unpredictable ; jonathan byers

chapter four- long drives and asshole fathers

Casey

"So, what's the game plan?" I asked Jonathan as the Welcome to Indianapolis road sign was beginning to come into view on the old country road. 

"Game plan?" He questioned, and furrowed his eyes, while keeping his gaze on the road. "What game plan?"

"Oh, come on," I muttered, glancing over to him, even though he wasn't looking at me. "You have to have a plan once we get there."

His shoulders shrugged, and a cute half smile appeared upon his face. "I don't really have much of a plan. Go in, search for Will, get out, then buy you some lunch afterwards." 

My jaw dropped as my eyes were still glued to him. "And if you know me, which you do, you should know by now that I'm not going to allow that," I told him. "If anything, I'm buying you lunch." 

"Oh, quit with the bullshit," He said, an amused smile beginning to grace his lips. "Just let me buy you a meal for once."

"Jonathan, no-"

"You might as well stop now, because in the end, I'm going to end up getting my way," He stated, his eyes focused on the road in front of him. I huffed, and crossed my arms over my chest. "Besides, it's not like it's a da-" There was a sudden stoppage of his words.

I glanced back up at him with a raised eyebrow. "Not like it's what?"

He cleared his throat, nervously, as a light pink blush began to tint his cheeks and it was as if he was avoiding all eye contact. "It's, uh, nothin'. Don't worry about it," He said quickly.

I decided to not ask him further about it, and I shifted in my seat, glancing out the window at the city as it was growing farther away at this point. Occasionally, I would catch him looking at me out of the corner of my eye, but generally, his face stayed emotionless as he drove. I assumed he was just psyching himself up to talk to his father. Lonnie, and Joyce's relationship was one that I had always been well informed of, as Jonathan used to always call me in the middle of the night when we were younger, and he would cry to me about the recent fights they'd have. I knew it was really none of my business, but even back then I was still trying to impress him, so I always listened.

"We're here," Jonathan stated, stalling the car, glancing up at the run down house in front of us. I looked at it in distaste, taking in peeling paint, and broken shutters. I shivered from the cold weather as I hopped out of the car, and I closed the door behind me while Jonathan locked it. He then held his hand out for me, and I didn't hesitate to grab ahold of it. I figured it didn't mean anything, he was just nervous, and I was going to be there for him. We silently walked up to the house together, and I followed his lead as we stepped onto the front porch. He banged on the door with his free hand, and called out, "Hello?"

"Yeah?" We both heard someone call from the inside, and only a few seconds later, a younger woman with obviously dyed hair, and horrible blue eye shadow opened the door. "Can I help you?"

"Yeah," Jonathan replied instantly. "Lonnie around?"

"He's out back, what do you want?" The woman asked, taking a drag from the cigarette in between her fingers.

"To look around," he said, then proceeded to not give a damn, and he pushed past the woman, and made his way into the house, while pulling me behind him, despite the woman's protests against it. "Will? Are you here, Will?" Jonathan began to call out, letting go of my hand, and he began to peek into each room. I stood back, crossing my arms over my chest as I let him do his business so we could get out of here as soon as possible. As Jonathan left one of the rooms, a man, none other than Lonnie came bursting out of a different room, pinning his son to the wall.