THE KIDS AREN'T ALRIGHT ｡ STRANGER THINGS

9 - FLICKERING LIGHTS

Hawkins High's cafeteria was overcrowded with students because of the over-casted day outside, threatening to dump sheets of rain any second. The racket of kids was almost so loud that Daisy Lonsdale couldn't think clearly, or maybe that was because she hadn't slept a wink last night. Her mind had been busy circling around the argument she had overheard the day before. Why had Duncan's name, a name long dead, come up with Marigold's? It just didn't make sense.

"Earth to Daisy, hey..." Dottie was clicking her fingertips together, trying to draw Daisy's attention, which had been lost with her pen still pressed to her sketchbook page. The blonde finally glanced up, shaking her head briefly. Dottie frowned, letting her fork clutter to the table and forgetting about her half eaten tomato sauce soaked meat pie. "Where'd you go?"

Daisy chewed on her bottom lip, wondering if bringing up her haunted thoughts was such a good idea with Dottie Fields, knowing she wanted nothing more than to forget about events from a year ago. For so long, Daisy had tried her best to drag the old news into the light, but failed miserably each and every time. "Nowhere." she yawned out, covering her mouth with her hand and hoping her friend would buy the lie. "I just didn't sleep much last night."

"Is everything alright?" Dottie queried, knowing with little Will Byers going missing, it was only rehashing old wounds that had never faded, even with a year passing. Worry painted Dottie's pretty face which was dolled up with makeup today, colourful eyeshadow smeared across her eyelids. She wanted to somehow comfort Daisy, but didn't know how anymore. "You can tell me anything, you know that."

Daisy shifted in her seat awkwardly, pushing her tray of food aside. She did in fact know that, but right now, there wasn't anything to say because right now, Daisy didn't even know what was running through her head or why her family were arguing about a dead boy and a missing girl. "I'm fine," Daisy lamely maintained, her eyes dropping to her sketchbook and flipping through the pages and noticing something odd. Her sketchbook was almost completely full, detailed drawings showing a story, but when she reached the second last page, she found tiny rips of paper in the margin that suggested a page was missing. "Hey, remind me to pick up another sketchbook when we stock up on snacks soon."

Dottie nodded. "Yeah, okay."

A loud banging broke the girls' attention, Tommy H. howling with laughter, knocking his fists against the table. Strangely, Nancy Wheeler and Barbara Holland were seated with the rich kids today, looking a little out of place. Steve Harrington had his arm thrown around Nancy's shoulder, smirking like a fool with his friend's joke about something. Daisy was already staring at the group, imagining Marigold among them. She used to watch from another table last year, watch how her sister flipped her golden hair and pulled in everybody's attention with her sweet smile and snarky jokes. Marigold Lonsdale bright like the sun, had suited the popular life. "Do you think Steve ever liked Mari like he likes Nancy?" Daisy questioned quietly.

"They weren't even a couple," Dottie snickered, scooping some chocolate pudding into her mouth and wiping her lips clean with her sleeve. "They kissed once down by the community pool on a dare."

Daisy frowned. "A dare? Marigold never told me that."

Dottie was caught like a deer in headlights but recovered smoothly. "Marigold lived for attention, for adventure. She wasn't the type of girl that fell in love with boys like Steve Harrington. They might have been friends, but I can guarantee, she only wanted into their rich kids club because it made her untouchable and it raised that podium she stood tall on." Dottie paused, her gaze resting back on the group of teenagers. "She was clever like that. Mari knew how high school worked and had this whole town wrapped around her pinky finger. She definitely wasn't in like with Steve, nor was he in like with her."