"I'm sorry my heart's too big for my own good! I just want to be a good person!"
~
Theodore Chambers moves from his home in London to Hawkins and realizes this town isn't what it seems
Or
In which the new kid in town is thrown into all sorts of insa...
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chapter eleven; talks in the junkyard
Teddy, Max and Lucas waited at the top of a hill in the junkyard for Dustin and Steve Harrington to arrive. Max and Lucas stood next to each other, while Teddy rested on the seat of his bike, watching for any figures in the distance. Well... he acted like he was paying attention, when reality he was letting his mind wander.
He hadn't been back to the junkyard since last year when they ran away from the bad men. The dirty old bus still sat in that same spot as last year. Teddy could still pinpoint the exact spot on the ground where he had his panic attack last year. Last year. All of that only happened last year.
Only? It feels like yesterday! But also so long ago at the same time...
'I know,' Teddy agreed with his own thoughts. That was an odd circumstance. Usually, certain thoughts tried intruding with negativity. 'It pains me like it was yesterday, but I know it was last year.'
And have you gotten any better?
There it was. The start of the negativity. Teddy's heart started to sink at that. He liked to think so, bt if he truly stepped back and looked at himself... were things getting better? 'I'm trying.' He replied.
Or are you becoming an absolute nutter like—
"I'm not like her!" Teddy shouted, stomping his foot on the ground with his fists balled. He was tired of his mind making comparisons to... his mother. He hated it. He wasn't like her and he didn't want to give her that right of thinking about her. He wouldn't entertain it. He thought that shout stayed inside his head... well... it certainly did. He shouted loudly. Very loud. Lucas and Max were startled by the sudden yelling from the usual quiet boy.
Max glanced at her friend with a sense of concern, "Are you okay?"
A flustering feeling grew within Teddy. He meant for that to stay inside his head. He didn't want his friends to worry about him now. This monster catching far exceeded his personal issues. Teddy fumbled with his words for a minute while he unballed his hands to pick at his fingers, "Y-yeah—yes! I'm okay. I'm sorry. I... got lost in thought." He suddenly swapped his hands to rub the back of his neck to soothe himself.
Lucas put his hand on Teddy's shoulder and gently smiled, "Do you want to tell us something? You can if you want. We'll always be here for you." The gesture was sweet and considerate. The ginger was glad to have the friends that he did... but he wasn't quite ready to tell them about her yet and what she had done.
Teddy plastered on the realest smile he could muster up, "I-I'm okay. I promise." His face reflected a genuine assurance that he was okay. But behind those eyes, feelings begged to be released. A simple cry would make him feel better, but now wasn't the time for another break down in the junkyard.
