Hi! I'm backkkkkk! Today is Joyce's chapter! I honestly don't know how to write this so this is probably going to be crap, and also I really don't have a lot of time to write this, and there is stress and stuff so don't expect too much of me. Also, iAmCC, no, I am not RoseGoldFloof, in fact, Rose isn't my real name, it is an alias, I don't even know where I got it from. I might do a name reveal, but Rose has become a part of me and I don't know... but let me know! Ok, enough procrasinating. Enjoy!

I sat at my kitchen table, thinking, a cigarette between my lips. It was strange, foreign almost, to smoke without Hopper beside me. But as he once said, he was sucked up by a black hole.

Not the same black hole Sara and El got sucked into, though.

The same one Mike got sucked into.

I came, once in a while, to the Wheeler's. Mike was quiet, always, barely touching his food, never smiling. He had the eyes of someone broken, and he was broken. Anyone could see, even if you were Ted Wheeler.

"BRIIINNNNGGGG!"

The phone rang, startling me, making me drop the cigarette. I rushed from my seat and picked the phone off the reciever.

"Hello?" I asked into the phone.

"Mom..." Will's voice came back, cracking. I wasn't sure if it was because of the phone, or that his voice was cracking in real life. But I could sense the danger and urgency coming from his voice.

"Honey, what's wrong?" I questioned, shifting so my back was against the wall.

"I'm not gonna make excuses..."" Will started.

"Sweetie, just tell me," I said, urgently.

"Mike killed himself."

I dropped the phone.

Mike Wheeler.

Dead.

The same boy who was my son's first friend.

The same boy who would give up everything to find my son in that week of '83.

The same boy who helped my son through his being possessed.

The same boy who loved a girl named El.

I grabbed the phone.

"I'll be right there, honey, ok? Just hang on," I urged him, pulling on my jacket and grabbing the car keys, slamming the phone into the wall.

I drove as quickly as possible to the Wheeler's, my heart racing.

I thought back to a year ago, when El walked into my house, probably scared out of her mind, and as everyone watched her, all I could do was watch Mike.

The way he looked at her, like she was sent from heaven.

Like she hung the moon and the stars.

Like she was the only thing on the Earth.

I pulled into the Wheeler's driveway, running to get to my son, my boy, who was too young for all of it. And I held him.

I held him while he cried for the friend he had lost.

I cried too.

Because they were gone. Gone. Gone.

His funeral was simple and beautiful. Everyone spoke in quiet, grave tones, remembering the boy resting in the Earth below us.

Dustin, Lucas, Will, spoke words about who he was. A leader. A kind soul. A brilliant mind.

Nancy spoke words about him as a boy. Curious. Compassionate. Caring.

Hopper tried to open his mouth, but fell short. Closing his mouth and letting his tears engulf him.

But no one said what needed to be said. None of them could, even if they tried.

But she couldn't.

Because, she, too, was gone. Gone. Gone.

Dear Mike and El,

It's hard to know what to say. Honestly, thank you.

Mike, thank you. For being there as support for Will when he was going through miserable times, even though you were, too. For loving him as a brother, and letting him confide in you. For your determination, for your kindness. Thank you.

El, thank you. For saving my boy countless times, for risking your own life to save a boy's who you barely knew, through thick and thin. For not thinking twice about going and closing that gate, even though you knew the risks that came with it. Thank you.

Thank you.

I will miss you both so much.

Thank you.

Even though you are gone. Gone. Gone.

That was short, I know, but I feel like that is how it needed to be. I hope it was decent. Again, thank you SOOOOO FREAKING MUCH to AliKattt for getting me off my lazy streak/writers block and actually making me write this. You unblocked my writer's block. Good news and bad news.

Bad news- there is two more chapters left of this.

Good news- I can start on the 1,754 Days sequel! Yay!

I know a lot of you have been anticipating that, and I plan to have the first chapter updated on my birthday, March 21!

Thanks so much for reading, please review, not only does it completely make my day, but it helps me improve as a writer.

Bye for now!

Rose