✓ | 𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐌 (BYLER)

𝒙𝒙𝒙𝒗𝒊. WELCOME TO HAWKINS

━━━━ 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠 !
𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐘-𝐒𝐈𝐗

The following morning didn't exactly come with the most promising weather forecast. Bundles of cumulonimbus clouds infiltrated the sky while thunder growled viciously in the distance. The radiant sun was entirely shielded by a heap of gray clouds standing front and center.

In other words, the entire day was destined to be dull and tiresome. Without the brightness of the sun keeping their energy levels up, nobody was motivated to do anything besides snoozing.

Even though the weather was less than ideal, the gang had no choice but to return to the road. They most certainly wouldn't make it to Hawkins in time if they kept stalling.

Mike and Will were sound asleep in their shared bed, their soft snores nearly in sync. They were about a foot apart and facing opposite directions. Their limbs were no longer tangled together from the night before due to the brunette's consistent tossing and turning.

While the boys had slept soundly, Eleven had only managed to get an hour or two of quality rest. It was damn near impossible to fall asleep when her brain was infested with flashbacks from her battle with Vecna. The few times she actually managed to fall asleep, she experienced the utmost horrific nightmares that resulted in her shooting up from the bed in a cold sweat.

At around seven o' clock, the three teenagers were abruptly woken up by a startling series of knocks on the door. Will buried his face into his pillow and attempted to block out the noise while Mike let out a dramatic groan of annoyance and refused to roll out of bed.

"El?" He mumbled, knowing she understood what he was asking of her.

"Got it," She responded.

The girl focused on the door handle and swiftly unlocked it with her mind. She knew she could've stood up and manually completed the simple task, but, like the boys, she was far too drowsy. After she had successfully opened the door with her powers, she flopped back onto the mattress and yanked the duvet cover over her body.

"Hey, guys? It's time to go!" The familiar voice of Jonathan Byers boomed from the doorframe.

The response he received was merely a chorus of grumbles and protests from the trio. He rolled his eyes and let out a sigh. The last thing he wanted to do was parent a group of high school freshmen, yet he seemed to be stuck with that dreadful task.

Argyle stood beside him, his eyes bloodshot and partially shut as a result of the marijuana he had smoked just minutes prior. He was zonked over the moon as per usual, which seemed to be the only way he would keep his mouth shut.

"Guys, come on," Jonathan snapped, audibly irritated by the fact that they hadn't rolled out of bed yet. "Get your shit together and do it fast."

"But it's so early," Will whined from across the room, rubbing his tired eyes with his fists.

"There's no time to complain. We have to go." The eldest of the Byers boys sneered, making sure to emphasize the second sentence.

Slowly but surely, the three teenagers crawled out of their designated beds and gathered their belongings. Will lazily tossed his filthy clothes into his backpack with a huff. He didn't even bother changing out of his pajamas or combing through his hair. He did, however, brush his teeth, because he couldn't stand the vile taste of morning breath.