SKATER GIRL , STRANGER THINGS

twenty six

It was Halloween, one of the best events in Hawkins due to the many local pumpkin farms. Not this year, however, as reports said something was going wrong with them.

Nobody wore costumes to school, whether it was Hawkins Middle or Hawkins High. Except for four specific boys dressed as the Ghostbusters.

For Tina's party that night, Flora and Carnelia had decided to go as each other, meaning that Flora would need to make her hair as wild as her cousin's, and that Carnelia needed to straighten hers- luckily the skates weren't needed as Flora would never lend them to anyone.

By Nancy's invitation, the Emery girls were spending their time studying inside the school library, a silence set between the four. Whether it was awkward, tense, or just silent, Flora was still unsure.

Due to all the dinners with the Hollands and everything with Barbara, Nancy was always stressed and on edge. That put a strain between Nancy and nearly everyone, particularly Steve.

Steve and Flora had also began to have a strained relationship, as he was spending a lot more time with Nancy due to being openly dating and over at the Wheelers most of the time. Not that Flora really minded.

With the addition of Carnelia, who had no idea what happened last November, that set the group on edge while talking around her. Not that it was fully Carnelia's fault that she was there in the first place.

Something what lay heavy on Flora's shoulders was the fact that Carnelia didn't know anyone other than the group, since she was known to be a druggie. That was the last thing what had changed, both Emery girls using drugs to forget and null their worries. Carnelia for the feeling of being high, Flora for forgetting everything that troubles her.

And it was all Eddie Munson's fault, but Flora would never blame him.

So there they sat, studying in silence, until Nancy's pencil snapped, the brunette excusing herself to go and sharpen her pencil.

Flora was the one to notice the Wheeler girl spacing out, following her gaze to a redheaded girl who, from behind, looked similar to Barbara. Concerned, Flora kicked Steve's shin from where she sat, gesturing to Nancy.

Steve got the hint, moving over to Nancy and beginning to talk with her until she pulled him into a room inside the library, talking.

Carnelia looked up, watching the duo with a curious glint in her eye. "What do you think they're talking about?"

Flora knew it would be about Barbara, yet couldn't tell her cousin. "The party, maybe? I mean, they've been debating costumes for months."

Steve then moved to lower the blinds. "I don't think they're talking anymore, actually."

The rest of the day flew by, the group splitting after school had ended to begin sorting out their costumes. The deal was that they'd all meet at the Wheelers, as would Dustin, Lucas, and Will, the teens getting driven by designated driver Steve and the boys go trick-or-treating under Jonathan's watch. Or, if he took up Nancy's offer to join the party, the boys would go alone and Jonathan would meet them at Tina's.

To prepare for the party, Flora had found herself wearing an oversized Mötley Crüe tee and tight leather pants, tightly laced boots on her feet, her hair wild and frizzed.

Carnelia, on the other hand, was dressed in acid washed mom jeans and a light pink turtleneck, white sneakers on her feet and straightened hair.

Nancy and Steve had finally decided to do a couples costume, going as Joel and Lana from Risky Business. It was a fairly new movie, one that Nancy had rented out countless times and forced the Emery cousins, Steve, and Jonathan to watch it with her.

Knowing Steve would take a while on his hair, Flora decided to drag Carnelia on a walk all the way to the Wheeler's. Luckily, it wasn't too far, but it was far enough that the girls were out of breath when Mike excitedly opened the door, hoping for Will Byers to be there.

"Nancy's just finishing up." Mike declared as he brought the girls in, the trio going to the living room and spreading themselves around the sofas. Dustin and Lucas were already there, mouthing off to something that Flora just couldn't help but overhear.

"Henderson, Sinclair, repeat that." Flora pointed between the boys, eyes narrowed.

"A car chased us down after school." Dustin retold the story, rubbing his shoulder, "Even fell off my bike."

"It was Max's brother, or whatever." Lucas added sourly.

"Max? Who's Max?" Carnelia inputted, curious.

"She's new."

Flora gasped, pointing at the boys once more. "Redhead with a skateboard. I've seen her getting out of Billy Hargrove's car. He's the new guy."

"Blonde, the guy with the blue camaro." Carnelia actually knew what was going along, agreeing with Flora.

"I'm gonna make sure he doesn't try that again, okay?" Flora promised the kids, "Send him my way if he does it again."

Nancy was done soon after that conversation, making her way downstairs with a blank look. "Hey guys," She said quietly as she moved to stand in front of them, "Steve not here yet?"

Right then was there a knock at the door,  Nancy going to open it. There was Steve, his dumb sunglasses on his face yet again.

"Hey, you look amazing." Steve smiled when nancy opened the door, eyes surveying every inch of her costume.

"We were just asking where you were." Nancy giggled in response, gesturing for Flora and Carnelia to join the duo.

Steve's eyes flickered from one Emery to the other. "This is trippy." He announced.

Nancy turned, telling her mother that the four were leaving. They said their goodbyes, Flora and Carnelia being left to sit in the back of Steve's car as he drove them to Tina's place, the party already in full swing when they arrived.

There were people somehow already passed out on the lawn, others spewing up their guts as they passed. Couples, or just people, were making out left and right.

"I need a drink." Carnelia declared loudly as soon as they had stepped foot into the house, loud pop music filling their ears.

As the blonde squeezed her way through the teenagers of Hawkins, Flora looked at the couple beside her. "I think the drinks could be radioactive."

Nancy looked unimpressed, eyes darting around the scene in front of her. Steve, however, nodded from the experience of parties like these. "The drink is always radioactive."

And then a mass of cheering and chanting brought attention to Billy Hargrove, the boy Flora needed to have a word with, and that was putting it nicely.

Luckily for her, but seemingly unluckily for Steve, he was headed their way, alongside an obviously drunk Tommy H.