"Get out of my car." Rachel Archer groaned, causing a laugh to leave her daughter's painted lips. "Mom." She tried as her eyes rolled, to which Rachel's gave her a sharp look that warned her to tread carefully.
"I'm just saying. Just because I'm moving back to the city next year doesn't mean you have to. You've got a life here." Valerie shrugged.
"You're my life." Rachel pulled a cigarette case out of her purse as she spoke a matter-of-factly. "And Hopper?" Valerie questioned, a suggestive tone lingering on her words that caused her mom to heavily exhale a cloud of smoke. "Valerie Michelle Archer, Thi-,"
"Woah, full government name. What'd she do, Rach?" Charlie questioned as he leaned against the rolled-down window of the passenger side door, throwing his girlfriend a worried glance. "Who's side are you on, Wheeler?"
"I'm always on your side, Archer." Charlie shook his head lightly before giving Rachel a nonchalant wink as Valerie exited her mother's jeep and rounded the blue vehicle. "Hey, where were you this morning? I thought you wanted me to pick you up."
The question made Valerie fight the urge to look over at her mother for help as she shifted uncomfortably. "Oh, I've been such an airhead lately. I meant to call you but it completely slipped my mind. Mom wanted me to help her out with something at the lab."
Rachel had been hired to take Brenner's place at the lab, a move which was purely an attempt by the government to keep the tragedy that was last year a secret. She had so far seceded in just that, keeping all the dirty little secrets the lab held neatly tucked away.
She hated every minute of being back in that desolate building, but it wasn't like she had a choice. The truth was dangerous, the truth could hurt her little girl. "The lab? Wh-" Before Charlie could interrogate the girl, he was cut off by the sound of tires screeching and loud music.
Valerie turned towards the source of the noise only to find a blue Camaro driving through the parking lot. Her honey-colored eyes scanned the car, instantly noting the Californian number plate before her eyes flew to the passenger door which was violently shoved open.
A fiery red-haired girl stepped out, holding a skateboard under her arm and an annoyed look on her face. The redhead carelessly threw her skateboard down onto the ground before skating off towards the school without a second glance towards the driver of the vehicle.
Valerie, along with every student that was outside of the school including her boyfriend, watched as an extremely attractive male climbed out of the driver seat, a cigarette hanging loosely from his mouth. He had a dirty blonde mullet of permed locks and wore tight denim jeans, a matching denim jacket, and a simple, black t-shirt.
"Hot damn," Valerie mumbled as she curiously watched the guy toss his cigarette butt off to the side before he finally looked up in the direction of the many eyes on him. Rachel let out a high pitch whistle at the boy, causing Charlie to give the woman a bewildered look as Valerie just cracked a smile.
"Guys!" Charlie scolded his girlfriend and her mom before shoving the youngest Archer girl lightly. Charlie's eyes quickly fell back onto the new guy, who was now smirking widely as his eyes traveled up and down Valerie, sending the girl a flirtatious wink which caused her to roll her eyes.
The boy stood beside his car for a moment, almost as if he was waiting for something or someone. After another moment a blonde girl in pink jeans and a white blouse, which was worn under a brown leather coat emerged.
The girl was small and slim, much like Nancy, but she held a confidence that was larger than life. Valerie's eyes were quick to find the blue ones of Nancy's from across the parking lot, who raised a confused eyebrow at her older twin and his girlfriend.
Valerie simply sent her a shrug before turning back to face her mom. "Write lots of little notes, my two lovesick babies," Rachel called out, as she started up her jeep, pulling out of the parking lot. "Ready?" Valerie questioned. Charlie let out a hum. "Nope." He snickered before pulling Valerie over to him, kissing her lips.
"Char." Valerie laughed out against the boy's soft lips. "We're going to be late." She spoke before the two reconnected, her eyes fluttering closed as she took in the warm feeling she felt swelling in her chest for a moment. Charlie was the one to pull away next, causing Valerie to pout lightly.
"Ready." He nodded, lacing his hand into Valerie's as he pulled the girl towards the entrance of the school. The pair was immediately met by more stares as they strolled through the hallway of the school.
While Valerie's perfectly curled hair and long, tanned legs, which were on full display in the fitted floral dress she wore, were sure to draw the attention of anyone in her vicinity it was the boy holding onto her that was of interest.
Charlie Wheeler had always been a Hawkins favorite and Valerie Archer was the only girl able to become as, if not more, popular than Carol. This, however, didn't stop the students of Hawkins high from being at a loss when it came to the odd pairing.
"See you later, scaredy boy?" Valerie proposed as they reached her locker. "See you later, new girl." Valerie glanced down the hall at the blonde she had watched moments before. "I think I'm not the new girl anymore, Char."
"No, no, no. Once a new girl always a new girl, Val." Charlie sent Valerie a playful grin before turning around so his back was facing her. "I don't think that's how it works," Valerie called out, but Charlie merely shook his head as he disappeared down the hall.
Only then did Valerie let out a sigh.
She hadn't slept well last night, or the night before, or the week before, or the month before. Frankly, Valerie hadn't had a good night's sleep in months. It was kind of hard to fall asleep when she knew there was a possibility she would wake up in the upside-down.
Her mother had been working hard to make a new medication for the girl's particularly sucky predicament. but it seemed to be a daring task to create something so specific out of thin air.
Valerie mindlessly opened her locker before shoving her stuff inside, leaving only her English and Art books in her bag, along with the copy of Carrie which Charlie had gifted her almost a year ago. The girl was knocked out of her sleep-deprived daze as she felt a presence to her side.
