Work Text:
FADE IN:
INT. NEW YORK CITY ONE BEDROOM APARTMENT, BEDROOM- MORNING
We open to a queen bed, bathed in morning light from the window, covered with semi transparent white curtains. WILL BYERS (19) lays on his back in the middle of the bed, while MIKE WHEELER (19) lays half on top of him with his head and one of his hands resting on WILL’S chest. They both are breathing slowly, clearly still asleep. WILL’S left hand is curled in MIKE’S hair. The blankets are messy, partially covering both boys. The alarm clock has fallen off the table and lays on the ground, unplugged.
WILL stirs, pushing his face into MIKE’S head and inhaling deeply. His eyes open slowly and his head turns to the bedside table. He frowns slightly, looking for the clock. He sits up slowly, peering over the edge of the bed. He spots the clock on the floor. It reads 9:38AM.
WILL
Shit!
WILL pulls his hand out of MIKE’S hair, placing both hands on MIKE’S shoulders and shaking him slightly.
WILL
Mike! Wake up! Shit, we overslept!
MIKE stirs slightly, making a small noise of discontent.
MIKE (mumbles)
Five more minutes…
WILL
Mike! We’re meeting the party for coffee in twelve minutes!
MIKE mumbles into WILL’S chest once more before pushing himself up to look for the alarm clock and finding it on the floor. WILL, despite his obvious stress, doesn't make much effort to push MIKE off of him to get him moving.
MIKE (sleepily)
What time is it?
WILL
Almost ten! When we said we would meet the party!
MIKE
Shit!
MIKE is suddenly stirred into action. He pushes himself up and off the bed, WILL follows suit immediately. Both boys scramble around the bed, picking up their clothes from the floor, opening dresser drawers and getting dressed, haphazardly. We follow the boys out of the room.
INT. MAIN ROOM
WILL hurries into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. MIKE pulls two pairs of shoes from the closet, placing them ready by the door before rushing back into the bedroom. We follow.
MIKE
Where is it… fuck!
MIKE tears through the shared laundry basket in the corner of the bedroom, looking for something. Will renters the room, toothbrush in his mouth.
WILL
What are you looking for?
MIKE
My black zip up! It’s so cold out today, I need layers.
WILL
I think it’s on the back of the couch.
INT. MAIN ROOM
MIKE jumps across the ottoman to the back of the couch, retrieving the hoodie. The apartment is slightly messy, more lived in than anything.
MIKE
Got it!
WILL
Go brush your teeth, then we gotta go!
MIKE rushes into the bathroom.
CUT TO:
INT. APARTMENT BUILDING HALLWAY
WILL finishes locking the door, shoving the key into his pocket. MIKE shoves his second arm into his leather jacket before reaching out to grab WILL’S wrist, grinning. He pulls WILL in before WILL notices what’s happening.
WILL
Mike-
WILL is cut off by MIKE planting a short kiss to WILL’S mouth. WILL grins into the kiss before pushing him back slightly, both hands on MIKE’S chest.
WILL
Mike, we gotta- mmhf!
WILL is cut off once more by MIKE, peppering light kisses to his mouth, cheeks and lastly, forehead before pulling WILL’S wrist once more and pulling them down the hallway. Both boys share matching grins and their laughs echo slightly.
CUT TO:
EXT. NEW YORK COFFEE SHOP- MORNING
The doors to the New York coffee shop, BREWED, are pulled open by MIKE and WILL as they hurry out of the cold weather and into the warm building.
INT. BREWED
MIKE and WILL come through the front doors of the coffee shop and look around, a bit frantically. MIKE catches someone’s eye. MAX MAYFEILD (19) waves to the two boys from a table filled with people, LUCAS SINCLAIR (19), JANE “EL” HOPPER (19), DUSTIN HENDERSON (19), JONATHAN BYERS (22), NANCY WHEELER (22), ROBIN BUCKLY (22), and STEVE HARRINGTON (23). MIKE and WILL make their way to the large table and slide into the end of a bench.
NANCY
This might be nearing a new record.
MIKE
No, it isn't! We aren't that late.
DUSTIN
We specifically picked ten so you “early birds” would be here on time. Some of us have work, plans…
MAX
Social lives…
MIKE (to MAX)
Since when do you have a social life?
