This is my new story for Stanger Things. I've been wanting to write a S.T. story for a while now, and finally have. I love the 80's. My dad grew up during that time, and has told me so many stories from his youth during that era. I hope this story will pay homage to that, and to the beautiful story that the writers of S.T. created for all of us.
It is rated M for violence, language, and sexual themes. This will be be an eventual Eddie/OC story, but my O.C. will go through a relationship or two before she gets there. That doesn't mean she won't have her moments with him on the way. ;) I am debating whether or not to write this story in three parts, or just in one continuous story. I'm kind of leaning towards three parts, but I don't know. What do you guys think? Anyways, let me know what you think about the first chapter and please leave a review.
Disclaimer: I do not own Stranger Things, just Bonnie. :D
Prologue:
When I was younger, I would like to invent new recipes out of the ingredients I could find in the wild. My Dad called it nature's bounty, and said it was part of the reason his food was as good as it was because he put the effort in to find local ingredients.
Taking inspiration, I would do the same. My Dad taught me to forage mushrooms for sautéing, greens for salads, and even flowers for garnishes. Whenever he wasn't busy, we would go on Daddy and Daughter dates.
Mom didn't appreciate it too much, but she obliged nonetheless. I'm pretty sure she would have preferred it if we did anything else to being outside.
Looking back now, I think she was scared to let her only child go out into the forest, but she also knew that my Dad would never let anything happen to me. He was a big guy, with an even bigger heart, so she knew he would always protect me if danger came our way. Still, him taking me out there was probably a factor in their divorce when I was eight. She was a city girl who came to our small town for love, but my father was born and bred here. Generations of Hammonds had lived in Hawkins, since the town was founded way back when. My Dad and I were only the most recent additions.
However, after living all through what I have, I can now agree that Mom's concerns about me going off into the woods were valid, and even justified. Not even the strongest person can be protected from what lurks out in the darkness.
Still, as a kid, I looked forward to my time out there. Occasionally, Dad would even take an extra day off of work on the weekend and we would go camping deep into the heart of the Indiana wilderness. He would teach, and I would listen. Most kids would have rather gone bowling, to the movies, or to the arcade. I was content with spending my time outdoors.
It was there, on those serene days, is when I first learned to cook. Dad would start a fire and bring along some butter or oil, and we would cook whatever we would find. On days we went fishing, we fried the fish we caught and ate it by the lake. We ate in silence while listening to the birds chirping and the trees rustling in the wind.
Sometimes, some of Dad's friends would come along to go fishing with us and we would cook for them, but it wasn't often. Even though they were loud and rambunctious, I still enjoyed being out there with them. They loved our fish fry and would chat with Dad and me as we would all sit around the fire eating.
My love of food came from these interactions, and showed me that it has a way to bring people together, in comfort or in sorrow.
As I got older, and as Dad got busier with work, I took it upon myself to go out on my own a bit more. I wanted the ingredients from the woods to make edible (and sometimes inedible) concoctions. Sometimes, the recipes I came up with were so disgusting that would I make myself throw up just from a spoonful. But Dad told me to never give up, because "With every failure comes a chance to succeed". So I tried and failed multiple times at my recipes until I would get it right.
What I didn't know, was the other lesson those failed recipes had taught me.
Sometimes, when you're not looking, things will find their way into your mixing bowl, ingredients you never intended to be there in the first place. It will throw off the recipe, causing you to start over. Life is a lot like that. Events get mixed into our seemingly blissful lives, and it causes us to be thrown off course one way, or another. These events, much like the ingredients can cause anyone to start over. And it can be scary.
This is where my story comes in.
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Hawkins, Indiana 1983
I was in my room studying for my A.P. Physics test, huddled under a lot of blankets to keep warm the cold November night. I had the radio turned down to where it was only a distant hum in the background, and Mrs. Pumpkin was sleeping soundly at end of my bed.
My room had light blue walls, decorated with posters, big and small. The Cure, The Smiths, Journey, Poison, and The Eurhythmics all had their places, along with movie posters for Breakfast at Tiffany's, Grease, The Evil Dead, Friday the 13th, and House on Sorority Row. In the corner was a large brown bookshelf that was stacked with various novels and cookbooks, and on one of the shelves was my bright red radio. In the corner of my room was a white vanity, with a sewing machine sitting promptly on it. Next to that was my reading nook next to the window.
After my parents divorced, Mom moved to the other side of town while Dad kept our house on Cherry Lane. After all, it had been in the family since the thirties.
It was an old modest house, but it was ours. Our house was plopped down in the middle of the street with a covered porch, and three bedrooms. My Dad's bedroom had his own bathroom, and there was another bathroom in the middle of hallway. I liked our house, it wasn't too big, but it wasn't small either. It was the perfect size for us.
Mrs. Pumpkin snored softly, her orange furry body going up and as she slumbered the night away. I was writing notes when Dad walked in and said, "Hey, Kiddo. Have you seen my lures? I can't seem to remember where I put them."
"Yeah, they're out in the workbench in the backyard storage shed. I saw them there the other day when I went to go clean the litter box."
Dad chuckled, and gave me a small smile. "Thanks, Sweetie. I knew you would know." He glanced at the textbook in my hands. "How's the studying going?"
I shrugged. "It's not my best class, but science rarely is. I think if I concentrate enough on the practice questions, then the test will come easy." I closed my book and set it beside me.
My father and I looked nothing alike. He was a huge man, at a towering height of 6'4. He was bald with a brown beard, and was strong enough to lift a tree up from the roots. His eyes were a deep blue, and he got along with nearly every person he met. Even Sheriff Jim Hooper, who I always thought was among one of the grumpiest of his friends, really enjoyed my Dad's company. It wasn't unusual to find him in the living room from time to time watching a sports game or getting poles ready for fishing.
