Worlds Apart

Dustin still wasn’t awake by the time I scraped his breakfast onto his plate. Mom was at the table, our cat Mews balanced in one arm as she precariously scooped eggs towards her mouth. Mews was managing to sneak them off her fork before she actually ate anything, but she still seemed pleased with breakfast nonetheless.

At least someone ate my cooking.

I sat the pan in the sink and stifled a sigh as I hurried down the hall. As I slid the door open, I found my little brother still nestled in his pile of blankets.

“Dustin,” I tried again, picking my way over his discarded toys and clothes. I gave his arm a small shake. “Let’s go. You have ten minutes before Will gets here.”

He mumbled something indecipherable and burrowed further into his pillow. The small smile on my face couldn’t be helped; as annoying as he is, he was admittedly adorable.

There’s no time for cute this morning, though. I pulled his covers off and actually rolled him into his back. His bright blue eyes opened to slits, glaring up at me..

“Dustin. Let’s go.”

“Ten more minutes.”

“You have to leave in ten minutes, kiddo. Up, now.”

“Mom lets me have ten more minutes,” he muttered; I rolled my eyes.

“Yeah. That’s why you’ve been tardy three times this month. One more and you’ll get written up.”

Still mumbling to himself, he finally shoved to his feet and stumbled for his closet. I lingered long enough to make sure he didn’t just lay back down, then crossed the hall to my own room. I stepped into my shoes, threw my bag on my shoulder, and snagged my Walkman off my nightstand.

Dustin was thankfully shuffling to the kitchen; I ruffled his curls as I passed him. He made a noise of annoyance and swatted my hand away.

“Mom, Ally’s in my personal space!”

“That’s nice, dear,” Mom said, eyes on Mews as she fed him bits of Dustin’s toast.

“Mom, c’mon. That’s Dusty’s food.”

“Why does the cat get my food?” He complained as I wrangled what was left of his toast out of mom’s hand.

“Because you can’t get up when I tell you to.”

He flipped me off behind mom’s back, and I did the same to him. He gave me his trademark gummy smile before literally devouring his eggs. By the time Will was knocking on our door, he was already dumping the plate in the sink.

“Did you even taste that?” I laughed, tossing him his bagged lunch as he pulled his backpack on. He shrugged and gives me a smart look.

“Not really. They were so runny they just slid down my throat.”

“Brat,” I teased, trying to look offended as I follow him to the door. He paused, just before he opened it, and gave me a quick hug around the middle. I kissed the top of his head before we pulled apart.

“See ya, Ally,” he called, grabbing his bike and running for his friend; Will gave me a hearty wave.

“Bye Dustin. Bye Will!” I called, watching them ride off down the road.

I spotted Barb’s Volkswagen trucking towards my house, so I leaned back in to say bye to mom and then pulled the door shut. My best friend and I grinned at each other as I climbed into the front seat. Instead of going down the road after the boys, though, we took a left and headed straight for school.

“Nancy’s not coming today?” I asked, turning up our favorite tape and settling into the seat. She gave me an exasperated look.

“Oh she is, but Steve’s driving her.”

I made a noise of annoyance and she nodded in agreement. Ever since she’d started hanging out with Steve, Barb and I had been pushed aside. I was grateful we had each other, but we were both a little bitter about our third best friend abandoning us.

“Maybe if I cut my hair short and do it up like Steve’s she’ll actually wanna talk to us,” I teased under my breath as we headed for class. She hadn’t waited at her locker - not like either of us expected her to. Barb giggled with me as we opened the door; Nancy was in her usual seat, looking like she’d been waiting for us.

“Good, you’re alive,” Barb noted dryly, dropping into the seat behind Nancy. I down in the desk beside her and fixed her with a bemused smile as she glanced between us.

“Oh come on. You’re not really mad at me, are you?”

Barb and I shared a look as I shrugged at our friend.

“Of course not.” She looked relieved for half a second before I added, “because I know you’ll be sitting with us for lunch since you abandoned us this morning.”

Her eyes widened a bit and she said quickly,

“But Steve asked me to eat lunch with him!”

“All three of you ladies are welcome at our table,” Steve Harrington added smoothly, settling into the seat behind me. He fixed Barb and I with ‘charming’ smiles. “I’d love to get to know Nancy’s friends a little better.”

