Lost boys • Will Byers

3

Jim Hopper's POV
Hopper was perplexed. How on earth did it happen? Hawkins was perfectly safe, perfectly average. There was no instance in which a kid should go missing. There was nobody cruel enough to do it, he thought.

Joyce Byers was someone he'd known from school, and to hear that her son was missing made him feel odd.

He'd only worked on one other case similar to this. And even that wasn't as severe.

Hawkins simply wasn't known for crime. The worst that happened there was petty theft and teenage boys pulling pranks. Will Byers was an outcast, but nobody would've done something to him, right? He'd heard things from officers who'd worked in the city. Small pranks gone wrong.

So why was Will Byers missing?

The next day, not even a minute after he'd settled into his office, a frantic woman stormed in. Following close behind her was the secretary, who's eyes were wide and alert. "I'm sorry Jim, I told her to—" but she was cut off by the woman. "My son is missing, Hopper." He raised an eyebrow. Pam Burton was also someone he went to school with. She was one of those kids who talked back to teachers and skipped class. Really smart though. Good at science and astronomy— things he could never really get the hang of— things Sarah was good at.

"Where was he the last time you saw him?" Hopper asked, grabbing a sheet of paper and a pen, ready to jot down any answers she'd give. "I don't know... god- I just came home from a twelve hour shift, my other son said he saw him on the way home that night, but didn't see him come in—"

"Which night?" He asked, looking up from the paper. "S-Sunday... He was at the Wheeler's house doing some sort of what do they call that? The prisons and princesses game?" Tears ran down her face and she took out a cigarette. "I can— I can smoke in here?" He nodded and leaned back in his chair, watching her. "Your son— Danny, right?" She nodded. "Danny... is he the type to run away?" She looked offended. "Run away? He was perfectly happy. Why would he just run off?" He shrugged. "Are you sure he was okay? Some kids don't tell their parents everything." She sighed, exhaling a cloud of smoke. "He was bullied a little bit, but what kid isn't?" She fidgeted with her ring finger— funnily enough it was lacking a ring. "Why was he bullied?" She scoffed. "Why does that matter?"

"I'm just trying to figure out what kind of person would take him." He said calmly. "I don't know... sometimes I'd hear kids calling him queer." He sipped his coffee. "Hmm..." he leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling. "What?" She snapped. "Is your son gay?" He asked her, an eyebrow raised.

"Are you even taking this seriously? He could've been kidnapped by some sick pervert!." She looked about ready to murder him herself. "I was just asking— for notes." She slammed her hand down on the table. He didn't flinch, looking up at her frantic eyes from where he was seated. "If you don't help me Jim Hopper, I swear to god I will go through this entire damn town until I find him myself." She spat. "We'll find him Pam. You've got nothing to worry about." He leaned back and sipped his coffee.

He shut his eyes, willing for her to disapear. He opened them. She was still there.

Just as he was about to ask her to leave, the phone rang. He picked it up. "Hello?" He had an idea of who it was already. Pam wasn't the only frantic mother. "Do you have any leads on Will yet?" He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "No leads, Joyce. Did you check with Lonny?"

"No..."

"Well can you do that instead of bothering me all day? Another kid's missing."

The line went silent for a moment. He thought she'd hung up. "Who? What kid?" He looked to Pam, who was staring right at him, cigarette between her fingers and tapping her foot impatiently. "Danny Burton."

The line went silent again. "Joyce?" He waited. "Danny Burton? Him and Will were friends..." she trailed off. "He talks about him all the time. Do you think...?" Hopper raised his eyebrows and looked to Pam. "Well... It's possible." He said, sitting up slightly.

Pam looked to him, her cigarette burning out quicker and quicker. Her eyes were impatient. "Look Joyce, I gotta go. I'm with Pam Burton now." She sighed. "Please find them. Please." He frowned. "Tell you what— we all meet at a diner. We'll have breakfast and talk. We can go to—"

"Benny's?" Pam asked quietly.

"Benny's." He told Joyce.

"Benny's," She repeated, "what time?"

"How 'bout ten thirty? Then I'll swing by the school and talk to their friends."

They all agreed on the time. And Hopper hung up the phone and said goodbye to Pam, leaving the two discombobulated mothers alone with their thoughts.