COMPLETE UNTIL SEASON FIVE
In 1980s Indiana, Judy Hopper and her group of young friends witness supernatural forces and secret government exploits. As they search for answers, they unravel a series of extraordinary mysteries. In the midst, love and...
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It had been just one week into summer when Steve, Judy and Dustin sat in his car in front of the arcade. For the last few months, every Saturday, Steve would come by the cabin to pick up Judy and the two of them would pick up and drop off Dustin at the arcade. While Dustin was inside with his buddies, Steve and Judy would just talk, or not talk at all. They'd do whatever they wanted for the couple of hours that their little friend was playing games.
Even with only a few months of getting to know each other, the three of them had grown closer and closer. So much so that Steve wanted the two of them to be at his graduation more than he wanted his parents. So, Judy and Dustin went and cheered for Steve as he walked across the stage. His parents were, of course, late, but Steve didn't really care. Not when he had his two best friends already there to support him.
They were like the three musketeers, always together now and always there for each other. And with the summer just starting, nothing could stop them from having the time of their lives. That was until Dustin decided to drop a major bomb on their plans.
"Hey, so, uhh..." Dustin started, hesitantly while snacking on a bag of chips, "these little night trips are gonna be one member short for a while."
"What do you mean?" Judy asked, turning in the front seat to look at him. Steve turned around as well.
"You know that camp I told you guys about? Camp Know Where? I'm going."
"Wait... but that camp's for an entire month," Steve pointed out, confused.
"Yeah, but I want to go," Dustin shrugged, looking at Steve, empathetically.
"Man, this is really bad timing," Judy said, looking at Steve, pointedly. "For you."
"What? You too?"
"I got a job at the new mall," Judy confessed, feeling for her friend who struggled being by himself.
"What?" he almost yelled, sitting up in his seat in front of the steering wheel.
"What is this? Are we breaking up?" he looked between Judy and Dustin frantically. Judy would have laughed at him if she didn't feel so bad about it.
"It's only for a little while, Steve," Dustin said, putting his hand on Steve's shoulder in comfort.
"I can't believe this. I graduate and everything turns to shit," he huffed as he sunk back into his seat, shaking his head in disbelief.
"You'll be fine," Judy said like she was talking to a little kid. "Once Dustin is back from camp, we'll find time to spend together."
"I can't believe you found a job before me."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Judy asked, offended at what Steve said. "I don't think you've been trying that hard, anyways."
And so, Dustin went to summer camp and Judy started working at the mall. She'd found the job pretty soon after the mall was built. As much as she didn't want to work in a place that had so many people, she needed the money. And she needed the time without Steve. The two of them spent pretty much everyday with each other, whether it was on the phone or in person. As much as she wanted to be with him, it wasn't healthy to feel the way she did about Steve and constantly have to pretend that she didn't.
It had only been two weeks of scooping ice cream with her coworker Dave, before Steve waltzed into Scoops Ahoy with a proud smile on his face and that signature swivel in his hips.
"Can't you get ice cream from the store?" Judy said, annoyed that he was even in there to begin with. He was the person that brought her to and from work, but he never stayed. Judy never saw him walking around the mall, either. Until now.
He leaned against the counter with his arms crossed, just as Judy had. But he wasn't bothered like she was, he was giddy and proud, which made Judy suspicious. "I'm not here for ice cream. I'm here for a job."
Judy deadpanned, staring into Steve's soul to see if there was any sarcasm in his words. There wasn't. "That's not funny, Steve. Don't do this to me. I got this job to get away from you."
Away from my feelings for you, she meant but would never say.
Steve gasped as he put a hand to his chest. "That hurts me, you know?"
"Steve?" Dave suddenly said, pushing through the back room door. He was already taking off his little apron as he looked over the counter.
"Yeah," Steve responded, hopeful.
"You're hired. Can you start tonight?"
"Yeah, yeah, sure."
"Dave, please. Don't hire him," Judy tried to plead, but Dave wasn't very enthusiastic. He was a 30 year old with an telephone girlfriend and he thought he was the shit.
"We need all the help we can get," He said, plainly, taking off his sailors hat to reveal the biggest bald spot anyone had the horror of seeing, "and unlike some people I have a life outside of work. He's hired."
Now it was time for Judy to gasp and put a hand over her chest. She could take a dig but not from someone as meaningless as Dave. Who did he think he was?
(it's a short chapter to get us started into the third season... also I know I haven't posted in a while but uni if soooo hard this term and I also wanted to give you more than a few chapters to read)
