Chapter 3: Welcome to Hawkins

1 month later

Hawkins, Indiana,

USA 28th June 1985

The weather was pleasant this evening, thought Jim Hopper, as he smoked a cigarette on a porch of his grandfather's old cabin, now home to him and his adopted daughter.

After three long weeks of an intense heatwave that was ravaging the entire state of Indiana, just as a summer break began, temperatures finally subsided on Friday. El was currently preparing with Mike to meet with the other kids (minus Dustin) so they can go to the movie theater at Starcourt, a new mall that opened just two months ago.

It was odd though he wasn't surprised. It was a trend in these past few years. In small towns all across America, shopping malls were being opened everywhere and while that was good for the local economy and provided employment for the said locals it also badly affected local businesses. In Hawkins, it was the same case.

He went yesterday to buy groceries and supplies, for himself and the kid and was disheartened to see the empty streets of Hawkins, empty of its citizens who were all surging towards into the mall every day.

However, it could be worse.

It's been nearly eight months since Eleven closed the Gate. Nearly eight months since Hawkins Lab was attacked and its staff and employees were slaughtered by the monsters that came from the other side of the Gate.

During that tense month between closing the Gate and the Snowball at school, they have all waited anxiously wondering what was going to happen next. Thankfully the Lab was shut down for good (good riddance), the credit for its shutdown going to Nancy and Jonathan who went out of their way to reveal the truth about its dark nature and secrets. Though the details, that is the US government being responsible for releasing monsters into their world, were not revealed to the public. But the fact was that they were responsible for covering up the deaths of innocent people, Barbara Holland and Robert Newby being most prominent, caused by their actions was enough to end it once and for all.

When the news of the Lab being shut down reached them, being informed by a very smug Murray Bauman, everyone was in a state of euphoria. That night when Jim told Eleven what happened she couldn't believe it. When he saw her bursting into tears, he was alarmed at first. But then he realized she was crying in relief, because it was over, and in a sudden move hugged Jim so fiercely Jim could only return the gesture in kind.

Joyce decided to throw a small party at Byers residence so they can celebrate a victory they managed to achieve, against the Lab and the entity that was responsible for the carnage, dubbed the Mind Flayer by the boys, as well as for achieving justice for the victims.

It wasn't anything big but after everything... it was enough.

There was plenty of food for everybody (mostly ordered) with a decent amount of Eggos (for a certain telekinetic) and the music playing from Jonathan's electric gramophone with the kids and the teenagers mostly dancing (the adults deciding to sit down and smoke on the porch). It was a good night.

Music was also being played from El's bedroom, being played too loud in his opinion.

"Just a little more time, Is all we're asking for!"

He sighed, finishing his cigarette and entering the cabin.

"Cause just a little more time, Could open closing doors!"

Jim turned his head towards El's bedroom from where he could hear the sounds of Mike's singing, again too loud and quite awful in his opinion.

"Just a little uncertainty, Can bring you down!"

Jim also frowned very deeply and narrowed his eyes when he noticed that the door to the said bedroom was closed.

Not open at least three-inch minimum.

"And nobody wants to know you now!"

Now El was singing with Mike. He heard her giggle and promptly both went suddenly quiet. Approaching the door as a cop would approach the suspect's house, he raised his fist and knocked.

"Hey, what did we talk about?"

The door opened revealing Mike's very smug face.

"It's there something wrong?" the little twerp asked with a shit-eating grin.

Jim glanced over his shoulder and saw El sitting on her bed tying her sneakers. She looked up, with a flushed face, and asked nonchalantly "What?"

"Keep the door open three inches, that was what the agreement. And by the way, the music is way too loud."

"Come on Hopper," countered Mike, as El went over the radio and turned it off "we were just singing."

"Uh-huh." he responded, skeptical.

"Sorry Dad, we're just about to leave." said El as she comes to Mike's side.

Dad.

It was a word she's been using these past few months, a word he hadn't heard in years ever since Sarah passed away. The day after Snowball he asked El to come to sit down with him so they can talk. She was confused and concerned at first that maybe something happened but when Jim showed her the adoption papers and explained to her what it means. El went very quiet.

"Are you my new Papa?" she asked nervously.

Jim was for a moment confused but then he slapped himself mentally and cursed. Of course, the word Papa would make her nervous because the former, deceased, Papa in question was a man who never cared for El at all (only for what she can do). Dr. Brenner, a man who treated her as she was nothing more than a lab rat and kept her locked up in a lab for 12 years.

"You don't have to call me Papa," he reassured her "you can call me Hopper, Jim, or Dad if you like."

