Strange Things Are Happening. (Jonathan Byers x OC) Wattys 2017

11.

The two teens stayed in Jonathan's car until his mom came home, finding that he felt a lot more comfortable in the small space than in his home. At one point, he cried but Samantha was there to comfort him and honestly, he was grateful. For so long, he had kept so much of his feelings bottled up but now, he had someone to talk to.

He had Samantha.

When Joyce pulled up, he looked at the girl beside him and she gave him a gentle smile and nodded. He had told her that he felt immensely guilty about the way he had spoken to his mother.

"I'll wait here, okay?" she told him.

He got out of the car, looking over his shoulder at him to see her reassuring gaze one last time and she squeezed his hand, "Go."

Joyce looked up at him as he approached, shaking her head as he opened his mouth to say something. She just wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a warm embrace.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, trying to fight the urge to cry again, "I-I had no right speaking to you like that."

"It's okay," Joyce replied softly, "We were both in the wrong. Both upset."

He nodded and rest his head on her shoulder again and as she looked over the top of his head, Joyce could see a pretty blonde girl currently sitting in his car.

Jonathan, seeing where she was looking, flushed a light red and cleared his throat, "Right. That's Samantha Wheeler."

Joyce wiped away the two day make-up that she was sure was still under her eyes, "Oh Jonathan. She's pretty."

He felt his face getting even warmer but he smiled, "I know. I'm just about to take her home..."

"Well, let me say hello to her first. I don't want her to think I'm rude." his mother said.

"You don't have to-" he tried to say but she was already moving around him to get to the car so he quickly rushed past her to open the door for Samantha.

"My mom wants to meet you," he said quietly, holding his hand out for her to take.

"Oh. I-I don't think that's a good idea-" she started to say but when he took her hand, she stopped.

"Relax. She'll love you."

She nodded and stepped out of the car, looking down at their joined hands as they moved towards his mom.

"Hi," she said simply, giving the older woman a soft smile as she held out her free hand for her to shake, "I'm Samantha."

"Joyce," she replied, "It's nice to meet you."

"You too," Samantha mumbled, "I just wish it was at a better time."

Joyce nodded, keeping a tight smile on her face as Samantha started saying how sorry she was about Will.

Jonathan, noticing that his mom was starting to get uncomfortable with her condolences quickly stepped in, telling her that they'd better get going. Her mom would probably be worried about her since she had practically leapt into his car.

"It was nice to meet you." Samantha said quietly as Jonathan placed his hand on her lower back.

"You too." his mom said quietly and he opened the car door again for her before looking at his mom.

"I'll be back soon," he smiled, "Then we'll talk."

++

The next day, Samantha didn't go to school again. She decided that she would stay home and try and work on the project since it was due on the last day before the holidays and they hadn't even started it. There was more pressing matters at hand.

She lay on her bed, trying again to work out what photographs she was going to use for this stupid project. She hadn't taken any more of them so she was going to have to find some of her old ones to use.

The sound of her phone ringing on the bedside table startled her and she rolled over so she was laying on her back, reaching for the phone, "Hello?"

"Samantha?"

She sighed, realising that it was Nancy, "Hi."

It was silent for a couple of seconds, an awkward silence between the two cousins before Nancy spoke again, "Samantha, can you come over?"

"I...I don't know. I'm working on my photography project and then I was going to make some flyers for Barb." she mumbled, grabbing her phone and moving over to her window, where she could see that Nancy was standing in her own window.

"It's about Barb," she said quietly, immediately grabbing Samantha's attention, "I think I've found something."

"You're sure?" Samantha asked.

"Yes. Just please, come over." her cousin pleaded.

"I'll be over in a minute." Samantha said and Nancy mumbled a quiet thank you before hanging up. She let out another quiet sigh and rolled back onto her front, gathering the photographs up so she could sort them out later.

She didn't really want to go over to their house. Things were still awkward from the other day but this was about Barbara.

Grabbing her cardigan, she ran downstairs and out the door, yelling to her mom that she was going across the street. She didn't bother knocking, moving up the stairs to Nancy's room after calling a hello to her Aunt Karen.

Nancy was on her bed, back to the door as she stared down at something that was on her blanket.

"Nancy?"

She turned around and lunged off the bed, hand wrapping around Samantha's wrist, tugging her onto the bed beside her.

"Look at this," she whispered, pushing what was a photograph across to her.

It was a picture of Barb, which Samantha assumed was from Jonathan's collection that had been taken. It was just a normal photograph; Barb sitting on the diving board, staring down at the water of the pool.

Darting her tongue over her lips, Samantha handed the photo back to her, "What exactly am I looking at?"

"There!" Nancy exclaimed, pointing at the very edge of the photo and peering closer, Samantha could see it.

There was something lurking behind Barbara. Something tall and thin.

"What is that?" Samantha asked, looking up at her cousin, "It looks like a person."

She nodded, "Yeah. And I went back to Steve's and I heard something in the woods and I thought I saw..."

"What?" she pressed, "Nancy, what did you see?"

"I thought I saw that," she pointed at the picture, "But it looked like it didn't have a face."

Samantha stared at the photo again, looking at Barb and then the...thing.

"Jonathan took this photo," Nancy continued, making the blonde look up at her, "We need to talk to him. See if he knows anything. Let's go."

"Nancy! Nancy, wait." the blonde whispered, pulling her to a stop, "Nancy. We can't just go barging over to his house. His mom will be there!"

"You're right," she whispered, "But we need to know."

Nancy was out of the room before she could stop her and Samantha let out an exasperated sigh before following.