Then Dustin stopped flipping.

Lucas looked up from his phone. Mike stopped mid-sentence. Nancy, who had been leaning against the doorframe, went still. Even the rain outside seemed to pause.

Meanwhile, across town…

chime of the bell

The diner door swung shut behind the last customer. Y/N didn’t look up. Pink and blue neon light bled through the rain-streaked windows, painting the empty booths in soft colors. A half-full coffee cup sat abandoned on table four.

She grabbed a rag. Started wiping. The radio played a slow song she barely heard.

The phone behind the counter sat silent. The way it always did.

Outside, Hawkins blurred into rain and headlights. Inside, Y/N kept wiping down tables.

Alone.