chapter ten , trick or treat, freak
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"Thank you so much," Gushed Joyce Byers as she pulled her youngest son into her house, Kennedy stepping in behind the boy. "I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't called, and-"
"It's okay, Joyce. He had a great night sleeping on the couch in my room," Kennedy laughed as Will nodded, heading off to his room to get ready. The truth is; Kennedy asked Will if he wanted to stay in the guest bedroom, but Will said he just didn't wanna be alone. So, Kennedy let him sleep on the small pale blue couch in her bedroom, letting him play anything he wants from her cassette player while they slept.
Jonathan Byers stood in his living room, awkwardly looking at Kennedy while they waited for Joyce and Will. He shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans. Kennedy tried her best not to make it obvious. She brushed her hands on her jeans and played with her hair. She didn't even glance in Jonathan's direction in hopes that would keep him from saying something.
It didn't.
"Are you going to that party tonight?"
Kennedy looked over in surprise. She and Jonathan hadn't spoken in a while. Like, a really long while. They had barely made eye contact since before summer break, let alone had a conversation. Jonathan waited for an answer, and Kennedy couldn't really tell why.
"Yeah, I'm going with that new guy." She informed him, pushing her red hair over her shoulder. Her hair was much longer than it was a year ago; reaching the middle of her back. But with the curls and the teasing of her hair, it looked a bit shorter.
Jonathan nodded his head. "Really? Interesting."
Kennedy watched as Jonathan turned his shoulder towards her slightly. He didn't turn away, it was just his shoulder. "What? Am I not allowed to go out with someone?" She asked as she furrowed her brow. Jonathan scoffed, shaking his head.
"Oh, you are," Jonathan chimed as he looked back at her, "I just wish it wouldn't turn you into a completely different person," Kennedy opened her mouth to argue, but quickly stopped when Will came out of his room in his new costume. "Look at you, Egor Spengler!" Jonathan cheered. Kennedy turned to give Will the biggest smile of her life. Jonathan quickly grabbed his camera, taking multiple photos of Will doing different poses.
This seemed like the first time Will felt happy. He beamed as he did different poses and movements with the little kit he had on his back. Kennedy had never seen Ghostbusters, so she had no idea what it was. But, she laughed when Will did. She really loved seeing him happy.
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Kennedy sat at the library, rolling her eyes at Tommy Hagan. "You're disgusting, Tommy. You and Carol."
"Hey, you agreed to be the person I go to when I wanna make Carol jealous." The boy said as he pointed at her with his pencil. They were studying for their separate classes. Kennedy had a math test coming up and Tommy was planning a college application letter.
Kennedy huffed. "Yeah, and you guys are back together, which means," Kennedy snatches his pencil from his hands, waving the pencil up and down as she gestured to herself. "No touching." She dropped the pencil on the table, turning back to her work.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Tommy mumbled as he sunk in his seat. He looked up, peering over her shoulders. "Hey, those two freaks are in here."
The Theroux turned to see who he was talking about. All of the air left her lungs as she saw Nancy and Steve walking into one of the private study rooms. They were talking, arguing even. Kennedy chose not to listen to whatever they were talking about. She learned from experience that the less she knew about their lives, the easier it was to move on.
She noticed, however, that Steve looked through the blinds hanging on the door. He could see Kennedy staring at them both. Frustrated with Nancy's idea to tell Barb's parents what happened, and hating the fact he couldn't talk to Kennedy, Steve walked over and shut the blinds harshly. The small ache in Kennedys chest grew, the dull reminder of what she had done. The pain she had caused to one of her closest friends.
Kennedy pressed her lips into a line, turning to the table just in time to see Carol sit. "Kennedy, what are you being for Halloween?" She asked as she planted her hands on the table. Kennedy looked over with a raised brow.
"I'm still picking,"
"Well, what are the options!?"
Kennedy uttered a laugh as she shook her head at Carol. "I'm thinking Madonna or something." She explained to her friend.
Carol gasped, slapping the table. "Madonna! I'm begging!"
Kennedy scrunched her face in confusion, smiling as she watched Carol pat the table excitedly. "Can I ask why?" She hummed with a frown.
