Part One / Chapter Eleven
Yurina followed Steve down the hill towards the car If they had a chance of getting them out of there alive, the ones on the outside could possibly make that happen.
Although all of her escape plans were hypothetical and the death plans were all realistic, the hope was still there . . . (hopefully). Steve's voice yanked Yurina out of her thoughts.
"You guys may wanna hold on," He precautioned as sped into the parking lot at another incoming car, speeding right toward Nancy. Yurina held onto the back of Robin and Steve's seats. The impact was intense, sending Yurina's rocking roughly back and forth and the back of her head smacking the windowpane of the car.
They finished spinning out. Billy Hargrove's car was totaled and the hood had caught on fire. "You guys okay?" Steve asked as they all panted trying their best to recover from the impact of the crash.
"Ask me tomorrow?" Robin stated.
"I can't take getting hit in the head anymore." Yurina groaned, holding the side of her head. "Holy shit." There it was. The Mind Layer, no, Mind Flayer. It's long, grimy limbs burrowing into the roof of the mall and toward them, screeching.
The car carrying everyone else pulled up beside them with a screech. "Get in!" Nancy shouted from the passengers seat. They all hopped out and into the trunk of the car, and for the first time ever, when Yurina was a blink away from any form of safety— she hesitated because she noticed the absence of three of the kids.
"Where's El, Max and Mike?" She asked.
"Just get inside, Yurina! We're going to drive it away from the mall!"
Yurina reluctantly entered the car shutting the door just as the Mind Flayer flung on of its tentacles at them. No one in the vehicle could speak. There was a possibility that nobody wanted to speak as they watched the creature chase after them, its devastating screeches penetrating Yurina's eardrums. Then, the walkie talkie in Robin's hands crackled. Dustin's voice and another girls voice sounded through its speakers. Steve and Robin looked up at each other, "Suzie."
"Who—who's Suzie?" Yurina didn't know whether she should look at the monster feet away from them or the inordinate amount of 'Dusty-buns' and 'Suzie-poos' coming from the walkie talkie.
"Dustin's girlfriend. Who I was sure was fake, y'know, hotter than Phoebe Cates? I still don't believe that part." Steve answered, engrossed in the conversation between Dustin and Suzie through the talkie.
"That is adorable, but there's no way. I do not believe anyones hotter than Phoebe Cates." Yurina stated, earning a high five from Steve.
"Turn around. Look at what you see..."
Their heads all craned down to the talkie.
"In her face. The mirror of your dreams..."
An unexpected ballad from Dustin and this girl Suzie was something Yurina did not see coming as a monster from another dimension was chasing after them. All she could do was perplexingly look at Steve and Robin as the musical finished after Suzie gave them the code they needed. Suddenly, the rumbling of the Mind Flayer's stomps ceased. It was turning around— so much for trying to lead it away. Jonathan made a complete U-turn as they pursued ten creature. If El was what it was after, then they had her.
They arrived at the entrance as the creature was crawling back inside the destroyed ceiling of Starcourt. Lucas piped up and looked at the stack of fireworks next to them in the trunk.
"I knew my idea would come in handy." He gloated. They all stacked the boxes of explosives on their arms, chasing after the monster toward the inside of the mall. Yurina, Robin and Steve made a break for the second floor breaking the boxes open as fast as they could. Every second they looked back, the Mind Flayer was inching its more toward El, who was on the ground on the lower level. Robin lit Yurina's firework and she stood near the edge watching as Lucas' firework exploded in its face.
"I can't believe I got myself into this." As she flung the firework at the creatures mouth, getting down to light another one while Robin and Steve threw theirs. The Mind Flayer was crashing into walls and pillars, destroying stores and every one of its surroundings. It was determined to stop the crackling of the fireworks, one of its tentacles shot at the railing in front of them, ripping it off the ground.
Yurina reeled her arm back to throw another firework when the creature crashed into the side they were on. The vibration was so strong it knocked Yurina off her feet and over the railing. Her arms shot out, trying to grasp onto anything she could until it found Robin's hand. Yurina looked down at the forty foot drop, whimpering softly. The feeling of sweat and trembling hands causing her to slip from Robin's hold.
