Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
CHAPTER THIRTY NINE " STILL AS VILE AS EVER "
THE HOT AIR HIT HER AS SHE DESCENDED THE PLANE, but it was nothing compared to what she had left behind.
Her parents waited for her by the baggage claim, waving frantically as soon as they spotted her. She tried to hold back a grin but she couldn't, she did miss them. Her mom ran toward her, not caring about the audience, and tackled her into a tight hung. Her dad threw an arm over her shoulder, joining in on the embrace.
Her mom kissed her cheek, then took a step back, giving Dylan a once over as she did. "I like the hair! It's new! It's fresh! It's Californian."
Her dad grumbled, seemingly just taking notice of the change when her mom mentioned it. "I don't know what was so wrong with the old hair."
"Nothing was wrong with it, Dad," Dylan rolled her eyes in good humour. "My friends and I thought it'd be fun. We all did it."
"I approve. It looks great." Her mom said cheerily. She doubted her mom would disagree with her on anything right now, too happy to see her to jeopardize that with a stupid argument. "Let's go get your bags!"
She'd only come with one bag, only having a week in Hawkins. Her school allowed all of them to leave for the 4th of July weekend and they had given everyone an extra couple days since they had stole their summer from them. Dylan had expected to stay in her dorm all break as soon as she found out there was a break but her parents had surprised her with a plane ticket in the mail, only a few days ago. She was happy to be home for awhile but she also felt out of place. Did she call Steve or did she let the week pass by like she hadn't been here at all?
"Dad is barbecuing for supper so don't make plans," her mother warned and Dylan laughed. Though, she wasn't even sure who she'd make plans with if she wanted to. She'd been subtracted from everyone's lives for a month, who knew what they were up to, or if they had the time of day for her.
Her dad made burgers and snuck her a beer when her mom wasn't paying attention, as if it were her first. Parents didn't seem to care as much after you graduated.
After dinner, she called Nancy but got no answer. Next she called up Tina, who was surprised to hear from her, but invited her to the pool the next day. After hanging up, her fingers lingered on the buttons, debating whether to press the one's she knew by heart. She walked away.
Tina picked Dylan up at noon. Dylan left her car in San Francisco and couldn't drive. It was shocking the lack of freedom that presented.
Tina was only dressed in a neon green bikini top, matching visor, and cutoff denim shorts and she was already hyped up for the day. "Okay so, Heather is gonna meet us there, I hope that's okay? She works at the pool but she's off at 12:30."
"Sounds good to me."
Dylan and Tina took over three pool chairs, laying their bags on the third to save it for Heather. Dylan pulled her T-shirt over her head and she had hardly shimmied out of her shorts before a whistle was targeted out her way.
She turned, already angry, but it instantly multiplied. Billy stood a few feet away, a cigarette hanging and a smirk hanging from his mouth.
Dylan flipped him off.
Tina laughed. "Oh, yeah, I forgot. Billy's the afternoon lifeguard."
Dylan threw her clothes on the third chair and grabbed the suntan lotion from Tina. "That is considered vital information, Tina. He's like the last person I wanna see."
"Noted." Tina leaned back in the pool chair. "Though, I thought that would've been Steve."
"No... I don't hate Steve."
Billy sauntered over to them. Dylan pretended not to see him through her dark sunglasses, staring only straight ahead from where she lid in her chair.
"Ladies... Dylan, I'm surprised to see you here. I almost didn't think it was you. California has done you good, not that you needed any help," he gave her a greasy look and she cringed inwardly, recalling when she actually almost enjoyed his presence. "What brought you back to this shit hole?"
"She got time off school 'cause the holiday." Tina replied, chipper. Dylan stayed quiet. "So we're catching up."
"Catching up," Billy repeated, still staring at Dylan even though she wasn't the one talking. "That does sound nice. I think we definitely could do some catching up, Dylan. What do you say, now that you're single again?"
He winked.
Dylan turned her head to her friend, peaking over the tips of her glasses. "Tina, I'm gonna go grab a Coke."
"I'll come with you," Billy said, relentless. "I don't have any lifeguard duties for another five minutes."
They walked wordlessly to the vending machine. Billy dropped a few coins into the machine and Dylan didn't stop him. She pressed the right buttons and a can fell to the bottom. "You know, I'm headin' out West when—"
"Thanks," she said, it was void of any sincerity, only a tool to cut him off.
Dylan walked away from him and he moved to follow but was called away by another pool employee. "I'll be calling you! And I know you'll answer, Holland!" He yelled after her retreat.
"Thoughts on New Coke?" Tina asked, eyeing Dylan's drink. Dylan settler back into her spot.
"Gross," Dylan replied. "But still better than Pepsi."
Tina chuckled. "And thoughts on Billy?"
A whistle blew further down the poolside. "Hey, lardass! No running!"
A kid no older than twelve cowered it fear, nodding rapidly. Billy then turned to hit on Nancy's mom, no doubt putting on a show.
Dylan shook her head. "Still as vile as ever."
Heather joined them moments later, decked out in a fire engine red swimsuit. She patted her sweaty forehead with a white towel that read LIFEGUARD by the seam.
Dylan grinned at her. "Lookin' hot, Heather. That is quite the get-up."
"Oh, bite me," Heather shot back. "You'd wear this too for five dollars an hour."
"Fair enough."
Heather took up the third chair, pushing all their belongings to the ground. Dylan closed her eyes, relaxing under the sun, and now that Billy was occupied, she had nothing to bother her.
Tina and Heather gossiped about something that happened at a party earlier the week and then they turned to Dylan. She could feel their eyes on her.
She opened her eyes. "What?"
Heather shrugged. "Are you gonna call Steve?"
"I don't know..." The two of them giggled amongst themselves, knowing a joke Dylan didn't. "Why?"
"He's got a job at the mall," Heather explained finally. "At this new ice cream parlour, Scoop's Ahoy."
"And he wears a sailor suit. Hat and all." Tina said, cluing Dylan in to what had been so funny.
Dylan sat up straight, pushing her sunglasses on top her head. "Oh my God. He does not."
Tina and Heather nodded in unison.
"Oh, he does! Little shorts, knee high socks... it's definitely an image you don't forget."
"It all makes sense now! That's why he wouldn't tell me where he was working!" Dylan tried to picture Steve in the little outfit the girls described and she knew why he hadn't wanted her to see him in it. "Maybe I've gotta make a trip to the mall."
Tina and Heather continued to laugh. "Oh, you definitely need to make a trip to the mall."
