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The kids’ graduation was just around the corner. Both El and Will insisted on nothing big, just a party with their friends and a sleepover in the Wheeler’s basement, but Joyce had none of it. The last time one of her kids graduated she couldn't afford to go out of the way, now she had two kids graduating and enough money to at least get them presents.
Hopper and her made plans to meet after work, like they always did, but this time they would go to the mall and finally get something for the teenagers. Even if she wanted to go alone, which Jim couldn’t allow to happen, she would have to wait for him to drive her home and get her car. They figured out it would be easier to just drive to work together, he would always drop her off and pick her up exactly five minutes before her shift ended, saving some money on gas.
That’s how they found themselves where they were right now, in a mall on the other side of the town, looking for graduation presents for their kids. They were walking from store to store, hand in hand, as if one of them was too afraid to let the other one go. People had time to get used to them, most of them weren’t even surprised when the news of their marriage started going around in Hawkins’ gossip mill. But there were still people that couldn’t wrap their heads around the relationship, one of them being Callahan, who had to go from calling her Crazy Joyce to Mrs Hopper.
“What do the kids like these days?” Hopper asked while scratching his beard and pulling Joyce into another store, a video game store.
“They definitely don’t play Atari anymore…” But it was like talking to a wall. Hopper had already let go of her hand and was going through all the games there, letting out an excited yell once he found one that he liked.
“Aha! This is the one.” He held it low, for Joyce to see it, getting a sigh out of her. She took the game from him, sighing once more as she scanned the box.
The packaging was colorful, showing a little farm with a farmer girl standing before it. She turned it around in her hands and read through the description, realizing this was a game for five year olds.
‘Grow your crops, harvest them and provide for a village. You can now have a herd of sheep and cows that give you enough milk to last for a week. Live out your farming fantasy with our newest game!’
“Are you kidding me? You didn’t even read what it’s about.” She put the game back on the shelf only for it to be picked up by Hopper again.
“What do you mean? I’d die for this game, I’m sure Will is going to love it.” This only earned Hopper a roll of eyes that were looking up at him in disbelief. Joyce moved her eyes from the game to the shelf, letting him know without using the words that he should put it back there and forget about it.
“It’s like getting El a doll.” Joyce turned from him, looking for some other options before he could protest one more time.
“We’re not getting El a doll, she’s not a kid.” He was getting confused, having no idea why she would even consider getting their daughter a doll for graduating high school.
“Neither is Will.” She chose another game, this one wasn’t as perky as the one before. “We can get Will this one.” She said, shrugging her shoulders and giving it to Jim to take a look at.
‘You wake up from a comma, but there’s no one around. Except, there is. The people seem different, almost not human. Now it’s your turn to find a way back home, win back the love of your life and face off with a hoard of zombies going only after your brain.’
“Don’t you think this one is a little too brutal?’
“Boys his age only like brutal..”