Chapter Text
BEEP BEEP BEEP
Mike’s alarm clock blares in his empty bedroom. His wife is on a ‘girls trip’ that’s lasted too long, and he’s gotten many a dry text that have divorce written all over them. He gets out of bed groggily, and makes his way to Ellie’s room. He opens the door and pads over to her bed.
“Ells, it’s time to wake up,” He says to her softly, in a voice he remembers too clearly, as he shakes her awake gently.
“Mghmmmm…” Ellie mumbles back and rolls over.
“What if I told you that there were pancakes in your near future?” Mike leans over her, smiling.
“PANCAKES?!” Ellie yells excitedly as she shoots up from her pillow, rushes to put on her slippers, and runs downstairs.
Mike stands up from Ellie’s bed and glances at his books on her bookshelf. He shakes his head and walks down to the kitchen.
“Sooooooo…I was thinking,” Ellie starts, with that sparkle she often has in her voice.
“Sooooooo…you were thinking?” Mike replies with a playful tone of voice.
“You know how my birthday is on Monday, and today is Friday right?”
“Mhm,” Mike replies as he flips one of the pancakes.
“Well, I was thinking, since the open house for school is tonight and school starts on Monday, we could go to dinner, for my birthday of course, and then come home and you could read me the book that I’ve been begging you to let me read for the past year.” Ellie suggests.
“We can go to dinner, but I’m not reading you that book.” Mike replies with more seriousness.
“But why, Dad? I’m almost thirteen, I’m basically an adult!”
Mike stares at the pancake pan, then turns to Ellie.
“Because I said so.”
“Thats not a valid response, you know?”
“Yes it is, Ellie, I just don’t want to read it to you.”
“Why can’t I just read it myself, then?”
“Because you’d have too many questions that you’d need to ask me about and I can’t answer them!” Mike replies, frustrated.
“What, is it dirty or something?!” Ellie raises her voice with confusion and frustration.
“No! God no, Ellie, I just don’t have answers for you because I don’t know what they are myself.” Mike explodes, just as he turns back around to the blackened pancakes stuck to the pan.
“Damn it…Ells, please go get ready, we have to leave in an hour. I’ll have non-burnt pancakes ready for you in a bit.”
Ellie nods and walks up the carpeted stairs into her room, closing the door behind her. Mike opens the cabinet to get more pancake mix, and a thought crosses his mind. Why don’t I let her read that book? I can’t avoid it forever…it’s not like it means anything anymore either– I wrote it 20 years ago! Those thoughts are long gone, right? He is broken out of this thought when the second batch of pancakes burns…shit. Mike walks upstairs and knocks on Ellie’s door.
“Hey, so I might've burnt the second batch of pancakes and we might be out of pancake mix…can I maybe make it up to you by reading the first 5 chapters of Adventures of a Paladin and His- I mean, Adventures of the Paladin and the Cleric?”
Ellie bursts out the door and throws her arms around her dad.
“YES YES YES! I don’t even like pancakes THAT much anyways so this is totally so much better! Thank you thank you THANK YOU!!!” Ellie squeals and hugs her dad even tighter.
Mike doesn’t really know why Ellie likes his books so much, and why she’s so intent on reading that one, as it’s his oldest and most amateur of his 17 books . Mike disregards the thought and walks downstairs, Ellie trailing him as they walk towards the car.
“You have your schedule, right?” Mike asks, opening Ellie’s car door.
“Of course, Dad. Now hurry up, we’re running late!!” Ellie replies.
Mike sat down in the driver’s seat and turned the key, and on turned 94.5 FM, Robin’s radio channel, WSQK “The Squawk.”
Good morning, Hawkins! It’s your favorite radio host Rockin’ Robin tuning in for your 10 a.m. update! Today is a beautiful, sunny August day with a high of 85 and a low of 77, with heavy rain coming tomorrow! A lightning sound effect plays (most likely by Steve, Mike assumes). We have a very special event today, DRUMROLL PLEASE, STEVE! Ellie pats her thighs, making a drumming sound as Steve makes the drumroll on the radio. Today is the Hawkins Middle Open House! A party favor sound is played by Steve, and Robin goes back to hosting. And I know many of you are very eager to go back to school, aren’t you kids? Don’t worry, even though Rockin’ Robin is getting pretty old, 58– yeesh… She still knows that school sucks, so do or do not, there is no try! Robin puts on a Yoda voice as she says this, which even makes Mike chuckle a bit. Anyways Hawkins, before I bore you with my awesome radio hosting, I want to give a shout-out to one of my dearest friends, who is starting his first year as the Hawkins Middle art teacher! ONE LAST DRUMROLL, STEVIE BOY! One last drumroll is reluctantly played by Steve, as Mike heard him mumble, “Eugh, don’t call me that, Robin,” and he wondered who the teacher was. Ellie has been taking art since kindergarten, and she was very fond of her 6th grade art teacher. Mike thinks for a bit. Hmmm… no, it couldn’t be…. He is in a state of wonder as the drumroll goes on, but is broken out of it when Robin starts speaking again. The new Hawkins Middle art teacher is The Great… The Powerful… The Wise…. Uh oh. William Byers! Steve plays the celebration sound effect again, as Mike’s worst thought has been confirmed; he’s going to have to talk to Will for the first time in 35 years.
“Dad, the light is green!” Ellie says, which breaks Mike out of his state of dread.
“Oh, yeah, thanks Ellie.” He replies, dazed.
Alright Hawkins! Time for some rockin’ tunes, so sit back, relax, keep your eyes on the road… I’m talking about you, Wheeler, you suck at driving, and enjoy Chappell Roan’s new hit single “Good Luck, Babe!” Mike has never heard anything from Chappell Roan, but he’s seen the news about her and she seems pretty cool. As Mike listens to the lyrics, they start to hit a little too close to home.
It′s fine, it's cool
You can say that we are nothin′, but you know the truth
And guess I'm the fool…
Mike listens closer as the chorus approaches.
You can kiss a hundred boys in bars
Shoot another shot, try to stop the feeling
You can say it′s just the way you are
Make a new excuse, another stupid reason…
Mike’s eyes start to tear up, but he wipes them away– something he’s very good at doing.
And when you wake up next to him in the middle of the night
With your head in your hands, you're nothing more than his wife
And when you think about me all of those years ago
You′re standing face-to-face with "I told you so"...
A tear rolls down Mike’s cheek.
“Dad, are you okay?” Ellie asks, concerned.
“I’m fine.” He replies with a waiver in his voice.
“You don’t sound fine-”
“I’m fine, Ellie.” Mike interrupts.
HAWKINS! What did we think of that one? Robin yells over the radio. I think Chappell Roan is a breakout star, what about you guys? Next up on WSQK “The Squawk” is an hour of 80’s throwback, with Kate Bush, The Cure- Mike turns off the radio.