Raise A Little Hell- Trooper
❝If you don't like what you see, why don't you fight it?
If you know there's something wrong, why don't you right it?❞
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NEVER BEEN SWIMMING
╚═══*.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.*═══╝
Gwen strolls quietly through the halls with Nancy and Barb, listening to Barb help Nancy study for a test in chemistry. Gwen already knows she'll ace it, but she pays attention anyways as chemistry is a class that Gwen takes with the grade below her.
The Henderson household was weird this morning. Dustin was acting more skittish than usual and blowing off Gwen when she asked what was wrong. She needs school today to get away from home.
"'When alpha particles go through gold foil, they become...'" Barb reads from a notecard.
"Unoccupied space," Gwen whispers to herself.
"Unoccupied space," Nancy answers.
"'A molecule that can-'" Barb is cut off by Steve Harrington snatching the cards out of Barbs hands.
"Hey!" Nancy complains, walking after Steve.
Tommy comes up behind Barb and sticks his wet finger in her ear which makes Barb flinch away.
"Cut it out, Tommy," Gwen rolls her eyes. Tommy obnoxiously rolls his eyes back in response while Barb gives the girl a tight lipped but grateful smile. Gwen and Tommy have had a bad relationship after Gwen had punched Tommy square in the nose for bullying a kid last year. Ever since then, he stays clear of Gwen as much as he can.
"I don't know, I think you've studied enough, Nance," Steve says as he flips through the cards. Carol comes by and stands next to her boyfriend, Tommy. She gives Gwen a slight smile.
"Steve-" Nancy starts.
"I'm telling you, you know, you got this."
"So does Gwen," Carol smiles. "I swear you ace, like, every test without even trying," Carol has always been friendly towards Gwen, and Gwen never understood why. She doesn't shy away from being pissy with Carol when she's being a bitch. Her best guess is that Carol wants Gwen to help her with homework or something and she's just marinating her to agree.
"Now, on to more important matters," Steve stacks up the cards and looks back at Nancy. "My dad has left town on a conference and my mom's gone with him, 'cause, you know, she doesn't trust him."
"Good call," Tommy interrupts. Gwen can't help but breathe out a small laugh.
"So are you in?" Steve asks Nancy.
Nancy looks at him with confusion. "In for what?"
"No parents? Big house?" Carol lists off.
Nancy still looks confused, so Gwen steps in. "A party, Nance."
"Ding, ding, ding!"
"It's Tuesday," Nancy points out.
"It's Tuesday! Oh, my god!" Tommy mocks.
Gwen rolls her eyes once more, and Steve hits him on the chest. "Come on. It'll be low key. It'll just be us," Steve tries to convince. "What do you say? Are you in or are you out?"
Nancy looks down in thought. "Umm..."
"Oh, God. Look," Carol points to the end of the hallway.
Jonathan Byers is stood there, pinning posters on a bulletin board for his missing brother. "Oh, God, that's depressing," Steve says.
"Shit," Gwen mumbles.
"Should we say something?" Nancy asks.
"I don't think he speaks," Carol remarks.
"How much you wanna bet he killed him?" Tommy asks with amusement.
Gwen scoffs and Steve pushes his shoulder. "Shut up," Steve says.
"You guys are assholes," Gwen says before walking towards Jonathan.
Gwen peeks over his shoulder to see the poster. 'Have you seen me' is written at the top, along with pictures of Will and a description. Gwens heart shatters at the paper, along with the sight of Jonathan.
"Hey," Gwen greets quietly to gain the boys attention. He turns around, and Gwens heart breaks a little more. He looks scared and stressed by the shakiness of his hands, and the dark circles under his eyes prove the fact that he hasn't slept since Will's disappearance.
Jonathan turns toward Gwen. "Oh, hey."
"Listen, I know you've probably been hearing this a lot, but I'm sorry about everything that's been happening," Gwen's hold on her books tightens as she tries to hold back her emotions.
"Thanks," he says, looking at the ground.
"If there's anything I can do..." she trails off. Jonathan just nods a bit. "Are there extra posters?"
His eyes snap up to Gwen. "Uh, yeah. Why?"
"I can post some more around school for you if you want." Gwen smiles slightly.
"Uh, yeah, sure. That'd be great." Jonathan hands over a couple flyers. He doesn't quite understand why Gwen is being so nice to him. He's heard of her punching Tommy in the face last year, so he's steered clear of her as much as he could. He doesn't know the reason why she punched him, so he boiled it down to her being like everyone else. A few seconds go by with silence before Jonathan speaks up. "Why do you wanna help?"
