Splinters In Time

New Look, New Me

Bowie was good. Bonnie Tyler was better. Lili had her latest album cranked right up, blaring from her car radio as took the backroads to her family's house. It was loud and shouty, and cathartic, thought-obliterating in the best of ways, that allowed her for once to finally think clearly.

The gravel crunched under her car wheels as she pulled up on the drive. As she climbed out, slamming the door shut behind her, Lydia ran from the house and they collided in a hug.

"-Your hair!" Lili exclaimed.

"Your clothes!"

"-It's green!"

Lydia laughed as they broke apart. "You look... snazzy! It's sharp- I like it!"

"It's designer." Lili twirled, showing off her outfit. She was wearing a bright purple power suit, with shoulder pads and wide-legged trousers, along with black, high heeled boots. "Feels fantastic. But your hair!"

"I dyed it!" Lydia grinned, fluffing her sea green mullet. "Looks great, right? I thought at least it's something different."

"It certainly is." Lili smiled. "Can you... change it back?"

"Oh, shush. You know you like it really."

"If you like it, I like it." She gestured towards the car. "So are you ready to go shopping?"

***
"...And this is a game that you play?"

It was the Christmas season and all the shops were decorated accordingly- including the one they were currently in, which had a small Christmas tree in the window decorated with Dungeons and Dragons dice. The shelves of the game shop were filled with Dungeons and Dragons paraphernalia, which Lydia was looking at with great interest and Lili total confusion.

"Yeah! Dan's our Dungeon-master and I'm looking to get him some mini-figures. It's really fun- in this new campaign, I play a bard and we went to the Underdark, and got captured by Drow. They're dark elves that worship this spider goddess, Lolth, and..."

She trailed off as the shop bell chimed and a group of people came in. Feeling the change in her sister, Lili followed her gaze through the shelves to a trio of young men- or rather, to one young man in particular, with curly hair and a denim jacket.

"...He looks nice. You know him?"

Lydia gave a half-hearted shrug. "That's Eddie Munson. He goes to Hawkins High."

"Do... you want to go over and say hi?"

Another shrug. "We don't really do that. They're the other school."

"Ah, of course." Lili said like she understood what that meant. "Hey, Lyds? You know what happens when people do nothing?"

"What?"

"Nothing. Aren't you supposed to be a rebel? Ignore what everyone else thinks, go say hi."

"I don't... I'm not... you don't understand."

Lili smiled. "Ah, young love. I remember it well."

"Now that's a story I have to hear." Lili stepped away down the aisle and Lydia followed. "No, really. You never tell me things like that. When was it? When you were at the hospital?"

"Uh... Yes. Yes, it was." She paused for a long moment, pretending to be looking at something on the shelf.

"So...?"

"So... he was... like me. That's why we were both there." Lili swallowed. It was the topic never discussed- Lydia knew something was... different about Lili, but she didn't know what. One day, maybe. One day. "He was... smart, handsome... very handsome... exceedingly tall, blond and with eyes so blue it was like they could see into your soul. A bit older..." She pulled a face.

Lydia laughed. "Nothing wrong with a bit older."

"Oh, so lover-boy's older, is he?" Lili cackled at the expression on Lydia's face. "Look, truthfully, it's the persuasive ones you have to watch out for. They'll talk you into things you really don't want to do."

"Ooh, this a confession? Big sister was actually a rebel?"

"...Something like that." She gave a half-hearted smirk.

Lydia crossed her arms. "So, what happened? Is it a tragic ending? Or do I have a secret brother-in-law somewhere you've yet to introduce me to?"

"Oh, trust me, if I ever get close enough to someone for that, you'll be the first to know." Lili shrugged. "We... kinda of just... went our separate ways after escaping. I don't know what happened to him." The image of splattered blood flashed across her mind.

"... After escaping?" Lydia's eyebrows hit her hairline.

"Uh... Figure of speech." Lili cleared her throat. "Enough about me, anyway! Aren't you going to go talk to your beau?"

"He's not my beau! I mean..." Lydia glanced longingly through the shelves at Eddie once again. "You know what? I will. I think I will."

Eddie and his friends had just paid at the till and were heading towards the door. Hurrying, Lydia caught up to them, reaching for the handle just as Eddie did.

"Oh- uh, sorry." Eddie managed as he followed his friends out the shop.

The door swung closed behind them, leaving Lydia standing alone.

"What happened?" Lili could already tell Lydia was upset as she caught up with her from behind.

Seeming small all of a sudden, Lydia defensively crossed her arms. "He didn't recognise me. He didn't even say hi."

A/N: Aww, poor Lydia. :( Hey, do you maybe think he didn't recognise you not because he doesn't care, but because you dyed your hair green? XD Image should be up top, along with a song.

And hey, Lili's finally talking about Henry! We love to see it!

For clarity, in case anyone has forgotten, Lili being in a hospital is the little white lie she told her family about being in the lab.

Also, I spent way too long trying to figure out which D&D classes Lydia and her friends would play. Lydia was either going to be a bard or a rogue. XD
Particularly since the classes the main kids in Stranger Things play is allegedly meant to reflect each of their characters, so I felt I had to get it right.

Anyway, please share your thoughts and don't forget to leave a like! Thanks for reading!