Deliver Us {Stranger Things 1 }

Camera Shy

 The start of the weekend, every kid and adult looked forward to it. They were like mini holidays that went by much too fast to some. Kateri spent more time at the Byers residence, Joyce not minding it at all while Catori spent time practicing for soccer, a sport she came to love and inspired of the fact their grandfather was quite the athlete.

"C'mon...oh, darn it!" Carlian snickered as he sat beneath the shaded apple tree in their back yard, eating one of the fresh apples jotting notes in his journal.

Catori was currently attempting a little trick grandfather Ahanu held. He would lift the tip of his foot up, balancing the soccer ball on it before kicking it over his shoulder. Each time she tried, Catori landed on her butt rubbing it with an annoyed groan.

"He makes it look so easy...and the man's eighty-years old!" She stated, throwing up her arms in disbelief.

"Eighty-years young," Carlian mocked in his 'best' old man voice, making Catori snicker a little. "Soccer's boring anyway. You know it ranked number one in America's least favorite sport?"

Catori snorted at that, attempting to try the move again. Glaring at the ball though it were her enemy. He waited for it. He knew the word was coming, a word every pre-teen and teenager uttered. "Whatever. And if it's so boring, why is it in the Olympics hm?"

"Ran out of ideas? Ow-! Penalty!" Carlian pointed an accusing finger, after she kicked the soccer ball at his face.

"That's pretty sad Carlian."

Steve Harrington's mocking tone caught their attention, his long arms resting on the Delsoa's fence post grinning their way. "Getting your ass handed by your little sis?" Catori shot him a look of triumph while Carlian gave Steve 'the look'.

"Why don't you come down from there and I'll show you my skills?" Carlian challenged, cracking his knuckles. "Pretty boy."

"Nah...wouldn't want to see ya cry when I'm done."

"What do you want, Steve?" Carlian asked after a bit of laughter escaped. Raising a curious brow.

"We were gonna hang out again today, so I thought I'd mosey on over."

"I wish I could, but I made plans with Jonathan today sorry."

When he mentioned Jonathan's name he thought for a split moment, Steve grimaced unsure if it was just the trick of the sunlight. Whenever any of the Byers family were mentioned, based on what their mother had said, strange looks were given. "Oh...Byers, interesting." Steve finally said.

Carlian frowned at the weariness in his tone. Head tilted at an angle. "You're not the first to say his name like that, they're nice people him, his mother and brother. Helped us move in."

Steve still was not convinced. Declaring he had better get going, he hopped off the Delsoa's fence leaving a very confused pair of siblings. Catori tucked a long strand of hair behind her ear, shaking her head.

"What's his deal? Jonathan's not a bad guy..."

"Don't ask me. You know how people like the Harrington family are."

They knew that all too well. The judging stares. The way people whispered, claiming 'his hair is way too long' during his boyhood even though in Native American culture men wore their hair long for a reason some at least. Even though his mother was a cop back home, that did not save her from pre-judging.

Still. He did not think everyone was like the Harrington's or Cody S's family back home. Reading the Diary of Anne Frank, more than once, he kept her quote in the back of his mind 'Despite everything, I still believe there are people really good at heart' and of course, his father's phrase. 'Don't let 'em see you sweat'.