CHAPTER ONE:
COFFEE & CONTEMPLATION.

⋅ ∙ ∘ ☽ ༓ ☾ ∘ ⋅ ⋅

1983 FELT LIKE A SIMPLE BLUR TO THE SMALL TOWN OF HAWKINS, INDIANA. For as long as Eileen Nelson had lived in the town that was riddled with pure strangeness, there was nothing out of the ordinary to most of its residents. It constantly thrived off gossip and nuclear families who lived in cookie-cutter neighborhoods straight out of corny films that were always on the rave, but even then the hype died down after a few days—well, except for pompous mothers who quite liked to bring up affairs and scandals during weekly girls night outs or run-ins at the local supermarket even months later. Eileen never did care for any pointless drama and tried to ignore it as often as she could, too focused on her own life to think about what everyone else was doing with theirs. With it just being her father and sister as her mother was long dead, and well, her uncle, she didn't see any reason to pry into the lives of those around her when she had enough people in her life to keep her perfectly entertained; it wasn't her business, after all. However, her longtime best friend had a knack for eavesdropping on his mother's late-night phone calls in hopes that it was Karen Wheeler and he could find out more about Nancy by listening in on part of their conversations. But when Will Byers, a boy Eileen had known for what felt like almost forever, went missing one supposedly boring night after an intense campaign at the Wheeler's house, things in Hawkins were completely flipped upside down and suddenly Eileens life was intertwining with more people than she would've liked.

Eileen wasn't sure what to do without little Will Byers around like a shadow to keep her company or tell her about the groups newest campaign or create chaos with Penny and their close-knit group of outcast friends. She did everything possible to try and help find him—volunteering for every search party that was rounded up, conducting her own intense investigation alongside Penny (despite their fathers attempts to convince them to leave it to the professionals), and especially protecting all of the children when she found a scared little girl living inside the Wheelers' basement with uncanny abilities and "bad men" right on her tail.

It was an odd and wild ride that she certainly wasn't expecting to join during her junior year of high school, but there wasn't a single thing Eileen would've done differently to keep the kids and her family safe from the faceless monster that had reigned terror over Hawkins. She didn't care that she had to sign dozens of confidential documents and keep a tight lid on everything that had taken place last year. Will Byers had returned home and the Nelson family was seemingly closer than they had been since Marsha Nelson died almost eight years ago. They still had their ups and downs just like every other family, but nothing could've ruined what they'd managed to build over the last year.

"One black coffee to match your equally dark soul." Chief Jim Hopper slowly blinked at the sudden voice, sidedly looking up towards his niece—technically step-niece as Andy Nelson was Jims step-brother—who was offering him a lopsided smirk as she carefully held a steaming coffee pot in her hands. Her blonde hair was swiftly pulled up into a floppy bun, only a few loose pieces dangling alongside her temples. A white apron was tightly tied around her waist with a clean rag tucked in one of the pockets, a pen and a stack of order slips tucked into the front one for taking orders. A light blue shirt with BENNY'S BURGERS printed on the front was partially slipped into her faded jeans, the name and the diners info on the back as well. After the cruel murder of Benny Hammond last year, Andy Nelson had gone out on a limb and bought the diner in hopes of keeping his friends business around in honor of him, having quit his job at Randy's Repairs to completely focus on running the place. Some days were better than others, but the place was well-loved and somewhat of a special landmark in Hawkins. "Want a sprinkled donut to go with it?"

Jim lightly scoffed, rolling his eyes as he picked up his coffee to take a sip. "No, I'm on a diet, but thanks."

Eileen snickered under her breath, raising a brow in suspicion. "Very funny," she mused at his response, sinking into the empty seat across from him. He let out a sigh as she did so, briefly glancing around at the few other customers who were already there after the diner opened thirty minutes ago. Jim was still reeling in at the fact Andy had managed to get Eileen there before noon as the girl tended to work the dinner shifts rather than the lunch ones. "Seriously. We got some stashed in the office to keep them away from Pen and Dean. What flavor do you want?"

"I said I'm good," Jim firmly denied, taking another sip of his coffee. "Where's your Dad at? Too busy sittin' on his ass to come say hi to his big brother?"

Eileen lightly chuckled, peering over her shoulder to see if she could spot her father through the slim window behind the register that allowed him to still see the diner while cooking. He was nowhere to be seen, though. "Probably since all of the foods been taken out," she replied with a shrug, casually leaning her elbow on the square table, head propped up on her hand. "And. . .he was up pretty late searching the woods behind the house. . ."

