"I think I got somethin' for ya…" Jim's voice sounded deep and exhausted over the phone.
Julie was still staying in the motel, trying to keep busy but going stir crazy pretty quickly.
"Oh?" she hummed, placing down the container for the takeout she'd ordered.
"Yeah, uh…" he seemed distracted so Julie waited – what else did she have to do? Voices were muffled on the other line and then Jim's voice was too, as if he'd pressed the receiver to his chest, yet she could still hear him when he said, "Fuck you, go to Hell." Considering this was the first conversation they were having since he'd dropped her off after the visit to the lab, it was pretty comical. "Hey, sorry. Been crazy here. I think I dug up something for rent. Friend-of-a-friend thing. Interested?"
"I dunno, this motel is very spacious and modestly decorated. Not sure I could part with it," she retorted.
"S'that right?" his voice was humored. "Well, if you can break away from your dream home long enough to check this place out, I can get you in to see it."
"That would be great, Jim, thank you."
Hop inhaled a drag of his cigarette, cracked his neck, and exhaled. "Got a pen or somethin'?" he waited for a moment for her. "I'm gonna have you call Joyce Byers – she's the cousin of the woman renting the place out. She'll take ya through."
He gave her Joyce's number, hoping Julie didn't ask what he'd told Joyce about her. The answer would be 'enough' but he knew Julie would push. Joyce was always out to help him when he needed her, what with the situation with Will, but you better believe she'd ask questions. Hop didn't have answers. Not yet, anyway.
Yet two days ago when he asked Joyce about the house for rent, Joyce asked who it was for. So he'd given Julie's name, hoped that was enough. Of course it wasn't. Of course Joyce asked how he knew her and of course he was obligated to give her something.
"Long story. Maybe she can tell you," he'd said.
"That's bull, Hop. How do you know this girl?" Joyce had been all too curious when he mentioned a new name around this small town. A girl without a home? What was he, some kind of philanthropist?
"Well, I don't really know her, know her…" She'd given him that look and he'd rolled his eyes and sighed. "I'd just…helped her before, okay? And it kinda got fucked up and…I dunno, I guess I'm…" He'd almost said 'responsible' but he'd bit his tongue.
Joyce knew she could push him, but she also knew when to stop.
Julie's voice called him out of his memory from the other day.
"Thank you again, Jim. I feel so stupid for coming to you, but I'm glad I did."
Hop put out his cigarette, sucked on the spot on his finger he'd just burned with the ashes. "Yeah, kid, no problem. But you owe me a beer."
She laughed. "Done."
He hung up after that, grabbed his hat and keys, and went back to work.
•••
Joyce Byers sounded nice over the phone, Julie thought. Maybe a little too eager and kinda scattered but nice.
She'd agreed to meet Julie at the house the next day and it was nice to have plans for once. Julie was ready to figure out her next steps after spending so much time in limbo. Through her excitement, she couldn't help but feel anxious. All that time in the facility planning her escape, dreaming about her future life she never expected to be in small-town Hawkins. Yet she felt drawn here, almost, as if she couldn't leave.
The house was a little blue thing on a street called Habershan and it didn't look as run-down as her mind had made up. Julie parked behind the Ford Pinto in the drive and she saw a petite woman leaned against it, sizing her up just as much as she was.
When she got out of the car Joyce instantly introduced herself and – to Julie's disdain – extended her hand to shake. She wanted to be polite, though she hesitated.
The skin contact sent Julie's mind into overdrive – flashes of memories of a lost son, a monster in the walls, Jim beating the chest of a little pale almost-corpse. More connections were made. Will. This was the woman from some of Jim's memories too. Friend-of-a-friend, he'd said.
The feeling of cold and empty didn't leave her skin until she shoved her hands in her pockets.
"This is my cousin's property. Her last tenant moved out a few months ago. Come on in."
The front porch creaked as the two of them climbed to the front door. Joyce started going on about how many bedrooms and the possibilities of the home, how her cousin didn't mind if she wanted to paint and decorate however she wanted. All of this information processed for Julie, but her eye caught chips in the paint that almost looked like fingernail marks. A blink and she was taken back to a memory: skin and sweat, a dark freckle on his shoulder, how he'd loved when she'd dig her nails into that spot, pepper kisses over the marks.
Her throat felt tight. She blinked away the memory, breathed, and it was gone just as quickly as it came.
"-And this kitchen…!" Joyce was still going on about what a quality home this place was.
Honestly, Julie didn't need convincing. She'd agreed to see it because Jim had gone out of his way to make this happen for her and she was grateful. Any place she could call 'home' for a while was better than some shitty motel room.
"I love it," she told Joyce mostly so she didn't have to hear her go on anymore.
"Really?!" Joyce seemed too happy about this. "Linda said that if you want it, you can move in right away. I can give you her number so you can call about rent. How soon do you think you can get a moving truck?"
