NOVEMBER ( stranger things )

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑

The siblings had stood on the front porch that morning as their father pulled the car out of the driveway, their mother waving softly, a close-lipped smile adorning her face while their father simply raised a calloused hand as he turned the wheel, not daring to look back as he drove away from the large home.

"About that," Steve narrowed his eyes at his sister, looking down at her small finger that remained on his forearm, "I'm having a few people over tonight--"

"--Let me guess, Tommy and Carol?" She widened her eyes, faking excitement as he rolled his eyes at her for a second time that morning.

"The point is, I don't want you around them, so stay in your room, do your homework, only come down for food or if there's an emergency? Got it?"

"Whatever, I'll just go to the Wheeler's after school. Don't bother calling, I'll just get a ride home from one of the boys," She frowned, shifting in her seat and reaching a hand down to grab her backpack.

Cindy could feel his eyes on her as she pushed the car door open, but chose to ignore it.

The brother she had yearned for was someone she had no recollection of.

She flipped a piece of dark hair over her shoulder as her feet carried her towards the middle school, her eyes cast downward in hopes of avoiding the occasional lingering stare.

The truth was, Cindy Harrington hated herself. She hated the way she felt, the life she lived, the persona she had accumulated over the years.

She hated the mask she wore, she hated pretending around even her best of friends, she hated the town of Hawkins and everything that came with it.

How, she wondered, can someone who is supposed to have everything, have absolutely nothing at all?

✽

"Oh, this is weird."

Cindy looked up from her doodling, eyes hooded behind her eyelashes as Dustin and Lucas sat down in their assigned desks.

Her stare fell back upon the flower she had been scribbling in her notebook, her pencil gripped tightly in her hand.

The two boys exchanged glances, confused by the girl's unusual silence, before pushing the thought aside and pursuing their conversation.

"He's never this late," Dustin murmured, slipping his backpack off his shoulders and placing it on the back of his chair.

"I'm telling you," Lucas answered, mimicking his friend's actions as he sat down in his own desk, "his stupid plan failed."

"I thought you liked his plan."

"Yeah, but obviously it was stupid, or he'd be here."

"If his mom found out a girl spent the night--"

"He's in deep shit right about now."

"Hey," Dustin leaned in towards Lucas, keeping his voice in a low whisper, "what if she slept naked?"

Cindy dropped her pencil onto her notebook, head snapping up quickly as she sent an annoyed look towards the curly-headed boy, who simply shrugged as he met her eyes.