WARNING: DO NOT ENGAGE [stranger things] [1/2]

XVII - Thriller

"Darkness falls across the land

The midnight hour is close at hand

Creatures crawl in search of blood

To terrorize y'all's neighborhood"

  •  

"Hey, Mike?" Rosemary stage-whispered in the car, looking to the boy in the passengers seat with a sly smile. In the back, Eleven was painfully silent while Dustin and Lucas argued about something or the other (though, she was staring out the window in an inexpiable kind of awe at the shops and buildings). "Huh?" Mike asked, looking at Rosemary. 

"Pretty....." She smirked. "Good."

"Shut up!" He hissed, reaching out to punch her. She help up her hand to block him, making a 'nuh-uh' sound. "I'm driving, you doof. And you're buying me a new car if you crash this one." She definitely would make him pay for it, too. And his mum probably wouldn't be so sympathetic for him if he did end up being the reason she crashed (god knows his dad wouldn't help his case, and Nancy would laugh at him as he lost his pocket money for the rest of his life). She parked up the car in the middle school parking lot, and they all emptied out (Eleven nearly tripping as she did so, but Mike was quick to reach a hand out and steady her. Rosemary and Lucas sheared a knowing look).

"C'mon, losers." Rosemary said, leading the way to the doors. "If anyone sees us, we look sad. Got it?" She said, pushing the doors open.

"Right. Look sad." Mike agreed, nodding. Behind the two of them, Dustin and Lucas were miming what 'sad' was to Eleven, and Rosemary fell back slightly when she remembered that she didn't actually know where the AV room was. She stopped as Mike did, and watched as he tried to open an obviously locked door.

"It's locked." He stated, turning around to look at them.

"No shit." Rosemary nodded as Lucas tried to open it, rolling her eyes at the rather dumb move.

"Hey, do you think you can open it? With your powers?" Dustin asked Eleven, and Rosemary tilted her head at her in curiosity. She didn't know the full extent of the girls powers anymore, though she once had. She might well be able to unlock doors. Eleven didn't seem to know either, opening her mouth as if trying to find a way to convey that. Rosemary started to speak to try and say that to him, but was cut off by someone else.

"Boys?" Mr Clarke asked as he came around the corner, and everyone immediately stood to attention. It awakened some vague memory Rosemary had about the same thing happening to her and Nancy countless times (though, admittedly, not near the AV room) when they were in Middle school. "Assembly's about to start."

"We know." Mike sighed. "We're just... you know." He looked to his feet, shifting slightly, and Rosemary tried not to marvel at his acting. Lucas breathed out something akin to a laugh ."Upset." He said, recovering his sad expression. He was definitely not as good as Mike.

"Yeah, definitely upset." Dustin stuttered.

"We needed some alone time." Mike shrugged. He must have thought this through already, since he was much more prepared for someone turning up than everyone else. That just became more apparent when Dustin forced out the words. "To... cry."

"Hey, listen," Mr Clarke started, and Rosemary and Eleven exchanged looks before looking back to him. She certainly was not expecting him to buy it. "I get it. I do. I know how hard this is. But lets just be there, for Will, huh? And then..." He got his keys out, and looked over them before his eyes landed on Rosemary. "The Heathkit is all yours for the rest of the day." He said this while throwing the keys to Rosemary, looking slightly impressed when she caught the terribly off-target throw with one hand. "What do you say?"

"Thank you, Mr Clarke." Rosemary spoke up.

"Rosemary! Shouldn't you be in school?" He asked. He couldn't say he expected anything else from Rosemary, wild soul she had always been, but he didn't expect to find her with them. Her speaking only seemed to focus his mind on it.

"I've got loads of credit in all my subjects, so I could afford to take the day off. Just to make sure the kids are all right and all." She smiled, putting her hands on Mike and Elevens backs. He bought that too, luckily, but Rosemarys action seemed to have brought his attention to Eleven, then. That was not as easily explainable. He smiled at her, used to being cheerful to kids. "I don't believe we've met. What's your name?"

"El-"

"Eleanor!" Mike cut off hurriedly, and Rosemary pinched the back of his neck at the sound of his startled voice.

"Cousin." Lucas said.

"Second cousin!" Dustin added, and Rosemary tried to silence the rageful screaming on the inside of her head. She sighed, giving a sad shrug. "She's here for Wills funeral." That, at least, would stop questions.

"Ah, well, welcome to Hawkins Middle, Eleanor." Rosemary now realised how she got to sneaking around his class so often, considering he was this oblivious. "I wish you were here under better circumstances." Eleven seemed lost a moment, before trying to scramble for something to say.

"Thank you." She settled for, and Rosemary was glad she chose that and not something ridiculous she didn't yet know the meaning of.

"Uh, where are you from, exactly?" The boys all looked at Eleven then, a if expecting a proper answer. Which of course, they didn't exactly get - "Bad place-"

"Sweden." Rosemary cut off, chastising herself for the bizarre answer immediately afterwards.

"I have a lot of Swedish family." Mike nodded.

"She hates it there." Dustin said.

"Cold!" Lucas added. She thought that maybe this was the moment she decided they might need classes in lying. "Subzero." No, that was definitely it. They were terrible at this.