"Because you're totally hot and I have the perfect dress for the occasion," Carol explained in a duh tone as if it was totally obvious.
"Madonna is really hot," Tommy shrugged, earning a slap to the arm from Carol. Kennedy laughed under her breath, shaking her head as she turned to her homework again.
Kennedy shrugged, "Are we sure it's not too cliche?" She said as she looked down. "What about a different singer? Like Joan Jett?"
"Oh, she's really hot!"
Tommy got slapped again.
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"I look like a slut."
"Good! That was the plan."
Kennedy walked through the yard of Tina's house, pulling at her cropped leather jacket in hopes it would cover more skin. She was dressed as a rockstar, wearing a black bodysuit and fishnet tights. She wore heavier makeup than usual and big black boots. Carol and she had gone shopping after school to finish off their looks, and Carol made Kennedy change costumes last minute.
Billy Hargrove was doing a kegstand when Kennedy arrived. Everyone cheered for him as he made it to forty-two seconds. He stood up straight, spitting out aggressively while everyone cheered. "We got ourselves a new Keg King!" Shouted Tommy. Billy caught Kennedy in his sights, the boy laughing wickedly as he stepped around everyone.
The crowd cheered as Billy pulled the girl in tightly. His hands slid down her back, squeezing in different places as his lips pressed against hers. Kennedy's hands framed his face, her mind already racing as everyone seemed to be pumped about the idea of these two starting something. Her hands slid down his beer-covered and bare chest, before pulling away abruptly. Billy snickered as he took a cigarette from Tommy Hagan, keeping an arm around her lower waist as they trailed into the house.
"That's how you do it, Hawkins! That's how you do it!"
Everyone chanted Billy's name as he pulled Kennedy inside. The girl continuously looked back at Carol who gave her thumbs up in encouragement. Kennedy laughed, sighing as she tried her best to let go for the night.
Billy and her squished through dancing bodies. He took a drag of his cigarette, handing it to Kennedy, "You look good tonight," He said in her ear.
Putting the cigarette between her lips, Kennedy slowly looked up at him. "What, you didn't like everyone else's Madonna costumes?" She said as she gestured to the four girls wearing replicas of Madonna's Like a Virgin dress.
"I don't like everyone else in Hawkins." Billy corrected. Kennedy laughed, blowing out smoke as she nodded.
"Tell me about it." She muttered. Billy raised an intrigued brow, but his gaze caught Tommy Hagan waving them over as he started walking across the room.
Kennedy felt Billy's arm draped around her shoulders, steering her in a new direction. She laughed as the two walked through the crowd, but her laugh didn't last as she saw exactly who she was walking towards. Nancy Wheeler and Steve Harrington.
Tommy was there first, "We got ourselves a new Keg King, Harrington." He informed the couple that had dressed as Joel and Lana from Risky Business.
"Yeah, eat it, Harrington!" Someone shouted as they appeared behind Kennedy. Nancy looked between Steve and Billy, before looking a Kennedy. Billy handed Kennedy his cigarette as he stared down the infamous King Steve. The Harrington looked at Kennedy for a long moment, not that anyone could tell behind his sunglasses. The redhead girl had her lips around the cigarette, staining it with her lipstick as she tried to play it cool.
Nancy spun and walked away as Steve took his sunglasses off. Kennedy could practically feel the toxic masculinity suffocating her. Billy's hand slid down her back as he leaned close to her. "Can you go get us some drinks?" He asked the girl, gesturing in Carol's direction who was outside with a cooler of beers.
Kennedy looked over at Steve, the two of them making eye contact. He didn't want her to go. He didn't want to believe Kennedy Theroux had become just like her friends. Just like him before Nancy Wheeler. But, he watched as Kennedy nodded, earning a wet kiss to the cheek from Billy, and she was off. Leaving a trail of cigarette smoke in her path as she left him once again.
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Kennedy laughed as she spun around the dance floor with Carol and Tommy. Girls on Film was playing, a song both girls loved. With a red cup in hand, Kennedy danced around, not caring about Steve and Nancy on the other side of the room. She and Carol hung onto each other, screaming the words as they moved around.