She looked at him, with tears, happy tears, in her eyes. She smiled and said, "I think I like the word, Dad."

Jim himself had tears in his eyes, happy tears, and both hugged each other, cherishing the moment that finally allowed them to become a family.

Eleven looked healthier these days. With her brown hair growing to her shoulders and gaining a slight tan on her skin she looked like a perfectly normal teenager, not a starved, lonely, pale buzzcut kid that escaped from a laboratory, a hellhole.

"Okay then," he said slowly and addressed her „remember I want you home by-"

"Twelve-zero-zero, I know" she interrupted him and addressed her... boyfriend "come on Mike."

She grabbed Mike's hand and together they exited the cabin, got on their bikes (El managed to learn how to ride one a few months ago), and left. Mike condescendingly waved at him.

Jim left eye twitched at this disrespectful sight. Not letting him the satisfaction of seeing him pissed he waved back. When the kids, soon to be teenagers, left his sight he returned inside the cabin.

He looked over the cabin and sighed. There was going to be a looong talk about this behavior.

Jim sat on the armchair and turned on the TV.

It's been the same for several past weeks. Mike comes over and hangs out with El all night, music plays way too loud and there's... kissing, constant kissing.

He knew what was like for the both of them. Having not seen each other for nearly a year they decided to spend every single minute of their free time together. It was, he had to admit, understandable for a while but now it was getting out of hand. He noticed they have been slowly but surely ignoring their friends in the favour of spending time together.

He was really going to have to talk to them. Preferably tomorrow.

Jim turned his attention towards the TV and saw there were playing an old western movie, one of his favorites back when he was a kid.

"Oh, Shane is on."

"My God, that was priceless! Did you see his face?"

El giggled, "It was like a tomato!"

"Yeah, a fat tomato."

This time El didn't giggle.

"Mike" she scolded him.

"Sorry, sorry," Mike apologized, "but you have to admit it was kinda funny."

They were currently riding their bikes on road leading towards Starcourt Mall. It was weird to see a mainstream shopping center in their small town of Hawkins but Mike wasn't complaining. After Will's disappearance inside the Upside Down, a few encounters with monsters from the Upside down, and meeting a girl who has powers (who was now his girlfriend), a mall opening in Hawkins was welcoming a normal event. Mike was also thankful for the fact that El could actually leave the cabin, courtesy of Hopper finally loosening up.

Mike checked his watch and his eyes widened at the time.

"Shit we're gonna be late! Come on El, let's hurry."

He and El quickened their pedaling so they can arrive on time. Eleven was handling the bike pretty well. Somewhere around January El asked Mike can he teach her how to ride a bike. Mike agreed with much enthusiasm and quite fast El managed to learn how to ride a bike in less than a week.

Within ten minutes they managed to arrive at Starcourt's parking lot, its pink and blue neon lights illuminating the night, and parked their bikes near the entrance. They were greeted by Will, Lucas, and Max, all three wearing very annoyed expressions on their faces. Lucas was the first one to say...

"You're both late."

Mike threw in a quick, "Sorry!"

"Again."

"We're gonna miss the opening." Will added.

Mike was not in the mood to argue. "Yeah, if you keep whining about it. Let's go!"

"Yeah, if you keep whining about it. Nyeh-nyeh-neyh." Lucas replied mockingly.

"Just please stop talking, dude." Mike replied as he grabbed El's hand and everyone went inside the mall.

"Let me guess," Lucas commented as they walked towards the center of Starcourt and looked at Mike and El "you two were busy." Then he started smacking his lips in a mock attempt of kissing the air.

"Oh, yeah, real mature, Lucas." said Mike.

Lucas put his hand on his chest. "Oh El, I wish we could make out forever, and never hang out with any of our friends."

Everyone snickered except for an unamused Mike and a blushing El.

"Yeah, it's so funny that I want to spend romantic time with my girlfriend."

"Hey," said Lucas as he put his arm around Max's shoulder "I'm spending romantic time with my girlfriend."

The group walked further inside and marveled at the beauty and style of the shopping center. Even Eleven, who at first was too reluctant to even go inside (too many people), was amazed by it.

Mike himself was amazed by the fact of how much El has changed. Gone was the quiet girl with a buzzcut hair they meet on that fateful rainy night and in her place was a perfectly normal-looking teenager with slightly tanned skin. She also started wearing new clothes, encouraged of course by Max.

Despite the cold first meeting they had together on that night at Byers residence, El and Max managed to become good friends.

