Angelica "Freak Two" Munson

Chapter 45

"Okay, so do you guys see that table to your right?"

They both turn slowly.

"No, your other right."

"Oh,"

"Yeah, okay." She speaks clearly, "And do you see those scissors?"

"Uh-huh."

"Yeah, well, I think that if we move at the same time, we could get over there, and then maybe I could kick the table and knock them into your lap." She explains her plan.

"And I could cut the binds."

"Yeah, and we could get out of here." Angie adds softly. Her body is still aching; she can feel each throb all the way down to her fingertips.

"Gotcha." He nods, "Okay, yeah, we can do that."

"Yeah," they attempt to pump themselves up.

"Those morons. They left scissors in here?" Steve scoffs.

"Yeah, morons."

"Total morons." Angie mumbles.

"Okay, so, on the count of three, we're gonna hop." She counts down slowly.

They thrust their bodies towards the table. Surprisingly, they're successful.

"Okay, that worked."

"Alright. Uh, let's try again."

Angie groans a little and takes deep breaths to prepare herself to move again.

"One, two, three."

They move again in triumph.

"Holy shit, this is gonna work!"

"We're close. Ready?"

They rush to jump once again, but Angie wasn't quite ready. When they went to jump, they were off balance, and they tumble onto the ground.

This time, Angie isn't the only one who groans in pain.

Each of their heads smack against the concrete floor, and it sends shocks through their entire bodies.

Steve attempts to comfort them as he hears Robin sobbing— he assumes anyway, "It's okay, it's okay. Don't cry, Robin."

She giggles loudly, rolling a little on the floor.

"Are you laughing?" Steve rolls his eyes in disbelief, "Jesus."

"Robin," Angie shakes her head lightly across the floor, "I fucking hate you right now."

"I'm sorry!" She continues to cackle, "I'm so sorry. It's just... I can't believe... I'm gonna die in a secret Russian base with Steve 'The Hair' Harrington and 'Freak Two.'"

Angie grimaces at the old nickname.

Steve jumps in to correct her, knowing how much Angie hates the nickname, but is cut off by Robin, "It's just too trippy, man."

"They broke her." She speaks in mild sarcasm, "Robin has finally lost it."

"Look," He stops them, "We're not gonna die. We're gonna get out of here, okay? Just— you gotta let me think for a second."

"Do you remember, um," Robin begins reminiscing, "Mrs. Click's sophomore history class?"

He can't help but shake his head, "What?"

"Mrs. Clickity-Clackity." She smiles, "That's what us band dweebs called her."

Steve sighs and lays his head on the ground.

"It was first period, Tuesdays and Thursdays, so you were always late. And you always had the same breakfast."

"Bacon, egg, and cheese on a sesame bagel." Angie recalls with a small smile.

"Yeah... I sat behind you two days a week for a year. Mister Funny. Mister Cool."

"The King of Hawkins High himself."

"Exactly." Robin stops to agree with Angie, "Do you even remember me from that class?"

He pauses, wishing he had an answer she would like.

Robin can't help but scoff, "Of course you don't... You were a real asshole, you know that?"

"Yeah, I know." He admits softly.

"But it didn't even matter.
It didn't matter that you were an ass. I was still... obsessed with you."

Steve and Angie exchange an equal look of mild confusion.

She continues, "Even though all of us losers pretend to be above it all, we still just wanna be popular... accepted, normal. Did you ever feel like that, Angie?"

She stares down at her lap, "... Yeah, I did... all the time."

"If it makes you feel any better, having those things isn't all that great. Seriously."  He sighs, "It just baffles me... Everything that people tell you is important, everything that people say you should care about, it's all just..." He chuckles at the irony, "bullshit."

Angie gives him a sorrowful look, recalling her eavesdropping on that particular conversation with Jonathan Byers the year prior.

"... But I guess you gotta mess up to figure things out, right?" He whispers, closing his eyes briefly.

"I hope so... I feel like my whole life has been..." She pauses to think of the right words, "one big error."

Steve can't help but chuckle and nod at her statement, "Yep."

"I'd have to say I agree with that." Angie allows herself to laugh along with them.

"At least, it can't get any more messed up than this." She sighs softly.

"You know, I wish I'd known you both in Click's class."

"You did know me, Steve." Angie interjects.

He shakes his head, "You know what I mean— Now, stop interrupting. I'm trying to be sentimental."

"Sorry, continue."

"I really do. Maybe you could've helped me pass the class." Steve jokes, "Maybe instead of being here, I'd be on my way to college right now."

"And I would have no idea that there were evil Russians beneath our feet, and I would be happily slinging ice cream with some other schmuck."

They all chuckle.

"Gotta say though, I liked being your schmuck." He sighs, "It was fun while it lasted."

Robin smiles, "It was."

"You know," Angie turns her head towards them, "as messed up as this may sound... maybe those things didn't happen because this is where we're supposed to be."

"I think the Russians would disagree." Robin comments sarcastically.

She turns to hit her friend but is still confined, "You know what I mean... maybe we're supposed to be here. Maybe we have some... divine purpose in all this. I mean, last November was a complete nightmare... for all of us, but we saved countless lives when we stopped those... things." She shakes away the chills that overcome her, "Maybe that's what we're doing now."

"I hope so." Robin mumbles.

She takes a deep breath, "We just have to believe that this is all going to work out the way it's supposed to."

"I really hope you're right, Ange." He reaches for her hand once again when the lock buzzes and the door swings open.