Home // A Stranger Things Story

xxix

"I thought this friend of yours lived in Illinois." Joyce said as we walked through the woods. 

"He's not really a friend. He's more like an acquaintance." Hopper grumbled, forcing Alexei to walk faster.

"Oh? Okay, well-"

"Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey. Keep up, keep up, keep up." Hopper ordered Alexei, pushing him ahead.

"Easy." Joyce told him, sharing an annoyed look with me. 

"Who is he?" I asked, nearly tripping over a stick.

"His name's Murray. He speaks Russian."

"Oh, Murray Bauman?" I asked, making them look at me in confusion. "Yeah, I know him."

"How do you know him?" Hopper questioned.

"Well, I don't know him know him, but he helped Nancy and Jonathan shut down the lab."

"Okay, so this acquaintance... lives in Illinois?" Joyce continued. "Correct?"

"Yeah, yeah."

"So, we're walking to Illinois?"

"Yeah, yeah, we're going to walk to Illinois. You know, I figure we'll get there by, like, Friday evening." Hopper said sarcastically. "I hope that works for your schedule. Jesus Christ, Joyce. We're not walking to Illinois, okay?"

"Well, then what are we doing?"

"I don't know, okay? I will- I will figure something out."

"Isn't there someone in Indiana who speaks Russian that-"

"You know what? I'm all ears, Joyce. I'm all ears! I'm all ears!"

"I mean, fine. I'm just saying."

"God, Dad, you're being like Mike." I said, huffing in annoyance.

"Like Mike?" He repeated, turning to look at me. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"You're being mean." I told him, and he didn't reply.

I froze, feeling like someone was watching me. I turned around and I knew that El was looking for us.

"I'll be home soon. Something's wrong. I'm trying to fix it." I told her, knowing she could hear me.

"Ev, come on!" Hopper yelled. "What are you doing?"

"I'm coming!" I yelled back, turning on my heel and running to catch up with everyone.

We had be walking for hours, and Joyce and Hopper had been arguing the whole time.

"Oh my god. Can you not walk so close?" She asked him from next to me. 

"What?" Hopper asked, annoyed by the whole situation.

"Can you not walk so close to me? You stink."

He laughed sarcastically." I get, I get it. You're upset, right? 'Cause I uh... I blew up the car?"

"Yeah, with me in it."

"And you call me reckless." I added just loud enough do they could hear me.

"Well, I just want to remind you of something, Joyce. I am not a mechanic."

"Yeah, clearly. That's why you should've listened to Alexei."

"Oh, right, yeah. Your new boyfriend, right?"

I rolled my eyes, walking ahead with Alexei in an attempt to escape the bickering. 

"Yes. Every man I talk to from now on has to be my boyfriend." Joyce replied sarcastically.