Jim heavily sighed, slouching back in the chair with the girls response. He carefully set the mug beside his hat that'd been lazily tossed to the side of the table, head tilted to one side. "Again? I told him to let me handle—"

"Yeah, I know, but when has he ever listened to you?" Eileen playfully interjected, giving the man a pointed stare. He faintly shook his head, running a hand along his beard. Most people had assumed Eleven, or the apparent child-turned-Russian-spy as some had called her, died, but not everyone believed that—they couldn't. Andy Nelson refused to believe that she was dead, and he planned to prove it, too. Penny was holding onto hope, too, and if it wasn't for her believing her only female friend was still alive somewhere in the world, Andy might not have either.

"Miss?" An older customer on the other side of the diner politely called out, timidly holding their hand out to catch Eileen's attention. The girl let out a quiet sigh, offering her uncle a small smile.

"Duty calls," she softly murmured, standing up and picking up the coffee pot she'd placed on the table. Then her eyes flickered to his car outside. "I'm sure Flo—"

"Yeah, yeah," Jim huffed, dismissively waving his hand towards Eileen as he stood up, placing his hat back on his head. His eyes drifted back to the teen, noticing her gaze had shifted to the woods out back as she stood up once more. Nearly a year ago Eileen wouldn't have given the woods a second glance or pictured it as much of a danger zone, but going head to head with a faceless monster whose hunting ground was nearly by all of Eileen's comfort places had drastically changed the way she saw the looming trees and their incredibly bland town. However, Jim knew that the Demogorgon wasn't what was currently on Eileen's mind; she was thinking of Eleven and wondering if just maybe she actually might've still been alive somehow.

"Hey," he softly said, interrupting the teens rampant thoughts. "We'll find her."

"I hope so," Eileen softly muttered, her face swindling with uncertainty. Before Jim could attempt to try and comfort her, she was shaking her head and plastering a fake smile on her lips that she only used around customers. "Have a nice day, Chief Hopper."

Jim lightly chuckled, nodding his head towards her. "You too, kiddo. Tell Andy and Pen I said hey."

"Will do," Eileen brightly chirped, turning away from her uncle. She returned to her duties as a part-time waitress after her uncle disappeared and headed towards the station, filling up half-empty cups of coffee and taking orders when more people came in while her father begrudgingly got back to cooking at the grill with Eileen lending a helping hand every so often.

It wasn't until a few hours later that things started to get rather slow with only two tables occupied and their food already in front of them. She'd already cleaned off the other tables and had the dishes shoved into the sink and dishwasher, leaving her without much to do except stand around and wait for another table to come in or one of the customers to finish their meal; which most likely wouldn't be for a while because business didn't usually pick back up until almost 5:00 PM. Her father had suggested she clean the bathrooms while there wasn't much going on, but that just earned him a very amused laugh from the girl—which meant it would be on him to do it once they closed for the night (or if she felt guilty and decided to actually do it so he wouldn't have to). For the moment, though, she opted to take one of her mothers books her father had stored in the office to help make the clock go by faster.

She took a seat on the chair behind the cash register, examining the book she'd grabbed as she hadn't even looked at which one she'd grabbed. "The Outsiders," she mumbled to herself, brows furrowing together. She twisted her lips in thought, a small smile working onto her lips. She'd seen the movie almost seven months ago when it first came out and Penny had begged and begged for them to go see it since the boys were all too busy or preoccupied to go. It wasn't one of Eileen's favorite films, but it wasn't too bad—mainly because it starred Rob Lowe and Patrick Swayze. Her mother had always said that books were often better than movies, and Eileen decided to see if that was the case for The Outsiders.

Not even five pages into the book did the front door open and more customers walked inside. Eileen let out a small sigh at the familiar sound and bent the corner of the page to keep her place as she didn't have a bookmark on hand, but when she heard a certain voice her head snapped upwards. Her eyes slightly widened, lips parting as she saw Steve Harrington and Nancy Wheeler standing near the door while a particular group of kids trailing in behind them with food at the very front of their minds.

