Adolescence, m. mayfield

013. not stupid

Tom was still on the couch when he woke up the next day, a blanket pulled up to his shoulders with his book sitting on the tea table. He turned around, stretching and squinting against the morning light that drifted through the windows.

"Sleep okay?" Hopper asked, tone still cautionary about what had been bugging Tom just last night. The boy only nodded, Hopper sighed as Tom stayed quiet, knew it meant that he wouldn't want to talk about it. Tom stumbled off to his room to put on a sweater and a pair of socks, it was cold and the cabin normally took a while to heat up in the mornings.

Hopper was stood in El's doorway when he got back, Tom walked past, a curious eye looking under Hopper's arm to peak and see how his sister was doing. She was lying down facing the wall, firmly ignoring Hopper, still upset that Hopper didn't stay to his promise on Halloween. "Still not talking, huh?"

El didn't answer Hopper, Ten frowned as he continued through to sit at the table where a large dessert plate was piled up. Hopper sighed at the doorway, "Alright. I guess I'm just gonna have to, uh... enjoy this triple-decker Eggo extravaganza on my own" he walked over, smiling cheekily at Tom, they both knew she wouldn't be able to resist the breakfast treat.

And, of course they were right, El came out of the room and sat down, rolling her eyes fondly at the crooked grin on Tom's face. Hopper and El split their Eggo extravaganza that included four Eggo's piled high with a filing of whipped cream and an array of different chocolates and sweets. Tom wasn't the greatest fan of it and much preferred the plate of three golden pancakes with chocolate spread and strawberries for his special breakfast.

"Mmm!" Hopper hummed exaggeratedly as he took a bite of the waffles. "It's good, right? Know the great thing about it? It's only 8,000 calories" Tom supposed that was meant to be a joke, but most of the jokes Hopper tried didn't make any sense to the twins. He knew this but always managed to forget and go quiet after another one failed to land.

As they continued eating, Hopper spotted the trail of the tv cable leading to El's room, "You visited him again last night?"

"He says he needs me"

"Want me to go check on him?" El shook her head sadly, "I know that you miss him, alright? But it's too dangerous. You're the last thing he needs right now" Tom stopped eating, keeping his head down as he spared carful glances at El, Hopper continued, not being able to see that she was getting upset, "You're gonna see him. Soon... And not just in that head of yours. You're gonna see him in real life. I feel like I'm making progress with these people"

Tom closed his eyes with a silent sigh as El leaned closer to Hopper across the table, "Friends don't lie"

"What?"

"You say soon on day 21" El started, her voice rising in a long built up frustration. Hoppers brows furrowed at her words, he hung his head and heaved an exasperated sigh, "You say soon on day 205. You now say soon on day 326?"

"What is this? You're like counting the days now like you're some kind of prisoner?"

"When is soon?"

"Soon is when... it's not dangerous anymore"

"When?"

Hopper looked at her for second and Tom dared a glance up to see the flash of guilt that passed over him, the man shook his head, "I don't know-"

"On day 500?" El said sharply, glare pointed furiously at him.

"I don't know-"

"On day 600?" Their voices were rising even higher now, tension and frustration building quickly.