I wake up 30 minutes before I need to get up. Outside my closed door, I can hear Hopper walking around, presumably done with his shower and preparing for his day at work.
I decide to roll out of bed and mope into the kitchen. Hopper is standing by the stove making toast, the waffles all ready on the table.
"Where's El?" I ask, taking my usual seat at our small table.
"Hasn't left her room since last night," he says sitting in front of me.
I don't say anything, instead I grab two waffles off of the big plate in the center of the table. As I start to eat one Hopper asks, "No syrup?"
"Nah. I'm just going to eat this real fast and then go to school," I say, finishing my last waffle and leaving the room.
In my bedroom, I pick out an outfit and put it on.
I walk through the house and to the bathroom. When I step in front of the mirror, I notice my hair. It's curly almost perfectly styled already.
I spray water in it with my spray bottle and scrunch it up a little with my hands. I brush my teeth, drown myself in perfume, and take one last look in the mirror. I hear Hopper yell, "Oh, Jesus!"
I walk out of the bathroom and see Eleven with a white sheet over her head.
"Ghost," Eleven says.
"Yeah, I see that," Hopper deadpans, stepping away from the stove with two plates of toast, setting them on the table.
"Halloween," Eleven says, turning to him.
"Sure is, but right now it's breakfast. Ok? Come on let's eat. Your sister has already eaten," He continues to mess around in the kitchen, not facing her.
"They wouldn't see me," she says, following him as he sits at the table.
"Who wouldn't see you?" He asks.
"The bad men," she replies. I physically grimace and walk a little closer to them.
"What are you talking about?" He finally asks, since she won't drop the subject.
"Trick or treat," she says as he sits down.
"You want to go trick or treating?" He asks. She doesn't reply and just stares at him through her cut out eyes in her sheet.
"You know the rules," he stands up and backs her closer to the chair by grabbing lightly ahold of her arms.
They start to argue and I decide to leave now while I have the chance, before they pull me into the argument.
As I drive to school, I think about what I'm going to wear to the party tonight. I'm going to have to do a lot of convincing to get Hopper to let me go. Since Hopper won't be home in time for me to ask, I'm going to drive to his work after school and ask.
When I pull into my usual parking spot, I notice a familiar blue Camaro parked across from me. I get out with my backpack and see Billy is leaning on the trunk facing me.
I walk passed him without stopping, and I hear his confident footsteps rush after me.
"Cass! Wait up!" He yells, catching up to me and falling into pace. I wait for him to mention the beer I stole from his pocket yesterday, but it doesn't happen.
"Thought about the party?" He asks.
"Yes," I say.
"And?" He drags out, tossing his lit cigarette to the side.
"I think I might go," I say with a shrug.
I glance at him from the corner of my eye and see him smiling. It causes me to laugh a little.
"What?" He asks, returning to his macho facade.
"Nothing," I tell him. I hear a scoff and look over at the small group of girls leaning on a car, Tina is right in the middle of them.
Instinctively, I duck my head and walk a little faster. Billy walks a little faster to keep up with me.
"Are you really letting those girls get to you?" He asks.
"Um... I-" he cuts me off. "They are not worth your time. Don't ever let them see you weak. Next time that happens, you roll your eyes and stand up taller. You need to be more confident. Got it?"
This catches me off guard. "Ok. I-I got it."
———
After school, I walk to my car and drive to the police station. When I walk in, the receptionist greets me and lets me go straight to Hopper's office. He's sitting at his desk talking to a man about the man's farm. Hopper looks incredibly annoyed and frustrated.
"Cassidy? What are you doing here?" He asks, looking away from the man.
"Um, I wanted to talk to you, but obviously your busy, so I can wait outside," I say awkwardly trying to back out the door.
"No, no. We are done talking anyways," he says before turning to the man in across from him.
The man nods and stands up. "I'll meet you outside," he tells Hopper before walking out and disappearing out the door.
I decide to take a seat where the man was sitting.
"I have a question," I state, clasping my hands together in my lap.
"Go on," Hopper says, leaning back into his chair.
"There's a party tonight and-" he cuts me off. "No."
"But, Hopper," I say, frustrated with his answer.
"No. There's going to be boys and drinking at this party," he says, crossing his arms over his chest. He's definitely more worried about boys than anything.
"You don't know that," I say, crossing my arms.
"I'm not stupid, Cassidy, I've been to parties before, especially teenage parties," he says, leaning backwards in his chair.
"Please, let me go. I'll do anything!" I beg.