Kennedy slowly stopped dancing as she looked across the floor. Her eyes locked on Jonathan Byers. Because of course, they did.
She didn't know what to do. She looked in a drunk Nancy's direction and realized she didn't wanna be close for the aftermath of whatever that would cause. So, Kennedy excused herself from her friends and squeezed through the crowd to find Jonathan Byers standing there awkwardly.
"Nice costume," She chimed as she sipped on her drink.
"Thanks," Jonathan snickered, "I'm going as the guy who hates parties."
The redhead nodded, "You definitely look the part," She gestured as she stood next to him. The pair watched as Nancy and Steve walked through the crowd. Or rather, Nancy stumbled and Steve followed.
Jonathan looked over at Kennedy. He felt like he had so much to say to her. He wanted to ask her how the stuff at the lab was going, and how the whole being a werewolf thing was going. He wanted to ask her how she was doing herself. He wanted to apologize for hurting her the way he did, cause he could tell she knew how he felt about Nancy Wheeler. And he hated it, not being able to control his feelings. His life would've been so much easier if he fell in love with Kennedy Theroux, and not Nancy Wheeler.
"Joan Jett?" Jonathan said to her, catching Kennedy's attention. She tilted her head. "Is that who you're dressed up as?"
Kennedy looked down at her outfit. She attempted to pull up the top to try and cover some cleavage, but it was to no avail. "She's definitely the inspiration," She hummed as she looked over. "But I don't know, I think I'd wear this anyways, don't you?"
The two teens laughed as Kennedy did a drunken spin. She stumbled slightly, before standing up straight and holding her arms out in victory. "Definitely a Kennedy classic," Jonathan commented, a smile on his face. Kennedy smiled back, a real and genuine smile. He couldn't believe it, she was actually talking to him. Really talking to him for the first time since January.
Kennedy whipped around to see Nancy Wheeler spill the spiked punch all over herself. Okay, she was fighting Steve for the cup, but still. The entire room went silent as the couple just stared at each other. Kennedy cleared her throat awkwardly, watching Nancy storm off down the hall. Steve was close behind, and everyone was quick to get back to the party.
"I think she's had enough to drink." Kennedy hummed as she sipped on her cup again. She frowned as Jonathan took the red plastic from her hands.
"I think you have, too." He laughed as he handed the cup to another patron. Kennedy rolled her eyes playfully, squealing as arms wrapped around her waist.
Billy Hargrove kept the girl in his grip as he blew out cigarette smoke. Kennedy gasped as he quickly spun her around, kissing her roughly. They both reeked of alcohol and cigarettes, but the taste of his lips were just as intoxicating. Billy pulled away, grabbing the girls hand and pulling her harshly. She stumbled after them, giving a chirpy smile and wave to Jonathan as she disappeared into the crowd.
Tina's bedroom door slammed as Billy pushed Kennedy against it. Her leather jacket had fallen to the floor. Her lips were turning red as the pair kissed harshly, their hands all over each other. Kennedy's hands raked Billy's bare chest, tugging at his leather jacket to pull him closer. His lips latched onto her neck, and Kennedy moaned as he nipped at her skin. She could feel his hands everywhere, trying to pull at the little clothing she had.
Maybe it was the fact Jonathan stopped her from getting too drunk, or maybe it was the werewolf healing, but Kennedy suddenly didn't feel as drunk as she did before. Her smile soon fell and she started to push Billy away. She pushed him back slightly with her hands, looking down at them as she stuttered. "Hey, I don't think I wanna do this tonight,"
Billy scoffed. "Are you serious? Come on," He smirked as he leaned in again, kissing Kennedy.
She scrunched her face as she tried to pull away, her head hitting the door. She turned her neck, feeling his lips trail down her face and onto her neck again. "Billy, I'm serious, stop." She muttered as she tried to push him again.
"You didn't want me to stop 30 seconds ago,"
"Okay, but I want you to stop now," Kennedy commented as Billy nipped at her skin. She felt his hands all over her and alarms started going off. "Billy, no," She affirmed as she wiggled underneath his grip. She winced as he grabbed her harshly. His fingers dug into her waist. No,no,no,no,no. Her mind began to spin and her heart began to race. Kennedy's eyes turned yellow for only a moment. She grabbed Billy's jacket. "I said stop!"
