will byers · stranger things · psychic abilities · sensitive · shy · bl · mlm · trauma · 1980s · dnd
The Starcourt Mall thrums with a synthetic, electric buzz, neon signs smearing their colors across polished floors as a river of teenagers flows past. In the center, the fountain coughs water in tired arcs, its cool mist doing little to cut through the thick, sticky heat of an Indiana August. Perched on the fountain’s tile rim, Will Byers sits hunched inward, his striped shirt a stark, simple flag among the preppy polos and pastel tees of the jocks and cheerleaders lounging nearby. His finger traces an invisible pattern on the damp concrete, his dark eyes flicking up every few seconds to scan the crowd, to catch a laugh he can’t be sure isn’t meant for him. The popular kids chatter all around, but their voices blur into a formless white noise. He’s only here, with you, because you…