Chapter Text
Hawkins, March 14th, 1982
Mike was always a lonely kid.
No one ever approached, and he never really tried, so he has been pretty lonely all his life. Sometimes people talk to him about trivial things, questions about homework... stuff like that.
Its not like anyone bullies him, its just that... no one really notices, he is just there in the corner of the classroom, like a ghost, a backside character in someone else's story. He has no reason to stand out among the others, he has normal grades, he doesn't have a weird style, he isn't mean, but he isn't sucking peoples toes for friendship neither. As he said, he just exists.
But hey, he has some hobbies, he writes little stories, play in his Atari...
He also likes to watch, observe, normally in recess, where he doesn't wanna risk anyone looking at him and at what he writes and doesn't feel like hiding behind the school, so he just walks around and sees how random people lives his life, that normally is way more interesting than his.
Since last month, he has been watching this group of boys a lot.
Okay, that sounds really creepy, he's not a creep, he swears. Its just an... "investigation"
But anyways, he is always watching this group of three boys, sometimes he writes about them, like a character sheet of a videogame, collecting information (does that makes him more creepy?), they seem to be always doing something. Running around, driving their bikes, talking about "the next campaign" of something...
He knows their names, Will, Lucas, and Dustin. Will is an artist, Mike has seen him drawing a lot, but he doesn't know what he draws, since that would mean... approach too much, and that's really off limits. Will seems nice, he has brunette hair and green eyes, pale. he is also quiet and shy.
Lucas and Dustin are funny, or at least that's what Mike thinks, Lucas lives close to him, his family is nice. Dustin can do a weird thing with his arm, a condition Mike never remembers the name of.
Sometimes they all go into the AV club, he wonders what they do in there.
They talk a lot about a game, at first, Mike thought it was some random videogame, but then they started talking about "new dices" and Mike got lost, so it's a board game? it doesn't help that they never say the name of it, just vague things about the characters, a wizard?, knights? It seems cool...
He also knows that Troy Walsh, a rude asshole from class, bullies them a lot, mostly, if not always, for stupid reasons, because one is black, because the other looks queer, and who knows what else. Mike thinks Troy is an idiot, always so loud, always mean... Mike doesn't like people like him. He mostly avoids him, not wanting to become a target too, well, he actually avoids everyone.
contrarily to popular belief, mike thinks the group is really cool.
He wonders if the group has noticed him, maybe they have, and they talk about how weird he is for staring so long... He really hopes they haven't. His obsession its really ridiculous, why he feels so attracted to them? They're just random kids who play a random boardgame and had the bad luck to gain Troy's hate.
Sometimes he imagines how their lives are, what game do they play? are their parents nice? How are their rooms? Do they like Star Wars? who is their favorite superhero? He thinks Will looks like a spiderman guy, Mike hopes he is, because he really likes spiderman.
He wonders what would they do if Mike approached them, even if he'll never will, because he'll probably just be awkward, weird, maybe they don't really have anything in common.
But Mike likes to think they do, that they would like him.
He really thanks God for making Troy ignore him. He still knows he doesn't have much time before he does thought, I mean, he's the perfect target! He isn't the best looking guy, he is always lonely and pathetic, and he stalks the "freakshow" like a psycho!
He feels a little guilty for calling them like that in his thoughts.
maybe he could... actually try being their friend, approach, ask if they like star wars, or lord of the rings.
But that's scary, people is scary.
Which also reminds him that he needs to find people for his 12th birthday next month, its getting too sad that his mom keeps cooking for so many people just for her to notice he has no friends this year neither. She never loses hope for some reason. He wishes she did at some point, just so he stops seeing her face frown with disappoint and pity, she always tries to hide it, but Mike can see through her, he's not an idiot.
The bell of the last period finally rings, finally.
Mike walks out the classroom, seeing the group of boys practically running to their bikes with excited looks, they do this every Friday, it was something about that game, or that's what Mike heard.
Unlike them, mike rides his bike alone, behind Will and the rest of the group since apparently, Lucas house is on the same way as his, god damn it.
He rides slowly, since it would be too weird ride right behind the group, or suddenly appear next to them, jeez, that would be awkward. So yeah, he tries to keep distance until he sees them disappearing into Lucas house.
He goes into his own house too, his dad is sleeping on the couch and Nancy is... probably upstairs, his mom is probably with his friends, and holly is at ballet practice. Its a routine, the same as always.
And as everyday, he sits on the carpet of the living room and plays with his Atari, an hour, two... he doesn't even concentrates in the game, his hands move by themselves while his mind is elsewhere, thinking about the strange groupm of course. what are they doing in Lucas house? still playing their game? or did they go somewhere else? are they playing outside? are they watching a movie?
His line of thought is cut by his mom ruffling his hair, oh, she's back.
"you're gonna burn your eyes one day" She says with a chuckle, getting into the kitchen. Mike leaves his Atari and follows her. "How was school?" his mom asks while she starts to cook dinner.
"It was fine, how was your hang out?" Mike asks, sitting on the kitchen table next to holly, who's doing her homework with a confused look.
"It was pretty fun, Brenda is having a Babyboy, she's naming him... Stewart i think" she says, the smell of the cooking filling the kitchen, smashed potatoes...
"That's an ugly name" He replies boldly, gaining a snort from his mom. The conversation ends there, his conversations never last long with... anyone, he's too awkward, even for his parents.
His dad seems to wake up, because he joins them and sits with them, followed by Nancy, they eat and leave again to do... things people do. Mike just goes to his room, lying on the bed and grabbing his book, good old Frankenstein... he is about to finish the book, he reads everything pretty quickly...
Its getting late, 9pm... He looks out the window, noticing...
Oh, Will and Dustin are saying goodbye to Lucas, preparing to ride their bikes back home, he doesn't notice how obvious he looks staring until...
Will turns to his window, making eye contact with him, Mike jumps back and hides behind the wall, his heart bumping like crazy.
Holy crap, of course someone would notice, what is he going to do? what if Will tells the others? what if they're all looking at his window now and are thinking of confronting him for stalking them?!
God, of course they have noticed him, how couldnt them? and maybe this is like the last drop and now they totally hate him and think he is a weirdo.
His chances are RUINED with capital, highlighted letters (did he even had chances?). What was he even thinking? he wants to cry and never get out of his room ever again.
okay, maybe he is being dramatic and maybe Will didn't really notice, he hopes he didn't, but he's not sure...
He hides under the sheets, they probably think he is all pathetic...
mike finally builds up the courage to look out the window again, take a little peek, slightly... pew, they're not there anymore, thank god. He sighs before lying down again, trying to choose between avoid the group completely or spy them more closely to find out if they talk about how he stalks them, how creepy he is...
He finally falls asleep, hearing Nancys music through the walls...
Monday is going to be horrible.