Royal Pain || Stranger Things

twenty-five || thirsty mums

"When we get to the pool." Billy grinned lightly. "Tatum, we're going to work together."

Tatum's eyes widened, it taking everything out of her to not hit the brakes. "Oh, God. I didn't even think about it."

"It's alright." He leaned back in the seat as they tore towards the pool. "Just park around the back. I'll go in first and just say that my dad dropped me off."

Tatum scoffed, sliding her spare pair of sunglasses on top of her head so she wouldn't forget them for her shift. "Like he would ever do you any favors."

"Yeah, well nobody else knows how much of an asshole he is, so they'll believe at least for a day."

Although her heart broke in that moment, the intrigue of the night before concerned her. "When did you come over?"

Billy hummed in thought, letting go of a light sigh. "After you finished babysitting? I don't really remember."

"When did the power go out?"

"I guess while we were sleeping?"

Tatum's eyes narrowed as she wheeled onto another street. "Who was I babysitting?"

"You don't remember who you were babysitting?" he asked with a laugh. "Jesus, Tate."

I wasn't actually babysitting. I lied because I had something else to do, she thought. But what? What did I have to do?

"See you in there," Billy said as they pulled into a parking space around the back of the facility. He leaned in for a last kiss, knowing he wouldn't be able to touch her until the sun was on its way down. "It'll be fine. No one will notice."

"Okay," she said quietly, letting go of one of his curls before he could slip out of the Jeep and shuffle up to the building out of sight.

They'd gotten there with only minutes to spare, so they couldn't create much of a divide with their arrivals.

"Tate, are you coming?"

The voice came in like an out of tune radio message, Tatum's brows furrowing deep as she forcibly wiggled her ears to get a clear signal. "El?"

"Of course it's me. Are you coming to Dustin's? He and his mom are about to get here."

"Dustin's back from camp," she said to herself. "Uh, no, sorry. I just got to work and I can't bail out for the day. Give him a hug for me, though! Let him know I'll see him soon."

"Have you figured anything else about your brother?"

Tatum's brows furrowed, glimpses of the early day before filtering behind her eyes. Going to the phone company, light chatter while waiting for an important phone number, a phone call to Ben. She spoke to Ben. "I...uh, no. Nothing yet." Both she and Hopper had agreed not to mention much about their thoughts on the underground system running below the mall, lest she tell her friends before they know more. "Have fun with Dustin." She pinched the bridge of her nose, a soft headache forming as she killed the engine of the Jeep and headed for the lifeguard shack.

Although there weren't any patrons ready to swim yet, all of the other lifeguards noted her arrival.

"Hey hey!" Freddy greeted from behind the front desk, already lacking a shirt and ready to show off. "Our fearless leader has arrived."

Adam scoffed from behind the cashier stand. "And as the manager, I just don't mean anything?"

"When's the last time you went on stand?" Zoe asked with a grin, tying her hair up. "Or have a save for that matter?"