?Behind That Fake Smile?ZodiacTheSpringer

Will's POV:

I looked around the empty rooms of our old house. I remember last time I was here. When I saw the bland floors that I thought I would never see again. Dust had gathered across the floorboards and large thin spiderwebs hung in almost every corner. But even like that, this place still felt like home. The home that I had grown up in. It wasn't surprising that after almost two years, nobody had moved in. This house had been full of nightmare like surprises that would, if I'm honest, creep a few people out. And not gonna lie: the house is quite old compared to the newer houses across Hawkins.
But if I've caught up properly; there definitely won't be any more buildings that'll be built in this terrorising little town. Not after all the tragedies that had happened recently that drove about 80% of the community away.
It probably came as a shock to people who noticed a car with suitcases stacked on top was coming into town. Nobody would move to Hawkins after the news report that most likely reached most of the world population.

"Will! Get over here to get your suitcase!".

Wasn't too hard to recognise that voice. It was clearly my brother, Jonathan. I watched as he heaved his suitcases through the door and chucked it on the floor making a loud bang that vibrated the wood underneath my feet.
I followed after Jonathan as he left the house once more to help my Mom, Joyce get her bag down from the top of the car since her height isn't quite her friend.

While Jonathan had the opportunity; he passed down my bag as well. He dropped it down for me to catch which almost took me off balance completely. The fact that my suitcase was quite light also surprised me as well making me go over everything I should have brung to move back into our house. I unzipped my suitcase just to make sure as well.
Yep. Everything was there. Maybe Mom and Jonathan just carry to much stuff with them self all the time.

I opened the door to my old room. The door made a quick and quiet screech before it hit the side of the wall. The room was the exact same plainness that all the other rooms carried.
As I took a look around the room, a few bad memories seemed to sneak their way into my brain making my body go cold.
The bad memories made my legs feel like loose skin that would soon give way to me.
I quickly reached for the doorknob to my door and shut the door. I took a deep breath to release anything that would distract me from the joy of being back in Hawkins. It may sound strange to say 'joy' but I really wanted to live closer to my friends for once again. It would help us reconnect better instead of getting a phone call once every one or two months all the way back in California.

I opened the door to my room again and focused on the positive memories that put the warm feeling back in my belly. I slipped my suitcase into one corner of the room and dug inside of it to try and find the sleeping bag.
Once I had found it; I rolled it out against a wall and flattened out the small creases that formed over the many years of not being used.
It was practically new except for the night I got it when I was so excited to use it; I ripped of the blanket to my bed and rolled it out on top to sleep on. I received it on my 9th birthday.
Looking at the sleeping bag after that quick thought. I realised maybe it was a bit small since then.
Maybe I would've considered my Mom's offer to by me a new sleeping bag if I knew I would have to wake up with an aching back.

I shut the door of my room behind me and made my way to the kitchen. Mom had a camping table set up in the middle of the room with 3 camping stools set around it.
If we were really going to stay here for a few years again, we probably would need to find some proper furniture instead of everything being camp equipment.
The fridge wasn't working so there was a cooler placed on top of the bench. We hadn't put any ice in it yet but by the looks of what was going on outside, (Jonathan and Joyce were unloading all of the luggage at once) Jonathan must be getting ready to go grocery shopping. If there is any workers left anyway.

Jonathan began to pull out onto the road and I could just here the gentle voice of my mom telling him to be safe. Jonathan waved back and was soon off. Behind the trees were I couldn't see him anymore.
Mom stood there for a few moments, looking at the part of the road where he had waved to her, clearly thinking about something. Probably wondering is she should've went with him. She was fiddling with her own fingers and a small frown was expressed on her face.
When she caught sight of me watching her from the doorway, she put on a smile that her eyes didn't follow up on.

She walked up to me and hugged me tight with a firm grip. A hugged her back for the comfort.
She pulled away from the five second hug and patted me on the shoulder.
"Let's make most of our time in Hawkins." She said looking at me with a side smile.
I didn't quite exactly understand (other than the fact that I'm closer to my friends) how I was meant to enjoy my time back in Hawkins. With half of the community gone and a large plus sized gate right through town was something I needed to enjoy. But I went with what Mom said and gave out my best fake smile and placed my hand on her shoulder in return. We looked at each other, both trying to comfort the other.
"I will." I told her warmly. Putting my other hand on her other shoulder. We hugged once more before we both went off back towards the driveway to collect the rest of our luggage that had been dumped onto the muddy ground by Jonathan.
As I picked up a few bags, I thought more about Hawkins. I thought about the time before I had been kidnapped into the Upside Down. When me and the others would play DnD. And when Mike and I use to sneak into the library to read mature audience books in a corner. I had more than once thought about those times, wishing that life in Hawkins hadn't done a huge flip in under a day. But somewhere deep inside me didn't want Hawkins to be a normal town. A town that you'd drive past and never think about again. I guess that feeling had been inside me before Hawkins completely changed from my point of view forever.

Thinking about all that distracted me from the fact that a large bag hadn't been zipped up properly. It was a black bag full of all the extra stuff Jonathan and I wanted to bring that couldn't fit into our suitcases. Mom had a few things in there too.
A few books and Jonathan's lens bag fell out. I quickly bent down on my knees to pick up the loose items, putting Jonathan's lens bag in first as though putting it in first would save it from its past fall. I put the books after. The last book was covering up something else that had fallen out though.
It was my old sketch book I had gotten last year. I looked at it for a moment before I started to recall what happened after I got it. I bought it before I had gotten into painting. I only put two things into the whole thing. The front page had a portrait of Jonathan that he had begged me to draw. It was rough and messy but I still remembered how he was really appreciate of it and told me how good it really looked. The next page was just a mess of colours. I had been testing out pencils, pastels and crayons to work out was I was working with. After that I must've just forgotten about it completely before I went to pack for a quick move and noticed it.

I placed the book back into its bag and carried it up through the door and to the lounge. I leaned it against the wall and stood in front of it, prepared to catch it if it fell. It didn't slide to the side or anything so I left it there and went to collect another bag.
Suddenly: I felt a bit more enthusiastic about being here. Don't know what changed my view of moving back, but I stood up taller than later. Maybe it's time I should try and leave all the old memories behind and make some new ones!