Meanwhile, if someone looked at me, they would know undoubtedly that I was my mother's child. We both had the same rich Latin olive tone skin, wide brown eyes, and curly dark brown, nearly black hair. I did inherit Dad's nose, though, and his eyebrows. Sometimes, when I was little, I would purposely walk around with my eyebrows scrunched together so I could look more like him.
I was tall, but not as tall as him. To be honest, I wouldn't even classify 5'7 as tall, only average. The only other physical aspect of me that matched my father happened to be all of the burn scars that littered my forearms, which came from being in the kitchen over the years, just like him.
I sat up a bit straighter. "Do you need help packing for the trip? I know it's not until next Sunday, but it's better to have two pairs of hands to help. You'll get done faster, and you won't have to worry about anything the morning you leave."
Dad shook his head and said, "Nah, Bon. You just stay here and focus on your schoolwork. I only got a couple of things left to pack anyhow."
I felt my shoulders slump down. "I wish I could go with you guys. We haven't gone fishing in forever." It was true. During the summer there was an influx of tourists, unprecedented for a small town like Hawkins. I ended up in behind the grill or carrying out deliveries as a result of this. Add in the fact that I was also preparing for my junior year, and you get very little time to actually do what you want.
Dad chuckled and walked over to my bed to sit down on the edge. "You know, if you come right over after school and help me close up after the early dinner rush, we can see about fitting in a couple hours before the sun sets."
"Yeah, that sounds great! I'll call Mom tomorrow to tell her." I could feel myself grinning. Like I said, it had been a while since we went fishing, not since before July.
"You can't call her right now?" Dad asked. I shook my head. "No, she's most likely asleep. She worked a double shift today."
Dad scratched his beard and said, "Ahh, okay. Well, call her before you head off tomorrow. I just don't want her yelling at me because you showed up late to dinner."
I twiddled my thumbs mumbling, "Well, why don't I just stay here tomorrow night?"
Dad scrunched his eyebrows together in confusion. "Huh? I couldn't hear you."
I sighed. "Daddy, why don't I just stay with you? I like it here better, and Mom is mostly gone. Plus, I can help out at the family business after school more."
Dad pinched the bridge of his nose. "We've been over this, Bonnie. Your mother and I have joint custody. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday you stay here. The rest of the week you're with your mom. I can't change that."
"But you can if you wanted to! I'm seventeen, not eight. I think I should have some say about where I'm living."
My father gave me a sympathetic look as he came over to sit beside me, leaning against my headboard. "Honey, I would love for there to be nothing more than for you to spend more time over here, but I can't do it. Even if you wanted to, at the end of the day, you're still a minor. It's just really complicated."
At that moment, Mrs. Pumpkin woke up from her end of the bed and sleepily walked over to Dad, plumping herself down on his lap. She closed her eyes again and let out audible sounds of content purring. Dad started to pet her.
"I just don't like it over at the trailer park. It's cold, the people are weird, and Mom is usually gone." I crossed my arms, and looked away.
"Well, Honey, your Mom does have to work. It's part of being an adult". That was something I liked about my father. He and Mom had a messy divorce. Like, a really messy divorce. And with Mom being his second wife (His first marriage being to Linda, his old high school sweetheart who he got married to at eighteen before leaving to Vietnam. They were only married for a year and a half before she left him for a mechanic in Poughkeepsie), it didn't look too good when they split up. My Dad knew he had a long shot trying to get full custody, so he agreed to whatever my mother wanted in order to get me a couple days out of the week.
Still, most of the time my Dad gave my Mom the benefit of the doubt. He never made it too hard on her. He paid the child support and agreed to what days she wanted me. The only thing he ever fought her on was joint custody, which he won.
I scoffed. "Yeah, sometimes. Other times she's out with friends or going out on dates. I swear, she acts more like a teenager than I do."
Dad shrugged. "Well, maybe you should be more of a teenager. You're never gonna get these years back. Go out with friends, go on a date, get wild." He let out a small laugh and said, "Well, not too wild. I don't want to post bail."
I felt my frustration fade away and a let out a meek smile. I uncrossed my arms and started to fiddle with my necklace. "Yeah, that would really suck if you gave half my college tuition away because I got arrested."
Dad nodded and put an arm around me. "Honey, I know you must feel like your Mom is never around. But believe me she does care for you, she wouldn't be working so hard if she didn't. All I'm saying is that you need to stop worrying and start living life. All you ever do is go home, babysit for the Byers, or work at the restaurant. Not that I'm complaining, I love the help, but the restaurant will be here for you. I know you want to take over it one day, and one day you will."
I gave him a sheepish look. I never told my father outright that I wanted to take over the family business, but I was positive he knew. I spent more time there than at home, to be honest.
"But, Bonnie, the restaurant will always be there for you. These years won't. So, take time to go out with friends."
I felt my voice falter before I could even let out a word. Friends? What friends?
Parties never interested me, so that left out the popular crowd. Believe it or not, I was actually invited to a couple of gatherings before by some of the kids from the popular crowd, but it was usually followed up by asking if I could bring some free food over. I knew my Dad wouldn't object to those requests, but I hated the thought of anyone using him for any reason. It also made it seem like no one wanted me there, but only a cheap way to get catering.
Then came the jocks, which left me out once again. I did play some basketball and baseball (though I wasn't very good), but I didn't want to spend endless hours in a gym or a field attending practice when I could be attending the grill or doing homework.
Then, there were the nerds of various types. The science nerds, the honor student nerds, and the DnD nerds all had their respective cliques. Though the latter would include my neighbor from the trailer park, Eddie Munson, who had invited me once to a campaign of his when we were both simultaneously taking out the trash one day. I politely declined, citing that I usually worked after school.