Billy was shoved harshly, landing on Tina's bed across the room. His eyes were wide in shock and confusion. Kennedy's eyes were just as wide as she looks at the boy who looked clearly upset she had rejected him. He looked at her in a way that terrified Kennedy. Predatory, almost. She looked at her hands, realizing she was growing claws. She swallowed the lump in her throat. The redhead spun around quickly, grabbing her jacket, yanking open the bedroom door, and rushing out of the house.
Steve Harrington was inside his car. He sat there, thinking about what Nancy had just said to him in the bathroom. It was all bullshit. That they killed Barb. That she didn't even love him. He clenched his jaw tightly as he started his engine, looking across the street. He expected Nancy to come stumbling out, shouting apologies and that she doesn't mean what she said, or that she worded it wrong. But he didn't see Nancy. Hell, he knew Jonathan Byers walked in the direction of the bathroom after he stormed out. So no, there was no Nancy, but he did see someone else.
Kennedy Theroux stumbled down the driveway. Her eye makeup had smeared and her lips were red and swollen. Her hair was disheveled and she was carrying her leather jacket in one hand, a red cup in the other. She hadn't noticed him. Steve could tell because instead of walking up to his car, or even Carol Perkins's car behind his, she started walking down the street.
Kennedy couldn't see anything. As soon as she had walked out of Tina's house she realized she wasn't in Hawkins anymore. Or at least she didn't think she was. Kennedy looked around as she stared up at the dark blue sky and the falling particles in the air. Black vines spread throughout the neighborhood. She was back in the Upside Down. She spun around in confusion, stumbling.
"Jonathan?" She called out, knowing he was the last person she spoke to before she ran off with Billy. "Nancy? Steve!" Kennedy stumbled further down the street, her eyes wide as she tried to rationalize something. Anything.
She saw this last night, outside of her house. This same blue sky and red lightning. She frowned as she thought about the possibilities. How did she get here? Did something happen? Why was she here?
"Kennedy!"
Will's voice caused Kennedy to spin around. "Will!" She shouted as she realized he wasn't too far from her. Kennedy stumbled over the vines, rushing down the street. "Will, where are you!?" Kennedy gasped and stopped abruptly as she looked up. A large mass began to rise from the ground in the far distance. It was big. Like, 50 feet or taller and the width of a large building type of big. Kennedy watched as it got bigger. And bigger. And bigger. It began to take a form she couldn't explain. Legs. Lot of legs like a spider. It's head shape reminded her of a Demogorgon. It's shadowy shape turned in another direction. Kennedy watched as it swarmed down to another part of town.
Will Byers.
Kennedy gasped as she nearly tripped. She stumbled throughout the street and looked around. The music from the party was blasting through the neighborhood, and she could hear Billy's name being chanted somewhere inside. She wasn't there anymore. There was no sign of a shadowy mass, and no sign of Will. Kennedy swallowed the lump in her throat, trying to figure out what just happened. Maybe it was a dream, of sorts. A flashback nightmare sort of thing.
The redhead looked over as a familiar red car stopped next to her. Kennedy frowned in obvious confusion until the person inside rolled down the window. She groaned, wondering if this night could get any worse. "Hey! You okay?" Steve Harrington called out.
"I'm fine, Harrington, just go home." Kennedy shot back as she looked ahead, walking down the road. She pushed away whatever she just experienced in the last three minutes of her life, now trying to figure out how she was gonna get Steve to go the hell away.
"Kenny, it's gonna be freezing tonight, I'm not letting you walk all the way home."
She threw up her arms. "Maybe I wanna freeze!" She said as she looked back at the road. Steve rolled his eyes. Kennedy was drunk. Not Nancy-level-drunk. But she was definitely on the tipsy side.
"Kennedy, just get in the car."
"No."
The red car abruptly stopped in the middle of the road. It caused even Kennedy to stop, wondering what the hell Steve Harrington was doing. She watched as he climbed out of his car, and walked around the front. Kennedy scrunched her face as Steve opened his passenger car door.
