Elijah Brooks's life is turned upside down when his best friend Will Byers goes missing one night. Teaming up with an unlikely group of friends, Eli finds himself transforming from a quiet bookworm to a courageous adventurer willing to do anything f...
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"I STILL DON'T GET IT," Eve's voice was heavy with sleepiness and irritation as she leaned in the bathroom door frame, peering at her brother with narrow slots. "Why did we have to get up so early for this? It's not even like you to dress up this much on Halloween. I mean, seriously, blue hairspray?"
Eli was perched in front of the mirror, a cold can of hair product cradled in one hand. "Seriously, Eve, if you don't like it then just don't say anything." He had become defensive, mostly to mask the anxiety and hesitation gripping at his conscious right now.
"I like it, I just don't get it. What if someone asks about your costume? What are you gonna say?" Her questions were insistent, piling onto Eli's second thoughts about his costume choice.
His began to quiver, causing his teeth to clamp down on the skin forcefully. "The truth, I guess." He didn't wait for another interrogative comment before popping the lid off and shaking the bottle feverishly. "Now, make sure I don't mess this up. This has to be perfect."
"Hey, just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I know how to work hairspray. Especially if it's bright blue." Eve stepped further into the room, gazing warily at the contents printed on the packaging. "I mean, you couldn't have picked another color?"
Eli rolled his eyes, his frustration deepening as he fired another glare at his twin. "Eli Electro has bright blue hair, not firetruck red or piss yellow."
The curse had been enough to take Eve aback, shocking her into silence and leaving Eli to begin his work. Slowly, and fearfully, he raked his hair back and streaked the product evenly into his curls. He prayed that the hairspray would be strong enough to keep his unruly locks slicked back into place. Otherwise he'll just look like a ridiculous clown with an ocean-colored afro.
"That's enough, E," Eve reached over and gently took the bottle from him after a few more layers. "We don't want to turn your hair into crispy blue strings."
Eli wheeled around to face her nervously, barely patting the top of his hair with his palms. "You think it looks good?"
Eve scanned his new hairdo silently, licking her lips in contemplation. "Yeah, actually. It'll look really cool with the jacket, too."
A relieved grin spread on his face, and he pushed past her to retreat back into the bedroom. On top of his navy bedspread was an electric blue jacket that almost perfectly matched his hair now, along with a pair of light jeans and a white T-shirt. The clothing was fairly plain, which is exactly why he poured so much of his energy into perfecting his hair.
"Hey, E?" Eve chirped up again, scouring her closet for an outfit to wear. Neither her or Rene were dressing up this year, mostly because they had opted for candy and scary movies at home tonight rather than trick or treating, meaning they didn't need a costume. Eli remembered how teasing he had been when the girls told him their plans a few weeks ago, berating them for thinking they were "the cool kids".
