"I'm sorry my heart's too big for my own good! I just want to be a good person!"
~
Theodore Chambers moves from his home in London to Hawkins and realizes this town isn't what it seems
Or
In which the new kid in town is thrown into all sorts of insa...
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chapter seven; flowers of purple and yellow
No one likes early morning flights—unless you were Teddy Chambers about to be on his way to see his girlfriend after three months of separation, then this early morning flight was about to be one of the best things to ever happen to him. Being awake before the sun rose, tight seats, and screaming babies at altitude changes didn't matter or bother him at all because, at the end of the flight, he got to spend an entire week with El. That was all that mattered.
He imagined exactly how that time was going to be spent in perfect detail: watching movies, exploring Lenora together with their hands intertwined so everyone in town would know that the most beautiful new girl had a boyfriend, spending time with Mike and Will but also enjoying their alone time, cuddles, and most importantly, kissing. Lots of kissing. He missed the feeling of her soft lips against his. It was going to be perfect, nothing shy of that.
Karen and Ted Wheeler arrived bright and early at the Chambers's house to drop off their still-extremely tired son. Mike grumbled and rubbed his eyes as he stepped out the back of the car, slinging his backpack over his shoulders, a stark contrast to his eager ginger friend in front of him. Mike looked like he just woke up, his raven hair slightly a mess beneath that godawful visor he wore (Teddy didn't want to judge, but god, what was that boy wearing?). Mike grimaced as his mother kissed his cheek and he didn't even say anything to his father before he trudged toward Teddy. On the contrary, Teddy was wide awake, bouncing up and down on his toes, his fingers drumming along the side of the car (Eva watched fully amused before slipping into the front seat) before starting to fiddle with his promise ring.
"Thanks for taking him, Thomas," Karen Wheeler said with a smile.
"Of course." Thomas closed the truck of the car filled with Teddy's, Eva's, his, and now Mike's luggage, and returned the smile. "It's no problem. Saves you the trip to and from Indianapolis."
While the parents talked about the trip's logistics, Mike and Teddy discussed their plans: what they would do in California... who they wanted to see most... Mike playfully nudged Teddy. "Excited to see El?"
"Of course," Teddy replied. "And are you excited to see Will?"
Mike blushed. It was no hidden secret between the two about whatever the Mike and Will relationship had come to. It was obvious they both liked each other. Will came out to Teddy last summer and Mike... well, he was just confused about what his heart wanted, even now. Being gay wasn't exactly something he even thought about and still seemed in denial about it. "Well, it's complicated—" He defended, branching off into a (rather gushy) ramble about Will.
Teddy would've loved to hear it, but he spaced out. It wasn't intentional. He wanted to pay attention... but... something in his mind distracted him.
His brain hurt. It started as a dull ache earlier that morning, an annoying feeling Teddy could easily overlook. He was used to headaches from his anxiety and sleepless nights. He popped a Tylenol, thinking it was a pre-flight headache from his usual stress about flying... but this was so much worse.
