RINGO WHEELER liked to think that after eighteen years of existing she had finally learned how to get it right. She had mastered the art of finding friends that would always be there for her, made holding a steady and loving relationship look like a fine art and learned the importance of having a strong relationship with one's mother.
But driving? Well, Ringo Wheeler was about to make that her bitch.
She pointedly kept her eyes forward on the road, never daring to glance sideways at the driving tester in case the scribbles he was writing on the record sheet wasn't a series of stars and hearts alongside the margin of the page. The tester, who of all names was called Judas, looked iffy the second he settled into her banged up yellow bug. Ringo would have taken offence to his upturned nose and stiff posture, had he not held the power of providing her with a licence. Her 1969 Volkswagen Beetle was her baby, even if it did emit a very worrying rattle every time it was turned on.
"Take the next left," Judas instructed, pointing with his pen towards the nearest turn. Switching her indicators on and flipping her hair so he could clearly see she was checking her mirrors, Ringo proudly made the turn. Scribbles be damned, this was some of the best driving she had done in her life.
Turning the corner allowed her to see a group of teenagers that were flocked together ahead, lazily walking down the street as they had just exited the movie theatre. Ringo beamed at the dark curly head of her cousin, who had grown exponentially taller in the last few months. Even taller than her now - much to herself and Nancy's chagrin. Completely forgetting her current situation, she started to thump her palm against the steering wheel, waving excitedly at the group who awkwardly waved back.
"Hey losers!" She shouted through her open window, eyes darting back and forth between them and the road ahead.
"Isn't Ringo doing her driving test today?" Lucas muttered, dropping his hand when she was out of sight.
"Yep," Mike sighed, having a strong sense his cousin wouldn't be passing after that display. It was a true shame, he really wanted another chauffeur to drive him around while Nancy was still in the process of learning.
"Yeah, she's not passing," Lucas scoffed, dipping his hand back into the box of popcorn he had kept with him since the theatre.
"Not a chance in hell," Mike agreed.
As Ringo turned back to face the road again, she felt eyes burning into the side of her face that told her Judas was very unimpressed with her little display. Awkwardly swallowing, she turned the wheel to pull into the parking lot as Judas instructed.
Pulling the car into park, Ringo's hand shakily twitched through her blonde hair, hoping she hadn't managed to screw herself entirely. Steve had spent too many Saturdays screaming in her passenger seat for her to let him and herself down now. Even her uncle Ted had tried to teach her once - that lasted all but ten minutes before he told her to let him out on the side of the road and never drive again.
"Alright, Ringo Wheeler," Judas started, huffing a little as he flicked through the sheets in front of him. His lips were pursed, expression entirely unreadable.
"Yeah?" She squeaked, gnawing on her lower lip nervously. Ringo wasn't the most religious person, but she found herself praying at that moment. Praying that she'd pass and that Judas wasn't about to betray her like he had Jesus Christ.
"This car is a death trap, and you're one of the most nervous drivers I've experienced in my fourteen years of testing," Judas began, settling the papers in his lap and turning to face her.
Ringo grimaced, her mind thinking up every comment she could use against him - how she didn't 'need' to drive when she had public transport and a boyfriend that she could beg for a ride from, how his mother had named him Judas for a reason and how his hairline wouldn't have receded so far back if he had been a nicer person. And then, he spoke again.
"Against my better judgement, my strong, strong willed better judgement, I'm going to pass you based on today's performance," he finished, visibly eye rolling when she jumped up with a grin, "you'll receive your licence in the mail within two weeks, I wish you good luck. You'll need it."
Ringo restrained herself from excitedly jumping up and down and hollering with happiness - she would do that once he got out of the car.
Judas handed her a temporary driving permit, before opening the door and stepping out to return to the test centre. She was on the verge of shouting in celebration, until he kept the door open instead of slamming it so he could look back inside.
"And for god's sake, get that engine rattle checked out will you?" He looked at the car with disgust once again, slamming the door after one final comment. "If your driving doesn't kill someone, the car sure will."
