Chapter Fourty-Seven
"nerds and freaks"
BEEP... Beep... Bee—
Violet's Friday morning started the same way it always does, with the alarm on her beside blarring it's incessant noise, and her slipping a hand free from her comforter and outstretching it towards the device to shut it off with the sheer will of her sleep muddled mind.
Her arm dropped against the side of her mattress, and her free hand balled into a fist as she scrubs the sleep from her russet eyes. A yawn slips out from her plush rosebud pink lips, and she pushed herself up from her mattress and leaned back on her elbows. As she blinks slowly, her eyes adjusting to the morning brightness, the mouth watering scent of breakfast being cooked on the first floor of the home floods her nostrils.
Her stomach growled as she pushed her comforter from her figure and kicks her legs over the side of her queen sized bed, her bare feet hit the soft carpet as her posture straightened, then she stood on her tiptoes as her hands reach up to the ceiling as a stretch rolled through her body.
Violet's hands fall to her sides as she dropped flat on her feet, then she runs one of them through her messy noirette hair and sluggishly crossed the bedroom to her closet. She pulls the doors open and her eyes scan the clothing on display, she pulls out an outfit and stops at her drawer to grab underwear and a mismatched bra, then she leaves her bedroom and walks down the hall to the bathroom.
After taking a quick and thorough shower she stood in front of the bathroom mirror fully clothed, she was wearing an oversized red and navy blue sweater underneath denim shorts overalls and black tights. There was a comb in her hand as she pulled it through her towl dried raven colored tresses, she pulled off the purple hair tie that sat around her wrist and tied her hair into a ponytail, then she fixed her bangs and shoved the comb in the counter side drawer before she flicks off the bathroom light and left the room.
Violet followed the trailing aroma of breakfast food down the stairs and walked into the kitchen, she finds her brother Steve standing at the stove flipping his infamous cinnamon pancakes with a spatula with his back turned as she slows to a stop at the counter.
She folded her arms on the surface and leaned forward, waiting for him to finish his flipping and notice her presence in the room. Once he finally turned around with a plate in his hand stacked to the brim with steaming hot cakes, she smiled and wiggled her fingers as his eyes landed on her.
"Morning, Stevie." She greeted him as he set the pancakes down with the other plates sitting on the counter, ready to be eaten.
Steve smiles at his little sister, "Morning, Tink." He replied as he picked up his mug of coffee and took a sip, "Eat up, we gotta be in out of here in about..." He trails off and glanced at the watch on his wrist, "20 minutes."
Violet's brows furrowed and her gaze raised up at him while she made her plate, "That's earlier than usual, any reason why?"
"We're picking up Robin today and she told me yesterday that she really needed to be at the school super early for marching band." Steve explained.
After the events of the hellish 4th of July the party endured, they gained a new member in Robin Buckley. The blue eyed freckled blonde and Steve very quickly became an inseparable duo prior to being kidnapped and drugged by Russians underneath Star Court Mall, and having a heart to heart on the dingy floor of a public restroom after puking their guts out in toilets stalls.
Shared trauma, it tends to cement lifelong bonds between even the most unlikely of people.
Together they found new place of employment at the local Family Video and worked side by side, and he'd give her a ride to school every morning since the blonde didn't drive herself.
After Violet's bedrest ended and her scarred abdomen healed up, the first thing she demanded was to be taken to the local diner for some fatty food and hear every single detail of what happened under the mall. And so, Steve picked up Robin and the three of them found a booth in the back where no one would overhear the bizarre story, and they explained everything from beginning to end while they ate their food.
When they got to the heart to heart portion Violet could tell that Robin was hesitant, there was a nervous look stretched on her porcelain features and her lower lip was being nibbled idly. But then Steve nudged her gently and sent her an assuring look, and the blonde girl nods at him and took a deep breath before she continued telling the rest of the story.
Violet has only know two people in her life who weren't straight, Max and Will. Being around them made her feel seen and accepted, like she wasn't alone in this one horse town of people with such small minds, ignorant views on life, and fears of anything remotely different. But she's never met someone who was exactly like her, someone who's only attracted to girls. Someone who was... a lesbian.
She hadn't until today, at least.
When Violet saw the fearful look in the blue eyes girl's gaze it was like she looking in mirror, she had the same look in her eyes the day she stood in front of her friends and told them she was gay. The tiniest of gentle smiles curled on her lips as she reached across the table and took Robin's trembling hand and laced their fingers, the freckled girl's eyes grew as they raised to Violet, and she gave her palm a squeeze.