Nancy gave the two of us pleading looks; Barb and I shared an exasperated sigh, but I gave a quick nod. Barb shrugged and said to Steve,

“I mean, we had some pretty important lunch dates, but I guess we could grace you with our presence.”

Nancy and I dissolved into giggles as the rest of the class poured in. Steve joined in as he leaned forward, jerking his head towards the back of the class as he sniggered,

“Now now, I wouldn’t wanna get in the way of your hot date with Byers!”

Nancy and Steve made faces of repulsion as they glanced past Barb to stare at the guy in question.

I didn’t know much about Jonathan Byers. He was quiet and shy, keeping to himself and hardly talking in class. He really wasn’t that creepy, he just didn’t socialize as much as we did. I’d known him since elementary school, but we’d both changed so much in the last ten or so years that we didn’t even recognize each other. But Dustin was actually pretty fond of him, so he couldn’t be all that bad, right?

“Oh be nice to him,” I chided, turning back to give Steve a look. “He’s just a little odd. I’d probably be the same way if Nancy hadn’t latched onto me like a leech.”

Nancy’s mouth popped into a surprise ‘o’ and she stared at me as Barb snorted. Before Steve could jump in, the class was already beginning. I saw him sneak a wink to Nancy, though, and didn’t miss her blush. He may not have been my favorite person, but if he made her happy…

Though Nancy and Steve whispered through the first half, I actually focused on the material. History was my favorite subject; it absolutely fascinated me. I jotted down notes quickly as we reached the end of class. As I was copying my last point from the book, Mr. Roberts cleared his throat and shut off the projector.

“Alright, class. To wrap up this section of the course, we’re going to be breaking up into teams to complete a presentation of the chapter you’re assigned. We’re going to have teams of two, so listen up, I’ve already got you assigned…”

The three of us - and Steve - collectively groaned. All our other classes let us pick our partners, but now we’d probably be split up. Barb, Nancy, and I all turn to each other, fingers crossed, hoping for a miracle. Nancy’s head snapped around when she heard her name.

“Alright, and we’ve got Nancy Wheeler with... “ he skimmed the page as Nancy held her breath. “Barbara Holland.”

The two of them hugged each other over the desks; I sent a semi-teasing glare, still waiting to hear my name. Steve’s name was up next, but he’d been partnered off with some other jock that he air high-fived. Good for them, I thought sullenly. I didn’t have any other friends I could hope to be stuck with. There were just a few names left when Mr. Roberts announced,

“Then we’ll have Allison Henderson with…” I looked around the room for my prospective partner. Just as my eyes landed on him, Mr. Roberts finished, “Jonathan Byers.”

There were ooh’s and muffled laughter all around the classroom, and I got apologetic cringes from Nancy and Steve. Jonathan met my eyes briefly, looking more upset than usual, then turned back to his notebook. I stifled a sigh; I mean, it could’ve be worse, right?

Nancy leaned in, still looking put off as she whispered,

“We can talk to Mr. Roberts and say you don’t feel comfortable being alone with him. I’m sure he can get someone to switch -”

“Nanc, don’t be cruel,” Barb chastised, making a face at our best friend. “He’s not some serial killer. Ally will be just fine.”

“I know I wouldn’t want him as my partner,” Steve argued, as I managed to shrug my shoulders. I really didn’t want to be mean, and Jonathan was pretty smart. Maybe it’d be an easy assignment, with both of us figuring it out. I mean, like I said, I was quiet and reserved too when I was away from Nancy and Barb. Maybe he was just really shy. Was it right of me to treat him poorly when I barely knew him past fifth grade?

“It’ll be alright. I’ll just get to know him a bit,” I deflected before Nancy could go at it again. As the bell rings, Mr. Roberts announced,

“Come see me with your partners to get your chapter assignment!”

Again, Nancy and Steve looked at me like I’d just been sentenced to death. I rolled my eyes and grabbed my books off the desk as Nancy whispered,

“We’ll wait for you.”

“She’s fine,” Barb insisted, sharing my exasperated scowl as we shuffled to the front. Steve peeled off to go to his partner, and Nancy stepped up ahead of me with Barb.

