Chapter Text
Will had only been back at Hawkins high for 5 weeks when he started to feel lingering eyes on him. He hadn’t paid much attention to it at first but when he started to lock eyes with this individual he started to pay attention.
It was Chance. He was one of the jocks. He was on almost every sports team. Soccer. Basketball. Football. You name it. Will? He was an outcast who liked to draw and play dnd.
Will hadn’t even come out to his family or friends yet. This is the first crush he’s had since….nevermind. Will had the opportunity to take an extra art class and an AP Seniors English class. This happened to be the only class he had with Chance.
In the first class Will was directed to sit next to Chance in the groups. He was surprisingly a lot nicer than Will expected him to be. “Hey Byers, thought you were a Junior. No?” Will smiled softly. “I am. I was put in this class because I was the best in the Junior class and I suppose they just thought I fit best in this level.” Will told him as he shrugged.
Chance looked him up and down smiled. “ I figured you were a smart one, Byers.”
At the end of class the teacher asked Wills group of four to stay after class to talk. This was the class before lunch, so it wasn’t like they were to be late to a class or anything.
“I was hoping you three could stay after school today to help get William up to pace with our project and book? Really only one of you is needed.” The teacher voiced to the teens.
“I can do it sir.” Chance told the teacher. The English teacher nodded profusely. “Thankyou Chance my boy! I will be here until 3:00 if you need me.” With that the four of them went to lunch.
As Will entered the Cafeteria he looked for his friends. They were with the dnd club boys.
Will hadn’t told anyone this but those boys didn’t like him. They most bullied him. Called him ‘boring’ ‘zombie boy’ ‘fag’ and this hurt his feelings. Once he got his tray he basically just stood waiting for a sign on where it sit.
“Hey Byers!” Chance yelled from his seat a few feet from Will. “Come over here!” Will smiled and walked over. “Sit Byers. You looked like a deer in headlights over there. Why aren’t you sitting with your friends? The dnd club right? You do that.” Chance said as he bit into his home lunch sandwich.
Will laughed a little. “Yeah, I do like dnd.” Will sat next to Chance, which happened to be across from Andy and another student on the basketball team. “You didn’t exactly answer the second question Byers.” Will looked at Chance confused. “What do you mean?” Chance turned his body to face Will.
“I asked why you weren’t sitting with your friends Byers.” Will didn’t answer. “Are you okay Will? Did they do something to you?” Will looked at the dnd clubs designated lunch table and back at Chance and the jocks. Chance looked genuinely concerned for the younger boy.
“I…..I’m fine Chance. Just a little disagreement between us is all. Needed a….break. That’s all.” Chance nodded hesitantly. “You know I don’t believe you right? But I get it, we aren’t exactly as close as you and Mike are. It’s fine. Tell me if you want when you’re ready.” Will smiled at the boy. “Thanks Chance.” “No problem.”
Will started to eat his lunch. He must’ve had two bites before he pushed his tray forward. “You’re full? Already?” Chance said as he ate his meal. “um yeah….the food here is worse than the food in California.” Will informed Chance of the fact. “Do you only ever eat 3 bites of food every day for lunch and call it a day? That’s not healthy Byers.”
Will also knew this fact. It wasn’t a healthy habit of his but…..what else was he supposed to do. His mom already struggled with money he couldn’t just go home and say ‘hey mom I don’t like the school food can you make me lunch like I’m a baby?’.
Will wanted to tell Chance but he felt this churning in his stomach and he just ran off to the bathroom.
Chance and the Jocks all turned in Wills direction. “Will?!” Chance yelled after him. Loud enough for Will to hear but not loud enough for the cafeteria to hear.
Chance ditched his friends to run after Will. He went into the boys bathroom and heard as if someone had fingers down their throat trying to….
Oh Will.
Chance didn’t delay one second he started pushing on each stall door until he found the locked one. Wills. “Will open up! Please!”
Nothing.
“Byers please! I don’t want to break school property!”
Nothing.
“Ergh! William Byers you are the death of me!” Chance pushed into the stall door with his shoulder which took only one attempt to open the door.
The sight that he saw was terrible. Will had two fingers down his throat and he was crying.
“Will! Stop!” Chance got right on the ground right next to Will. Chance pulled wills hand away from his throat and cleaned them with and piece of toilet paper.
