𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 [st/it]

₆ . road trip

June 17th, 1985

"Okay, everyone has their bags?" asked Hopper.

"Yes," said all of the kids, nodding.

"Alright, so Mike, El, and Dustin are coming in my car and Will, Max, and Lucas are going with Joyce. The ride will be all day today and Joyce and I planned which road stops we'll meet at," he said, passing a map marked with the route and rest stops to Joyce. "Okay kids, load up your bags."

After they all had their stuff in the car, the kids all hugged their families goodbye for the rest of the summer. They were mostly unaware of the fact that their children were leaving them to meet other kids that were supposed to be kept secret. It was extra emotional when they hugged goodbye to Steve, knowing that he would be living in Chicago at college when they got back. Their families waved goodbye as the two cars pulled out of the driveway.

It was 5 hours into the journey, and Hopper pulled up in front of a gas station with picnic benches outside. "We're here!" said Hopper.

"In Derry!?" asked Dustin, who was in the passenger seat next to Hopper. He was rubbing his eyes and yawning since he had just woken up. They both turned around to see Mike and El in the backseat. They were both sound asleep, with El resting her head on Mike's shoulder and a blanket draped over their legs.

"May I?" asked Dustin, pulling a blue can with a weird cap out of his backpack.

"You brought an air horn?" asked Hopper. Dustin nodded in response. "Sure, whatever."
Dustin squeezed the red top of the can. A loud honking noise came out of it, making Hopper cover his ears and Dustin laugh. Mike and El jolted up out of their sleeping position.

"What was that for!?" yelled Mike.

"We're at the rest stop."

They all got out of the car and walked into the gas station. They bought pre-made sandwiches, soda, and chips. When they left the building they saw Joyce and Will already sitting at one of the picnic benches. They joined them.

"Oh look who decided to show up," said Will.

"How long have you guys been here?" asked Hopper.

"Like 20 minutes," said Joyce. "These two were very loud in the backseat for the whole ride," she said, pointing to Max and Lucas, who were both skateboarding next to the cars in the parking lot. Max had taught Lucas how to skateboard over the past few months, and got him one for his birthday. 

"Well, these three slept the whole time," said Hopper.

Will looked angry, most likely because he was stuck in a loud car for 5 hours. "Dustin, can we swap cars for the rest of the drive?"

"Sure," said Dustin.

After finishing their food, Mike and El were walking around the rest stop to stretch their legs. "Hey Mike," said El, as they approached the group to get back on the road.

"Yeah?" said Mike.

"I feel like I might throw up," she said, scared.

"You're probably carsick," he said.

"It's because you're pregnant with Mike's kids," said Dustin, from a few feet away. Mike gave him a glare and flipped him off. His face went red just thinking about it.

"I'm what?"

"You're not pregnant El he was kidding."

"I know, Mike. I know about that stuff," she said, annoyed. "but what is carsick?

"It's when someone gets sick from being in a moving vehicle for a long time," he explained.

"Vehicle?," asked El

"Like a car," said Mike, "you can take pills to make it go away, but we don't have any so you should probably just drink some water to feel better."

El nodded and held Mike's hand, as they walked back to the car for another 13 hours of driving.

The kids in Hopper's car had a calm ride. Mike, El, and Will eagerly discussed their plans for the first couple of hours. They talked about how cool it would be if their siblings knew each other, and what they wanted to know about them. After that, Will played music from a mixtape Jonathan gave him. The kids ended up falling asleep again, and hopper drove on to Derry for the 13 hours without taking a single break, arriving at 1 am and falling asleep in the car before making it to the rental house. 

It was a different story for those driving in Joyce's car. The kids blasted music on high volume the entire time. Max sat in the front and chose the radio stations. When it got dark out and the teens' banter calmed down, they kept talking. They discussed what they would be doing over the summer, as well as gossiping about people back in Hawkins. Joyce did her best to tune them out and focus on the road. When they were about 3 hours away, Joyce got too tired. She pulled up at a gas station, and they all fell asleep. When Max and Lucas' loud giggles woke Joyce at 6 am, she started driving again. After stopping for a fast-food breakfast, she finished the drive and they got to the address that was written on the map.