Ringo ignored his remarks until he was out of sight, an excited grin remaining on her face as she slapped her hands against the wheel before fist-pumping the air. She was on top of the world, and Judas Iscariot wasn't going to bring her off that pedestal now.
Shoving her Joy Division cassette tape into the tape deck, Ringo beamed somehow even wider when Love Will Tear Us Apart began to blare through her speakers. Putting the car into drive, she pulled out of the parking lot with the windows down, the warm summer air shifting through her hair.
Steve was at work until six today, but this news couldn't wait until he had taken off his blue and white striped hat and apron. Besides, she could sure do with a serving of their bubblegum flavour ice cream.
✵
"For god's sake Harrington," Phil cursed into the teenager's ear pointing angrily at the shape of the scoops he was tugging out of the ice cream cartons on display. "You're giving out ice cream, not digging for China."
"Yep," Steve replied shortly, knowing it was better to shrug Phil's remarks off than give into them. He had started working at Scoops Ahoy! ice cream parlour a month ago, just after his high school career had ended on an all time high. He often wondered if the horror of working there was penance for piquing too early in life. In truth, it wouldn't have been that bad if somehow his manager Phil and every teenager in Hawkins decided to suddenly vanish off the face of the Earth.
"Yeah, Harrington," Robin muttered when Phil disappeared out the back, an amused grin twisting up her lips. The two were often stuck together during shifts, unluckily for the both of them. Steve found Robin to be helplessly annoying who tried too hard to be funny, while Robin considered Steve to be one of the biggest airheads to ever be born in Indiana.
"Oh, shut up," he rolled his eyes, sliding the misshapen scoop of pistachio ice cream onto a cone before handing it towards the impatient thirteen year old that was watching him like a hawk.
"I sincerely pity your girlfriend with those loose wrists," she teased, thoroughly enjoying pushing on his buttons.
"At least I have a girlfriend," he fired back, taking off the single-use plastic gloves and tossing them into the trash. "You haven't found anyone who can stand you enough to date you."
"It's slim pickings in Hawkins," Robin scoffed, starting to wipe down the counter with a damp cloth. "By all means, if you know any single women who prefer the company of other single women, let me know."
"As a matter of fact I do, but I wouldn't put her through the agony of introducing you two."
"Har har," she rolled her eyes, scrubbing at a dark spot of dirt on the white counter top. "If she's friends with you, she's clearly not worth my time of day."
Steve noticed another body appear in the entrance to the parlour from the corner of his eye, sighing and preparing for another rude customer, he was pleasantly surprised to see his girlfriend instead.
"Hey, you!" He called out, ignoring Robin scoffing again - this time at the goofy grin he wore at the sight of his girlfriend.
"Hi," she beamed in return, her happy mood only increasing exponentially at the sight of him.
"I loved you on the radio last night," Steve commented, rounding around the till so he could meet her upfront, while anxiously glancing back at the store room door for Phil's reappearance.
"I told you that you didn't have to stay up and listen to me," she hummed, lifting her chin up as he pressed a welcoming peck to her cheek. "I'm fully aware the only people listening to the radio at 1am are insomniacs."
Contrasting with Steve, Ringo loved her new employment with the local radio station, Hawkins FM. Music was her passion, and she was more than ecstatic to be given her own hour to play and discuss what ever she wanted - even if it meant it was the 1am slot. The show was thus named 'Radio Ringo', and even though many people turned it off after realising it wasn't an hour filled with Beetles songs, she was more than happy with her current position.
"I don't mind staying up late to listen to your voice, I barely get to hear it at all lately," he quirked his eyebrows cheesily. "Which reminds me, how badly did you fail your driving test?"
"Hey!" She smacked his bicep, narrowing her eyes at his comment but still unable to wipe the smile off her face. "I'll have you know, I passed it! I'll be personally faxing each and every single person who said I can't drive a copy of my temporary licence."
