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Forty Eight

Everyone gathered around Joyce Byers as she stood in the middle of her darkened livingroom, trying to see what was written on the crumpled piece of paper that Allison had given her. Murray, who had just returned from running errands, leaned up against the nearest wall, shaking his head in disbelief as Joyce read the words aloud.

"That is priceless! Does that Son of Bitch really think a candle light vigil and a few fake tears will make us forget what he did?", Murray scoffed loudly.

"Who are you talking about? What did he do?", Allison questioned Murray, who was immediately met with a look of warning from Joyce, pleading for him not to say anything.

"Come on, Joyce. I think they all deserve to know what kind of man their Mayor is.", Murray argued. "Listen, Kid.", he continued, speaking directly to Allison. "Larry Kline is corrupt. He knowingly signed the documents approving the construction of Starcourt Mall, along with everything underneath it. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"He's the reason Hopper died.", Allison answered, quickly jumping to her own conclusion. As her body began to tense up, Billy reacted quickly, pulling her into his embrace.

"Am I crazy or is that vigil thing happening tonight?", Billy asked the others, rubbing Allison's back as she relaxed against his chest.

"It can't be. ", Nancy uttered in disbelief. "That would be extremely short notice. Wouldn't it?"

"Yeah, no shit. But I think Hargrove might be right.", Steve interjected, scratching his head.

Turning away from the others, Joyce went over to the calendar hanging on the kitchen wall, realizing that she still had yet to change it to the current month. She quickly flipped it over to the month of July, glancing back and forth between the calendar and the piece of paper in her hand.

"It looks like it is tonight.", Joyce confirmed. "I wish we'd known a bit sooner."

"What's the big deal? It's not like we're going, right?", Max shrugged, looking around the room.

"I'm sorry, Sweetie, but that's not my decision to make. That's up to your parents. All of your parents. I think it might be time for you to go and be with your families.", Joyce sighed, bracing herself for the cries of protest.

"Ugh. Our parents are definitely gonna make us go.", Lucas muttered in his sister's direction, causing Erica to turn her nose up in disgust.

"So will ours.", Mike sulked, looking over at Nancy. "It's no fair that you get to stay here with Jonathan.",he whined.

"I'm not staying either. Mrs. Byers is right, we should be with our families.", Nancy assured her brother.

"I guess that means we're all going our separate ways.",Robin pouted playfully, ruffling up Steve's hair.

"Yeah, except the two love birds over there.", Steve huffed, gesturing towards Billy and Allison.

"Because we have nowhere else to go! You should all be thankful that you have a home and parents to go back to!", Allison snapped, having grown tired of listening to her friends complain about something that had been stole from her and Eleven, and that Billy had gone without for a long time. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled.", she apologized, feeling guilty as they all hung their heads in shame.

"No, we're the ones that should be sorry. Right, guys?", Steve spoke up, compelling the others to nod their heads in agreement. "We've been too caught up with our own shit to see what you've been going through. Do you forgive us for being such Douche Bags?"

"Yes?", Allison and Eleven answered in unison, exchanging looks of confusion.

"Then there's only one thing left to do...we gotta hug it out.", he announced in a serious tone.