SKATER GIRL , STRANGER THINGS

seven

Hours later, Flora was woken by Steve's classically creaky door. Not knowing the time, Flora stumbled to the door, opening it to see a fully dressed Nancy beginning to sneak down the stairs of the Harrington household.

"What time is it?" Was all Flora asked when she saw Nancy, an unimpressed look on her face.

"Like, somewhere between twelve and one."

"Noted." Flora nodded. "Enjoy you night?"

Nancy seemed to now look ashamed, looking up at Flora. "Could you, uh, sort him out?"

Flora scoffed. "You do the sex and I do the aftercare?" Nancy nodded sheepishly at Flora's correct words. "Dick move, Nancy Wheeler."

"I know," was all Nancy ended up saying before she left.

Flora sighed, going to Steve's room. He was passed out on the bed, clothes thrown anywhere and everywhere around the room.

Sitting on the edge of his bed, Flora gently woke Steve in the softest voice she could manage. "Hey Stevie? I'm here to clean you up."

Steve rolled onto his back, looking up at Flora with joy in his eyes. "Flower, I've just had the best experience yet."

Flora laughed at the state Steve was in, "I can tell."

Flora ran a hand through Steve's sweat covered hair, smiling softly. "I'll go run you a bath, yeah?" Steve nodded slowly, following Flora to the bathroom where she'd began to run his bath.

"You're so nice to me." Steve muttered once he was in the bath, Flora running her hands through his hair as she washed it, humming along to random songs.

"That's because I love you." Flora responded, Steve grinning.

"I love you too." Steve mumbled.

"Platonic soul mates forever." The duo grinned, Flora moving to place her head on Steve's shoulder as she continued to clean him up.

Once he was out of the bath, Flora helped Steve change the sheets of his bed, the two then passing out for the rest of the night. But from that night Flora knew something: Nancy Wheeler was not genuinely in love with Steve, not the way Steve was for Nancy.

Nancy wasn't mentioned again until the next morning, when the duo where classically driving to Hawkins High. Steve nervously looked to Flora, who was gently humming along to whichever song was playing at the time.

"Do you think she liked it?" Steve blurted out, nervousness getting the better of him.

"Oh, yeah, definitely." Flora responded within a second, "Mrs Wheeler gave her a curfew that she didn't exactly follow." Flora explained, Steve making a noise in realisation.

"Did she wake you up when she left? Is that why you came in?" Steve then wondered, Flora nodding along to his words.

"Y'know, Flower, I hope you get a boyfriend soon. Double dates." Steve grinned to Flora, who grinned back.

"Double dates!"

Once the pair had got to school, Flora rejoiced in the knowledge that she had her first three lessons free, deciding to leave Steve to his own devices and go and study in the school's basement.

Flora wondered if the boy from the other day would be there again, the boy who'd called himself Eddie Munson.

Going to the abandoned classroom Flora had claimed as hers, she was grateful to see that it had been cleaned by the janitor, despite its abandonment. The blonde sat down on the sofa, resting her legs on the table and hoping to get in a nap due to her hangover state.

When Flora was just about asleep, a chipper voice was heard from the doorway to the classroom. "Wakey-Wakey Emery!" The voice cackled, brining Flora from her state of sleep to being wide awake, staring at the figure unimpressed.

"Stop being so loud, Munson. I'm nursing a hangover." Flora rebuted blandly, eyes locked on the older boy.

"I'm not surprised." Eddie Munson snorted to himself, "I am surprised that you're not skipping."

Flora rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say. Anyway, Munson, can you let me sleep?"

Eddie disappeared without another word, rolling his eyes when he thought about Flora Emery.

Luckily enough for Flora, she managed to sleep until lunch, where she made her way to the lunch room, meeting Steve, Nancy, Tommy, and Carol, sitting at their usual table.

"That’s why science doesn’t make any damn sense to me." Tommy finished whatever he was saying between bites as Nancy sat down, Flora patting the space left between her and Steve with a welcoming smile.

Carol, who had her ankle on the table, was referencing it with confusion and concern. "No, I swear. Look at this. It’s totally frostbite."

Steve handed Tommy his jello, not liking the flavour. "Oh, thanks, man." He muttered quickly, before turning back to Carol. "It’s a heated pool."

Carol raised an eyebrow at Tommy, "Well, if it’s not frostbite, then what is it?"

Steve scrunched his nose in disgust. "Ugh, I don’t care what it is, it’s disgusting! Get it off the table. We’re eating here."

Before Carol could take her leg off the table, Tommy jokingly tried to dig at it with his spoon, enticing an "Ew!" from Carol.

Flora smiled to Carol in reassurance. "It's probably just a scratch."

Nancy then looked over to Tommy, her tone curious. "Hey, Tommy. When you left, did you see Barb?"

Only then did Flora notice that the girl was missing, Tommy only managing a confused, "What?"

Nancy rolled her eyes, trying again to get to Tommy. "Barbara. She’s not here today."

"I seriously have no idea who you’re talking about." Tommy spluttered, causing a giggle from Carol.

Flora rolled her eyes. "Short red hair, glasses, cut her finger last night? Ring any bells?"

Tommy didn't respond, so Steve tried to get to him instead. "Come on, don’t be an ass, man. Did you... Did you see her leave last night or not?"

Tommy finally gave the group a straight answer. "No, she was gone when we left."

"Probably couldn’t stand listening to all that moaning." Carol said to Nancy and Steve, beginning to mockingly moan Steve's name. Tommy then began to join in, Flora noticing Nancy steadily becoming more uncomfortable.

"Ignore them." She whispered to Nancy, "And if you were like that I wonder how I slept through it." That caused Nancy to let out a strained laugh, but a laugh nonetheless.

"Okay, chill." Steve rolled his eyes, the laughing Tommy and Carol quieting down as Steve spoke quietly to Nancy.

"Listen... I’m sure she’s fine. She’s probably just... she’s probably just, like, skipping or something."

Although that was unlike her friend, Nancy nodded, agreeing with her boyfriend in a strained voice. "Yeah. Yeah, probably."

Nancy then leaned back on her chair, eyes connecting with someone who stood outside the room. Flora followed Nancy's gaze, brows farrowing when she saw that the person Nancy was looking at was Jonathan Byers.