Risky Business ｡ Stranger Things

38 : Jaws

She woke up the following morning with darkness wrapped around her, trapping her in. Shadows hovered long and heavy in the corners of her bedroom and black strangling veins snaked across her carpet, looking for life to drain. Her heart was racing as she squeezed her eyes shut. When she opened her eyes again, her room had returned to normal, sunlight filtered in through her curtains and a summery temperature milled as the dreamscape vanished. It wasn't the first time Prue had thought she was still in the Upside Down after her adventure into the dark world yesterday, and it wouldn't be the last time either. That place would haunt her forever, like an extra shadow beside her own on the ground. The Upside Down wasn't the only thing that Prue would take away from Hawkins, Indiana that summer either. There was one more thing that would stay close to her beating heart like a depressed flower till the stars stopped shining on her.

The Starcourt Mall was already teeming before the blue and yellow hands of the mall's large clock had even reached ten o'clock. The flashy mall had quickly become the designated place to waste summer hours at and that included Prue, Selena and Ronnie too. The teenage girls were there prepping for Ronnie's date with Patrick. After returning home from Mission Strange, Patrick—still strung-out on adrenaline and a near-death experience with an alien monster—had bit the bullet and called Ronnie, asking her out on a date. Immediately after Ronnie had ended her call with Sunburnt Cowboy, she had rung Prue to expel the excitement and fret from her lungs. Prue had to force herself to be happy for Ronnie and Patrick, seeing as being stood up by Billy had soured her mood into acid. Sleep hadn't cured her foul mood either and she shuffled along beside her two best friends as they searched the ranks for the perfect outfit for the perfect date. Fuck perfect dates, Prue thought harshly, wishing she could scream it instead. Selena had picked out a pile for Ronnie to decide on, watching with a skilled eye as Ronnie lined up the frock to her body as she nursed a freshly pressed juice. Prue stood beside Selena, the pile of clothes folded over her arms, her gloom radiating off her skin.

"What's up, buttercup?" Selena asked, side-eyeing Prue, noticing the way Prue's lips pinched, how her shoulders slumped and how her spiral curls sat untamed. Selena's hair was teased high and she was wearing a bright two-piece secured with a fat belt around her slender waist: she looked pretty and professional before heading into the Hawkins Post. The budding Lois Lane had been assigned to cover the protests over at Mayor Kline's office that afternoon too.

"I got stood up by Billy fucking Hargrove," she admitted, the acid burning her tongue. Ronnie's eyes popped as she dropped the dress she was holding to the floor. Selena flipped around, stunned. While Selena and Ronnie knew that Prue had remained somewhat friendly with Hawkins' bad boy, they didn't know the depth of Prue and Billy's relationship.

"What? Hang on, you had a date lined up for last night? And Ronnie has one for tonight. How am I the only one without a boy to wine and dine me?" Selena explained.

"Maybe he had a good excuse," Ronnie suggested helpfully.

Prue rolled her eyes. "Or he just stood me up," she groaned, feeling foolish again for placing such high hopes on the blond, damaged boy.

Selena threw her hands up dramatically. "Where is my summer boy?" she remarked, still on that train of thought.

Ronnie shrugged her shoulders, sucking at her juice. "You're focusing on your career, which is very proactive," she reasoned, swapping her eyes between her two friends, both stuck on different topics. The two brunette girls had always had different priorities, but Ronnie was excellent with juggling them both. Ronnie Marra was the perfect middle friend, the safe harbour and gave the threesome balance.

"A girl can have a career and a date. This is the 1980s for crying out loud!" Selena expressed, waving her hands around now for emphasis. "Also, I told you Billy was only trouble," she added, wagging her finger at Prue.