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CHAPTER EIGHT: DOG DAYS OF SUMMER
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FOURTH OF JULY is supposed to be spent heating up the grill, and prepping hamburgers and hot dogs to be devoured later in the day. It's spent eating watermelon and drinking a few beers as night falls. It's supposed to be spent with friends and family, watching and participating in lighting up the night sky in celebration of America and freedom. Every Fourth of July for the last few years, Danny's father has been able to get work off and spend the day with his family and friends. Danny would invite his friend group and they would spend all day sneaking beers and setting off firecrackers. Danny would flirt with all the neighborhood girls and kiss a couple under the fireworks then eventually ditch them causing them to be pissed until they eventually got over it and came back for more. The Fourth of July is supposed to be fun but the Fourth of July in 1984 was the least fun Fourth of July Danny had ever experienced.
Danny stood outside in a muscle tank that was blowing a breeze across his abdomen. Despite the nice breeze, the heat made the air thick and muggy. The dog days of summer had descended upon Hawkins and they were not being kind. Thankfully, the thick trees around Chief Hopper's cabin were protecting him from the harsh sun. Danny would've rather not spent his Fourth of July in a tiny cabin in the woods with Lucas and all his friends after fighting some interdimensional monster but then again, nothing about Danny's summer had been normal so far.
They were all sitting around waiting for Eleven to find the Holloway family or Billy Hargrove. Eleven had locked herself in her bedroom as she used the static on the television to search for them. Danny still didn't understand how she did it but thought it was incredibly cool. When Danny finally came back inside, Mike was still non-stop pacing around the room as he waited for his ex-girlfriend to come out, Lucas was snacking on some cereal on one of the couches as Max sat across from him on another chair. Will was in the kitchen with Nancy and Jonathan who were calling anybody who might have any answers as to what was going on.
"Anything new?" Danny asked as he headed into the living room and took a seat beside Lucas on the couch.
"No," Mike answered, stress in his voice as he continued to pace. "It can't be good for her to be in there this long."
"Mike, you need to relax," Max explained, her brows furrowed as she narrowed her eyes at Mike.
"What if she gets brain damage or something?" Mike asked making Danny roll his eyes.
"Oh, shit," Lucas paused his chewing as his eyes widened. "Is that, like, a real thing?"
Danny sighed at Lucas's stupidity, "Is brain damage a real thing?"