I felt Jonathan at my side before I saw him. I turned and offered a warm smile, but he didn’t even look at me. I pressed my lips together and faced forward again, standing in awkward silence with my unwilling partner.

Mr. Roberts smiled at us and flipped to a section of the book.

“I’m looking forward to your presentation. You both have such passion on the subject, I’m sure whatever you come up with will be absolutely delightful.”

Smiling genuinely now, I glanced at Jonathan again; I had no idea he liked history too. He still didn’t look at me as he took the slip from Mr. Roberts.

The moment it hit his hand, he shot out of the classroom. He swerved past Barb and Nancy and I tried to follow, confused at his reaction.

“Hey, Jonathan! Wait -“

Nancy snagged my hand and tugged me back; Jonathan was lost to the crowd by the time I pulled free. I whirled and actually scowled at her, catching her and Barb off guard.

“I need to talk to him! I don’t even know our assignment!”

“Just get it later,” she dismissed. “I didn’t like the way he was looking at you. It was creepy!”

This time I frowned, less agitated now but still confused.

“What? He wasn’t -“

“Every time you looked away he looked at you. The expression on his face was just weird!”

“It was a little odd,” Barb agreed, and that made me worried. Barb was the rational one, so if it didn’t look right to her…

“He’s my partner though,” I deflected, not wanting to linger on that conversation. “And I can’t just call him up and ask him!”

Nancy doesn’t seem concerned, mainly because Steve had found us and she’d broken away to walk with him instead. Barb nudged my arm though and offered a smile.

“I’ll help you find him after school.”

--

It wasn’t hard to find Jonathan. His car was just a few spaces down from Nancy’s; he was busy stuffing photography equipment into the trunk as Barb and I approached. He didn’t look up until I stepped to his side and said,,

“You kind of ran away before we could talk.” He actually stiffened, like talking to him has offended him somehow. He slammed the trunk but he still hadn’t looked at me, skirting around me as he went around to the driver’s side. Barb and I shared a perplexed look as I followed him. “Did I do something to you?”

“What? No,” he scoffed, shutting the door. At least the window was down so I could keep the conversation going. I rested my hands on the ledge of the door and leaned down a bit to get to his eye level. He kept his head straightforward, not even sparing a glance my direction.

“Then why did you run away from me?”

“I’m not - I didn’t run,” he corrected, mumbling as he jammed his keys in the ignition.

“Why won’t you look at me?” I pressed, and to my surprise this time, Jonathan’s head snapped around and our eyes locked. They burned with an unnamed emotion as he stared me down, harsh enough to encourage me to pull my hands off his car. Barb tugged my elbow and moved me back as he threw the car into reverse.

“Happy?” he challenged, then hit the gas and swung backwards, peeling out of the parking lot before I could string together a reply. Barb and I watched him go; it wasn’t until his car was out of site that I realized I still didn’t even have our assignment.

-x-

“I’m home!” Dustin shrieked, throwing the door open and scaring the life out of myself and Mews. The cat high-tailed it down the hall towards mom’s room as I looked up at glared at him, shutting my math book.

“Do you mind entering the house like a civilized child?”

“I do,” he informed me with a cheeky smile, sauntering into the kitchen. “Can I have a snack?”

“Yeah, grab some of those grapes in the fridge. We need to finish them before they -” I paused as he came into the living room, two oreos stuffed in his mouth. “Seriously?!”

“What?” he mumbled, spraying crumbs everywhere. I shoved to my feet and snagged the bag out of his hand, scooting past him and putting them into the cupboard over the fridge. “Ally!”

“We’ll have them for dessert,” I chastised, snagging the grapes and passing them off to him. “Work with me here a little, okay?”

“Fine,” he sighed, pulling his backpack around and dumping the whole bowl inside. I pinched the bridge of my nose. “I’m going to Will’s house, I’ll be back for dinner -”

Will’s house! My heart leapt up and an idea snapped into my head. I’d been worrying about the assignment since I’d gotten home; this was my chance!

“Hey, wait!” I said quickly, snagging the loop on his backpack and tugging him back to me. “Do you know Will’s number?”

“It’s on the fridge,” he told me, pointing to the doors literally coated in scraps of paper. “Like it has been for years -”

“I get the point,” I said dryly, shoving him for the door. “Be safe, okay? I want you home by six.”

