1983 || Stranger Things

sᴇᴠᴇɴᴛᴇᴇɴ | sᴜɴ ᴋɪssᴇᴅ ɢɪʀʟ

𝐹𝑟𝑖𝑑𝑎𝑦 𝑎𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑜𝑜𝑛, 𝐴𝑢𝑔𝑢𝑠𝑡 17, 1984

      By this time in the summer, Julie had gotten a job as a lifeguard at the public beach. She spent her days watching obnoxious children frolic around in the water. To other people it would sound like fun, but Julie hated it. She was only home one day a week, so she never had an knowledge of what was going on at home. At least she was moderately tan.

      The few times she did see Billy, he was grumpy and mean. Max was pleasant as always, but she spent her days with her friends or skateboarding. Julie took Max surfing on her day off. Neil and Susan had started working a lot more, arrousing some suspicion from Julie. She was the only one who seemed to notice.

      At this particular moment, Julie was sitting in the lifeguard shack on her break, eating a sandwich and reading a novel. She was wearing the required red one-piece bathing suit, with a pair of white shorts and her sandals. Her hair was braided, and she wore a white lifegaurd's hat, finishing her look with her whistle. Out of no where, a very attractive teenager waltzed in. He was wearing a lifeguard tanktop and the required boardshorts, confusing Julie immensely.

      "Ah, Bryan, glad you found the place okay." Julie's supervisor, Chris greeted this Bryan, stepping out of the office to let Bryan in.

      "Your instructions were great." Bryan said, and Julie rolled her eyes. Neither of them had noticed her quiet presence, or the turning of her book pages, but she could hear them clear as day.

      "Great to hear. I'm gonna pair you up with one of our experienced staff members, and she'll show you the ropes. Julie!" Chris called, and Julie rolled her eyes and stood, placing her book and her half-finished sandwich on the desk she was sitting at, standing and walking to the office.

      "You called?"

      "Bryan, this is Julie. Julie, Byran. Bryan is new here, and I'd like you to show him the ropes, get him comfortable." Chris introduced the two, Julie nodding at Bryan.

      "Sure. Let's go." Julie said, turning on her heel and walking out of the office with Bryan on her heels.

      As Julie walked to the supply closet to get Bryan equipment, there was an awkward silence in the air, until he spoke. "Julie, huh?"

      Julie nodded. "Uh-huh."

      "Is it short for anything?" Bryan asked, and Julie had to refrain from laughing at his flirting.

      "Juliana. Here's your pack. Keep it on you at all times." Julie instructed, passing the pack to Bryan who took it. "When you go up on the stand, keep your eyes open."

      "Got it. So, how old are you, Julie?" Bryan asked, following Julie outside by the beach.

      Julie's brows crinkled, but she answered him. "Seventeen. How about you?"

      "Almost seventeen. I'm going to be a junior."

      "Very cool. I got to go up, but I'll see you around." Julie said, beginning to climb the ladder with her pack and her rescue buoy.

      Bryan nodded, and walked back inside, leaving Julie and the other guards to watch over everything.

•••

      That night after work, Julie was walking home in her lifeguard, planning to shower once she got home. She wasn't far from the beach, when a car pulled up next to her on the street, honking its horn. Julie paused, and turned to see that the owner of said vehicle was none other than Bryan.

      "Hey!" Bryan greeted, exiting his car and walking around to the sidewalk.

      "Hey. How was your first day?" Julie asked, adjusting her bag on her arm.

      Bryan shrugged. "Better now that I've run into you. Do you want a ride to your house?" he offered.

      "Actually, I think I'm gonna walk. Thanks though." Julie declined Bryan's offer, attempting to turn and walk home.

      "Are you sure? I mean, I'm new in town, so It'd be great to get to know someone." Bryan pushed.

      Julie opened her mouth to say no again, but was cut off by a certain blue Camero speeding down the street, pulling up right in front of Bryan's car. Inside the car was Max and Billy, with Rock You Like a Hurricane by the Scorpions blasting through the radio.

      "Hey, shitface, we got a problem here?" Billy, glad in leather and sunglasses with a cigarette in his finger spoke, Max next to him smirking uncontrollably,

      "No, no problem. Can we help you? We're kind of in the middle of something." Bryan said to Billy, and Billy knew his words were false when Julie's brows furrowed, and she looked from Bryan to Max and Billy.

      "Okay. Get in Julie." Billy demanded, and Julie nodded.

      She approached the passenger side, and Max wasn't moving. "In the back." She said, pointing to the back seat.

      "But--" Max started.

      "In the back." Julie repeated, and Max sighed. She got out of the front seat and sat in the back, grumbling about unfairness the whole time.

      Billy watched her buckle, offered her a cigarette, and sped off when she lit it. The power of brothers was real, apparently. "That's some pretty good timing, don't you think?" Julie said over the radio.

      "You could just say 'thank you.'" Billy suggested, flicking his cigarette onto the road below them.

      "Where's the fun in that?"