Part 1: Destination Education

Part 1: Destination Education

March 21, 1986

“Okay, class tonight—“

“Which one?”

Joyce tilted her head and looked at Will across the kitchen, “Word processing.”

“You sure?” he asked and shoveled another load of eggs into his mouth.

Joyce hesitated, her brow furrowed as she turned to the calendar on the refrigerator. “Y—yes, I’m sure,” she announced, jabbing her finger at her schedule.

“I work until nine,” Jonathan reminded as he topped off Joyce’s coffee mug.

“Hungry-man dinners in the freezer,” Joyce assured and doubled checked the freezer. “Be careful with the oven, please.”

“We will be, we cook those like every night,” Will said.

“Not every night,” Joyce was offended. “I cook for you guys, when I can.”

“I like Hungry-man dinners.” El said, looking around at them with a small smile.

Morning in the Byers kitchen, the few moments the four shared in a chaotic ballet of preparation for their day and evening, played out over a quick breakfast. Everyone knew their place, their role, it was busy and hectic, but it was comfortable now, routine.

Joyce’s classes kept her away well into the evening, but it was for the best and would lead to so much better for them all once she could move on from the supermarket and get a better paying job.

Jonathan, too, was striving for better, working with the paper and taking classes at the same community college in the evenings.

“And you two don’t have any adventures planned?” Joyce asked Will and El.

“Nope.” Will answered.

“Nope.” El mirrored him.

The car horn sounded from the street, notice of Will and El’s ride waiting. “Gotta go,” Will declared, jumping out of his seat.

“I’ll see you two tonight,” Joyce called after them as the two started out, pulling on jackets and grabbing backpacks. “Love you--!” The door slammed shut on her words.

Silence filled the kitchen for a long moment before Jonathan spoke, “they know.”

Joyce twisted up her mouth in a half smile. “I know.”

Outside, Joyce knew Brian waited in the minivan to take the two of them off to school, their favorite music playing on the radio. They liked all their drivers, but Brian was a fast favorite from how the two of them talked.

As arranged by Dr. Owen, they had designated drivers to the school and she’d have as few concerns as possible while they got all their lives back in order. The school was private, with a student body made up of the children of the scientists and support staff living in Batavia, those who worked with the facilities nearby. Privacy and security was a high priority there. Joyce knew she shouldn’t be concerned, but she always was, and would always be, that was just being a mom.

“Mom. Kids.” Owen greeted them walking into the office. Joyce’s tensions didn’t ease much seeing him, she’d been waiting with Will and El for over a half hour, wondering and thinking, perhaps too much. “Sorry for the wait,” Dr. Owen apologized as he sat down. No one said anything, and he was reading the tension and concerns clearly. 

He looked to Joyce. “How’s the house? Settled in okay?”

“It’s a lot bigger than I expected.”

“We have our own rooms,” Will interjected, exchanging a pleased smile with El. 

Owen nodded, “Good, good.” He looked to Will, “You’re doing well by the looks of things, counseling visits are fewer and fewer, that’s a very good thing.” He looked next to El, studying her a moment, “Anything coming back for you, El?”

She shook her head. “Not yet.”

Owen nodded, thoughtful. “Keep me posted if you need anything—“

“What about school?” Joyce asked, anxious to get the information she’d been waiting on, wanting to move away from the line of conversation. 

“Ah, yes, well, I’d like to introduce you to the Batavia Instructional Academy,” Owen’s announced, opening a folder on the desk and pushing into their view. The three sat forward curiously looking over the glossy pages, a full page brochure with images of kids smiling, in class, a library, playing sports. “It’s a private school—“

“Private?” Joyce looked at him, brows furrowed, “I really can’t afford priva—“

“Joyce, it’s taken care of.” Owens explained. “It’s the best environment considering facts,” he glanced at El. “It’s safe, with no questions, and an excellent curriculum,” he looked then to Will, “and an art program that I’ve heard is pretty rad.”

“Rad?” El asked.

“Uh,” Owen floundered for a second, “yeah, rad, radical. Isn’t that what you guys say these days?”

“No.” She answered.

“Do we have to wear uniforms?” Will wondered.

“And no uniforms!” Owens put his hands up in a celebratory gesture.

“Morning, morning!” Brian greeted his passengers with his usual exuberance, “Buckle up and hold on, the Brian express will be leaving the station immediately.”

“Hay Ooooooh!” Will, El and Brian exclaimed in unison.

Brian’s good cheer and easy going playfulness was so unlike any of the other adults Will and El were accustomed to. Will had heard his mom refer to Brian as ‘jolly’ and didn’t quite get it at first, but he guessed it was the best way to describe the man. No matter how mundane and ordinary something was, he always made it fun, even just a ride back and forth to school.

