𝐀𝐃𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐁𝐀𝐁𝐘𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆, stranger things

⠀ three. the anniversary effect

Mocking his sister as they pressed their backs against the car they'd hidden behind, "Don't wanna see your boyfriend?"

"He's not my boyfriend!" harshly, she grabbed her brother by the ear, squeezing tight enough to hurt but not so tight it would do any kind of damage.

"OW!" shoving his sister away in a half-assed shove.

Their usual yelp and slap-filled bickering continued until a harsh, "SHHH!" from Dustin had them frozen with more amused than agitated expressions

"They're arguing, they're arguing," Lucas stated, binoculars glued back to his eyes as Dustin and Parker exchanged exasperated glances

"Oh, my God,"

"I see that! I don't even know why you need those," Peyton couldn't help but smile, hugging her knees as she listened in to Dustin's complaints "God, you're so stupid," Henderson squinted, waiting as Parker slowly stood in time to see Max flipping Billy the bird as he aggressively drove away. Looking to his side to where Peyton's smirk had become a nervous grimace, Dustin looked more sympathetic than annoyed as he nudged her side lightly with the edge of his shoe, "Alright, Evans, coast is clear," relief washed over the blonde as she finally got to her feet. But their impromptu trip to the arcade was, unfortunately, far from over.

Eyes rolling into the back of her skull, Peyton exhaled as though it would allow the exasperation to expel from her body, "Leave the poor girl alone," the blonde begged, shaking her head when the boys ignored her completely to run toward the transparent glass door separating them from the dig dug champion. The blond had a much more casual saunter toward the door, instead choosing to lean against the brick wall beside the glass.

They stared on with shock and fondness, "She's incredible," awed Lucas as Dustin nodded in agreement

"She's..."

In unison, all three boys realized, "Mad Max,"

❀

⠀ ⠀ EVEN IF SHE INSISTED UPON DENYING IT OUT LOUD, Peyton rather enjoyed movie night at the Byers. Much like the aforementioned family, such domestic occasions were very much absent from their childhoods. It was nice, getting to make up for it together.

Will and Parker had little left to do in bonding; they'd been friends since forever, and were rather enjoying the extra company with one a other.

Jonathan and Peyton, however, had a friendship that was rather newfound and alternate-dimensionally based. But they didn't hesitate in trying. They were the type of kids who knew their parents had been putting their own happiness last for too long.

Expanding foil over the stove, the smell of popped corn wafted through the air as Bob used his video camera to document the perfectly ordinary act

"Stop," Joyce chuckled, hand waving in dismissal, "Stop!"

Bob innocently shrugged, watching her through the lens with his left eye tightly closed, "What?" he smiled. "Come on, you gotta get used to it. This is the future,"

"Well, put the future down and get me a clean bowl," Joyce fondly chuckled, but before setting the camera down he panned toward Peyton, who was idly fiddling with the table cloth as she sat as close to a corner as she possibly could. It didn't take long for her to sense the camera focused on her, smile quickly fading

"Dad!" protested Peyton, hiding her face behind the placemat set in front of her at the table. Despite her father's love of technology and documenting their lives, Peyton absolutely hated being on camera. In the mirror, she could choose how to pose. How she saw herself, what light she was in. But on film, it was candid. Her true face, her real smile. It scared her to know what other people saw when they looked at her. Even if nobody but her father, and maybe Joyce, would ever see them anyway