Andy curiously peaked out of the door that led straight into the kitchen, a bright grin appearing on his lips at the many faces he'd grown used to seeing over the years. "Hey, kiddos," he kindly greeted them, coming to stand beside Eileen with a hand towel draped over his shoulders and a stained apron around his waist. His voice seemed to yank Eileen back to reality, her lips smacking shut as the group headed towards them to speak with Andy. She shifted, clearing her throat as she placed the book beside the register and stood up. She stole a glance towards the other tables, seeing they were all still eating, their drinks were near the half-full mark, and she'd brought them anything else they might've needed with their meals—they'd be fine for a few more minutes.

"Hey, Daddy," Penny innocently greeted the man, stepping beside Nancy with a rather perky smile on her lips—one that didn't mean anything good. "Our meals are free, right?"

Andy stammered at the question while Eileen snorted out an amused laugh, shaking her head towards her sister. "Wha—of course not," he sternly denied, firmly placing his hands on his hips. His eyes darted to the other kids, pursing his lips into a fine line. "You four eat enough free food at my house as it is. Here you have to pay for it."

"Don't worry, Mr. Nelson, My mom gave me some money," Nancy chimed in with a small grin, shooting Mike a nasty glare; if he'd just kept his mouth shut and not called Karen at the hair salon to tell her that Nancy was trying to ditch him and his friends to go on a lunch date with Steve, then they would've had the house all to themselves (which had been tempting but they were all hungry as well and there weren't many options at the Wheeler house). There wasn't enough room in Steves car for all of them either, though, so they'd had to borrow the Henderson van while Nancy was told to take some extra cash from her mothers sock drawer.

Andy gave the girl a smile in return, letting out a content sigh. "Ah, good. Then enjoy," he said, placing his hand on Eileens shoulder. "Eileen here'll take care of you guys. Pen, you want your usual?"

Eileen had been trying so hard not to look at Steve, but she couldn't help it. She'd seen glimpses of him in school, but their paths hadn't crossed all summer or school year long and it was the first time they were actually face to face since Christmas.

Her eyes slowly drifted towards him, finding his soft, brown eyes were already on her with an unusual shine in them. He gave her a timid smile, but she quickly averted her gaze and grabbed some menus from one of the shelves under the register. She started to move but then she paused, raising a brow towards the kids. "Do you guys even need a menu at this point?" She questioned.

"Duh," Dustin replied with a scoff, causing Eileen to playfully narrow her eyes towards him. "Our taste buds are constantly changing which means—"

"So that's a yes, then," Eileen interjected, earning a few laughs from Nancy and Steve. The corners of her lips tweaked up into a small smile, her eyes shifting towards the couple. "Are you all gonna sit together?"

"God, no," Nancy firmly denied, a grimace etched on her lips at the mere thought of having to sit with her brother more than she already had to when they were at their house. "Steve and I'll take a booth. Mike—"

"We know, we know," Mike groaned towards his sister. "Keep our distance so you two can suck faces—"

"Mike!" Nancy harshly whispered, eyes burning with anger and annoyance towards her little brother who knew just how to get under her skin. Mike just laughed and hurried towards a table on the other side of the diner with the other kids as Eileen simply watched, trying to not laugh at the sheer anger etched on Nancys features.

Eileen turned her head towards Nancy, tucking the menus under her arm. "I can let you spit in his food before I bring it out if you'd like?" she playfully offered, stepping around the counter to head towards the kids first.

"I'll think about it," Nancy chuckled, slipping her hand into Steves to lead him towards a nearby booth while Eileen nodded and headed to the kids. She groaned as soon as she'd seen they'd already managed to spill a bottle of ketchup.

"Seriously?" she whined, looking towards Dustin who was trying to quickly clean it up with the napkins at the end of the table. "How the hell did you guys already manage to make a mess?"

"It's not my fault!" Dustin denied in his defense, motioning to Penny who was directly across from him. "Penny—"

"I didn't do it either!" Penny interjected. "That sh—"

Eileen urgently shushed her, briefly glancing towards the other two tables, seeing they were nearly finished and she'd have to check on them. Her attention returned to the kids, shoving the menus into Lucas' hands. She took the clean rag out of her apron, swiftly wiping up the ketchup while shooting Penny a glare.

"The usual drinks at least?" she then asked as Lucas shoved the menus towards the others.

"Yeah," Will softly replied, receiving an appreciative grin from Eileen.

"Good," she said, folding up the napkin so she didn't get any ketchup on her clean hands. "Flag me down once you guys know what you wanna eat this time."

