THE KIDS AREN'T ALRIGHT ｡ STRANGER THINGS

14 - CLOSE ENCOUNTERS

When the Lonsdale girls were merely children, their mother would read only one story at bedtime. It was a beloved story, one that used to fill their dreams with imagination and colour. It was a story about a girl falling down a rabbit-hole and finding herself stuck in a weird, but beautiful land. Daisy used to believe she was like Alice and would draw pictures about the talking cat or the screaming queen. Those childhood stories faded from her mind with time though, because all little girls had to grow up eventually. Never in a million years, did that young thoughtful girl imagine that that very bedtime story would mean something more to her at the age of sixteen.

"Wait, you think Marigold is leaving clues?" Steve Harrington blurted out. There was almost a laugh in the tone of his voice. Daisy Lonsdale turned away from his questioning eyes and watched the night blur from the car window. She knew it had been a stupid mistake in telling him about the mixtape or the numbers imprinted in the drawing. "What kind of clues?"

Daisy huffed out a sigh. "You really don't have to get involved."

Steve let his attention drift from the road for a second to glance across at her. Her golden hair was braided down her back, her soft eyelids dusted with dark makeup. Everything about her screamed darkness and suggested she was filled with such rage. Everything but the simple ring on a finger, the only remaining figment left of the girl who was once sweet and innocent. He knew the ring belonged to Marigold, he had seen it countless times before. He noted Daisy suited it better though, even with her fuck the world attitude. "Look, I screwed up last year and it's not something I'm proud of and trying to bury it didn't work. But maybe I can make it up to you, and to Marigold."

Daisy glared across at him and although she wanted to tell him politely, to screw himself, she did not because there was a little reminder singing in her head that he might deserve a second chance. Weirdly, Marigold had chosen this rich kid as somebody to trust and maybe, tonight that was enough for Daisy too. With a little movement in her tense shoulders, her mouth opened, but snapped shut when she realised where they were. Hawkins High looked eerie at nighttime and when Steve cut the engine, he was sending her a grin. "Why are we here?" Daisy snipped out. "You were supposed to take me home."

Steve was pushing open his door. "It's just a little detour." Daisy watched as the boy wandered around the front of his car, very still in her own seat. The looming building of school towered over her and with the moonless night, it looked haunted. When Steve yanked open her own door, he gave her a look. "Follow the clues, right?"

With a little groan, she slipped from the car and waited in the dark carpark with him. The mixtape was shoved into her jacket pocket, the thing feeling a little too heavy. "You know, we could have checked out your locker tomorrow." Daisy noted quietly as the two teenagers hurried across the carpark and the dried grass and stopped at the double doors that opened up to the main corridor of lockers and classrooms.

Steve sent her another smile. "Where's the fun in that?"

He pushed on the doors, but nothing happened. A frown was already working on his pretty forehead and Daisy was pushing him aside with her hip while yanking two bobby pins from her hair. Steve was rising his eyebrows with question and admiration as the girl jimmied the door open, the click of the lock turning loud to their ears. When the door finally edged open, Daisy waved him through. "Breaking and entering would look really classy on your college applications." Steve hummed out as they moved through the dark hallway.

"Shut up, Steve."

A chuckle sounded from his lips. "I'm serious. Where'd you learn to do that?"

Daisy was quite pleased with how impressed he actually was with her little trick. "Believe it or not, but there is more to life than getting drunk, hooking up with random girls and partying with your groupies. A girl can learn a few things when her mind isn't full of high school drama bullshit."