Bright and early in Hawkins, Indiana, Trisha Vale drove to the Hendersons house. Trisha had been babysitting there since she was in 9th grade.
Claudia's son Dustin was an easy kid. Sure, he asked a lot of questions and begged to go to the arcade a lot, but Trisha thought of him as a little brother.
Since her mother's funeral, she had been taking up many neighborhood jobs. Babysitting, cutting grass, cleaning elders' houses, caretaking said elders, only for a stack of 10's.
Trisha didn't mind doing these things. Only if it meant she could help her dad.
He had been bedridden for two months now. He was out of work, so Trisha had to pay bills and work.
Over the summer, Trisha got a total of 200 dollars a day. Now that school had started back up again. She had to quit these other jobs and dum down her babysitting streak. She applied at the cinema in hopes she'd get the job.
When she did, she had gone through training and all that job stuff.
Now, here she is parked outside of the Henderson house to pick up Dustin to go to the arcade with some friends.
She honked the horn and stuck her head out of the window. " Dustin! Come on!"
"Jeeze! Will you give me a minute!"
Trisha sighed, putting her head back inside the car. Dustin opened the door and got in. His hat slipped off, and Trisha grabbed it and plopped it back on his head. " Let me guess, you want quarters?"
Dustin turned his head towards the window, with a slight nod. " Dustin, you always want my quarters." Dustin looked back over at her with a frown. " You're the only one who actually has them, Tris."
Trisha shook her head. She grabbed her bag and dug around for some quarters. Pulling out around 15 of them. " Here, next time, beg your mom for some." Dustin smiled. He shoved the quarters in his pocket. " Now we ride!" Trisha chuckled at his antics, backing out of the driveway and onto the road.
" What do you want to listen to? Queen? Led Zeppelin?" Dustin shook his head. " Ghostbuters," Trisha raised a brow. " Ghostbusters? Really?" Dustin nodded his head vigorously, " Me, Mike, Will, and Lucas are going to be the Ghostbusters for Halloween this year, I'm getting in the mood for it." " In the mood, huh? Well, I guess a little Ghostbusters wouldn't hurt."
Trisha gestured to a cassette case, Dustin grabbed it and handed it to her. She put the Ghostbusters cassette in the player.
After a few minutes, Trisha dropped Dustin off, then headed to the cinema for her afternoon shift. Quickly changing into her uniform in her car. She grabbed her bag and quickly walked inside. She clocked in and made her way behind the counter. " Trisha? You're five minutes late." Trisha was pulling her hair back into a ponytail, her bangs framing her forehead. " Sorry Mary, I had to drop off a kid."
" A kid? Aren't you still in high school?"
" Not my kid, a kid I'm babysitting."
" Ah, gotcha, well be sure to be on time next shift." Trisha nodded.
Trisha had scooped some popcorn, poured sodas, and slushies.
The door opened, and Trisha was already getting tired, " Welcome to Hawkins cinema. What can I get you?" Trisha, I work here -" Trisha finally noticed it was her co-worker, Johnathan. " Oh. Johnathan, sorry. " The boy shook his head."It's fine, you've been here all afternoon, I would guess it's just a reflex." Trisha laughed a little, " Yeah kind of," She watched as he walked behind the counter, putting on his apron. "Isn't your brother at the arcade?" Jonathan nodded."Yeah? Why?" Trisha grabbed a rag and cleaning spray, then started wiping down the counter. " I babysit this kid, Dustin Henderson? I heard him mention your brother this morning. " " Oh yeah."
"Wait, you babysit?" Trisha nodded. " I've been babysitting since freshman year, you know the story." Johnathan's mouth fell agape, " Sorry." Trisha smiled a little, " It's fine, Johnathan it was three years ago, I'm over it now. "
" Still isn't the brightest topic to talk about." He had a frown on his face, but Trisha paid no mind.
" I think I'll end my shift now, I got to go check on something." " You going to the Halloween party this weekend?" Trisha grabbed her bag, and slung it over her shoulder. " Me? Go to a party? I think you got me confused for Nancy Wheeler, Jonathan."
She watched as Johnathan shook his head with a smile, waving bye to her as she walked out the front doors.
Trisha did want to go to the Halloween party, but she had other business to attend to.
Once she got home, she put her bag on the table. She walked down the hallway to her father's room, beeping could be heard from a heart monitor. " Dad? You awake?" She opened the door to see her father standing up reaching for a book. " Dad! What are you doing?" Her father looked back at her with a smile. Trisha sighed before walking in the room. " Well, I was just getting your mother's book for her, she asked me if I could grab it."
Trisha shook her head. " Dad, Mom isn't here anymore."
" What? Yes she is, she's right there" He pointed to his bed, to the right side, where her mother slept. Trisha shook her head. " Dad she's not here.." " She's right there Tisa, don't you see her?"
It broke Trisha's heart to see her father like this. Jeremy Vale was diagnosed with dementia and alzheimers at the age of 56.
Most of his side of the family had acquired this disease. Trisha was told this at a young age, but it didn't phase her until it actually happened.
"Dad please, lay back down." Trisha tried to convince her father to lay down, knowing full and well he wouldn't listen. " No Tisa, I'm telling you, Marjorie is right there. She's sleeping, look."
Trisha looked over at the empty bed with tears in her eyes. " Daddy, Pease just lay down.." Trisha watched as her father's face contorted into anger. " I'm telling you! She's right there! Now you listen to me before I hurt you!"
Her father raised the book in his hand above his head, threatening to throw it. " Marjorie is right fucking there! She ain't gone!" He threw the book, it hit the floor next to her, Trisha didn't know what to do.
Her father saw her shocked state and tried walking over to her. " Tisa, I'm sorry.."
Trisha shook her head, her eyes still watery, " Just, Go lay down Dad."
The older man listened this time. He clambered back into his bed. And pulled the covers over himself.
" I'll come back in here to give you your medicine later.. I'll be in my room."
Trisha quickly walked out of her father's room, and shut the door.
She ran to her room and shut the door, her back against the cold wood. Trisha slid down the door, her face in her hands. She sat there sobbing for what felt like an hour. She hated seeing her father like that, she wished he hadn't gotten sick.