LXXXIV
It happens at the beginning of 1986: the man sighs and stares at the ceiling, making a decision very much despite himself.
"I was thinking about it… and I have decided to accept the job."
His words take his wife, who's lying next to him, by surprise.
"I thought we decided to stay in California, honey…"
"Yeah," the man agrees. "But, given recent… events…"
"That wasn't our little angel's fault," the woman replies with a clear defensive attitude. "It was a misunderstanding. That other girl—"
"I know, I know," he assures her. "I think the same. That's exactly why I think that a change of environment could be good for her, especially if it takes her away from all these people who do nothing but sputter nonsense." He takes his wife's fine hands in his. "What do you say?"
The woman does not speak for a few moments. Finally, she lets her shoulders slump, defeated. "Okay," she accepts. "Let's do it".
Smiling, the man places a soft kiss on his wife's forehead. "You'll see: it'll be for the best."
Even a town as small as Hawkins occasionally welcomes new faces. Consequently, the same can be said for Hawkins High School, depending on whether the new faces in question are of school age.
Since Max's arrival, however, neither Eleven nor her friends have bothered to pay particular attention to the newcomers. They are simply happy with the group they have formed and are not too interested in making new friends. Plus, as if that weren't enough, the boys have recently made friends with an upperclassman who shares their interest in Dungeons & Dragons: a boy by the name of Eddie Munson.
Yes, they are fine as they are.
So when a girl with blue eyes and long blonde hair introduces herself as the new student, Eleven doesn't pay much attention to her. At most, the only noticeable thing is how quickly the girl makes friends: it's barely lunch of the first day of school after winter break when she takes a seat with Jason Carver and Chrissy Cunningham, the most popular kids in school, and laughs with them as if they had known each other for years.
Since they are at a table not so far from theirs, the boisterous laughter keeps interrupting Max, who has been trying to tell an anecdote for several minutes. "Ugh, do they have to be so loud?" she mutters, irritated.
Eleven just shrugs and smiles at her, as if to say 'it is what it is'.