SKATER GIRL , STRANGER THINGS

thirty three

It was now the early hours of the night, the group having a longer pit stop in the Emery household than expected. Flora had put the roses in a vase, and decided to cook a quick meal for the four as it was that time, and Flora was not going to let them go hungry.

Once they were all fed, Dustin demanded they drive to the local butchers to get a shit ton of fresh meat. They did so, Steve complaining the entire time about how his car would stink of raw meat.

During the drive to Dustin's, Flora had to admit that the car did in fact smell of raw meat.

The youngest in the car had explained everything about the baby Demogorgon to Steve, who was still dubious. The Emeries, who were stuck in the back of the car, were not paying attention to the boys and instead were talking between themselves.

"I kissed Eddie." Carnelia blurted out, her hand flying to her mouth.

Flora's eyebrows knotted. "That was quick."

Carnelia smirked. "Well, I never was the patient one. That was your job."

"When did you even have the time?" Flora wondered, choosing to be happy for her cousin rather than being jealous over someone she never had.

"That one free period when you and Steve were studying." Carnelia informed her cousin.

"Oh. Okay." Smiled Flora, supportive. "You'd be better with him than what I could have been."

"Aw, thanks!"

Steve had heard Flora over the radio, his eyes connecting with hers through the mirror.  He raised an eyebrow.  Flora mouthed 'it's nothing'. He didn't buy it, but turned back to Dustin anyway. Flora tuned into their conversation.

"Wait a sec. How big?" Steve asked, referring to the creature in the cellar.

Dustin rolled his eyes, gesturing with his hands. "First it was like that. Now he's like this."

"I swear to God, man, it's just some little lizard, okay?" Steve muttered, nearing Dustin's house.

"It's not a lizard."

"How do you know?" Steve questioned.

"How do I know if it's not?" Dustin challenged.

"How do you know it's not just a lizard?"

"Because his face opened up and he ate my cat." Dustin admitted, bringing Steve to silence.

Flora, however, was anything but. "It did fucking what?" She exclaimed, "And you didn't tell me?"

Dustin muttered a small "No" as Steve parked at the boy's home, the four emerging from the car.

They moved to the boot, Steve unlocking it and throwing the keys to Dustin, who nearly dropped them. However, he actually managed to catch them.

Steve then pulled out his nailed bat, as well as a flashlight. Dustin guided him to the cellar, where the group stood, listening.

"I don't hear shit." Steve stated.

"He's in there." Dustin urged.

Steve then directed the flashlight directly into Dustin's face. "All right, listen, kid. I swear, if this is some sort of Halloween prank, you're dead."

"It's not. All right? It's not a prank." Dustin then gestured to the flashlight, which was still in his eyes. "Get it out of my face."

He did so, turning to Flora. "He says you've seen it?"

She nodded. "I have. Its all slimy, and, y'know, Demogorgon- like."

Steve sighed. "You got a key for this thing?"

Dustin rushed off to get the key, coming back a few minutes later and unlocking the padlock which had held the cellar doors in place.

Steve threw open one of the doors, handing the flashlight to Dustin. The boy's hands were too shaky, Steve soon taking it back from the younger boy. "Let me see that."

It was nowhere to be seen from what they could see at the top of the stairs. "He must be further down there." Dustin stated. "I'll stay up here in case he tries to escape."

Carnelia nodded, holding up her gun. "I'll guard this too, my gun will be useful if it tries to escape."

Flora rolled her eyes, her guns secured in their holsters. "Don't worry Stevie, I've got my big girl pants on."

The duo then made their way down the steps, Steve going first with his arm out to protect Flora. They reached the bottom, Steve reaching out to turn on the light bulb.

They then saw something that caused Flora to physically gag, hand flying to cover her mouth. They then saw something even worse, right as they heard Dustin's voice calling out to them.

"Flora? Steve? Guys, what's going on down there?"

Carnelia then had her input. "Are y'all dead?"

Flora skated over to the steps, grabbing the flashlight from Steve as she did. She flashed it towards Dustin and Carnelia, grimacing. "Get down here. Now!"

They joined the duo in the cellar, Steve holding the shedded Demogorgon skin on the end of his bat.

"Oh, shit." Dustin gasped, whereas Carnelia had a similar reaction to Flora. She paled, coughing.

"The fuck is that?"

Nobody answered her, Flora instead using the flashlight to direct their attention to the bigger problem: the hole in the cellar wall.

"Oh, shit!" Dustin took the flashlight, reading to the home and sticking his head in. "No way. No way."

It was too late to go after the creature, so the group agreed they would sleep on it. As they didn't like the idea of it coming back while they slept, Steve drove them to the Emery home, which was also the only house from the group which wasn't now associated with the Upside Down.

Flora told Dustin to take any of the spare rooms available, and he took the one which was closest to Flora's room. Carnelia obviously stayed in her own, and Steve chose to stay with Flora, as it was something extremely regular.

"I need to shower." Flora began quietly, rifling through her closet for something she could wear to bed. She decided on plain shorts and a t-shirt. "After seeing that Demogorgon skin I feel all grimy."

Steve was beside Flora, taking some of his own clothes from her closet. "I'm gonna go make some hot chocolate for us, okay? It'll be done right when you come out of the shower."

Flora thanked the boy as she went into the shower, the nearly boiling water helping her racing thoughts. Thoughts of the Demogorgon. Thoughts of Steve. Thoughts of things she doesn't have.

Flora had sank to the floor without even realising, hot, salty tears mixing in with the droplets of water from the shower. Curling into a ball, Flora let all of her suppressed emotions release, hand over her mouth in an attempt to silence her cries. The tears had built up from the past year, being about Steve, about Eddie, her parents, the Upside Down, Eleven....everything that Flora had lost.

Steve had came back upstairs with the hot chocolates, placing them on Flora's nightstand. He expected her to be out of the shower, eyes narrowing when he heard the distinct sound of the girl sobbing coming from the bathroom, barely audible over the sound of the running water.