On or Off

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Ronda opens the door to a motel, letting Nancy and Jonathan step inside. The two of them are carrying their own bags, moving to the counter. Ronda stands behind the two, who wait awkwardly at the front desk. The woman behind the check in desk does not look at the three of them. She's reading a magazine and snacking.
Nancy rings the bell. "We'd like a uh, a room."

"We got those," the woman barks out. "You want a single or a double?" She carefully eyes the three of them.

"Double," the three of them answer as Jonathan and Nancy step away from each other. The woman prepares their keys, handing it over to Ronda. Jonathan pays for the room and the three teenagers hurriedly head down the hall to their room. In silence they all get ready for bed. Nancy and Ronda are sharing a bed. Ronda is closest to the window. She stares outside, her thoughts racing inside her head. She told Robbie as soon as she left about her little brother; but she hasn't mentioned it to Nancy or Jonathan yet. She wants to wait until they've squared away things with Barbara.

"Nance," Jonathan says, as Nancy fidgets her feet under the covers. "Uh, on or off?" Nancy smiles to herself. Jonathan looks at her. "What?"

"Nothing. Just deja vu."

Jonathan smiles now too. "Yeah."

Sighing, Nancy glances at Jonathan. "Don't you think it's weird?"

"What?" asks Ronda, not bothering to look at the two of them.

"How we only seem to hang out when the world's about to end?" asks Nancy, shaking her head slightly. She hasn't really noticed Ronda's impatient and frustrated mood. Neither has Jonathan.

"It's not going to end."

Nancy looks down at her hands. "Feels like it." She peers at the scar on her hand, then leans over her bed and props her elbow on the nightstand. "Still have yours?"

"Yeah."

Jonathan and Nancy show off their scars to each other. Nancy raises an eyebrow at him, giggling. "Mmm. Yeah, mine's bigger."

Jonathan rolls his eyes playfully. "Congratulations." Their hands touch slightly and for a moment Nancy and Jonathan are only caught up in each other. Nancy pulls away quickly.

Staring straight ahead, she falls back into bed, then lays on her side, facing Jonathan again. He does the same. "What happened?" she wonders.

"What do you mean?"

"To us? After everything, you just disappeared."

Jonathan bobs his head and quietly replies, "Yeah, Will needed me. And everyone—"

"I waited," Nancy says softly, very sweet. She stares at Jonathan with doe eyes.

"Yeah, like, only a month."

Nancy turns over in bed, facing Ronda. Ronda raises a gentle eyebrow at her friend, who huffs in frustration. "I want them off," comments Nancy. Jonathan flicks the lights off in annoyance and faces the wall, so their backs are to each other.



Shadows of the Night  •a Stranger Things story•Where stories live. Discover now