Royal Pain || Stranger Things

eighteen || jane hopper

DECEMBER

"Since the release of the incendiary tape, the once quiet town of Hawkins, Indiana, has spent time in a place it never expected. The national spotlight. Under mounting pressure, several high-ranking members from the U.S. Department of Energy have admitted involvement in the death and cover-up of Hawkins resident Barbara Holland who died due to exposure to an experimental chemical asphyxiant, which had leaked from the grounds of the lab. We sent our own April Kline to Hawkins to speak to residents, residents who told us they thought they lived in a safe town. The kind of town where, they say, nothing ever happens."

The noise of Marty's diner was blurred out by the television propped up above the bar, taking up Tatum's attention as she idly held her hamburger and stared dully toward the screen.

"Tate, everything's about to fall out of your burger."

Tatum blinked in her surroundings, turning to Steve sitting across the booth from her. "What?"

"Your burger," Steve repeated, pointing as she tilted the sandwich back to level. "You've heard that report so many times this week, I'm surprised you haven't tuned it out yet."

"It's still weird to hear it on the telly," she defended, suddenly lacking her appetite as she leaned back against the booth. "I'm glad we finally got to have a funeral for Barb, though. It was hard to watch her parents go so long without any closure. I know it didn't turn out how they wanted, but at least they can keep their house since the government is paying them out the ass."

Steve nodded as he took a sip of his shake, mirroring Tatum's relaxed position. "Have you gone to see your dad yet?"

"Not yet," she replied with a shake of her head. "We're actually going tomorrow morning, though. We would've gone today after school but Elena couldn't get out of chaperoning the Snow Ball."

"I'm Dustin's ride for tonight," Steve mused. "Nancy tried to wrangle me into student chaperoning but there's no way I'd spend another night in that gym. I'm more than happy to drop Dustin off and pick him up, but the idea of wearing a suit and watching cringy middle schoolers all night does not sounds like a good time to me."

"I know I said I'd stay out of all of it, but you two are still talking fairly well?" Tatum asked with a quirked brow. "No issues there?"

Steve gave a tempered nod. "Yeah, it's been good. The last time I saw her was when you somehow managed to get all of us in that pool when it was freezing outside."

"I'm very good at the at the art of persuasion," Tatum replied. "But that's good. Even if you're never able to be proper friends, it's nice that you can still speak to one another like adults, even if we're not actual adults yet."

"Well, you're about to be," offered Steve. "Are we having a wild party in your honor?"

"I imagine it'll be too cold to convince everyone to come out in the dead of January. Although, I'm surprised the snow hasn't started yet."

Steve shrugged. "It'll be here by Christmas at least, if not sooner. It might seem alright now, but it'll get cold quick."

"Joy."

"Has Billy bothered you at all since everything went down?"

She shook her head lightly as she sipped on her coke. "Nothing. He took the hint, I guess."

"He's been weird around school ever since," he said. "I think Max really messed him up. Or at least freaked him out. She seems pretty pleased that he hasn't been mean to her. Then again, she did slam the nail bat between his legs, so I'm guessing he got the picture."