Chapter Text
Mike looked around his basement, lazily wafting his face with a folded comic. Trying - and failing - to move some of the thick, muggy air from around his face.
His friends were in similar positions. Even Lucas and Max weren't sitting close together, because the added body heat was too much.
"Fuck it's hot," whined Dustin, lying spreadeagled on the old mattress that used to be Will's bed. He hadn't moved a muscle since they'd arrived back at the Wheeler's house after a long day at the lake.
Everyone was slightly sunburnt, exhausted and bored.
"Anyone want a soda?" Will asked, slowly getting up from his seat on the couch. A few of the group lifted listless arms in confirmation, and he headed up the stairs to the kitchen.
Mike looked around at his friends again, frustration at the lethargic energy of the group starting to gnaw at the edges of his brain.
He leaned forward, a sudden idea sparking through his mind.
"Hey... guys," he said, slowly standing up so everyone would look at him. "This is our last summer... the last chance for us all to hang out together before we leave for college."
He looked around, catching each of their eyes as he spoke. "We need to do something... something epic..."
Max rolled her eyes, "I'm too hot to even listen to your little speech Mike, let alone actually do anything."
"Same," Dustin's voice wafted up from his position on the mattress.
Mike snorted, turning as Will came down the stairs with the sodas, handing him one as he passed, their fingers lightly brushing.
"Will would agree with me," He said sulkily, popping the tab on his can and taking a long drink.
Will turned his head from where he was handing Dustin a drink, and raised his eyebrows at Mike.
"What am I agreeing with?" he asked mildly.
"That we need to do something this summer. Something different - something epic!"
Will gave him a blank look. "Mike, it's Hawkins." As if that explained why nothing epic would be happening.
Mike threw his arms up, annoyance written clearly over his face.
"So?... You say that like nothing crazy has ever happened here - I mean hello - Interdimensional monsters, army lockdowns, and mad Russians? Hawkins can be crazy... if we let it!"
He finished triumphantly, spreading his arms out as if he was a circus master, welcoming them to his show.
"Yeah .... no, I'm with the others if that's what you're suggesting. I've had enough monsters and Russians to last me a lifetime thanks very much," Lucas snorted, shaking his head.
Mike tilted his head to the side, his eyebrows pulled together in irritation. "I'm not talking about monsters," then his eyes lit up suddenly, as if a lightbulb had gone on above his head. "But maybe I should be... don't you understand? We spent our teenage years fighting monsters and then the fucking army - while everyone else our age was getting drunk, doing stupid shit, or making out... experimenting! Doing things teenagers do before they have to go away and learn to be adults."
He looked around them all, his eyes almost pleading.
"We're leaving here in a few months, and none of us have experienced anything a normal teenager would have. I mean what happens when we get to college and we're still total losers? Maybe.... maybe if we spend the summer trying out some of the things we missed, when we leave we'll be on the same level as everyone else."
Dustin had sat up during Mike's monologue, and he was nodding by the time it finished.
"You might be on to something Mike... it almost sounds like a Quest!"
"A campaign," Mike agreed, a slow smile spreading over his face.
Lucas sighed, "Let's say for one second I'm slightly intrigued... what exactly are we talking about here, because so far you've been pretty vague."
Mike shrugged, "I don't know.. maybe we could write down some things we haven't done - or that we'd like to try...make a list - a kind of bucket list, of things to tick off over the summer."
"Like skinny dipping!" Dustin said excitedly.
Max wrinkled her face, "Ew, I don't want to see you all skinny dipping."
"Well," Mike said, rubbing his chin as he thought, "Maybe we could have a points system, like a real contest where you get points for everything you do on the list - but you can also avoid anything you really don't want to try, you'll just miss out on the points... does that sounds fair?"
He smiled in satisfaction as he noted everyone was sitting up now, looking around at each other. He almost had them...
"What do the points do?" Will asked curiously, "I mean at the end of the summer, what happens to the person who has the most points?"
Mike grinned, "They will be forever known as King of Hawkins -"
"Or Queen," interrupted Max.
"Fine, or Queen. And the rest of us would have to, I don't know wait on them any time we get together for the next few years."
Everyone's eyes were flicking to each other, small grins starting to appear. They were in.
"Okay then, so this list... what would be on it?" Dustin asked.
Mike thought for a second, then turned and started searching through a box close by, finally pulling out an old notebook and a pencil.
He moved over to the D&D table and moved the board off, then sat down and pulled out a clean sheet of paper from the book, writing on the top 'THE LIST'
Once he was finished he looked around them all expectantly. "So... who has a suggestion?"
Dustin cleared his throat, then looked at Mike intently. "I already gave one, skinny dipping.... but I've also always wanted to know what it feels like to get like... really, really drunk" He grinned sheepishly.
Mike wrote both suggestions on the list.
"There are no bad suggestions by the way - and since this is a contest of sorts, and some of the things might be ... I don't know, embarrassing? Why don't we say from now until the end of summer there are no consequences. Once the contest is over or the List is finished, the slate gets wiped clean."
"No consequences?" Max snorted, "If you get raging drunk the consequence will be a massive hangover.... in this heat."
"Well, yeah," Mike agreed, "There will be consequences for some things, but I mean between us. We make a pact that nothing we see any of us do will change our party. Like for example, skinny dipping - if we're all doing it, who cares. Or getting really drunk and being a dipshit. No consequences from us."
"Yeah, just from our mom's" Dustin groaned.
