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Because there really wasn’t anything fun to do in a small town like Hawkins, everyone who lives there or had lived there would always say that the only fun thing to do was watching a movie at the Hawk Theater. Being a former Hawkins resident herself, Nancy always had fond memories of watching movies at the Hawk, and so did the rest of her friends who also had grown up in Hawkins. So when her, Jonathan, Steve and Robin started doing monthly meet ups in Philadelphia, it was natural for them to just watch a movie and head to the nearest AMC Theatre, especially if they had nothing special planned, which was most of the time.
They’ve been doing these monthly meetings for over a year now. It wasn’t anything grand, it’s just them hanging out with each other, reminiscing about their time in Hawkins, good or bad, and talking about the things going on in their lives, big or small. And of course, going to see a movie was always a must for the four young adults who were born and raised in Hawkins, Indiana. This month was Jonathan’s turn to pick the movie, the last time he picked a movie was back in May and it was Back to the Future Part III. Nancy knew he didn’t really want to watch it but Robin and Steve really wanted to, so with the big brother mentality he’s always had, he put their wishes over his. She hopes that this time he will actually pick something he wants, and not what he feels they might enjoy watching. So when Jonathan said his choice for movie night, she thought he was doing exactly what she had feared.
“Goodfellas?” Nancy said, taken back by the answer that left Jonathan’s lips.
“Yeah, I think it’s something you guys would enjoy.”
“Oh come on Jonathan, don’t pick something you think we’d like. Pick something you want and we’ll happily agree to it.” Robin said.
“I am picking something I want to watch. I just think you guys would enjoy it too.”
“Okay, but are you sure you don’t want a horror movie?” Steve asked. “I’m sure they're playing something with blood and guts… you know, that kind of stuff.”
“Yes I’m sure, I think we all will enjoy watching it.” Jonathan responded.
“Never took you for a guy that was into mobster movies, Jonathan.”
“Well I am full of surprises if I do say so myself, Robin.” Jonathan said confidently, although Nancy couldn’t help but noticed the strange way he said ‘surprises’.
“Have you ever even seen a mafia movie before, Byers?” Steve said, always with the questions.
“Godfather.” Nancy answered for Jonathan, making Steve and Robin look at her quizzically.
“Just Godfather?” Robin asked Jonathan.
“Not just Godfather, the second one too. And when the third one comes out, I’ll watch it.” Jonathan rubs the back of his neck, getting annoyed with all these questions. “Look, we've tackled almost every genre there is. Romance, drama, action, comedy, I just think it’d be nice to tackle crime at least once. Don’t you agree?”
Nancy, Robin, and Steve just murmured in agreement and decided it was better to actually go watch the movie than talk to each other in the lobby about why Jonathan picked Goodfellas. Steve and Robin set off to get the snacks while Jonathan and Nancy were in charge of getting tickets. They managed to find four seats in the middle row, an aisle seat being available, which everyone knew Nancy was going to take. Once they got their tickets, Jonathan made his way inside the auditorium and Nancy gave Steve and Robin their tickets while they were waiting in line to get the popcorn and soda for the group. Nancy made it inside the auditorium and found Jonathan sitting in one of the seats they got, noticing he was in the one that was farther from the aisle.
As she was walking down the stairs and got near her seat, Nancy noticed that Jonathan was staring at the movie screen, which was blank as it hadn’t even played the trailers yet, in a trance. She noticed that his knee was bouncing up and down rapidly, like he was anxious, it reminded her when they had set themselves up to get captured by the people at Hawkins Lab. She took her aisle seat, waiting for him to notice her, but he hadn’t. Something was going through his head and she was going to get to the bottom of it.
“I’d figured you’d be tired of sitting next to me already.” Nancy said, cheekily.
Jonathan nearly jumped out of his seat, and without a word just took his seat next to her. He apologized and just went back to staring at the screen. Nancy knew Jonathan well enough to know something was bothering him and placed her hand on top of his left one, which made Jonathan stop focusing on the screen and made him focus on her. They might not be together like they were before, but sometimes, old habits die hard.
“Hey.” Nancy said softly. “Is everything alright?”
“Uhh… yeah of course.” Jonathan said, Nancy still wasn’t 100% convinced.
“You sure? You seem nervous.”
“I’m fine. Don’t worry Nancy, it’s nothing.”
“It’s not nothing. Are you hiding something from us?”
“No.. no why would you think that?”