"Cassidy, no," he says again.
I hear the doorway creak and I whip my head around so fast my curls fly into my face.
"Come on, Hopper. Let the girl live a little. I mean come on. She's gonna go whether you say she can or not. I mean your lucky she even told you about it," Phil, one of his deputies, says, smoothing his mustache.
"Yeah. She's a teenager. If she wants to do something bad enough she's gonna do it whether she has your permission or not," his other deputy, Calvin, chimes in.
Hopper runs his hands down his face. "Fine, but you better be home by midnight. If not, I'm taking your keys," he says.
"How would I get to school?" I ask, internally freaking out he actually said yes to the party.
"Guess you should be home by 12. Now go away before I change my mind," he remarks, shooing me away.
A small squeal leaves my mouth as I jump from my seat. I run around his desk and hug him. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"
"Yeah, yeah," Hopper says, returning the hug slightly.
Before he thinks long enough to regret his decision, I leave his office, giving Phil a high five and smiling to Calvin, who sits across the room.
On the drive home, I sing happily alone to the radio. When I get home, I park the car and run to the house, just barely missing the trip wire.
Quickly, I do the secret knock I have with El and she lets me inside. The second I get inside I go to my room and sit on my bed. The party isn't for about 5 hours, so I pick up my book on my nightstand and start reading.
After awhile, I start getting ready. I decide to dress up as Marilyn Monroe. I start my makeup before putting on my outfit so I don't ruin my white dress. I do some mascara and eyeliner, topping it off with some bright red lipstick. I think about adding her beauty mark, but deside against it.
I put on the white dress with simple white pumps. I go the bathroom and flip some of my hair over, into a side part. Not knowing what else to do with it, I leave it like it is.
By the time I'm done, I walk out of the bathroom, and go to the living room. Eleven is scribbling on a piece of paper at the coffee table.
"I'll be back in a few hours, El. Hopper should be home soon though," I say. "On the other hand, how do I look?"
"Pretty," she simply says, staring at me for a second before going back to her drawing.
"Ok, then. Bye," I walk out the door and to my car in old tennis shoes, holding my pumps in my hand.
When I start the car, I remember Nancy telling me to meet her at the party. She said she and Steve would meet me there. Before I drive away, I switch shoes and toss my other shoes into the back seat with my backpack.
When I pull up to the party, I park and I get out. I walk to the huge house it's being hosted at. Already, there are red solo cups littering the ground.
I watch as Billy is lifted down from the keg tap in the front yard. He spits beer everywhere and screams with all the guys. My cheeks heat a little as I stare at his shirtless chest. He's wearing jeans and a black leather jacket.
He takes a cigarette from a screaming boy beside him and continues to yell and walk inside, as they chant his name. I follow them into the house and gasp lightly at the inside. There are people everywhere.
Not knowing what to do, I squeeze through the mass of bodies, following loosely behind Billy, since he is walking towards Nancy and Steve.
The boys stare each other down and Nancy walks away, followed by Steve, towards the kitchen, so I follow them.
She stands by the punch bowl. "What's in this?" She asks a guy chugging a cup full of it.
"Pure fuel!" He screams, walking away.
I walk passed her and stand where the guy was standing. "I think I'm willing to take my chances with this drink," I laugh, pouring myself half a cup, knowing I can always get more, but still don't need too much.
Nancy doesn't laugh like she usually would and takes a full cup, chugging it down.
Steve reaches for her. "Woah, woah, woah! Take it easy, Nance."
"We are being stupid teenagers for the night wasn't that the deal?" She sasses, dipping her cup, once again into the mysterious punch. Droplets of liquid smear onto her face and she rubs it off with her hand, turning on her heels and walking into the crowd.
My eyes widen and I glance at Steve, who sighs and puts his head in his hands on the counter.
"What happened with her?" I ask Steve, leaning my back against the counter beside him.
"She's told you about Barb and that whole night right?" He asks. I nod and continue to listen to him.
"She's just stressed about that," he says, crossing his arms on the table.
"Oh," is all I say, thinking about last year and the whole demogorgan and upside down ordeal. I remember Mike's yelling from when Eleven disappeared with the demogorgan. I think back to when Hopper took me in after the Will incident, and about the day we found El in the woods when she escaped the upside down.
Pushing all the memories aside, I take a drink from my solo cup.
"How have you been, Cass? You know after the whole last year thing?" He asks, turning his head to look at me.
I shrug. "I'm alive and out of that damn lab. That's good enough for me." I take a small sip of my drink.
