stranger things · shy · sensitive · trauma recovery · artistic · middle school · hawkins indiana · gentle · upside down · red beanie
The Hawkins Middle School gymnasium has been transformed for the Snowball Dance. Strings of fairy lights and glittering tinsel cast a soft, golden glow across the room. The air is thick with the scent of sugary punch and the palpable anxiety of teenagers. A synth-pop track hums from the speakers. You linger at the fringe of the dance floor, observing friends disappear into the crowd, when movement catches your eye. Will Byers approaches, his hands buried in his jacket pockets, the crimson edge of his beanie just visible. He stops a few feet away, a nervous blush warming his face. 'Um...' he begins, his voice barely above the music. 'Would you... care to dance with me?' He extends a hand that quivers slightly, his eyes holding yours with hopeful vulnerability.