“Okay!” he called, already out the door. The second I heard it shut I was tearing scraps off the fridge, searching for the number. We had dozens of old newspaper clippings, half-written recipes, a few coupons that had expired in 1980, and - yes! Three numbers scribbled on the paper.

Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler, Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair, Ms. Byers.

I snagged the phone and dialed fast, instantly pacing as it started to ring. After the fourth one, I heard the line pick up.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Ms. Byers!” I said as pleasantly as I could. “This is Allison Henderson. How are you?”

“Oh hi, Allison!” she said; I heard her moving around. “I don’t think Dustin’s here yet, but I can have him call you as soon as he is.”

“Actually, I was hoping to speak to Jonathan, if he’s there,” I started, and heard her gasp. I felt my face flush; had he warned his mom about me? “If he’s not, I can just -”

“Oh no, no! He’s here. He’s - hang on. Jonathan!” I heard her shout, before adding to me, “I just wasn’t expecting - he doesn’t get a lot of calls.”

I heard a hand get placed over the receiver, and then a lower voice mutter something.

“Jonathan, take the call! I’m going to be late for work… no I’m not hanging up on her!... Just take -” the hand was removed, and she said cheerily, “Here he is!”

Nothing followed, though. The only thing I could hear was Ms. Byers saying goodbye to her sons, and then a door shutting.

“Jonathan?” I tried; I could have sworn I heard a sigh. “It’s Ally. I was hoping to -”

Click.

My jaw actually dropped.

He’d hung up on me?! Seriously!? I slammed the phone down. I wasn’t taking that for my answer. As I stepped into my shoes, I hurried down the hall to my mom’s room. She was sitting on the bed, absorbed in her book. Mews was the only one who looked up when I poked my head inside.

“Hey mom?” she didn’t look at me. “I’m going to the Byers’. I’ve got their number on the notepad by the phone if you need me, okay?”

“Have a good day at school, Dusty!” she said absently to me, smiling at her book instead of me. I stifled a sigh; close enough. I rushed back to the kitchen, scribbled the number by the phone, and then dialed Barb. She’d help me get the answers out of him I needed. But the phone rang and rang, finally just going to their answering machine.

I hung up before I left a message, and tried Nancy instead.

“Wheeler residence,” her dad answered.

“Hi, Mr. Wheeler, it’s Ally. Is Nancy home?”

“‘Fraid not, sweetheart. I think she’s at Barbara’s studying.”

Fantastic.

“Great, thanks,” I said, trailing off as he hung up on me too. Okay, seriously. That was getting old. Barb and Nancy had probably gone down to the library to work on the project. Like I need to be doing, I fretted, racking my brain for another person I knew with a vehicle. There was Steve, but I didn’t have his number, and I mean… did I really want Steve Harrington driving me to see Jonathan Byers?

Nope. I abandoned my calls and went with plan B, opening up the garage as I picked my way across the clutter. Dustin’s old bike was leaning against the far wall, like it was taunting me. Man, we really needed a car. I just sucked it up and grabbed the bike, wheeling it out and locking up the house before taking off down the road.

Thankfully the ride to Will’s was easy, and I made it there in record time. I saw Dustin’s bike - along with two others - sitting outside, and dropped mine in the pile. I could hear the boys inside, and heard a scurry of feet rush to the door as I knocked.

“It’s my house, I get to answer!” I heard Will hush-argue as the doorknob turned.

“Well I’m your guest so I get to talk to her!” Lucas shot back; I barely hid the snort of amusement. I knew Lucas and Will had crushes on me. They were twelve. Subtle wasn’t in their vocabulary.

“How do you like my sister?” Dustin asked in disbelief as the door opened. I gave him a dry look and he gave me a toothy grin. “Hi Ally!”

I narrowed my eyes to him and then looked down at Will, smiling. Lucas edged himself up ahead of his friends; Mike gave me a smile but luckily didn’t feel the need to fawn over me.

“Hey, Will. Is Jonathan home?”

“He is,” Lucas cut in, leaning in the doorway and giving me a sly smile. “But I can help you with whatever you need.”

“Great,” I teased, giving him a warm smile. I saw the blush light up his face. “Could you go get him for me?”

