Chapter Text
Friday - 26th of October
A chill breeze slipped through an open window at 4820 Cherry Lane, upsetting the careful order of a bouquet and sending its dying petals drifting onto the sill. The alarm clock buzzed untouched on the nightstand, counting down the minutes to the school bell. Kimberley Henderson ignored it, taking a final puff from her cigarette before quickly hiding it in an ashtray on the nearby roof. With a cursory glance over her shoulder, she waved away the ash-laced air and tugged the glass pane down into its fixed position.
The record player, one of her most prized possessions, serenaded her morning routine with The Police, which was a religious requirement to sing along with at full volume as far as Kim was concerned. She danced around her bedroom as she readied herself for the day ahead, the music wending its way round her like a ribbon as she slipped out of her nightwear.
"Though I've tried before to tell her, of the feelings I have for her in my heart"
She pulled her cropped 'Hawkins High' jersey over her head and shimmied the matching skirt over her hips as she skipped round her bedroom, tugging her socks above her ankles before slipping her feet into a pair of Converse.
"Every time that I come near her, I just lose my nerves as I've done from the start..."
Kim slipped her long dark hair free from beneath the collar of her jersey and surveyed herself in the mirror. She was a pretty girl, a few inches shorter than most of her peers, with large slightly hooded eyes that shone grey like the moon. Her round face split into dimpled cheeks whenever she smiled. Her brows, dark and thick like her hair, were well manicured, and her nose was soft and slender, with a gentle slope that completed a picture of innocence, but despite her soft features, her eyes betrayed the quiet storm that roiled beneath.
"Every little thing she does is magic!"
Her room was large, bright and immaculate, decorated floor to ceiling with a floral wallpaper that she'd had since she was thirteen. Now, at the age of seventeen, every spare inch was littered with music and movie posters and cutouts from magazines. Two windows on the far wall overlooked the roof of a small extension and the yard beyond; a third, opposite the bed, was perfectly placed for spying on the neighbours. Nearby, a door led to a small en suite bathroom, tastefully decorated and fully stocked. The room was a young American teenager's dream, and like any good, well-behaved teenager, Kim had made sure the bed was neatly made and the curtains drawn back to let in the late October sunshine.
Basketball season was in full swing, and it was her duty to instill school pride in the freshman class now that orientation was behind them. So today she had donned her green-and-white Hawkins High cheer uniform, her favourite pair of white sneakers and her matching letterman cardigan. She'd styled her hair in her best Brooke Shields imitation and at last pulled her fringe out of its roller letting it arch over her forehead. Her eyeshadow, a bubblegum pink, matched the shade of gum she'd just tossed into her mouth, and she'd splashed some blush onto her cheekbones before thickening her lashes with mascara. She spun toward the door, pleased with her appearance for the day, flicking her heel up as she collected her things and made her way downstairs.
Just as she stepped out onto the landing, she heard the telltale call of her mom from the depths of the kitchen below.
"Kimberley!"
"Coming!" Kim called.
"You better hurry or you'll be late."
Kim skipped down the stairs as quickly as she could.
"Good thing I'm ready then," she quipped, snatching a pancake from the top of the small pile and quickly taking a bite from the edge.
Judith glanced back over her shoulder at her daughter. Her arms were buried, elbows deep, in a mass of bubbles pouring out of the sink, and she looked as if she'd been cooking a feast for twenty people.
"Wow, that's a lot of dishes for pancakes," Kim said, one eyebrow quirking upward.
"The new neighbours are moving in next door, so I wanted to bake them a cake to welcome them to the neighbourhood!" Judith said with a smile.
"At seven-thirty in the morning?" Kim asked, taking another bite.
"Well, no, but I didn't want to use dusty kitchen utensils." Judith looked back at the dishes piled next to her, her expression a little crestfallen.
Kim smiled gently and leaned in to kiss her mother's cheek. Judith wanted to make a good impression on everyone and was always eager to do something nice for others. She also had a mild obsession with keeping things clean.
