GUYS I FIXED IT!!! SUPER LONG THOUGH...
[door opens]
[Mike] Oh. Uh… Sorry. We just heard from Hop. He’s 15 minutes out. So we should probably leave in five. Is everything okay?
[Joyce] Yeah, we’ll be out in a minute.
[Will] Wait. I think you need to hear this too.
[Mike] Okay. Should I... close the door?
[Will] *Will nods. Mike closes the door and sits next to Will.* I... I haven't told you because I was scared. I... I am scared. I've been scared for so long I don't even remember what it feels like not to be. When... when I was in the Upside Down, when I was possessed, when all of that was happening — I thought, this is it. This is the worst thing.
And then... then I came back, and I was still here, and I thought, okay, I survived that. I can survive anything. But this... this is the thing I couldn't survive people knowing. Because I thought if you knew, you'd look at me differently. You'd stop... you'd stop looking at me like I'm just Will. And I couldn't stand that. *Will stuttering slightly, hands shaking more. Joyce reaches out, touches his hand — he pulls away, folds his arms tight across his chest.* I don't want you to see me differently. But the truth is... the... the truth is I am. I am different.
I just... I just pretended like I wasn't because... because I didn't want to be. I wanted to be like everyone else. I wanted to be like my friends and... and I am like you. I'm like you in... in almost every way. We... we like playing D&D late into the night and we... we like biking to Melvald's for malted milkshakes and we... we like getting lost in... in the woods and getting lost in Family Video and arguing about what to rent and... and... and... settling on Holy Grail for the millionth time and... and we like drinking Coke with Pop Rocks *sniffs, crying softly* and... and we like bike races and trading comics and NASA and Steve Martin and Lucky Charms and... literally all the same things. I just... I just... I... *Will's rocking slightly, hands clenching and unclenching*
I tried so hard. I tried to look at girls the way you're supposed to. The way everyone does, but I just... I couldn't. I... I... I like boys. I've liked boys for as long as I've known what liking someone meant. *crying more* And I finally accepted myself but... but then today... today Vecna showed me what would happen if I did this, if I told you guys the truth. He showed me a future where I push you away, and you let me, and we just… drift apart. Until I'm alone. *more tears* And... and... and I know he can't see the future. But he can see inside us. He knows what we're afraid of. And it felt so real. It.. it... it felt so real. *Will's hyperventilating, gasping*
*Mike moves off the couch. Crouches in front of him. One hand covers Will's. The other rests on Will's arm gently moving up and down.*
[Mike] Hey. Hey, Will. Breathe with me. *inhales slowly* C'mon. *exhales* In. *inhales* Out. *exhales* *Will's breathing slows.*
[Mike] I don't care who you like, Will. I care that you're okay. And you're gonna be okay. Because I'm not going anywhere. We're not going anywhere. You and me, we've been through everything together. We always go through things together. *Joyce stands, moves behind the couch, rubs Will's back. He doesn't flinch this time.* Vecna's wrong. He doesn't know us. I would never leave you. Not for this, not for anything. We're the same kids who built a radio out of a toaster, remember? That doesn't change. Nothing changes.
[Will] Okay, okay.
[Mike] *pulls Will up by the hand he's holding* Come here. *Hugs him. Rubs his back.* You're so fucking brave. You know that? I'm so proud of you. Telling your mom. Telling me. I care so much about you, Will. So much. You should never doubt that. Never. We're going to be friends forever. The whole group. All of us. Vecna doesn't get to take that. He doesn't get to take anything. *pulls back* Hey. You'll always be our wizard. And my sorcerer.
[Will] *tearful laugh* A real-life, honest-to-God sorcerer.
[Mike] Yeah. That's what you are. *Mike steps back, Joyce steps in*
[Joyce] You'll always be my little boy. I love you however you are. Always.
[Will] *watery laugh* I love you too.