"I like girls too, Robin." Violet revealed softly, watching the tears brim in the blonde's girl's eyes. "We're the same, you're not alone anymore." Her words brought a brightness to Robin's features as a tear slid down her freckled cheek, Violet couldn't help the smile that pulls at the corners of her lips.
Ever since that day Robin and Violet had formed a special bond of their own, the Buckley girl was like the older sister she's always wanted. She could talk to her about anything, she went to her whenever she needed advice, or help with homework because Robin Buckley was a genius.
She often stole her from Steve whenever they'd hang out, —which annoyed Steve to no end, but he also secretly loved it because it made him happy to see his two favorite people getting along so well— and she'd spend time after school at Family Video with Robin and Steve and help stock the shelves and stack VHS tapes behind the counter.
The Steve and Robin duo became a Steve, Robin, and Violet trio. And wherever they went, the noirette girl went too.
"Oh yeah, the Pep Rally's today. Got it." Violet nodded at him before she grabbed her plate and made her way towards the dining table, "I'll be quick then."
She sat at the dining table and began to consume her breakfast, cinnamon pancakes, two strips of turkey bacon, and sautéed fried potatoes. She ate as quick as she could without eating too fast and cleared her plate, then she drops off her plate in the kitchen sink and rushed up the stairs while Steve took the last few sips of coffee and bites of pancakes.
She walks through the bathroom door and quickly brushed and flossed her teeth, then she turned the light out and made her way into her bedroom. She grabbed her black high top Converse from her closet and sat on the edge of her bed as she shoved them on her feet, after she laced them up she walked over to her bedside table and grabs her walkman and the cheap headset.
She slipped the headset over her ears as she pressed play and shoved her walkman into her pocket, the opening notes of Bon Jovi's Runaway filled her headset as she grabbed her backpack that hung from her desk chair and slung it over her shoulder.
"Tink, let's go!" Steve's voice carried from downstairs.
"Here I come!" Violet shouts as she rushed out her bedroom, she swings her arm back and willed the door shut before she raced down the staircase and met her older brother at the door.
He opened the door for her and she walked out and made her way towards his Burgundy BMW that sat in the driveway, the two of them climb in the vehicle and she strapped on her seatbelt as Steve repeated the action behind the steering wheel. He turns the key in the ignition and the engine roars to life, then he pulls off and heads down the road.
A five minute drive through the town was all that it took to get to Robin's house, when they pull up the blonde girl was rushing down the stairs in front of her home and making strides to the BMW. Steve opens the passneger door for her and she hops inside and closed the door behind her, she quickly straps on her seatbelt and her brother drives down the road heading in the direction of the high school.
On their arrival to the high school per usual Steve begins his early morning ritual of droning on about the girl that he went on date with the night prior, her brother had been severely striking out when it came to woman as of late. He's really been off his game since his break up with Nancy Wheeler, and now she had the privilege of hearing him complain about long distance relationships with girls in college, and girls who only want meaningless sex.
She felt bad for him, she really did. And the funny thing is that ago this never would've crossed her mind, but her brother was too good for all the stuck up girls in a small town like Hakwins. Okay sure, he was a huge dork and he was definitely a fucking idiot who doesn't really think sometimes, but he had a good heart and he would make the best boyfriend and eventually father to the brood of kids he told her he wants.
Which each failure date story her heart sank a little bit more, but she wouldn't give up hope. Steve would find someone one day, she knew that he would. It was only a matter of time.
Meanwhile as Steve went on, Robin was sat in the front seat with a tube of mascara in her hand as she applied the thick, black, goop to her lashes. Violet shook her head as a tiny smile tugged on her lips, she knew the blonde a little too well. Robin only wore makeup when she was trying to impress someone, or in other words, the redhead in her grade by the name of Vickie who she has a massive crush on.
In the middle of his rant Steve glanced over at Robin, it didn't take him long to realize that she wasn't listening to anything he was saying as her focus was deadset on applying her makeup as she stared at her reflection in the pull down mirror.
"Robin, are you listening?" Steve demanded loudly, startling the freckled blonde out of her focus as she whipped her head towards him with wide blue eyes while her hands dropped to her lap.
"Uh, yes." Robin stammered, clearly caught off guard by Steve's sudden outburst.
Disbelief crossed his face as he raised a brow at her, "What did I just say?" He asked, testing to see if she was really listening.
"Something about sex w-with Linda." Robin replied, but her words lacked confidence.
"No, I'm talking about Heidi!" Steve exclaims in frustration.
Violet leans forward between the seats, as far as her seatbelt would allow her to. "In Robby's defense, it's hard to keep up with all the names of the girls you've been seeing as of late, Stevie."
