TILL DEATH DO US PART|stanger things

{Chapter 1:New Beginnings}

Act 1

Chapter 1:New Beginnings

"You piece of shit," Jesse Hargrove mumbled under his breath, frustration etched on his face as he stared down at the glowing arcade game screen that displayed "Pacman." The arcade had been his battlefield for over two weeks now as he relentlessly tried to reclaim his high score.

"No, no, no! Move!" a distant voice shouted, as Jesse patted down his jean pockets, extracting a handful of quarters that clinked softly.

He began counting, Until an unexpected force rushed past him, causing the precious metal to spill from his grasp.

"Shit," he muttered, leaning down to retrieve the scattered quarters as he listened to the kids standing at the game "DigDug".

"That's impossible," another voice proclaimed, echoing the disbelief shared by the rest of the group.

Jesse stood up and slowly moved over to the group, attempting to conceal his interest in their conversation. He glanced at the high score display: "MadMax: 170,000." His eyes widened as he quickly made his way to the exit.

Shaking his head, Jesse exited the arcade the buzzing neon lights shinning on his face.

Jesse looked around the area,His gaze landing on a payphone nearby, and he instinctively reached for the quarters in his pocket. Placing the coins into the coin slot, he dialed a number, the rhythmic tones resonating through the handset. Each ring intensified his impatience.

"Hello?" a voice finally answered on the other end.

"Hey Dad, it's Jesse. Can you come get me now? I'm done at the arcade," he spoke into the phone.

"Yeah, Billy will be there in 20" the voice responded before abruptly hanging up.

Sighing, Jesse replaced the phone on its stand, turning around to face the cool night air. His eyes scanned the surroundings until they settled on a figure seated by the arcade wall.

"Hey man, can I get one?" Jesse asked, nodding towards the cigarette the man held.

The man, nursing a beer, raised an eyebrow skeptically. "How old are you?"

"Um, 13," Jesse replied, his voice soft, hands slipping into his pockets.

"Yeah, no," the man grumbled, taking a drag from his cigarette.

"I'm Jesse," he persisted, settling down next to the man.

"Mitch," the man replied, not bothering to hide his reluctance. Taking another sip from his beer followed.

"Why are you out here? Shouldn't you be in there with your friends?" Mitch gestured towards the group inside.

"Huh, oh, those aren't my friends," Jesse responded, glancing briefly at the group before returning his attention to Mitch.

"Okay, well, leave me alone, go somewhere else," Mitch grumbled once more, yet Jesse Just ignored him.

"I just moved here from Cali," the long haired boy continued