YMCA
Village People

Birthdays are days for enjoyment, to celebrate the birth of a person in your life, and some of those times they choose to either go all out for their birthday. Example one is going to one of the local arcades or Bowling alley. Or stay in, eat a lot of pizza and drink loads of sodas.

But for Melissa planning a surprise party, for Will, meant more to her than to go out. He's turning fourteen, an age Milly remembered to be one of the hardest to turn in her opinion, and she'd gone all out. Getting in the swing of things she chose to divulge to Wills interests. Dungeon's and dragons, Jaws, Star Wars and more which lean into the characters he liked.

She had spent the entire night, staying awake to perfect everything. Robert, along with Chris, stayed awake during the hours of the morning helping Milly by tending to Sarah and Jocelyn. Melissa, a muttering mess living off fumes of coffee re-checking her wrist watch mumbling how the seconds were going down close to will arriving to her house, kept touching the green plastic Jaba The Hut ears she wore. Chris huffs a laugh.

" Milly, you gotta calm down, he'll be here. He probably woke up late." Chris assured, he was filled in on what happened in the three years. How will vanished, to him being found again, and his younger brother Billy had died saving his step-sister Max. " You know your brother, more than anyone. He maybe went to bed late. And is just waking up now." Little Jocelyn did a gurgle, wriggling in Chris's arms, her legs are cocooned in a mint light blue one piece. Sarah, wearing a Star Wars graphic dress, tousled her boots trying to take them off of her tiny feet.

" I know, I know, I just wanna make this a day for Will to see he has someone, you know? He.. has been distance. The move here.." Milly, her face falling as she spoke more sombrely, began to pace the floor. " It messed him up, Chris. He doesn't let me in, anymore. I'm hoping he gets to see that he matters to me. Yeah we have our up and our downs but what siblings don't have fights?" Milly clumped down on to her brown, on her cotton sofa ( Sarah reached for her mom to hold her and Milly takes her almost immediately ). She softly thread Sarah's hair in her fingers. " I just want him to be okay."

Robert, passing Jocelyn over to Chris, moved to sit himself on the spot beside Melissa. His light sun kissed golden skin a product of being out in the open plains of the Italian gulf. He is from Sicily, Italy. His striking blue eyes stared into hers with a hint of fondness.

" You are the greatest sister, the greatest woman, I've come to know and we've only known each other one whole day." He laughed because of how true it is but that didn't really concern him. He taps her on the knee. " Take my word, Milly. Will, he will appreciate what you are doing for him." Robert stated and chris did a nod of approval, agreeing with his husband settling Jocelyn's crying. " I think it's Josie's bottle time again. I'll go grab one from the refrigerator."

Knocking came from the front door. Melissa, in a rush to answer, carried Sarah on her hip to answer the door. But it wasn't who she wanted it to be, it's Murray. " Mar.. what.. are you doin here?" Backing up to let in the man, who claims to be her self anointed best friend as he struggles to bring in his carry on bags and a suitcase full of god knows what devices he managed to get through border security, he nearly rolled his right ankle on a barbie doll. " I wasn't expecting to see you here."

" I came soon as you told me about the letter! I had to see it for myself. Plus, it gave me a good excuse to come see you here in your oh humble abode."  He said, crinkling his eyes making the muscles in his face tweak as reluctantly took a babbling Sarah from Milly. " And my adorable, sweet, god daughter too. Well daughters, tho I think it's not official yet cause Mandy and Kat have been arguing over who should be Josie's."

" How rude of me. This is Chris. his husband, Rob, is in the kitchen just getting a bottle for Jos' and you are just in time to celebrate will's birthday." Milly stated, through the gaps of her teeth, removing his carry-on satchels aside for room to be used. Murray didn't expect there to be company and he awkwardly waved his hand in the air to Chris. The latter shook his head at how Murray barged in but chuckled. " That is will now! Quick, get away from the door, Mar."

Melissa moved Murray out of her way while he is offered Princess Leia braid muffs, Chris had placed them on his bald head ( Murray dead-panning the whole exchange ) and Sarah did a small innocent laugh finding him funny. Milly answered the door, Will stood on the welcome mat his mouth downturn in a frown. Setting a stream of colourful confetti Milly yells 'Happy Birthday, Willy wonka!' Clapping her hands.

His eyes became brighter.

" You.. remembered my birthday?"

He said, quietly.