"Exactly! Thank you, Vi." Robin cried out, immensely grateful for the younger teenager's assist. "Cut me some slack, please. Your love life is one of labyrinthine complexity. It is 7:00 in the morning, we have the stupid pep rally, and I woke up looking like a total corpse."
There was a whine in her voice as she dragged her palms down her face, Violet couldn't help but roll her eyes at Robin's dramatics, she didn't look like a corpse, she looked beautiful as always.
Steve's lips pressed into a thin line, "You're worried about a basketball pep rally?" He lifts an unconvinced brow at Robin, "You expect me to believe that?"
"Yeah, so?" Robin muttered as she reached into her bag, digging for her tube of lipgloss.
"So we both know what this is about. Okay? I'm not buying that. This is about Vickie." Her brother pointed out to her with a hint of smugness in his voice.
"Absolutely not." Robin denied quickly, shaking her head as she applied light amounts of lipgloss to her lips from her finger.
"Denial is a river in Egypt, Robby." Violet teased.
Robin turned her head and shot the noirette teenager a glare, "Who's side are you on?"
Violet's brows inched upwards, amusement glossing her face. "Suddenly there are sides now?"
"It is about Vickie." Her brother insisted as he continued, "And you know what else?"
"I really don't care." Robin responded in a careless tone.
"You gotta stop pretending to be someone else whenever you're around her. Okay? You just gotta be yourself." Steve attempts to advise his best friend.
Robin dragged her eyes from the mirror and meets his gaze, "You're literally quoting me to me. You do realize that."
"Maybe you should listen to yourself. Ever think about that, smarty-pants?" Steve quirked a brow at her, "I listened. Look at me. Boom. Back in business."
"If back in business means going on failed date after failed date and complaining to us about it every morning. Then sure, business is booming." Violet murmured, sarcasm evident.
"Can it, you little shit." Steve grumbled, taking one hand off the wheel to shove her face back.
"Hey!" Violet yelped, her figure flying back into the seat cushion. "Do that again and you'll wake up without that hand!" She folds her arms over her chest with a small huff and gazed out the window, watching as they passed by the trees surrounding them.
"It's not the same thing, okay?" Robin sighed heavily, "You ask out a girl and she says no. Big deal. Nothing happens. Maybe your ego's a little bruised. But I ask out the wrong girl, and bam, I'm a town pariah."
Violet's russet gaze shifts from the window to Robin in the front seat, she frowned at how much truth was held in her words. She was right, it wasn't the same thing. Someone like Steve who was a heterosexual man, who was seen as normal in the eyes of society, would merely suffer the sting of embarrassment in a situation such as this. Where as if Robin were to ask a girl out, a straight one, that girl would be repulsed by her.
Rumors about Robin would spread like wildfire throughout the small town, she'd be shunned by every Hawkins resident, bullied and targeted at school, treated like a predator, and her reputation and her family's will be tarnished. Not only would the town's opinion on her change in drastic ways, but her family's opinion could too.
Violet was lucky with Steve accepting her for who she is, but most people aren't. She's read up on enough stories of parents not accepting their children across the country, how they neglected them, kicked them out of their houses, abused them, or worse, sent them to conversion therapy camps to "straighten them out."
It was the sad reality of people like herself and Robin, living in a time where being anything but straight was "morally wrong."
"Yeah, I'd buy that, except Vickie is definitely not the wrong girl." Steve declared.
"We just don't know that, do we?" Robin asked rhetorically, spritzing her mouth with a small bottle of breath spray.
"Robby has to be careful, Steve." Violet told him, idly toying with the feathers of Robin's marching band hat. "It's dangerous to assume that."
"E-Exactly." Robin coughed roughly, her face scrunched from the breath spray.
"I'm not assuming, I have proof." Steve claimed, "She returned Fast Times paused at 52 minutes, 5 seconds. Do you know who pauses Fast Times at 52 minutes and 5 seconds?" There's a brief pause as Violet and Robin fall silent, "People who like boobies, Robin!"
"Oh, my god." Violet drops her head in her hands, shaking her head.
"Ew!" Robin exclaimed in disgust. "Gross. Don't say boobies!"
"It's not a big deal, okay?" Steve continued, disregarding both their reactions. "I like boobies. You like boobies. And as much as it disgusts me to say because she's my little sister, even Violet likes boobies."
Violet groaned loudly, though it came out muffled through her palms that her face was buried in. "Steve, I beg you, stop talking."
He ignored her, of course. "Vickie likes boobies. Definitely." Robin shook her head as her lips hung agape, Steve merely shrugged his shoulders. "It's boobies." Violet let out an exasperated breath and cranked up the volume on her Walkman, drowning out her brother for the rest of the car ride to the high school as she stared out the window.
