2 WEEKS BEFORE WILL CAME HOME

Every day Amanda Greer went to school and returned home as if everything was normal.

Except it wasn't.

6 WEEKS AFTER WILL CAME HOME

Jonathan Byers first noticed the amber-eyed teen with dark auburn hair during lunch period. She kept to herself, dressed somewhat like a boy, and always had a pencil in her hand drawing in a tattered notebook.

He soon realized she sat behind him in biology and was in his art class. And he was pretty sure he had never heard her voice. Something about her intrigued him but he never found the courage to speak to her.

When they were assigned as lab partners, Jonathan got excited because maybe he could finally find out her story.

Amanda could barely drag herself out of bed she was so weak and hungry.

She had been rationing her food supply as thin as she could, but now that the money had run out, she literally had nothing. She had resorted to dumpster diving behind the local diners, but that wasn't enough.

It wouldn't be long before the electricity and water would be shut off, too.

She had tried early on to get a part-time job, but either places in Hawkins weren't in the mood to hire a 16-year-old or they asked too many questions.

She shut her eyes and debated about just staying in bed and waiting to die.

But a voice deep inside told her to go to school that day.


"My name's Jonathan," he said, sticking out his hand to her when she climbed onto the stool next to him. She gave him a half-smile and looked down at the countertop. He dropped his hand.

"Amanda," she said so softly he almost didn't hear her.

Their teacher handed out the instructions and began droning about dissection.

Jonathan tried to pay attention but out of the corner of his eye he could tell that something was wrong with Amanda. She had slouched forward and he wondered if he should ask her if she was okay.

By the time the frogs were presented and knives provided, Amanda was fading fast.

Jonathan caught her before she collapsed to the floor, sliding an arm around her waist. Amanda flung an arm around his neck to brace herself.

"Mr. Byers? Ms. Greer? What's going on?" their teacher Mr. Wilson asked, coming up to their table.

"I think it was something I ate," Amanda muttered, still clinging to Jonathan, leaning into him.

"May we be excused? I should take her to the nurse," he pleaded with Mr. Wilson.

Mr. Wilson waved them on. Jonathan eased Amanda back onto the stool long enough to shove his stuff into his backpack and do the same for her. He then shouldered both packs and practically carried her out of the classroom.

"No nurse," she said as they entered the hallway. "Can you just take me home?"

"But you're sick," Jonathan worriedly countered. "You should see the nurse. She can help."

"No nurse," Amanda said again, as forcefully as she could, trying to pull away from him and stumbling. Jonathan caught her again and nodded.

"Okay, no nurse," he said. He led her to the parking lot and eased her into his car. She fleetingly thought about her bike—she had stopped driving the truck when the tank hit empty—but the thought flitted away as they pulled out of the parking lot.

"Where do I go? I don't know where you live," Jonathan said, looking at her. She had managed to buckle herself in, but she was so tired, she leaned her head against the window and shut her eyes.

She must have dozed off because the next thing she knew she was being carried.


When Amanda didn't answer, Jonathan knew she had passed out. He decided to take her to his house, and hopefully when she woke up, she could tell him what to do.

He knew his mom would be at work and Will would be going to Mike's after school, so at least they wouldn't be bombarding him with questions he didn't even have answers to.

Once parked, he shouldered their packs before carefully unbuckling her and lifting her out of the seat. He carried her inside and paused for a moment before taking her to his bedroom.

Jonathan gently deposited her on his bed before stepping back and dropping their packs to the floor. He stood there chewing on his thumb when she stirred.

"Where am I?" Amanda asked, her eyes fluttering open.

"My house," Jonathan replied. "You passed out before you could tell me how to get to yours."

She struggled to sit up and he helped her sit on the edge of the bed, staying pressed against her side to keep her upright.

"What's wrong with you?" Jonathan asked. Amanda let out a snort.

"What's not wrong with me would be the better question," she muttered.

Jonathan questioningly gazed at her and Amanda sighed.

"Any chance I could get something to eat? I will tell you whatever you want to know if you feed me first," she said. Jonathan grinned at her.


They quietly sat at the dining table eating bologna sandwiches and chips. Amanda ate like she was starving, downing two sandwiches and half the bag of chips, Jonathan observed.