Will, Mike, and Dustin snorted as Lucas actually groaned, turning around and screaming,

“Jonathan! Door!”

He shuffled back inside, leading the three others after him. I stood patiently on the porch, hands folded in front of me as I waited. I saw Jonathan’s head poke around the corner, but the second he saw it was me, a scowl came over his face and he disappeared inside.

Okay, forget my manners. I huffed and came inside, shutting the door behind me. The boys, gathered on the couch arguing over what looked like a map, all looked up as I passed. I heard them scramble up as I paused in the doorway of the kitchen, listening in.

Jonathan had his back to me, aggressively making a sandwich and ignoring my existence. I crossed my arms over my chest and asked,

“Can I please just have our assignment?”

“No.”

I moved in a few more steps, just the table between us now.

“Do I need to search your room? Because I will.”

Jonathan finally turned around and gave me a heated glare, more annoyed than angry, but definitely getting there. I raised a brow at him in challenge.

“Stay out of my room. Got it?”

“What, you’ve got things in there you don’t want me finding?”

There was smothered giggling behind us, and I saw annoyance flick over Jonathan’s face. He tossed the knife he’d been using for the sandwich into the sink, then circled the table and snagged my arm. I let myself be led down a hallway, and then all but thrown into a surprisingly tidy room.

As my eyes started wandering - taking in the music posters and drawings on his wall - he slammed his door and then moved to stand directly in front of me, blocking my curious view.

“Can you please just leave me alone?”

“No,” I said simply, arms crossing again, “We’re partners. Which means both of us are going to work on this.”

Jonathan pressed his lips together as he stared down at me, waiting for me to elaborate. When I held my ground, he let out a harsh laugh and turned away.

“Go on then. Look around and tell your friends how weird I am. My weird posters and my stupid music -” he cut off and hit a button on his record player, turning it off. His mom’s words came to mind. He doesn’t get a lot of calls.

Something told me he didn’t have visitors, either. I had a sneaking feeling, going off his last comments, that the few people who came over treated him the same way Steve and Nancy did. But I wasn’t like them, and I’d prove it. I crossed the room to come up beside him and hit play again; he turned to look down at it, surprised.

“I like The Clash. And I’m not here to make fun of you.” His eyes slowly trailed up to meet mine; his brow was furrowed, curious but not fully trusting. “I’m here to get our assignment so we can both work on the project.”

I saw the guarded flicker of mistrust go over his face.

“You don’t want to work with me. You just feel guilty.”

“I don’t -”

“Just let me handle the project. I’ll get us an A and then you and your friends can go back to making fun of me.”

“What? No, I’m not letting you -”

“You don’t need to pretend to put up with me, okay?” he cut in, giving another harsh laugh. He pulled open a drawer on his dresser and started rifling angrily through the contents. “I know I’m the school freak. I get it. I just don’t like being insulted in my own house.”

“The only one insulting you is yourself,” I informed him, watching as he tugged out a dark green vest and slipped it on. The patch on his chest said Hawkins Hardware. He straightened it out as he pointedly avoided my eyes. “Can you just stop assuming I’m a horrible person for a few minutes and hear me out?”

“No. I have to go to work. So you need to leave.”

When I didn’t reply, Jonathan’s eyes flicked up to mine. I raised a brow in challenge and folded my arms over my chest.

“I’ll leave as soon as you give me our assignment.”

More irritation flitted over his face. He stepped around me and opened his door, motioning for me to go. I shrugged and then sat on the edge of his bed, arms still crossed, draping one leg over the other to get comfy. He stared at me for several long seconds.

“Please leave. I can’t be late.”

“Give me the assignment.”

“Why can’t you just let me do this?” he huffed, running a hand through his shaggy hair. “I’m good at History. I’ll -”

“So am I,” I cut in, voice a little heated now. “It’s my favorite subject. You heard Mr. Roberts - he put us together for a reason. So just let me help you.”

“I really need to go to work,” he answered, eyes burning into me. I shrugged again.

“Guess I’ll just have to wait for you to get home, then.”

His face actually tinted a few shades of pink as he finally moved his stare off me.

“You can’t just stay here without me.”

“Sure I can,” I laughed, and now Jonathan was pacing, shooting heated glares at me under his fringe of hair. “And when you leave, I can just search your room until I find the assignment.”