Steve smiles a little bit before pushing himself away from the counter. "I better go find Nancy," he says, walking away.
I stand there for a moment, swirling the liquid in my cup around until, in my peripheral, I see someone lean on the counter next to me.
"Well, well, well," a familiar voice says.
"Hi Billy," I say without looking at him.
He hums a little from beside me. "Nice Marilyn costume."
"Thanks. Nice Ken outfit," I smart off.
Billy laughs a little. "Like the doll?"
I smirk. "Duh."
"Does that make you Barbie?" He asks, cocking his head a little.
"I heard cheer tryouts are tomorrow. You should try out then you could cheer me on," he smirks.
I laugh. "I don't know if I'm pretty enough to be a cheerleader."
"Trust me Cass, you'll be the prettiest one on the court." He tells me.
I glance up at him to find him staring intensely into my soul. His blue eyes stare deep into my light green eyes, and for a second, I almost think neither one of us will look away.
Suddenly, I feel someone bump into me, trying to get more punch. It's Nancy.
"Hey, Nancy. You've had enough," Steve tells her, desperately trying to take her cup.
"Screw you!" She says, stumbling around.
"Nance, you've had too much to drink. Steve's just trying to help," I say, trying to back Steve up and hopefully defuse the situation.
"Shut up, Cassidy!" She yells at me before chugging her punch. I falter and step back, a little hurt by her actions. She's never like this.
Steve is begging her to put it down and she's telling him to stop. They each have a hold of the cup arguing, in the process Steve's hands slip and the drink spills all over Nancy's white shirts.
Everyone gasps, including me, and Nancy storm off.
"Nance..." Steve follows her.
"Well then," I say, taking another sip of my drink. I glance at Billy and he does a small shrug, taking a sip of his drink as well.
The rest of the night, everyone parties and eventually I'm ready to leave.
As I'm walking out the door, I run into Billy, literally. I start to fall backwards and he catches me by my waist, pulling me towards him. We are both leaning against each other. I felt my heart flutter, and I pushed away from him.
"Are you leaving?" He asks, releasing me completely.
"Oh, um, yeah. I think I'm all partied out," I say with a small shrug.
"Oh, well, let me walk you to your car," he says, glancing around a little bit.
"Oh, no, really it's fine. You don't have to," I say, not wanting to bother him.
"I'm going to. There's too many drunk boys wondering around looking for girls. Just let me walk you to your car," he insists.
"Ok, fine," I give in and he walks me to my car. "How do I know you aren't a drunk boy looking for a girl?"
"Cassidy, it's gonna take a hell of a lot more than what I've had to get me drunk. I have to drive home too, you know," he says, standing extra close to me. In a way, I feel more protected with him at my side.
When we reach my car, I turn to him. "Thanks, Billy," I say.
"Yeah. Don't mention it. By the way, you looked really pretty tonight," he says.
"Oh, um, thank you. Good night, Billy," I say.
"Be careful driving home, Cass," he says.
"Yes Sir," I say with a small salute and smile before climbing into my car.
The whole rest of my drive home, I think about Billy. I think about how, oddly, he's nice to me. I don't understand why, because I've seen him bully countless students while he's been in Hawkins the passed few days.
Once I'm home, I climb out of my car and walk to my house, forgetting to take my pumps off and put my tennis shoes on. The fallen leaves on the ground crunch under my feet as I walk towards the cabin.
Reaching the stairs, I climb up them and knock the secret pattern onto the door.
Hopper is the one who opens the door. He lets me in and I sit on the couch.
"Why are you smiling?" He asks, sitting next to me and grabbing a candy bucket off the coffee table.
"I was just thinking about my friend that walked me to my car," I shrug looking into the candy bucket for anything appealing.
"Was this friend of yours a boy?" He asks, raising an eyebrow and passing me the candy bucket.
"Yeah," I take the candy bucket and dig through it.
He grumbles a little but doesn't say anything about it. "Nice costume. Marilyn Monroe?" Hopper asks.
I nod and take out a small piece of chocolate from the bucket, unwrapping it, and tossing the wrapper onto the coffee table.
"How was work?" I ask, looking at him.
"Weird. The farmer you saw today brought me to his farm and all the pumpkins and other crops were rotted. There was also that strange ash from the upside down floating around in the air, and the slimy substance like from the upside down," he tells me, taking the candy bucket back.
I feel my heart drop. It was stupid of me to assume everything would be normal now. I should have known last years events wasn't the end. It was the beginning.