"Hey, hey!" Robin spoke. Yurina looked up at her. She was using Steve as an anchor with her other hand, straining to hold Yurina up. "I got you!"
A newfound strength overtook Yurina and left hand clamped the edge of the broken edge of the ground. With her and Robin's efforts to pull her up, she was hoisted back onto the second level and on top of Robin. Her hands clawed at the fabric of her uniform, the feeling of falling hadn't left her just yet. "Thank you. Thank you." She said through soft cries.
"I told you Yurina," Robin sat up, moving a stray hair out of the girls tear-stained face, "I got you."
The scene below managed to draw their attention away from each other. El was sprawled out on the ground watching as the Mind Flayer got ready to finally finish out its plan— if only Billy Hargrove hadn't gotten in its way. He grabbed the Mind Flayer's mouth as it shot out at El pushing it back with all of his might. Yurina watched as the Flayer's tentacles slithered out of its body and stabbed into Billy's body, his side, his stomach, and eventually right in the middle of his chest.
Exhausted and drained, Yurina collapsed into Robin. She burrowed her face into the girls shoulder trying to drown out the sounds of the creatures pained squealing and Max's agonizing cries.
The smell of smoke burned Yurina's nostrils. An EMT worker had just finished checking up on her, wrapping up a cut she'd gotten when she fell off the level and gave her an ice pack to press against the bruise on her head. She thanked her and sighed, kicking her feet until her father arrived to pick her up. A solemn expression pressed over her face, just waiting for the scolding she'd get when he'd arrived. She looked up and watched as firefighters raced in to calm down the raging fire that was slowly burning down Starcourt.
"Hey." Robin walked up to her, wrapped in the same aluminum blanket given to them by the EMT workers. She hopped onto the back of the ambulance next to Yurina. "When did cracking a stupid code turn into... this?" They both watched the roaring fire breath in and out as more smoke polluted the night sky.
"Guess I'm not getting that sundae after all." Yurina said, both of the girls chuckled, then looked at one another. "Thanks again for saving my life."
"Dorothy's always got Lorelei's back."
"Still don't know why Steve called us that."
Robin snickered. "Me neither, but he doesn't have good arts logic anyways, that dingus." She bit the inside of her cheek before saying, "I think we're more like Carol and Therese."
"Where are they from?" Yurina asked.
"Uh, it's— it's a novel from like the fifties." Robin sputtered.
"Sorry, I've never heard of it."
Robin looked ahead, seeing her mother at the seat of the car. "I have to go. Moms here."
Yurina grabbed Robin's hand stopping her in her tracks. She waited for the words to come out on their own, sat comfortably on the tip of her tongue as she looked up at Robin, her hand still wrapped around hers. "Stay safe." A disappointment look washed over Robin's face.
"You too. I'll see you around." As she parted ways with her, an emptiness filling the void of Robin's presence when they let their hands go.
A familiar dark brown Oldsmobile Cutlass parked hastily in front of the mall, and Kenji Sasaki appeared from the drivers side. Yurina had never known her father to be a man to panic, frankly, she doubted any father would freak out about anything in front of their kids. But right there in that moment, Kenji Sasaki was scared— horrified for his child. Which was a part of the reason he didn't inform his wife about the Starcourt Mall incident. Michiko Sasaki would make it an opportunity to turn this into a brutal lesson for Yurina, but right now, he just wished his daughter was safe. All of that emotion was there when he saw Yurina, sat at the back do the ambulance, scratched and bruised.
"Yurina!"
She looked up and dropped her ice pack when she spotted him. It was out of confusion because his face told her more than he ever could. Wasn't he angry that she'd gotten herself into this mess? Or even slightly upset? Yurina threw the aluminum off of her and limped toward to him as fast as she could. They stopped as they reached one another, Kenji looking at the injuries she'd sustained and Yurina still trying to figure him out. Kenji enveloped his daughter into a hug, a hug.
"Are you alright?" He asked.
