SKATER GIRL , STRANGER THINGS

sixteen

Flora followed Tommy and Steve to the fair mart, where Steve's car had been parked. It was only a ten minute walk from the station, and on skates, Flora could make it in 5.

Carol was waiting anxiously when they arrived, waiting with Flora and Steve whilst Tommy went inside to buy painkillers and something cold for Steve's face.

Flora helped him sit on the back of his car, frowning. "You shouldn't have said half the shit you said."

Steve groaned. "I know."

Soon Tommy reappeared, aspirin and a can of coke in his hands. "Hey." Tommy greeted, throwing the items in his hands to Steve. "You owe me $1.20."

Steve nodded, opening the aspirin and taking two of the relatively small pills. Tommy chuckled. "Don’t worry, he’ll need more than aspirin when we’re done with him."

Carol shrugged, "Yeah, if the creep ever gets out."

"You think he'll get a lot of jail time?" Flora wondered aloud, not getting a straight answer in response.

"Well, did you see the look on his face?" Carol mocked, making a face and beginning to jokingly punch Tommy in the shoulder.

Flora's anger rose at what Tommy said next. "He probably had that same look whenever he killed his brother, right?"

She had to speak up, frowning. "Tommy, you can't say that."

"Well, I can..." Tommy began, Carol shushing him with a groan of disgust.

"Oh, God, I just got an image of him making that face while he and Nancy are screwing." Carol screwed up her face  in disgust, Tommy chuckling and Flora rolling her eyes.

Steve couldn't stay quiet from her words. "Carol, for once in your life, shut your damn mouth!"

This brought the group to silence, Flora holding back a grin.

Carol stammered out a "What?", surprise  kicking in from the Harrington's words.

Steve stood, disregarding the coke can. Tommy moved close to him, frowning. "Hey, what’s your problem, man?"

Steve finally said what was on his mind. "You’re both assholes. That’s my problem."

The blonde beside him grinned, relief coursing through her body at the idea of dropping Tommy and Carol, their words often more offensive than funny.

Tommy scoffed. "Are you serious right now, man?"

Steve nodded. "Yeah, I’m serious. You shouldn’t have done that."

Tommy raised a challenging brow. "Done what?"

Steve rolled his eyes. "You know what."

Tommy caught onto the fact that Steve was talking about the spray paint. "You mean call her out for what she really is?
Oh, that’s funny, because I don’t remember you asking me to stop."

Steve's tone wasn't regretful. "I should’ve put that spray paint right down your throat."

Flora smirked. "I would love to see that."

She'd spoken quite quiet, Carol still overhearing her. She looked between Steve and Flora. "What the hell?"

"You know, neither of you ever cared about her." Steve exclaimed, Flora butting in.

"You guys made that obvious from day one." She scowled, Steve pointing to her and nodding in agreement.

"Yeah! You never even liked her,
because she’s not miserable like you two.
She actually cares about other people."

Carol gestured wildly, voice ridiculing. "The slut with a heart of gold."

Steve pointed at Carol, voice outraged. "I told you to watch your mouth!"

Tommy was now outraged as well, a sour mood setting in. "Hey! I don’t know what’s gotten into you, man, but you don’t talk to her that way."

Faces close, Steve glared at Tommy. "Get out of my face."

Tommy chuckled. "Or what?" He grabbed Steve's collar, ramming him against the side of his car, faces close and voices low. "Or what?"

Flora and Carol watched as this happened, speechless. "You gonna fight me now, too? Huh? You gonna fight me now, too? Because you couldn’t take Jonathan Byers..." Tommy's voice then lowered. "so I wouldn’t recommend that."

He then let go of Steve, moving back. Flora saw Steve make his way to his car door, so she began to make her way to the other side, not wanting to stick around with Tommy and Carol.

Once Steve opened his car door, Tommy sneered, grabbing the door. "Here, let me get the door for you, buddy."

As Flora began to climb inside of the car, Tommy raced over to her, grabbing her wrist. "And there's Flora, the bitch whose on her knees for Harrington."

Flora scoffed, looking up at Tommy. "Thats ironic, coming from you, isn't it? You're the one who calls him 'King Steve'." Flora jeered, pulling her wrist from Tommy's hold.

She then grinned, kicking Tommy's knee with her skates, closing the car door while he recovered. Steve began to race off, Tommy following after them.

"That’s right. Run away, Stevie boy!
Run away! Just like you always do.
That Nancy’s turning you into a little pussy!" The car tires screeched as Steve turned at high speed, continuing to drive away. "That’s right, Harrington, run away! Run away!"

Steve turned to Flora. "Where to?"

"The station." Flora told him, "You?"

"The Hawk. I'm getting rid of that paint no matter how long it takes." Steve grimaced.

Flora made a small cheer. "Stevie, you're improving!" Steve rolled his eyes. "And we've got rid of Tommy and Carol. It's two birds with one stone!"

Steve chuckled. "Sure." He then dropped Flora off at the station, the girl getting out of the car at the same time Jim Hopper, the police chief, and Joyce Byers.

Hopper turned to Flora. "You here with Jonathan Byers and Nancy Wheeler?"

Flora nodded. "Yeah, I'm Flora Emery." She told the two adults, "I just had a small pit stop."

When the three went into the station, they saw Nancy and Jonathan,  the latter with handcuffs around his wrists, an ice pack against his knuckles.

"Hey. Jonathan? Jesus, what... what happened?" Joyce began, voice concerned.

Callahan was the first to speak. "Ma’am..."

As he did, Jonathan muttered, "I’m fine."

His mother looked at Callahan and Powell, agitated. "Why is he wearing handcuffs?"

Callahan explained it slowly, as if she was a child. "Well, your boy assaulted a police officer. That’s why."

Joyce was not having it. "Take them off."

Callahan shrugged. "I am afraid I cannot do that."

"Take them off!" Joyce repeated loudly.

Hopper looked to his subordinates. "You heard her. Take ’em off."

Powell then stepped forward. "Chief, I get everyone’s emotional here, but there’s something you need to see."

Callahan and Powell then placed the box of hunting equipment down on the table,  Joyce gasping and beginning to look through everything in the box. "What is this?" She gasped.

"Why don’t you ask your son? We found it in his car." Powell stated, confusing Jonathan.

"What? Why are you going through my car?"

Hopper scoffed. "Is that really the question you should be asking right now? I wanna see you in my office. All three of you." He looked between Jonathan, Nancy, and Flora with narrowed eyes.

Jonathan spoke immediately, voice weak. "You won’t believe me."

Hopper leaned close to the trio, voice soft, almost secretive. "Why don’t you give me a try?"