Julie smiled sadly. "Oh, I…uh…I don't really have anything but a few suitcases and little stuff I could fit in my car."
Joyce's face fell. "Oh, honey, that just won't do. I-I'm sure I have some stuff the boys and I can get rid of. I mean, kitchen stuff is here and a bed and couch but…"
"I'll make it work, Joyce, no worries. You've done enough for me already. Thank you."
Joyce nodded, but her eyes still looked contemplative. "So you're moving in?"
"I paid at the motel through tonight and my stuff's there, but – yes – I can whenever."
Joyce hugged her and Julie felt herself tense up, closing her eyes to push out the memories. She built that wall quickly in her mind, just the way Brenner and her had practiced. Nothing got in, just the cold in her fingertips.
"This calls for a celebration! Let's go kick through my old junk and have a glass of wine."
Julie agreed because Joyce was just too eager and kind (and she felt guilty if she'd said no), but also because she craved human interaction.
•••
"So how did you and Hop meet?" Joyce's voice was muffled from a different room as she dug out yet another box for them to go through.
Julie sipped her wine, contemplating if she should tell Joyce the truth or not. Clearly she'd been through some shit with Brenner. But Julie wasn't feeling courageous enough tonight to bring herself to talk openly.
"We met a few years ago before he was chief here. I needed help finding my sister." Don't think, don't think, don't think.
"Hop's good at finding."
Julie breathed evenly though it took some control. "He is."
"Did you find her?"
"Yeah," Julie choked out, looking anywhere but at Joyce's reaction to her words. She took a hefty gulp of wine this time.
Joyce didn't push.
Julie sensed movement outside the front door. She kept her expression neutral so as not to give anything away. The person entered in a hurry.
"Hey, mom, can I have friends over?" the young boy from her memories, Will, came into the kitchen. Julie sensed four more people outside the door in wait. She almost smiled to herself.
"That's fine, honey, but…" Joyce's words came out and the front door instantly cracked open again, the hiding children coming into full-view. "What did I tell you about asking before you have everyone bike over here?"
"I know, I know…it's just…Nancy's in Mike's basement being annoying and Dustin's mom doesn't have enough room for us and Lucas'…-"
Joyce interrupted her son. "That's fine. Oh! Will, meet Ms. Preston, she's new to the neighborhood."
"Hi," Will said in a soft, shy voice.
"Hi, Ms. Preston," another boy came forward. "I'm Dustin," he took her hand and kissed the back of it. Unsuspecting, Julie was worried about the memories that she'd get, but all she got from him was something about a game.
"Dustin, stop freaking her out!" another boy shouted and they started pushing each other down the hallway to Will's bedroom.
Julie was humored and took another sip of her wine. A feeling overcame her suddenly and she almost choked as she glanced up at the next child who was retreating to Will's bedroom. A young girl, the same one from Jim's memory. Shy eyes glanced away as Julie stared curiously at her.
"Jane, it's so nice to see you, honey," Joyce's voice startled the girl. She paused and smiled at them softly before going back to the room with the boys. "They're obsessed with this board game of theirs," Joyce laughed. "They play it so much you'd think they'd get tired of it."
"So many kids in the house, you must never be bored."
Joyce nodded but shrugged. "I work a lot actually…" she sighed. "Being a single parent of two is difficult, but Jonathan helps me out so much." Joyce poured another glass of wine. "Speaking of work, are you looking for a job?" Julie nodded. "I know this coffee shop is hiring. It's right next to Melvald's, where I work."
Working at a coffee joint again didn't sound super enjoyable, but whatever brought the money in until she could find something better, she'd take.
"I'll go apply in the morning. Joyce, I appreciate all your help."
"Your life is so interesting to me. I mean, from what you said you moved all this way without anyone or much of anything," she sighed. "I just…I can't imagine. I've been so rooted in this place, especially after marriage, kids, and divorce. You're young still. Why here, of all places?"
Julie shrugged, sighed, concocted a lie. "My aunt passed away recently and after the death of my parents, family's kinda been estranged for me. I guess I just needed a fresh start. Besides, Hawkins just…pulled me in. I feel some kind of connection to it, I guess."
"It has nothing to do with Hopper, does it?" Joyce gave her a look.
Julie felt her cheeks redden. "No! No…" she came up with a quick fib. "My grandfather met his wife here when he was traveling, actually. They fell in love, he'd travel just to come see her. They eventually got married, moved away, and had children. They'd talk about how this was the place that started it all. I guess I just had to see what the hype was about." She paused to take a breath after the lie. "Maybe I'm just a hopeless romantic."
Joyce looked love-struck. "That's such a beautiful story! But I have to say, not much of anything goes on here…" though her words seemed honest, her voice and eyes gave her away.
Yeah…nothing happens here. Sure, Julie thought. Even if that was true, here sure beat the Hellhole she was in before. She figured she'd take her chances.