Mike looked at Will, who had so far been quietly listening but hadn't spoken. He had that look on his face where he was mulling over something, but hadn't yet decided if he wanted to let it out.
"Will?" Mike asked, his voice slightly softer.
Will made his decision. "I'm in," He agreed, grinning. "And I know where Jonathan left his weed stash before he went to college."
Mike's smile grew, and he added 'take drugs' to the list.
"Well I've always wanted to go to a party," Max ventured, "Even if it's just to get drunk and talk shit to each other about all the losers there."
"Maybe we could throw our own party?" Dustin added excitedly, "Like maybe the first person in the group who has the opportunity - you know, parents away for the night or something - they have to throw a party, and we invite everyone we can."
Max snorted, "Well I can fit about five people in my trailer, so..."
Mike added both party ideas to the list anyway.
"Also, since I'm the Dungeon Master normally, I'll be the same for the List... like there will be a few random side quests thrown in from time to time that we all have to do."
Lucas gave him a look, "I've seen your random side quest ideas before... exactly what sort of thing are we talking about."
Mike gave him a look back, "Seriously Lucas, are you in or out, because all you're doing so far is ragging on every suggestion and not making any of your own."
They stared at each other for a second before Mike exhaled noisily. "Fine. For example, I was thinking we could go camping on the Fourth of July... might be able to get a few of the List items ticked off at the same time."
Lucas grinned finally, "Okay.. that does sound good. Why don't we add fireworks to the list - I mean I know we've let them off before..." he trailed off, obviously thinking about the Mind Flayer. Then he reached out to squeeze Max's hand as his thought diverted to Billy.
Shaking his head quickly to expel the memories, he continued. "Anyway, a really cool fireworks display would be awesome."
The idea of camping bought out a few extra suggestions, like a midnight swim - "Could be the perfect time to go skinning dipping since it'll be dark," Dustin added.
"What about those stupid party games, like Truth or Dare, or Spin the Bottle," Max volunteered.
"Oh, and Seven Minutes in Heaven," Lucas agreed, waggling his eyebrows at Max.
Will groaned, "Those games are so stupid though, and we can hardly play them with just us."
Mike's brows pulled together as he thought, "Well, some of them we could. I'll add it all to the list anyway... we could always wait till we throw our party anyway."
Dustin was looking at Will intently, until Will noticed. Frowning he turned his head, "What?" he asked, "You don't think they're stupid?"
"Have you had your first kiss yet Will?" He countered, instead of answering.
Will's eyes widened, then darted around the group as all eyes turned to him.
"I - I, uh - what's that got to do with it?"
Dustin shrugged. "Well, those games could be a good way to do it?" He grinned. "We should add for Will to get a kiss to the list too!"
"That's not fair," Max argued, "Then he's the only one who can get points from that."
Mike thought for a second, "I'll add it to the list, but I can also add things like get a visible hickey, that would obviously be easier for you and Lucas to do?"
Lucas snorted, "Easy? Have you met my mother? Do you know what sort of conversation I would be in for if I came home with a hickey on my neck?"
Max's grin became downright mischievous at that, "Add it to the list," she insisted.
"What about you Mike?" Will asked, curiously, "You've been writing everything down but you haven't added any suggestions of your own yet?"
Everyone looked at him then. Mike blushed, "Well I do have one... but it's kind of embarrassing."
Four sets of eyes widened and everyone sat up a little straighter.
Mike cleared his throat. "Uh... well, I've always kind of wanted to see.. like, a porno movie maybe?"
Max's face screwed up, Lucas and Dustin's eyes lit up, and Will's mouth dropped open.
"What?" Mike said, his blush getting darker. "I'm curious - and besides, there are no bad suggestions remember. No consequences. Clean slate at the end."
Dustin laughed, "Well I'm in, I've always wanted to have a look at one of those."
"But they're so corny," Max groaned, "It's always terrible lighting and an awful script, not to mention the awkward moaning."
All eyes swung to her instantly. Lucas's eyes were very wide. "Have... have you seen one already Max?" he asked, his voice slightly high and pitchy.
She shrugged. "My brother was Billy remember."
The rest of the party nodded in understanding.
Mike updated the list.
"There's a few things we've done before too, but since we wont get to do them again for a long time I want to add them - maybe they can be some of the side quests. You know like, a massive all out water fight, or an all night movie marathon... that sort of thing."
Nods and mutters of agreement went around the room at Mike's suggestion, so he added those to the list as well.
"What about slightly boring things, that we should do anyway - but the points will help encourage us?" Will asked slowly.
Dustin looked at him, "Boring? If you're about to suggest anything to do with school work I'm definitely out."
Will shrugged, "No, I was going to suggest learning to drive and getting our licences - I mean most of the kids at our school know how to drive already, and wasn't that the original point of the list?"
Mike nodded, smiling at him, "That's actually a good idea Will. Anyone who gets their licence will get points, okay?" He scrawled the item onto the list in front of him.
Then he looked at the piece of paper, "I think we might have enough to start with here, but if anyone comes up with a new suggestion we can add it later."
Then he grinned, twitching his eyebrows.
"So which thing are we starting with tonight?"
The List
Skinny dipping
Get really drunk
Take drugs
Throw a party
Go to a party
Fourth of July camping trip
Fireworks
Midnight Swim
Spin the bottle - 7 mins in heaven - truth or dare
Will's first kiss
Get a visible hickey
Rent a porno
Epic water fight
All night movie marathon
Get drivers licence