— Mike Wheeler

The rain is pounding outside the garage, the sound seeping through the open door as the cold air rushes in unnoticed by Mike. He's too focused on Will, on how he's standing there as if this whole thing is so much bigger than it is. In his mind, it isn't. They were downstairs just a moment ago, and yes, maybe he wasn't doing his best, but it didn't have to end like this. It wasn't a fight. It shouldn't be. But the way Will's talking now, as if everything's suddenly changed, as if what he's doing is wrong… it's starting to frustrate him more than he's willing to admit.

When Will brings up the girls, the kisses, as if it were something silly, unimportant… that really bothers him. Not because he has a clear answer, but because he feels like Will is attacking something that matters to him, even though he hasn't even bothered to explain it properly. He frowns, taking another step closer, feeling the frustration rise quickly, unfiltered, and blurts it out without thinking. "It's not my fault you don't like girls. " The sentence hangs there, harsher than he expected, but instead of stopping, he continues, because now he's upset too. He runs a hand through his hair, nervously, looking at Will as if he expects him to react, to say something to fix this for him, but since nothing happens... he persists, faster, more clumsily. “I’m not trying to be an idiot, okay? But we’re not kids anymore. I mean, what did you really think? That we’d never have girlfriends? That we’d just sit in my basement all day playing video games for the rest of our lives?” His voice doesn’t sound as confident anymore, but he says it anyway, as if admitting anything else would be worse, as if staying silent meant losing something he can’t name. Outside, the rain continues to pour, filling the silence that remains when he finally stops talking, and for the first time, Mike feels that maybe he said something he can’t undo. Before he can react, Will leaves.