"If it looks like I'm starving, it's because I am," Amanda said between her final bites. She wiped her hands on her jeans and then sat back in the chair before spilling her life story without any prompting from Jonathan.

"My mom died when I was 6 and my dad disappeared three months ago. Without a trace. I mean, his truck was in the driveway, his keys were on the table, his work clothes in the hamper. I waited and waited the whole weekend and realized he was never coming back," she said, looking away from Jonathan.

It dawned on Jonathan that the monster must have taken her dad and he reached out to comfort her but she abruptly stood. She wandered over to one of the windows.

"I heard your brother miraculously returned. I was hoping my dad would, too, but as the weeks passed, I knew he must be dead," Amanda said. She swallowed.

"I also knew if I told anyone, they'd take me and put me in one of those homes for orphans. So I didn't," she added. "But now the money has run out and I don't have any way to pay for food or the bills."

She didn't know why she was telling Jonathan all this. She started to head to his bedroom to get her pack.

He stepped up beside her and stopped her.

"You can stay here, with me," he said, staring into her eyes. Amanda shook her head.

"That's nice of you, but you don't even know me. And what would your mom say?" she said.

"We know what it's like to go without and we know what it's like to lose someone. You can stay here for as long as you need," he pleaded.

Amanda relented long enough to ask if she could take a nap before she decided. He nodded.

She pulled off her boots and stripped off her flannel shirt before crawling into Jonathan's bed. He started to shut the bedroom door when she asked him to stay.

He toed off his own boots and ditched his flannel shirt before joining her. She rolled onto her side and scooted her back against him. He automatically wrapped an arm around her waist in a light embrace.

Jonathan didn't mean to fall asleep but her warm body lured him.


"Jonathan Paul Byers!"

His mother's voice yanked him out of his nap and he shot straight up, startling Amanda, who been using his arm as a pillow.

Disoriented, she looked around, trying to remember where she was.

Jonathan scampered out of bed, gently grabbed his mom by the arm and led her into the hallway.

"What is going on?" Joyce sternly hissed. She was not only reeling from the shock of a girl in her son's bed with him, but that there was a girl present in the house, period.

"Amanda needs some place to crash for a while and I told her she could stay here," Jonathan explained. "We were taking a nap. That's all. I promise."

Joyce raised an eyebrow; there were so many questions, she didn't know where to begin.

"Who is she? I've never heard you mention her before. And where are her parents? Why isn't she at home with them?" Joyce replied.

Jonathan pulled his mother farther away from his bedroom and lowered his voice.

"Her mom died when she was young and her dad mysteriously disappeared right before we got Will back. I think the monster got him," he said. "She has nothing. No food, no money, nobody."

Joyce sympathetically looked at her teenage son. He had a good heart and she didn't know how she had gotten so lucky.

"Please, Mom? She can have my room. I'll bunk in with Will or sleep on the couch," Jonathan pleaded.

The fact that he would part with his room told Joyce that Jonathan was serious.

"Okay," Joyce said, giving in. Jonathan gave her a bear hug before retreating into his room to tell Amanda.

2 MONTHS AFTER WILL CAME HOME

"Dinner's ready!" Amanda shouted as she set the spaghetti and meatballs on the dining room table.

Since she had all but been adopted by the Byers, she had assimilated herself into their world, taking her share of the chores and offering to cook. She helped Will with his homework when he needed it and even changed the oil on Joyce's car (a skill she had learned with her dad).

Above all, she and Jonathan were inseparable. They had found kindred souls in each other, spending much of their down time together listening to music or being artistic—him with his photographs and her with her drawings—and not saying a word.

Sometimes they fell asleep on his—now her—bed with the radio on, curled into each other. It became such a habit that Jonathan ended up just moving back into his bedroom.

Once she discovered what had happened, Joyce wasn't particularly fond of the idea of the two of them sleeping together night after night, but she didn't have the heart to separate them either.

Jonathan and Will appeared at table at the same time, jockeying to be the first to get a plate. Amanda grinned at them when Joyce playfully pushed them both back.

"Boys, take a seat or you get nothing," Joyce commanded. They dutifully moved to their seats while Amanda brought over the French bread.

A horn honked outside and everyone looked out the window to see Chief Hopper. Joyce blushed.