She left their table and quickly went into the kitchen, placing her rag in the dirty bin while shooting her father a quick smile before disappearing just as fast as she'd entered, a new rag already stuffed in her apron after picking one up. She checked on her other two tables and gave them their bills, finally having to tend to Steve and Nancy.

She snatched up two more menus, plastering a small smile on her lips as she came up to their booth. She handed them the menus, tilting her head slightly. "Do you two know what you want to drink?" she wondered, curiously glancing between the couple. While the kids were frequent customers, Nancy wasn't. But, she'd been there enough times and she usually stuck to the same drink, sometimes switching what she ate, though, that wasn't often. Steve, on the other hand, had come in only a few times, and they were all on days when Eileen hadn't been working.

"I'll take a coke," Steve answered, looking past his menu towards Nancy.

"Me too," Nancy said with a smile.

Eileen nodded at their responses, starting to turn away. "Alright. I'll be right back with those."

She twisted her lips as she made her way towards the soda fountain a few feet away from the register, a heavy sigh escaping her lips as she grabbed some empty cups stacked beside the machine. A round tray to carry drinks was placed on the table beside her, swiftly filling up the cups with ice and then their drinks. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the other tables getting up with the bills in hand.

"Dad?" She called out just loud enough for him to hear but enough like she was shouting for everyone to hear, her eyes still trained on the drinks to make sure they didn't overflow.

A few seconds later, he peaked out of the window, noticing the other tables heading their way to pay their bills. "I'll take care of them," he said, wiping his hands off on his apron. "You get those drinks taken."

"Orrr I do the register and you take the drinks to the tables?" Eileen countered, a glint of hope twinkling in her eyes.

Andy lightly huffed, pointedly tilting his head towards his oldest daughter. "Eileen, I know you and that boy have history—"

"What?" she nearly screeched at her fathers assumption, eyes tripling in size. "No, no, we-there's nothing. He's. . .we barely know each other."

Andy gave Eileen a look, humming. "Okay, sure. Doesn't explain why you're getting so defensive then. . ."

Eileen angrily narrowed her eyes, placing the last drink on the tray. She left two by the fountain, deciding she'd come back to grab those for Steve and Nancy once she took care of the kids. Her father shot her a flashy smile as she walked away before turning his attention to the customers who'd made their way up to the counter to pay.

She returned to the kids, placing their drinks down in front of them with ease. Hopefully, they already knew what they wanted to eat so they wouldn't have to flag her down.

"Eileen," Lucas said, capturing the older girls attention as she raised a questionable brow, "Will you please tell your sister the benefits of dressing up as Dana Barrett for Halloween?"

"Wait," Eileen faintly frowned, tucking the tray under her arm after tossing some straws on the middle of the table for them, "I thought you guys were gonna dress up like the characters in Star Wars?"

"We're saving that for next year," Dustin replied, glancing towards Penny. "I still don't get why you're throwing such a big fit about being Dana."

"Yeah, Dana's awesome," Will softly added, receiving an appreciative smile from everyone except Penny.

"You guys just want me to be her because she's, like, the only girl in the movie," she snipped back, shooting each of the boys a glare. "That's sexist."

"It is not sexist," Lucas firmly denied, giving the girl a rather offended look at her claiming they were all being sexist. "She's one of the best characters in the movie!"

"Then why don't you dress like her?" Penny retorted.

Lucas' eyes widened. "I can't! That—"

"As much as I'd like to listen to you five bicker about whether or not you guys suggesting Penny dresses up as one of the only girls in the movie is sexist, I do still have other people to wait on," she firmly interjected. "So what do you shits want to eat?"

"The usual," Penny said. "No—"

"No onions or tomatoes, yes I know," Eileen said with a roll of her eyes while she simply jotted Penny's name down on the slip as her father would know what it meant. Her eyes then expectantly moved to Mike who was seated next to Penny. "What about you, Mike?"

"Cheeseburger and cheese fries," he answered.

Eileen twisted her lips, giving him a dark look. "That's what you usually get."

"I thought about getting something different, but then I didn't want to."

Eileen rolled her eyes, deciding against giving him any attitude. "Will?" She asked with a kind smile on her lips, gaze locked on the younger boy.

He let out a small sigh, glancing towards the menu that was still clutched in his hands. "I'll. . .I'll just have some fries."