Yurina wrapped her arms around his neck, sinking her face deeper into his chest. "I'm okay. I'm okay." She whimpered, the surge of tears stopping her from saying anything else.
"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry about everything." As father and daughter embraced in the middle of firefighters trying to calm down the fire and the others reuniting with their own parents. Now, everything that seemed so important became insignificant after Yurina so narrowly escaped death— in the way her father would never know and that the summer of '86 ended in a bang that she'd never expected.
3 months later. . .
The leaves on the trees had begun to green and yellow, some even falling on top of the window of Yurina's car as she loaded a box full of clothes she barely wore anymore. The drive to the Byers home was short and Jonathan and Nancy smiled when they saw Yurina hop out of her front seat.
Nancy embraced the girl quickly before asking, "What're you doing here?"
"Oh, I heard the Byers were moving out. I just wanted to give something to Joyce and El. Sorry Jonathan, no present for you."
"It's fine. I've only known you for like fifteen years." He chuckled, giving Yurina a brief hug. "See you soon, maybe when I come to visit."
"You better or I'll beat you on Nancy's behalf." Yurina smiled, grabbing the boxes she had in her backseat and entering the Byers household— which was now partially empty except for moving boxes littered everywhere. She'd walked in on Lucas and Max singing the lyrics to A Neverending Story in front of a very annoying Dustin.
"I can't handle this abuse anymore. It'll never end." He muttered when he saw Yurina enter the house.
"You could say this abuse is neverending." She earned wholehearted laughs from Lucas and Max, and a deadpanned expression from the Henderson boy on the ground. "Sorry, I'll go." She winked quickly at the couple before she departed to find Joyce Byers who'd she'd coincidentally bumped into in the hallway.
"Oh! Yurina, it's lovely to see you before I leave." She looked at the teenager with a smile. "Glad I got to see you grow up before I left this town, can't wait to see you'll be on the future."
Yurina smiled shyly. She'd known Joyce Byers for as long as she'd known Jonathan. Before popularity separated them, her and Jonathan were an inseparable duo in kindergarten. Joyce sometimes babysat Yurina when her parents would work late. Both of their smiles were full of memories, gladly they were only good ones. "Thank you, Joyce. I'm sad you're leaving. You're like the only sane one in this town, but I think it's a good thing. Getting out of Hawkins."
Joyce nodded in agreement. "I remember when you and Jonathan were just little babies, everytime Will would cry— like one of his tantrum cries. You'd be the first to try and go console him, you were adorable. You'll be an amazing mother."
"Thanks Joyce." Yurina's smile was starting to get sadder and sadder, she'd forgotten the love she had for Mrs. Byers and the thoughts that'd raid her mind when she was back home with her own mother— wishing it was Joyce instead. Wishing that she could be the mother she never had. Then she'd remembered why she was at the Byers in the first place. "Oh! I got this for you."
Yurina handed Joyce a small box, but it weighed the smaller woman down when she took it from her hands. "Ooo, Heavy. You didn't have to get me anything you know?"
"But I wanted to, I felt like I did. I feel bad for abandoning you guys for stupid high school popularity. Popularity I didn't even like." She watched Joyce open her gift, admiring the beautifully packaged toiletries — that looked like they cost her an arm and a leg. "There's body wash, bath salts, and the candles are the bomb. If Jon or Will ever make you feel like you wanna rip your head off, just use some of these in a warm bath and you have relaxation you need."
"I'm definitely going to need these, Chamomile sounds nice." Joyce squeezed Yurina's arm, not being able to hug her because of the other box she had in her arms. "I'll see you around. Okay?"
"Okay." Yurina fidgeted with the box in her hands. "Can you tell me where El is?"
Joyce pointed the door near the far end of the house and Yurina entered the room. El was sitting on a mattress, fumbling with an unopened envelope. She lit up when she saw Yurina at the door. "Yurina!" The box she was holding stopped her from being able to hug the teen.
"Hey El. I had some clothes from when I was around your age, figured I'd give them to someone who'd use them." Yurina placed the box down and the girls sat on the mattress as El pulled out the variety of clothes, holding up a pink dress to her shoulders. "Do you like them?"
