𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐚𝐰𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐋𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐫

5. The Talk

November 1, 1984

It was 6:45 it was fifteen minutes into the Wheelers family dinner. It was very quiet that night not much has been happening in Hawkins, not like much has besides everything with the upside-down. Karen was about to ask about everyone's day but was interrupted by the ring of the phone. Karen let out a sigh. She was so exhausted from the day all she wanted to do was sit down and eat a nice meal with her family. Well, the nicest it could get.

"Nancy, can you please get the phone?" Karen asked. Nancy just replied with a nod. She got up and picked up the phone and put it to her ear.

"Hello Wheelers Residences Nancy speaking," Nancy said to the person on the other line.

"Good evening this is Mrs. Martinez is there by chance a Karen Wheeler around?" The person on the phone asked.

"Yes, there is let me go get her." Nancy places the phone to her chest to muffle out any sound. "Mom the phones for you." Karen let out a shaky breath as she stood up to grab the phone.

"Hello, Karen Wheeler speaking."

"Hello, Mrs. Wheeler this is Mrs. Martinez from Derry, Maine child protective services I would like to discuss your nephew Richard Tozier." Karen let out a slight squeak, anxiety rushing through her body. Nancy and Mike observed quietly realizing the tension in the air. Both wondering who this person was to cause their mother to get so shaken up.

Karen's been on the phone for about 30 minutes now. Mike and Nancy were sitting on the couch hoping to catch a word of the conversation. Ted surprisingly was also interested in the discussion. Finally, they heard the click of the phone they jumped when they saw Karen emerge from around the corner, motioning for Ted to follow her.

Karen and Ted quietly walking to the kitchen, worried they'll wake up Holly. Karen slowly leaned her back onto the countertop. "So what was that about?" Ted asked quietly. Showing his tiredness through his tone.

"It was about Richie, Maggie's son. He visited about six years ago, for Nancy's birthday." Ted rolled his neck a little, Ted never liked her.

"What about him?" Karen let out a shaky breath trying to fight back small tears.

"Wentworth, Maggie's husband has been beating him. From what the doctors can tell is years-"

"Wait, doctors and what do you mean they think?"

"One of Richie's friends and their father were checking on him. They saw Wentworth outside beating Richie. The father knocked him out but Richie passed out and was covered in blood and he hasn't woken up yet." Karen began to cry heavily. Ted coming up to her and wrapping her in an awkward hug. "But Ted, god they, the doctors believe he's been assaulted." Ted froze in place.

"Are they sure?" Karen slowly nodded. "So I'm assuming that was social services?"

"Yes, she said she'll call us when he wakes up. They're going to ask him about it." Ted then let out a heavy breath through his nose.

"But that's not what they called you about is it?" "No." Karen said moving away from Ted.

Mike was standing by the kitchen hidden by the wall trying to listen in on the conversation, but only heard one word. Richard.

'Why the hell were mom and dad talking about his annoying ass cousin.' Mike thought. He's only meet him once, but that honestly was enough for him. Richie would always annoy him, constantly making 'I slept with your mom', jokes, and god it must be worse now because that was just six years ago. Mike jumped when his thoughts were interrupted by Nancy.

"You know eavesdropping is not right." She raised her eyebrows slightly.

"Aren't you at all interested in what they are say-." Mike was interrupted by Ted.

"Kids we need to talk." Ted stated as he motioned for them to sit on the couch.

"I'm just going to right to the point, your cousin Richie the one who visited about six years ago, you guys remember him correct?" Karen eyed them while both Nancy and Mike nodded. "Well, it turns out that his parents-" Karen paused to take a shaky breath "-that his parents can no longer take care of him properly. So that means that he's coming to stay with us for a while." Karen finished. Nancy seemed stoned and Mike looks pissed.

"Why us?" Mike asked. He let out a breath he had been holding. He didn't want to deal with another annoying person in his life.

"We're his only living relative." Ted stated.

"How long will he be staying?" Nancy asked.

"He'll be staying for about a month. Then he's going to go to court. That will determine if he'll be living with us permanently or going back to his parents. But I want you guys to expect him living with us permanently, we're going to do everything in our power to have him stay with us."

Mike wanted to push some more answers out but, stopped noticing how shaken up his Mom seemed. He knew he won't ask more questions tonight, but will continue tomorrow. For now, Mike has a stupid bucky beaver to worry about.

Authors note

Hello my flowerboys. So sorry this is posted a lot later them normal had a lot of stuff to do today. Hope y'all are doing good. Hope you enjoy the chapter, it's more of a filler really. Alright, see you losers soon. I love you my flowerboys!