“Because earlier in the lobby, you told Robin you were ‘full of surprises’ a little too hard. Do you have an ulterior motive for making us watch a mob film?” She turned Jonathan’s hand, his scarred one, and intertwined it with her unscarred one. “I won’t get mad, I just want you to tell me whatever is making you feel this way.”
Jonathan just looked at their hands and he let out a breath Nancy didn’t know he was holding in.
“It’s nothing bad, I promise.” Jonathan assured.
“Then what is it?”
“Well, I guess I could tell you since the movie is out. But, I recommended we watch Goodfellas because…” He leaned in to talk into her ear and whisper. “I was involved in the production last year.”
Nancy’s eyes almost popped out of their sockets.
“WHAT!?!”
She got shushed by people sitting near them, apparently the trailer for the new Rocky movie was playing while Jonathan and her were talking. She said sorry to those she disturbed. She started speaking to Jonathan quietly.
“You worked on this movie?”
“Yeah. I was a runner.”
“A runner?”
“It’s like being an intern. Me and a couple of other students were looking to get college credit at NYU, so they made us do whatever they needed to work on the movie. Sometimes I did lunch runs, cleaned up the fake blood, set up equipment—“
“That’s great! It really is. But it still doesn’t explain why you’re fidgety about watching the movie. You’re involved so it must be good, I hope you’re not doubting that.” Nancy would never miss the chance to compliment Jonathan, dating or not. She could even see that he was blushing in the dim lighting.
“Thanks, but I’m not doubting the movie’s reception. It’s just… one day I was in charge of driving people to the set, and I got to be the driver for Martin Scorsese—
“You met Scorsese?” Nancy said in awe.
“Just once. But I may have recommended an idea to him when he seemed to be upset about something not going his way. So I suggested my way and I’m hoping he liked it enough to do it. I guess what I’m nervous about is if I actually have ideas that are good enough that even Scorsese himself thinks they are good.”
Nancy, looking down at their intertwined hands, stroked the back of his with her thumb. It’s what she always used to do to ease his nerves back when they were teenagers.
“Don’t worry. Scorsese would be an idiot to not listen to your ideas.”
“It’s Scorsese, Nancy.”
“And you’re Jonathan Byers. Future filmmaker.”
“You don’t even know what I told him?”
“I suppose I don't, but I’ll support you either way. Care to enlighten me?”
“Hey, we got the popcorn and sodas. Do you mind making room?”
Nancy and Jonathan turned their heads towards their left and saw Robin holding a tray with their drinks and Steve holding four medium popcorn buckets in his arms. They got out of their seats and took their food and drinks out of the tray and Steve’s arms. Robin and Steve took their seats, Jonathan sat next to Steve and Nancy sat back in her aisle seat next to Jonathan.
“Aw man we missed the trailers.” Robin said, dejectedly.
“Did they show anything interesting?” Steve asked, looking at Nancy and Jonathan.
“The new Rocky.” Nancy said quickly.
“Awesome!” Steve beamed with excitement.
“Anything else, or were you guys too busy having a private moment? ” Robin said, looking suspiciously at the two people who had their hands clasped together earlier.
Thankfully the projector turned black and a voice from the speakers spoke, saying the movie was getting ready to begin.
Nancy took one last moment to look at Jonathan. He was bouncing his left knee again, but it was slow and wasn’t noticeable to anyone else besides her. She laid her right hand on his knee and looked at him with a reassuring smile. He smiled back at her, and went back focusing on the screen, with his hands on top of hers.
The movie opens up with the Warner Bros logo…
She. Fucking. Loves. This. Movie.
Nancy had never really sat down and watched mafia movies from beginning till the end, but this was definitely one of the greatest films she has ever seen in a long time. From the storyline, to the performances from the actors, to the music, to the camerawork, everything was great. With the movie wrapping up and showing how the main character was dealing with the consequences of his actions, she remembered that Jonathan had recommended an idea, but she couldn’t really see anything in the movie that screamed ‘Jonathan Byers was here’. And if it had happened, Jonathan would’ve told her while they were watching the movie. Maybe Scorsese didn’t use whatever his idea was at all.
Well, his loss.
She was getting ready to rub soothing circles on his back, and then she saw Jonathan’s face, he looked like he had won the lottery with a smile going from ear to ear. She had turned her attention back to the movie and saw the epilogue notes displayed, revealing what happened to the people this movie was based on. She wondered why the fates of real life people would have him look like he won the lottery, when she realized it wasn’t the scene itself… but the score.
The end credits to Goodfellas was ‘My Way’, but not the Sinatra version, it was the Sid Vicious cover.
This… this had Jonathan Byers written all over it.