"Are you sure?" Eileen asked with slight concern in her soft tone. "You don't want a chicken sandwich or strips to go with it? Maybe some cheese fries at least?"

Will shook his head, closing the menu. "No, I'm not that hungry."

"Alright," Eileen reluctantly sighed, letting it go.

"I will have bacon burger and tater tots," Lucas announced as he was next up to order, shooting Eileen a smirk.

The girl shook her head, unable to hide a growing smile. "So, all you did was add bacon to your usual?"

"Uh, and I'm getting tater tots instead of fries," Lucas firmly defended.

Eileen twisted her lips but didn't comment further. She just looked at the last person, Dustin. "Dustin, I swear, if you're getting the same thing I'm gonna—"

"Relax, Leen, jeez," Dustin lightly chuckled, looking from her and then back at the menu. "I am going to get the. . .Burger Supreme?"

Eileen simply blinked, hearing how he didn't sound very certain about his order. "You do realize that's two giant burger patties with everything piled on top of it, right?"

Dustin shifted in his chair, nervously meeting Eileen's stern gaze. "Everything?"

"Everything."

Dustin huffed, letting the menu fall onto the table. "Don't you guys have anything new?"

"Yeah," Penny answered, snickering under her breath. "The Burger Supreme."

"Jesus Christ," Dustin muttered.

"How about you try a chicken sandwich this time?" Eileen suggested, a small smile appearing on her lips. "They're still kinda new and pretty good if I do say so myself."

"What's on it?"

"Lettuce and mayo," Eileen instantly answered, having already memorized the menu along with being the one who'd convinced her father to start selling chicken sandwiches seeing that quite a lot of people enjoyed them at other restaurants and diners; some people only came in because of the chicken sandwiches. "But I always add pickles."

Mike grimaced, clearly disgusted. Eileen just shrugged it off, giving Dustin a lopsided smile. "You don't have to get it if you don't want to," she reminded him.

"No, I'll get that, and with pickles," he said, closing the menu. "Nance is paying, anyways."

"Oh, yeah," Mike said, a wide grin appearing on his lips as he returned his gaze to Eileen. "I want a shake instead of a soda."

"Sorry, but the machine's busted," Eileen said, offering him a false frown. No, it wasn't busted, but he didn't need to know that.

"Of course it is," he grumbled, shaking his head.

Eileen snickered under her breath and plucked up the remaining menus. "I'll be back in a bit, but until then, please be good," she pleaded, more so looking towards her sister who had a knack for picking fights with the boys.

"We know the drill by now," Lucas replied, shaking his head.

Eileen laughed under her breath and placed the menus back on the rightful shelf, moving towards the kitchen just as Andy expectantly held out his arm. Eileen chuckled, giving him a look. "Take a chill pill. I still have to take their order," she said, nudging her head in Steve and Nancys direction.

"What're standing here talkin' to me for then?" Andy playfully demanded to know. "I don't pay you to talk to me."

"No, but you should," Eileen countered, walking past him as he scoffed with an offended expression on his bearded face.

He mumbled a snippy response under his breath so she couldn't hear him, dipping back into the kitchen as he'd already started Penny's food considering he knew what she wanted. Part of Eileen wished one of the other waitresses had been given her shift that day, but she was bound to face Steve once again sooner or later. Even with school and their mutual acquaintances having them in close proximity most days of the week, they hadn't had much reason to socialize with one another. It was around Christmas the last time they'd actually spoken, but it was safe to say that they were both taking extra precautions to keep their distance. Eileen wasn't sure why she was still hung up on him seeing that it'd been years since they were a thing, but she tried not to think about it—which she usually went to the ice skating rink where she was able to clear her head and avoid anything that weighed on her, but she'd have to wait until she wasn't working to be able to do that. Steve just thought that them keeping their distance was for the best, seeing that as it'd been so long, they didn't really have anything in common nor did they have much reason to talk—aside from the events of last year, of course, but they weren't exactly meant to talk about that.

With uncertainty and doubt forcefully shoved aside for the time being, Eileen returned with the couples drinks and got ready to take their order. "Are you guys ready to order?" she asked, glancing from Nancy to Steve.

"I am," Nancy said with a small smile etched on her pink lips, seeing Steve giving her a look. "But Steve's still not sure."