EVENTUALLY they arrived to Hawkins High School and Steve pulled into the parking lot, as he found a good place to stop Violet unbuckled her seatbelt and slips her bag strap over her shoulder. She leaned between the seats as Robin opens her door and got out, and she smacked a kiss on Steve's cheek in goodbye.
She leaned back and picked up Robin's marching band hat, and when she opened the backseat door to grab it she hands it off to her and climbed out of the vehicle and closed the door behind her.
Violet sent her brother a two fingered salute through the window, and just like every morning he repeats the action before stepping on the accelerator and driving off. She turned on her heel and started her making her way toward the school, but as she went her gaze caught the sight of an all too familiar head of fiery red hair coming down the steps of the school bus.
Violet skids to a halt as her gaze falls on the Mayfield girl, with eyes as blue and turbulent as the ocean itself. Almost as if Max could feel her eyes on her, their gazes inevitably meet and her heart leapt to her throat.
She hesitated and raised her hand to say hi, and she received a nod from the ginger girl before she averted her gaze and walked to their guidance counselor who called to her attention. The noirette's heart sinked in her chest, and her hand dropped as she sighed in defeat.
Okay so, maybe things have been... a little strained between she and Max as of late. Why things were so strained between them, it's one big Scooby Doo mystery to her. All she knew was... Max dumped her ass.
And she didn't even know why.
Max asked her for space during their Thanksgiving break, and even though she was blindsided and a little hurt by the sudden shift in their relationship, she said that she understood and took a step back and gave her the space that she asked for.
For weeks after that Max didn't so much as speak to her, which only confused and hurt Violet more. Then when school was let out for winter break, Max came to her house unannounced in the dead of night with tear filled and red rimmed eyes, and told her they needed to break up.
When Violet asked Max through the tears that built in her eyes if it was anything she did wrong, the only response she received was the all too familiar cliche she's heard a hundred times over in every cheesy romance movie.
It's not you, it's me.
She could tell by the discomfort on her face that Max didn't want to say anything more, and she wasn't one to push, so with tears trailing down her face and the feeling as if her heart had been forcibly ripped out, stepped on, and then shoved back into her chest, she pulled the ginger girl into a hug, wished her the best, and watched Max skate down the pavement before she turned around and headed back inside.
After she closed the door she slid down the wall, dropping to the floor as sobs left her lips and wracked through her body. When she saw heartbreak in movies and tv shows she could only imagine how much it would hurt to have your heart broken, but she never realized it would feel like this. It was like something inside her just broke, like all the tiny pieces of her heart were lying on the floor right where Max left her.
Her chest hurt and it was hard to breathe, and all she wanted to do was scream as she raked her fingers through her hair. Steve heard her heart wrenching cries and quickly ran to the front door, he found her curled up in a ball, her fingers pulling at the strands of her raven colored hair.
A deeply concerned frown set on his lips as he drops to the floor beside her, and when he asked her what happened and what was wrong, all she could force out through her sobs were the words "Max" and "breakup." A look of deep sadness floods her brother's face as he empathizes with his sister's pain, then he takes her into his arms and held her together as sounds of heartache left her lips.
It took a long time, but after she managed to stop crying she and Steve moved to the family room and lounged on the couch, they shared a carton of strawberry ice cream and watched whatever Christmas movie was displayed on TV for the rest of the night.
They did this every night for the remainder of winter break, because Steve told her she couldn't spend her entire winter break moping about her breakup with Max, so he gave her the day to cry and mope around the empty house, but the minute he got back home after his shift he'd drag her out of her room and make her participate in Christmas festivities with him and Robin.
When he wasn't working he and Robin spent every moment with her. They put up the Christmas tree together, they baked and decorated Gingerbread cookies, they took her to the quarry to go ice skating, —Robin stood and watched them skate, she's got the balance of a new born baby deer— and they'd watch Christmas movies together that Robin rented from Family Video with her employee discount.
The only reason her Christmas didn't suck was thanks to Steve and Robin, she owed them big time for helping her get through her breakup with Max.
And speaking of Max... Violet had a feeling that there's something going on with her deep beneath the surface. It wasn't the breakup that was the problem, it was Max herself. There was something that was different about her, off even. It was like she was hiding from herself and the boys, like there was something that she wasn't telling them. She's pulled away from the friend group, she gives Violet the cold shoulder when she attempts to reach out, and when she caught a glimpse of her eyes she noticed the haunted look that lingered within them.
Max wasn't herself anymore, that much was was clear. The noirette could only assume it was about Billy's death, even if it had been months since his heroic sacrifice that resulted in him being killed gruesomely by the Mind Flayer to save El, to save all of them.