As for dates, there were no boys that interested me. Most of the boys here I grew up with, so I didn't see them as potentially romantic partners. I mean, how could you? Especially when you've witnessed most of them pick their nose in or accidentally wet their pants in Kindergarten.
I knew my father was really trying, and he did want me to go out more. I wanted to appease him, so I gave him a gentle smile and said, "Yeah, I do spend a lot of the time at the diner." I glanced down. "I'll see about going out sometime this week."
I felt Dad's arm strengthen around me. "That's all I ever wanted." I leaned into his hug, which felt very much like home.
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The next morning I left a message for Mom telling her that I would be going to the diner that day after school. It was true that I worked at the diner most days after school, but Monday was usually reserved for Mom, even though she wasn't there most of the time.
As I was waiting for the bus, I put my headphones on and put in my Modern English cassette, and listened to I'll Melt With You.
The heat from my backpack was keeping me warm. It was Monday, and while I usually didn't go to the diner on Mondays, I would go to the police station to drop off some baked goods. No one liked free goodies more than officers, so they were the perfect people to be my guinea pigs when it came to experimentation.
I was listening to the melody of my song when I saw a familiar white van pull up, with Eddie Munson peering forward to look at me through the passenger seat window. I took off my headphones and stopped the cassette player. Eddie was waving at me. "Hey, Bonnie! Want a ride?"
I glanced down the road, then at the watch. The bus still had time to get here, but the thought of sitting in a warm car instead of out in the cold was a lot more appealing. Plus, I knew Eddie. Not well, but I knew him, so it wasn't like I was getting in a car with some stranger. I smiled at Eddie and said, "Sure!" He leaned over to open the door for me. I hopped in and felt myself practically start to defrost.
He shifted gears and drove forward. "Thank you, Eddie."
He kept his brown eyes on the road and said, "Not a problem."
I unzipped my blue backpack and took out a plastic container filled with muffins that I had just taken out of the oven thirty minutes prior. The container still kept them warm, so I took one out and offered it to Eddie. "Want a muffin? I just baked them this morning."
Eddie grinned and said, "Oooh! Don't mind if I do." He took it out of my hand and bit into it while keeping one hand on the wheel.
With his mouth still full, he let out an audible moan. "Oh God! This is good."
I felt my cheeks turn red, but I was pleased nonetheless. "Thanks, I wanted to make something that reflected the season, so Pumpkin Muffins with a Maple Glaze."
Eddie shoved the rest of the muffin in his mouth and swallowed. "Damn that was good. Did you use a recipe for that?"
I shook my head. "No, I couldn't find one, so I had to make it up as I went along. This is my third try. Was it really that good? It wasn't too sweet?"
Eddie shook his long haired head and gave me an approving look. "No, I'm not bullshitting you. It was really delicious. Thanks."
I felt happy. My recipe finally worked out. I hugged my muffin container a bit closer to me, feeling content in my joy.
Eddie's voice snapped my attention back over to him. "Hey, how'd you have time to make those this morning? You would have had to have gotten up like around four or something."
I shrugged. "I prepped the ingredients last night before I did my homework. All I needed to do this morning was mix it all together and throw it in the oven, so I got up only an hour ago."
Eddie chuckled as he slowly came to a halt when approaching a stop sign. He turned his head to look at him, his warm brown eyes concentrating on me, as if studying me. "Well if you ever open up a restaurant, let me know. I'll be your first customer."
I felt a laugh burst through my chest. "Well, I'll keep that in mind." He proceeded to drive forward again.
"Hey, so what were you doing on this side of town so early in the morning?" I asked curiously.
"Huh? Oh", Eddie scratched the back of his head, "I had to drop off something at a friend's house." On this side of town? Yeah right.
"Oh, right. Cool." The atmosphere suddenly shifted to an awkward one. It was a well-known secret that Eddie sold drugs on the down-low, supplying most of the weed smoked at parties. I was sure that his friend was either a customer or a supplier, and that if I had actually looked in the back of his van, I would would have undoubtedly found drug paraphernalia.
"Hey, speaking of doing things for friends, my uncle said to tell you thanks for dropping off dinner the other week. That casserole was really tasty." Eddie gave me a genuine smile.
I was taken aback again. Not because he thanked me for the meal I brought over the other week (which I only really did because I had accidentally made too much, which resulted in two casseroles), but because Eddie Munson just insinuated that we were friends.
I mean, I thought of us as acquaintances more than friends. We had a habit of running into each other while the other had to take out trash, and we made small talk over the garbage cans for a couple of minutes, mostly about the weather and school. Sometimes we'd bump into each other at school or at pep rallies, but nothing more than that.
Still, I guess having one friend was better than having none.
"Yeah, it was no problem."
The high school came into view and Eddie pulled his van up to an empty space and parked it. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. "So, this is us. Thanks for the company."
I opened my door and pushed some of my brown curly hair behind ear, "Thanks for the ride. See you around, Edward."
I giggled as I saw Eddie's flabbergasted face when I said his full name. As I walked into the school, I put my headphones back on and continued to listen to my music.
School was endless that day, and I was anxious for it to be over. I had to walk to the diner right after school, and if I didn't leave on time, I would be late.
As lunch time came around, I was walking to the cafeteria when Mrs. Johnson, the office aid, pulled me aside. Mrs. Johnson was a nice woman, who was plump with red hair that was pulled up into a bun everyday. She also always wore perfume that smelled like jasmine, as scent that I was not accustomed to, so it always cMe off as overpowering, rather than pleasant.
"Bonnie, there you are."
