Stranger Things | Zack Hansen [discontinued]

Burn Victims

“That song is about when I went through an extensive period of time dealing with being molested as a kid. I saw it as an opportunity to just be honest and connect with kids that have dealt with the same thing. Life for me is an open book.”       - Garret Rapp on track one of Know Hope; Burn Victims

“And here she comes.” Dragging my suitcase behind me, my body ached with sleepiness and heaviness. But at the sound of his voice, I perked my head up. Leaning against a wall with his arms firmly crossed over his chest staring at me was none other than David. Before I got off the plane, the time read 7:03 a.m. and I was not expecting him to pick me up from the airport. He’s not even awake at this time at home.

“What are you doing here?” I dropped my bag and huffed with defeat.

“Decided to pick you up.” He shrugged his shoulders. The boy was still in his batman pj bottoms and an oversize white shirt. His dreads were pulled into a ponytail and his shoes were Toms. He even had his glasses on.

I stared at him with a smile on my face. With so much that has happened since we first met, I’m glad David and I stayed as close as we did. Especially when Jason left, I thought things would get really strained between us. But it shows to prove how tight of a friendship we’ve made over the past five years.

And the fact that he woke up at seven in the morning to pick me up from the airport made my heart swell with so much joy that it physically hurt my chest.

“Come on,” David whined. “Ronnie’s mom cooked  breakfast. Ronnie texted me.” I blinked my eyes at him and flicker my eyes down to my bag.

“Well, the bag isn’t going to carry itself.” He groaned with the roll of his eyes before bending down to pick up the suitcase by the handle. Unlike David, everyone else in BOO weren’t so lucky in getting their own place. Ronnie moved back in with his parents, just like Joe, Cameron, and Lee.

David didn’t really have enough money to move either, but he also didn’t want me to have to move in with him if he had to live with his parents. So we scraped up some cash and are now currently renting out a one bedroom apartment with a rent of 350$ a month.

But although the situation is pretty bad, we’re all trying to save up money to move in together again. A new house that is free of memories of Jason.

“I am soooo tired dude,” I sighed as I let my hand out the window, letting the air slip through my fingers. I miss home. I love my job and all, but sometimes, nothing beats being around your friends sharing a bottle of Jameson, even when one of them tries to chug it all and ends up vomiting on himself and still finishes the bottle. Stupid Joe. 

“You’re telling me. I can never get a normal sleeping schedule.” He sighed while slamming his hands the steering wheel and pulling into a different lane. “But I am starving. And Ronnie's mom makes the best fucking breakfast casserole ever.” He moaned as he leaned his head back on the seat.

“How many people you think Ronnie invited over?” I asked.

David snorts with an eye roll. “Knowing Ronnie,” He left it at that until we got to the house. Only then, did her answer;

“The whole band.” We stand in the living room of Ms. Canizaro’s house. Lee, Joe, and Cameron are all seated on the couch with a plate of ‘breakfast casserole’. Which really looks to be scrambled eggs with bits of bacon tossed up in there, baked into what I’m hoping is pancake batter.

“Hey, Casey!” Joe flicked his fork and a piece of egg hit me in the forehead.  Joe and Ronnie go hand in hand. They’re the drinkers of the group and Joe balances out Ronnie’s toughness with his stupidity and bubbly personality.