"They're pretty." She grinned from ear to ear, hugging the pink dress in her arms then moving over to hug Yurina. "Thank you."
"You remember what I taught you, right?"
El nodded as they separated. Her hand shifted from her forehead, eyes and mouth as she said 'Chikara' ending it off with a grateful smile. "Will you come visit us?"
"I don't know. I'm going to be super busy with school but if you ever want to call me, you can."
"Okay. I will."
Yurina left the Byers residence, giving another farewell to the family she wouldn't see for a while before she headed off to Family Video to meet Chrissy and Jackie, brand new cheerleaders that'd just joined the team, to find a movie for the teams annual movie night in the Captain's house. So, Yurina wanted a movie she enjoyed as the party was going to be held in her home. Making sure she was a better Cheer Captain than Rebecca could ever be, and taking the role from her felt better than fighting her (even though she'd still very much like to break Rebecca's nose, Yurina was a lover not a fighter).
After arriving and spending a few minutes looking around for a movie until one DVD cover caught her eye. They'd purchased the movie, dodging the cashiers undeveloped attempts at flirting. "I cannot wait until Harrington starts working here." He mumbled under his breath, earning Yurina's attention.
"Wait, Harrington? As in Steve Harrington?"
"Yeah," He answered. "He starts Monday sadly, if that's who you're looking for."
"No. Was Robin with him?"
"Yeah, they're like right there outside." He pointed outside toward Steve's car. Yurina and the other cheerleaders left the video store and undoubtedly, caught a glimpse of the girl they hadn't really seen for a while.
"You guys can wait in the car, I just need to talk to some friends." Yurina said. The other cheerleaders nodded, she walked toward the duo with a grin. "Long time no see."
"Indeed." Steve chuckled, pulling Yurina into a air-tight hug. She gave a tiny gasp for air when he finally let her go. "Oh sorry."
"You're good." She coughed. "Hey Robin."
Robin had seen her in the school halls for a while now. It wasn't like how it was before, everyone Yurina saw Robin out of the corner of her eye, she'd strike up a small conversation before she was pulled away from her by the cheerleaders or because of the class bell. Even after the bloom of their friendship, Robin always felt her breath get caught in her throat when Yurina approached her.
"Congrats on becoming cheer captain. Someone had to knock the Wicked Witch off her throne."
"It was about time, she's kinda angry with me but I couldn't give less of a fuck." A cold breeze passed through the town, her cheeks reddened and the cause of it was unknown to Yurina. But according to the slow tangling of her stomach, she was leaning toward one possibility. "I shouldn't leave the girls waiting. Movie night at my place, but I'll see you guys soon right?"
"Definitely." Steve grinned, going to his own car.
"Um, Rina?" Yurina turned toward Robin. "I know they don't offer ice cream here but I can get you movies for free. Just don't tell dingus in there."
Yurina smiled, chuckling softly. "I'll be taking advantage of that offer."
With that, the girls parted ways. Robin to Steve and Yurina to Chrissy and Jackie. Comfortable with the friendship they had, but regretting what they couldn't do. The feeling of bitterness around the people and the town that made them enclose themselves so much that they couldn't tell the girl they liked their feelings. It was a shared exasperation, a shared feeling as they both entered different cars. And down different roads, unknown at where it'd taken them.
But in the back of their minds, they silently prayed that those roads would lead them back to each other — in some way, at some time, at some point. . .
ANIKA IS SPEAKING. . . 🧸
And that concludes Part One of Pretty in Pink. I decided NOT to pair Yurina and Robin just yet, it's so much better when that tension builds <3 and it'll be so so much more angstier (that's not a word) if you know what I mean, so I am so happy I've finished this Part and I cannot wait to begin writing Part Two aka Season Four. I made the chapter extra long for you guys and the epilogue in one. I decided to keep the small bond El and Yurina had going, it was too cute & since Yurina did grow up in Hawkins of course she was going to know the Byers so I added a tiny little backstory. Hopefully you guys enjoyed the double feature !!! and keep a look out for the beginning of Part Two of Pretty in Pink. Byeeee.