blue ( stranger things ) ✓

2; the weirdo on maple street

2. THE WEIRDO ON MAPLE STREET

❝DARLIN' YOU GOT TO LET ME KNOW SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO,❞

edited

Winona yawned reaching for the pastel blue pencil case on the table, she hadn't slept all night. Partly due to the fact she'd been waiting for Dustin to come home after noticing that he'd snuck out and partly writing an article about how Will was missing. The football article was long forgotten and Winona she knew that half the school editors couldn't care what she put on it as long as there was an article.

A cold mac and cheese lay next to her in a ceramic bowl and occasionally she'd have some savoring the cheesy goodness. Her pen trailed across the paper drawing small flowers and the occasionally heart. Jonathan had dropped her home and walked her inside mumbling something along the lines of thank you and he appreciated it. Unlike him Winona was a people person and had promptly given him a hug and kiss on the cheek telling him if ever they needed it she was right there.

She yawned glancing over the clock that read 5:30 and letting out a sigh. The article was perhaps the worse thing she had ever written and her lack of information on the topic and choice not to include the creepy phone call meant it was a dry read. But then again this was a small town and nothing ever happened here.

Will Byer, unaccounted since 8:30 pm Sunday night. Will was last seen riding along Anderson lane on Sunday and is currently on our town's missing person list. Our town has such a large close knit community and we urge anyone-

She stopped writing scrunching the paper up and letting out an annoyed groan. She rested her head upon the table hitting her fist against it, her sleep deprived mind couldn't apparently grasp how to write a decent sentence let alone paragraph. There was a knock at the door but she didn't respond merely wallowing in self pity. After a seconds the person knocked again and she dragged herself up not wanting to awaken anyone else.

She sighed opening it as she ran a hand through her messy black hair before opening it and squinting out into the darkness.

"Jonathan?" She mumbled with holding a yawn. The light from the door spilled onto his face along with his trusty camera. He raised a hand letting out a shaky smile, his backpack was slung across one shoulder and full to the brim with missing posters.

"I'm putting up posters," he mumbled, "Do you want to help?" he looked over at her hopefully. She yawned nodding her head and turning around to push everything inside her bag and then grab a coat.

"We'll he isn't going to find himself is he?" she grinned at him, at this he responded with a weak but grateful smile. She stifled yet another yawn closing the door shut after him as they walked down onto the streets.

Their high school was about a half hour walk away, 15-minute bike ride, but it took them longer for every lamp post or store that came into view quickly became peppered with the different flyers. Jonathan wasn't much of a talker so a majority of the walk was in quiet. Once or twice he'd say something and she'd respond but Winona was smart enough to know that right now Jonathan couldn't care less about the latest episode of M*A*S*H.

"Your hair looks nice like that," He said randomly as he stuck another poster up outside the Vet. She raised a hand to touch the plait smiling, "Thanks,"

His smiled wavered slightly before he turned around and continued to walk down the alley. She sighed running a hand along a picketed white fence, he walked ahead of her and soon the school came into view.

By now students were already there and the school was close to starting. Their long walk had resulted in many hours being wasted and Winona felt dead on her feet. In fact, underneath her jumper and coat was still her checked pajama pants. The pin up board was just inside the school and had just about every single bit of information possible on it. Winona ripped off the mathletes posters to make space.

"Thanks," Jonathan pinned on the poster before look at her then back at the sheet of paper. "Could I ask you one more favour?"

"Yeah sure," Winona shrugged at him, as they stood by the board a few students stared at the friendless duo. The school's best reporter and her silent awkward photographer, killing the game since freshman year.

"Could you come with me to see my Dad? I need to ask him about Will," The word's spilled out and she found herself nodding. She had decided that she was going to help Will, what was stopping her?

✛

It occurred to her as she sat in the front seat of Jonathan's car that she had never wagged school before. Most likely if she were to ever do it again it wouldn't involve her sitting in a car with a boy she found oddly attractive, in his jacket listening to the clash. A part of her knew that she was helping him for somewhat selfish reasons, she wanted to impress him. Sure, she was doing that but...

She shifted pulling the jacket closer as she enjoyed the small rays of sunlight shining into the car. Her eyes were closed as she rested her head against the window. Occasionally he'd glance over at her but generally his face stayed emotionless as he drove. She assumed that he was psyching himself up to talk to his father. Lonnie and Joyce's relationship had always been one that she had been well informed off, Dustin used to come back from Will's and talk about the latest argument occurring between the parents. Winona knew it was none of her business but she was a busy body at best.

"We're here," Jonathan stalled the car glancing at the run down house in front of them. Winona looked at it in distaste taking in its broken windows and peeling painted walls. The whole house could do with a renovation and the front yard resembled a pig sty. She picked her way through the rusted car parts and general rubbish and knocked on the door. Jonathan was several steps behind her looking at the house impassively.

"Hello?" she called out knocking again only for an annoyed woman to call out that she was coming. The woman who opened the door was in her twenty's with bright red hair that was clearly dyed and had a cigarette in hand. As soon as she saw the cigarette Winona found herself wanting one.

"And you are?" The woman asked looking from Jonathan's shabby clothes and annoyed expression to Winona's school girlish looks and hint of a pajama top.

"I'm Winona Henderson and this Jonathan Beyers. We're looking Lonnie," Winona felt Jonathan nudge her to the side as he took center stage.

"We need right now," he said resting a hand on the doorknob.

"Well Lonnie ain't here right now," the girl took a drag of her cigarette and blew the smoke into their faces. Jonathan didn't take no for an answer and trusted the door open storming into the house.

"So I'm a reporter for the school," Winona said wincing as more than one door was slammed as she looked at the unimpressed red head, "What do you do?" There was no response just more smoke blown into her face. "Okay well that's nice too," Winona mumbled waving it away and glancing out into the corridor. She couldn't see but heard the low rumble of voices, she let out a sigh of relief for maybe that meant Will was there.

Yet alas there was only Jonathan and his dead beat father. Lonnie seemed to have gotten even worse over the year or so he'd been gone. His hair was now silver and the stubble on his face was growing into a beard. "Look Jonathan," he had a hand on Jonathan's shoulder not noticing the sour expression his son wore, "Will isn't here but if you and your lady friend need to crash for the night then Cynthia and I would be happy to have you two,"

Winona's eyes practically rolled back into her skull as Jonathan looked on the verge of exploding, "Don't you care about the fact your son is missing? You know what?" he dug into his pocket pulling out the missing poster with Will's picture on it, "In case you forgot what your own son looks like,"

He pushed past his father and took Winona's hand as she turned around to flip Lonnie off, "Some father you are," she called out as she stumbled after Jonathan his hand still warm in her own.