Gwen smiles softly. "I know Will. He's friends with my brother, Dustin," Jonathan nods a bit in understanding, his eyes lighting up a bit in recognition. "... I, uh, saw him that night. Before he went home."
His eyebrows quirk and he stands up straighter at the new information. "What? You saw him?"
Gwen took a deep breath. "Yeah. He... I asked if he wanted me to bike him home, but he said he was fine by himself," Gwens throat tightens as she feels the guilt of that night creeping up on her. "I should've just gone with him... I'm so sorry."
Jonathan's mouth opens but nothing comes out, so he just nods again.
Nancy comes up beside Gwen, smiling in sympathy for the boy. Gwen clears her throat, looking down. "I'll hang these up," She holds up the flyers and walks away from the two.
She walks past Barb, Steve, and Steve's friends with her head held slightly down, as she tries to keep her emotions in. Steve's eyes leave his girlfriend and follow Gwen in slight concern. He doesn't know the girl well and he doesn't understand why she's so torn up about Will going missing.
"Attention, faculty and students," The PA system announces through the halls. "At 8:00 p.m. tonight, there will be an assembly on the football field in support of Will Byers and his family."
Gwen tunes out the announcement, knowing she wasn't going to be going. She wouldn't be able to keep it together if she did, and she doesn't want to see a ton of students there that, in reality, couldn't care less about the boy.
So, Gwen does what she can, posting posters of the missing boy in every hallway she walks through.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Somehow, Gwen got roped into going to Steve's with Nancy and Barb. She wouldn't have accepted if it wasn't for Barb's face. Gwen could tell that Barb didn't want to go. Maybe if Gwen went she could make Barb more comfortable.
She had told her mom that she was going to the assembly for Will and staying with Nancy afterwards. Claudia was hesitant at first because of Will's disappearance, but ultimately agreed, happy to see Gwen hanging out with friends.
So, here she is, sitting by Steve's heated pool, beer in one hand and joint in the other.
She doesn't smoke weed often. She only keeps a small stash in her closet for when she's stressed, and with everything going on with Will, she needs something more than just alcohol to take the edge off.
Steve was right about one thing. This party is definitely 'low-key'. Gwen has been to a lot of parties since leaving the lab. She has one shot at being a teenager, and she's already started so late, so might as well make the most of it. Right?
Barb, Nancy, and Steve are all sitting on chairs, along with Gwen. Even in the moonlight, Gwen can tell that Barb is already uncomfortable. Barb sits a chair down from everyone else, fidgeting and picking at her fingernails shyly.
Tommy and Carol are standing by the pool as Tommy picks up Carol and pretends to throw her in, sending her into a screaming fit.
Gwen chuckles a bit at the two. As much as she doesn't like them, she has to admit that they're perfect for each other.
Gwen lifts her hand and takes a long drag of her joint, inhaling and tilting her head back on her chair to release the smoke, and with it goes the tension in her shoulders. She hasn't smoked in a few months, so the dizzy feeling goes straight to her head.
"Damn, Henderson. I didn't take you as a stoner," Tommy chuckles before taking another sip of his beer while resting an arm over Carols shoulders.
"There's a lot of things you don't know about me, Tommy boy," she smirks, the high already numbing her distain for the boy.
Steve stands up suddenly, grabs a beer can, and pulls a knife out of his back pocket. He takes the knife and makes a small hole at the bottom of the can, putting it to his mouth quickly and opening the can from the top to shotgun it.
Nancy smiles in amusement while Barb rolls her eyes and Gwen chuckles at the sight.
Steve finishes the beer, throws the empty can on the ground, and sits on a chair beside Gwen. "Is that supposed to impress me?" Nancy asks.
"You're not?" Steve asks. Gwen holds out her joint for Steve, and he gladly takes it up to his mouth to take a puff.
"You are a cliché, you do realize that?" Nancy tilts her head.
"You are a cliché." Steve blows out the smoke. "What with your... your grades and your band practice."
Nancy laughs. "I'm so not in band."
"Hey! There's nothing wrong with band," Gwen chuckles.
"You're in band?" Steve asks with slightly shocked eyes.
"Well, no, but I can play the guitar," Steve raises his eyebrows. "...kinda."
