Royal Pain || Stranger Things

epilogue

SIX MONTHS LATER

There was a gaping hole in the heart of Hawkins, and it wasn't the removal of the Byers and Rivers households from the areas that truly caused it, but instead the driving force that sent them away.

     The mall had been completely dismantled, sending all of the business back into town and although the owners of downtown shops wanted to cheer, they were under the impression that the destruction of Starcourt that had occurred not by a massive monster from an alternate dimension, but instead a communist ploy that led the deaths of beloved town members Tatum Rivers and Jim Hopper on complete accident.

The tens of missing people from the previous summer remained just that - missing with no explanation.

     Although patriotism in Hawkins was at an all-time high during war with the Soviets, the town remained just as oblivious as they always had been.

     With the Byers, including a legally adopted Eleven, living in a small town outside of New York City so Jonathan could get the best change to attend NYU in the fall and the Rivers practically fleeing to Washington to start anew with their two long lost children, there were few people left in Hawkins that knew the truth.

     And even they needed to leave the town from time to time.

     Nancy laid on the horn outside of the Sinclair house, leaning past Mike in the front seat to see the front door swing open.

     "Let's go!" Dustin shouted out the window, curls billowing in the January wind as Max and Lucas came running down the driveway. He shoved the door open before sliding to the back, legs bouncing in anticipation.

     "It's cold as hell, man," Lucas groaned as he forced the window up, wedging Max between him and Dustin.

     "Everybody ready?" Nancy asked as she floored the gas, more than ready to leave.

     One of the more interesting aspects of Nancy's final year of high school wasn't that her boyfriend lived ten hours away, but instead that she had to share the school with the kids that she fought to hell and back with.

     Not to mention, being cool with Nancy Wheeler only advanced their freshman status to top tier, making it smooth sailing for them all.

     If smooth sailing was that their party lacked their beloved mage and cleric.

     "Nance, have you heard about school?" Max asked as she rested under Lucas' arm, her fiery red hair tied in long braids.

     Racing past the 'Leaving Hawkins' sign, Nancy smiled softly. "I got into Indiana, and Michigan." Glancing over her shoulder, she was met with curious, raised brows. "And NYU."

     A cheer erupted in the car, Dustin forcing Nancy to high five him over the back seat.

     "Have you told Jonathan yet?" Lucas asked, toying with the end of Max's braid only to be swatted away.

     "I haven't had a chance to call him yet," she replied with a light shrug. "I just got the acceptance letter today."

     Dustin rested his head back on the seat. "You should call him when we get to there."

     "Did you guys get the book?"

     Although hushed responses in agreement came, the car descended into silence for the rest of the drive.

||

"Billy Hargrove, I was told I had mail to pick up."

     A mail worker took Billy's student I.D across the desk, glancing over it before disappearing deeper into the mail room. She returned quickly, handing a package and his I.D. back with a friendly smile.