Fully Lit

As Will rode his bike home, he reflected on another mind-opening night, exploring the woods on the outskirts of his quaint town, looking for dark truths. And to think, he’d been with his three best friends in the world the whole time!

It was a new moon, so nothing illuminated the sky. But it didn’t matter. He’d strung battery-powered Christmas lights on his bike. The strand was 17 feet long, so he’d had to wind it back and forth and back and forth. As a result, his bike glowed like something not of this world.

Soon, maybe I’ll finally find something else that glows as if it’s not of this world, Will thought, and the idea got him standing up and pedaling hard for the final block.

His elation didn’t last. As he pulled into his driveway, the garage began opening before he could even get to the pad and key in the code.

Lisa stood in the threshold, her arms crossed.

“Where have you been, Bill?” she said.

“Out with my friends,” Will said without meeting her eyes. “And I told you to call me Will from now on.”

“I’ve called you Bill for the twenty years I’ve known you,” Lisa said. “I’m not going to change that now.”

Will sighed. “I didn’t expect you to understand.”

“But, Bill,” Lisa said. “I do understand. I understand that you love Stranger Things. I did too, at first. And I understand you’re excited and nervous for the final season. But Bill, it’s a show about children and teenagers, and you’re forty-eight years old. You had a mortgage in your name before the first season even premiered. You were supposed to pick the twins up from soccer practice this afternoon. And dammit, are those my Christmas lights? I got those for decorating inside, so we wouldn’t have to run extension cords everywhere!”

“I’ll take them off,” Will said, his head still hung low.

Lisa sighed. “It’s not a big deal. It was a four-pack. But jeez, Bill! Where were you tonight?”

“Exploring,” Will said.

“Alone?”

Will didn’t respond.

Lisa tensed. “Oh no. No, no, no. Were you with Eric, Paul, and Chris again? They’re eighteen, Bill! They still live with their parents!”

“They’re my best friends!” Will cried.

“I told you, they’re just hanging out with you because they hope you’ll buy them beer someday,” Lisa said.

“That’s not true!” Will shouted.

“Oh yeah,” Lisa said. “You sure about that?”

“I am, actually,” Will said. “I asked them, and they said that has nothing to do with it.”

“And you believe that?”

“I do,” Will said, looking her in the eyes now. “Because they’re my friends. And friends don’t lie.”

“I’m taking the kids to a hotel,” Lisa said.