sh; it started with a cigarette

xi|everything takes time.

"Did they find... ALIENS?!" I screech, lunging at Dustin and engulfing him. He screams hysterically, kicking and screaming.

I laugh maniacally, so much that I can't sustain my grip on Dustin. He weasels his way out of my grasp angrily.

"Y/N! Crap! That's not funny!" he whines.

Lucas, Will, and I die laughing. We can't control ourselves. I laugh so hard my stomach hurts.

The laughter eventually comes to a slow stop. I notice that Mike is nowhere to be seen.

"Hey, boys, where's Mike?" I ask, concerned.

"He's outside, looking for her," Lucas tells me.

I notice Will's expression contort. I don't mention it now, not wanting to call him out in front of his friends and embarrass him.

I leave out the door that goes to the backyard. Large snowflakes flurry onto the dusty white ground. Mike sits on a bench, staring out into the dark treeline behind the house.

"Still no sign of her?" I call out to him as I approach. He jumps a bit, craning his neck to look at me.

"No," he frowns before turning back to the trees. I dust off the bench of snow with my forearm and sit next to him. I shiver against the cold and think of how he must be feeling. I know Eleven and Mike had a special connection. Many people say twelve-year-olds can't be in love, but I don't find that to be true. Anyone can be in love, based on what they think love is at the time. Everybody is born with the ability to love. It simply changes and matures over time.

Snowflakes land on my eyelashes, weighing them down.

"Do you think she's still alive?" Mike asks suddenly.

I bite the inside of my cheek, nodding. "I do," I answer honestly.

"Really?" he says, turning his body towards me.

I nod slowly. "I can still feel her energy in the air. I just can't shake the idea that she's still around,"

"That's exactly how I feel," Mike admits. "why won't she come home?" his voice cracks.

"She will," I tell him, wrapping my arm around him. I bring him into a hug. "We just have to give it time," my hot breath freezes in the air when I sigh. "everything takes time." 

We sit in the cold until the burning sensation in our hands and feet becomes too much to bear. Mike and I eventually head inside, and I return upstairs. Jonathan has just arrived. I take a seat with him across from Nancy and Steve.

"How has Will been doing?" I ask him.

"He's alright. Traumatized, but alright. He's tough," Jonathan smiles.

"Runs in the family," I tell him. Joyce, Jonathan, and Will are all courageous and strong. If I had to go through what they did, I don't know if I could handle it all.

Jonathan laughs a bit, nodding.

"How have you been, Y/N?" Steve interjects. Nancy elbows him in the ribs, scolding him for being nosy. I look at Steve. I can tell he's sniffed out my lies about being okay after Barb's funeral. I hope he doesn't say anything to Nancy.

"How's your nose been, Steve?" I fake a toothy smile. He scoffs jokingly. "I'm fine. Healing, processing. Just like the rest of us," I purposely deflect the topic of conversation onto the entire group, not just myself.

"Everything takes time," Jonathan adds. I nod, knowing I couldn't agree more. 

≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡

Back at home, Claudia, Dustin, and I have our own small family celebration. I got Dustin the most admirable set of beakers I could afford for the little experiments he does. I bought Claudia a record from her favorite band from the record store I work at.

Claudia bought Dustin comic books. When it came time to hand me my present, she gave me a long, marmalade-colored envelope. I turn the thin object over in my hands in confusion. Dustin all but pees himself where he sits, jumping up and down excitedly. "Open it, open it, Open it!" Dustin chants.

I read the front of the envelope.

IN REGARDS TO Y/N L/N.
2886 Piney Wood Drive,
Hawkins, IN.

I cringe a little, seeing my legal birth name on anything. I prefer not to use the parents who abandoned me's last name. I'd rather not have one at all.

"Open it, dear," Claudia urges.

I nervously tear open the envelope. I peek into the opening, seeing nothing but two single white sheets of paper. I shakily pull out the documents and read them over.

CERTIFICATE OF ADOPTION
Let it be known to all who view this document that the Holder thereof has adopted the Rock known by the name of Y/N L/N, and has agreed to hold and keep safe this Rock in a loving home.
Adoption granted to: Claudia Henderson.
Adopted this 23rd day of December 1983.

I flip to the second paper. It's an amended birth certificate. My name has been legally changed to Y/N Henderson, and Claudia has been listed as my legal parent.

I tremble with excitement. Unable to control the relief and happiness, I begin to cry. I cup my hand over my mouth to cover a whimper. I've never even held my birth certificate in my hand. Now not only am I holding it, but it is because I finally have an actual family. 

I grieve my old life at Miss Pearl's, and the life I could've had if my biological parents hadn't given me up. But I also rejoice, comforted in the fact that someone finally chose me. Claudia and Dustin chose me. I have a family.

Dustin and Claudia rush to my side, partaking in a two-person squishing of my body from each side. Muddled "welcome to the family'"s and "I love you's" fill the house. Mews joins in on the love, jumping onto my lap.

It is so foreign to be in a home I know will be forever. To be embraced by people I will have with me for the rest of my life. Hell, I even get a cat. I've never had one until now.

But in time, I will grow accustomed to the warm feeling of love. The way it spreads over my body and makes me a buzz. 

I will learn to get along with my best friend's boyfriend, Steve Harrington. He will eventually forgive me for breaking his noise.

I'll navigate Hawkins and its craziness.

Eventually, I will be comfortable.

But, just like all good things, it will be a process.

Everything takes time.

≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡

Author's note: Wowwow you guys! The rewrite of season 1 has been ROUGH. But alas, we made it! Did you know when I first wrote this book, we were sitting at only 200 reads on the entire story by the end of Season 1? Now we're almost to 5k, and that's absolutely bonkers to me! I love you all so much, your support is greatly appreciated. 

Now, whos ready for the real drama of Season 2? Oh boy, I can't wait. 

Until next time, 
Spook.