Nightmare | Steve Harrington

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"You know, you can't spell ice cream without m-e."

"Steve, that's my sister!"

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SUMMARY

CARLY-MAE SULLIVAN was described as a ray of sunshine. There were no thundering storms in her life (from seen on the outside, at least), but Carly always had her head in the clouds, lost in a daydream. As a perky, optimistic cheerleader from California, Carly was a walking cliche.

Though, to understand Carly, you had to see through the illusion. Split between a daydream and a nightmare, Carly was truly destined for chaos. Always finding a positive, Carly was determined to start with the sweet spots.

Without the nightmare, Carly's story would be a summer of being reunited with her step-sister, tacky sailor costumes, making new friends, and falling in love. Carly had visited her mom during summer vacation before her senior year, where her sister Max had connections within Scoops Ahoy to get Carly a seasonal job.

Steve Harrington — a very attractive teenage boy in an adorable sailor uniform — was very eager for a date, though Carly was determined for no summer fling (determined, but failing). Between the two, there's no stopping the flirting nor the glowy feelings, where poor Robin ended up pretty fed up of working with them. Yet, other than that, Carly's found a new friend in Ronnie Munson, who perhaps felt the same feelings that Carly tried to hide.

Though, as much as Carly tried to cling to the dream of her life, there was the dark, twisted truth that plagued Carly's life. The first: Carly had a secret power. While holding a personal object, Carly could read the emotions and explore the minds of others. Then, in the pages of her artbook, Carly found her daydreams becoming nightmares with monsters with heads like a venus fly trap, spider-like creatures, and worst of all, Carly's step-brother.

Billy Hargrove was the reason why Carly moved in with her dad, leaving her younger sister behind in the toxic household. Maybe it was cowardly, but Billy had a way of making Carly's skin crawl, making it very known what he thought about Carly. Somehow Billy knew Carly's secret, though his mind did not quite belong to him.

But the real nightmare began when Carly's drawings started coming to life, as well as Russians hiding beneath Starcourt Mall. Surprisingly, Carly's powers were somewhat normal for a certain group in Hawkins; through them, Carly discovered there was a truth to her powers that promised chaos.

Despite all the crazy, Carly wanted a summer to remember — one with no heartbreak or death. But, Carly just seemed destined for both.

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