LUCAS, sitting next to MIKE on the bench, hits MIKE on the shoulder lightly in support of his girlfriend.
STEVE
Anyways! You guys should go up and order. We gave up waiting around…
STEVE checks his watch dramatically.
STEVE
Half an hour past the meet time.
MIKE (mumbles)
Piss off, Steve.
WILL chuckles under his breath, standing up before tapping MIKE on the shoulder.
WILL (to MIKE)
The regular?
MIKE
Yes, please.
WILL taps MIKE’S shoulder once more before heading to the counter to order. MIKE smiles as he leaves.
MAX
So, as we had already begun to discuss before you rudely interrupted-
MIKE
We slept in! It was an accident!
MAX
Whaterver, Wheeler.
NANCY
Shut up, Mike.
MIKE rolls his eyes, LUCUS shoots him a sympathetic glance.
MAX
Anyways, we started on some rough plans for the spring break trip. Nancy and Robin started a list of places we could go, and the details and prices and such.
ROBIN
My vote’s for anywhere with a beach.
ROBIN makes eye contact with NANCY, and sticks her tongue out at her.
EL
I have never been to the beach, so I like that idea!
MAX (excitedly)
El, I can teach you how to surf!
STEVE
El, do you even know how to swim? Oh my god, we're gonna be on the news…
The two girls lean across the table, MAX explaining surfing to an excited EL. STEVE interrupts them everyone once and a while, worried mom mode turned on. WILL reappears over MIKE’S shoulder, placing an iced latte in front of MIKE and a hot chai in front of his spot.
WILL
I’d like to see Mike all sun burned.
MIKE
Hey! Don’t wish that on me!
DUSTIN
I want to see a peeling Mike.
LUCUS snorts.
JONATHAN (to NANCY and ROBIN)
What beach options do you two have?
NANCY
Hawaii has this budget student resort type thing, that could be in our price range…
We zoom out on the table of friends, as they continue talking joyfully.
CUT TO:
INT. BREWED- AFTERNOON
We pan back into the table of the party, several hours have obviously passed. Plates, cups and mugs are all over the table, littered with napkins and pages of NANCY’S notebook. Many indistinct conversations are happening at once.
STEVE
Okay, it is getting entirely too late for this. We still have a four hour drive ahead of ourselves, and we have to stop and grab all our shit from the hotel.
NANCY nods in agreement.
NANCY
Yep, we need to go, like, now.
ROBIN
Ugh, traffic is going to be fucking terrible.
DUSTIN, NANCY, ROBIN and STEVE start getting up from the table. The rest of the group stands up with them and starts swapping goodbyes and hugs.
STEVE
Okkkay!
STEVE claps his hands.
STEVE
Boston crew, let's roll.
DUSTIN, STEVE, ROBIN and NANCY say their final goodbyes and start to leave. ROBIN stops to say goodbye to WILL and he turns around.
WILL (to ROBIN, quieter)
How was the hotel with Nance?
WILL smirks as ROBIN blushes, just slightly.
ROBIN
Perfectly appropriate. Just like all our time at Emerson is.
WILL knows this is bullshit but doesn’t call her on it.
ROBIN
I’m sure we’re just as appropriate as you and baby Wheeler.
WILL snorts, playfully shoving ROBIN before ROBIN pulls WILL in for a quick hug.
STEVE
How many times do I have to say we're leaving? Let’s go!
DUSTIN
Chill out, dude. Who shoved the stick up your ass today, huh?
STEVE
You wanna drive home in this traffic, Henderson?
DUSTIN
Actually-
STEVE
There's no way in hell you're driving my car.
DUSTIN laughs as he and STEVE walk out of the building, NANCY and ROBIN follow. They wave out their last goodbyes to the rest of the party.
LUCAS
Do you guys wanna do anything else? We just have the rest of the day before El, Max and I head back to Hartford tomorrow morning.
MAX
I definitely want a bagel before the movies, and can we stop by the skate shop?
EL
I’ll just poke in any shops we walk by.
LUCUS
Ok, cool. (to MIKE, WILL, and JONATHAN) Do you guys wanna come with?