"I'm sure they'll appreciate the effort."
Judith was a short woman, much like Kim, with a plump face and a soft cushion of weight on her hips and midriff. She sometimes fussed over herself, wishing she were more like the other moms of Hawkins, but Kim loved her just the way she was. Judith was pretty, her skin laced with laugh lines and tanned from hours spent gardening, and her dark hair hung in waves to her shoulders. She was a little eccentric, a very chipper person with a soft demeanor and a ferocious moral compass.
Kim took after her mother in many ways, but her sarcasm and dry humour she'd most definitely inherited from her father, Robert. Robert spent much of his time travelling for work, so Judith worked part-time at the local hardware store to keep herself occupied now that Kim was choosing to spend her days with friends and in after-school clubs.
"I'll see you later," Kim said, making her way to the door.
"Ooh, wait! Auntie Claudia asked if you could please stop by and see Dustin Sunday night."
Kim paused and rolled her head back, her hand poised on the door handle.
"Eugh, why? What now?" she groaned.
"Now, don't be like that. Claudia is going to be late home and after Joyce's son went missing last year, she just wants to make sure Dusty is okay."
Kim sighed. She loved her cousin deeply, but he spent so much time talking about things she rarely understood or had any interest in. Despite some physical similarities, they were practically polar opposites. Because they'd grown up together, she'd been dragged along to every party, science fair, and nerdy sci-fi event that Dustin attended. It meant she knew far more about the likes of Dungeons & Dragons than she would care to admit to her own crew.
After years of Dustin forcing her to step in as an extra player whenever they needed one, she could probably run a campaign of her own as a Dungeon Master quite easily - albeit begrudgingly. She tried not to let on but, as much as she wanted to hate it, she actually kind of enjoyed it. The roleplay was fun, the stories sometimes brimmed with mystery or political tension. The combat could be so intense it could really feel like each roll was life or death.
From time to time the boys could tell she'd gotten too into it and had used it to coax her back into their group. But it just wasn't the done thing for a cheerleader to be interested in D&D.
Dustin's love of science was the real difference between them. Kim understood enough to get above-average grades, but Dustin took it a step further, bordering on obsession. He was a member of the Hawkins Middle School AV club and spent a lot of his time in Mr. Clarke's classroom talking God knows what. When Claudia couldn't secure time off work he'd go away to summer camp for a few weeks. He was so much like Kim's little brother that he even had his own bedroom in their house. It wasn't used anywhere near as much now as when they were younger, but the room was always made for him if he needed it.
"Fine," Kim said, "but... if his friends are there then I'm walking straight back out. I'm not signing up for a last-minute babysitting gig and he's old enough to look after himself."
She pointed her finger at her mom before she could make the inevitable suggestion. Kim pulled on the handle and ducked out the door without another word, closing it as her mom sang a final "love you, have a good day".
She stepped onto the veranda and looked out onto the lawn and the road ahead. Janet hadn't arrived to pick her up yet, so she walked down onto the well-trodden pathway leading to the house, taking in the morning sunshine. The leaves were falling from their branches, sending a cascade of gold and russet confetti from the canopy overhead to carpet the ground. The air was chilled, but not yet bitter enough to need a jacket or to stop her from wearing skirts and leggings.
She glanced over at next door and spied the movers taking boxes from the back of a truck parked at the curb, but it was the navy blue Camaro that caught her eye. It was clearly well-loved: its exterior newly cleaned and waxed, and even the tyres seemed to refuse to hold little dirt, oil or grease. Its owner either loved it so much that they dared not let it get dirty or they wanted to make an impression on arrival. Either way, Kim couldn't help but flex her lips in admiration.
From behind the van, a young girl - probably about Dustin's age - walked toward the house. She was slim-built, pretty and tom-boyish, with flaming red hair, pale skin and freckles across her nose and cheeks. She wore a zip-up jacket over a striped tee, jeans and a pair of trainers, a skateboard wedged tightly under the crook of her arm. She looked toward Kim with a slightly awkward expression, her long hair flowing loose behind her in the fall breeze.