She knows what grief looks like, what it can do to a person, how it can change you. It hangs over your head like a storm cloud that you can't get get rid of, no matter how hard you try to vanquish it. It plagues your thoughts and haunts your nightmares when you close your eyes to sleep at night, and it eats you alive from the inside out until you look up and realize you no longer recognize yourself. And after watching someone that she cared about die in such a horrific and nightmarish way, long lasting trauma was inevitable.
It was just one assumption, she was aware that it could be many other things that was haunting the ginger girl. She knew that Max had her regular visits with the guidance counselor at school, it gave her a little relief knowing that she could talk to someone about her problems, even if she can't explain in full detail.
Though deep down Violet wished that Max would open up and talk to her about what's going on with her deep down, she'd never make her talk about anything that she didn't want to. All that she can do is hope the weekly visits with the guidance counselor are helping her navigate her feelings and process her trauma.
But most importantly, all Violet wants is for her to be okay.
Violet followed the crowd of students making their way to the gymnasium for the pep rally, she walked through the double doors and enters the high energy vicinity as she pulled her cheap headset down to her neck.
She pressed pause on her Walkman bringing a swift halt to Bon Jovi's Love Lies, and her russet gaze wandered her surroundings. The cheerleaders performed the routine they've been practicing in the center of the basketball court, and the marching band was playing loud and proud for everyone in the gym to hear.
Her eyes searched the stands for her two best friends, and when she spotted them she made her way up the bleachers to them. When she arrived at their row Mike and Dustin waved her over as they saw Violet approaching them, when she arrived she stood next to the azure eyed brunette who's curly hair was partially hidden by his hat.
"Morning, boys." Violet greeted them as she set her bag on the bench seat beside her
"Morning, Vi." Dustin says with his typical braced-faced smile.
"Hey, Vi." Mike replied with a thinned smile of his own.
"What you guys talking about?" She questioned, her russet gaze flickering betwern them.
"We're trying to decipher which one of girlfriends are smarter." Mike answered as he looks to her, "Vi, between Suzie and El, who's the smarter girlfriend?"
Violet blinks as she stared at Mike with a deadpanned look, "This is a dumbass debate. Why are you pitting your girlfriends against each other?"
Dustin sighs in exasperation, "Just humor us, okay? We need to know once and for all."
Violet folded her arms over her chest as she rolled her eyes, "You guys are idiots, El and Suzie would dump both of you if they knew you were doing this."
"Oh, you mean like how Max dumped you?" Dustin arched a brow at her teasingly.
Ironically, the moment he said that Max joined them in the row and stood alongside Mike.
Violet slowly turned to Dustin and smiled sardonically, "Say that again, and I'll send you flying across this gymnasium."
"Hey," Dustin holds up his hands in surrender, "I'm just saying." He dropped his hands and looked towards Mike, "Anyway, I'm not saying that my girlfriend is better than yours. It's just that Suzie's like, a certified genius."
Mike raised his brows at him, "You do realize El's saved the world twice, right?"
"And yet, you still have a C in Spanish." Dustin points out, with an awkward curl to his lips.
The marching band finished out their song on a high note, the cheerleaders waved their green and yellow pom poms as they complete their routine, then they rushed from the center of the court and took their seats on the floor in front of the bleachers.
"Let's hear it for your Tigers!" The announcer shouts, and shortly the Tigers basketball team runs through the banner and lined up on the basketball court.
Violet cupped her hands around her lips, "Yeah, Lucas! That's my best friend, let's fucking go!" She cheers loud and proud for him, receiving glares from a few teachers for her language.
Even though he hasn't actually played in any games since he made the varsity team, she was still his personal cheerleader at every Home game. When he heard her cheers from where he was standing in line, a smile lit up his sepia toned features and he waved at her, she wiggled her fingers back at him with a proud smile resting on her lips.
The crowd raged on as they put their hands together and cheered for the team, meanwhile Jason Carver grabbed the mic from the stand in the middle of the court. "Good morning, Hawkins High!" He yelled into the microphone, gaining himself more cheers.
"First off... Hey." The crowd fell silent as they gave him their complete and undivided attention, "First off, I'd like thank each and every one of you. Without your support, we wouldn't be here. Give yourselves a big hand." The students in the stands do as told and they clap their hands and cheer loudly and proudly before slowly falling silent again to allow him to speak, "And of course, of course I have to give a special shout-out to the best and the prettiest fans of all time, the Tigers Cheer Squad." He gestures towards the cheerleaders sitting on the shiny floors in front of the bleachers ad the crowd goes wild, "Chrissy..." Jason trailed off and pats his chest where his heart lied as the crowd quieted down again, "I love you, babe."
