Fallout || Stranger Things [2]

twenty-one || books and birthdays

Nancy laid on the horn of her mother's car outside of the Sinclair house, leaning past Mike in the front seat to see the 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, not waiting for an answer.

As they sped off towards the town border, Max sat nestled under Lucas' arm, her fiery red hair tied in long braids. "Nance, have you heard about school?"

Racing past the 'Leaving Hawkins' sign with a sigh of relief, Nancy smiled. "I got into Indiana and Michigan." She glanced over her shoulder, met with curious eyes and raised brows. "And NYU."

A cheer erupted in the car, Dustin forcing Nancy to high five him over the backseat. "That's our girl!"

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

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

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

Mike, quietest of them all, asked, "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 worker in the bustling mail room filled with late Christmas packages and new textbooks took Billy's outstretched student I.D across the desk, glancing over it before disappearing deeper in the mail room.

Billy idled on his feet, somewhat comforted by his recent return to Indiana University's campus. As much as he enjoyed his time in Seattle, the tension in the Cooper house had run a little high for his own sanity.

The mail worker returned quickly, handing a package and his I.D. back with a friendly smile.

"See you in class," he replied mildly as he recognized her from Psychology, tucking his card back into his wallet as he parted from the mail room nestled in the back of the Student Union. He ran a hand through his hair, exiting the compact room.

The winter breeze hit hard as Billy pushed through the hefty double doors of the building packed with students, forcing him to pull his denim jacket closer around him as he braced the walk across campus.

Billy flipped the large yellow package over in his hands, running a thumb along the name neatly penned in the top corner.

The Rivers Family

No return address. There couldn't be.

He took a soft sigh, distracted by a handful of greetings as he trekked the well-known path from the Student Union to the clutter of towering dorm and apartment buildings. He tore the end off of the package and stuffed it into his pocket, sliding out a folded piece of yellow legal paper scrawled in familiar writing.

Billy,

I hope you're doing well and enjoying the new semester. Your mother has been a great contact for us out here in Washington. Nina is liking the new school so far as you saw and Ben got the security gig for a local business. We miss Hawkins often and wish that things were different, but this is how it has to be. I'm glad that you were able to come visit over the break and hope to see you soon. Let me know if any problems come up with tuition – everything should be paid for but call me if they give you any kind of trouble. We miss her everyday and we know you do, too. Hopefully this will allow her memory to live on and inspire others to love their friends endlessly and fight for what they believe in. She kept us safe.