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Surprisingly, in the year and a half that Hawkins had been under government lockdown and barred from the rest of the world, not much had changed. Some change is good, and some of it is bad. That's just how it works.
Max was still in a coma, with no brain activity. Lucas went to see her every day and played her favorite song, just in case she was close enough to escape wherever she was. Lucas vowed never to give up on her, even when her mom wanted to take her off life support, not seeing any hope for her own daughter. He managed to convince her, the others didn't know how, but they wouldn't question Lucas' verbal magic.
The Byers' moved back, but with their old home sold, they were staying with the Wheelers. Thank God Ted made six figures, otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to stay very long with almost no monetary income. Joyce was always out helping Hopper and Eleven with training for crawls, their name for secret moves into the Upside Down to find Vecna and kill him. Though, those always turned out not very worthwhile.
Speaking of moving back, Nicole and Ethan had as well, seeing as they couldn't leave after the military-enforced shutdown. They, along with Enzo, were staying with the Hendersons. Ethan slept on the floor of Dustin's room while Nicole and Enzo took the guest room across the hall. Claudia was happy to have them stay as long as Dustin and Ethan were responsible enough to sleep in the same room, knowing that when they were younger, during sleepovers, they'd stay up all night playing with Dustin's toys. Instead, they stayed up late, crying together, Ethan attempting to help Dustin mourn his late friend whom he saw as a brother or father figure.
Will and Ethan were friends again, though, it felt a little awkward now after having so much time apart and for so much weird shit to be happening that they both feared getting attached may lead them to their demise. Something weird radiated between them, and neither knew what it really was.
Steve, Robin, Nancy, and Jonathan ran a radio show slash took care of the WSQK, or the Squawk. Robin and Steve led the radio show, with Robin under the not-so-secret alias Rockin' Robin. They got deliveries from an undercover Murray, who hid contraband under essential items like food and toiletries.
All was well, kinda.
Nicole slams the bedroom door open, "Boys, wake up! You're gonna be late!"
Dustin quickly rolls out of bed, out of instinct, and lands on Ethan. He yelps in pain and grunts as his mother heads for the kitchen.
"Dustin, ow!"
"Sorry," the curly-haired friend mumbles, half awake.
Once dressed and ready to leave, they move to the front of the house. At the table rest waffles, eggs, and bacon amongst silverware and plates. Claudia and Nicole sit on the left side of the table while Enzo sits peacefully at the head next to his lover. Dustin and Ethan briefly join the adults, rushing to fill their stomachs before a long day at school.
