing above each of their heads, floating like digital indicators in a game.

El sat on the floor with her sketchpad in hand, she also had numbers above her, her fondness slightly higher then Dustin's

[-25]

Mike's eyes widened in surprise at the digits, each one seemingly worse than the last. All values were negative, -40, -50, -60. Other students walking around had similar numbers too. It wasn't difficult to understand what was going on; Will Byers really hated people in general. Although it struck the ravenette as weird, considering Will goes to art club every day, and how they had some of the worst numbers; Mike almost wondered what number Troy would have if he were here.

Why wasn't there a single positive?

Dustin, who Will didn't know had one of the highest numbers barring El. It seemed like Will liked people who he didn't know and hated those who he knew well. Suddenly Mike's -19 fondness wasn't looking too bad, sure it wasn't high but at this point Mike was practically Will's best friend with that type of number.

However, amongst all the hovering numbers, one stood out to him,

[-100]

It glowed ominously red... and it was floating on top of Will Byers' head.

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3103 Words

Stay Safe <3