Risky Business ｡ Stranger Things

4 : The Terminator

Prue's shift at Palace Arcade went by rather quickly as she spent most of the shift spying on Grey as he tried to conjure enough courage to talk to Max while she was playing Dig Dug. He never did get enough courage that night, though did, however, consume an unhealthy amount of chilli fries for a thirteen-year-old boy. While her shift had rushed by, the rest of Prue's night hadn't and sleep didn't find the teenage girl. So, when the early morning light filtered in through her white lacey curtains, Prue felt deflated and still beyond irritated, and what made it worse was that she had cheerleading practice before school. And the cheerleading team always stayed in their cheerleading uniforms on practise days. While Prue adored her cheerleading uniform, it didn't offer much warmth on a chilly October day.

Dr Sam Owens was in the kitchen brewing his morning coffee when Prue walked in, her white Reeboks squeaking on the patterned linoleum flooring.

"Good morning, darling!" Dr Owens perked up at the sight of his daughter. "Happy Halloween!" He smiled broadly, his fingers tightening around a blue rubber ball. It was a habit of his and a stress relief. While Prue didn't know much about the work her father did at the Hawkins National Laboratory, she knew it was increasingly burdening her father.

"Morning, Dad," Prue grumbled as she pulled the milk from the fridge. She didn't bother getting a glass, just drank from the cardboard carton. Her neatly pressed cheerleading skirt graced the middle of her thighs.

"Someone's a grumpy puppy this morning," Sam observed while he offered her a piece of his buttered toast. "Doing anything fun for Halloween?" Prue took the slice of warm toast.

"Gotta party," she said around a mouthful.

"Patrick driving you?" His voice was warm with fatherly concern. She nodded, placing the milk back in the fridge.

"Good." Sam poured his coffee into a thermos. "Don't get into too much mischief," he added before leaning down to kiss his daughter on the forehead. Prue watched as Sam Owens fixed his green pinstriped tie and grabbed his brown leather briefcase, metal lunchbox and thermos. He called out a goodbye and Prue waved, still chewing at her toast. She also noticed that her father's eyes were dim, the lines on his face deeper, and she wondered what sort of work was taking such a toll on her father in a normal laboratory in such a small and simple town.

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"We still meeting at your house to get ready?" Ronnie asked as she spooned some cafeteria chocolate pudding into her mouth. Prue's morning classes passed by in a blur and she only vaguely remembered leaving class behind Nancy Wheeler and Jonathan Byers as Tina handed out more bright orange invitations with the catchy phrase Let's Get Sheet Faced printed across it.

"Yeah, just a little later than planned," Prue started while wrapping a scrunchie around her long brown air. "I'm meeting up with Billy this afternoon."

If Selena was a dog her ears would've perked up. "Oohhh! Prue's got a study date with Hawkins' hottest bad bade," she sang out while sucking on a red lollipop she had pinched from the plastic Jack-O-Lantern bucket near the entrance to the cafeteria, placed there by the vice principal to help students celebrate the festive night.

"It's not a date, barely a study date," Prue huffed out, that familiar heat pooling in her stomach whenever Billy Hargrove was closeby or even mentioned. The brunette quickly bowed her head, to hide the hot pinkness warming her cheeks. Was it a study date? It was at that moment Patrick dropped down beside her, his hand falling to her bare thigh under the table.

"Do you really have to meet up with him?" Patrick plucked some fries off Prue's tray while he talked, a habit that she had never found endearing. "Tommy H. told me about last night at the arcade. Why didn't you tell me?" Prue didn't even get the chance to answer her boyfriend, his usual kind eyes turning sharp. "I don't want you to be associated with him." Her cheeks were no longer hot because of a blush but embarrassment from being practically scolded by her boyfriend. Prue looked to Selena and Ronnie, but they seemed to be just as shocked at Patrick's odd and overprotective behaviour than she.