June 29th, 1985

Downtown Hawkins

After dropping Erica off back home, I spent a great deal of time debating whether or not I should go back home or go and confront my mom about putting our house on the market.

The walk between home and downtown from the Sinclairs was practically the same distance. And the idea of confronting Mom in front of Will about the whole situation at home was the final push in my decision.

Maybe it's better to do it now rather than later.

The streets of Downtown Hawkins are like a ghostland these days.

Even though there's not a person in sight, signs and flyers littered the empty streets. Ranging from 'Everything Half Off' banisters in store windows, to 'Say No to the Mall' posters on the light poles, and lastly the 'Out of Business' signs plastered on most of the small-town stores.

Melvalds, the general store that my mom worked at, luckily wasn't out of business. But it's making its way there. A sign hung in the display window stating that the store's new sale ranged everything on the shelves from fifty to seventy percent off.

Pushing through the stores' glass door, the bell above my head chimed lightly.

My mom sat on the counter of the pharmacy with Chief Hopper, their hands interlocked. Which was somehow both shocking and unsurprising at the same time, but that's something we'd have to talk about later.

"Hey, Nell. I thought you were watching Erica today?" She hopped off of the counter, making her way towards me while Hopper stayed in his place on the counter, his eyes following her every move. "I just dropped her off," I stated simply as she pulled me into a tight hug.

"Oh, okay. So, Hop and I have been working on a speech for him to give to El and Mike, do you wanna hear it? Give us some feedback, I think it's pretty great." The grin on her face was infectious but I quickly shook it off. "No. No offense, Hop. I need to talk to you." I threw an awkward smile in the Chief's direction before he could unfold the small note.

"What's wrong?" She placed a comforting hand on my shoulder only for me to quickly shrug it off. "Why are you selling the house?" I asked resentfully, her smile instantly falling at the sound of my voice. "What?"

"More importantly why didn't you tell us?" I continued slowly before pulling out the folded letter from my bag. "Where did you get that?" She asked, quickly pulling the letter from my hand. "It was on the counter, I found it this morning."

"I was going to tell you guys." She spoke softly, placing a hand on my shoulder. "When? When the house was already sold?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows together. "Cause it kind of looks that way."

Shaking her head, she ushered me towards the checkout counter in silence. "Mom, what if Will found this. You know this will break his heart." I sat on the top of the counter while she stood in front of me. "I don't expect you to understand, Nellie. But we have to leave this town. It's what's best for Will, for our family"

Shaking my head, I ignored the tears welling up in my eyes. "How is this what's best? We've spent our whole lives here. Will has friends here, he's about to start high school. And Jonathan just got his dream job here. And it's about to be our senior year. How is this what's best?" I spoke quickly but she only stayed quiet, slowly shaking her head.

"It's not safe here, Nell. I don't want to uproot you guys, trust me. But these last two years have been hell for us, you know that."

"El closed the gate. You got that thing out of Will. It's over, so why do we have to leave?" I struggled to understand her logic over the situation, why couldn't she explain this to us before she put our house on the market?

"Listen, kid. Your mom has thought about this for a long time and-" "Hop, not now." My mom cut him off, side-eyeing him before turning back to me. "Nellie, don't you want what's best for Will?" She spoke slowly.

"Obviously," I muttered, looking down at my hands, pulling at the silver ring on my finger. "Then you have to trust me on this one." I nodded slowly before sliding off of the counter. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you guys." She whispered to me as she pulled me into a hug.

