Whispers of the Unknown: A Stranger Things Tale

Chapter 9:

A Totally Tubular Christmas Surprise

Saturday December 24th 1983

Ally turned off her car engine, pulling the visor down to check her reflection, before she looked towards the large, inviting home. Christmas wreaths hung at every window, glowing with warm lights, as a light snow began to fall. She hesitated, her mind filled with uncertainty about whether she should really be here.

Before she could make up her mind, headlights flooded the inside of her car as another vehicle pulled up behind her, parking at the curb. Ally glanced at her side mirror and saw Johnathon Byers stepping out of his beat-up Ford, heading for the path that lead to the front door before he recognized Ally's red BMW.

"Ally?" he called out, tapping on her window with a smile.

Rolling down her window, she felt the sharp chill of the night. "Hey," she greeted him, returning an unsure smile.

"Are you coming in?" Johnathon asked, gesturing towards the door, his shaggy hair already dusted with snow.

"Yeah... yes," she replied, hyping herself up. She rolled up the window and stepped out into the wintery night, wrapping her coat tightly around her.

Ally and Johnathon walked side by side, the sound of her boots clicking on the path. The silence between them felt awkward, but before they reached the door, Johnathon broke it.

"Hey, I wanted to say thank you for that night. I just haven't seen you around much in the last month," he said, his voice filled with genuine gratitude.

"Oh, it was nothing, a group effort really," she replied, signaling that she wasn't comfortable discussing it further.

"Yeah, definitely..." he trailed off, thoughts drifting back to the ordeal.

"How is Will? And your mom?" Ally asked curiously, her breath visible in the cold night air.

"Well, Mom has been keeping a close eye on Will," he replied honestly, tilting his head with a shrug.

Ally scoffed in agreement, "I don't blame her."

"And Will is doing surprisingly well. Come see for yourself, the boys will be happy to see you," he said with a smile, knocking on the door.

Almost instantly, Mrs. Wheeler welcomed them inside, offering respite from the cold. The Wheeler house radiated warmth, filled with the comforting scent of a crackling fire and freshly baked treats. With her hair perfectly coiffed, Mrs. Wheeler greeted them with a bright smile, her eyes twinkling with holiday cheer.

"How's your mom?" Mrs. Wheeler asked Jonathan, straightening her apron.

"Yeah, she's great. We're all doing fine." He answered avoiding eye contact with the woman.

Ally watched him curiously, wondering why he wasn't being as honest with Mrs. Wheeler, or perhaps she could understand why.

"And you Ally, how's your mom? I haven't seen her in aerobics class for a couple of weeks." Mrs. Wheeler asked casually, making small talk.

"Oh, well, she's picked up some extra shifts at the hospital. She's usually busy around this time of year," Ally explained with a soft smile.

Mrs Wheeler nodded along listening to Ally before the ding of her oven timer went off. "Well the boys are downstairs," She motioned to the basement door where the their rambunctious voices echoed.

Johnathon led the way, and Ally gave Mrs. Wheeler a friendly smile before descending the basement steps behind him.

"Jeez, what's that smell?" Johnathon teased, a wicked smirk on his face. "Have you guys been playing games or just farting?" The boys erupted in laughter, joining in on Johnathon's joke.