Violet's russet eyes rolled as she grumbled to herself, "What genius let him have the mic?"
The basketball star's gaze lowered as he took a few steps back, "You know... I think I can speak for all of us when I say It's been a tough year for Hawkins. So much loss. And sometimes I wonder, "How much loss can one community take?" In dark days like this, we need something to believe in. So, last night, when we were down by ten points at half to Christian Academy, I looked at my team, and I said, "Think of Jack." "Think of Melissa." "Think of Heather."
"Think of Billy." Jason continues, and instinctively her worried gaze flickered over towards Max. A frown curled on her lips as the ginger's face is scrawled with obvious discomfort, then she glanced down at the ground as she hung her head. Violet's eyes moved back to Jason as her jaw clenched tight, in that moment she really wanted to fling him across the gym like a rag doll for that mention of Billy. "Think of our heroic police chief, Jim Hopper."
Grief twisted her stomach into knots as the urge grows stronger and her fists curl at her sides, but suddenly the sensation of rage waned as she felt Dustin's hand lightly hold hers. Her russet gaze slips over to him and he's got a tiny smile on his lips, she shot the him a brief albeit grateful smile as her eyes move back to Jason.
"Think of every one of our friends who perished in that fire." Jason went on, gripping the mic in his hand and pacing the shiny gym floors like a preacher. "What did they die for? For us to lose to some... some crap school? No!"
Her eyes widened as she realized what he was saying, surely he wasn't being fucking serious. There's no way he used the tragic deaths of Hawkins to encourage his teammates to win a fucking basketball game... as if Hopper would give a fuck about winning some basketball game.
"For us to return home with our heads hung low in defeat? No!" Jason yelled as the crowd agreed. Violet's features were struck with shock and bewilderment, he was being dead fucking serious. He used the tragic deaths of their town to encourage the team to win a goddamn basketball game the other night.
What the actual... fuck?
If Violet didn't hate Jason Carver before, then she definitely fucking hated him now.
"Let's win this game." The blonde meathead continued, "Let's win this game for them. And that's exactly what we did!" While the crowd went wild in the stands, Violet, Mike, Dustin, and Max remained silent as disgust, rage, and discomfort washed across the trio's features. "We embarrassed those candy-asses in their own house, and now tonight, tonight, we're gonna bring home the championship trophy!"
"Tonight?!" Mike exclaimed.
"How is that possible?" Dustin cried out in confusion.
"They call it a tournament." Max informed as she glanced over at the boys, "You win one game, you go on to play the next until there's only one team left."
"Uh oh." Violet inhaled sharply and clicks her tongue, "Someone is not gonna like that." A teasing grin rested on her lips as Mike and Dustin turned and glared at her, "You guys are so screwed."
Shortly after hyping up the crowd Jason wrapped up his speech, and the principal took the mic and brought the pep rally to a close. The students and school faculty leave through the double gym doors and made their way to the school's lot outside, and while Max headed off on her own Violet stayed behind with Dustin and Mike as they waited at the gym exit for Lucas.
When boy with the afro box cut finally showed his face as he walked out the doors, Violet rushed over and slung her arm around his shoulder. "Hi, Luc."
Lucas greeted her with a smile and wrapped his arm around her middle back, "Hey, Vi."
"Just a heads up," She glanced back at Mike and Dustin who trailed a closely behind them as they walked outside, "They know about the game tonight and they are not happy about it."
Lucas groans as dread quickly crossed his face, "Yeah, I knew they'd be pissed about it. Are you coming to the game tonight?"
"What? You think I'd miss a home game? Never." She grinned as a smile came to his lips, "I'll be there, I promise."
"Thanks, Vi." Lucas said, his words filled with gratitude.
"You're welcome, Luc. You ready to face the music?" She asked with a rasie of her brows.
A heavy sigh leaves his lips as he nods his head, "Yeah, let's just get this over with."
Violet nodded and drops her arm from his shoulder as she takes a step back so that Mike and Dustin could join at the Sinclair's boy's side, "All right, he's all yours. Go ahead, complain away."
"Another game tonight?" Mike questioned irritably beside Lucas as Violet walked alongside the Wheeler boy, "Seriously, Lucas?"
"Yeah, so? We won the game last night, what do you want me to do?" The Sinclair boy rolled his eyes in exasperation, "I don't get the big deal. Just talk to Eddie. Get him to move Hellfire to another night."
Eddie Munson, the supposed freak of Hawkins High, according to the mindless drones who think that every word that falls from Jason Carver's lips are gospel. He's a known grade repeater, it's his third time around being a senior, and he is just about the funniest and most entertaining person that Violet has ever had the please of meeting.
