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chapter one — ❝ through the change that never came ❞
[ ∞ · ♡ ]
HAWKINS, INDIANA 1986
There was never really one consistent thing that woke him up every morning. Not like in the way most people set up their alarm clock to blare loudly at whatever time in the early hours of the morning sun having just risen.
No, there was a few different things that woke him.
Sometimes, not anymore, his older sister Nancy would bang her fists against his bedroom door, shouting at him that he would be late if he didn't get up soon. He would scramble out of bed, his hair a total mess, only to find that most times he wasn't actually running late. He hadn't been woken up by her like this ever since she left for college, though.
Other times, his mother would caringly knock against the bedroom door, call out to him a few times, louder and louder with each time if he hadn't responded to her by a certain time. It was a more preferred way of waking up.
On weekends, he would sometimes wake up earlier than he would normally for school. A soft itch against his cheeks, his nose, his chin, something unknown until he would crack open his eyes to be greeted by the sight of none other than El Hopper grinning at him with that same adoring smile he had clearly fallen for. That was his favorite way to wake up, actually.
His least favorite—
"Miiiike!" Thump, thump, thump! "We're going to be late! Miiiiiiike! Mike!"
That one was his least favorite.
Even though Nancy had mostly moved out for college during the past year of school and was back already for the summer, his younger sister Holly had taken up her spot in waking up Mike with that same way. She was such a pest sometimes, and every single time he asked her about it, all she would do is give him a sassy response about how it was a girl thing and he just wouldn't understand.
As she continued shouting out annoyingly, continuing to bang her tiny fists against the door, he rolled over, groaned loudly into his pillow. He sat up sluggishly, practically dragging out of the comfort of his bed, then stomped over to the door, swung it open with a scowl on his face. Holly just smiled innocently up at him, already dressed for school, the only thing missing was her hair to he done.
"I'm up," Mike grumbled out, tossing a glance over towards the clock on his nightstand. "And we're nowhere near being late."