He looked at his watch again "Come on guys, we're gonna be late!"

The Party tumbled down an escalator that was packed with many people. Leaving behind a trail of-

"Hey!"

"Watch it!"

"What's the rush man?!"

A mixture of apologies was muttered and left behind as they managed to get to their desired destination that was just past the food court: Scoops Ahoy.

They make a beeline for the counter of the ice cream shop, tapping repeatedly at the bell, ignoring the fact that there already was a girl named Robin standing behind the counter. She looked at the Party with an annoyed look and called, "Hey, Dingus, your children are here." Behind her, the frosted glass partition slams open revealing Steve Harrington, who himself was also wearing an annoyed look on his face.

"Again? Seriously?"

Mike responded simply by tapping the bell again.

*DING

Steve sighed.

"Come on then."

Steve led through the back room, ducking through the door into the staff access corridor.

"I swear," he say's, "If anybody hears about this -"

"We're dead," they all finished in unison.

"Here," Mike points out at the door and the Party comes to a halt at the back door to the theater. Mike cracks it open and pokes his head out. "All clear."

They made it just in time as the previews ended. Due to the fact that the movie theater was packed, they couldn't all sit together so Max, Lucas, and Will ended up one row down and a few seats to the right while Mike and El managed to find, quite conveniently, two empty seats in the middle.

"We missed the previews." he heard Lucas complain.

"Still made it fart-face." Max snidely countered as Will snickered.

Mike himself grinned at the statement and glanced at El. Even though this was not her first time being in a mall (after several tense conversations with Hopper, he relented) Eleven still saw everything in Starcourt as it was the most fascinating thing she's ever seen. Of course being raised in a laboratory for 12 years, surrounded by cold and indifferent scientists, it would make sense that everything outside, everything new and big would fascinate her.

The first time she was at the mall she was not used to being in a place with so many people, and it made her nervous and timid. Thankfully Max, who was familiar with malls, being from LA, guided El through the shopping center, letting her experience an opportunity to let loose and be a normal teenager. Mike himself welcomed the change a was glad that El managed to find more friends for her to hang out with.

El looked at him.

"What?" she asked.

Mike grinned.

"Nothing, just glad I am here with my friends and with a most beautiful girl in a whole wide world at my side."

El smiled and snuggled up to Mike. Both turned their attention towards the big screen and waited for the start of the movie. And just about as the movie was going to start the film projector was cut off, enveloping the entire room in darkness.

Everyone was of course annoyed and pissed.

"Aww c'mon!" Will complained.

"Seriously!?" said Max.

"What the hell man?!" Lucas added.

"Yeah," echoed Mike, "what the hell?"

But was everyone failed to realize that it wasn't just the movie theater that was engulfed in darkness. Not only in Starcourt Mall but everywhere in Hawkins.

Around several hundred feet deep below of Starcourt, in a small constructed secret facility, a large circular machine, dubbed the Key, attempted to open a Gate between worlds, its large mass being handled by engineers and scientists. They were being observed by a middle-aged, gray-haired man with a cold, calculating look in his eyes, and to his side a younger, much more relaxed, and cockier looking individual, in charge of security for a major US company.

In the outskirts of Hawkins, in abandoned Brimborn Steel Works factory, a shadow was awakened from its months-long slumber. It looked around and gazed upon small rodents that resided there. Without hesitation, the shadow began to possess the small creatures. Nothing grand but it was a start.

And then, after a few seconds, there was light.

Everyone cheered when the movie's projector turned back on. Everyone cheered that is except Will, who had a look of fear on his face as the world around him was drowned out, and a familiar chill came to him. He put a hand on the back of his neck, experiencing flashbacks from the times when that... thing was inside him. He was trembling lightly and Lucas noticed this.

"Hey," he said he put his hand on Will's shoulder, "are you okay?"

Max also noticed this and turned around to look at Mike and El but saw they were too deep in snuggling with each other. 'Ugh typical' she thought annoyingly.

"Yeah. I'm okay." Will replied.

Though they didn't look convinced, Lucas and Max backed down and turned their on the screen so they can watch the movie.

And the final part of the night was in the form of a small, blue, slightly battered Fiat 131 approaching Hawkins. It only had one working headlight.

Inside the car were two individuals. Both were Hispanic, one being a grown woman, around her 30's, and a small child, she is around 11.

"It's all right mijita," said the woman reassuringly to the child, "just a few more days and we will enter Canada."

The child simply nodded and noticed a sign as they approached the small town, examined it, and, with a heavy Mexican accent, said...

"Welcome to Hawkins."