He stopped and turned to tower over me. I didn’t lean back, instead I tipped my head to look up at him in challenge.

“Your mom will miss you if you don’t go home,” he tried, and I actually laughed at that.

“Trust me, she won’t know I’m gone.”

“And your brother?” he tried, looking smug like he’d just won with that. I gave him a bemused stare, entertained by how badly he wanted me gone.

“We’ll just hang out here with Will. I’ll make us dinner, we’ll watch some quality TV -”

“Why can’t you just leave me alone!?” he snapped, turning away from me angrily and going to lean against his window, taking deep breaths. “Everyone else manages it just fine.”

“Because I’m not everyone else. I’m your partner, and as soon as you get it through your thick skull that I’m here to help you, I’m not going anywhere.” I saw Jonathan check the clock on his nightstand, and then give me an almost pleading look. I stood up, arms still crossed tight over my chest, and said gently, “just give me the assignment and I’ll leave, okay?”

Jonathan and I stared one another down for several seconds. I could see the wheels turning in his mind, see him debating his options. I held my ground, watching him think. It was clear how little trust he had in other people, how many times he’d probably been betrayed and hurt by others just like me. But I was different. I knew how it was to be in his shoes, and I knew he wasn’t as bad as Steve and the others made him seem.

Maybe Jonathan was seeing a glimpse of that, because he moved to his desk and grabbed a slip of paper out of his history book. He deliberated for another moment, but after glancing at the time again, he handed it over.

“I gotta go,” he said briskly, going to step past me.

“Alright. I’ll draw up the outline for us and we can get started tomorrow, okay?”

Jonathan paused in his doorway for another heartbeat, studying me like his eyes could see straight through me. I offered a small smile, and I saw him relax just a hint.

“Okay.” He started to leave, but paused and then leaned his head back in to mumble, “Could you, uhm… could you actually make sure Will gets something to eat? I didn’t think my mom’s shift was this early…”

I saw the discomfort, and I was sure he didn’t rely on asking people for favors. Did that mean he had a little trust in me, enough to watch over his little brother? I smiled a bit more and nodded.

“Yeah, I’ll get him fed,” I promised, and as he started to leave, I added, “have a good night at work.”

He didn’t reply, but I caught the hint of another blush on his cheeks before he disappeared down the hall. As I heard the door shut, I hesitated in his room. After glancing down at the assignment, I skirted his bed, snagged his history book and a pencil, then slipped back out of his room and shut the door.

The boys didn’t even notice I was still there until they were packing up to leave. Dustin was the first to pass by the kitchen; he walked by and glanced at me, and then immediately backpedaled.

“Why are you here?” he started cautiously. “What don’t I know? I don’t like change -”

“Dustin, sheesh, take a breath,” I cut in, rolling my eyes and shutting the history book. “We’re staying to have dinner with Will.”

Lucas, passing by, actually made a face of disbelief. He turned to Will and smacked his arm.

“You didn’t tell me you were having dinner with Ally!”

“I am?!” he squeaked, then looked up at me, a goofy grin on his face. “Awesome!”

“This is bullshit,” Lucas muttered, tugging his backpack up higher and heading for the door. Feeling a little bad about crushing his spirits twice in one day, I skirted around my brother and leaned out after Lucas.

“You forgetting your goodbye hug?” I asked, and he immediately spun around, grin wide on his face.

“No ma’am, I’m not!”

He wrapped his arms tight around my waist and I hugged him to me for several long seconds. After nearly ten, as I went to pull away, Dustin cleared his throat.

“If you’re gonna try and get to second base with my sister, please do it when I’m not watching.”

“Dustin Henderson!” I gasped, managing to pull away from the hug and glare at him.

“Then turn around next time,” Lucas shot back, and now I whirled on him.

“Lucas!” He gave me a nervous grin and backed to the front door, Mike hot on his heels. I ruffled his hair as he passed, and he stuck his tongue out at me. “Get home safe, you two!”

“Bye!” they chorused, waving at us as the door shut. I turned back to the boys, rubbing my hands together.

“Okay, who’s hungry?”

-x-

“This is like, the best mac and cheese I’ve ever had,” Will gushed; I heard Dustin kick him under the table.