Steve laughs at the girl before looking back at Nancy. "Okay, party girl. Why don't you just, uh, show us how it's done then?" He holds out the knife to Nancy.
Nancy sits up and grabs the knife. "Okay," She grins, while Barb shakes her head.
Nancy takes a beer from the cooler and begins to do the same process Steve did previously. Steve points at the can. "You gotta make a little hole right in-"
"I got it," Nancy interrupts.
"Yeah, she's got it douchebag," Gwen smiles teasingly, and snatches her joint from Steve while he holds up his hands defensively.
Nancy makes the hole in the can, and begins to shotgun the beer. "Chug, chug, chug," Steve starts to chant.
"Chug, chug, chug, chug, chug!" They all join in with the chant, besides Barb who rolls her eyes.
Gwen sits up and raises her hands, keeping up with the chant. Nancy finishes the beer and throws it on the ground as Tommy and Gwen cheer for the girl.
"Woo!" Gwen smiles. Nancy takes a bow, smiling from ear to ear.
Nancy takes another beer and holds it out to Gwen. "Gwen?"
Gwen waves her hand in dismissal and scoffs. "At this rate, I'm gonna be passed out in an hour so I'm good."
Nancy then turns to Barb. "Barb, you wanna try?" she asks.
"What? No," Barb smiles nervously as Nancy ignores her and grabs another beer. "No, I don't want to, thanks."
"Come on," Nancy drags out.
"Yeah, come on. Yeah," Steve encourages.
"Nance, I don't want to," Barb repeats.
"It's fun! Just give it a try," Nancy puts the beer can in Barbs hand.
"She doesn't have to, Nancy," Gwen tries to interject, but she's too out of it to really make them stop.
"Just... Just give it a shot," Nancy smiles at her friend.
Barb sighs and stands up, taking the knife and trying to cut a hole. Due to her shaking hands, the knife slips and creates a gash underneath her thumb.
"Oh, shit," Gwen stands up.
"Gnarly," Tommy chuckles as blood starts to ooze from Barb's wound.
"Are you okay?" Nancy walks up to Barb to see her hand.
"Yeah," Barb mumbles with embarrassment.
"Barb, you're bleeding."
"I'm fine," Barb slightly hisses.
Gwen sighs and hands her joint to Steve. "Where's your bathroom?"
"Oh, it's..." He takes the joint and points to the house. "Down past the kitchen, to the left."
"Thanks," Gwen nods and turns back to Barb. She puts a hand on her back and leads her into the house.
When they make it to the bathroom, Barb takes a seat on the side of the bathtub with a sigh and holds her hand in the other. Gwen kneels down next to the sink and opens the cupboard. She takes out a clean washcloth and a small first aid kit. She puts the kit on the counter, and runs the cloth under the luke warm running water. She checks the hand soap to make sure it's mild before adding that onto the cloth as well.
She turns around to Barb once the cloth is damp, and takes her hand. She begins to dab at the wound and Barb hisses at the contact which causes Gwen to look up with a sheepish smile. "Sorry."
She continues to clean the wound until it stops bleeding before she takes the first aid kit and scans through it for an antiseptic cream. Once she finds it, she squeezes a dollop onto her fingers and carefully rubs it on the wound. After that, she takes out some bandages and wraps her hand.
"There we go. Change that everyday, or if it gets wet," Gwen stands and begins to put everything away, closing the first aid kit and crouching down to put it back into the cupboard.
"How do you know so much about this stuff?" Barb asks.
Gwen closes the cupboard and stands up to turn around and lean her back on the counter. "I got hurt a lot as a kid." She shrugs and rests her hands on the counter behind her.
Barb looks back down. "Sorry. I know you don't like to talk about it."
Gwen shakes her head. "No, it's okay."
They sit in silence for a minute, Gwen staring at the wall, and Barb looking down at her bandaged hand.
"I wish I could have fun like you and Nancy sometimes," Barb speaks up, still looking down.
Gwen looks at Barb with dropped brows. "What do you mean?"
Barb shakes her head and shrugs. "You two can just... let loose and have fun. I always get nervous and choke up in front of people. I just wish I was normal, you know?"
Gwen nods in understanding. "Oh, trust me. I know."
Barb looks up at Gwen in confusion. "What do you mean? You're always so care-free."
"Nah, I wasn't always like that. As a kid, I was scared of everything. I still am to be honest, I'm just good at hiding it. I jump when there's a knock at the door, and dumb things like needles terrify me," Gwen says, not completely sure why she's opening up to Barb. It's probably the drugs in her system talking, but she doesn't care enough to stop it.
