Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
☆★
"don't you look happy today, i'm surprised that you're alive."
It is exactly that fake enthusiasm and subtle mirthful nuance that's too familiar to Aurora's liking that gives rise to the arch of her eyebrow. The girl doesn't even even need to look up at the owner of the voice to picture the shit-eating smirk that belongs to none other than her babysitter slash older 'brother', Steve Harrington. Such morbid greetings have been long established as an inside joke between the two due to the peculiar sense of humour that they shared.
Their parents had been friends from high school and Aurora had grown up with Steve for most of her life. Sure he avoided her at first because he claimed that he was 'too cool to hang out with babies' but the pair had gotten closer when Aurora's parents offered Steve some extra pocket money for looking after their youngest and only daughter.
Steve often made bad decisions but he's always been the older brother figure Aurora never had, the closest thing to a real friend she had at the moment.
"When am i ever in a good mood after school?" Aurora smiled.
"Well Halloween's coming up right? isn't that fun for middle schoolers? Trick or treating and shit."
Halloween has always been her favourite time of the year, even Christmas came in second. But in all honesty, she wasn't looking forward to it this year, she had friends to go out with but it didn't compare to what she had before. In previous years she enjoyed running around late at night with absolutely no care what so ever, collecting bags and bags of treats.
But that was back when Aurora was still friends with Dustin, Will, Lucas and Mike. The five inevitably stuck with each other like glue for a long epoch of time, that when people realized that she was best friends with 'the nerds' at some point, it was hard not to laugh at their reactions that usually consisted of jaws at the floor or sky rocketed eyebrows along with constant questions that she always had the answers to before they were even asked. But, Aurora had to admit, she never answered the question that was along the lines of; "why'd you guys stopped being friends ?" because apparently, no one noticed the drift in the group when Will Byers went missing.
"Hey you okay? You went blank on me for a second there." Steve asked when he noticed that the girl had spaced out.
"Huh? Oh yeah it's nothing i'm just thinking." Aurora replied.
"You know, maybe i'm getting a little old for trick or treating," she continued.
"Mhm sure, you're barely even a teenager, don't try and grow up too fast kid."
☆
The next day of school finally arrived, meaning that it was finally Halloween. Aurora looked through her closet, trying to pick out her clothes for the day. Before, everyone dressed for the occasion; Hawkins Middle School was filled with everything from witches and monsters to fairies and princesses.
It was obvious that no one was going to dress up this year, Stacey had said so, it just wasn't cool anymore and whatever Stacey said, Aurora agreed with. So the girl sighed putting on her regular clothes and made her way to school.
Her friends stood by there lockers as always and Aurora quickly made her way to them to join in on the conversation.
"Yeah so my sister said i could invite you guys, it's way better than just staying in my room all night," Aurora heard.
"You in Aurora?" One of the other girls asked when she noticed her presence.
"In for what?"
"You know my sister? the one in high school, yeah anyways she throwing a party tonight since my parents are going out, you know how cool we'd be? going to a high school party."
Aurora knew her parents would never let her go and as much as she wanted to go, she knew that they would eventually find out because if it was a high school party, Steve would definitely be making an appearance.
"Um yeah..i'll think about it, I just...don't want to be caught." Aurora meekly spoke.
"Yeah okay whatever." Stacey replied in disinterest just as the bell for class went off.
☆
When the four boys arrived to class, everyone's eyes were on them but not for the right reasons. The four stood out in their Ghostbusters costumes and Aurora heard light giggles throughout the room.
The red head soon made her arrival, that brought Aurora back to the day before when she had treated the girl poorly, and with out thinking she stood up and made her way over; feeling the eyes of her friends burning into her back.
Aurora approached with hesitation in her step, "Hi um-" she stopped herself when Max's attention was on her.
"Listen, s-sorry about yesterday i know that you were just being nice and i didn't mean to s-snap at you like that..i'm Aurora by the way.." Aurora rambled on and decided it was best if she just walked away to save herself from the embarrassment.
"Hey! y-yeah, um i get it, I have bad days too." Max smiled up at her but she was confused as to why the girl that gave her attitude yesterday had a sudden change of heart.
An awkward pause came after that and Aurora decided that it would be best if she made her way back to her seat.
"W-wait are you um, doing anything after school? you know for Halloween?"
After looking back and Stacey and seeing the blank look on her face Aurora turned back to Max.
Noticing the pause, the red head suddenly wanted to take back her works, "you know um it's okay if you don't want to, i know you have other friends but those kids kind of asked me and i don't really want to go out with stal-"
Max suddenly cut herself off, "never-mind but if you can't i totally understand."
That brought Aurora back, "no i'd love to go with you, come by my house after school?"
With that the two girls exchanged information and Aurora made her way back to her seat.