She could remember the day they got acquainted like it was yesterday.
It was a couple weeks into their Freshman year and Mike, Dustin and Lucas had been talking about joining the D&D club they heard of in middle school. Every day at lunch they'd watch Eddie as he sat with his friends in his club Hellfire, the three boys were in complete awe of the senior. From the way he carried himself with a devil may care attitude, to his metal head fashion sense, and the way he defends himself when anyone harassed him. Well, it was less of defending himself and more so him scaring people off with a smug and somewhat sinister smirk as they rushed away from him with a look of aversion and slight horror.
She's seen him do it a handful of times now, it's quite impressive.
Not only did the boys admire the larger than life character that Eddie was, but they were so intimidated by him that they always talked themselves out of speaking to him about joining the Hellfire club. Eventually, the telekinetic had enough of their cowardice and decided to take matters into her own hands. So in the middle of lunch on a Thursday after calling her friends wusses for talking themselves out of speaking to him again, she shot up from her seat at their lunch table in the corner and made her way to Eddie's table.
When she arrived at the table she slammed her hands on the end of the surface, very quickly capturing every member of Hellfire's attention as they whip their heads in her direction and stared at her like she suddenly grew three heads. Before the head honcho sitting at the far end of the table could get a word in, Violet swiftly beat him to the punch.
She told him that her best friends have been contemplating joining the Hellfire club but that they're too intimidated to actually speak to him, she explained that the boys have been playing D&D and hosting their own campaigns from the early age of eight and seven years old, and she said that it's highly unlikely that he'll find more dedicated players than them.
A few moments passed by as she stood at the end of the table, her gaze not leaving the senior with the wild brunette curls and the big brown eyes that reminded her of Bambi. Then slowly but surely a smirk stretched across Eddie's lips as he stood up from his seat and braced his hands on the table. Shortly after a brief chat with Eddie she headed back to her lunch table, the three boys were staring at her like she just gave them a death sentence, but she ignored them and picked up her tray and tilts her head towards Eddie's table.
The group of four sat down at the Hellfire club's table and Eddie immediately introduced himself and began asking them questions about their characters and game levels. When his eyes fell on Violet and he asked if she played herself, she told him she knew how to play but she wasn't any good at the fantasy game. She said that she's been watching the boys play D&D years and that she's always been present for every campaign, never missing a single one.
Eddie was impressed by the fact that even though she didn't play she was always there to watch, and he said he wouldn't mind her coming to the campaigns just to observe. Violet smiled in a sardonic manner as she stabbed her fork into a floret of broccoli on her tray and said, "Oh, I wasn't asking permission. I was gonna be there regardless."
From that day on, Violet, Mike, Dustin, and Lucas were officially apart of the Hellfire club and attended every campaign that Eddie hosted twice a week every week. They'd sit with Eddie and the rest of the Hellfire club every day at lunch, but when Lucas joined the basketball team he started to sit with Jason Carver and his friends which left Violet with Mike and Dustin.
Though Lucas was tangled up with Jason and his meathead friends, he still made it to every campaign that Eddie put together throughout the year. But tonight... this was the first one that he'd have no choice but to miss, and since Violet never missed one of Lucas' games, she'd be absent for the metalhead's final campaign of the year too.
Dustin scoffed as he shook his head, "Just talk to Eddie."
Violet snorted, "You guys are such wusses. Eddie's not even that intimidating."
Mike shot her a deadpanned look, "Says the girl who can throw a human being with her mind, sorry but we can't all be as fearless as you." She rolled her eyes as his dark brown gaze flickers back to Lucas, "Why don't you just talk to your coach and get him to move the game."
"I think that's a great idea, Mike." Dustin agreed.
"Thank you, Dustin." Mike replied smugly.
"Uhm, I don't think that's how it works." The noirette murmurs with a frown, "He can't just demand his coach to postpone the game."
"Yeah, I can't do that." Lucas confirmed her thought, "It's not just any game either, it's the championship game!"
"And this is the end of Eddie's campaign!" Dustin shot back, "A semester of adventuring has led to this moment, and we need you."
"Yeah, and the Tigers don't." Mike stated, "You've been on the bench all year."
Violet scowled at the Wheeler boy, "No need to remind him, Mike."
Lucas shook his head as they walk through the school doors, "That's not the point."
Dustin let out a frustrated breath, "Please, arrive at the point."
"If I get in good with these guys, I'll be in the popular crowd, and then you guys will be too." Lucas explained to the trio walking alongside him.
