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CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR ; THE RETURN OF STELLA AND STEVE
also known as;
( pre-episode one )

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HAWKINS, INDIANA WAS THE KIND OF PLACE THAT MADE THE HAIRS ON STELLA'S NECK STAND ON END. Who could blame her? The small, allegedly harmless town had given her enough trauma to last four lifetimes, but yet, she still called it home. She knew the streets, the stores, the stop signs - all like the back of her hand. She'd been here her entire life, yet only a few years ago did she finally see everything wrong with it.

She sat in the back of her father's car, Steve in the passenger seat, enthusiastically chatting about the new song he'd learned on the guitar. Gary Collins nodded along to everything being said, showing a blend of amusement and genuine interest in what the young man had to say. However, his eyes still flickered into the rearview mirror, keeping an eye on his daughter. She chimed in once in a while, but there was a slight reluctance in every movement she made, every word she said. It was like the first step back into Indiana brought back a wave of horrible memories.

"You guys been keeping in contact with the kids here?" he asked, briefly glancing over his shoulder. Stella straightened up a little, blinking herself out her thoughts. She was watching the small drops of water connect on the window, left over from the small shower of rain when they passed the town sign. "You know, Mike, Lucas, Dustin, Max?"

"Yeah, we've been writing to each other here and there," she responded, avoiding how Steve tried to meet her eyes. She cleared her throat, her hands squeezing her knees. "Will probably talks to me the most - he sends polaroids of the paintings he's been working on up in California."

It was mostly true. Will sent her letters every week, most of them accompanied by a small catch-up from El, who was living with him, Joyce and Jonathan in California. Back in Hawkins, it was only Lucas and Max who sent her something every so often. The other boys had started to drift, having started high school in the fall. Steve regularly corresponded with Dustin and Robin, but that was only because he bullied them into writing when they visited over Christmas. She couldn't bring herself to do the same.

Stella stared out the window again as Steve began talking to her dad about Robin. She could tell how much he missed their hometown and their friends. She did too, but she could feel that once she left, things had begun to change. It felt inevitable; not being needed by the kids anymore.

The party were growing up - Lucas had joined the basketball team, and all but Max were a part of a Dungeons and Dragons campaign run by Eddie Munson, a boy her age who was still trying to pass his final year of school. She remembered him in passing, how he'd storm the school dressed like a rockstar, his hair long and unkempt. He'd copied her homework a couple of times in the past, but she couldn't much recall him otherwise.

Max, however, was a mystery. Apart from the odd letter she recieved, it was as if she'd vanished from the face of the earth. It bothered Stella deeply, because she cared for the girl so much. It had been around a year since the Starcourt Mall incident where Billy had lost his life, and it would be no surprise if Max had suffered because of it. While Stella was here, she intended to get to the bottom of it.

She was looking forward to catching up with her boys, but also her other friends. Richie and Leilani were back in town, while Kevin remained at college for the holiday period. She couldn't wait to hit up the newly refurbished diner in town and drink milkshakes with them, something she'd so dearly missed since leaving.

It felt like a homecoming - most of her friends and family back in one place.

Yet there was a deep dread in the pit of her stomach. This was the place where Annie, Hopper and Billy had died, where she had fought tooth and nail to protect the people she loved, where she had suffered more greatly than anyone had ever known.

But this was also her home. It was where her relationship with Steve blossomed. It was where she met her boys, Max, and Eleven. There was still a significant amount of good that balanced out the bad.

Her hands ran through her hair as anxiety clouded her brain. It was freshly dyed to a colour close enough to her natural tone, as she and her roommate Greer had sat on the bathroom floor the night prior, painstakingly colour matching so they wouldn't have to bleach everything. Greer had said that she would rather lick a toilet seat than try to lift Stella's dark, uncooperative hair again, and Stella couldn't blame her. If the great patience of the hairdresser was being tested, she thought it was best not to push it (as much as she liked the blonde).

It had otherwise been an uneventful departure from their apartment, with a little bit of weed and some Chinese food to lull them to sleep. Steve had then woken up everyone the next morning, urging them to get ready, despite the flight leaving in eight hours (Stella had never wanted to curse him out more).

She knew that he knew she was uncertain about returning to Hawkins. He had asked her a few times if she was okay, and she had told him the truth - she was fucking terrified.

The last few years she had not known peace. There had been monsters, chaos, and death, and she had somehow found herself at the centre of it all. It took everything in her to leave it all behind, to leave the people she loved behind. And now that she had finally found some peace, she had to return.

They had come back for the major holidays, and she had felt exactly the same. The same fear of something happening, something that would take someone she cared about away from her. But so far, it had been smooth sailing.

However, she still couldn't shake the idea of everything turning upside down once again.

"Stella, say goodbye to your boyfriend," Gary said, pulling up outside Steve's parents' house. Stella felt a strange tug in her chest. It was always strange not sleeping under the same roof, especially when they had been living together for the past year.

She stepped out of the car and followed him to the trunk, where he fished out his duffel bag. He'd insisted he didn't need anything, as his mother enjoyed buying him necessities. She had only laughed, anticipating the smug expression on his face when he didn't have to pay a luggage fee at the airport.

