Risky Business ｡ Stranger Things

8 : East of Eden

Prue's sleep didn't nearly last long enough and either did her morning shower. Dreams and hot water couldn't make the events of last night vanish and it didn't appease the confliction in her heart and mind. But most importantly, Prue didn't want to deal with the repercussions of last night and especially didn't want to stroll through Hawkins High's halls, not with the high possibility of running into Billy Hargrove or even Patrick Turner. She was dressing in a pair of light blue jeans when she caught a glimpse of the purple-blue bruises in the shape of fingers on the soft flesh of her thighs and hips from where Billy's grip got a little intense. The royal hues were bright against her skin and the sight made her feel sick to her stomach, so sick that she gritted her teeth together. She pulled a baby blue sweater over her damp hair, tugging it down quickly to hide the ugly bruises.

Her stomach was in knots when she entered the kitchen. Grey was sitting down at the wooden oval table topped with a plastic patterned cover. He was spooning Rainbow Brite into his mouth. Prue dropped to her seat, reaching for the brightly coloured cereal box with a rainbow girl on the front. She noticed her father's metal lunch box left forgotten on the kitchen counter. He probably forgot it due to a work troubled mind. And not for the first time, an unsettling feeling was sparking in her chest: a shadowed curiosity.

"What're you doing home?" she directed at Grey, popping a few of the coloured U-shaped cereal pieces into her mouth. "Weren't you meant to be sleeping over at Cynthia's with the rest of the girls?" Grey barely looked up from his breakfast, his face flushing scarlet red.

"Oh, your dear brother stuffed himself full of candy last night. He threw up all over Cynthia's bedroom and I had to come and get him after my shift finished," Caroline Owens announced as she strolled into the kitchen holding a basket of laundry.

"Was it the Airheads or the Reese's Pieces?" Prue asked with sympathy in her voice.

"Both and an excessive amount of Bottlecaps," Grey replied, trying to be proud of himself but failing under the weighted look from their mother.

"Jackie double dared you, right?" Grey gave a nod, his spoon clinking against his bowl. "Was she was impressed though?"

Grey nodded his head more enthusiastically, his light brown hair shifting across his forehead. "Yeah, she was. But Cynthia, Madison and Alice weren't." His voice turned sad and that shame was dropping his smile and his slightly chubby cheeks were falling in pursuit.

Prue shrugged her shoulders as she spoke around a mouthful. "Hey, one outta four ain't so bad, buddy. And we've all been there. My candy poison was Atomic Fireballs and honeycomb toffee in fifth grade, though mine was more of a self-inflicted dare," she explained in an attempt to cheer him up. Her little story worked wonderfully and she winked across the table at him while their mother sighed loudly, using the other end of the oval table to fold a freshly clean load of laundry. "You remember that horrid night, right?" Grey just nodded with laughter filling his cheeks.

"What on earth—" Caroline's astonishment broke the morning air as both Owens children looked down the table. Her mother was holding up a black garment. Prue's heart froze in her chest, a few pieces of Rainbow Brites tumbling out of her agape mouth. "What happened to your dress, Prue? This was brand new!"

"It—" Was ripped by Hawkins's newest bad boy while having sex on the family couch. "I—ripped it." Her face was burning, but she kept her facial expressions checked and controlled while she brushed off the fallen cereal from her sweater. Grey had noticed and gave her an odd look. "Last night. I fell at Tina's party while helping Ronnie to the front yard," Prue added, thinking more details would burying her lie.

"There was drinking at this party?" Caroline dropped the black satin dress back into the basket, eyes narrowing in on her daughter.

"It was a high school party, Mum. I believe drinking is required," she replied in a snarky voice, almost rolling her eyes. Grey's eyes flickered between his mother and his sister, but overall he was amused by this morning entertainment and spooned more cereal into his mouth.