"Hey!" Kim called out, taking the opportunity to greet her new neighbour before her ride arrived.
"Uhh... Hi" the girl replied back, stopping in her tracks.
Kim hopped down the steps towards her.
"I'm Kim" she smiled, holding out her hand.
The girl looked around as if unsure she should, or even wanted to, be talking to this stranger. Still, she nodded, her lips forming a tight half-smile and shook Kim's hand.
"Max", she said.
"Nice to meet you Max, welcome to Hawkins," Kim grinned.
"Thanks," she mumbled.
"So where do you hail from?" Kim asked, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear and tilting her head to the side.
"Huh?"
"Where have you moved from?" Kim clarified, a gentle laugh breaking from her chest.
"Oh, California. My mom met my stepdad a few years ago and they moved us here for a... better life"
Max's eyes scanned the environment around them, completely unconvinced that Hawkins, Indiana would lead to anything close to a better life.
"Give it a chance," Kim chuckled, "It'll grow on you."
Max smiled awkwardly. "Are you in middle school?" Kim asked.
"Uhh, yeah."
"Then you'll probably meet my cousin Dustin. Yes, he's as much of a dweeb as he looks, but he means well" she shrugged.
Max snorted. "Thanks, we start Tuesday"
"We?"
"Yeah. Me and my brother - Billy" Max shrugged as casually as she could manage, but Kim didn't miss the slight twitch of her lip or the way her eyes dropped down to her shoes.
"Oh, you have a brother?" Kim asked, looking up toward the neighbour's house.
A shadow had appeared in the doorway next door.
"Stepbrother. He's a senior."
"Oh, awesome. I've seen the van parked here for a few days, but I haven't seen anyone else yet - apart from the movers. You're the first." Kim smiled.
Max's demeanour shifted, her pupils dilating and her lip twitching.
"Yeah, we've just got here." she mumbled.
"Sweet."
"Look, I better go before..." she trailed off, glancing back over her shoulder in the direction of her new home.
"No worries" Kim shrugged, trying not to show too much concern as she noticed Max's breathing hitch "My ride will be here soon anyway. But it was nice to meet you Max. And, uh, don't let Dustin harass you, okay?" she winked and gave Max's arm a light squeeze.
Max smiled "Yeah. Thanks."
She walked her way up the path past the moving van and the beautiful blue camaro.
Kim gave her a wave and walked toward the road. In the distance, she could see Janet's Ford Galaxie trailing down the road toward her.
"Max!" A voice behind her boomed.
Kim looked back toward the angry voice that had called from the house behind her. Max had made it to the porch steps, and a fit young man stood in the doorway. He was handsome, sporting a dirty-blonde mullet, sharp jawline and a thin mustache across his upper lip. He was visibly muscular even from a distance, flexing his arm against the door as he blocked her from entering, his biceps on full display in a sleeveless white vest. A cigarette bounced on his lips as he leaned toward her menacingly.
"What did I tell you? Watch the damn car with your stupid board!" he snapped.
"Sorry."
"Don't use that tone with me, kid" he hissed.
"I said I'm sorry."
She ducked under his arm and into the house beyond. A small string of smoke curled up in front of his face as he pulled the cigarette from his lips and stared at the new neighbour standing on the curb. His eyes narrowed as he looked her up and down before he retreated through the living room door.
"God, what an asshole..." Kim muttered.
Kim glowered at the porch long after the door shut. She already wasn't a fan, but she couldn't shake the way her skin prickled as his stare had lingered on her—like he was sizing her up, deciding whether she was a threat or a prize.
"Beep beep! Anyone call for a cab?" Janet called, popping the passenger door open as she pulled parallel to the sidewalk.
"Good morning to you too," Kim replied, lowering herself into the vacant seat.
"New neighbours?" Janet said, gesturing toward the moving van.
"Yeah. The girl seems nice, her brother's a jerk."
Janet peered around Kim before she pulled away, trying to catch a glimpse before they drove out of range. "Did you meet him?"
