Home (Jim Hopper)

Chapter 2

Amelia woke naturally, the sunlight shining through her windows and lighting up her room. She groaned softly before rubbing her eyes and sitting up, smacking her lips as she looked around her room -which was a mess, to say the least - she couldn't find her Pyjamas last night so had to take everything out of her suitcase to find them. With a quick stretch, she looked to her left, her eyes widening when she saw the time. 10 am. Amelia's eyes widened as she rolled out of bed, hitting the floor causing a loud bang.

"Are you okay sweetie?" She heard her father ask.

"Yes, I'm okay!" She yelled back quickly getting up and racing around the room, looking for anything nice to wear. She ran past the mirror but then stopped and slowly walked back to it. She looked like a mess. Her hair sticking up in strange ways and her mascara from the night before smudged across her face. "You've got to be kidding me..." she mumbled before washing her face viciously, ensuring every scrub removed some sort of dirt from her face. It was a record time for her to get ready, she gave herself a final glance before rushing to the living room but froze as she entered.

"Jim..."

"Morning," he replied casually, he was sat on the sofa with her father next to him, both drinking coffees.

"I'm so s-" she went to apologize but Jim interrupted.

"Don't worry, you had a long drive, I should have realised you'd sleep in." Amelia smiled sheepishly. "You ready to go?" She nods before kissing her father on the cheek and following Jim outside and into his car.

It was quiet between the two as they drove in the car. What does one say to one they haven't seen in 25 years? How's it going? How're the kids? The wife? Does he have a wife? Most likely, probably kids too.

Before she could ask a question, music started playing, and it was one she knew far too well.

Lollipop lollipop
Oh lolli lolli lolli, lollipop, lollipop
Oh lolli lolli lolli, lollipop, lollipop
Oh lolli lolli lolli, lollipop

She continued singing it loudly as they went, window rolled down and her arm hanging out of it. Jim watched her amused as he took a drag of his cigarette,  not much had changed. Many people's head turned as they went by, Amelia's voice ringing through loud and clear and many of the older people shaking their head, they did not want them two together again. When the song finished, she smiled and leaned back, closing her eyes as she titled her head up.

"Is it crazy that I remember the exact thing that happened when we first listen to this stupid song?" She said and looked to him.

"No, I remember too," he replied, his eyes staying on the road, though he did try to hold a smile down, "We were by the lake, it was your last day before you had to leave," he looked to her for a moment before looking back to the road, "we were just sitting, not knowing what to say, the music in the background and then this song came on and you, you just laughed," Jim found himself trying not to chuckle as he thought back to the memory, "for so long, for no reason an- and then...yeah..." he trailed off.

We kissed.

Amelia chuckled also, remembering how stupid it truly was and decided not to bring up what happened after. It was something they tried, something they had to try before she left because they were not sure what they felt. Fifteen was a confusing time, hormones and feelings were everywhere, and they wanted to check if anything was between them but it seemed there wasn't.

Lacey's came into view and Amelia's childhood rushed through her mind. This is where she and Jim first met when they were six years old. She was new to the town and didn't know anyone, it was a restaurant but there was a play area in the corner. Her mother told her to go play while the food was being made, she was a shy child and was not good at talking to new kids. She sat in a section of the play area alone, all the other kids around her playing and yelling.