Will just leaned into Chance and started crying. “Shh it’s okay Byers. It’s okay. I understand d.”
Chance had gotten will to stand up, stop crying and wash his hands. “I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.” Will kept saying. “Will stop. It’s fine. Just….why?” Will looked at Chance. “I don’t wanna talk about it.” Chance nodded affectionately. “Okay. I understand Will. We won’t talk about it. Just…..don’t let me catch you doing it again Byers.” Will smiled and softly blushed at the older boys concern.
Chance didn’t joke or even mention the red hue on Wills cheeks he just walked him back to the lunch table. Chance gave the other boys a look saying ‘don’t say anything’ they got the idea fast.
Will plastered on a fake smile and looked at the boys. “So uh….whens your next game? Is it uh…basketball season?” Andy laughed. “It’s football season Byers. And the next game is Friday.” It was Monday. “Oh right. Er maybe mom will let me go to the game.”
Chance had started a list of things in his mind to think about later.
1. Why was a junior in highschool nervous about getting permission to go to a school event?
2. Why was he forcing himself to gag?
3. Why wasn’t he with his friends today?
4. And why was he so goddamn cute with his new haircut?
The lunch bell had gone off and Chance offered to walk Will to class because he had noticed Will getting unkind looks from the dnd table. Will accepted.
“Thanks Chance.” Will said as he got dropped off at Math class. “Of course Byers.” Chance got close to his ear and whispered. “You tell me if anyone is being mean alright?” Will blushed even more. Chance loved this. Will went into class as Chance walked away.
“Why were you with Chance?” Will turned to see Lucas, Dustin, and Mike. “because I was.” Will shoved through them and went to his seat. “Thats not an answer Will and you know it.” Lucas told him as he sat backwards in the seat in front of Will. “We were just talking alright?! It’s nothing. “
Will grabbed his stuff and moved seats just to have Dustin sitting in front of him. “Why Cha be though Will? He’s a jock. He’s a bully.” Will stood to move again. “Will! You can’t just run away from this! He’s a bully!” Will drops his books on his desk hard.
“No he’s not! None of them are! You are! You and the dnd club!” Will shoved past them and ran out of class nearly bumping into the teacher.
Will just ran down the hall. He didn’t even have a destination in mind. Will just ran and ran.
“William!” Yelled his math teacher. Will didn’t stop though. He just kept going.
Will had ran right past Senior study hall to get to….well wherever he was gonna go. Chance saw him run right past.
“Byers?” He whispered to himself. “What?” Andy peered over. “Shouldn’t he be in class? With those dick friends?” He added. Chance looked from the door to the clock to the sleeping teacher.
“I was always here Andy.” He said pointing his finger at his friend. “Wha-“ and Chance was out the door.
“Off to the boy he never stops talking about.” Andy whispers to the rest of his teammates.
Chance runs down the hallway to find the door the yet another bathroom just closing. He goes in to find Will sitting against a wall near the sink. “Go away Mike.” Chance frowns. “Not Mike. Never Mike.” Chance crouches in front of Will. “I swear Byers I left your side for a mere five minutes.” He said staring right at Wills eyes. “I-I-I’m sorry Chance. They just kept cornering me and accused me of being with bullies. Calling you a bully. I just….”
Chance held Wills shoulders and made his stop rambling. “Will. If they made you feel this….this anxious and scared then I’m sorry to tell you that they aren’t real friends.” Will had started to realize that himself. “What class are you in right now Byers?” Chance asked as he stared into wills beautiful eyes. “M-math. Mrs. Richards.” Chance smiled.
“She was my favorite teacher last year. Let me walk you to class and I’ll…..talk with her for you yea?” Will shook his head. “I don’t wanna go back. They’ll just stare and…ridicule.”
“Then you won’t go back yeah? We’ll leave.” Will looked up. “What? Leave? Like go home? I can’t-“ chance cut him off with a kiss. “You really need to stop rambling Byers”
Will was in awe. “Did you just….?” Chance’s smile falters slightly. “Are you not….uh” Chance sat in front of Will a little nervous. “I uh….yes I am…..but I’ve never….” Chances smiles reformed on his face. “So are my feelings one sided Byers?” Will smiled.
“I don’t think so.” Chance looked up and back in Wills eyes. “Good.”