Now her smile was now as big, if possible, bigger than the one plastered on Jonathan’s face. She remembered how he told her that he had a Sex Pistols phase back when he was in middle school. He definitely recommended this song to Scorsese, and he of course, saw how much of a genius Jonathan was. They both looked at each other, she patted his shoulder affectionately.
“Was that—” She whispered.
“Yeah.” He whispered back.
“You mean he—“
“Yes!”
She couldn’t resist. Nancy leaped out her chair and jumped over her armrest, engulfing Jonathan in a big hug. She had pushed him so far back that the top of his head touched Steve’s arm.
“Whoa, whoa whoa. This is literally no way to behave after watching a mafia movie, guys.”
Nancy got off of Jonathan and went back to her seat, thankful that a lot of people were so busy leaving the auditorium that they didn’t see that she had basically attacked Jonathan. Robin did, and she found it humorous.
“What was that all about Nancy?” Robin asked, trying but unsuccessfully containing her laughter.
Before she could answer, Jonathan spoke.
“So did you guys like the movie?”
“I loved it. I always thought mobster movies were for old grumpy men, but you know what? I enjoyed myself.” Robin answered.
“I enjoyed it as well. Perfect movie. We should really watch more mafia movies together. Although it seemed Nance and Byers enjoyed it a little too much.” Steve said, waggling his eyebrows.
Not even Steve’s ribbing could sour Nancy’s mood. She was just so happy about Jonathan already leaving his mark on the film industry even before graduating NYU.
“Well… are you going to tell them?”
Jonathan nodded, and then went on to explain how he had helped on the movie that they just finished and that the director had picked the song he suggested to play at the end of the movie. Both Robin and Steve were both impressed and congratulated him. Robin then asked how he did it, which Jonathan was happy to answer.
“I was driving him from his hotel room to where they were shooting. He had gotten off the phone with someone and was pissed they couldn’t get the approval to use the Frank Sinatra song, My Way. Luckily, I had gotten a cassette of Sid Vicious’ cover during my break at a nearby record store. When I drove him home after they had finished filming for the day, I played the song for him and he actually sat and listened to it.”
“What did he say?” Robin asked.
“He hated it.” They all started laughing. “But he said it could work. He thanked me, but I wasn’t assigned to drive him around anymore after that. So I wasn’t sure he wasn’t going to use it.”
“Well look at you Byers, you’re on your way to an Oscar already.” Jonathan just smiled at the compliment, he turned his head towards Nancy, and she was smiling back at him too.
“Ooooh, Jonathan’s name might be in the credits, guys.” Robin said excitedly.
As a lot of people were leaving, the four of them remained in their seats as My Way was gone and replaced by another song that Robin said was the second half of ‘Layla’ by Derek & The Dominos. They sat patiently in their seats, waiting for Jonathan’s name to appear in the credits.
And then after two agonizing long minutes,
They saw it.
Runners:
MICHAEL DECASPER
JONATHAN BYERS
JOHN FISHER
CHRISTOPHER SWARTOUT
DAVID I. MILLER
CAYLE LEWIS
HEATHER NORTON
Nancy and the others cheered and clapped louder than when the movie had finished earlier. Jonathan Byers, the boy who she knew was much more than the loser Hawkins citizens made him and his family out to be, was finally recognized for being part of a big movie production.
The four of them all exited the movie theater, cheering and shouting, making everyone in the lobby look at them like they were crazy people. They’ve survived the horrors of the Upside Down, they can handle a few people looking at them with distaste. Steve took Nancy’s keys so he could drive her Mercury and take them to a bar, to celebrate Jonathan’s grand achievement, the first of many. Robin sat in the passenger seat, meaning Nancy and Jonathan had to sit in the back, with her being behind the passenger seat.
Steve blasted Heroes by David Bowie as it was playing on the local radio station. As Robin and Steve sang along to the song, Nancy noticed that Jonathan wasn’t singing with them, but rather looking out the window. She placed her hand on top of his, just like she had done earlier at the movies.
Jonathan was now looking at her, smiling. They weren’t together like she wanted to be, like she knew he wanted to be. They tried the long distance thing before, and it had hurt their relationship to the point where they were miserable during their last year as a couple. Still, it didn’t hurt either one of them to be affectionate every now and then.
Brazenly, she leaned and kissed his cheek. His face was flustered, but he was still smiling at her. She was also sure that Steve and Robin saw them, but she could care less about it. Tonight was about him, and how Jonathan got the Martin Scorsese stamp of approval.
She couldn’t wait to watch Goodfellas again when she goes back home. It was now her favorite movie.