CHAPTER SIXTY ONE

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Nearly eight months had gone by since that fateful night

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Nearly eight months had gone by since that fateful night. Things changed. Some for the better, some for the worst.

But at least life was somewhat steady now.

School started again, Hawkins re-found its rhythm, and Judy wasn't finding the long distance to be so hard anymore.

Everyday, she missed El and Joyce. They'd write letters back and forth all the time, trying to cut down on Joyce's phone bill. El sent Judy the most letters, even more than she sent to Mike. They were one of the few things that brought Judy true happiness these days.

There were so many that Judy was pretty sure she was writing one everyday. But Judy wrote just the same amount, and sometimes she'd even call, even though El insisted she wrote so that she could practice her spelling.

But sometimes, Judy just needed to hear her sister's voice and the voice of the woman who had formed herself into a mother figure for Judy.

"Hello," the sweet woman answered the phone.

"Hi, Joyce, it's Judy," she replied, smiling while holding the phone between her shoulder and her cheek. She sat in the living room of the Henderson house, late in the evening.

"Hi," Joyce cheered, realizing who was on the other end. "How are you, sweetie?"

"I'm good. I just wanted to call and see how things were in California."

"Things are still going good. We're so excited to have you and Mike up here for Spring break!"

"I'm excited too. I wish I could've gotten the same flight with Mike, though."

"Oh, don't worry about it, a few days alone with Mike might be best for El anyways. She can give you all her attention when you get here." Joyce always had a better way of looking at things.

"That's probably true," Judy smiles again. "Is El there?"

"Yeah, sweetie, she's right here," Joyce passed the phone, and Judy could hear the smile on Els' face.

"Hi," she said, giggling. "I didn't know you would call so late."

"Yeah, well, I called when I could. While you're eating dinner, I'm getting ready for bed. Time difference, remember?"

"Yes, I remember. What happened to Cerebro?" El said, always weary that Joyce will be mad over the phone bill.

"Ugh, Dustin's using it to talk to his girlfriend. It's sick, El, I swear. They talk 24/7," Judy said, annoyed at the boy she'd been living with for the last six months.

"You talk to Steve 24/7."

"No, I don't. I'm not that desperate."

Judy heard Joyce call for El. Something about dinner.

"I have to go, tonight is meatloaf."

Judy cringed at how happy her sister sounded over a meal she hated. "Mmm, sounds delicious," she said sarcastically.

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