December 23rd, 1990, Mike’s Car, Hawkins
“This next song is a classic from 1965, written by Les Reed and Gordon Mills. Tom Jones’ pipes hit the charts on both sides of the Atlantic, hitting #1 in the UK and #3 here in the states. This song’s upsetting lyrics about the singer’s unrequited love contrast the upbeat mood of the music and mix to create an unforgettable tune. It certainly won’t be unusual if the song makes you dance!”
WELCOME TO HAWKINS
Mike zips past the familiar sign as a high-energy song blasts in on the radio. He turns it down a bit, only glancing at the dash for a moment. His eyes go back to the road as Tom Jones’ voice comes in.
It’s not unusual to be loved by anyone
It’s not unusual to have fun with anyone
He is thinking about Will. Again. Right now he’s thinking of the time when Will came out to the party. God, Mike wishes he would have gone about things differently with Will. Well, there wasn’t anything he could have said in that moment, there wasn’t any time, they had to get to the military base. It was selfish of Will to drop all that when nobody could have time to process. When Mike didn’t have time to process. Will really must have thought Mike was too stupid to realize Will was talking about him when he brought up his crush. But Mike realized.
It made him feel special in a way, but then he felt guilty about all the times it must have felt like he was toying with Will’s emotions. Reflecting on it now, Mike knows that Will deserved to have a selfish moment like that in his life after how much he’s been through. But after that confession, when they stopped for water while climbing the radio tower, Mike can’t help but feel like he messed up in that conversation. There was so much more he should have said but he didn’t. Why is he focusing on that, anyway? Will understood him anyway. Will was always good at that, understanding. They’re still friends, best friends, so there’s no reason to be upset.
Mike drums the steering wheel.
But when I see you hanging about with anyone
It’s not unusual to see me cry, I wanna die
That time in the field. When he told Will he could be a sorcerer. It was the first time he saw Will look so unabashedly happy since he got stuck in the upside down. And it was Mike that made him smile like that. And Will looked so good like that. Just for a moment Mike felt like the two of them were back to how they were when they were kids. But Mike hasn’t had a moment like that with Will since that evening in the field. And he can’t help but feel like it was his fault that it hasn’t been like that. How it used to be. He should be calling Will more. Visiting him. But he just. Hasn’t. Maybe he hasn’t because of the boyfriend. Maybe Mike just feels like Will doesn’t need him anymore.
It’s not unusual to go out at any time
But when I see you out and about it’s such a crime
He probably makes Will smile the way Mike used to. That just isn’t fair to Mike. It’s not like he understands Will like Mike does, it’s not like he’s been through monsters and the supernatural with Will like Mike has. He probably just gets Will to smile by kissing or holding him. God damn, why is he comparing himself to Will’s boyfriend? And he has to stop thinking about those things. Mike turns up the radio and rolls down the window.
If you should ever wanna be loved by anyone
It’s not unusual, it happens every day
No matter what you say
You’ll find it happens all the time
Love will never do what you want it to
Why can’t this crazy love be mine?
Jesus, what happened to Christmas music? It’s the 23rd of December, isn’t anyone getting in the holiday spirit anymore? Well, at least there’s one thing he has on this boyfriend of Will’s. Mike is the reason Will realized he had real life superpowers. And he’ll never get to see just how good Will looks using them. It’s fine, he can think that. There’s nothing wrong with admitting the objective fact that Will looked attractive using his powers. Mike is sure that if you asked anyone who saw Will use them they’d say the same. It’s not as if it made Mike feel any certain way. Shit. Mike is forced to adjust his pants as he drives down the road. Think about something else, think about something else.
It’s not unusual to be mad with anyone
It’s not unusual to be sad with anyone
Mike suddenly feels a pang of guilt as he realizes that he’s mourning the “loss” of his friend more than the actual loss of El. No, Mike asserts to himself. El separated herself from her loved ones and sacrificed her own happiness to protect him. To protect everyone. So he could move on and have a life. She wouldn’t want him mourning her. Besides, she’s probably doing her best to live a happy and peaceful life, wherever she is, far away. He shouldn’t be mourning Will either. He’s alive, living a perfectly happy life, they are still best friends, and here Mike is acting like a toddler who’s toy dinosaur got borrowed. Why can’t you just be happy, idiot? Mike slaps himself out of frustration.
But if I ever find that you’ve changed at any time
It’s not unusual to find that I’m in love with you
Mike turns the radio dial to change the station. It’s probably the music that’s making him think about all this right now. The station it picks up next is broadcasting the depressing lyrics of Wham.
Last Christmas, I gave you my heart
But the very next-
Mike switches off the radio. The wonderful sounds of nature will have to do for the rest of the drive through Hawkins.
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Ironically, in 1991, just a year after this fanfic takes place, the song “It’s Not Unusual” blew up again because the character Carlton in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Aire did his, “Carlton Dance,” for the first time in a Christmas episode (Christmas Show), which was a dance he did while mouthing the lyrics to this song. What makes this so ironic is that the character that shows up next to Will in the epilogue of the Stranger Things finale, commonly referred to as his, “epilogue boyfriend,” is named Carlton, as an intentional reference to The Fresh Prince, as two of the main characters are named Will and Carlton. These two characters are cousins in the show, which is why I don’t believe Carlton in the epilogue is Will’s boyfriend. That is also why I left Will’s boyfriend unnamed, to leave it up to interpretation and avoid any future problems. All that to say, I did not plan for this connection to happen, I wanted to use the song and stumbled upon this coincidence as I was researching the song’s background for the radio host’s dialogue at the beginning of chapter 2.
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