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What would you change if you could travel back in time? More importantly, who would you want to meet? For Dustin Henderson, it is to see his beloved friend, Eddie Munson, one last time.
The rain hammered down on the streets of Hawkins while Dustin Henderson, freshly back from his first semester of college, sat in a small café sipping a coffee. The café was a familiar place for Dustin and his friends back in high school, as there were rumors that one specific seat could send you back in time. The group was so intrigued by this that for a while after school they would sit and impatiently wait for the woman in the seat to leave, but after days of waiting, and hearing the rules, they, like many others, gave up.
Dustin was pulled from his memories by the voice of a woman “Sir, Would you like a refill?” The barista asked, leaning over the counter. “Oh! Sure, Thank you” Dustin replied quickly. “Is it true you can time travel with that seat over there?” Dustin asked while the barista walked towards him, “I mean, I've heard rumors of it, my friends and I were obsessed with it in high school, but has anyone ever actually done it?” The barista refills his coffee and places a couple packets of sugar onto the table. “Only a few. Many people give up after hearing the rules and having to wait for the ghost woman to leave, but there have been a few people who have actually done it” As the barista walked back behind the counter, one thing was on Dustin's mind. Eddie Munson. He could go back in time, using that seat, and see him one last time. Speak to him. Dustin knew he couldn't do anything to change the past or to bring Eddie back to life, but he still wanted to do it.
“Can I do it?” He asked, anxiously. “Can I use that seat to go back and speak to my friend one last time?” Dustin asked the barista from across the room. Just as the woman was about to speak, Dustin cut her off. “I already know the rules, I know about the time limit and everything. I know I can't change the past. Can I do it?” The woman looked at him curiously, but she could tell by the look in his eyes that Dustin was dead set on doing it. “Okay,” She says, sighing “I don't think the woman has gone to the bathroom yet. Whenever she does, you can do it. Are you sure you know the rules?” Dustin nodded, “I'm sure. You can only meet those who have been in the café before. You cannot change the past'' he paused, looking at the barista as she nodded along with what he said “And you have to finish before the coffee gets cold.”
What felt like hours passed as Dustin sat in the café reading and drinking coffee after coffee to pass the time. The rain continued to pelt down and his hopes of seeing Eddie one last time were slowly dissolving, but just as he was about to give up, it happened. The ghost of the woman in the seat put down her book and stood, slowly walking in the direction of the bathroom. “It's happening! She's going to the bathroom!” Dustin said, standing up quickly. The barista rushed out from the back room, grabbing a pot of coffee and a mug off the counter. “Remember the rules. Good luck” She said as poured the coffee into the cup.
“Eddie. I need to see Eddie” Dustin thought to himself as he took his first sip of the freshly poured coffee. Within seconds he went from the light café to the darkness of where he last saw Eddie, the upside down. “Eddie?” He spoke softly, tears brimming his eyes as he realized it worked. It actually worked. “Dustin!” Eddie beamed, bringing him into a tight hug. “I missed you so much! You're so grown up now!” Dustin cried softly into Eddie's shoulder, “I can't believe it's really you.” The two separated from the hug slowly, looking at each other up and down in disbelief. “Sit down with me, I want to talk to you!” Dustin said, sitting down at the table and chairs that had brought him back to his beloved friend.
“So, what's changed? How is everything!” Eddie asked, since it has been years since everything with Vecna had happened.
“Well,” Dustin said with a sigh “A lot changed. We all kinda moved to different places after Vecna, so we haven't really been able to spend a lot of time together. That's why I'm back in Hawkins! We all agreed to meet at the café but the rain got bad so it's just me, so I figured since I was seeing old friends, I should check in on one I missed the most '' Dustin said looking at Eddie. “I miss you a lot, you know. I wish I could have done something to save you” He said, taking a sip of his coffee to keep from choking up. “I know dude, and I regret some of the things I did,” Eddie said, “but I did what I did to save you, and Hawkins. Even if they didn't deserve it” he chuckled. “Yeah, I wish they could have known the real you.”
The two sat in comfortable silence for a moment, before Eddie spoke. “Your coffee is going to get cold, we should wrap this up.” Dustin nodded, not yet ready to leave Eddie again. “I miss you everyday, Eddie. This was nice. Until we see each other again? ” Dustin asked, tears flowing down his cheeks. Eddie pulled him into a tight hug. “Until we see each other again. I love you. Never change.” Within a blink, Dustin was back in the warm café. The rain outside had calmed down, the dark grey clouds that once filled the sky slowly moving away. “How was it?” The barista asks nervously as Dustin walked back to his original seat. “It was nice” Dustin said softly as the sun beamed in through the windows.