Shadows and Monsters- A Jonathan Byers/Stranger Things fanfiction

Chapter 5: Fresh Air

I started the next day like the day before and the day before that and all of my other school days. It seemed colder out today so I threw on a jacket and grabbed a banana and headed towards the bus stop as per usual. I sat on the curb with my banana and journal and started writing about my unexciting life, thinking that later in life I would in fact find it exciting. I thought I would see Mike today, but I didn't which was unusual. But hey, if he wanted to ditch, who am I to judge?

I got on the bus and got off at Hawkins High. I really didn't want to be here today. Maybe I should ditch, but it's too late. I walked past all these kids I didn't like. Steve, Tommy, and Carol were talking with Nancy.

"Hi Julia!" Nancy called out to me, but Steve grabbed her and pulled her back into their prior conversation. I shook my head in sadness for her. I wonder what happened to the girl I used to have slumber parties with in fifth grade. Everybody grows up I guess.

I went to my locker to grab my things and shut it. Going through the rounds of classes was so boring to me. I wasn't learning anything that felt important to me.

It was lunch time, but I wasn't hungry. I decided I needed some air so I did something I technically wasn't supposed to do, according to school rules and sit outside while everyone else was at lunch. I grabbed my cigarettes and lighter from my pocket, sat under my favorite tree in the field next to the school, closed my eyes and breathed in the crisp cold air.

"Stay there." I heard someone say. My eyes were still closed when I saw a flash of light flash in front of me.

"Jonathan?" I opened my eyes to see Jonathan standing with his camera in front of his eye directly in front of me.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him.

"Same reason you're here. Fresh air and being away from everyone else." I patted the ground next to me, motioning for him to sit next to me.

"Plus, not trying to sound creepy, but I know this is your favorite spot." We looked at each other and laughed, because we did in fact agree that it was a little creepy.

"Speaking of creepy.." I laughed. "You never told me the reason behind taking pictures of me." I waited for Jonathan's response, but he didn't say anything. He looked down at the grass and wiggled his fingers between each strand.

"What are you doing after school today?" He changed the subject.

"Hmm, let me think." I pretended to flip through my imaginary schedule. "Free as a bird." I joked.

"Good." He nodded. "Want to take some pictures?"

"Absolutely."

"Parking lot, two o'clock." Jonathan got up and started to walk back into school.

"Jonathan!" Calling for him, he turned around.

"Don't tell anyone about my spot!" Pointing at the tree, Jonathan nodded and walked back into Hawkins High.

I stayed under the tree smoking another cigarette for ten more minutes until I figured lunch had ended. I walked back into school, not trying to look suspicious, and it worked. When you're just another fish in the pond, you can go unnoticed fairly easily. I had two more classes before being able to hang out with Jonathan. I just had to get through Math and Spanish. You know, I never would of thought of myself and Jonathan Byers being friends. We are friends, right? People in school could probably see it, the class loner and the class outsider together, but I just couldn't see it until now. The bell rang at 1:55 and I bolted to my locker. I pushed through groups of people standing in the middle of the hallway talking to each other about who is having sex with who and who's gonna drink the most beer at so and so's party, just to get outside and find Jonathan. I spotted him outside of his car right at two o' clock like he said about two hours ago.

"How was your day?" Jonathan asked.

"Same old, same old." I replied.

"Ready?" He got into the drivers seat and I walked over to the passenger's side and shut the door.

"Julia Bennett and Jonathan Byers!" Tommy and Carol were walking towards us. "What an unlikely likely pair!" Carol shouted. They laughed at whatever they thought was humorous. Simple minded idiots if you ask me. Jonathan started his car and drove out of the school lot.

"Just ignore them." Jonathan whispered.

"I normally do."

"Do you mind if we stop at my house for a minute? I ran out of film and forgot my backup film at home." He asked, looking at me while stopped at red light.

"Of course."

We drove to the Byer's house, which was closer to the school then my house was. It was a small, quaint, charming house, but it had an underlying sadness to it. I couldn't help but think about Will and how much sadness this home must be under right now. Jonathan's mother, Joyce Byers' car was in the rocky driveway as Jonathan pulled in behind her.

"Stay here." Jonathan said to me. I didn't want to intrude, so I nodded my head not minding at all.

Jonathan went inside of his house. I sat in the car looking around. His house was surrounded by trees and the woods. I liked it a lot, and wished I could be in the middle of nowhere, not that they were.

A few minutes went by and I was getting a little worried that something was going on or that Jonathan forgot I was still here. I checked my watch and it had been maybe five minutes or so, but when I looked back up at the house I saw Joyce Byers running out the front door looking panicked. I opened the door and got out of the car to see if she was okay.

"Mrs. Byers? Mrs. Byers, are you okay?" I walked over to her and she grabbed my arm.

"Are you Jonathan's friend?" She breathed heavily in between each word.

"Yes, I'm Julia Bennett." I started to walk her back into her house.

"I saw something in there. Something in the walls." She was petrified and it was rubbing off onto me.

"What did you see?" I asked. She led me into her home. When I entered, I was greeted with hundreds, maybe thousands of Christmas lights all on and strung down every wall and every hall in the house. She led me down a hallway with two bedrooms on each side, which I assumed were Jonathan's and Will's rooms. She opened the door on the right that had a "No Trespassing" sign hung. This is definitely Will's room. Mrs. Byers pointed at the corner wall.

"What did you see?" I asked her again. Before she could answer, I could hear Jonathan enter the room.

"Mom! What are you doing?"He grabbed onto his mother's shoulders to turn her towards him.

"I.. was just showing Julia.."

"What? The monster in the walls?" He yelled harshly.

"I saw something Jonathan! I'm not crazy!"

"Look at this place mom! The lights, the letters on the wall!"

"It's Will! He talked to me!" She exclaimed so sure of herself.

"Will's gone! He's not here!" Jonathan turned to leave. "C'mon Julia." He walked out of the room and out of the house. I turned to Mrs. Byers.

"I believe you." I told her. She hugged me tightly.

"Thank you."

**I hope you guys like it so far! Love love love you!**