TIME FLIES WHEN YOU'RE HAVING FUN, or in Benadette Sterling's case, life's fun when you're having flies. Flies being the crumbling interest of Hawkins, Indiana. From its ever-so-inviting ambiance of a basic town square to the super luxurious recrea...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
WALKING THROUGH THE WOODS IS OFTEN DESCRIBED AS BLISSFUL, NOT WATCHING NANCY AND JONATHAN WALKING IN AGONIZING SILENCE WHILE BENNY TRAILED BEHIND THEM LIKE A LOST PUPPY. The three of them had been walking for what seemed like forever, and Benny was about to combust from boredom as she gripped her backpack tighter, looking at the fifth same tree branch. The Indiana woods were about as thrilling as watching the senior citizens play bingo to get community service hours.
She almost forgot their mission entirely, and the silence was killing her. Before Benny could break the ice, Nancy beat her to it, "You never said what I was saying."
"What?"
"Yesterday," Nancy asked him again, being a little less vague, "You said I was saying something, and that's why you took my picture."
"Oh, uh," Jonathan stuttered at the question. "I don't know."
Benny was intrigued as she wondered what they talked about while talking to an annoyed Jackson with Nancy's boyfriend Steve trailing too far behind him.
"My guess," Benny couldn't help but roll her eyes at Jonathan's inability to hide his nerves toward the Wheeler girl, "I saw this girl, you know, trying to be someone else. But at that moment, it was like you were alone or thought you were. And, you know, you could just be yourself."
That was painful to hear, and Bennys face contorted at his attempt to flatter Nancy when he clearly violated their privacy. Benny winced at his inability to communicate. He turned back towards Benny giving her a glare.
"That is such bullshit," Nancy said as she walked toward a shocked Jonathan. Benny was now in the crossfire if she wasn't already mentally applauding Nancy.
Jonathan stood with the bat slung over his shoulder, looking between them, "What?"
"I am not trying to be someone else." Nancy seemed convincing herself, and Benny tried to believe the desperation in her voice. Apart from her knee Jonathan was right, but Nancy shook the accusation off, "Just because I'm dating Steve and you don't like him—"
She looked at Benny to support her argument and scrunched her nose at the comment about Harrington. Nancy furrowed her eyebrows at the body language her friend was conveying. She looked down at her shoes because the scuffed white sneakers seemed far more interesting than the conversation. She saw a small pile of rocks, picking them up and shoving about ten in her jacket pocket.
"You know what? Forget it," Jonathan stormed past the both of them, "I just thought it was a good picture."
"He's actually a good guy," Nancy stated, pleading the fifth for her boyfriend.
"You're not helping your case," Benny muttered, throwing one of the rocks to the side and making a game of hitting tree trunks. Nancy exchanged a glare, not in appreciation.
"Okay," the Byers stammered as Nancy ran to catch up with him.
Benny threw her second rock, hitting the bush to their right. She was just now keeping score. It seemed more interesting than annoying Jonathan and Nancy with their friends, secret crush quarrel. She wasn't sure what the weird tension was.