“Brian, check this one out,” Will had his newest storyline at the ready, a sheaf of papers waving over the back of the front seat too near Brian’s face.

“Whoa, whoa, driving here, wait for a light.”

“Sorry, sorry.”

“New stuff for the animation class?”

“Yeah, it’s so great, we’re going to do pen tests today.” Will’s excitement about his advanced classes was irrepressible.

“That’s like the sketches, right?” Brian had been hearing about this enough from Will that he was starting to get a good idea of what was being talked about.

“Yeah. I just want to get to the color work soon, I can’t wait.”

“Spring break is coming.” El mentioned.

“That’s right,” Brian said, looking back at her briefly in the rearview mirror. “Big plans?”

“Mike wants to visit.” El smiled.

“Oh, ho ho, your beau. You two are still a thing?”

“Yes!” El replied, affronted at the mere suggestion they might not be.

“I think Dustin and Lucas, and maybe even Max might try to come, too.” Will chimed in.

“You guys are some troop.” Brian laughed his funny chuckle that made his plump shoulders sort of jump up and down. “Man, I wish I’d had a bunch of friends like all of you when I was kid.”

“You didn’t have friends?” El asked.

“Oh, sure, I had friends, but they just weren’t as cool as you all you guys.”

“I bet they were, and you just forgot.” Will offered.

Brian nodded his head, thoughtful. “Yep, maybe. Maybe they were.”

El watched Brian in the rearview mirror, studying his eyes. “Are you still friends with them?”                      

He shook his head. “Nah, so long ago, you know, you just sort of drift away. Happens like that.” 

Brian’s voice started sounding sort of distant, “you keep in touch, and see someone here and there, but eventually… Well, life just sort of gets in the way. You lose touch, and become different people.”

Will and El looked at each other, silent.

“Here we are,” Brian announced, turning onto the long drive and driving through the gates of BIA. With a flourish of his hand, he said theatrically, “Destination Education.”

~ ~ ~

“I just can’t, Mike. I’m sorry.”

“But Mom--!”

“Mike, listen to your mother.” Ted offered from behind the paper. Karen glanced at him, mildly surprised.

“Lis’n to mommy, Mike.”

Mike turned and looked at Holly, stunned. They were all against him, how could this be happening. “Mom, we had a deal.”

Karen shook her head as she cut up Hollies pancakes. “I know, but it’s just not a good time, we have family coming into town, and it’s going to be just too hectic to get you all the way out there for Spring Break.”

“Nancy can take me.”

“What? And have both of you gone when your grandparents come in?”

Mike jabbed at his breakfast, breaking the yolk of his fried egg, and watched it spill out. “Nana and Grandpa Gene probably wouldn’t even notice.”

“That’s not nice to say. Of course they’d notice if you two weren’t here. Right, Ted?”

“Certainly would.”

“They only care about seeing Holly because she’s cute and little.”

“Cute and little! Cute and little!” Holly began to chant, bopping her head side to side.

Karen shook her finger in the air. “Holly, just eat your cereal, please.”

“Morning,” Nancy came into the kitchen nook greeting her family with a smile, until she took a look around at the sour faces before her. “What’s wrong?”

Everyone but Ted began to speak at once.

“Mike insists on going to see El and Will…”

“We had a deal that I could go…”

“Cute and little. Cute and little…”

Nancy quietly seated herself at the table, taking a piece of toast, buttered it, and ate it listening to Mike and her mother go over the standing disagreement once more.

“I’d like to see Jonathan, too.” Nancy broke in.

Karen tilted her head and sighed. “I can’t have both of you gone when your grandparents—“

“I know,” Nancy agreed, “but, you know we could meet half way, me and Jonathan with Mike and everyone.”

Karen was quiet, considering the idea. “Well what will you do half way? Just stand around in the road?”

“Wouldn’t be the first time,” Mike muttered.

“I’m going to be late to work,” Nancy announced, standing. “We can discuss this later.”

“You’re only having toast?”

Nancy smiled at her mom. “Yes.” She turned to Mike, “want a ride to school? It’s on my way.”

Mike followed his sister’s queue, hurrying meet up with her at the car. “Can you believe it, we had a deal?”

“I know,” Nancy told him, “I’ve already talked to Jonathan, and I think maybe they can come out here. We need to talk to Joyce and see what how she feels about that. Would be nice if she could come out too.”

“I don’t think she wants to, she hasn’t before.” Mike said as he got in the front seat. “Not since the move.”

Nancy started the car, hesitating in thought a moment. “Guess she just can’t come back,” she said quietly. She glanced at Mike. “Nothing to come back to for her.”

End: Part 1

Destination Education