He had at least zero expectations about celebrating today of all days, considering he thought not one the party members remembered his birthday ( she is an unofficial member, Mike had argued two girls is enough in the party but begrudgingly agreed considering she is will's sister ) but was proved wrong. Milly opens her hands, waiting for Will to run into her arms and that is what he did.

" Of course I did, Buddy. You know I wouldn't dare forget your birthday of all days!"

Melissa, pulling back from the hug, looked at will with a stare that read 'I wouldn't dream of missing an important day like this'. He bursted out in a big wave of genuine laughter at the unimpressed look on Murray's face and Milly brought will to the table of presents. Robert is beside Chris, an arm around his Husbands shoulder.

" Murray flew in today, I did try to connect with the two other boys in the party. Sue and Claudia are keeping Lucas and Dustin in Hawkins cause of school. I offered to pay for their tickets to here but I understand. School is important."

Mike is in Lenora Hills, for spring break, he's one of the party members to have flown out to see eleven and Mike. The past eight months of moving to California had been different. A lot of the times, it would take days or even weeks for one of the boys to write a letter and send it to will. Melissa had kept in contact with Kathy and Mandy through the telephone, Will isn't old enough in Joyce's mind to own a phone.

Will, picking up a medium sized box shaped as an obvious lightsaber, shakes the content in it and Milly slaps his hand. " Don't shake it, Will! You'll break what is inside of it." He shakes his head at how serious his older sister is staring at him. " Oh, what the hell! It's your birthday! Go nuts, Willy wonka! Don't let me stop you."

" Willy wonka? You nicknamed him.. after that terrible movie, you could have picked anything remotely funnier, Missy."

" Oh, Shut up, Mar."

Will had left to the local roller skating rink, he met Mike and eleven at the rink, argyle helped him get there faster ( possibly breaking a few road rules with how fast he drives ). Chris and Robert are caring for the girls in some place of the house as Melissa showed the letter she had been sent. Murray read the broken English off the piece of paper.

" Hop is alive. He looks ford to forever, marry you to make date resarvazion for weding, Dec three. blah-blah-blah. He say it'z me, ba.. by.. no government please. you know what I'm not reading the rest of this. Clearly whomever this Enzo person is has no idea how to spell." Said an irritated Murray, folding the letter he's reading. " I like it even less in person. I don't trust it, They could be playing you for a fool."

" There is something in my heart that is telling this is real, Mar." Milly exclaimed, taking the balled up letter out of his hand. Tears of hope in her eyes shedding.

" We.. we have, in the past, spoke 'bout a possible wedding date Mar. December three! No one knows that, yet. That is the date I chose 'cause it's the date of birth my biological father was born. Only Hop and I, along with you now, know that. Murray. It has to be him!"

Milly pressed her words and with a plaintive sigh Murray got up, hands on his legs to hoist himself up off the couch, going over to her.

" I've spent so long thinking.. he's dead.."

" Missy. This could be bad news. This.."

Letter in hand, he waved it around.

" Reads like a bad ransom note. And if my thoughts are correct.. it's most likely from somewhere in Russia. You said the package had the Soviet sickle, right?"

" Thats the thing, Mar. that's the thing, what I am trying to tell you, Murray. It's him. No one else would have known this information, Not even mom knows of the date. No one does. He trusted someone so much that he told them to write our wedding date! He is sending.. me a message. To tell me he's alive!"

Milly hadn't cried, in months, since Hopper's Death. Reading the letter brought tears of hope to Melissa's eyes and she didn't care if it's false hope at least she could image it's real. Her hopper is alive, out there somewhere in the world. " Please don't ruin this for me."

" This isn't healthy, Milly. You saw him die, you said it yourself you saw that machine light up the room and it exploded. He evaporated."

" No." Milly vigorously shakes her head.

" No. I Thought I saw him die, this letter made me think on what I think I saw, Mar. I.. didn't see Hops body. He wasn't there. I don't believe he evaporated! Not for a second."

Milly abruptly stood, her movement startled Murray. He was pinching the sensitive part of his earlobe trying to stop a headache from coming along.

" Okay. Let's indulge this fanatsy of yours for a moment. He's a cat man with nine lives." Milly gave Murray a weird, bemused, stare watching him prowl like a human cat wriggling his arms. " Whatever it is, he survives. What's he doing in Russia? He was captured, thats what. Then he probably met some new friends. By friends, I mean the KGB. And believe me, Missy, these people are the worst of the worst." Milly leans back into her sofa, dipping into the cushions.