“All she did was put hot dogs in it. It’s not a five star meal.”

“Your words hurt, Dustin,” I chided, getting up and taking my bowl to the sink. I grabbed two more from the cupboard and split the leftovers into them, then wrapped them and stuck them in the fridge. I figured both Ms. Byers and Jonathan would be hungry, and if I used their food, the least I could do was leave them some.

The boys finished eating as I wrapped up the outline for the history project. Once the dishes were cleaned, the three of us retired to the living room, turning on the TV to catch Knight Rider, one of the boys’ favorite show. It was past eight o’clock, and still no one had come home.

“Are you usually alone like this?” I asked Will during one of the commercial breaks. He glanced at me and gave a small nod.

“I mean, I don’t mind. It’s not all the time. Just every now and then, Jonathan takes an extra shift. We need the money, and I don’t mind being alone.”

“Well, anytime you want, you can come over and eat dinner with us, okay?” I said gently. I saw a small smile creep onto his face as Dustin leaned around me, smirking.

“I told you she wouldn’t mind.”

I shoved Dustin back and ruffled Will’s hair affectionately. As nine o’clock came and went, I saw both boys started to fade. I gently rubbed Will’s shoulder and nodded to the hall.

“Bedtime, kiddo,” I said quietly, and he gave a sleepy nod. “I’ll be here till someone gets home, okay?”

“Okay,” he said meekly, standing up. He paused by the couch, and then turned and wrapped his arms around my neck. “Thanks, Ally.”

“Don’t mention it,” I promised, rubbing his back as he pulled away. “‘Night, Will.”

“Night,” Dustin mumbled; he waited until we heard Will’s door shut, and then looked up at me. “We’re really staying?”

“Yes,” I told him, snagging a blanket off the back of the couch. “I wouldn’t want you home alone at night. C’mon, stretch out. You can sleep ‘till someone gets home.”

Dustin listened to me and curled up on the cushions. I tossed the blanket over him and pulled his legs across mine to let him stretch out. It was just reached eleven o’clock when I heard a car coming down the driveway. I gently moved Dustin fully onto the couch and stood up as the door opened.

Ms. Byers glanced over at my movement and gave a start, hand coming over her heart.

“Oh, Allison,” she laughed, taking a breath. “I wasn’t… what are you doing here?”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to overstep. I came by to work on an assignment with Jonathan and he had to go to work. So I just wanted to stay and make sure Will was alright.”

Ms. Byers didn’t look upset, or even mildly worried I’d been left alone in her house. She looked absolutely thrilled, clapping her hands together and beaming at me.

“You’re an angel! Thank you so much!” she bustled into the kitchen, motioning for me to follow. “I keep telling Jonathan not to take extra shifts like this, I hate leaving Will alone. Thank you so so much for watching him for me.”

“It was no issue at all, Ms. Byers,” I assured. She gave me a smile as she dug into her purse.

“Oh please, call me Joyce. Here,” she pulled her wallet out. “Will ten be enough? I know it was short notice -”

“No, no, really,” I said quickly, putting a hand over hers and lowering the wallet. “No charge. It really wasn’t a problem. Dustin had fun hanging out with Will a little longer, and I got the project started. Oh, and there’s some dinner in the fridge for you and Jonathan.”

For a moment it looked like tears actually came to her eyes. Her smile was full of gratitude as she put her wallet away.

“Thank you so much, sweetheart. I can’t say it enough.”

“Don’t mention it,” I assured, giving her a warm smile. “I’m gonna head out. Will is more than welcome to come by anytime he needs, alright?”

Joyce nodded quickly and grinned at me as I headed to wake Dustin. He wasn’t happy to be up, but at least he didn’t argue too much. I helped him into his jacket and herded him towards the door. Joyce rested her hand on my arm and gave me a deep look.

“How’s… how’s your mom doing? How are you and Dustin?”

As casual as the question was, I knew the meaning behind it. We heard that same thing almost daily for a year; the feeling in my heart never got any easier.

“We’re good. As good as we can be,” I said with a small smile. Joyce gave an understanding nod and squeezed my arm lightly.

“You let me know if you all need anything, okay?”

“Of course, Joyce. Have a good night.”

