KNIGHT!

ONE!

OFF THE CLOCK!

A-HA'S TAKE ON ME streamed through the speakers of the packed electronics store. The chatting of customers and employees nearly covered the upbeat tune except for one particularly loud speaker placed right by the cashiers desk.

"Turn that down, will ya? I can't count change with Morten Harket screaming at me to take him on" a tan girl spoke looking back to the person who was singing along while clocking out on a time machine.

"Sorry Sage!" The girl turned back, showing her time card which displayed the amount of hours she had worked that week. "My shifts over so i cant touch behind the register," She gave a devious smile at the cashier, who was all but impressed.

"Armani, one day i'll be your manager and you'll have to watch how you act around me" Sage teased, shaking her head as she handed change to an eager customer.

"Yeah i'm sure Mrs. I don't know the first thing about electronics" Armani spoke with a roll of her eyes, turning down the speaker and giving a quick "see you on the fourth!" to her friend as she rushed to the back room for her belongings and out of the store.

The girl still wore her uniform as she walked out turning once to eye the bold red 'RADIO SHACK' sign, one much brighter than the one it had when it was located down town. The girl didn't have much care for the rest of the businesses that had to close in downtown Hawkins, sure it was a shame, but the change was inevitable. However, when it came to the radio shack her father used to work at, things were different. Armani sat in everyday with the owner, urging him not to close. In the end, her time spent there didn't matter. The owner closed the shop, apologized to her, and promised her a job at the new location at Starcourt Mall.

She supposed the change of scenery worked in her favor, the memories she held at the downtown location were good to reminisce upon but harmful when dark came and the nightmares about her dad being attacked by dog-like monsters filled her nights.

Still, she had begun to heal.

As the teenager walked through into the foodcourt smelling the familiar chinese platters she had for dinner whenever Bob worked doubles, she found herself looking forward to her next meal instead of wishing never to eat chinese again.

"One strawberry shake and one banana split," a half familiar voice rang out from the ice cream parlor. Armani's smile dissipated as she heard the girl, it wasn't that she disliked Robin, she just hoped to spend time with her boyfriend and didn't like that she had to go through someone first.

"Dingus is sneaking his children into another movie, unless you're actually here for ice cream?" A short haired teen with raised brows spoke, her freckled face giving hint to millions of emotions and yet none at all.

"I'm here for him, but I wouldn't be opposed to a rocky road," Armani leaned over the glass and gazed into the buckets of ice cream. Right as robin had handed the cone to a seemingly impatient Armani, the door to the back room slammed open.

"they're going to get caught and i'm going to be the one in trouble! How am I gonna explain to their parents that I snuck them in to see r-rated films? They're going to be the death of m-" the boy with golden brown locks stopped mid-rant once his eyes landed on his girlfriend who gave him a knowing smile because of course he's going on about the kids again.

"Mani! Are you off already?" The teenager asked, quickly stepping out of the back and around the counter to embrace the girl.

"Hey, watch it! I'm not paying for another if you make me drop this one." She gestured to her cone, teasing the boy as he set a quick peck on her lips "it'll be on the house."

"Steve you-" before Armani could finish her sentence, Robin finished it for her from behind the counter. "Absolute dingus, did you forget you're on the clock?"

Armani raised an amused brow at the girl, but turned to Steve with a nod. "She's right, gotta get scoopin' huh?"

"Come on? It's just an extra half hour." The teenager pleaded to his manager, who rolled her eyes and nodded. "I guess that's fine, yeah. You owe me though!" Before the full sentence could even escape Robin's lips, Steve had gone back and punched out before coming back and wrapping an arm around Mani's shoulder.

"Thank you" he mouthed back to the worker as they walked out of the parlor and into the vast mall.

"It's been a while since i bought new clothes" Steve looked at the girl when she spoke. she gestured to the two bags she held as the couple walked across the packed parking lot.

"Hey, you deserve it" he assured the girl, knowing the last time she had bought anything was before her father passed.

The two climbed into Steve's car, they would've spent more time browsing had they both not been fairly exhausted and still in their tasteful uniforms.

"I hope i didn't spend too much.." Armani went on, "I was hoping to let Joyce know I was going to pay the water bill this month."

The girls mind wandered to Joyce and the two Byers kids, she had been living with them since her father died and they had fallen into a routine as easily as they could given the circumstances.

Armani and Jonathan even got along well these days, after he had apologized to her for taking pictures without permission they bonded over their hobbies and of course, Will.

Will was the brother Mani never had or was sure she wanted. He was quiet and reserved but once they bonded she realized there was more to the young kid. Will oddly enough understood Armani's pain better than most people, and she in turn tried her best to understand what he had gone through.

Joyce, oh boy. Armani and Joyce's relationship had been built up from a shaky and horrifying foundation. It wasn't wrong to assume that before the events of last year Armani did not enjoy or want Joyce around. Now, the two were more attuned with one another then anyone would ever think possible. They held each other up, as if they were trying to stay afloat while making sure the others head didn't dip below the water.

Living with the Byers was by no means Heaven, the teenager still ached for her old home, her warm room littered with polaroids, the busy living room that always seemed to have some new tech overstock, and of course her dads room. Armani had spent most of her time in there after the events of last fall doing nothing in particular besides sitting on the bed and thinking.

Thinking. It's something she did far too often nowadays, she was consumed by her thoughts so much that sometimes no one but Steve could pull her out of them. Thankfully her boyfriend was still in town as she was preparing for her last year at Hawkins High. God knows how insufferable the town would be without him.

"Hey Mani?" Steve's tender voice interrupted her train of thought, she jumped slightly and looked over at the boy before realizing they were back at Joyce's home. "you okay today?" The boy asked, eyebrows furrowed in worry.

"yeah, yeah I was just thinking about the Fun Fair," Armani nodded before giving a small sigh. "Thanks for the ride, I'll see you."

The couple gave each-other a short goodbye kiss before Armani got out of the car. Bags in her arms she looked up at the house she now called her home. One thing was sure for her, unthinkable monsters and nightmares were in the past.

AUTHORS NOTE
Surprise! Expect regular updates soon...I will be putting a schedule in my bio as soon as I figure it out. Thank you for continuing to enjoy this story even in my absence!