"Harrington, I'm not going anywhere with you." She mumbled in protest, but Steve had already grabbed her drink and thrown it in Tina's neighbor's yard.
"Kennedy, I promised your grandmother if something happened at a party, I'd take you home. So shut up, and get in the damn car." Steve snapped, losing his patience with Kennedy quickly. He grabbed the leather jacket, throwing it into his backseat. Kennedy glared at him, not speaking a word as she climbed into the passenger side. She hated that Diana still called Steve when she was worried about Kennedy. It made avoiding him so much harder.
Steve started the car again, driving down the street. Kennedy had her arms crossed, looking out at the road ahead of them. "Where's Wheeler?"
"We got into a fight,"
Kennedy hummed, looking out the passenger window. "Never thought I'd see Hawkins perfect couple get into a fight," Kennedy leaned her head back, turning to look in Steve's direction. "What did you fight about? Who loved each other more?"
Steve clenched his jaw tightly. "She said she didn't love me, actually. But thanks for rubbing it in." He rebuked. Kennedy's face fell, her eyes becoming serious.
"Oh, shit," Kennedy muttered under her breath as she looked at the road ahead. Steve was silent now. He was pissed and Kennedy could tell. She swallowed the lump in her throat, looking over at him. "I'm sorry,"
She was sorry about a lot of things.
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Diana Theroux was out of town for the next two nights. She had a business meeting. So Steve walked into Kennedy's house like he always used to. He looked around it, seeing her house looking the same way it did when he was last there.
Kennedy walked up the stairs, not really caring if Steve followed. Steve stood in her doorway, watching as she walked back and forth, looking for various things. Her room looked exactly the same. He didn't really expect it to. After all, Kennedy came back to school this year wearing dark colors, leather, and fishnet tights. She wasn't punk, definitely not, but she had an edge to her she didn't have the year before. But her room didn't match that. Her pastel blue walls covered in posters and pictures on the right side where her bed with the white wired frame was. The small step up to that half of the room which he still continuously tripped over. Her blue couch in front of the step that faced the left side, where her closet, dresser, and stereo waited for her. It was like nothing had changed. Or rather it was like deep down, Kennedy hadn't changed, not really.
Steve had his hands in his pockets, and he watched her approach her closet. "Do you want anything?" He asked. His voice was soft, calm, and soothing. He could tell something had happened at the party. Nobody comes out of a Halloween party looking the way she did without some story to tell.
"Water, please?" Kennedy's voice was soft as she gathered her pajamas. She stood up straight, looking back at the Harrington. He nodded, disappearing down the hall, and down the stairs.
By the time he came back with two glasses of water, Kennedy had already changed into a pair of shorts and a tank top, and she was brushing her hair on her bed. He held up a glass, handing it to the girl with red hair. She placed her brush on her nightstand, taking the clear glass from his hands. Steve sat on the side of her bed, his arm resting on his leg.
Steve pursed his lips together tightly, watching Kennedy lean to her nightstand. He watched her grab two pill bottles. A little red pill, and a large white one. She downed them with her water quickly. He had taken off his suit jacket and placed it on the back of her couch. He looked over, tapping his fingers on the glass. "What happened?" His voice cut through the silence like a knife. Kennedy looked up in confusion. "At the party. It looked like you were having fun when I first saw you, but then," Steve trailed off, gesturing to where they are now.
He could tell Kennedy didn't want to answer. Or she was debating it, at the very least. Kennedy chewed on her lip as she pushed her hair over her shoulder. Her eyes met Steve's. He could see something swarming he didn't expect. Was she...scared? No, that couldn't be it. Kennedy Theroux seemed to not be scared of anything, even before the Upside Down.
Kennedy inhaled deeply, shifting in her spot on her bed. "Promise not to be mad?" Steve frowned, nodding. Kennedy sighed, looking away. She refused to make eye contact now. "I was with Billy in Tina's room," She hummed softly. Steve didn't say anything. He wasn't surprised, the two had been hanging onto each other all night. "But I didn't want to sleep with him. So I said stop." Steve watched Kennedy's fingers trace the rim of her glass. "He didn't stop." Steve's eyes softened. He sat up straight as rage seemed to take over for a moment. Kennedy scrunched her face and shook her head quickly. "And then I accidentally shoved him across the room and I got the hell out of there before I started growing claws." She explained as she sighed, turning to put her water on her nightstand. She could see his expression. Like steam would be coming out of Steve Harrington's ears any moment.