She could tell it wasn't anyone she knew. Valerie could feel auras, not the spiritual one but the chemical mix that radiated off of someone, each slightly different. Finally giving in Valerie tilted her head to the left, the new guy leaning against the locker beside hers with a sly smirk on his face.
Valerie raised her perfectly plucked eyebrow up at him, "Hi." She greeted smoothly before looking back towards her locker once again, fixing her lipstick in the small mirror that was surrounded by numerous polaroids and disposable photos.
The boy took note of the many photos of Valerie and Charlie. "Your friend sure knows how to make a guy feel appreciated." He smirked. "Yeah, well, when my mom sees something she likes, she loses all manners and social cues."
"What about you, huh? Like mother like daughter?" He questioned, a certain glint in his eyes that once would've excited Valerie. That was before she fell in love, a stupid stupid feeling which was ruining her. "Don't know, maybe ask my boyfriend." Valerie sneered before shutting her locker and walking off, the boy following after her.
"Or, I could find out for myself." He suggested, causing Valerie's lips to curl into a mischievous grin. "You could, but l find the reek of cigarettes and hair gel radiating off of you a bit nauseating. No thanks." Valerie looked back at him with a sweet smile.
"Huh, pretty girl packs a punch." He muttered as if he was talking to himself. "And apparently you haven't met many. We're historically ill-mannered." Valerie came to a sudden stop before spinning on the heel of her clogs.
"A little first-day advice, westside, run while you still have the chance."
✦
"Val, Charlie, you're both coming tomorrow right?" Tina questioned as the two walked down the hall past the girl.
"Of course, I didn't spend forever talking Charlie into couples costumes for nothing." Charlie was still unimpressed by the idea, but he melted at the prospect of Valerie getting excited over silly costumes.
"Hey guys," Steve called out as the two approached, Valerie sliding out from under Charlie's arm as she rounded to Nancy's side. "Can you please try to talk some sense into Johnathan?" The girl begged her brother. "What'd he do?"
"It's what he won't do. Spending Halloween all alone isn't good for him, he should go out with his best friends and have some fun." Nancy explained, causing her brother to scoff. "Jonathan isn't a party kind of guy, he's just going to feel out of place and leave after ten minutes of awkwardly standing around. Why force it?"
"Charlie! We can't let him go back to being a social recluse." Nancy whined, causing Steve to scoff. "Relax, Nance. I'll talk to him." Valerie finally spoke up, ignoring the blue eyes staring at her from a few lockers down. "Thank you. Hey, wanna help me pick out the perfect lipstick shade at lunch?"
"No, she's helping me study for our chemistry test," Charlie argued before Valerie could reply. "Why? You're not going to pass." Nancy countered. "Yeah, and you'll look like a clown." The two quickly began to deteriorate into petty comments and quick snarks of sibling rivalry.
Steve glanced over at Valerie for help, but the girl was absently staring at the two, seemingly deep in thought. "Hey, you two! Break it up." He finally spoke up, patting Charlie's chest roughly. "It's Tuesday, the thirtieth."
The Wheeler siblings grew quiet, shifting awkwardly. "Right, you have- a check-up today," Nancy remembered. "Yeah, it totally slipped my mind." He admitted sheepishly "Sorry." Charlie shot Steve and Nancy a glance when Valerie didn't respond. "Val." Charlie tugged on the girl's hand, snapping her back into reality.
"Oh, yeah, It's no big deal. Will and I both have one today, so at least we can make fun little doodles together while they poke and prod us." Valerie tried, letting out a forced chuckle. "Hey, I can come with you, or Nance. Or both of us." Charlie offered, to which the brunette quickly nodded in agreement.
"No, no, seriously. It'll be fine, I feel like I've had a million of them by now." Valerie shrugged it off. After a few more minutes of Nancy making sure Valerie was okay going alone, she and Steve went off down the hall to go make out in the janitor's closet or something.
"Val, are you sure you're okay?" Valerie was in no way okay, but she would never admit it to the boy who would just worry himself sick. "Hey, we should help her," Valerie spoke up, glancing over at the new girl who has been listening in to the group's entire interaction.
"No way." Charlie groaned as he fiddled with the belt loop on the side of Valerie's waist. "You were my welcome wagon, it's only right if you greet all the new girls with adoring enthusiasm," Valerie smirked. "I was promised a sociopath, and I wasn't disappointed. Never found out if you were actually hiding a body or not though."
"I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you." Valerie snickered, pulling the boy into her chest with a flirtatious smile. "Oh, yeah?"Charlie went to lean in, but before his lips could connect with Valerie's he was pulled down the hall. "Val."Charlie whispered, trying to tug the girl away.
It was no use, however. Valerie was curious, and there was no stoping the girl once she set her sights on something. "Hi." Valerie started, causing the blonde girl who was most definitely aware that the two were approaching to act as if she only now noticed the pair for the first time.
"Hey." The girl spoke akwardly, folding her arms over her chest as she hugged her books tighter. "I'm Valerie, and this is Charlie. Consider us the official Hawkins welcome wagon." Valerie nudged Charlie, making him force a smile and hold out his hand.
"Phoebe Hargrove." The girl introduced herself. Valerie pulled a folded sheet of orange paper from her notebook, handing it to the blonde stood across from her. 'Come get sheet faced'
"What's this?" Phoebe mumbled as she read the flyer. "I know it's horribly lame," Valerie cringed. "but it's the closest you'll get to a rager in sleepy little Hawkins Indiana." Charlie chimed in as his hand rested comfortably around Valerie's waist.
"That's, pitiful." Phoebe drawled off in search for the right adjective before continuing. "But super sweet of you two." She broke into a smile at the friendly strangers.
✦✦✦