"Has it ever occurred to you that we don't want to be popular?" Mike asked as his eyebrows raised and vanished behind his dark hair. He'd been letting his hair grow out this year, she knew it had everything to do with his admiration for Eddie and his choice of long hair, she thought it suited him quite nicely.
Disbelief and a tinge of frustration flooded Lucas' face, "You wanna be stuck with the nerds and freaks for three more years?"
"We are nerds and freaks!" Dustin exclaimed.
Violet shrugged her shoulder as she adjusts the bag strap on her shoulder, "I've been a freak since the day I was born, I'll never fit in and I'm fine with that."
A brief flicker of sympathy was evident in Lucas' eyes, then he switched his attention back towards Mike and Dustin. "But maybe we don't have to be." The two boys exchanged a silent and momentarily glance before looking at Lucas again, "Look, I'm tired of being bullied. I'm tired of girls laughing at us. I'm tired of feeling like a loser."
A frown came to Violet's lips as his words tugged at her heart strings, unlike Mike and Dustin, she was the only one who knew how deeply rooted Lucas' frustration about being bullied truly was. When school started he wasn't just being bullied, he was being harassed. Ignorant and small minded assholes lingered in the school hallways, who shoved him against lockers and spit racial slurs in his face.
Lucas didn't tell Mike and Dustin because he didn't think that they would understand, and really they couldn't fully understand, not like Violet did. She's lost count on how many times she's been called an immigrant or been told to "go back to Mexico" just because she's Latina. And even though it's not the same as the discrimination that Lucas is forced to go through every single day because of the melanin of his skin, she still had some understanding.
He thought joining the basketball team and befriending the most popular boy in school would give him some protection and put an end to the harassment, Violet even encouraged him and was with him every step of the way as he tried out for the team. She believed that getting in good with the team would help, because no one dared to mess with Jason Carver.
Well, unless they're Eddie Munson, of course.
"We came to high school wanting things to be different, right?" The Sinclair boy reminded the two boys in front of him, Dustin and Mike slowly nodded their heads. "So now we have that chance. I skip tonight, that's all out the window. So I'm asking you guys, as a friend, just talk to Eddie. Get him to move Hellfire. Come to my game with Violet." He implored with desperation in his mocha brown gaze. "Please."
Mike and Dustin remained silent as they avoid Lucas' gaze, then the warning bell rings overhead signaling that class was beginning soon. Defeat covered the Sinclair boy's face as his shoulders sagged, then he spins on his heel and walks into his first class of the day.
Violet pursed her lips as she turned to Mike and Dustin, "Well, you guys have got a decision to make. I'm off to class, see you losers later." She ruffled Mike's hair and pushed Dustin's hat down, then she walks past them and made her way to class.
—micaela speaks
Yo !
So uhm, I didn't think the first chapter would be this long... but shit happens.
ANYWAY, Hi! That was the first chapter of act 4 of Teenage Calamity! Honestly, I wasn't even sure if I was gonna write this season, but I decided fuck it and now I'm here. I really just missed Violet too much and I truly felt like her story was unfinished, she's too much of an amazing character to leave with an uncompleted arch.
Okay so, how are we feeling about our new trio? Violet, Steve, and Robin? I absolutely ADORE them, I'm gonna have so much fun writing their dynamic. The car scene on the way to school was the first of a MANY.
Now look, I went back and forth between how I wanted Violet and Max's storyline to go in this act. I was gonna keep them together and have Violet be the only one who knows what Max is truly going through deep down, but then I changed my mind again and decided to just follow the storyline of Max and Lucas in season 4 and have them break up for a bit.
Sorry not sorry, guys. Prepare for some heart wrenching Maiolet angst.
Yes, that's their ship name. Don't like it, come up with something better in the comments. I wanna see how creative you guys are, cause I used a ship name generator LMAOO.
Violet and Lucas are BESTIES, okay? I love them so fucking much.
Okay so, I know in the show they didn't get into Lucas' background and his struggles with racism in Hawkins because it's the goddamn 80's, but they did in the book so I decided to include that aspect into my book as well. So incase of anyone was confused by that, I got that background detail of Lucas in S4 from his book Lucas On The Line.
I can't wait to write scenes of Violet and Eddie, they're definitely gonna be a chaotic brother and sister duo. And since this is my book and I'll do whatever I want... there WILL be Steddie. Don't like the idea of Steve and Eddie together? Close this book and read something else. Don't know what to tell you, I like them together and I'm doing it LMAOO.
Fuck Stancy, that shit died in season two and should've stayed DEAD.
BUT ANYWHOOOSIE, I hope that you guys enjoyed the first chapter of act four! Please let me know in the comments how you felt, I love hearing from you guys. Thank you so much for reading, and I will see you all in the next chapter !
Bye xx