Royal Pain || Stranger Things

one || the american dream

"Do you actually think he's in his right mind moving us across the ocean?"

Among a living room full of suitcases and bags, two women in nearly equal stature stood with folded arms as Jordan Rivers bounced back and forth between the front door and the taxi outside.

Elena, the ever-willing wife, only gave a soft shrug of her shoulders. She was already donning comfier, plane worthy clothes. "Potentially not. And technically, he's moving you back across the ocean."

"It doesn't count," Tatum said with a huff, blowing a lock of brown hair from her face. "You're mad to be willing to move to Indiana."

"I don't imagine it will be so bad, T," Elena offered, low loafers absently kicking the suitcase at her feet. "It could be fun to go somewhere new. I've never been to America, and you don't remember much of it. Not to mention he timed it to where you won't lose any time with school. You'll start a brand-new year with all your other classmates."

"Ladies, a hand?" Jordan, nearly finished with removing all of the luggage, nodded toward their bags for the long plane ride before angling a thumb toward the door. "We're nearly ready."

As if she hadn't heard her father in the first place, Tatum flailed a hand in the air. "The American schooling system barely lines up with ours. None of the classes will be in the right place. I'll either already have taken it or be entirely lost on the subject. And they don't even use the metric system like the rest of the planet."

"It's only one year." Elena picked up her purse from the carpeted floor of the empty living room, it stocked full of reading material and snacks. "Senior year is a big deal in America. You can feed into that. School spirit or whatever they call it."

"Elena, do you really picture me as the school spirit type?" Tatum asked with quirked brow, almost grinning as she grabbed her own backpack and hauled it over her shoulder.

Elena laughed, flicking the collar of her stepdaughter's leather jacket. "No, Tate, you don't. But you might like getting out of your comfort zone. You might even like Indiana."

"Ladies, please. We have a flight to catch."

"You have all the tapes you want to listen to?" Elena asked as the pair of brunettes walked out of their well-loved home just shy of the Welsh border into the timid summer air.

"I sure hope so." Tatum slid into the back seat of the black cab parked just shy of the 'For Sale' sign stuck in the front garden. "I'm out of luck if not."

Elena grinned as she joined her in the back, letting Jordan shut them inside. "I think I have a few extra pounds if you want to watch the film, just in case."

Almost ignoring the sounds of the boot shutting and Jordan climbing in the cab, Tatum only shook her head, giving a light scoff. "And watch Flashdance for the fiftieth time? I'll just chew gum to entertain myself."

"Hey, it's a good movie."

"It is, but I've also seen it more times than I can count. You always put it in for bid on movie night."

Jordan glanced over his shoulder as the cab backed out of the driveway, nudging his way into the conversation. "I thought I read they were playing Risky Business this month on international flights."

Tatum's face lit up, grinning wide. "Oh, god I hope so. Tom Cruise is a dream."

"He's from America," the driver offered. "Maybe you'll meet them."

"In Indiana?" Tatum laughed. "I highly doubt that. I doubt anyone more famous than Dad has stepped foot in Hawkins."

The cab driver's brow quirked. "Hawkins?"