Scoops and Secrets (Steve Harington x OC Wheeler)

Julie Wheeler never imagined her last summer before senior year would be spent living with relatives she barely knows-or that her life would be shattered in a single, tragic night. After losing her parents in a car accident, she's sent to Hawkins to stay with her cousins, a town that feels both familiar and strangely foreign.

Alone in a new house, Julie struggles to find her place. Her cousins are busy with their own lives, and the quiet emptiness of her aunt and uncle's home leaves her restless and searching for something-anything-to hold onto. A job at the quirky, neon-lit Scoops Ahoy ice cream shop becomes her first real distraction, and maybe even her lifeline.

But life in Hawkins isn't just about ice cream cones and long summer days. Between her cousin's ex-boyfriend, Steve Harrington, who's equal parts frustrating and ridiculously charming, a growing friendship with the clever and sarcastic Robin Buckley, and a string of mysterious coded messages that hint at secrets beneath the town's sunny surface, Julie finds herself caught in a summer full of laughter, chaos, and unexpected discoveries.

As she navigates heartbreak, friendship, and the peculiar mysteries of Hawkins, Julie learns that sometimes, even after loss, life can surprise you-and love and adventure might be waiting where you least expect it.