Shadows and Monsters- A Jonathan Byers/Stranger Things fanfiction

Chapter 32: Party's Over

Jonathan placed me into his car and got into the driver's seat immediately. He sped off, leaving Tina's house in the dust behind us. I rolled down the window and could feel my face heating up. I turned to face Jonathan.

"Jonathan... I'm sorry" I confessed. "I didn't-"

"I saw what happened. I saw the whole thing. I know you didn't want that." He looked over at me for a second, then put his eyes back on the road.

"He came.. he's strong.... I couldn't get him off." My words still slurred together sounding like one big word mushed together.

"I saw the look on your face." Jonathan's tone elevated "You're helpless."

"You saved me." I felt a tear drop from my eyes to my sweatshirt.

"Because I love you."

"I love you too, but I'm going to be sick." Jonathan pulled his car over only 5 minutes from my house. I nearly made it.

"Wait!" Jonathan got out of the car quickly as he opened my door and got to my left side. He held my arm up with one arm and the other I felt grab my hair, holding it away from my face. I threw up on the dirt and looked back up at Jonathan.

"Come here." Jonathan unzipped my sweatshirt and took my arms out one by one. He balled it up and wiped my mouth clean of puke.

"Better." He smiled. I wrapped my arms around him for a moment before getting back into his car. We pulled onto my street a couple minutes later, when I saw my dad's car parked in the drive way.

"Oh shit." I panicked. "My dad's home. I can't go in. He's gonna smell the alcohol on me. He's gonna kill me."

"Let's go to my house. My mom won't mind." I smiled and nodded to the thought of being safe at the Byers' house.

I got back in the car, still feeling drunk. I closed my eyes hoping this dizzy feeling would go away. I took deep breaths until I felt the car stop, knowing I was safe at Jonathan's. It was very late and I hoped that Mrs. Byers or Will wouldn't see me like this. I wasn't my normal self.

Jonathan helped me get out of the car by wrapping my arm over his broad shoulders to help me balance my weight, half on him and half on the ground as my feet dangled in between sloppy steps.

The house was quiet and dark. Everyone must've been asleep at this ungodly hour. I started to tiptoe down the hallway to Jonathan's room as he quietly crept behind me. Jonathan closed his door and sighed. He brushed his hair back, revealing his forehead, with his fingers. I sighed too, mesmerized by him.

"Here. Take some clean clothes." Jonathan threw a Smiths shirt at me with some cotton pants. Jonathan went to open the door to leave, when the floor made a loud creak and the door as well.

"Shhhh. You'll wake up everyone in Hawkins! Just turn around." I told him. Jonathan shut the door as I turned facing the corner. I could hear him walking back over towards me.

"Your eyes better be shut Byers." I whispered to him. I slipped off my skirt and tights and pulled on Jonathan's pants. They felt light and so comfortable. I never wanted to wear a skirt again after tonight. I turned around to see if Jonathan was peeking, but he wasn't. He sat on his bed eyes closed. I began to slip off my turtleneck but couldn't finish getting it over my head. I tried for what seemed like 10 minutes when I heard:

"Are you done yet?" Jonathan said through a smile.

"I can't get this shirt off. Can you help me?"

"Can I open my eyes?" Jonathan asked. I sighed and said yes.

I flung my arms up into the air and felt Jonathan slip my sleeves off one by one. I couldn't see but I felt the hairs on my nearly bare chest stand up, as he pulled the neck part over and off of my head. I was wearing a basic white bra that I thought no one would be seeing tonight, but I guess I didn't have a choice. Jonathan finally got my shirt off and I could see again. It took my drunken mind a minute to realize I was standing in my bra in front of Jonathan Byers and I didn't say anything. Neither did he, but I watched his eyes looking, covering me completely. He looked down at the ground.

"Thank you." I said to him. He stood in front of me still, avoiding eye contact. I walked closer to him until I was under his nose. Jonathan was now looking at me, as his head leaned closer to mine kissing my lips. I cupped his soft cheeks in my hands as I continued to kiss him. His hands glided down my back. I could feel his individual fingers as they petted my lower back causing me to have goosebumps. I gave him one last, long kiss as I stepped back and put his shirt on. Silence hung in the room as we smiled at each other, acting like 2 giddy kids.

"I'll be on the couch if you need anything. Good night." Jonathan kissed my head as he took one of his pillows and closed the door. As much as Mrs. Byers likes me, if she walked in on me in Jonathan's bed it would be game over.

I pulled off my bra under Jonathan's shirt and got into Jonathan's covers. I laid on my back looking at the same ceiling Jonathan looks at every night. I felt peaceful now, maybe because I was in a safe place or maybe because I was drunk but either way it was beautiful.

~

"Julia... Julia come on we gotta get to school."

I woke up covered in sweat and in a panic. I couldn't breathe and swore I must've had some sort of nightmare. Breathing heavy, Jonathan sat in front of me. His hand was on my back and his eyes looked as confused as me.

"Julia are you okay?! What's the matter?" He asked. My vision blocked by a wall of tears not wanting to leave my eyes. My nightmare had stemmed from my dad. Flashes of thoughts ran through my head. I felt like steam was leaving my nose and ears. I was angry, frustrated, anxious, and scared.

"Am I going to be like him? The town drunk? The alcoholic? The mental case? It runs in my family, you know." The tears escaped as Jonathan moved closer and held me in his arms.

"No... never. You will never be like him. This was your first time drinking. You need to cut yourself some slack Julia."

"I just feel like I-"

"Have a weight you're carrying on your shoulders?" Jonathan took the words right out of my mouth.

"I feel it too." He let go of the embrace.

"But Will's home now."

"Yeah... yeah he is. But you know, he's not the same. I try to be there for him, you know to help him, but I don't know. I mean maybe things just can't go back to the way they were." He was concerned and so was I.

"But doesn't that make you mad?" I asked him.

"Mad?" He shook his head.

"Yeah, mad at the people who did this! They ruined so many lives and they can just get away with it."

"The people responsible for this are dead." He shot back.

"Jonathan do you really believe that?"