"Why would I be mad about that?"
Kennedy tilted her head. "Because I almost went werewolf on someone," She deadpanned.
"Yeah, on a guy that wouldn't take no for an answer." Steve snapped as he stood up. "God, I should go back there. I should go back there, right?" He rambled as he walked in circles. "I mean, who does that? Seriously!"
Kennedy stood up, "No, no you shouldn't." She said as she grabbed the Harrington's arm. "I handled it."
"Doesn't mean he doesn't deserve to get his ass kicked."
"Steve," Her voice rang in his ears as she gave him a warning look. She hadn't said his name in so long. Her hand was wrapped around his upper arm, and she stared up at him. "Just leave it."
He didn't want to. Sure, Steve was an asshole before but he never put up with that. Neither did Tommy, if he knew about it. They had some morals. But Steve nodded. He sat on the small blue couch in Kennedy's bedroom, waiting for her to sit with him. She was wrapped in a yellow blanket, looking at him. She wasn't drunk anymore, at least not to the point of slurring and saying things without thinking. Apparently being drunk didn't last very long for werewolves.
Kennedy fiddled with her hands. "I'm sorry, by the way." Steve looked over, seeing her hazel eyes studying him. "About your fight with Wheeler."
She still wouldn't say Nancys name. Steve shrugged as he leaned back. "It's fine. We'll figure it out." He watched Kennedy sink into the couch. She studied her hands which pushed against each other and knotted together as she moved them. "What happened to us?" Kennedy slowly looked up again, feeling her stomach sink. "Why did you just stop talking to us? Why did you pretend I didn't exist?"
Kennedy shook her head, "That's not what happened," She said as she let out a dry laugh.
"Isn't it?"
Damnit, Kennedy thought to herself. Steve wasn't going to drop it. He wanted answers tonight and he wanted them now. Could Kennedy give him that? No, she couldn't. Not when he wouldn't like the answers.
Kennedy sucked in a breath, "Steve," She whispered softly, looking over at him. "Do we seriously have to do this right now?"
"Yes, yes we do." Steve tossed up his left hand that rested on the arm of the couch. "You have been my best friend since I was eleven years old. And all of a sudden after you just saved the freaking world you turn into a completely different person!" Kennedy clamped her mouth shut as she stared at him. "You pushed us all away! You pushed me away!"
"Because I didn't want to hurt anyone!" She shouted as she threw her hands to her lap. "Steve, I am not the same Kennedy I was a year ago! I have freaking claws and fangs, in case you haven't noticed!" She hissed. "All I wanted was to be normal! I wanted to pretend that everything was the way it was before but I can't do that because I have to go take supernatural tests every week! I have to learn how to fight, I have to help Will during his episodes, I have to take little pills to make sure I don't eat someone, and I have to make sure nobody else dies!"
Steve sat up straight. "I get it! I was there!" He yelled, pointing at himself.
"You don't get it, Steve!" Kennedy felt tears roll down her face as she shook her head. "I can't do this anymore. I can't keep pretending like I am normal and I am happy. I am miserable."
Steve scooted closer, his hands on her arms. "Then stop pretending." He said softly, causing Kennedy to look at him. His brown eyes searched her hazel ones. "I've never asked you to pretend to be something that you're not." He was right. He never had, in the six years of their friendship, asked Kennedy to be anything other than herself. Whether that was her coming to his house homecoming of her sophomore year crying over her boyfriend who dumped her, or her yelling at him to not say something irrevocably offensive in one way or another.
Kennedy's eyes swelled with tears as she shook her head. "I don't wanna be here anymore."
The statement bit at the cold air. It chewed on Steve Harrington's heart as he wrapped his arms around Kennedy, pulling her in tightly. She let out a sob she didn't know she had been holding in for the last year. The realization dawned on both of them
Kennedy Dawn Theroux hated herself. And there was no way she could fix it.
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