Should I stay or should I go?
Should I stay or should I go now?
Should I stay or should I go now?
If I leave there would be trouble-
If I stay there will be double.
So come on and let me know...
Should I stay or should I go?
It was the year 1984, and I, Will Byers, was jamming out to my favorite song 'Should I stay or should I go' alone in my room, gently tapping my fingers on my knee to the rhythm of the song. "So come on and let me know...should I cool it or should I blow...?" I hum under my breath. My brother, Jonathan Byers, knocks on my door with a polite grin and I turn down my music. "Hey bud..." he says in a soft tone. He always used that tone with me ever since I had come back from getting abducted. "Hey." I reply in the same soft voice, but it had a slight hint of irritation to it. I was sick of people treating me like a freak, I was fine being just a regular Will. But my mom, her real name being Joyce, insisted I needed more attention than I was used to getting. She wanted me to be OK. After all...I am her son. "Dinner's ready." Jonathan says, still somewhat whispering everything to me. My fingers slightly curl into fists and I nod slowly, get up, and walk out to the dining room, Jonathan following close behind.
I take a seat at the dinner table and let out a huff, staring at the meal my mom had prepared for me and the entire family, except my dad, who was divorced from her. She had made us mushy peas, slightly burnt toast buttered on both sides, and steak with the fat still on it. It was a good night. We could not afford most things ever since our dad moved away, he brought in all the money. But when he left, my mom was forced to get a job at a hardware store in order to keep us - well - alive. "It looks great mom." I grin and take a crunched bite of my toast and moan just a little at the taste. It was dull, but I absolutely loved it. I took a sip of the flat coca-cola she had laid out for me on the counter and I remain quiet. Then my mom speaks up.
"So....Will...." she says with a nervous smile. She always looked at me like I wasn't even alive, and that's why I barely made eye contact with her anymore. I didn't want to see that awful look of sorrow in her eyes. "...how's school going?" she asks me and picks at her food, eating a mouthful of peas. I shrug lightly and take another swig of my cola. "Just a shrug?" she sighs and swallows her food. "I don't know...I mean....Mike is so obsessed with El it just feels like he leaves us out sometimes. And there's this new girl, Max? He despises her. She doesn't have any friends and her brother is Billy, who is wild and reckless. Mike always tells Max she isn't a part of our 'party' and that she should find new friends to hang out with. I mean - Mike's like my brother. But....sometimes he just needs to lay off and just CHILL." I finally take a breath and notice my mom was looking at me with wide eyes, she was surprised at me. Surprised that I had talked so much. I maybe said 10 words to them a day for the past month I had been home, so letting it all out just now of what my day was like felt odd and slightly good.
Later that night, I undress myself to shower. I turn on the shower and watch the water heat up, the steam coming off the jets of aqua. I hop in the shower and grab the soap bar, scrubbing my body richly with it. I close my eyes in relief, it was the only time of the day I could really relax - being in the shower. But when I opened my eyes, the shower water was extremely cold, but for some reason I was enjoying it. There were vines strung all over the bathroom walls and floor and I raise my brows. "...Mom?" I call out, but no one answered. I hear booming thunder outside and turn the shower water off. Everywhere I walked was another chill to the bone. I put my boxers on and a cozy towel-material robe, then walk outside with quiet steps. I opened the front door and saw red clouds, blackish-green lightning, and a giant shadow in the sky that looked like a spider - it was alive. It was black and seethrough, but most definitely alive.
