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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The next morning, Judy woke up ready for the day. There always seemed to be a different kind of sunshine on the mornings she'd go to the community pool to practice with the swim team. Before opening hours, the coach and the team would spend a few hours taking laps.
But today the sunlight was extra different – extra special.
Judy was quick to leap out of bed and run into El's. She was already awake and dressed, beaming as Judy stepped into her room.
"Guess who comes home today?" She said, excited.
"Dusty Buns." El copied Judy's smile with bright eyes, saying the nickname Judy had given the boy in question.
"That's right!" Judy yelled, throwing her hands up in the air. "Mr. Dusty Buns is coming to town."
"Make sure to give him one of these-" Judy walked over to El, sitting on her bed and holding onto her face, squishing her cheeks together. She kissed Els cheek aggressively, earning a giggle. "-from me to him."
El nodded looking sweetly at her older sister. She recognized the glow in Judy's face when she got excited about something. Everyone was excited for Dustin to come home, but probably not as much as Judy was. They had formed a bond that most didn't expect.
The two sisters sat on Els bed in a comfortable buzz of excitement until Hopper knocked on the doorframe. "Y'all ready to go?"
Any day that Judy had practice, Hopper would drive her there and Steve would pick her up after to take them to work, and El would ride along in the morning. She didn't get out much besides that, which made Judy feel a little guilty, but El still seemed to enjoy picking the radio station for that morning's music party.
When Judy would get out of the car in front of the pool, El would climb into the front seat and roll down the window, waiting for Judy to stick her hand through so that they could do their special handshake. Hopper would watch from the driver's seat, smiling at his two girls. As they drove off, he always made sure to honk twice.
The pool was always a hot commodity during the summer, and every year before this one, Judy would spend the majority of her time there. This year was not like the others, though. This year Billy Hargrove was the head lifeguard and he was always on duty.
Steve had also been affected by this, since he had been the head lifeguard for the past three years. But once Steve saw Billy on the interview list, he opted for a different job, finding himself at Starcourt Mall.
During Judy's early morning swim practice with the team, he wouldn't be there but just as she was leaving, with Steve waiting to pick her up for work, he'd be coming in for the day. Staring her down as they walked past each other. Judy couldn't manage to look away from his glare and every time it felt like she was walking in slow motion past him.
He hadn't said a single word to her since the bat between his legs, but his look over her said enough. He was still the evil brute that tortured Max and couldn't catch a hint from Judy.
