1983 || Stranger Things

ᴏɴᴇ | ʜᴀᴡᴋɪɴs ᴛᴜʀɴᴇᴅ ᴜᴘsɪᴅᴇ ᴅᴏᴡɴ

All the love in the state of California, your sister,
Max

      Oh Max, Julie thought, so young and innocent. It was a less than ideal situation that brought Max into the Hargrove twins lives, but Julie accepted her happily. Billy did not.

      Max had taken to calling Julie 'JJ' one of the first days they met, as it fit her persona better, according to the redhead. The Byers didn't know about JJ. They didn't know a lot, actually.

      Sighing yet again, Julie stood up to grab a piece of paper from her notebook in her backpack, snatching a pen and her walkman and headphones. She selected a mixtape from her collection, this particular one housing mixes of Queen and The Clash. As Killer Queen came through her ears, Julie sat back down and opened her notebook.

Dear Max...

•••

      Julie finished her letter quickly, folding it up and stuffing it in her backpack to take to the post office after school the next day. She walked back into the kitchen, finding Jonathan and Joyce both reading newspapers, eating their food.

      "Good news?" Joyce asked hestitantly, looking up from the paper as Julie sat down next to her, picking up a fork.

      Julie shrugged, shoving a piece of bacon into her mouth. "Nothing special. Just updates, I guess." she said nonchalantly, full aware of the looks Jonathan was exchanging with his mother.

      "What are your plans for today, both of you?" Joyce asked, changing the subject away from the akward tension she herself had created.

      "I have to babysit the devil spawn in an hour." Julie exclaimed with disgust, rolling her eyes as she ate her pancakes.

      Jonathan smiled at her antics. "Erica Sinclair?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

      Nodding, Julie finished up her breakfast, standing up to wash her and Joyce's dishes.

      "If you hate it so much, why do you do it?" Jonathan wondered, turning to look at the teenager in front of the sink.

      "Pays good." she said, splashing water on Jonathan who cursed as the droplets bounced on his skin, gaining a scolding from Joyce.

      Joyce stood up, joining Julie at the sink to help her with the dishes, grabbing her lazy son's on her way. "Honey, don't you also have work tonight?" she asked, taking the dish Julie was washing from her hand and handing her a dishcloth in return.

      "Yeah. I have the overnight shift at work tonight." Julie recalled, throwing the towel over her shoulder and putting the dishes away.

      Julie worked at Marty's Diner, one of the only places in town open all night. She was a waitress, who often got reprimanded by her boss for swearing at or flipping off some of the high school customers who came in just to antagonize her. She often worked the night shift, maily because her boss paid her more when she did.

     Joyce clicked her tongue. "Sweetie, you know I don't like you working over night on school nights. It's not healthy." she spoke quietly, not seeming to notice that Jonathan had slipped off to his room.

     "I know, Joyce, but Marty pays more overnight. The bills are due next week, remember?" Julie persuaded, her biggest talent.