Her Mixtape (Extended Version), Stranger Things

𝖎𝖛. New Favourite Person

Rue still wanted to meet Joyce, and she was nervous but excited at the same time. However, she couldn't say the same thing about meeting her sons. Rue had thought it would only be Joyce coming over, only one person for her to meet, not three brand-new people. But Rue held her tongue and didn't say anything, hoping that after tonight things would return to normal between her and Bob.

Rue had gotten ready in record time, either out of anticipation or perhaps anxiety. Half of her hair was neatly tied up with a white ribbon, matching the lace ruffle of her socks.

Now, she had time to spare, and Rue found herself sitting by her window again, watching as Dani Patel danced around her room to Michael Jackson's latest album while she was home alone.

Rue knew that she should stop this habit of watching people from her window before it became creepy. And before Dani Patel would catch her staring and tell everyone she knows that her next-door neighbour Rue Newby-Davis is a fucking creep, and then eventually everyone in Hawkins would know, and no one would want to talk to her.

Or maybe Rue was overthinking.

Either way, she shuddered at the thought of it and looked away. She spotted her Walkman sitting on the ledge of her window seat and picked it up.

Rue's room was filled with the evening sun of mid-July through the large glass of her window. She was going to turn on some music for herself when she heard a quiet click against the glass next to her.

Rue froze in her actions and blinked a few times, wondering if she was hearing things or not. But then that click happened again, and again until Rue looked out her window again and saw Dani leaning out her window, tossing broken sticks and twigs from the tree between their houses at Rue's window.

When the two made eye contact, Dani waved enthusiastically.

Rue felt all the warmth drop from her face, and she wondered if Dani was about to confront her. She drew her lower lip between her teeth as she narrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

Rue pointed at herself first, unsure if what she was seeing was true, and she even glanced at their yard to see if it could have been someone else Dani was trying to call. But then, the older girl nodded and motioned for Rue to open her window as well.

Rue put down her Walkman and held her breath as she unlocked her window and pushed it open. The warm summer air blew into her bedroom, along with the scent of the big white oak tree between the Patel and Newby residences.

"Hey!" Dani called, leaning on her elbows out the window as she smiled at Rue.

Rue was too stunned to speak. She saw Dani's gold jewellery glimmer under the sunlight, and her dark silky hair became a lighter shade of brown once the sun touched it.

Rue cleared her throat, realizing she should say something. "Hi?" She called back, cursing at herself for sounding so unsure.

"Are you new here?" Dani asked.

Rue ran her hands over the soft fabric of her dress. "Is it that obvious?"

The brown-skinned girl shrugged playfully, and she was practically glowing under the sun. "Kinda," Dani teased, fixing the strap of her summer top. She squinted at the sun, "You're Mr. Newby's kid, right?"

"Um, yeah."

"I can tell," Dani nodded, "You guys have the same eyes."

"You know my dad?"

The girl tilted her head, almost offended, "No, duh! I used to mow Mr. Newby's lawn for my volunteer hours in sophomore year, and then I would shovel the snow in the winter," Dani pushed her hair out of her face, "He's a rad dude."