JONATHAN
You guys go, I need to get some groceries for the week, and probably clean up whatever dishes my roommates left in the sink before the dinner.
EL
What dinner?
JONATHAN
With mom and Hopper? El, they're driving in right now, probably.
EL
Oh right! I totally forgot.
LUCAS
We can go wander around for a bit before you guys have to get dinner. Max and I are going for a movie tonight at seven.
Everyone offers their agreement and the rest of the group makes their way out of the coffee shop.
The intro of EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD by TEARS FOR FEARS starts to play as we watch a montage of LUCAS, MAX, EL, MIKE and WILL in various shops, walking down the street, trying on clothes, picking out CDs, admiring skateboards through windows. MAX bites into a giant cream cheese bagel while EL and WILL laugh at her. LUCAS and MIKE biker over some fireworks LUCAS finds in a sale bin. The group walks across a park, laughing with each other. The song fades out.
CUT TO:
INT. NEW YORK HOTEL ROOM- EARLY EVENING
We pan from the window to the single bed hotel room where EL sits in front of a long mirror attached to the wall. LUCUS sits on the bed, tucked under his arm is MAX. LUCAS and MAX’S eyes are on the television sitting on the dresser across from the bed.
MAX
This show is fucking stupid.
LUCAS murmurs in agreement. EL finishes applying blush to her cheeks in front of the mirror before rustling through her makeup bag.
EL
Max, do you have any mascara left? I can’t find mine.
MAX pulls herself off the bed and over to her open duffle bag laying on the floor.
MAX
I only have the brown stuff, is that okay?
EL
Yes, that’s okay!
MAX grabs her mascara from her duffle bag and walks over to EL, and passes the tube to EL’s open hand above her head. MAX walks back to the bed and flops down, half on LUCAS.
LUCAS
Oof-
MAX
Sorry!
A knock on the door brings EL to her feet and she walks over to open the door. The door opens to STEVE and DUSTIN.
EL
I thought you guys left hours ago!
STEVE (frustrated)
We would’ve, but Henderson, the idiot, can’t find his physics notebook and claims Sinclair has something to do with it.
LUCAS (muffled)
I didn’t do shit!
DUSTIN
Bullshit! You were making fun of my handwriting and diagrams literally last night.
LUCAS walks to the door.
LUCAS
I just put it on the bedside table or something. I wouldn't mess with your fancy MIT physics mombojumbo.
DUSTIN
Well it isn't there, is it? And mombojumbo? That's offensive.
STEVE groans and follows a bickering DUSTIN and LUCUS back down the hall.
STEVE
I’m never sharing a room with these knuckleheads again.
CUT TO:
INT. FANCY NEW YORK RESTERAUNT- EVENING
We pan through the restaurant before landing on a table for six. JOYCE BYERS (47) and JIM HOPPER (47) sit next to each other, looking at menus. HOPPER looks up from his menu and scans the room.
HOPPER
Where are those damn kids? I swear, it’s that goddamn Mike.
JOYCE
Hopper-
HOPPER
I'm not kidding, Joyce, that kid is never on time.
JOYCE
Mike’s really not-
JOYCE is interrupted by JONATHAN, EL, WILL and MIKE rushing up to the table.
JONATHAN
Hi, sorry, sorry, the train was delayed!
HOPPER scoffs, shooting MIKE a pointed glance that no one but JOYCE notices. The four kids take their seats at the table, EL next to HOPPER on his side of the table, and JONATHAN, WILL and MIKE sit on the opposite side.
HOPPER (to EL)
Hey kid.
EL smiles back at HOPPER as he ruffles her hair lightly. We move down the table to JOYCE.
JOYCE
How is everything, guys?
WILL
Pretty good. We met up with the rest of the party today to plan our spring break trip.
JOYCE
Oh, I didn’t know they were in town.
MIKE
Yeah, they all came for the weekend.
JOYCE
That’s good. It’s nice how you guys are all still pretty close together. Who was here this weekend?
WILL
Max and Lucas came with El from Hartford, and then Nancy, Robin, Steve and Dustin came in from Boston.
HOPPER cues back into the conversation.
HOPPER
That’s a long drive. I hope they left with a good time today or the traffic will be batshit crazy.