"Oh, hey. Did you need something?"
Mrs. Johnson gave me a note. "Yes, dear. It's from your mother. She said to leave you this message because she's unable to take a call right now."
I read the note that I received. "No, Bonnie. Come straight home after school. No fishing, you have homework and chores to do." I groaned. "Thanks Mrs. Johnson. I'll try reaching her on the payphone outside."
Mrs. Johnson nodded and turned to walk off. I went outside to the nearest payphone, and I put some coins in. I quickly dialed my Mom's work number and heard it ring a couple of time. Finally someone picked up. "Hello, this is Melvald's General Store, how can we assist you?"
"Hi, is Rosa Ramírez there? This is her daughter."
"She's actually not here right now. She called out today."
I felt my heart deflate. Great. If I was able to have gotten ahold of her, then I would have been able to explain that I was going to be home before nighttime. But, no. Without me explaining to her, I had no chance of going out with Dad tonight. She would just get upset that I was spending too much time over there, and become passive aggressive.
"Do you want me to leave a message for her?" "No, that's okay. I'll try calling the house, thanks."
I hung up the phone before the other man could even reply. I lied. I wouldn't even bother calling the house. More than likely, she wouldn't be there. Probably off with her newest fling.
I loved Mom, I really did. But she didn't make it easy. If she had it her way, I wouldn't even be allowed to see Dad or go to the diner to help out, which would not be okay with me.
I went back inside and walked over to the cafeteria. Peering inside where most people had already sat down at their respective tables and were socializing with their friend groups, I could spot Eddie with his group of friends.
Dad did say he wanted me to go out more with friends, and Eddie did refer to me as a friend...albeit he was an unusual choice, but he was kind and never tried to use me for burgers, so I decided to give it a go.
After grabbing a tray of food, I cautiously walked over to his table. Eddie was immersed in conversation with another boy, talking about something related to that mystical game they played.
"Think about it! Dwarves are easily the best to play when you want to be a bard, hands down!" Eddie stated passionately. He crossed his leather clad arms as he looked at the boy who was sitting on his right hand side.
The boy, who was overweight with curly hair and a Poison tee shirt on, replied, "I'm not saying Dwarves aren't good to play as bards, but that Orcs are better. Think about the hilarity of it! An Orc singing in Orcish to get everyone out of a bad situation." The boy straightened his back and made a series guttural moans and words that were slightly melodious. All of the boys at the table started to laugh, even Eddie.
"Okay, you have a point, but they're not better than Dwarves."
All of the boys moaned in despair. "Great, he's never going to give it up!"
"Dude, this will go on for the rest of lunch."
"The rest of lunch? Try the rest of the year!"
The boys started to talk above one another when Eddie finally caught notice of me staring at him. His eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Hey, Bonnie. Did you need something?"
All of the guys around the table stopped talking and turned to face me. I felt the heat rise up into my neck from the collective eyes that bore into me. When Eddie talked, they all listened. Every clique had a leader. Kind of like how the popular kids all worshipped Steve Harrington, who was the king around these parts. I'm pretty sure if he wanted to, he could socially excommunicate someone faster than the Catholic Church could to a priest. For this particular group though, it was Eddie.
Swallowing my nerves, I asked, "Is it okay if I sit with you? Everywhere else is full." I started to fiddle with my necklace, a solid gold heart shaped locket, out of nervousness.
Everyone turned to look at Eddie for his approval. His brown eyes looked at me and flickered with confusion. The cafeteria had been busy before, yet I always sat alone, so this was definitely out of the norm. Also, there were no other girls sitting at the table, so maybe they weren't used to having someone as the opposite sex sit with them.
Finally he said, "Yeah, sure. We have room. You can sit next to Kyle." He motioned towards a tall lanky kid with zits on his face that was sitting closet to Eddie on his left hand side.
"Thanks, Eddie." I felt relief wash over me. I took my place there and tentatively put my tray down. "Hi." I mumbled to all the boys who kept looking at me.
I glanced over to Eddie, and he cleared his throat. "Anyways, about the dwarves-" He resumed talking and the boys took the hint to stop looking at me, and they all started to chit chat about their game.
From time to time, I babysat for Joyce Byers, my Mother's coworker, usually if she or Jonathan couldn't babysit that night. At least a couple of times a month I would be at the Byers house listening to Will talk to me about wizards or clerics or elves. As enthusiastic as he was about the game, I couldn't share the excitement, so I had a bad habit of zoning out whenever he would go on one of his tangents. Even though he was an encyclopedia of information about the game, I could barely recall what Will was saying when he talked about DnD. Now here I was, mentally berating myself because I never paid enough attention to what he was saying about the game, when all that information could have been handy right now.
At least silently listening and eating my food was better than having all of the guys stare at me, with the exception of one, the boy who was arguing with Eddie earlier kept looking intensely at me. I felt the heat rise to my cheeks. Suddenly, I felt a leg kick the boy under the table. He sat up and hissed in pain. I glanced to the side of me to see Eddie smirking a bit. He said to guy, "Hey, Earth to Grant! I asked you if you thought Orcs were more powerful than Teiflings?"
Grant stumbled over his words as the other boys snickered at him getting caught being a bit creepy. Still, I appreciated Eddie doing what he did. From the side, I could've sworn I saw Eddie give me a wink, so I'm sure he knew that I did.
I ate the rest of my lunch in silence, quietly listening to the group ramble on about mythical creatures and the various skills each class of creature could have.
As the bell rang for class, I got up to go empty my tray when Eddie took it from me. I looked at him quizzically as he took his to go get emptied too.