"I'm sorry I got mad," I mumbled into her shoulder before pulling away. "When are you going to tell them?" I asked, rubbing away the leftover tears in my eyes. "I don't know yet..."

~~~

"I'm home!" I called out as I opened the front door, only to be greeted by the empty house's gloomy atmosphere. Kicking off my shoes, I walked into the living room to find it empty, with the tv left on. A rerun episode of Cheers was left playing for no one. "Anyone home?" I called out as I clicked off the tv.

Walking down the hallway, I knocked on Will and Jonathans' bedroom doors but received no response. Letting out an exhausted sigh, I made my way towards my room stopping in my tracks in front of the door as I heard a thump from behind the door.

Slowly placing my hand on the handle, I leaned my ear against the wood. It sounded like I left my stereo on as Every Breath You Take played quietly from within the room. Only I knew that I definitely didn't leave it on.

Even with all the cheesy horror films that I watch, I ignored the little voice inside my head that told me to not open the door.

Slowly turning the handle, I peeked through the crack in my door to find that multiple lit candles filled my room, and the culprit sat on my floor with his legs crossed.

Pushing my door all the way open, I looked over my room before letting out a sheepish laugh. "Do you like it?" Steve asked, quickly standing up from his place on the floor, rubbing his hands off on his jeans. "I had to let Robin take my half of the tips to let me skip out early."

Rolling my eyes at his words, I pulled him into a tight hug. "You're crazy, you know that?" I mumbled into his neck while he wrapped his arms around me. "That means you like it right?" He asked jokingly before pulling away. "I'd be stupid if I didn't. Thank you."

"Why are you thanking me?" He asked as we sat down on the foot of my bed. "I've just had a shitty day, but thanks to you it doesn't seem that shitty now." I grinned up at him before leaning into his side as he wrapped his arm around me.

"What happened?" I shook off the question before looking down at my hands. "It's nothing, really. Rather forget about it for now."

Nudging me with his shoulder slightly, Steve scoffed at my answer. "Come on, you can talk to me about anything." Rolling my eyes playfully, I shook my head, "Not until you tell me what happened today at Scoops." My comment caused his smile to fall just slightly.

"Not until I know what's got my girl upset."

My eyes widened at his words, Steve never used pet names, much less called me his. "If I tell you, then it can't leave this room," I stated, holding my pinkie out for him to link with.

Nodding in agreement, Steve linked his finger with mine and waited for me to continue. "My mom's selling the house."

"That's not too bad. Are you guys moving closer into town?" He asked, but my silence seemed to give him enough of an answer.

"You're leaving Hawkins?" He spoke slowly, removing his arm from around me. "Where are you guys going?"

"I don't know." My voice came out softer than I wanted it to, but the look in Steve's eyes broke my heart. "How do you not know?" He scoffed, quickly standing up from the bed, walking over to my desk turn off the stereo. "This is why I didn't want to talk about it. Why are you so mad?" I stuttered out as he began to pace in front of me.

"Why aren't you mad?" Steve asked as he stopped in front of me. "Because it's what's best for Will." I stated as he kneeled in front of me, resting his hand on my cheek. "But is this what you want?"

"Steve, I want what's best for Will. You know that." I spoke gently, placing my hand on top of his. Steve's eyes got glossy as I spoke before he slowly pulled his hand away. "Steve, he's my brother. How can you be so rigid?" "Is this relationship not worth fighting for to you?"

Letting out an exhausted sigh, I shook my head before placing my head in my hands. "What?" He asked, annoyed with my lack of a response, crossing his arms over his chest. "Nothing you're just incredible. I mean, the last time I asked you about this so could "relationship" you pretended like you couldn't hear me."

"Yeah, 'cause I wasn't ready," Steve stated simply. "And, what? Now your ready?" I asked, pulling my face away from my hands. "I thought I was." He stated before looking down at his hands. "Steve.." I reached for his hand only for him to pull it away.

"I should go." He mumbled, walking towards the window. "I shouldn't have done this." He continued as he opened the window.

"You're just gonna leave?" I asked exasperated. "Yep." That was all he said before pulling himself through the window. "Screw you, Harrington!" I called out the window before slamming it shut.

Once I had pulled the curtains above my window together, I fell apart.

Crumpling to the floor, I sat with my back rested against the wall as I pulled my knees up to my chest.

Of all the things that I thought could happen tonight, this definitely wasn't one of them.

~~~

It felt like I had spent hours crying on the floor of my bedroom until the sound of the front door opening and closing caused me to hold my breath.

"Anyone home?" Wills soft voice called out from the living room. "Just me," I called back, my voice cracking slightly.

The sound of Will walking down the hall came to a halt in front of my door, before he slowly opened it. "Everything okay?" He asked, peeking his head slightly past the small opening of the door.

"Everything's perfect," I muttered, gesturing my hand in front of me and towards the candles that still remained lit. "Who said Steve Harrington wasn't a romantic." I stated bitterly as another tear fell down my face.

"Where is he?" Will asked as he fully entered my room, before kneeling in front of me. "He left... I don't know where I went wrong, Will."

Pulling me in for a hug, I clung to my little brother as I cried into his shoulder. "It's his loss." He stated, lightly rubbing my back.

After a few minutes, I slowly pulled away from the hug before looking down at my watch. "Why are you home so late? And why didn't Jonathan get you?" I quickly pulled myself together, rubbing away my tears. "I kind of told him that you'd be with me today." He mumbled, looking down at the floor.

"Will you can't do that, what if something happened?" I ruffled his bowl-cut hair causing him to smile slightly. "I just wanted a normal day with my friends."

"I'm sorry," I apologized quietly, realizing just how much we've been monitoring over the past year, slight guilt rushing over me. "So, did you have fun?" I asked as he picked at the fibers of my carpeted floor. "Not really."

"Why? What happened?" I asked, trying to get him to look me in the eyes but he kept his own trained down on the floor. "They blew off my campaign." He muttered, the hurt evident in his voice. "What? Those little jerks." My statement caused him to nod in agreement.

"And then Mike and El left early, just to spend more alone time with each other, and then we wasted the rest of our day trying to talk to Dustin's girlfriend."

"Dustin got a girlfriend?" I asked, equally shocked and proud of the boy. "Yeah, at science camp. He says she's hotter than Phoebe Cates." Nodding along, I let out a soft laugh. "Hotter than Phoebe Cates and likes science? Damn, lucky guy." I mumbled out before the sound of the door opening again could be heard. "I'm home!" Mom called out.

Placing my hand over Will's mouth before he could respond, I shook my head at him. "We aren't talking to her right now," I mumbled while he looked at me confused as I pulled my hand away but a small grin tugged on his lips."Why?"

"You'll understand when you're older." I told him simply as I stood up from my spot on the floor, making my way around the room to blow out the multiple candles Steve had set up.

"Do you really think you aren't gonna fall in love, Will?" I asked as I stood in front of the last lit candle. "I don't know." He mumbled, standing up from the floor before sitting down on my bed. "Do you love Steve?"

Shrugging, I blew out the last candle. "Yeah, I did." "Do you think he loved you?" He asked, watching me from his spot on the bed. "I don't think that matters now."