"What? Was he high?" Steve recoiled, genuinely shocked. At the sight of her rising frown, he leaned in to cup her cheeks and press a kiss to her lips. "I'm kidding, babe. I'm so proud of you!"
"Ringo Wheeler!" A voice bellowed from behind, prompting Steve to jump back from her in fear. "Aren't you banned from entering these premises?"
"I don't think you have the authority to ban me, Phil," she retorted, rolling her eyes at his remark and the finger pointed in her direction.
"Oh don't I?" He asked, pointing towards a very new sign displayed on the wall beside him that wrote, in overly large black writing, 'MANAGEMENT RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REFUSE ENTRY'.
"Well," Ringo conceded, choosing to hold her purse up for him to see, "I'm looking to buy an ice cream. Are you going to refuse money?"
"Fine," Phil grumbled after a moment of thought, "but you're getting out straight after purchase. And I'll be standing here to make sure you do, I don't want no frolicking with Steve here."
Her boyfriend's eyes were wide as he dipped underneath the display to get her what he already knew she'd order.
"Oh yes," Ringo drily spoke in return, "because nothing turns me on more than ice cream and the sight of you watching us."
"This is why you're banned," Phil shouted back, having had enough or her remarks while his two employees tried to hide their rising laughs.
"That'll be $1.40," Robin prompted from the till, lips curled in to prevent from laughing.
"You know, Phil? I just passed my driving test, maybe this could be your present to me," she chanced, fishing for the correct change anyway from her purse.
"You're not getting it free, pay Robin and then get out," he shook his head, having had enough of her antics as he returned to the store room with a particularly peeved expression.
"He likes me deep down, I think," Ringo commented to Robin as she handed over the change, dropping a wink to Steve when he slipped the cone into her waiting hand.
"Are we still on for tonight?" He called out as she began to walk towards the exit.
"Definitely," Ringo nodded, blowing a playful kiss at him. It was overly cheesy and very uncharacteristic of her to do, but there was nothing killing her mood today. "I'll pick you up."
"Make sure to bring flowers," he responded, raising the pitch of his voice to sound feminine, "for my grave! When you end up hitting a wall!"
Ringo stuck up her middle finger in reply, eliciting a tinkling laugh from Robin as she exited the store. Now she only had tonight to look forward to.
Tomorrow was Steve's nineteenth birthday, and while he was under the impression they'd be sharing a romantic dinner, Ringo was planning one hell of a party for him at his house.
✵
"I'm home!" Ringo called out, her voice ringing through the apartment that now held, as of yesterday, a new occupant.
"Oh honey," Julia walked out into the hallway to meet her, a pitiful expression on her face, "you can always take the test again."
"I didn't fail the test, for crying out loud," she rolled her eyes - did people really have that little faith in her?
"Really?" Julia frowned, as if the news was that shocking. Once she saw Ringo's deadpan gaze, she quickly recovered and wore a bright smile. "Kidding, of course! I'm delighted for you, honey."
Ringo reluctantly accepted her hug, suddenly beginning to doubt her driving skills now that every single person she knew had doubted her too. After pulling away, Julia called out to the younger girl in the living room, who was propped on the couch watching their TV.
"Hear that, Sunny?" Julia greeted, trying her best to adopt a warm grin. "Ringo passed her driving test!"
Sunny was the newest member of the Wheeler clan, although only temporary. Julia had gotten rather obsessed with fostering after seeing a heartbreaking advert during one of Cheer's commercial breaks. After a lengthy process that spawned half a year, she was finally applicable to foster a child - and thus, Sunny had arrived.
Ringo hadn't heard her speak once since she moved in, although it had only been a measly twenty-four hours, so she tried to put it down to nerves. She had never seen her mother act so polite to another person, where Julia had only ever been sarcastic and teasing with her actual daughter.
The fostered child looked over with a blank expression at the two of them, paused for a beat, and then finally turned back to face the TV. Julia let out a sigh of frustration, leaning in to murmur in Ringo's ear.