"Thanks, Eddie. But I could've emptied my own tray." Eddie put the empty trays where they were supposed to go, and walked over to stand in front of me. I got a really good look at him today. He was wearing a black Slayer tee shirt, that was slightly covered by his black leather jacket. A denim vest was layered over the jacket, and it had pins and patches on it. He had on silver rings, some black jeans, a couple bracelets, and boots. I guess he could have been classified as scary by anyone who never interacted with him, but I didn't he think was.
"Are you okay?" He tilted his head in concern as he looked at me. His voice sounded genuine. I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and adjusted my backpack strap. "Yeah, why?"
"Well, you've never really hung out with me at school before, so I thought that maybe something was wrong." Eddie crossed his arms as he closely inspected me.
"I just thought that I could sit with you. You're nice, and I really like you." I muttered quietly.
Eddie's jaw went slack and covered his mouth with his hand, going a bit red. Why was he blushing?
Recanting the words in my head, I realized what I had said out loud. I was mortified and started to trip over my own words. "No! No! Not like, as in a crush, but like as in friend! Like I like you as a friend. And not just because you gave me a ride this morning, but because you're cool and nice and to be honest, I don't have a crush on anyone here because most of the guys were jerks in elementary school. I'm not saying that you were a jerk, though! You weren't! You're a good guy, and I want to be real friends with you so maybe we can watch a movie at my place as a non-date or we can go to the market or-". My ramblings were cut off by Eddie laughing. I felt my cheeks get hot.
"Hahaha hahaha, that was totally the worst case of miscommunication that I've ever seen. This'll keep me laughing for days." Eddie grinned as he wiped away nonexistent tear from his eyes as his laughs subsided into chuckles. "But, yeah. I get it, you want to be friends with me and I'm cool with that. I'm always open to having new buddies. I know you don't play DnD, so why don't we hang out at your place sometime?"
I let out a laugh at relief and smiled widely. "Yeah, that'd be great. Maybe tomorrow?"
Eddie stuck out his hand. I took it and we shook hands. "Yeah, sounds great. Friends then." He said holding my hand firmly.
I let go and we started to walk together. "Thank you, by the way." I crossed my arms together.
Eddie quirked an eyebrow at me. "What for?"
"For not thinking I was a freak for asking to sit down." I answered.
Eddie swung an arm around my shoulder. "Oh Bonnie, you got to learn one thing if you want to be around me-we're all freaks, some of us more so than others." He removed his arm and went down a different hallway to get to his next class. Without turning to look back at me, he outstretched his arm above his head and waved goodbye. "Until next time, Hammond."
As I approached my next class, I heard on the speaker overhead, "Bonnie Ramírez- Hammond, please report to the principal's office. I repeat, will Bonnie Ramírez-Hammond please report to the principal's office? Thank you."
I never, not once, got called into the principal's office. The thought made my stomach do flip flops, but I obliged the voice from the speakers and made my way there. Once I got to the office, I saw Sheriff Hopper and a couple of his deputies standing there with Principal Turner. Everyone turned to look at me.
Suddenly, everything I had ever done flashed in front my eyes. Had I jaywalked? Littered? Maybe I committed treason? My eyes widened in terror. Did I commit treason?!
Sheriff Hopper gave me a calm smile after seeing the panic struck look on my face. "Hey, Bon. How are you?"
I gripped the strap of my backpack tightly. "I'm alright, Sheriff. How about yourself?" I was trying to sound calm, but it was like my body forgot how to breathe.
"I'm good. I'm sorry, I have to do this, but I ask you a couple questions." I looked over at Principal Turned who gave me a comforting look. "It's alright, let's all talk in my office. Shall we?" They all started to move, but my feet remained planted still.
"Have you called my parents?" My voice was very light and faint, barely recognizable. "I don't think you're supposed to question me about anything with my Mom or Dad knowing." I looked at Sheriff Hopper and he sighed, walking over to stand in front of me. "Yes, Bonnie. I called you parents. Your Mom didn't answer, but your Dad did. I just have to call him back to let him know what's going on after we have a chat, okay?"
I swallowed and nodded, and he put a hand on my shoulder, gently leading me to the Principal's office. The door shut behind us and I sat down at one of the chairs. I put my backpack down besides me, and started to fiddle with my hands.
Sheriff Hopper sat down in the chair opposite of me, and took out a notepad. "Where were you last night around 8 to 9 pm?" I looked over at the Principal for reassurance and he nodded. "It's okay, Bonnie."
"I was at home. Earlier I was helping Dad at the diner, and then we went home. I went and prepped some ingredients for the muffins this morning, and then I went to my room to study." My voice was shaking. Why was I being questioned? What was I being questioned about?
"Uh-huh. And when was the last time you saw Will Byers?" My eyes widened. Will? Why were they asking about him?
"Umm, I saw him last Thursday. Joyce took an extra shift to cover my Mom at Melvald's, and Jonathan had to work. So she called me and I spent the night over there. Me and Will watched Willy Wonka and I made us dinner." My voice trembled at Sheriff Hopper took notes, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration.
"Sheriff, what's going on? Why are you asking about Will? Is he okay?" I felt my chest tighten.
"And how long have you been babysitting for the Byers' Family?" He asked me, ignoring my questions.
"For five years, since I was twelve and since Will was seven. Can you tell me what's going on? Please?!" My pleas fell on deaf ears as the questioning continued.
"And when you saw him last, did he mention anything about running away? Did he seem alright?"
I was confused, but scared nonetheless. "No, he never ever mentioned anything about running away and the only thing he didn't seem alright about, was the fact that I made him eat lima beans. Will hates lima beans, but that's hardly a reason to be concerned...right?"
