𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐲

ii. busiest day.

JAMES STARED blankly at the bottle in his hands he then tossed to the side, bouncing off the guest room's bed. "God, I'm so bored." He sighed, laying down and putting his Walkman headphones over his ears.

He would be able to enjoy it but ever since he got into Hawkin's, he started getting these really painful headaches. He took off the headphones, pausing the music as he huffs, sitting up and fishing out another bottle from his suitcase. He opened it up and drank it, the vodka stinging his throat as his nose scrunched up.

He drank about a quarter of the small bottle he then put the cap back on. He got under the covers and hid the bottle under the blanket with him, closing his eyes with a sigh.

He took a couple of more sips and the headache subsided, which he was thankful for because he knew he shouldn't be taking any meds with alcohol. He's seen his dad do that plenty of times before. He drank another quarter of it and put down the half empty bottle of vodka under the bed, hoping it was hidden enough from Henderson.

He closed his eyes and drifted slowly to sleep. And then there he was again, throwing firework after firework at the big fleshy Mindflayer. "James! Help!" The voice calling out startled him and he looked over right away.

Steve, in his old Scoops Ahoy uniform, is held up by the Mindflayers' many limbs. "Steve!" He let out a loud scream, tears blurring his eyes as blood drips from Steve's mouth. "Why couldn't you save me?" James woke up quickly in a cold sweat, his chest heaving. He's never dreamt of that before. Not even in New York. His dreams were only a repeat of that night when he found out about his dad from Joyce, the same thing over and over every night.

Until tonight. He put his hands over his face, sighing as he rubs his eyes. He looks over at the clock to see it's 7 in the morning so he just sighed and rolled his eyes, laying back down. He had trouble falling back asleep so he just got up, grabbing his clothes and getting into the shower to have a quick one.

He put his tanktop on, his jeans then his button up shirt he buttons only half way up before tucking it into his pants and styling his hair. He left the bathroom to go into the kitchen where Claudia is enjoying some coffee and holding her new cat. "Good morning." He smiles, pointing, "may I?" He asked and she just nods, smiling at the nineteen year old.

"Go ahead, help yourself, honey."

James put two sugar and some cream before sitting at the table and enjoying his coffee while comfortably sitting in silence with Claudia Henderson. "Good morning!" Dustin says when he enters the kitchen, extra cheerful with a wide smile at the two adults. "Good morning, Dusty." Claudia smiles as James raised his mug of coffee. "Yeah, good morning, Dusty-bun." He says and Dustin sends him a look before he took out a box of cereal.

"Want some?" He offered James who shook his head, taking the mug of coffee. "My specialty breakfast is this and a cigarette. Do you mind if I smoke out front, Mrs. Henderson?" He looks at the woman who just waved her hand. "That's more than okay. Just dispose of the cigarette correctly." She tells him and he squints his eyes a bit but went out anyway.

After his smoke and Dustin's breakfast, the three now sat in the livingroom together, watching tv where they announced that the cops found a dead body. Dustin, James and Claudia listened intently as the woman talks about Barbara Holland three years ago and about the Devil lived here in Hawkins.

The news reporter talks further about the story and mentioned the new Chief of police, Mr. Powell and said to keep their doors and windows locked. "My heart can't take it anymore. It just can't take it." Claudia says, kissing her cat. The doorbell then rings so Dustin got up and James watched from where he sat, leaning back to see Dustin open the door to none other than Max Mayfield.