Alexithymia | STRANGER THINGS [ON HOLD UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE]

one | the vanishing of will byers

While Karen yelled for them to be quiet and Matthew only ate his breakfast with a smirk on his face, Ted said to Nancy, "Hey! Language."

In turn, Nancy turned to Ted and said to him, "Are you kidding?"

While Matthew only snorted to himself at just how upset Nancy was with Mike, Karen asked into the phone, "Why? He's not home?"

It was only when the phone call had ended that Karen turned to her eldest son and asked him, "Matthew, did you put the carton back into the fridge like I asked?"

With a wave of his free hand, Matthew replied, "Go see for yourself."

With a sigh, Karen turned to go to the refrigerator as she said, "Honestly, Matthew."

It wasn't until she opened the refrigerator and saw that the milk carton was back inside of it that she turned to Matthew, who waved that very same hand as he said, "See, Mom? You've got nothing to worry about. It's back where it should be."

While Karen only sighed to herself, Matthew turned his attention over to Mike when he heard his younger brother say his name.

It wasn't until after Mike was forced to repeat what he just said that Karen had to yell out Matthew's name when he slapped the back of Mike's head.

* * *

After walking out of the bathroom, Nancy had forced herself to come to a halt when she found herself now standing face-to-face with her brother Matthew Wheeler.

With his hands shoved into the front pockets of his pants and an eyebrow raised, he asked her, "Where are you off to in such a hurry? Huh, Nance?"

She went to walk around him, only to stop when Matthew had suddenly stepped in front of her, which got her to sigh before she said, "Matt, seriously, you need to get out of the way."

With a scoff, he replied, "Or what? Are you gonna sic your boyfriend on me? Hmm?"

She started to say to him, "He's not my—"

It was only when Steve Harrington had also walked out of the bathroom that Matthew looked back over at Nancy and asked her, "He's not your what?"

It wasn't until he said that that Steve had stopped just beside Nancy and asked Matthew, "We got a problem here?"

In turn, Matthew said to him, "I don't know. Why don't you tell me? I mean, you are the one that's messing around with my sister, after all."

It was then that Nancy's mouth fell open and she said to Matthew, "What? No, we haven't— Um, I haven't— Look, can't you just get to your class, Matt?"

The most Matthew did was chuckle to himself before he said to her, "Sure. Whatever you say, Nance." Then he looked over at Steve and said to him, "See you never, Harrington."

It wasn't until Matthew had turned his back on Steve and Nancy and started to walk away from them that Steve asked Nancy, "Anyone ever tell you how much of a dick your brother is?"

The most Nancy could do was sigh to herself as she stared after her second youngest brother.

* * *

While Matthew simply side-eyed his two siblings, Mike said, "We should be out there right now. We should be helping look for him."

Karen replied, "We've been over this, Mike. The chief says—"

Mike told her, "I don't care what the chief said."

It was then that Karen turned to him and said, "Michael!"