I saw everyone refuse to meet my eyes and I felt a knot in my stomach. I wasn't even thinking about my own well-being, but about Will's. He was still a little boy in so many ways, so the thought of something happening to him made me feel sick. Sheriff Hopper started to talk again. "Has he ever talked about hurting himself?"
"What?! No! He's just a kid. I know that he had problems with bullies at school, but he was happy otherwise. Sheriff, please tell me what's going on!" I felt tears water up in my eyes from the frustration of being kept in the dark.
Finally, Sheriff Hopper closed his notebook and sighed. Looking at his deputy, he said, "She's all clear. Her story corroborates with her Dad's."
As they got up to leave, I shot up out of my seat and grabbed the Sheriff's arm. "Please! Tell me- is Will okay?" There was moment of silence before he slowly took my hand off of his arm. "Will Byers hasn't returned home. He's been missing since last night."
I felt my breath leave my body and a punch go through my chest.
A kid going missing in Hawkins?
Nothing bad ever happened here. It was safe, everybody knew that. So safe, in fact, that I knew some people who didn't even lock their doors because they knew nothing bad would ever happen here.
Without even a moment of hesitation, I asked, "What can I do to help?" Sherriff Hopper took me by shoulders, and gently sat me back down. "Sweetie, all you need to do is go home right after school. Don't go out, don't dawdle. Go straight home, or straight to the diner because I know your father will be there. I can't afford to have you go missing too, okay? It would break your old man's heart."
I was shocked. The Sheriff was usually a gruff man, though not rude (at least not to me), but his voice was surprisingly soft. I silently nodded.
"Good." He said and started to walk out the door. Realizing something, I shot right up, grabbed my backpack, and ran after him down the hallway. "Sheriff, wait!" I called out. The older man turned to look at me and I quickly unzipped my backpack as I approached the two officers. "Here", I panted while giving the deputy the plastic container, "I made pumpkin muffins this time. They have a maple glaze."
Sheriff Hopper gave me a small smile. "I'm sure they'll be delicious. Remember what I said, kid." With that, they turned around and left me standing in the hall alone.
I was shell shocked. Then, the realization hit me like a ton of bricks. Jonathan wasn't in class today.
Jonathan Byers and I had a tentative relationship. We were both friendless, so occasionally we had lunch together. I was okay with him and he was okay with me. After all, I did look after his baby brother every now and then. But we weren't really friends. We both preferred the company of our thoughts opposed to the company of others. Still, I knew he was a nice guy, and I knew how close he was with Will.
My heart ached for the Byers and the turmoil they must have been going through, and I knew that I had to do something. After going through the motions of class, I left as soon as the bell rang to go to the nearest payphone. I put down my bag, put in a couple quarters, and held the receiver close against my ear.
The phone rang a couple of times before I heard Dad's deep voice. "Benny's Burgers, how can we help you?"
"Daddy, hey. Did the Sheriff get ahold of you?"
I heard my Dad give out an exasperated sigh. "Yes, Bon. Jim told me what was going on. Are you okay?"
I felt my voice crack with worry. "Do you think he's okay? Will?"
My Dad immediately began soothing me over the phone. "Hey, it's gonna be okay. I'm sure he just got lost in the woods. They'll most likely find him tonight."
I swallowed the ball in my throat. Poor Will. He was a kind kid. He rarely made trouble and was always so considerate of other's feelings. I really hoped he would be okay. "You're probably right...After all, Hawkins is a safe place."
"That's right. Now, I'll see you in a bit. Oh, and Sweetie, can you go to the house and get one of the Benny's shirts for me, please?"
That was a really random request, but I obliged. "Sure. I'll see you in a bit."
As I hung up the phone, I realized what I did. I forgot to tell him that I couldn't go over and that I wasn't able to go fishing. I moaned. "Why am I such an idiot?"
"Aren't you like in all A.P. classes?" I looked up and saw that Eddie was watching me i. amusement. I cringed. "How long have you been standing there?"
Eddie came walking over, his hands in his pockets. He shrugged. "A good 75% of that conversation." Eddie gave me a shit eating grin and chuckled a bit. "You still call your father "Daddy"?"
I rolled my eyes in annoyance. What was it with some people and that word? "Yeah, I do. I'm close with my father."
"Well that makes one of us." I felt awkward when he said this. True, I was an only child, but aside from staying with Mom at the trailer park, I never felt lonely. Dad always made sure of it. He was always there for me, and I knew that one day when I was older and living on my own, no matter the problem, I would be able to call him for help.
"So..." Eddie trailed off and scratched the back of his head. "I wondered if you needed a ride home. I'm going back to that part of town, and I wanted to see if you needed a lift." He then smiled at me, the corner of his brown eyes crinkling as he did.
I nodded. "Sure, I could use a ride back home. I need to get something from there anyways."
"Great!" Eddie then took my bag off the ground and hung one strap over his shoulder. He started to walk away, and I jogged a bit to catch up to him. "Hey! Eddie! Give me back my bag!" I reached over, but he evaded my grasp and said, "Nope! You're not getting this bag back until we get to the van, Hammond."
I looked at the older boy quizzically, but followed him to the parking lot nonetheless. As we reached his vehicle, Eddie gave me back my bag and said, "Hey, so for the movie tomorrow, where do you want to do it?"
"Huh? Oh yeah!" After hearing about what was going on with the Byers', I honestly forgot about the plans I had made with Eddie. I bit my lip in anticipation. The Sheriff did say to go straight home, so perhaps there wasn't much I could do, but that didn't help the feelings of incapability that flooded me when I thought about how I haven't helped this far. Though, maybe Dad was right and that they would find Will soon and that everything would go back to normal. I looked to see Eddie waiting for my answer. "We can do it at my Mom's place tomorrow. We're right next door, so you can just pop on over."
