The Struggles Of Being A Teenage Mother Of 6

I'm very confused, I was driving El back to the cabin after a day at the arcade and "every breath you take" by the police came on. I'm not too into it so I flipped it to a different station, but she immediately switched it back. I didn't think much of it and just left it be (wouldn't wanna anger a telepathic child yaknow) when the song hit "baby baby pleassseee" I heard her sniff, and by the time I looked over she was full on sobbing.

I tried to ask what was wrong, and she just screamed "I DONT KNOW!!!!"

I pulled over cause at this point we began to float off our seats, only the seatbelt keeping us from being literally on the ceiling (didn't help me from bumping my head though) and my backpack in the backseat was against the roof.

Once we were pulled over I managed to get her to tell me that her and Mike danced to it at the snowball, they'd even kissed to it.

It took a whole second song to get her calm enough that I was flat against my seat (Jessie's girl, in case you were curious) though she sniffled the rest of the ride to her house.

Hop was, well, not too pleased. It took quite a bit of explaining why his daughter had been crying

December 25th 1985 - 11:16 AM

My parents didn't come home, again. This year they mailed me a few gift cards and left it at that.

But, last time I was over at the Byers' with Jonathan it somehow came up in front of his Mom that my parents probably wouldn't be home.

And she immediately insisted.

So that's what brings me here. A lunchtime christmas party with the people that are basically my family.

Only half of the party is here. The Hopper's are celebrating with the Byers and Max tagged along because her Mom and Dad went on a Christmas vacation and left her with Billy (he's probably off hanging with some poor girl's family, Max said.) she also said her mom really wanted her to go, but her step father thought it would be a good chance for Max and Billy to "bond"

But, she's here. Her, Will and El are busy stringing together popcorn to hang around the tree (among the copious Christmas lights)

Joyce and the chief are in the kitchen, trying to make a lunch (but from experience Jim only has minimal skill at cooking, and Joyce, as lovely of a lady as she is, can't cook to save her life. I considered going to help out but I decided to let them have this, they are the parents here after all.)

Jonathan is stretched out on the couch beside me, I'm practically sitting on the arm. He occasionally shoots out some advice for the kids decorating but otherwise he's quiet as he watches Rudolph for probably the hundredth time.

I think Joyce is about to bring out a round of presents, I wonder if Will is gonna get the new Atari game he's been talking about for weeks.

This is my family. Sure we're missing a few. The other half of the party couldn't get away from their family on Christmas Day and Nancy was helping bake for the upcoming Wheeler family get together, but this is still it. Not my absent parents who can do little more than send money my way. But the ones who chose me. Who let me in even though they could've threw me to the side after the whole "demogorgon and upside down" thing.

Max shrieks when a bowl half filled with popcorn telepathically dumps over her head. I hear a laughter filled yell of "that better be picked up!" While Will grabs a handful off the carpet and tosses them at El.

Jonathan and Nancy finally are here, and it's time for our date night. They're both tired so we decided to just watch a few movies together and hang.

And it's looking at both of them next to me, Nancy in between me and Jonathan with her head tucked in my neck and her legs pulled up on top of Jonathan. And Jonathan quietly humming along to a song in the movie, that I know I love them.

I followed Will around the arcade to the back beside the dumpster, and it was really nasty but he talked with me and explained about this cute boy in his class that he wished would be his valentine but he thought the boy would be disgusted if he asked.

And that's why he was so upset, sure if the other boys asked a girl out they might get turned down, but they wouldn't become outcasts (or even more of outcasts, Will's words) But Will would face too much bullying to handle.

He said he was scared to tell anyone. His Mom and Jonathan already knew but he was scared to tell me and his friends.

After a while we heard the other kids yelling, and when we walked around the building it looked like Mike was going to have a heart attack out of fear.

Will was still moody when we got to the arcade, but not in the grumpy, annoyed way of before. But he seemed sad, stressed.

So, while the other kids rushed into the arcade I stopped Will to talk to him. He crawled through the seats into the passenger seat and asked what I wanted to talk to him about.

When I asked what was wrong and if he needed some lady advice he just started cackling, and I had no clue what was going on.

And then he started crying, through the laughter, and I was even more confused.

It's Valentine's Day and yet I've got a group of children using me as a taxi service to their dates and friend-dates (their words, not mine)

At least I'll be able to have my date night with Nancy and Jonathan in a few hours

Will is acting strange, even more so than the past few days. He seems rather pouty and upset and originally I thought it was cause he didn't have a girlfriend while Lucas and Mike did, but when Dustin said the two of them were part of the "no girlfriend club!" Will actually said "thank god!" (Max did not appreaciate this)

Left with no choice, I had to pick Lucas, Dustin Max and Eleven up from school and have them help me set up for a lovely night

A good idea? Absolutely not.

At least Will and Mike where picked up by their respective siblings, so they wouldn't go telling anyone my plans.

So I sent Eleven off to cut heart shapes out of colorful construction paper I didn't even know I had because she could use her powers and cut at least two at a time if she had enough scissors.

Max and Lucas paired up to pick out a meal, which took way too long! I mean how hard is it to look through a cookbook and pick one?

And Dustin and I shared the task of general tidying so my house didn't look like a complete wreck

(It's all the children's fault. I'm a tidy person! They picked my home as a hangout and they make a huge mess! I have to clean up after them like a maid!)

But, now Eleven has strung up paper hearts all around the house, some hanging on the ceiling without anyone even needing a stool. Lucas and Max finally picked something nice I could make with my limited groceries and the house looks relatively clean.

It's almost Valentine's Day and I completely forgot

I mean, it's not like Nancy and Jonathan would be angry. They probably don't have anything big planned because I typically do the bigger things, but they might be dissapointed.

So, on the day before Valentine's Day I set out to pick up all the things I'd need to decorate my house for a pleasant date night.

I picked up some (very cheesy) heart shaped decorations and a few bouquets. It was when I was considering what romantic meal to cook for the night when Tommy and Carol had to stroll up.

Tommy asked me "what, planning an orgy with you're weirdo lovers?" And I was so angry that I picked up a nearby bag of garlic and launched it at the pair

And then I decided to, for once, take Dustin's advice and walk away from a potential fight, so I sauntered (no, I didn't run. Shut up) right out of the sliding doors without all my carefully picked out items

So, I still don't know Will's "secret" but at least he's not slamming doors. I got him to come and sit with me on the couch and watch a movie while the other kids complained but I told them to leave us be and to go do something else. It sort of worked but they're still right in the dining room and every time I looked over they were staring and whispering

Will, sweet, understanding, non-confrontational Will, just stomped out of my house and slammed the door with a strength I could only imagine in Hopper.

The kids have continued to bug him, and even I'm getting tired of it. They tried to rope me in but I refused, the excuse of "maybe if I'm the one person not annoying him he'll come to me" worked pretty well, even if Dustin said "You're looking at it all wrong!"

The kids have been nagging Will, I can tell. When I said "Hey Will," to ask what kind of sandwhich he wanted he groaned and said 'not this again!'

It's all going according to plan

Dustin said that if Will is asked enough he'll eventually get tired of it and just tell them. I'm not sure how accurate that is but I'll just let them do their thing.