the party; family
Series Metadata
Listing Series
-
Tags
Summary
"As Will sits at the kitchen table, shoveling cereal into his mouth, he tries not to think too hard about the fact that he and Mike shared a bed the night before. He fails spectacularly, which makes it very very difficult to look Holly and Nancy in the eye or make pleasant small talk with El. He’s tried so hard to get over Mike Wheeler, going so far as to tell himself and other people that he already is. But he knows now, just as he knew last night, with his best friend’s hand resting gently on his, that Mike Wheeler is something he will never be over."
Or, Will Byers reclaims his life and his magic after the final battle.
Series
- Part 1 of the party; family
-
Tags
Summary
"Hearing the word sleep, knowing where all his friends are and that they’re safe, and comfortably warm after his shower, Dustin lets himself nod off on El’s shoulder, cautiously optimistic for the rest of the days they can spend exactly like this.
They do, in fact, spend most of them exactly that way, annoying each other in the Wheelers’ basement."
Or, Dustin has good days and bad days after the final battle. His friends are there for all of them.
Series
- Part 2 of the party; family
-
Tags
Summary
"The first thing that El does once it’s all over is sit. Just sit. It is not a guilty sitting where she feels like she should be training instead, or a stolen sitting in between moments of running for her life or a tense sitting while trying to reach out and find someone in the beyond, it’s just sitting. Stiller and simpler than she’s let herself be in months, maybe years...She feels her breath moving through her body, feels her heart being in her chest and basks, not just in her calm, but in her life. The simple, beautiful, astronomical fact that she is alive."
Or, El Hopper lives beyond the final battle. And lives. And keeps on living. She figures out a lot of things about herself along the way.
Series
- Part 3 of the party; family
-
Tags
Summary
“'Because you did that, now we can be here together – best friends, Party Members. We have our whole lives ahead of us. Let’s live them.' With that, El finally breaks, collapsing into Max’s arms, sobbing in relief. Max lets her eyes fall shut as she rubs her best friend’s back, taking comfort in her simple existence.
'Yes. Let’s,' El says eventually, digging her chin into Max’s shoulder so sharply it’s a reminder that they’re both present and in possession of free and as-yet-unlived lives.
And so live them they do."
Or, Max puts herself and her friends back together after the final battle.
Series
- Part 4 of the party; family
-
Tags
Summary
"He settles Max down on a couch and they chat about the small things while Dustin takes a shower, and then take turns teasing him when he gets back. If their voices keep breaking on the punch lines of jokes, wobbling anxiously, then no one else mentions it. If Lucas is squeezing Max’s hand too hard, because she can squeeze back now, then she doesn’t complain. If their eyes keep flickering over to El for reassurance that she’s still there, hasn’t left them, then she offers them small smiles every time in return."
Or, Lucas continues protecting everyone else long after the final battle is over.
Series
- Part 5 of the party; family
-
Tags
Summary
"Mike grips his necklace, hard, between his fingers, summons up every ounce of bravery he has, then leans forward and kisses Will Byers.
There’s a split second of hesitation, and then, miracle of miracles, Will Byers kisses him back."
Or, Mike has one last quest to complete after the final battle before he can really consider everything 'over'.
Series
- Part 6 of the party; family
-
Tags
Summary
"She likes to go into her Mom’s room every morning and help her rub cream into the healing scars on her neck and chest. She likes to peel off the bandaids and see that something has changed. That time has fixed something. That healing is possible."
Or, Holly Wheeler was forced to grow up fast before the final battle. She gets to live again afterwards.
Series
- Part 7 of the party; family