"I'll pick you up before the game tomorrow night, alright?" he said, his hand instinctively reaching for her. She wrapped her arms around his torso, leaning her head on his shoulder. "I might help out at the video store too, Robin said they get busy once school breaks up."

Stella knew he'd be busy catching up with Robin. They had gotten close while working together at Scoops Ahoy!, then at Family Video over summer. Stella adored the younger girl, and knew they'd be seeing a lot of each other for the next several days.

"School finishes on Friday, so we've got a couple of days to settle in," he continued, kissing her forehead. He pulled away, looking down at her, though their hands were still entwined. She was on edge, and he couldn't blame her. He felt the same returning to the seemingly haunted town.  "Hey, look at me, Stells."

She met his eyes. He lifted his other hand, his thumb rubbing against her cheek.

"It's just Spring Break. You get to see the kids, catch up with Richie and Leilani, and drop by the roller rink," he said, his voice soft. "It's gonna be fine. We can handle a week."

Stella nodded. He was right. "We can handle a week."

Steve kissed her lips, then her nose, then the top of her head again. He took a step back, and started walking towards his house. "I love you!"

"I love you too," she called back, forcing a smile as she watched him disappear into the home. He would be greeted by his mother, and maybe even his father, who seemed to have appreciated the fact that he was taking classes again, and working full time.

Tucking her hands in her pockets, Stella returned to the car, this time sitting in the front beside her dad. Gary reached over and patted her knee. "You two were a while back there. It's not like you live together or anything."

This time, Stella managed a light chuckle. "Young love, dad. You can't blame me, can you?"

Gary snorted. "Guess not."

He started the car once more and without a second thought, took off down the street. "So, tell me about your latest assignment. You said something about...realism on the phone?"

"Surrealism." She corrected, and he made an 'ahh' sound. He was finally starting to make an effort with art school, now that he could see how committed she was to it. She adored how much he was willing to try, especially considering his wariness in the past. "We basically had to study artists of that time period and produce three paintings and two drawings that followed the same ideas."

"What were yours about?"

Stella paused, thinking. She couldn't really tell him about the darker aspects she had included, because he knew nothing of the events that had occured within the town - no one did. "Nothing interesting. I, uh, took some inspiration from the Mall Fire, since that was a pretty big event for me."

Gary's grip on the wheel tightened. As far as he was aware, she had narrowly escaped the Starcourt Mall disaster, and was not among the many who 'perished' that day. It was another excuse used by the government to hide the supernatural occurrences that caused so many casualties. "I still can't believe all that. Right after it opened, too. Those poor families."

Stella nodded in agreement. She couldn't imagine what the families of the dead must have felt, knowing that their loved ones wouldn't return home. She wondered if they ever grew suspcious, if they ever grew curious of how easily it was swept under the rug. As long as they had someone to blame, it was easier to cope. Mayor Kline was kicked out of office relatively quickly following the 'accident'.

Within minutes, they had reached their street. Stella watched through the windscreen as her home came into view, right nextdoor to the Wheeler house. It all looked the same, yet felt different. She had to remind herself that she didn't live here anymore.

Her mother ran out, a bright smile on her face. Her hair, the same colour as her daughter's, was frizzy and curled in an unnatural perm, the latest trend she had indulged herself in. "Estella!"

"God, she's been so excited to see you, kid," Gary turned the ignition off. He looked over at her, his eyes slightly watery. "We miss having you around."

"I miss you guys too," Stella admitted. It was the truth. She loved her parents more than words could say, and she missed them every single day. She called as often as she could, and sent letters and pictures of happenings in Rhode Island. She knew her mother was probably keeping a scrapbook of all the photographs and postcards.

Patty Collins was beaten to the car door by Charlie the Boxer, who was losing his goddamn mind. He barked and whined until she stepped out and greeted him, slobber and all. Stella nearly burst into tears at the sight of him, and fell to her knees to pat him. The rescue dog's entire body waggled in excitement, as if he were thankful that he could finally sleep next to his true owner.

"Hey, baby," she grabbed his face and kissed him all over. The dog yapped, licking the side of her cheek before he jumped out of the way for Patty. The older woman pulled Stella up and yanked her into a tight embrace - one that made up for months of no physical contact.

Stella gasped as the wind was knocked out of her. "I can't breathe-"

"Shh," Patty said, her eyes squeezed shut. Her makeup was already smudging from her teary eyes. "Let me hug you."

Stella rolled her eyes, but managed a breathless laugh,  burying her face in her mother's shoulder. Nothing made her feel more at home than a cuddle like this. Gary stepped forward and joined in, while Charlie whined in fear of being left out.

There was an aching fear of her hometown, yet when she was held by the ones she loved; the ones who raised her - she knew nowhere else would carry the same comfort.

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BAD ENDING FOR A MID CHAPTER BUT I NEED TO SET THE SCENE FOR THE SEASON LMAO

just wanted to keep you guys updated: I'm going to try and update as much as I can, but I'm very overwhelmed with university and work at the moment, and as a result my mental state has gotten a little rough - I'm ofc still going to be putting effort into this because I love the story, but pls don't be disappointed if I can't update as much as we all would like, and if its not completely perfect

anyway, I hope you're all well and good!