CRUEL SUMMER ( STRANGER THINGS ) ²

ii. ━━ heart-to-what now?

     "I mean, they're just kissing, right?" Joyce asked, not at all bothered the man's insistent and dismissive nature.

     "Yeah but it is constant. "Jim stated dragging a hand over his face in annoyance, "It is not like Milo is constantly hanging around that little ragtag team of kids day in day out."

     "Jim" Her eyebrows are. raised in disbelief. "That boy is barely allowed to leave the house these days. He needs kids is own age to hang around with."

      "Absolutely not." Jim denies swiftly with a shake of his head as he dismisses the idea immediately, "He is fine, he doesn't need friends his age, beside no one can know who he is, it could put his life in jeopardy."

     "If you keep him inside that house and throw away the key, he will rebel on you Hopper, you gotta trust him, Milo is a smart kid, he gotten out of a lot more complicated situations by himself."

     "He shouldn't have had to go through it by himself in the first place." Jim whispers, the guilt resurfaces once again and Joyce gaze softens at the sight. "Beside I said he could go to the arcade later."

     "Really?" Joyce tilts her head, not really believing the man in front of her, "Just like that?"

     "Well..." Jim rubs his neck awkwardly, avoiding eye contact and instead busies himself with a piece of paper on the counter.

      "Jim..." Her voice is soft but demanding.

      "I just told him he couldn't tell anyone who he was and to be back before four." He answers honestly.

      "How is he supposed to make friends like that?" Joyce throws her hands up in the air, "It is crazy to forbid him to talk to anyone."

      "I didn't say he couldn't talk to anyone!"

      "You might as well have Jim! Exchanging names is like one of the first things you do when you go out making friends."

     "Well what if he comes across someone who wants to hurt him! Or take him away again because of his-" he lowers his voice like someone could potentially hear their conversation, "powers."

     "Jim." She smiles assuring at the man, "stop thinking anything is going to happen to Milo"

     "It happens once." Jim's voice becomes dangerously low as he thinks about it, "And I couldn't do anything then."

     "Hop." Joyce touches his shoulder gently, her tone full of understanding, especially after she almost lost her own son, "You have to stop blaming yourself for what happened. It wasn't your fault and Milo knows that too."

     "You know how I feel about that." The man begrudgingly answers in an irritated tone as his shoulders tense.

      "I know." She whispers, "But he is happy and safe now, that's what matters."

      "I still don't like that Wheeler kid at my home." He grumbles, the conversation becoming too heavy for the Chief of Police to handle at the moment and he quickly brings her attention back to his previous problem.

      "They're just teenagers in love." Joyce shrugs, focusing back on her work, knowing she can't force him to talk about his feelings.

      "They don't know anything about love." Jim stares at the woman like she lost her head, "What they do is not normal, it's not healthy."

      "You can't force them apart. " Joyce sighs, "I mean they're not little kids anymore, Hop. They're teenagers. If you order them around like a cop, they're gonna rebel. It's just what they do."