What Lies Beneath || Stranger Things

twenty-four || for another day

Although Tanner leafed out a track set in her size, she hesitantly approached Barker. "Quick question, Coach," she meekly said, clearing her throat. "Are there...longer uniforms?"

Would she quit if he said no?

She would have to, wouldn't she?

Coach turned toward her, eyes flickering between Tanner and the track to mark times for the runners just beginning to come in. "Uh, no, those are pretty much standard uniforms."

It wasn't hard to notice Tanner was the only one not in shorts and short-sleeves in a group of nearly forty.

"I can't get you a special uniform, but you're welcome to wear something like you have on now underneath it." He scrawled several times down, the ink barely legible. "Is it a religious thing?"

Tanner shrugged mildly, bouncing the uniform between her hands. "Yeah, something like that."

"As long as you can run in something that says Hawkins, it works for me. Good job today, kid. Get some rest."

The pep in her step softly returned as she backed up, hopping onto the bleachers to grab her duffle bag. She smiled to herself as she dropped her uniform inside, swinging the strap over her shoulder for the walk back.

Thankfully, Nancy was willing to ride home with Jonathan so Tanner could make tryouts.

And with Tanner successfully making the team, it was convenient in her plot to make Jonathan and Nancy talk now that she couldn't drive Nancy home every other day of the week.

Unintentional, but welcome in Tanner's eyes.

Tanner took the dirt steps leading back up to the high school two at a time, likely making anyone else from tryouts who saw her energy cringe as they struggled to breathe. She let her hair down from a high pony, shaking out the long dark mess as she crossed into the parking lot.

Maybe normal life really was doable.

High school, homework, friends, track team.

"Tanner!"

Turning over her shoulder just shy of her Jeep, Tanner spotted a sweaty Steve Harrington emerging from the main gym.

"You look like a spy," he mused as he jogged to her in his practice gear. His hair lacked the height it often had, but bounced none the less.

Tanner's brows furrowed slightly, trying not to laugh. "Thanks? They're for running."

"Running!" His eyes shot open. "How did tryouts go?" He evaluated her lack of sweat and he tossed his hands up. "What, did you even run?"

Tanner produced the track jersey from her bag, a roaring tiger printed smack in the middle. "I finished first and nearly left Coach speechless."

"Congrats! I knew you would make it. And your ribs didn't bother you?"

"Nope, I am perfectly healed." She was grinning ear to ear, thrilled just by the concept of getting to run in circles for two and a half months. "Coach is even letting me wear leggings and long sleeves under the uniform. That way I'll look less like a spy."

Although he was smiling simply from the happiness radiating off of Tanner, his brow quirked. "Why would you need to?"

He didn't see you in the hospital, she thought. "Oh, uh," she readjusted the strap over her shoulder as she glanced around, "I brought back a few things from the Upside Down. They don't exactly go away."