Eileen breathed out a faint laugh, unable to herself from looking at him once again. "I know what I want, Nance," Steve firmly said, looking up from the menu to meet his girlfriends eye before he looked up towards Eileen. "I just. . .there's a lot of options here, alright? What do you recommend?"

Eileen was taken aback by the question. Sure, she'd been asked that question over a dozen times, but she wasn't expecting Steve to ask her.

She shifted, furrowing her brows together in thought. "Do you still like KFC?" she wondered, remembering the time that they'd once gone there together on their bikes for a 'date' until Hopper got a frantic call from Andy that his daughter was on a date with a boy and had gone and picked them up before Andy had a heart attack. It was incredibly embarrassing for Eileen, but Steve had assured her he'd still had a good time, and that they'd have to do it again. But, they never got the chance, though, Eileen never forgot it nor the fact that Steve liked KFC. And, much to his surprise, he realized she remembered the date just like he did.

Steve lightly snickered, nodding his head as he cleared his throat. "It's finger-lickin' good."

Eileen chuckled along with him, nodding in agreement. Nancy looked from Eileen and then to Steve, the corners of her lips curling upwards slightly.

She knew Steve and Eileen had dated back in middle school, but she thought they hated each other. She'd never pressed the matter with either of them as she didn't she want to get something started if they were finally at peace with their hatred or bring it back, but it did ease her to see they were actually able to be civil with each other; it was kind of Eileen's job to be kind and sweet to all customers, but she certainly didn't have to if she didn't need to be.

"Uh, well, then I'd recommend a chicken sandwich," Eileen softly replied, "They're pretty crispy like the chicken at KFC. It also comes with a side of fries, but you can substitute those for something else if you'd like."

Steve hummed as he pondered it, closing his menu with a corny grin. "I'll actually have that, but I want the fries."

Nancy did the same, placing her menu on top of Steve's. "I'll just have a cheeseburger and fries."

Eileen quickly scribbled down their food, pausing for a moment as she looked at Nancy. "No onions either?"

"No onions," she confirmed with a grin.

Eileen grinned and wrote a small o with a slash through it by Nancy's order as a sign to Andy not to put any onions on the burger. "Alright. Those should be ready in just a few minutes," she informed them.

"Thanks, Eileen," Nancy sweetly said as Steve handed the menus to her. She gave him a smile as he did so, picking them up.

Eileen didn't reply and headed towards the kitchen, flashing her father a fake smile as she handed him the slip with everyones orders written down. "Oh, so some of them are changing it up, huh?" Andy snickered as he skimmed over the orders, slipping the ticket under a magnet of the shelf that dangled over the salad bar where all slips were placed so they were out of the way but also there so they knew what to make. "Good thing I only started Pens."

Eileen lightly chuckled, sitting on the stool placed beside the prep table where two heat lamps were hung, metal trays placed under to keep finished food warm until they were brought to a table. Two stoves were lined along the wall, a fryer placed on the end with sizzling oil bubbling inside as it warmed up. A large freezer was across from it, just recently restocked with any and all frozen foods that made Eileens stomach rumble with hunger the longer she stared at it.

"Can you make me something, too?" she asked after a few moments, lips turned upwards into a frown while she batted her eyelashes at her father.

Andy let out a playful puff, sparing a glance from a burger to look towards his eldest daughter. "Are you gonna pay for it?" he teased.

"Hey, I think I've earned a free meal after being the only waitress here today," Eileen defended, folding her arms over her chest.

Andy shot her a look. "There's only been maybe ten tables all day?"

"Yeah, and that's a lot."

Andy shook his head, flipping a burger. "You mind dropping in the chicken sandwiches? I gotta get the bacon goin'. Then once they got their food, I'll make you something."

Eileen shot him a glare, but she stood up and easily stepped around her father to help out. She headed to the fryer and lifted one of the bins, hooking it on the lever so that she could drop the food in the bin without the oil splattering on her. Then she opened up the freezer and grabbed two chicken patties from the opened box, dropping them in. She lifted it back down into the fryer, turning to the freezer where they had multiple magnetized timers placed and setting a timer for the sandwiches.

"Thanks, honey," Andy said with a kind smile.

"'Course Dad," she replied, standing little ways beside him with a hand on her hip. "Wouldn't want you to get burnt by the fryer like I did."

At the mention, Andy's eyes unintentionally drifted to the scar on his daughters wrist. A glum frown appeared on his lips, glancing up towards Eileen. "Exactly," he sighed, offering her a small smile.