" I am talking torture, Missy. And no matter how strong you think your Jimbo is, they will break him. They will get his whole life story. And yes, that might very well include the date you chose for your big happy day of nuptials."

Murray sighed, deeply and regretfully, at her crestfallen face.

He sat on the mahogany coffee table facing her. " Look. I know this all maybe one big ruse, you know to get you to go there to Russia, and it doesn't sit right to me but how bout this." He pushed his glasses up, snatching the creased disarranged cut out letter, flickering it with a finger. " We call this Number. See if it's bogus or not bogus. That is for us to find out."

" Call the number?"

" Yes! But we do it My way, my dear missy."

Hop is alive. Hop is alive. Those three words were on repeat in Melissa's mind, waiting on Murray to complete his calibration of his home brought computer system he had snuck in his suitcase, her nails were raw and chewed from her obsessively biting at the skin as her nerves are peaking. " We gotta make that phone call, Mar. we can't keep on stalling! Gotta hurry up. Please. I can't wait any longer." A new sense of urgency entered her voice, looking at the time.

" Okay. Okay. And done! You are now calling from Durham, North Carolina." Murray claps, rerouting the phone line to a random town in another state in order for it to not be traced to them, pointing at the Ariel phone based on the table. " But if this is KGB, they will still be able to trace us eventually, so keep it brief. For both of our sakes, please keep in at a minimum of a minute or less. Remember! Proof of life."

" Got it. Got it, Mar."

Milly muttered, her hand started trembling as her mind raced with other worries about if she should go ahead and call it quits. This could all be a big hoax. And Murray is right. She shake it out of her head, she dial's the number glued on the paper, the keypad made frequent beeps each time she would press a key. Breathing out her nose Melissa turned her neck to Murray, he mouthed 'One. Two. Three.'

She set it down which made Murray swiftly press down on the record button of his cassette recorder. The mood in the kitchen shifts to one of tension, as three seperate rings are made before someone picks up. A rather deep, thick, Russian voice picks the phone up. It sounded a little scratchy, as though he had been smoking packets of cigarettes each day. " Hello."

" H.. Hello, Enzo? This is Melissa. Milly, I.. I should say. I received your message, a.. bout.. you know what. And I would like to make that reservation."

Enzo smirked, on the other side of the phone. The American was correct, Milly had the voice of an Angel. " Ah yes I see. But for reservation, you need to make a deposit, Melissa." He said to her, he bites back his tongue from saying he found her voice attractive. He barely knew the woman and he had morals, Well— besides that he works for the literal Soviet Union. Melissa's lips are pulled back, baring her front teeth as it surprised her he asked for a Deposit.

" How much is this deposit, you seek, Enzo? Is that the name you go by or do you have a real name I can call you?"

" Ah, I see you can communicate well in my mother tongue, Melissa. All you must pay for the deposit is a simple forty thousand dollars. You do well for yourself, Hopper tells me, you are quite well known and have the funds you have made for your girls? In a trust?"

Melissa tensed her jaw, Murray made a hand sign telling her 'Calm down' motioning to her eyes, and she shut them close.

" That can be arranged, Yes. Hopper tells you right, I am a well off woman of money. I am surprised you remember a detail, like that, he told you. I would have thought you'd be more interested in not hearing Hoppers love life."

" You have a charm I like, Melissa. Onto the obvious here, you bring money to Yuri's fish n fly in Nome, Alaska. You give Yuri money, Yuri gets me money, and you get Your hopper back, Melissa. Simple trade. That way we all win. Understand?"

Money isn't an issue for Melissa, she had too much of it, and it wouldn't matter how much she'd give away to these strange men who have been harbouring her fiancé. Her hopper. She'd give up all her money, everything she owned, to get him back home safely.

Nothing is more important, more valuable, than him. Father of her children, the love of her life. It's him, it'd always be him and no one else could take his place as her love. Newly found determination blazed in her eyes, Murray never seeing Milly fired up like she is as she shot up, replying in a way that silenced even Enzo.

" It seems we have come to an agreement. I'll get you your money and you give me back my hopper. You have your deal, Enzo."

JASMINE SPEAKS;

Enzo has entered the chat!

I found him really cool, cute, and funny. How he uses 'American' to call Hopper. Man, Milly and Jim's reunion is going to be emotional for me to write, damn. When it happens it's gonna hurt, she thought he had died and I have it planned out in my head how they will handle their reunion. Let's just say it's going to be super heart warming.

What did you think of Murray and Milly Bff's moments? Will's birthday?

Her reaction to Enzo and how she handled the call?