Joey Hopper//Will Byers

the vanishing of Will Byers: part 2

I arrive at my house only to see my dad sitting on the porch.

"Its-its not what it looks like," I try to explain.

"Really?" He replies, "because it looks like you waited until the moment it looked like I was gone and snuck out."

I stare forward at him for a moment. That's exactly what I did, the only part he left out is how I never expected to get caught.

"Why didn't you stop me?" I ask, walking up to him slightly ashamed.

He shrugs with a rock hard face. "I wanted to see if you'd go through with it"

I just look down, my white sneakers suddenly becoming very interesting.

"Hey, look up at me." He raises his voice, "I called up Mrs. Wheeler. I was going to drive over and get you but you were already gone."

"Can't we just forget this dad?" I ask, a note of annoyance in my tone. "It's a school night, I have homework"

"I thought I raised you better than this Joe!"

"Well, maybe it's just one of the things you forgot to do while you were busy getting drunk." I coldly mutter and run past him into the house.

I get to my room and slam the door closed.

"Come on Joey, open up!" He shouts whilst violently banging his fists against my door.

"You know, maybe I should have just left with mom!" I scream, hot tears forming in my eyes, "then at least I wouldn't have to put up with you!"

"Oh really? You know I can make that happen, just one call!" He screams

Panic fills into my bones as I immediately regret my words.

"No!"

"Oh, so now your saying no?"

I can feel water rush down my checks. "Dad don't! Please!"

"No, no." He just says. "You want to go to your moms house? You'd rather hang out with your stepdad. I'm sure they'd be happy about you getting in some bonding time with your brother."

The memories of every Christmas flash into my mind. Evetime I've been forced to go over there. All the rude remarks, all the scolding's. For not being girly enough, for not laughing at there jokes, for not fitting in. Worse then all of that though, I remember all the times I've been forgotten, ignored...

"No! No, no! Just-just...LEAVE ME ALONE!" I scream.

Within seconds there's a loud shatter behind me. I turn around to see my entire bedroom window broken in.  

I let out a gasp, "dad?" I question in a high pitch voice

"Joe...what was that?" he asks, his voice becoming concerned.

My hands shake but I slowly unlock my door, letting him in.

I begin to stutter. "I-I'm sorry dad. I-I didn't know I could-"

"Sleep in my room tonight Joey," he interrupts me with a stunned look on his face.

I don't respond. I just walk out of my room and into his. Still in shock, I sit down on his bed and look up at the ceiling. Before I know it my gaze drops down to my wrist. I look at the small tattoo that sits there. It's simple and clean, almost as if it was was done by a surgeon. The marking is just the number twelve in a plain black font. I asked my dad once where it came from but his response didn't really answer my question. All he could say was that he didn't know, that it was just there when he adopted me.