"I'm just glad I don't remember it happening," she confessed, making her way back towards the stool. She peaked out of the door, checking on the tables. Seeing they were all fine for the time being, she sat down and faced her father again.

"You and me both, kiddo," Andy said, flipping one of the burgers. "I'm just glad your Mom pulled you away when she did."

Eileen sadly smiled, a vivid flash of her mothers face popping into her mind at the mention of her. Despite the woman having died when Eileen was teen, Eileen didn't remember much about her mother. In fact, most of her childhood felt like a simple blur of faint memories, but with so much currently on her mind, she didn't have time to think back on her childhood—well, that, and many of her youthful memories included Steve and she often didn't feel like remembering their time together most days. Thankfully, before her mind started to mess with her and force her to remember, the front door opened. Well, she thought it did as she stood, going to greet a new customer when she saw there wasn't anyone there. She twisted her lips, going to go help her father, but then the door opened. She let out a sigh and stepped up to the register, plastering a fake smile on her face.

It wouldn't be much longer until another waitress came in and would be able to take some tables so Eileen wouldn't have to take care of them all.

After a while of waiting on a few more tables and greeting the waitress who'd come in for the next shift (which usually meant Eileen would've been able to go home, but since her father was the only cook, he'd asked her to stay to help out in the kitchen, or wait on tables if they became busy), Eileen was surprised to see that the kids were still there along with Steve and Nancy. They were already done with their food and nearly finished with their refills, but they were taking their time. Eileen didn't mind it, nor when other people simply hung around—she only hated it when people did it near closing time or decided to come in fifteen minutes before they were meant to close.

"Are you purposely using the kids as an excuse not to check on your other table?" Eileen turned towards the voice, stammering as she gave Shay Lenoir an incredulous look at her question. The girl had a tendency to be blunt and say the first thing that came to mind, but she was rather sweet and deeply cared about those she was closest to. She and Eileen weren't very close, but they looked out for one another—especially at work when certain customers came in or showed their true colors. She was a year older than Eileen, having already graduated from Hawkins High and attempting to make some extra money before starting her first year of college next fall. She offered Eileen a small smile, leaning her head against her hands while her elbows were propped up beside the register. "I wasn't doing it on purpose, but I did overhear you and Penny bickering about Steve 'The Hair' Harrington the other day. Now, I don't know all of the details, but—"

"That's because there are no details," Eileen interjected, forcing a small smile on her lips. As much as she liked Shay, she didn't feel like talking about Steve with her. "You know how Pen is. She's just an annoying little kid, always trying to start shit."

"Speaking of starting shit," Shay breathed out, nudging her head towards the table of middle schoolers. Eileen internally groaned when she saw her sister trying to arm wrestle both Will and Dustin. A soda had already been spilled and was dripping down the side of the table, and just as Eileen was about to warn them, another one toppled over as the kids all groaned in sync. "I'll deal with it," Shay said when Eileen went to go over, giving her a stern look. "You check on the darling couple. 'Cause if I were them, I'd be ready to leave after that."

Eileen tiredly sighed but offered Shay a thankful smile; at least she wouldn't have to clean up another one of her sisters' messes.

Her feet guided her towards Nancy and Steve once more, giving them a small smile. "Would either of you—"

"Steve!" Nancy shrieked as the boys arm moved and knocked into his soda. His eyes visibly widened in horror, reaching out to try and stop it, but Eileen was faster. She quickly caught the cup, letting out a shaky breath as it steadied, just barely caught in time. She let out a breath of relief and sat it upright, timidly smiling towards Steve, his hand just inches away from her own.

"Woah, nice catch," he said, the corners of his lips tweaked upwards as he pulled his arm back.

"Thanks," Eileen breathed out, letting out a nervous laugh. "You kinda get used to it after. . ." her voice dragged off, nudging her head towards the kiddos. She could faintly hear Shay bickering with them, a small grin etched on her lips while she cleaned up their mess.

"Leave it to Mike," Nancy huffed, rolling her eyes.

Eileen chuckled, shrugging her shoulders. "I think Pennys partly to blame, too. She's got a knack for starting trouble wherever she goes."

"I think they all do," Steve chimed in, his eyes still focused on the kids. He turned towards his girlfriend, leaning back into the cushion of the booth. "You ready to go, though? Your mom should be home by now and can watch them, right?"

