Chapter 35

I woke up next to Beatrice, and while she was still asleep, I had the chance to behold an incredibly beautiful sight. The young brunette in a nightshirt, which rather than concealing her beauty, highlighted her features making her even more desirable. This kind of morning could certainly be called good. Smiling, I went to wash up.

As I was washing my hands, I suddenly tasted something metallic in my throat.

"Ugh."

Spitting it out, I confirmed that it was indeed a clot of blood. Ever since I had killed Moloch, this dreadful occurrence had become a routine. Over time, I had grown accustomed to it and no longer paid it any mind.

After cleaning up the blood, I headed to the kitchen with a renewed vigor. Today, I decided to surprise Beatrice with my cooking skills. Thankfully, there were eggs in the fridge, so no strenuous effort was required.

During my time as a student, I had mastered only two dishes: scrambled eggs and instant noodles. I was as confident in these dishes as Severus was in his potions.

I cracked four eggs into a bowl, seasoned them, and poured them into a heated skillet. I waited for the eggs to set before flipping them. By this time, the kettle had boiled and the coffee in the pot was ready.

"Mmm, smells delicious," Beatrice said as I set the table. "What have you cooked?"

She came up behind me, rested her chin on my shoulder, and peered into the skillet.

"I thought I'd treat you this morning."

"Hmm, you've succeeded," she said with a smile, quickly pecking me on the lips. "I need to take a shower!"

"Hah, okay."

From that day, my relationship with Beatrice began to evolve rapidly. Although we hadn't taken the final step towards full intimacy, it was becoming increasingly difficult to restrain ourselves.

"Would you like to come with me to the USA for the summer holidays?" Beatrice asked one day.

"Hmm..."

I began to actively recall if I had any plans that required my presence in the British Isles.

"I think I can make it."

"Well, then let's book the tickets for the earliest date," she said, clearly delighted that I would be joining her in the States.

"Alright."

The next day, Beatrice went out and bought the tickets.

"It was expensive, but I managed to get them for next week."

"Wonderful, just need to pack the bags now."

"Yep."

To avoid overloading each other, we decided to put everything into my larger suitcase. Gwyn, who didn't fancy flying the whole way, was also packed in the suitcase since he disliked being in a Muggle cage.

On the day of our flight, after checking everything several times and ensuring all was well, we headed to the airport with peace of mind.

"By the way, we are flying to New York, right?"

"No."

"Where are we going then?" I asked, surprised.

"To Indianapolis."

Seeing my puzzled look of "Where is that? And why?", Beatrice simply handed me the tickets which showed a flight from London to Indianapolis with a layover in Philadelphia.

"After spending half a year in New York, I realized that city wasn't for me. After traveling across the country, I concluded that I prefer quieter towns. I moved to a town I had visited once after settling all my financial affairs."

"What town?"

"I'm sure you'll like it. The town is called Hawkins, located in Indiana, not far from Indianapolis, about 80 miles away."

"Well, just have to get through the flight," I said with a light smile.

"Kind of a weak joke."

"..."

"..."

The flight was uneventful, free of crying babies, strange passengers, or any terrorists. Despite this, I couldn't sleep, while Beatrice slept like a baby.

The engine's hum, which I could hear all too well thanks to my enhanced senses, kept me awake.

At least we were provided with a meal, otherwise, it would have been rather sad. I would have been quite upset if they hadn't served food in business class.

"Why are you so grim?" Beatrice asked with a smile.

"I hate airplanes."

Looking at me amusingly, Beatrice asked:

"Would you have preferred to fly on a broomstick?"

I had told her how much I disliked brooms, and imagining flying for hours on one...

"No... But airplanes are terrible too."

She just shrugged as if to say, "Not my problem."

"However, it's much warmer here than in London."

"That's true."

We didn't have to suffer long at the airport. To reach Hawkins, Beatrice had left her car at the airport, so there were no issues, and after an hour's drive, we started to enter the town. If someone asked me to describe this town based on first impressions, I would say it was a typical American town.

The town embodied all the stereotypes about America. Here and there were arcade machines, which I only knew as antiques from my past life. Comic books were everywhere in stores, as these drawn stories were part of their culture almost at a genetic level. And I was beginning to like it all.

"Beatrice, did you buy a house here?"

The woman, who was now driving, just nodded:

"Yep, managed to get a good amount of money. Plus, housing here is much cheaper than in New York."

A few minutes later, we stopped in front of a typical American home. Though it might be better to call it a house, as its two stories did not permit it to be called a small house.

"Here we are," Beatrice said with a smile.

