𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫!

023

WARNING
this chapter contains mentions of
slut shaming and mentions sexual manipulation.

saturday, october 14

SHE felt like crying. it was hawkins, but it was something much darker.

everything was gray and black, the ground had cracked and what seemed like lava spilled from beneath. all her friends were scattered, hurt or bleeding and all because of her. she heard the screams of agony and the looks of sadness and pain.

she looked around the dream frantically, searching for any familiar face but all she saw were zombies. ghosts and shells of people.

"ana!" it was lucas' voice. he sounded distraught, pained and suddenly there was no hawkins. just the void.

"ana.. ana she's dead." lucas' voice cried, cracking with sobs.

"lucas?" ana followed the sound of his voice, picking up her as fast as she could but the longer she ran the further away he seemed. when she finally caught up to him her stomach twisted and she felt sick.

laying in his arms was max, her body lifeless and limp as she her head tilted back. her mouth was opened in a permanent gasp as blood poured from her eyes and stained her cheeks, giving anais and image she'd never forget.

•••

"I MEAN yeah i guess." mike spoke over the phone in the kitchen, leaning against one of the walls and looking out the window.

he nodded to himself. "sure, one o'clock, we can definitely do that."

"who are you talking to?" anais asked, stretching her arms as she walked into the kitchen. she reached into the cabinet for a glass of water but passed when mike had already slid it over as well as her morning pills. something of the normalcy of their small routine distracted her from the nightmare she had had last night. both of them.

she gave a faint smile and took her meds as his phone call ended. "i was talking to that girl from yesterday, julie. she wants to have lunch."

anais scoffed and laughed, "yeah right. hope you said no."

mike gave an awkward look as she drank her water. "..i said yes."

"what the fuck?!" anais said as she put down the glass. "mike what the hell? do you not know what she did to me?"

"i know what she did." mike sighed. "but you two were best friends and we're supposed to have lunch with her at one. can't you just forgive her? forget about it?"

anais felt the anger building up inside of her. "how could you make that kind of decision and not tell me?"

"oh yeah, i'm sorry. cause lunch is just such a big deal." he spoke in a condescending and sarcastic tone.

she clenched her jaw. "it's the principle, michael. you're not my boss, you're not even my fucking boyfriend. why the hell would you agree to that knowing how much i don't like her? who are you feeling like?"

"what?"

anais rolled her eyes and forgot she was talking to a white boy. "do i call and tell your little dungeon master when you can and can't play? no. i leave that freak alone and mind my business."

"okay eddie munson is not a freak." mike spoke in a more stern tone.

ana scoffed again. "he's a twenty something year old man who's flunked high school twice and plays a fantasy game about monsters and dragons and magic with fourteen year olds in his basement. he's by definition a freak." she turned away and began to walk up to her room. it seemed like every conversation she had with mike these days ended with one of them storming off. and of course, the other following close behind.