Shadows and Monsters- A Jonathan Byers/Stranger Things fanfiction

Chapter 6: The Lights

Mrs. Byers let me out of her warm, yet tight embrace. I smiled at her and told her it was nice meeting her. After, I ran quickly out of the house to where Jonathan was. He was sitting on his front steps with his head in his hands. He wasn't crying, but he was clearly upset. I sat next to him and leaned my head on his shoulder. I rubbed my hand up and down his back until he sat up.

"I'm sorry." He confessed.

"You don't have to keep apologizing to me. It's okay." I tried to relieve him.

"Let's get out of here." He strided towards his car and I walked behind him, trying to keep up.

Jonathan started his car and drove towards my house. I wanted so badly to tell him that he shouldn't be so hard on his mother and that she was going through Will's disappearance too, but I didn't want to overstep my boundaries. I was on Jonathan's side, but I did believe Mrs. Byers.

"I think your mom is just doing the best she can to try and cope with everything that's going on." I decided to speak up because Jonathan seemed a lot calmer than before.

"I know. I just don't want her to drive herself crazy thinking that her and Will talk through lights." He sighed with his eyes focused on the road.

"Maybe that's what she sees." I sighed. "She just wants to know where Will is and if he's okay." Jonathan didn't reply for a moment. "I'm sorry if I'm overstepping." I felt badly for talking on behalf of his mother.

"It's okay." He told me. "I just want to forget about it for now."

We pulled into my driveway and walked into my house. It was dark until I turned some lights on. It looked like no one had been home in weeks. Jonathan seemed to feel curious again. He wondered into my living room looking at family pictures lining the fireplace mantel. I wished he wouldn't.

"If you don't mind me asking, where's your mom?" Jonathan turned to me to ask. I stood completely still, just shell shocked that someone even said the word "mom" in front of me and asked about her. I felt like I couldn't breathe and that my body took a sudden fever. I changed the subject before Jonathan could ask me anymore questions about her.

"Want anything to drink or eat?" I asked. Jonathan looked down at the ground, probably disappointed in my lack of trust.

"No thanks." He said. I pointed to upstairs with a look on my face that indicated a question for if he was ready to take some pictures. He understood and walked out of the living room towards me, towards upstairs and I trailed behind him.

Jonathan started taking pictures of just my room because he said it was cool. I was proud of the way my room looked, I just never had anyone else agree with me.

"Are you ready for your close up?" He joked.

"I've never had someone want to take my picture and having to pose for them before." I confessed.

"I'll help you."

"Is what I'm wearing okay?" I wasn't sure if it was what he was looking for, not that I was going to dress in my fancy clothes for a few pictures.

"Yeah, just maybe take your jacket off." He motioned for it and I threw it at him and he threw it on my bed. I was wearing a long sleeved cropped black t-shirt underneath my olive green parka. You couldn't see my stomach really, but I was feeling insecure for even a little of it being photographed.

"Great." He reassured me.

"So how do I pose? Where do I go?" Jonathan positioned me to stand in front of one of the sides of my wall covered in posters.

"Just act like the camera is your friend, like you're talking to the camera except you're just using your face and not saying anything at all."

I tried to smile a little bit and tried not to act as awkward as I normally do, but I could tell that was reality. I tucked my hair behind my ears and looked down, bam a flash went off. I looked at Jonathan and smiled, bam a flash went off. I turned my head to the right to look out my window, bam a flash went off.

"You're doing great." He told me as I smiled and another flash went off.

"I feel extremely awkward." I laughed and he took another picture.

"Just a couple more, but I want you to try something."

"Okay."

"Look into the camera like how you would look at someone you love." I looked at the ground trying to even think of someone I could think of. I love my dad and my mom, but they were never around. No one really came to mind.

"Are you okay?" He asked, putting the camera down from his eye.

"Yeah, sorry. I'm ready." I opened my eyes and imagined being in a romantic movie and just tried to imagine being in love with someone. Someone like.. Jonathan. My thought was cut off from looking up at the camera and a flash going off.

"Can I take YOUR picture?" I asked. I wanted to be in denial of the thought that just entered my brain. Jonathan? No Julia, he's just a nice boy being nice to you.

"I'm not one for being in front of the camera." He laughed.

"C'mon, If you get to sit there taking pictures of me I think it's only fair I take one of you, Jonathan Byers."

"Alright alright." He reluctantly stood up and I grabbed his arm, dragging him to stand in front of the wall I was previously standing at.

"Now what do I do?" I inquired. Jonathan told me what to do and I asked him if he was ready, bam flash.

"That's gonna be a good one." I suspected. Jonathan shook his head and smiled.

"When are you going to develop them?" I asked.

"Tomorrow after school, if you want to join me." He answered looking through the film.

"Yeah, of course. I can't wait to see them."

"Me too." Jonathan put his camera back into his bag.

"Well I have to get going." He added. "I have to go to my dad's house to see if there's any possibility that Will is there."

"Good luck." I told him.

I walked Jonathan to his car, and waved to him as he drove into the sunset. I hoped Will was there and safe. For God's sake, they needed him.