"Will your mom mind?" Eddie asked as he opened the driver's door of the van. I opened my door and got in, putting my backpack on the floor of the passenger seat. "No, she's doing inventory tomorrow, so she'll be gone most of the night." Eddie started the ignition and the van rumbled to life. "Cool. I'll rent the movies. What are you thinking?"
I shrugged. "I'm up for anything, really. What do you want to watch?"
Eddie contemplated for a moment before he started to drive out of the high school parking lot. "Well, we can do one movie for you and one for me. What's your favorite movie?"
"I like Friday the 13th! Probably one of the best plot twists ever!" Eddie looked at me in surprise. "Wow, really? I would not have pegged you for a horror girl." I laughed. "Well, just one of the many things about me to learn. I do like horror, but I'm not opposed to anything by Audrey Hepburn either."
The older boy chuckled as he turned the steering wheel. "Versatility. I like that. I'm more of a Poltergeist fan myself. Nothing is scarier than the paranormal and forces you can't see." He gave an exaggerated shiver. "Burrrr. I chill to even think about it." I let out a laugh. I was already enjoying the company of one Eddie Munson, who had managed to brighten up my spirits despite the gloomy news I had gotten today.
"That would be scary", I agreed, "especially if you actually believe in all that stuff. I mean, I do and it would terrify the crap out of me to know that stuff like ghosts are haunting me."
"Exactly! I'd be having a cross and holy water out so fast if I saw something fly across the counter or doors slam by themselves."
We talked about ghosts the rest of the ride to my place. I hopped out of the van and Eddie handed me my bag. "So, tomorrow you want me to come pick you up?"
I shook my head. "No, thank you. I appreciate the offer, but I'm actually at my mom's tonight, so I'll be taking my bike. But, I'll see you at school. Okay?"
Eddie gave me his infamous grin and a thumbs up. "Cool. See you tomorrow, Hammond."
I closed the door and once I did, I heard Eddie blast his music (which sounded a lot like Guns N' Roses) as he drove off. Quickly, I went into the house straight to the guest bedroom, which is where Dad kept merchandise for the restaurant. Grabbing an XX-Large shirt, I went to my room to get a couple things. Usually, Dad had shirts at the diner, but sometimes he ran out. The larger sizes tended to be our most popular ones, so that was what I took. It was odd that he asked only for one though.
After grabbing a couple of dresses, I went to the kitchen to feed Mrs. Pumpkin and then I went to the back where my bike was. On the days I was with Mom, I took the bus or walked there, and on the evenings I helped out at the restaurant, Dad dropped me off. Since, I knew he wasn't able to do that today, I decided to take my bike. It was a silver Schwinn with a blue banana seat, and a crate attached up front. The crate was to deliver orders or pick up small batches of groceries. I locked up the house, put my bag in the crate, and rode off my place of work.
Upon arriving, I noticed that no one was there, except for my Dad's blue truck. Looking closely, I could see he also flipped the sign around to say "Sorry, we're closed". I checked my watch. It was still early, too early to close actually. I wondered what was going on. I put my bike up near the front entrance and took my bag out of the crate. I reached for the keys in my pocket, but before I could unlock the door, Dad appeared and stepped out, blocking my view of the inside.
"Hey, Honey. Did you get the shirt?" He asked me, still not moving out of the way. He crossed his arms in front of his chest.
"Huh, oh yeah." I unzipped my backpack and gave him the yellow shirt. "Here. Hey, Daddy, why did you close up this early? I know you said we could close up before our usual time, but it looks like you've been closed for a bit. Usually one or two people are lingering for a bit." My Dad averted my eyes.
"Oh never mind. I just felt like it today." He went to grab the shirt in my hands, and while he did, I peered around him to see someone scuttle from the table to the kitchen area.
"HEY!" I shouted and before Dad could grab me, I bolted right past him, running inside. I made a beeline to the kitchen, and what I saw stopped me dead in my tracks.
It was a child, no older than ten or eleven, who was dirty in a white hospital gown. Their head was shaved, and they looked very skinny, as if they were malnourished. I dropped my bad in shock and stared at the scared looking child who stood there in the middle of our kitchen.
I felt Dad come up behind me. The kid seemed to snap out of the staring contest with me, and started to run for the door, but Dad beat them to it. Taking a knee to get to their level, he put his arms on their shoulders. "Hey, hey. It's okay. There's no need to be scared. This is my daughter, Bonnie." My Dad motioned me over and I cautiously walked forward, as if I was approaching an injured animal instead of a kid.
The child watched me with wide eyes as I knelt down in front of them. From what I knew about kids (specifically from babysitting Will) you have to be warm and considerate in order for them to trust you.
"Hey", I gave them a small smile as they watched me closely with an intense gaze, "I'm Bonnie. What's your name?" The child opened and closed their mouth a couple times, not a sound coming out. As I took in their appearance, I made the deduction that this kid was a girl, not a boy.
"That gown looks pretty dirty. I got you a brand new shirt, so you don't have to go wandering around in that anymore." I glanced at my Dad who gave me the shirt. "Dad, why don't you go close the front door, and I'll stay here."
My father took the hint and went up front. I held the shirt to the girl who slowly took it from me. "It's okay", I whispered softly. "You'll be alright. Why don't you change, and I'll go ask my Dad if he can make you something to eat." The girl looked up at me with wide brown eyes. "Does that sound okay?" She gave me a singular nod and started to undress. I left her, and went up to Dad.
"Daddy, what the heck is going on?! That girl looks scared out of her mind! Where did she come from?!" I whisper yelled at him. I glanced back at the kitchen to make sure she didn't hear me.
