¹𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆,𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧 ✔

017-back to normal

ONE MONTH.

That's how long it's been since everything.

Since Will Byers was brought back from the Upside Down.

Since Carla was attacked by the monster, left scarred.

Since Eleven disappeared, still yet to be found—since she died, truly.

Since everything went back to normal......or as normal as things could.

Currently, it's Christmas day—more so, night—and Carla Wheeler is in her kitchen, helping her mother as she baked dessert after dessert. Holiday music lightly hums in the background, and the brunette dances around as she does what she's able to do with her cast, (Karen insisted that Carla stay away from helping with her baked goods, given she was still in a cast, but that was Carla Wheeler for you; always helping).

Every few minutes, the sound of laughter or childish bickering was heard over the music, which always managed to bring a smile to Carla's lips. The boys deserved to have fun, to return to their games and fantasy after going through hell and back; Will deserved it, more than anyone.

Speaking of normal......Carla had returned to her regular schedule too.

After another day or so of staying at the hospital to make sure she was okay, Carla returned to school, cast and wrap still on her wrists. Given nothing interesting happened in Hawkins, she'd been the center of talk for the week—her fellow classmates wondered what had happened, whether she'd purposefully cut her wrists, why she seemed so closed off—but it had worn off. It helped that she had Nancy, Jonathan, and Steve to defend her.

Steve. 

She was still friends with him—just friends. 

The two had managed to keep a strictly platonic friendship over the past month, and Carla couldn't lie and say she wasn't grateful for it. She knew the Harrington brought out the better in her, as did she with him. While not together, she knew there'd always been a mutual love between them—Steve would always be her first love, and that would never go away. She'd always care, even if she shouldn't.

Rather than utterly ignore her, Steve called her on the regular—the two using up the landline to share whatever thoughts and emotions happened to come through—and always invited her to join him and Nancy, (though she usually declined, given Carla didn't like the idea of being a third wheeler to her ex and her sister).

Her and Nancy were okay now, too. Nancy had apologized for everything she had said in the woods, as well as for dating Steve so quickly in the first place and Carla merely forgave her. She didn't want to fight with Nance anymore—they'd been through too much. She was over fighting over Steve. They were done; they were friends. He was Nancy's.

The ringing of the doorbell takes Carla from her thoughts.

"I'll get it, Mom." the girl mutters before walking over to the front door, opening it to reveal her best friend, Jonathan Byers. A smile graces her face and she makes sure he receives it before looking back, nodding at her twin sister, who was cuddling up next to Steve, whom was also invited to the Wheeler's Christmas.

Nancy makes eye contact with the boy, who nods, before rushing up the stairs to her bedroom. 

"I suppose you're here for Will?" the Wheeler asks, allowing the Byers boy to brush past her into the house.

Jonathan firmly nods, "Yeah." 

"They're in the basement, as per usual."

The two teens walk over to the basement, the laughter and chatter getting louder with each step.