WARNING: DO NOT ENGAGE [stranger things] [1/2]

XXVII - People Are Strange

"People are strange when you're a stranger

Faces look ugly when you're alone

Women seem wicked when you're unwanted

Streets are uneven when you're down"

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"I can't cancel on Nancy, guys. I'm sorry." Rosemary shook her head. They were around the back of the Wheeler house, the boys and Eleven ready to adventure to wherever the compasses were pointing, and Rosemary having to ditch them.

"But we need you for when we find it-" Mike started.

"Find it?" Rosemary frowned. "When you find it, you aren't going to do anything. This is dangerous shit, guys, if you find something don't you dare go in there. Mark down where it is and tell me. Okay?" It was bad enough she was even letting them go on their own, but she knew there was no stopping them from trying. If she had to, she was going to play dirty.

"Okay." Lucas sighed in agreement. Rosemary looked at the other two expectantly, and they grumbled agreements. "C'mon, El." Mike said, as they started to push their bikes away. Rosemary caught onto Elevens arm, crouching down to speak to her in a hushed tone. 

"Don't let them find it." She said. "I don't know what you did, and... and it probably wasn't your fault, but I sure as hell know it's dangerous, and I know it's at that hellhole. Don't let them follow that needle. You think you can do that?"

"El? You okay?" Mike called back, stopping to look at them. Eleven nodded, and looked back at Rosemary. "Yes." She said, and Rosemary offered her a small smile before standing up, letting the girl return to Mike. She sighed, watching them. "Good luck." She called lightly, walking back towards her own house. She had faith in Eleven to protect them, even if it was unfair.

She raised an eyebrow when she heard singing, and followed it to lean on a wall right beside the Wheelers driveway, where Steve and Nancy were having a discussion. Should she be eavesdropping? Of course not. But she was going to anyway.

"I just, I - I don't think I can." Nancy said, sounding quite guilty for cancelling on her boyfriend. "I've been really busy with this whole funeral thing, and... with Rosemary, and my brother. It's been really hard on him." Rosemary tried not to scoff at that. Nancy rarely ever paid Mike any mind, and if she did it was asking Rosemary to be a sister instead of her.

"Yeah, sure." Steve nodded. "Sure, yeah, yeah."

"So..." Nancy hummed, the tension steadily rising.

"I should go." Steve decided, obviously finding the silence just as painful as Rosemary did.

"Sorry." Nancy apologised. "I'll call you later. Is that okay?" Steve nodded slightly and she leaned up on her toes to kiss him.

"Yeah." He nodded. "Yeah, of course."

"Heya, pretty boy." Rosemary said, finally revealing her presence. Nancy jumped and Steve quirked a smile, nodding at Rosemary. "Hey, Rosemary. I was just going." He said, pointing down the driveway.

"See you around, then." She nodded.

"Yeah, see you around." He echoed, putting a hand on Nancys shoulder briefly before leaving, singing the same song as before as he did so. Rosemary drifted over to stand beside Nancy as the girl watched him walked away. "Practising your swing?" She asked, making Nancy jump yet again, nodding. "Let's see, then. Can't have you going to fight some monster without a second opinion on your baseball skills, can you?"