Barb looks at Gwen in concern. She wonders what happened in her childhood that made her that way. "What changed?"
Gwen looks up to meet Barbs eyes. "Getting adopted gave me a second chance. It just kinda made me want to... live. You know? Be a normal teenager for once."
Before Barb can respond, they're interrupted by laughing and footsteps behind the door. Gwen looks at Barb and presses her lips together with raised brows before opening the door for the two.
They both step out in time to see Nancy starting to walk up the stairs with a towel wrapped around her body and soaked clothes.
"Nance! Nancy," Barb calls, stopping Nancy on the stairs. "Where are you going?"
Gwen stands off to the side, feeling like this isn't a conversation she should be a part of.
"Nowhere. Just...upstairs," Nancy points a toweled covered hand behind her. "To change," She opens her towel to show off her wet clothes. "I... fell in the pool," she chuckles and Barb stays quiet. "Why don't you two go ahead and go home. I'll just... I'll get a ride or something."
"Nance..."
"Barb..." Nancy raises her eyes brows. "I'm fine."
"This isn't you," Barb shakes her head.
"I'm fine. Just... go ahead and go home, okay?" Nancy turns away and walks up the stairs, leaving Barb to stare after her.
Gwen doesn't really have an opinion on the whole situation. She doesn't get the big deal about Nancy sleeping with Steve, but she didn't really understand friendships either.
Gwen notices the disappointed look on Barb's face, along with her deflated body language and decides to try to make her feel better. "Wanna sit with me by the pool? It's heated," She wiggles her eyebrows.
This gets a small laugh and a nod from Barb, which makes Gwens face break out into a big smile. They head out back to the pool, and take off their shoes. Gwen sitting in the edge, and Barb sitting on the end of the diving board.
"I'm sorry about Nancy," Gwen says after silence.
Barb shakes her head. "It's okay."
"I don't really understand friendships very well, but... yeah, I can tell it sucks."
Barb scoffs and nods her head. "It just feels like she doesn't care about me anymore. You know? Like I'm her second choice now."
"I'm sure she still cares about you," Gwen reassures.
"Doesn't feel like it," Barb mumbles, kicking her feet in the water while cradling her bandaged hand.
Gwen looks down at the water and watches as it creates ripples of light that reflect onto her body. She doesn't really know how to respond to Barb, so she changes the subject. "You know, I've never been swimming before."
Barb snaps her head up to Gwen with shocked eyes. "Really? Never?"
"No. Not really," Gwen chuckles. "I never had the chance."
Barb laughs in disbelief. "No, there's no way. Everyone's been swimming at least once."
"Not me," Gwen shrugs before getting an idea. "I'm gonna jump in," she laughs. She's still high, so she doesn't see why not.
"You don't have a bathing suit!" Barb laughs.
"Who said you need a bathing suit to go swimming?" Gwen stands up. "Plus, I shouldn't let this heated pool go to waste, right?"
Barb smiles and shakes her head. "You're crazy."
Gwen holds a hand to her chest and drops her jaw in faux offense, before shrugging. "Yeah, you're probably right." They both share a laugh as Gwen stands, getting ready to jump in.
Gwen swings her arms back to gain momentum, but before she can jump in, the lights in the pool go out. Both the girls look at the pool in confusion. Gwen looks to Barb, but her blood runs cold and she immediately screams at the creature behind her. Barb snaps her head to look at the creature as it growls.
It roars and lunges at Barb, but Gwen is quick to jump in the pool and grab for Barbs hand, not thinking to use her powers as adrenaline rushed through her. She pulls Barb into the water as the creature just narrowly misses. "Come on!"
Gwen gets out of the pool and reaches a hand out to help Barb out. The creature lets out a frustrated sound and swipes its arm at Gwen before Barb can get out of the pool. "Gwen!" Barb shouts, as Gwen is knocked away. She hits the side of her head hard on the pavement.
Gwen cradles her head with her arms, groaning as pain shoots up through her skull. Everything becomes foggy and every sound turns into distorted echos. She turns her head to try to get a look at Barb, but shes already gone, along with the monster.
Dark spots start to cloud Gwen's vision as she lays on her back, staring at the stars in the night sky.
The last thing Gwen hears is Nancy and Steve yelling for her before everything goes black.
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