MIKE snorts at the mention of the traffic, and HOPPER sends him a glare.
HOPPER
Don’t think I like you any better just cause you actually like which one of my kids you decided to date this time, Wheeler.
MIKE chokes on his water, and WILL stifles a laugh, patting MIKE on the back. A WAITER arrives at the table.
WAITER
Can I start you guys with some drinks this evening?
He looks to the end of the table at WILL expectantly.
WILL
Can I get a coke, please?
MIKE
Same here, please.
JONATHAN
Can I get a ginger ale, please?
EL
Can I get a virgin raspberry mojito?
HOPPER
And we’ll share a bottle of the 59 Merlot, please.
WAITER
Great, I’ll be right back with those.
JOYCE
So, you three, how is NYU treating you as of late?
JONATHAN
Not too bad. My winter classes are much easier than my fall. And my roommates have been better, there was only one bowl in the sink when I got home today.
JOYCE nods contently at her oldest son’s recap. She turns to MIKE and WILL.
JOYCE
Mike, Will, how’s the apartment?
MIKE
It’s pretty good, we managed to find the hole between the wall and ceiling where the spiders were getting in, so that's good.
HOPPER
What did you guys use to patch it up?
WILL
Uh, just some clay I took from one of my classes.
HOPPER
There’s no way that’s up to code.
JOYCE
El, honey, when do you head back to school?
EL
Lucas, Max and I leave tomorrow morning. Lucas drove.
JOYCE
Good, be careful on the drive back.
The table continues their friendly conversations, JOYCE and HOPPER catching up on the various activities their children have been up to in the city. The intro to LANDSLIDE by FLEETWOOD MAC starts playing as we zoom out from the HOPPER-BYERS (plus MIKE) family dinner. We watch as they talk animatedly together over their waters and menus. We cut to the other members of the party, faint audio overlapping on top of the song.
We see LUCAS and MAX next to each other in their seats at the movies. MAX looks at LUCAS, smiling slightly before LUCAS turns to grin back at her. MAX leans in for a quick kiss, followed by one more before she rests her head on LUCAS’ shoulder.
We cut to a car stuck on a many lane highway. DUSTIN and STEVE bicker good naturedly with smiles on their faces in the front seat. We move past them to NANCY and ROBIN in the backseat, where ROBIN is telling NANCY some sort of story. She gestures wildly and NANCY looks at her with the most loving smile we’ve seen her wear. Eventually, NANCY grabs both of ROBIN’S hands before leaning in to shut her up with a kiss. They kiss until we hear STEVE telling them to quit the PDA. ROBIN and NANCY connect their foreheads, giggling at STEVE’S antics. We zoom back out from the car and to the highway.
CUT TO:
A montage from the previous seasons plays:
EL and MAX at the mall, trying on clothes and eating ice cream.
DUSTIN, LUCUS, MIKE and EL bike as a giant van levitates over their heads.
ROBIN and WILL burst into laughter in the tunnels.
EL and WILL walk out of LENORA HIGH together, grinning.
JONATHAN and NANCY share a smile after NANCY fires a gun.
DUSTIN and MIKE sit at a cafeteria table with EDDIE.
EL pokes at DUSTIN’S new teeth as he grins.
JONATHAN takes pictures of WILL, wearing a ghost busters costume.
WILL and MIKE sit together on the bed in California, twin smiles on their faces.
ROBIN and NANCY walk through the forest together, bumping elbows and trading glances.
LUCAS and MAX sit on top of the school bus in the junk yard at night.
JOYCE and HOPPER sit together on the steps wearing Russian military uniforms.
STEVE drives ROBIN to school as she gets ready for a pep rally.
LUCAS and MIKE sit together on watch in the church tower.
JOYCE wipes lipstick off of JONATHAN'S face as he rushes out the door.
STEVE reassures DUSTIN before he gets out of the car for the school dance.
WILL and MIKE share their first kiss in the UPSIDE DOWN.
HOPPER and EL share a meal in the cabin, HOPPER ruffles EL’S short hair.
DUSTIN, MIKE, WILL and LUCAS sit around the table in the Wheeler basement, playing DnD and we fade to black from this clip.