Dacre Montgomery Oneshots.

Scouts Honour (1)

It's nice to get away for a while, just for a night –even just for a moment. The weight of the world seems to lift off your shoulders as the drive takes you further away from the city limits of Hawkins. You ignore the bottle of vodka rolling in the back seat, trying not to think of how you'll get home tonight.

It's not unusual to find yourself driving an hour away on a Friday night. You did it last week and the one before. The entirety of last weekend is a blur, getting too carried away around strangers in an unfamiliar town can have that effect. You drank an entire bottle of liquor you found stashed in the host's cabinet, talking to a guy you whose name you can't think of. Hopefully, you'll never see him again.

It would've been easier to cram into Tina's house with the rest of the high school. It would've saved you gas money and you could walk home if you aren't sober by the time the party ends. You haven't been to one of Tina's parties since the night of Nancy and Steve's breakup, the place is tainted with bad memories. You know you wouldn't be able to enjoy yourself, between third wheeling with Nancy and Johnathon and trying to avoid Steve within the four walls of the house. It sounds exhausting.

Even if you're only an hour drive away, it feels like a breath of fresh air. There aren't any monsters lurking underneath the foreign city, a party every other block, and nobody knows who you are. You can get drunk in peace without the worries of your hometown just a few miles away. It's a secret sanctuary of sorts, each mile bringing you closer to something that feels like freedom.

The party is already in full swing by the time you park on the curb. Groups of people stand on the lawn, some sway to the music coming from inside, they clutch their red solo cups as if their life depends on it. You wave at a few acquaintances you've met at parties prior as you step onto the pavement. They smile and wave when they catch your eye, lifting their plastic glasses as you make your way into the home.

It doesn't take long to get comfortable as you fall into the usual routine. You chat with the host, she's different than the one from last weekend. You've decided you'll never step foot into the other house again knowing you drank most of the alcohol there. It's nice to have a change in scenery anyway. She's extremely welcoming despite just meeting you, that's something you've gotten used to since you've started spending Friday nights here.

You break away from the conversation eventually, holding the vodka bottle close as you wonder around her home. Everyone's friendly, they all act as if you've been friends forever, they talk as if they're interested in what you have to say and even invite you to the party next week. You almost laugh at how amusing it is, it's so different than what you're used to back home. Everyone keeps to themselves for the most part in Hawkins, only becoming friendly when necessary even though everyone's known each other their entire lives. Part of you wishes you could stay here forever, dreading your return already.

Your body jolts as someone knocks into you, their hand flying to your wrist to catch you from knocking into the people surrounding you. "Whoa, sorry! My bad." The stranger smiles once you find your balance, running a free hand through his hair out of awkwardness. He looks familiar, you've seen him at a few parties before, you've never been close enough to introduce yourself.

"No worries!" You shout over the music. There's a beat of silence neither of you know how to fill.

"I've seen you around, are you a student here?" He leans against the wall to stop himself from swaying on his feet. He takes another sip of his drink as he awaits your answer.

"Yeah, I live just North of here." It's not technically a lie, although home is further than he's imagining. "I'm Judo." You're not sure why you extend your hand for him to shake, parties are an odd place to uphold manners and formality. He shakes it anyway.