like me - stranger things¹

[009] home.

CHAPTER NINE

home.

WILL LIED IN THE HOSPITAL BED, HIS MOTHER AND BROTHER SITTING NEXT TO HIM. Outside, Jim Hopper, Nancy Wheeler, Steve Harrington, Jennifer Lawson, Will's friends, and others sat waiting. Though Jennifer and Steve sat next to one another, no words were shared between the two as they were still coming to terms with everything they had just gone through.

After Jonathan and Joyce had finished talking to Will and showing them items they had brought him so he could keep himself occupied, the boy spoke up. "Is Jennie okay?"

'Jennie.' It was the nickname that only Will called her, and occasionally Nicole when she was trying to annoy the younger sister; not that she didn't like the nickname, simply that no one had really called her that other than those two.

Joyce lightly furrowed her eyebrows at her son, encouraging the boy to explain further. "The night the monster got me. I saw Jennifer on the way home. Is she okay?" Jonathan softly chuckled at the concerned boy before nodding his head.

Jennifer sat outside the room, moments away from falling asleep out of pure exhaustion when Jonathan stepped out of Will's room. Jonathan simply nodded his head to Mike, signalling that he was allowed to come in. The boy swiftly woke up his friends, the three rushing into the room to see the friend they had been missing dearly.

The commotion easily woke Jennifer up again, the girl having to blink a few times to clear her vision. Jonathan turned to her, nodding his head to the door. "He wants to see you too." Jennifer furrowed her eyebrows, though, she still went inside.

As soon as the girl went in, she saw Will's eyes lock onto hers and light up. "Jennie!" The girl chuckled, waving her hand at the boy. "Are you okay?" Jennifer laughed once again, assuming the boy was talking about the night he went missing.

She stepped closer to the boy, softly shaking her head with a smile on her face. "You go missing for how long, and you're asking me if I'm okay?" She said. Will simply smiled at her. "I'm fine." She said, stepping close enough to mess up his hair before giving him and his friends space once again. Jennifer leant against the wall, watching the four friends reunite.

"You won't believe what happened when you were gone, man." Lucas said, continuing the conversation the three had started with Will before Jennifer interrupted them.