"Yes," Nancy said rather quickly, wanting to be done watching Mike and his friends; Eileen completely understood.

"Well, you guys can pay up front whenever you're ready," Eileen told them, though, Nancy already knew that. She walked off as the couple nodded and thanked her once again.

She headed towards the kids' table, a grin appearing on her lips when hearing Shay telling the boys that Penny should dress up as one of the Ghostbusters rather than Dana.

"This is bullshit," Mike said with a huff. "Dana's not that bad."

"If she's not that bad, you dress as her then," Shay countered, folding her arms over her chest.

"No way," Mike grumbled, not wanting a repeat of an already similar conversation they'd had with Eileen a little over an hour ago.

"Besides," Shay said, glancing around at the table, "Dana doesn't have a signature outfit. No one'll know who she is."

"Exactly!" Penny cried out.

"What about Gozer?" Will suggested, looking towards Penny.

The girls mouth smacked shut, thinking it over.

"You're shitting me," Lucas snapped, eyes widened. "You'll be Gozer but not Dana?"

Eileen simply shook her head and walked away, partly because she'd have to hear about it later, and also because she saw Steve and Nancy starting to stand up. She poked her head into the kitchen, seeing her father munching on a piece of bacon while seated on the stool with a tattered book in hand. "The kids are gonna be leaving—"

"Pen's staying here," he said, already knowing what Eileen was getting at.

"She's not gonna like that."

"She doesn't have to like it," Andy shrugged, swallowing the bite. "She knows the rules, though—home before dark and it's well past that."

Eileen nodded and left it at that. She walked up to the register, finding only Steve there while Nancy made her way to the kids to tell them it was time to leave. Shay gave the girl a small grin and went to a table in the far corner who were finally ready to order.

"How was everything?" Eileen softly asked Steve, grabbing the ticket she'd placed beside the register to have ready when it was time for them to pay.

"Do you really wanna know or are you just required to ask everyone that?" Steve couldn't help but wonder, hands tucked in his pockets.

Eileen lightly giggled, tapping the prices into the register to get a grand total. "Whichever one sounds best to you."

Steve laughed along with her, tilting his head slightly. "Yeah, it was really good," he truthfully answered, glancing towards Nancy with a fond grin spread across his lips. Eileen twisted her lips as she'd followed his gaze, returning her focus on the register; now wasn't the time to ponder over what could've been. "We'll have to come back."

"My Dad'll be glad to hear that," Eileen told the boy, not meeting his eye this time. She continued to tally up the food, making sure not to includePennys meal. "That'll be 19.25."

Steve fished inside his jacket pocket, pulling out a twenty-dollar bill Nancy had gotten from her mother. He handed it to the girl, carefully watching as she pressed a button on the register and the drawer popped open. She slid the twenty into the slot and grabbed three quarters, finally meeting Steves eye as she held the change out to him. "You can keep it," he told her with a lopsided smile, nodding his head towards the booth he and Nancy had sat in. "I, uh, left your tip on the table, too."

Eileen softly returned it, pulling her hand away with her hand curled around the change. "Thank you."

"You did have to deal with the little monsters too, so," he chuckled, looking towards Nancy as she got the kids to stand. Penny was one of them, causing Eileen to let out a small sigh.

"Yeah," she breathed out, giggling under her breath when she heard Penny and Dustin bickering. She hated it, but they almost reminded how she and Steve had been not long before they started dating. A small pang pierced her heart at the thought, but she hid it well behind her twisted lips and blank eyes, not wanting Steve to notice. "They are certainly something else."

⋅ ∙ ∘ ☽ ༓ ☾ ∘ ⋅ ⋅

If I spent as much time writing for this fic as I do just thinking about it, it'd probably be finished by now 🥴 But of course, it takes me literal months to write one chapter and that's only if I'm "okay" with it jfc. However, I finally managed to get this chapter written and I feel like it's decent for being chapter one??? I didn't wanna give away a lot in this or throw so many things into the first chapter, so hopefully this had just the right amount of everything???

I KNOW there was something I wanted to add on, but honestly, I don't remember what it (as I say in each authors note lmao) 🤦‍♀️ I'll probably remember after I post this, but that's alright 😔✊

But anyways, please don't forget to leave your feedback in the comments and I hope y'all enjoyed!