"What if she doesn't speak English, Ringo?" Julia questioned worriedly, "her parents are South Korean but the case worker never mentioned she wouldn't understand us."
"I'm from fucking Michigan," the girl finally spoke with an extremely clear American accent, shocking the two out of their stare as she fixed them with a harsh glare. Ringo and Julia jumped in place, nodding and politely smiling in apology before jetting off to the kitchen, their eyes wide with embarrassment.
✵
Ringo had never felt like she was the stereotypical boyfriend in her relationship until that current moment, and she was loving every bit of it. Pulling into the mall's parking lot, she honked the horn to capture Steve's attention as he was propped up against the wall, patiently waiting. His head snapped up at the sound, eyes drawn to the horrifically bright Volkswagen she refused to part with as he trudged his way towards it.
Ringo had the window rolled down all the way, her arm hanging lazily out of it as she smirked at her incoming boyfriend.
"Hey sweet thing," she called out, exaggeratedly looking him up and down. "Need a ride?"
"Shut up," he closed his eyes at her ridiculousness, although a chuckle still fell from his lips as he rounded the car and climbed inside the passenger seat.
"So I'm guessing we're going back to your place first to change?"
"I never thought I'd hate ice cream," Steve ranted, feeling as if he was crawling inside his work uniform. "But if I hear 'Rocky Road' one more time today I'm telling Jane to explode my brain inside my head."
"You wouldn't need Jane to do it, Max would beat you up for free," Ringo snickered, keeping her eyes on the road to prove her driving skills to Steve and ease his consciousness.
"Did you hear Billy got a job at the swimming pool as a lifeguard?"
"A lifeguard," Ringo scoffed, "Billy Hargrove would let me drown and then give my body for kids to use as a float."
After a short period of driving, they reached Steve's house. Ringo struggled to keep the smirk off her face, knowing well that all of their friends were hiding behind the door to jump up and surprise him. She frowned upon noticing the lights in the house were all on, knowing the group had been given strict instructions to keep them off. She could only hope they had the sense to hide.
"Did I forget to switch the lights off?" Steve pondered, unbuckling his belt as Ringo pulled in to park. He waited next to the car for her to get out as well, so they could walk side by side up to the door.
"What time is the reservation?" He asked suddenly.
"Eight," she responded, weary of his curiosity, "why?"
"So we have an hour for some fun?" He snickered into her ear, resting his arm around her shoulders. Ringo simply rolled her eyes and shoved his arm off in response. Ever since they had finally bridged the gap and moved to the 'next step', Steve liked to use every opportunity he could to seduce her.
While Steve fumbled with his keys, she bit her lip, hardly able to contain her excitement. Ringo cowered behind Steve to hide her elation, not wanting to ruin the surprise at the last minute.
As Steve finally opened the front door after what felt like hours, she jumped up, ready to scream along with their friends 'happy birthday'. To say that she was particularly pissed off to see that not only were her friends in plain sight, but not even looking towards Steve, was an understatement.
"What the hell?" Steve called out, catching their attention. Nancy's eyes were wide, staring at Ringo over Steve's shoulder almost in warning. Narrowing her eyes in confusion, the couple moved forward further to investigate.
"You guys threw a party for me?" Steve asked, a cheesy grin on his face. But that grin soon faded when the person who everyone's eyes were fixed on instead of him finally revealed themselves from around the corner.
Ringo looked over curiously when she felt Steve stiffen beside her, following his eye-line to see a rather tall and poised woman, no older than mid forties. She was impeccably dressed, not a hair out of place. But her appearance was greatly marred by the frown she was giving the two.
"Mom?" Steve breathed out, eyebrows furrowing. "I thought you wouldn't be back until next week."
"I thought I'd come home early," she smiled falsely, giving Ringo a quick once over. "And who might this be?"
✵
We are finally back and in action!! I hope everyone enjoys this book and what's to come!
The amazing gif at the top of this chapter was made by -saoirses , she's incredibly talented so everyone go check out her profile!