QUICK A/N ( skip if you want (: )
hey guys! what would you want more of? like, if i were to EXTEND the feelings that max has for el (never ever ever gonna become canon in this book because mileven, duh,, but it's kinda weighing her down emotionally when it comes to struggling with the hole boys and girls thing?)
or as another example, if i wrote jopper a heap more or has lumax/mucas scenes more maybe even throw some jonathan, nancy & steve into the mix more and have some friendship moments between just the boys because they were the original four, ig.
i don't know, i want to take this book places instead of focusing on the kids, unless you guys all like how it's revolved around the kids.
ahem, on with the story i guess! again, thank you so much for eight thousand of you, almost nine thousand of you are reading this book and it makes me incredibly happy that you enjoy it.
as for this chapter, it's a bit jopper themed because i'm in the mood for some jopper.
jane hopper
────
joyce byers was, and is, an amazing woman.
she helped me while i searched for will, when she hardly knew me, and she held me when i was too exhausted to move, right after i fought those 'demo-dogs' as dustin called them.
hopper definitely agrees with me on the amazing part.
one night, we sat on a couch, flipping through his old yearbooks, where we stumbled across a photo of hopper and joyce, sitting together, pretty close, on the bleachers, hopper smiling wide, an arm slung around joyce's shoulder, her signature in the grey skies above them.
i looked up at my adoptive father, as he cracked a small smile and turned the page, shaking his head, laughing at a comment another senior had left there, many, many years ago.
another night, we had dinner at joyce's, and they really couldn't keep their eyes off each other. will and i exchanged glances, knowingly, although i was a tad bit confused at first until will explained it to me in a very simple and loud way after dinner, while we were drawing in his room.
"your dad likes my mum!," he clarified, grinning from ear to ear. i smiled. that's what i thought. "why won't he do anything about it?," i asked, frowning. he shrugged. "because maybe it's too soon, you know, after, bob."
i tensed up, nodding. i still feared, just sometimes, only briefly, that it was my fault all those innocent people died. bob, and barb, and benny, and the two guys that i found laying dead in the upside down.
but i shook it off, because everyone kept reassuring me that it wasn't my fault, it was the mind flayers fault. it was papa, or dr. brenner's fault. it was the demogorgan's fault.
deep down, i even knew that it wasn't my fault. i didn't know. i couldn't have known. there was no way.
"will he make a move later?," i asked, gently, grabbing a blue crayon to do the sky.
"hopefully," will grinned, putting down his crayon's, looking at his hands, that were now covered in different colours.
"yeah," i smiled. "hopefully."
we finished our drawings, placing them on the table beside his bed, and started new ones.
"wanna go on a bike ride after school?"
joyce byers
────
it was friday, and hopper and el were coming over for dinner, like every friday.
will and jonathan were at school, hopper was down the station, and el was getting homeschooled by nancy, who apparently, faked sickness. since everyone as busy, that's why it was a surprise when someone knocked on the door, two, soft times.
"knock, knock," a loud voice said. it was definitely hopper, i know his voice off by heart.
"hopper," i grinned, walking towards the door, opening the locks and swinging the door open. "hey, joyce," he smiled.
"hey, jim," i smiled, and hugged him softly. he hugged back, grinning. "how are you? and the kids?" he asked. i shrugged, "good, will has been the calmest since everything happened, and jonathan seems happier."
"maybe it's that nancy girl," hopper grinned. i laughed, picking up a small towel, and a plate, starting to dry the front of it. "maybe it is," i smiled, placing it into a shelf.
"shouldn't you be at the station?," i asked, raising an eyebrow. "lunch break," he smiled. "i got you a pie from the bakery on maple street," he said.
i grinned. "oh, hop. you didn't have to," i blushed. he shrugged, and pulled a small paper bag out of his bag. "but i did, so eat up," he grinned. "i still have half an hour until i have to return," he said. i nodded, grabbing the bag, and sitting it on the counter.
"thanks, hop," i smiled. he smiled back. "no problem, how was el on the weekend?" he asked. "great, she helped with cleaning and jonathan took her down town to take some photos, and the other kids came over friday night," i replied.
he nodded, and leaned on the back of a wooden chair. "you never answered how you were," he said, smiling, gently. "oh, sorry. i'm good, a bit tired lately," i smiled. "you need to loosen up," he grinned. "i know, i know. it's just with the kids, i'm trying to be-"
he cut me off. "a good mother, i know. you're gonna be okay if you take a week or weekend off. treat yourself, go out with karen? sleep in until twelve? just rest," he smiled. i nodded, laughing, slightly. "i'll try, hop."
he nodded, and looked at the clock. "i'm gonna go check on el, catch you later?" he asked, putting his hat on. i nodded, "yeah, sure, hop."
"oh, and joyce," he started. "wanna go out for dinner sometime? maybe tonight?"
i felt the blood rush to my face and nodded, "sure, hop. see you then? maybe 6, at the pasta place down the street?" i asked. he nodded, smiling. "see you, then, joyce. don't be late."
then, he left, shutting the small wooden door behind him, and i continued drying the dishes.
will byers
────
i didn't want the others, as in lucas, dustin, max, and mike to help with operation 'jopper'. i guess that sounds a little harsh, but it's the truth. me, jonathan and el are going to do this on our own, our own way.
so, after school ended, i told the others i couldn't ride with them because my mum is picking me up, and they nodded, confused, but left without me. then, i waited until they were way out of sight to put the plan to action.
right now, el was waiting in the woods for me, jonathan with her, being our escape car.
'i hope this plan works,' i thought, as i rode along the dusty roads of hawkins, the forests of trees slightly coming into view.
────
i'm extremely excited for the 8k and i couldn't be more happier. i love each and every one of you! (: hope you enjoyed this chapter, sorry for how lame(?)ish the other one was, it was kind of a filler because i can't write for shit when i'm sad and stressed out lmao.