"Not properly. And I'm not sure I want to..."
"Is he hot?"
"Janet!" Kim cried, looking at her open mouthed in half-amusement and half-horror.
"What? It's a legit question."
Kim shook ker head. "I can't believe you sometimes."
"So? Is he?"
Kim glanced at her friend. Janet was the picture-perfect blonde cheerleader: athletic, dazzling, always smiling. She made popularity look effortless—something most people had to work for. She could have rivalled Kim's friend Steve for the proverbial crown. But Janet had chosen Kim as her ride-or-die, and that meant something.
Janet was one of maybe two people whose opinion Kim actually cared about. She was the one who would call Kim out when she went too far—and the one who'd be there when it mattered.
"Kinda... put it this way," Kim said. "Carol will die when she sees him, and Tommy will be six feet under."
Janet laughed as they sped smoothly towards school.
"That hot, huh?"
"Watch them fawn all over him. Tommy won't know what to do with himself. He'll be ham-jamming it with a hand down his pants in the boys' locker room before you know it" Kim laughed, pumping her fist in front of her.
"That's both gross and cute. He is a little lost without Steve..." Janet replied with mock concern, "So, you ready for the next game?"
"Always! Actually, I'm really looking forward to it."
"Really?!" Janet asked, shocked.
"Hell yeah! It's senior year. The team is looking good, Harrington's happy, and he's not crying into his jockstrap over Nancy anymore."
"Kim!"
"Come on, you know it's true. Coach said we've got a shot, and I'm ready to have some fun again. Hopefully, all the parents have got over last year and - oh crap."
"What?"
"Can you give me a ride to see Dustin on Sunday? Just sometime before his mom gets home."
"Again?"
"Yeah, she asked me to check in on him. I don't know why, it's not like he got abducted."
Janet winced. "Ah shoot, I can't take you, I have to go get my Dad from the station Sunday night."
"It's okay, I'll ask Steve for a ride. I think he wanted to hang out tonight anyway."
"Where's Nancy?"
"Who knows, but I'm not going to say no - I hardly get to hang out with him these days" Kim groaned.
"Hmm... I wonder why," Janet said, smiling knowingly.
| |
After he'd seen her that morning, his mind kept wandering back to her tight little body, the prissy cheer uniform, and the pretty face to match - even with the scowl she'd thrown his way. She looked like she needed a rough wake-up call, and he'd be glad to be the one to deliver it.
He helped the movers take the last of the boxes out of the van, tossing one on the pile in the living room with as little regard for it as the ashes that fell to the floor from his cigarette.
"Thanks boys, what do we owe you?" his Dad asked, thumbing through a wad of notes that he'd kept in his back pocket.
The whole thing was weird. Neil and Susan had met at their local bank in California a few years back when Billy was barely thirteen. Susan was a desk clerk. Neil worked security. They'd supposedly fallen in love and wanted a quiet life together. Billy didn't buy it. He figured his dad had either knocked her up or was trying to avoid her ex.
He blew out the smoke and looked around. The house wasn't great, but jeez, the town was miserable. It looked like a set from some sad high school drama. He half expected the people to be members of a backwards cult that sacrificed kids every full moon. Then again, maybe that wouldn't be so bad. If they took Max, he could stand back and enjoy the show. She was the reason they'd moved to this stupid place, after all.
He left his Dad in the living room and wandered toward the room that would now become his sanctuary.
Glancing out the dirt-marked window, he surveyed the neighbouring house. A woman, presumably his neighbours mom, was strolling merrily around upstairs, folding laundry and humming like she'd never had a bad day in her life. He stared at the trellis and drain pipe running down the back of the house. If he wanted, he could climb right up it.
His room was a rather sorry sight. A small double bed, a set of drawers, a bedside cabinet, a desk and chair, a small mirror and a built in wardrobe.
At least his room in Cali had proper sunlight and the sea breeze. Hawkins stank of fertiliser and shit. California was sea salt, sand and sunshine - the scent of a crisp wave was enough to make Billy breathe a little lighter.
