𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐲 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐄𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐌𝐞

𝟏𝟖.

The Previous Night
Jim Hopper

"The kids are all asleep... Jonathan is with the Wheelers..." Joyce yawns as she brings me a mug of hot chocolate. I take a sip as she sits beside me on the sofa, and I sigh.

"The Wheelers..."

"What?" She asks.

"That Wheeler kid- Mike."

"Yeah, what about him? You're just randomly bringing him up-"

"There's something about him that I don't like." I narrow my eyes, taking another sip. "Can you guess?"

"Hmmm... he's dating our daughter?-

"Yes! Precisely."

"Well- what's wrong?"

"Their relationship is just so..." I pause before restarting the sentence. "It's not like they have this cute teenage-couple relationship- no! They are constantly together."

"Well that is what cute teenage couples do, isn't it? I mean as long as they don't like..."

"I'm sure they don't." I exhale sharply. "But it's just- every time I look at them, they're either kissing or giggling. It's weird..."

"Hm... well! If you don't like it, maybe you should talk to them and create some boundaries!" She smiles, sitting up and placing her mug on the coffee table.

I arch my brows and sit up as well.

"Can- can you?"

"I think it's better if they hear it from y—"

"Yes- yes, you can! You're her mom too so why not??"

"No, no, no— you're going to talk to them soon. Okay?" Joyce tills her head and I furrow my brows in confusion.

"What?"

"I could help you find the right words, though."

. . .

As I read through the script, I cringe at some words, mumbling them quietly.

"To create an environment where... we are all... comfortable."

Oh my god- screw scripting.

I think to myself, scrunching up the paper and tossing it in the trash.

We're gonna talk, Mikey-boy.

I grab my jacket and head out, getting in my car and starting to drive to the Wheelers.

I find myself knocking on the door, and Karen answers.

"Hi, may I talk to your son, Michael?"

"Oh my god- is he in trouble? What did he do?"

"No, no, I just want to talk." I flash her a small reassuring smile and she nods.

"Okay... MICHAEL!!"

"COMING!!!" I hear him yell, presumably from his basement. He soon arrives to the front door and scrunches his nose in confusion to my presence.