Inside, the house was quite well-equipped for its time. Typical toasters, the purpose of which I still didn't understand, were present, and there were several jars of peanut butter in the fridge, a taste I didn't particularly like.

"Did you just pick up the butter on a whim?"

Following my gaze, she just nodded:

"Yep, wanted to try it... And honestly, I didn't like it either."

"And you bought so much?"

"In case we have guests," shrugged Beatrice.

"Do all Americans love this butter so much?"

"Yep."

"Sad."

"And the cost?"

"It was more expensive in London," shrugged Beatrice.

"True enough. Are we eating out today, or do you want to cook something?"

Thinking for a moment, she said:

"Let's go out, have dinner together."

"Heh, where do you suggest we go?"

"Hmm... How about trying some American burgers?" Beatrice asked with a smile.

Responding to such a suggestion with a smile, I replied:

"I've always wanted to try American burgers."

"In that case, I'll be happy to show you the best burgers in Hawkins," said Beatrice with a smile.

"You've piqued my interest."

"Good."

Before heading out to the diner, where, according to Beatrice, they served the best burgers in Hawkins, we needed to shower and unpack. After the shower, I didn't feel like going anywhere, but my stomach was indicating that it couldn't wait any longer. And so, we both headed out in Beatrice's car to the town.

"We're here," Beatrice announced.

We stopped at a diner that didn't stand out in any particular way. Benny's Burgers - a diner on the outskirts of Hawkins, located at 4819 Randolph Lane.

Inside, there was only one bearded man with a budding bald spot at the moment. Seeing how we entered, he said:

"Oh! Beatrice, how are you?" After sizing me up and appearing a bit surprised. "Is this the guy you were talking about?"

He was probably surprised by the color of my hair, while the girl just smiled:

"Great, how about you, Benny? This guy is Adam White," she pointed to me. "And this man is the owner of this diner and the best chef, Benny Hammond."

The man in response simply bowed theatrically:

"Always at your service. You won't leave here unfed by the best burger in the county. Otherwise, all the Hammonds would destroy me."

"I look forward to trying your dishes. Is this place that old?"

"Yes, the Hammonds opened this diner back in 1956," said the man with a proud smile.

"Wow."

"Exactly, take a seat... It's usually not very crowded at this time."

Benny pointed to the tables, most of which were empty, so the choice was plentiful.

"So, which table shall we choose?" asked Beatrice.

"How about that one by the window?"

"Okay."

Settling at the table and waiting for the burgers that this diner was famous for, Beatrice and I engaged in casual conversation, occasionally joined by Benny. From Benny, I learned that this place was very peaceful, the scariest thing that had happened here was the Krill family murder in the 1950s.

"You're saying the father killed his entire family?"

"Yes, and then he gouged out his eyes... At least that's what my friend told me," said Benny.

"What happened to Victor Krill after that?"

Benny just shrugged:

"They say he was put in a psychiatric hospital, where he remains to this day."

"Hmm... They want to cure him?"

"Doubt it's possible," Benny shrugged again. "If it were up to the government, they'd better put him to rest forever."

"What happened to the house?" asked Beatrice.

"What could happen to it? The house is still there, on the outskirts. Doubt anyone would want to buy it any time soon."

"With that kind of history... Probably only thrill-seekers would want it?"

"Quite possible," said Benny, glancing at his watch. "I'll leave you two."

And he went towards the kitchen, as someone else entered the place. It was a woman in her thirties at first glance, a brunette with brown eyes and a bob haircut. The bags under her eyes and the tired look suggested she worked a lot. She was holding hands with two boys, one aged between 7-10 and the other younger.

"Justin!" exclaimed the woman when the older boy gave his younger brother a slap.

"What? Will won't listen!"

"That doesn't give you the right to slap him."

"But mom!" Justin protested, glaring at his younger brother.

The younger brother, seeing his mother's protection, simply stuck out his tongue at his older brother. The woman, seeing this gesture, just gave Will a stern look.

"Hello Joyce!" Benny smiled. "How are you?"

"Hello Benny!" Joyce responded with a forced smile. "As you can see, my..."

She sighed theatrically, while the boys just smiled happily.

"Haha, as expected. The usual for you?"

Joyce just nodded, turning around they caught our gaze. Noticing us, she seemed a bit surprised to see me.

"Good evening. My name is Adam."

Joyce turned out to be quite a sociable woman, and from the conversation, I gathered that she was a very hardworking woman. My suspicions that she was divorced were also confirmed. She didn't say it outright, but from the context, it was clear that her husband had been difficult. But the Byers family, despite the hardships, stuck together.