Shutter [Jonathan Byers] Stranger Things I

XLIX: Aggravate

 ag·gra·vate

verb

make (a problem, injury, or offense) worse or more serious.

It was Nancy who figured out the logistics of going back out there to hunt down the monster; using biology text books, she made broad assumptions to form a theory about the monster. By the time her mother attempted to open the door and told her that it was time for breakfast, they had come to the conclusion that the monster was drawn to blood, that it hunted at night, and that it was territorial. So far, everything added up in this theory, and they decided, as Nancy verbally fended off her mother once again, that they would go better prepared this time.

Jonathan and Emilia slipped out through the window, going completely unnoticed by Nancy's family inside. Having agreed to meet up later in the day, after Nancy had breakfast and convinced her family that she was just going out for the day with her friends, Jonathan and Emilia had some time to kill. They decided, even though they looked roughed up and grungy, that they would go for breakfast together. It was, Emilia realized as the door chime went off, the first time that they had done something that remotely resembled what couples do since they went and saw Cujo.

"I can't believe any of this is really happening." Emilia said suddenly after the waiter had taken their orders and brought them coffee. She scooped a heap of sugar into the dark drink, and spun the metal spoon around and around, eyes on the contents.

"You seem to have your head wrapped around it better than the rest of us," he sighed. "I mean, I guess my mum sort of knows what's going on."

"You still haven't told her, have you?"

"I mentioned it, she knows I believe her," he admitted. "But Lonnie was there..."

Emilia made a face, and then quickly erased it from her expression. Just because she didn't like Lonnie, and Jonathan didn't either, didn't mean that it made it any easier when someone hated your parent. Sure, she wasn't particularly fond of her father, but she grew embarrassed when people knew what he was like, and disliked him too. There was some evolutionary part of her that wanted to love her father, to make him better than the man he was. But at what point should she give up? Had she already given up when she left home without a care about her own well-being and ended up with Hopper?

Jonathan had been talking and Emilia hadn't been listening. "So I think we're going to be set up this time."

She nodded, and then their breakfast arrived. She grabbed her coffee mug and held it up, "Here's to being alive another day."

Jonathan chuckled; it was amazing that Emilia could still make him smile and laugh despite everything else that was going on. He respected her for that, and for so many other things as well. Their glasses nudged one another as they held a passionate but brief bout of eye contact, and then they did the compulsory sip of their drink, before digging in. They were just finishing up their meal, pretending that world around them made sense, that they were like every other average Joe who had no idea the corruption in the world. It was so easy to ignore when the rest of the world did too. Nancy came in, slid into the booth beside Emilia as though they had broken down some barrier and were now close friends.

Emilia supposed they had.

"So, the outdoor store?" She asked, then spread a piece of paper down on the table. Her writing was beautiful, and for some reason that did not surprise Emilia. "I made up a list of what we'll need."