July 25, 1985

Speech by The Mayor of Hawkins

"Three weeks have passed since that Fourth of July.

The Fourth is to celebrate our independence but after this year it will mean so much more to the people of Hawkins.

It will be a day to remember the people who stood up to unimaginable evil and sacrificed themselves for others.

We will remember Sheriff Jim Hopper as a valuable member of our police force, a caring individual, and most of all a wonderful father to his daughter Jane.

He died while trying to save the lives of others when the explosion at the mall happened.

We will remember the young lives of Billy Hargrove and Heather Holloway who were taken too early by an unimaginable tragedy that befell them at Star Court Mall.

As Mayor of Hawkins I promise I will find the culprits who set the explosives in the basement of the mall and the will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

I also pledge that the mall will be rebuilt bigger and better.

Today we move forward. The shops reopen. Schools will open again in a month. Let's make the rest of summer as memorable as we can for the children returning to school.

Thank you all for coming"

Family Video after the speech

Steve sighed. Standing outside of the video store he couldn't help but want to scream " the speech was all a bunch of horseshit to save the mayor's ass".

But he didn't. He just thought about what really happened that night.

Robin and him here captured and drugged by Russian spies and Erica and Dustin we're almost captured themselves.

Not only were Russian spies trying to open a gate to the upside down in the basement of the mall but Billy died a fucking hero. He gave his life to make sure Max and the rest of them survive. Hopper gave his life shutting down the damn gate.

But they also lost living people.

The death of Hopper was the last straw in Joyce's haystack. First there was Bob who she saw die right in front of her and then there was the last person in the world she could lose, Hopper.

She had packed up Jane, Will and Jonathan and moved to Lenora Hills, California.

It didn't end there though. Nancy also moved with the Byers to California. She was offered a job at one of the leading papers there and she couldn't refuse so Joyce told her she could live with them.

He finally was ready to open the store but his hand was shaking. Half out of sadness and the other half anger.

Sadness at losing friends in such a way. Sadness for Dustin and friends who had to say goodbye to Will. Sadness for Max who was dealing with guilt and anger of her own. He let her know she could talk to him anytime.

Then there was the anger.

Anger at the town for ignoring Billy and not even attending the small service his parents had. Only him and the gang showed up but they showed up for support towards Max.

Anger at Neil Hargrove for taking off and leaving his wife and daughter to fend for themselves. Thankfully a kind benefactor bought their house and turned the deed over to Max.

They will never know that Billy had given Steve the money to buy the house if he died and Neil pulled some stupid shit like he did.

Billy was rough around the edges and his fists hurt like hell but Steve would fight anyone who tried to tell him he didn't love Max.

He finally got the door unlocked and he went inside, locking the doors behind him so he could get ready for the days.

The store wasn't set to open for another half hour so he got the registers ready, the displays set right, and did some basic cleaning.

Robin would be in an hour after opening so he would have some quiet time to set himself right.

When the clock hit 10 am he opened the doors and went to his spot behind the counter.

Between it being summer and the fact everyone probably was back home sleeping after that riveting pile of lies, he doubted anyone would be in until the afternoon.

Taking in a deep breath and reminding himself it was time to let it go he started messing around with the displays on the counter.

That's when he heard the ding.

The sound announced that a customer had just entered the store.

He looked up and he almost fell backward.

There at the front the door was Eddie Munson. Steve couldn't help but be mesmerized by the guy's smile and his very beautiful hair. The curled-filled strands fell beneath his shoulders making him even more tantalizing to look at.

Shaking himself out of his daze, Steve said "welcome to Family Video where everyone is family. Anything I can help you find"?

Giving his award-winning smile Eddie cleared his throat and said "I found what I'm looking for".