Dad sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as he shut his eyes. "Honestly, Bon, I have no idea. Earlier, I was out here serving food and that's when I saw her eating fries. She snuck in through the back door and seemed like she hadn't eaten in days. I shooed everyone away and when I did, you called. I couldn't leave her in that dirt gown, so that's why I asked you for a shirt. We didn't have anymore I stock."
My stomach twisted in knots. "Did you call Sheriff Hopper or social services? This is really serious."
Dad shook his head. "No, not yet. I want to get her something to eat first, and maybe find out some more from her. God forbid she was kidnapped or abused, and I call the police only to put her back in a dangerous situation."
My Dad was always helping people. It was one of my favorite qualities about him, one that I wished I had more of. He was always helping people move, giving to charities around the holidays, and giving rides home to people who drank just a bit too much, which occasionally included the Sheriff himself.
Still, I had a nagging discernment that something was really wrong with this girl, and that she was in serious danger from something, or someone. I felt worry bubble up in me tenfold. "Okay, that's a good idea. But, maybe we should call the Sheriff? He is a family friend, and if this girl is in an abusive situation, maybe he can make it so she can stay with us and be safe. We have an extra bedroom. She'd be safer with us than at some random foster home." Whatever danger this little girl was in, despite my worries, I wanted to make sure that she had a place that would be secure for her.
I heard the shuffling of feet and saw that the girl changed into the Benny's Burgers shirt, which was so big that it swallowed her whole. I gave a gentle smile to her. "Hey! Yellow looks good on you." She gave me that wide-eyed Bambi look again.
"Do you like burgers?" I asked her. She gave me a nod. My father looked over at her. "I'll make something to eat. Why don't you sit with Bonnie at one of the tables?"
I held out my hand to the girl and she looked at it. "Here, take it. I'll show us where to sit." She stared at my hand for a bit before tenderly grabbing it. I led us to a table in the middle of the room. She sat across me. It was quiet before a moment. when she pointed to my locket, which I was fiddling with. I stopped and held it up to her.
"Are you pointing to this?"
She nodded again, her eyes looking at the necklace in wonder. I took off the necklace (which was easy to do because it was on a twenty six inch chain), and held it to her.
"Do you want to wear it?" I asked, and she looked up at me with apprehension. I smiled at her. "It's okay. Just take care of it while you wear it. My Dad gave it to me when I was your age." I opened the locket to show the girl the two pictures on the inside. On the left was a picture of me and my mother, and on the other side was a picture of my Dad and me. For a moment, just a brief moment, I saw her lips twitch upward, as if she was going to smile. But as quickly as that happened, it passed and she remained as she was.
But she held out her hand, I put the locket in the palm of it. Slowly, she brought her hand up to her face and studied the locket. "Do you want me to put it on you?"
The girl gave me a look, and nodded. So I stood up, went over, and took the locket from her hands, and cautiously slipped the chain over her head. I did it as slow as possible, because I didn't want to frighten her in any way. Lord knows what she went through to make her as skittish as she was. I sat back down, and the girl held up the heart pendant and kept staring at it. She wouldn't break her gaze until my father came out with a double patty burger and a large helping of fries. "Here we go." He set the food in front of the girl and she immediately started to dig in.
While she was distracted with the food, Dad motioned me over to the kitchen. "Did she tell you anything?" He asked me in a very low voice. I shook my head. "No, but she liked my locket. I thought it might calm her down, so I gave it to her, for the moment." I whispered to him.
Dad looked at the girl who was eating her burger, then at me. He sighed and put a hand on my shoulder. "You did a good job. She seems to be at peace for the moment." He gave another glance to the child, them back to me. "Hey, I don't think we'll be able to go fishing today. Sorry, Kiddo." I gave him a half-hearted smile. "It's okay. I was actually gonna come by to give you the shirt and tell you that Mom said no anyways. I have chores to do over there."
Dad grimaced. "Yeah, well I guess it's for the best. How about tomorrow?"
I was about to say yes, but then I shook my head. "I can't, actually." Dad raised his eyebrows in surprise. I never said no to fishing. "I actually have plans to hangout with someone after school. Gonna watch movies."
"Hey, that's great!" His voice returned back to normal, and sounded actually happy for me.
I scratched the back of my head. "Yeah, it is. I took your advice and decided to make an attempt at spending more time with people my own age." At that moment, the phone rang and Dad went to answer it.
"Benny's Burg-Oh, hey Rosa. No, she's okay and she's here. Yeah, I'll tell her. Okay, bye." Dad hung up the phone and said, "Your mom called. She wants you home within the hour."
I rolled my eyes. Out of all days she decides to be present, she picks today. "Do I have to? I don't want to leave you alone with..." My voice trailed off and I nodded towards the girl in the oversized yellow shirt. My Dad chuckled. "It's okay, Sweetie. I'll just see what I can get out of her, and then I'll make a call. But you need to go home."
My shoulders slumped and I went to go grab my bag. "Fine, but once you know what's going on with everything, call me. I think I have some old clothes that might fit her in the attic."
Dad waved me off. "It'll be fine. Now, shoo." Retrieving my bag, I knelt down besides the girl. "I got to get going, okay? But my Dad will take care of you. You can trust him." I gave her a reassuring look.. Before standing up, I glanced at my locket around her neck. I really wanted to take it, but I knew that I would most likely see her soon, or my Dad would get it from her when she left. "Remember to take care of my necklace, okay?" The girl nodded solemnly.
I went and gave Dad a hug. "See you soon. Love you." He gave me a bear hug back. "Love you too, Sweetie."
I went and left the restaurant to ride my bike to the trailer park, completely unaware that in just one day, my life would be forever changed.
That's chapter one! Please let me know what you think, and please leave a review. The more reviews I get, the more likely I'll update my story.