He'd sold his surfboard before they moved. It had broken him to do it. The only thing he'd insisted on keeping was the Chevy. He'd refused to let Max ride along in it on the long journey to Hawkins, stuffing the seats with junk so he could have those last few hours of peace with just his music and the engine.
A gentle knock at the door broke the silence.
"Hey, Billy?"
Billy pulled the cigarette from his mouth and stubbed it out on his bed post. His eyebrows furrowed before lifting as he saw Susan standing hesitantly in the doorway.
"Yeah?" He asked, more annoyed than he intended.
"How-uh... do you like your room?" she stared at him with reproach, clearly keen to strike some form of conversation.
"Uh, yeah. It's- fine..." he replied, rubbing the back of his head.
"Good. I'd hate for you not to like it," she said, eyes flicking over the small space. "Not since we had to pull you away from home and all. A nice room and some fresh air can do absolute wonders."
He nodded, unsure where this was going.
"I- uh- I think I'm gonna go out," he said, grabbing his keys from the dresser. "Cruise the town again. See what there is."
"Oh," Susan said quickly. "Could you take Max with you? I'm sure she'd like to get out and see the sights too."
Billy gritted his teeth and forced a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Sure," he said, voice smooth but sharp. "Absolutely."
He stalked past Susan and headed straight for the door to Max's room. He booted it open and found her sitting on the edge of her bed, fingers nervously tracing the worn edge of her skateboard. She let out a little gasp and jumped slightly, like a cat who'd been spooked by a sudden noise.
"Get your shoes on," Billy said, voice flat. "We're leaving."
"What?"
Susan smiled politely, lifting a moving box up from the floor and walking deeper into the house.
"Are you coming, pipsqueak," Billy snapped, "or are you going to stand there asking stupid questions all day?"
Max's eyes flicked to him, then away. She looked like she was trying to decide whether to fight or run. Jesus she gave him a headache.
He watched her scurry around her new room for a moment, scrambling for her trainers, before he got bored and meandered out to his car. He toyed with the keys as he went, enjoying the way the light bounced off the metal. He loved his car, it was a chick magnet. God knows how many girls he'd had on that very back seat. A reminder of the life he'd been forced to leave behind.
He popped his Zippo open and shut, a steady rhythm that calmed him, sparing a sidelong glance at the neighbours property.
Their house looked nice. Tidy. A perfect lawn. A path framed with flower beds. A bench on the porch like a display piece for a magazine. A family car parked in the driveway.
He hated how normal it all looked. Billy thundered his fingers on the roof of the Camaro, flicking a bit of dirt off the paint as Max finally jogged down the front steps.
"So, where are we going?" she asked.
"I don't know," Billy said, wrenching open the driver's door. "Your mom made me bring you."
Max slid into the passenger seat like she'd expected a fight.
"Do you... know what there is to do around here?" she asked, voice small.
Billy snapped his head toward her. "What are you asking me for?"
Max stared at her shoes.
"I hate it here," she muttered.
"What?" Billy asked.
"I don't want to be here," she sighed.
He turned the key in the ignition and the engine growled to life. "That makes two of us"
They drove around for a while in silence, marking out places in Hawkins that might be of interest. Watching and judging the people as they walked passed.
He found the gym, but from what he could tell without walking in, he had better equipment at home.
"Wait!" Max cried, "what's that?"
Billy slowed down abruptly, pulling in to a parking lot. The building looked average and unassuming, except for the neon 'ARCADE' light visible in the window. Thank god.
"Get out" Billy demanded.
"What?"
"Get out," he repeated, sharper. "I'll pick you up in two hours. If you're not standing right here when I come back, you can walk home."
Max's mouth opened, then closed again. She stared at him like she was trying to decide if he was serious.
"Seriously?" she asked.
Billy didn't answer. He just watched her scramble for the door handle, and once she was out, he pulled away before she could change her mind.
Max stood on the sidewalk, stunned, staring after him as the Camaro disappeared into the distance.