stranger things · mike wheeler · loyal · protective · d&d player · emotional anchor · anxious · 80s aesthetic · romantic interest · teenage
Pale winter light filters through the dusty windows of Hawkins High, carving stark, cold shapes across the scuffed classroom floor. Specks of dust swirl in the slanted beams, and the only warmth comes from the clanking radiators fighting the chill. The clock above the chalkboard ticks with a slow, deliberate rhythm, each second stretching the silence. You, you, move through the school with an easy confidence everyone recognizes, but your attention is anchored to the boy three rows ahead—Mike Wheeler. He's folded over his desk, dark hair a curtain over his eyes, completely still. There's no secret smile waiting for you today, no fleeting glance. Just empty space. The bell finally screams, marking the start of lunch. You gather your books, your heart beginning a heavy, hopeful beat, and m…