Static ↠ Stranger Things

𝟎𝟕.⠀ here, there

⠀⠀⠀⠀"Party hard last night?"

⠀⠀⠀⠀Thorn narrows his eyes in return. He's textbook sober—not one drop of alcohol consumed, no less. It's not his fault she made everything a chore by getting herself sick on half a can last night. Oh, and her blasting Led Zeppelin from his car after they ditched Harrington's place, singing terribly at the top of her lungs the entire way home? That really put the icing on the cake. But at least her taste in music wasn't crap.

⠀⠀⠀⠀Thorn resists the urge to turn and bury his face into his pillows, retorting, "What do you want?"

⠀⠀⠀⠀"You have a phone call," says Regan.

⠀⠀⠀⠀"If it's Jane, I don't care."

⠀⠀⠀⠀"It's some kid named Jonathan."

⠀⠀⠀⠀"What!" He sits bolt upright in bed again, hurting so many bones in the process. "Well, why didn't you just lead with that!"

⠀⠀⠀⠀She shrugs. "Not my problem."

⠀⠀⠀⠀He launches a pillow at her. "Out!"

⠀⠀⠀⠀It connects with her face in a dull sort of thwump. Thorn, in the process of climbing out of his covers, barely has time to register her wild cackle of laughter before he sees the pillow come hurtling back toward him.

⠀⠀⠀⠀Thwump. It's enough to send him teetering off sideways, whereupon he is once again lying prone against his mattress. The startled noise that comes out of him is an embarrassing squeak of, "Hey!"

⠀⠀⠀⠀Regan is already fleeing out the door.

⠀⠀⠀⠀A minute later, after throwing a jersey over his pyjamas and racing into the living room, Thorn finally picks the handset of the telephone up and breathlessly says into it, "Byers?"

⠀⠀⠀⠀He's surprised to receive an immediate response—he honestly expected Jonathan to give up waiting and hang up on him. "Yeah, it's me," says the Byers a little stiffly. "Sorry if... I um, got your number from Jay."

⠀⠀⠀⠀"Oh." Thorn blinks just as a clatter comes from inside the kitchen—Regan preparing herself breakfast. He turns his back to the noise. "That's okay. Did you...?"

⠀⠀⠀⠀"Yeah, look—I thought about what you said yesterday, about letting me borrow your police scanner. Are you okay with bringing it to school today?"

⠀⠀⠀⠀Thorn internally applauds himself—operation "Help Jonathan Byers" is officially a go. "Sure. It'll be in your hands by the end of the day."

⠀⠀⠀⠀A beat passes. "...Thanks."

⠀⠀⠀⠀There comes a soft click through the line when Jonathan hangs up, leaving a dazed Thorn alone with the sound of the dial tone.

⠀⠀⠀⠀And then there's Regan, of course, whom is still schlomping around in the kitchen pulling out a dozen dusty dishes and slamming doors to cabinets. From his place in the living room, Thorn quietly watches this happen, and as she turns one final time with a mug in hand, she spots him staring, and pauses.

⠀⠀⠀⠀"What?" she snaps.

⠀⠀⠀⠀"What are you doing?" He remains stone-faced, despite finding the scene sort of endearing. "Aside from waking up the entire neighbourhood."