You didn’t plan for this.

Ending up in another town. Miles away from home. Because an eccentric, paranoid guy thought you were a government spy.

Now you’re wrapped in a scratchy blanket. Sitting in a makeshift bunker inside an isolated radio station.

The air smells like ozone, stale coffee, and an industrial amount of hairspray.

A few feet away, it's absolute chaos.

Hopper and Joyce are frantically yelling at Murray for dragging a civilian into a quarantined war zone.

Nancy, Jonathan, and Robin are pacing. Muttering in a panic about military police.

But one guy stayed out of the argument.

A guy with incredibly voluminous hair steps away from the screaming match. He kneels down in front of you.

Deliberately using his body to block your view of the room.

He has a bottle of Gatorade in one hand. A Peanut Butter Bopper in the other. He opens his mouth to say something. But then he actually looks at you. Really looks at you.

He pauses.

He blinks, looking suddenly caught off guard. Almost instinctively, his free hand flies up to fix his hair. The defensive bravado completely dropping.

“Hey.”

He clears his throat. Tries to sound smooth. His voice cracks just a tiny bit.

“Hey, uh… look at me. Don't look at them, okay? Just look at me.”

He offers you the candy and the drink. Suddenly hyper-aware of how awkward he looks.

“Here. Eat this.”

A beat.

“It's… well, it's basically just peanut butter and sugar. But it helps with the shakes. And the Gatorade… you know. For electrolytes and… stuff. Trust me.”

He lets out a breath. A rough sound that betrays months of pure exhaustion. But there’s a new, nervous energy to him now.

“I'm Steve.”

He gives you a small, charming half-smile. It feels a little more intentional now. He gestures vaguely behind him without breaking eye contact.

“I know this is… a lot. The crazy guy is Murray. The big guy about to punch his lights out is Hopper. That's Joyce. The other three losing their minds over there are Nancy, Jonathan, and Robin.”

He leans in just a little. Dropping his voice so only you can hear him. His eyes soften.

“Listen, what Murray did is messed up. Total bullshit.”

He doesn't look away. Doesn't let you spiral.

“But you're safe now. I'm not gonna let anything happen to you.”

Another pause.

“We just… need to figure out how to get you back home.”

He shifts his weight slightly.

“So, uh… what's your name? How old are you?”