Risky Business ｡ Stranger Things

16 : The Last Picture Show

Wind rushed in through the windows, carrying the smell of decaying nature and Prue fought against her hair that tangled in her face. Heavy and loud rock music warred against the strength of the wind so much so that Prue had to yell over the fighting sounds.

"Where are we going?" she shouted, surprised that her voice wasn't lost on the air teeming with pounding beats and fast wind. Billy was speeding along the road and didn't slow down when they reached the centre of town. The small businesses of Hawkins rose around them in dull and washed-out colours and residents strolled around completing errands: all blissful in their ignorance about the strange and weird events that seemed to plague the shadows of the town. They passed the public library and Prue raised her voice again. "You just passed the library!" Billy looked across the confined space of his Camaro to Prue, his dark shades mirroring her reflection.

"I'm hungry, and I hear Benny's Burgers is under new management," he announced in a relaxed voice, his hands twisting the steering wheel onto Randolph Lane. Prue was anything but relaxed at that moment. A small diner? Food? Conversation about things other than school? This study date was shifting into proper date territory and her stomach was overridden with doom. Concern and irritation were sneaking into her blood too; she knew this study date had been a bad idea. "I'm feeling a burger. You're not a vegetarian, are you?" his voice was so casual it was unnerving.

"It's ten-thirty in the morning!" she replied in a sharp tone, pulling brown strands of hair out of her mouth.

"Burgers don't have an appropriate time of the day, Prue," he responded, shaking his head slightly.

"I'm assuming you think the same thing about beer?" she added pointedly.

"Never before breakfast, but always before lunch." He smirked devilishly at her, his words shining with his sense of humour. Prue rolled her eyes, turning her gaze to the open window that whipped air into her face rapidly.

The small diner was empty, save for a few labour workers in neon orange vests and muddy boots. Cooking oil and burnt sugar wafted through the air. Benny's Burgers had been popular once but after the tragic death of Benny and with the new owners, the small town diner didn't see many faces anymore. No one greeted the pair when they entered the grim and sad diner. The long room was warm despite the nip in the November air and Prue's skin felt warm, too warm, but she wasn't sure that had anything to do with the diner air. Billy guided Prue to a free table near the front windows. Pale sunlight glowed through the glass covered in greasy fingerprints. Billy went straight for his sticky laminated menu after shrugging out of his denim jacket. "Order whatever you want, okay?" his voice was smooth, his eyes briefly lifting to spy at Prue sitting across from him over the top of his menu. However, Prue took a different approach and pulled out her English presentation material from her backpack.

"What did you think of Orwell's work?" she asked, opening her notebook before rearranging her schoolwork and two paperback novels on the table, deliberately moving into Billy's space.

"Seriously?" Prue just tilted her head at Billy, her pencil already resting between her fingers. Billy grunted. "Alright, food later then. While both Orwell and Shelley use radical and futuristic plots and characters to entertain readers, they both use radicalness as a way to highlight concerns in and about their societies. Shelley's revolves around the advancement of technology and Orwell's revolves around the impact of warfare. Yet, both works still remain relevant decades and centuries later."

She sat staring at Billy Hargrove, her heart fluttering away like the wings of a hummingbird. "You read Frankenstein too?" she queried, astonished and impressed, and a small smile picked up the corners of her mouth. His observations about the two novels were surprisingly impressive and Prue hadn't even gotten that far in her own notes yet.