Dustin and I rode home in silence, both tired and ready for bed. My mind wandered to Joyce’s question as we rode. I hadn’t thought about my dad in a while now, but it still wasn’t any easier. I missed him, more and more every day. I’d always been closer to him than to mom, and when he died… Well, I lost both parents that night. And I’d promised myself I wouldn’t let Dustin feel as lost as I did some days.

As much of a pain in my ass that he was, he was my baby brother, and I’d take care of him no matter what.

As we came around the corner of our street, both Dustin and I slowed seeing the car in the driveway. We came to a stop and stood on the sidewalk, staring at the house. My heart began to pick up speed, panic setting in. Of all the days I’d done something other than stay at home…

“I thought Don wasn’t coming home until Sunday,” Dustin said quietly. I glanced at my brother; my stomach churned seeing fear on his face too. I reached out and squeezed his shoulder.

“Go straight to your room and put your walkman on, okay? I’ll handle him.”

Dustin just pressed his lips together tight and nodded. We walked the bikes into the garage and I quietly lowered the door, and then led him around to the front. We eased the front door open and I went in first, looking around the corner.

Don had his back to us as he slammed pots around in the kitchen. Mom and Mews were nowhere in sight. I pulled Dustin in and slowly shut the door, then motioned for him to go. Just as we passed the kitchen, the banging stopped.

“It’s almost midnight.”

The two of us froze; I quickly ushered Dustin down the hall as Don turned around. His eyes narrowed to dangerous slits and he took a step towards me. As much as I wanted to turn and run, I made myself hold my ground. Take care of Dustin no matter what.

“I know, I’m sorry. One of Dustin’s friends was home alone, so we stayed to make sure -”

“Did I ask for a goddamn excuse?” he asked, voice low and dangerously calm.

“No -”

“What was that?”

“No sir,” I whispered, fear trickling through me as Don took another step towards me. Most days I felt confident and strong, ready to take on any challenge that came my way. But right now standing in Don’s shadow, I felt small. Small, scared, and sick with fear.

“You left your mother alone for hours just to play house with some ten year old rats?” he challenged, now towering over me. “I come home after a long week working to provide for this family, and you can’t even have the decency to give me a warm meal?!”

“You said you’d be home Sunday -”

His hand locked onto my upper arm before I could move, and I was spun around. Don slammed me into the counter; pain blossomed up my back and I cringed down into my sweater.

“So when I’m gone, you think you get to do whatever you want!? You get to drop all your responsibilities and think you won’t get caught?!” His hand tightened, bringing tears to my eyes. I tried to pull away and I saw the vein on his neck bulge. “You’re gonna try and run away from me?! You think you can -”

“No, no, I just -”

“Don’t interrupt me! You DO NOT interrupt me!” he bellowed, bending me backwards over the counter. I flinched and turned my head away; big mistake. Don’s other hand came up and locked onto my jaw, fingers digging into my cheek as he forced my head forward. “Do not look away from me, Allison!”

I wanted to be strong, I really did. I just… I couldn’t. Tears ran down my face and I couldn’t make myself answer him. Don’s hands tightened on me as he leaned closer, face just inches from mine.

“You’re going to learn some goddamn respect, and learn it fast. Things don’t change when I’m gone. Am I understood, Allison?”

“Y-yes s-sir,” I whimpered, trying to ignore the pain as it burned even more. Don sneered and then finally stepped back. He jerked me away from the counter and threw me towards the hall. My foot caught on the carpet and I fell to my knees, barely catching myself in time.

“Get the fuck out of my sight, you goddamn waste of space.”

I scrambled for my room without hesitation, rushing inside and shutting the door, eyes squeezed shut as more tears fell. I hated him, I hated this. I missed my dad. I missed just being a kid, not having to worry about Dustin or mom or Don…

If mom knew what he did, she never said anything. She was vulnerable. Losing my dad had really shaken her to her core and Don took full advantage. He ran the household. And I’d learned months ago that standing up to him not only got me in more pain, but it involved Dustin. The one time he tried to put his hands on my brother…

I couldn’t let that happen.

I finally slowed my tears and managed to calm myself down enough to seem somewhat put together when I went to check on my baby brother. He was passed out in bed, my walkman on full blast, snoring peacefully. He hadn’t heard any of my fight with Don.

At least, for now, he could just be a kid.