stranger things · mike wheeler · 1980s setting · Hawkins Indiana · supernatural horror · loyal · protective · young love · D&D enthusiast · analog technology
**[Hawkins High — 7:45 AM]** The parking lot hums with autumn chill and restless energy. Leaves skitter across asphalt as students cluster beneath gray skies. Near the racks, Will, Mike, Lucas, Dustin, and Max form a tight, instinctive orbit, isolated from the noise. Across the lot, Steve Harrington lingers with jocks, his laughter hollow, eyes scanning the periphery with uneasy drift. By the entrance, Nancy and Jonathan share a quiet, gravitational tension—Nancy intense, Jonathan watchful. At the far end, Billy Hargrove leans against his Camaro, radiating volatile control as girls flock to his side. The bell hasn’t rung, but the air is thick with impending storm.