In The Woods; Jonathan Byers

{1}

"Are you okay?" my dad asked and I didn't respond, just kept staring at the lake through the window and played with my fingers mindlessly. "Grace?" I kept quiet, as I didn't want to speak about anything "Oh, of course you're not. Sorry," he said awkwardly "of course you're not all right. Do you wanna talk or.." He trailed off slowly. I furrowed my eyebrows and turned to him "About what?" He sighed "It's a terrible thing, just a terrible, terrible thing" I shook my head and let out a huff. "It wasn't terrible" "Grace?" He said, like he was annoyed with me. "It was boring" he looked at me, his expression softening "Boring?". "It was ordinary, people just kept walking around, like nobody noticed it" I picked up the cup of water next to the sink and raised to my lips quickly, I could feel his eyes burning into me.

"She was alive, and then she was dead and it was nothing, like stepping off a bus, it's not like we didn't expect it" I took notice to Joyce Byers listening to our conversation, I could just feel her presence in the other room "Dad, who else is here?" He put her hand up "She deserved better, and so did we" I leaned on the counter and took another sip of water "I don't deserve anything, nobody deserves anything" I walked over to the entrance of the kitchen and walked past them, looking at me with confusion, before turning to my dad and getting close to him "But I am owed better now, I am owed" I whispered as I crossed my arms and set the cup down "Who owes you?" He asked in confusion and sat down in the chair. "You know who" I said to him quietly. "Grace, how are you doing? Since your mom..." she trailed off, knowing the sensitive subject. I'm fucking horrible "I'm fine, really, it's hard but we can get through it" I spoke quietly, rubbing my dads shoulder before going to walk up the stairs "Goodnight" I called down "Night" my dad called as I shut the door. I sat on the bed, my elbows on my knees and my head in my hands, there was a knock on the door "Come in" I said weakly and the door opened. "Are you okay?" Jonathan asked me, sitting on the bed next to me "How do you think I am?" I said, tears welling in my eyes as he rubbed my back.

He hugged me until I fell asleep in his arms, oblivion taking over my brain.