Shadows and Monsters- A Jonathan Byers/Stranger Things fanfiction

Chapter 4: Home

    The cold breeze hit my face from the open window in Jonathan Byer's car. It felt nice against my skin and helped me unwind after such an eventful day. The radio was playing The Beatles' song Ticket To Ride and I couldn't refrain from quietly singing along to myself. I could see from my peripheral that Jonathan was looking at me from time to time, but I was too hesitant to look back. I directed him to where my house was, which was only fifteen minutes from the school on a traffic free day.

"So you like The Beatles.." He started to small talk, which I never got the hang of.

"Yeah, my mom would listen to them around the house when I was a kid."

I never talked about my mom much anymore, especially to other people. I thought about her a lot though. I never really got a chance to see her. My dad tells me that he sees her a couple times a week when he can, but he hasn't told me anything about that in a long time. David Bowie's Starman came on the radio after The Beatles and I looked over at Jonathan, and he was bopping his head up and down to the beat and seemed to be into it.

"So you like David Bowie.." I copied his tone from his nearly identical question to me.

"Yeah, Will and I used to listen to him together." I smiled at him the best I could. I didn't know what to say. I'm sure he's heard it all before. Nothing I could say would do or change anything. Jonathan pulled into the empty driveway of the empty house.

"This is it." I told him.

"Nobody's home." He noticed.

"Usually it's just me." He looked at me concerned but knowing nothing could be done.

"Do you want to come in?" I offered. "You don't have to, if you don't want to."

"Okay." He smiled and we both got out of the car.

"Your house is really pretty, I mean from what the outside looks like." Jonathan started.

"I think so too. My dad bought it after a woman died in it." I shot him a look with a raised eyebrow and he smiled.

I took out my key and opened the front door and shut it behind Jonathan. He seemed impressed by the inside for some reason, but maybe I had gotten tired of the drab curtains and wallpaper and the eerie feeling of being alone in the house everyday.

"Still think it's pretty?" I asked him, jokingly.

"Very."

Jonathan walked around my kitchen and living room, inspecting the details of the old decor my mom thought was a good idea to buy at the time, but forgot to think about how much dusting would have to be done for each piece she bought. Although, it has been left undusted for a while now.

"My room's upstairs, would you like to see that too?" I pointed towards the second floor of my house, which was just my bedroom and my parent's bedroom. Jonathan walked towards me and we both headed towards the stairs.

He walked into my room before me, surprised at what he saw. Posters covering the walls from ceiling to floor of all my favorite bands and music icons. Bowie, Joy Division, The Smiths, The Beatles, Michael Jackson, The Clash, The Ramones, and many more.

"I've never seen a room like this before." He whispered. I sat on my bed and watched him curiously looked around.

"Thanks, I think."

"No, it's great. My mom would never let me do this." He laughed and sat on my bed next to me, still looking around the walls of my room.

"My dad doesn't really care about what I do." I looked down at my fingers and picked at a hangnail. It's what I do when I feel awkward. I could sense Jonathan staring at me, but I didn't say anything more on the subject.

"Maybe not with your room, but he cares about you." I looked up to his truly sincere face and smiled at him. I could feel my body tensing, trying to hold back the tears. Hearing someone tell me that my dad cares about me, even though he didn't show it just hit me so hard.

"Thank you." I meant it with every being in my body.

"You know I'd love to take pictures in here some time, if you'll let me."

"Of my room?" I asked.

"Well yeah, and of you, if you want." Shyly, Jonathan looked down at my messy carpeted floor.

"Sure. I'd like that a lot." I looked at him and he finally looked back at me and smiled.

"Well I better go, I gotta get back home to my mom."

"Of course. How is she doing?" I wondered, trying not to sound nosey.

"She's doing alright." I knew he was lying but I wasn't going to push for the truth. A woman who doesn't know where her youngest son is can't just be alright. I couldn't imagine. I showed Jonathan out of my house and walked with him back to his car.

"I'll see you tomorrow, I guess." He said.

"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow Jonathan Byers." I said, as he got into his car, shut the door, and drove out of sight.