Risky Business ｡ Stranger Things

29 : Suspiria

Her hair no longer fell down her back, reaching far down her spine and no longer captured heat like an electric blanket. Prue's chocolate brown hair just graced the tops of her shoulders now and a full fringe framed her face. Ronnie had gasped in delight when the hairdresser finally spun Prue around in the salon chair, revealing her new hair cut. Selena had whistled out her support, running her fingers through Prue's short hair that now wouldn't stop swinging and catching in the lightest of summer breezes. The loss of length was a pleasant shock to Prue―who was only used to long, thick locks―but a shock nonetheless. For the rest of the afternoon, as the girls continued to shop and loll around the Starcourt Mall, she kept reaching for her lost hair only to find it stopping short at her shoulders. But the brunette felt lighter with the tiny act of rebellion, less shadowed.

"Prue, honey!" Caroline called out, her voice booming throughout the house. "YOU HAVE A PHONE CALL!" The teenager slipped from her bedroom and bounced down the steps, expecting it to be Selena or Ronnie down the line to talk logistics about the summer bash they were throwing at Ronnie's house on Maple Street. "It's a boy and I didn't recognise the voice," Caroline told her daughter, handing her the receiver connected to the wall. With a spiking pulse, Prue held the phone to her ear.

"Hello?" she greeted, winding the phone cord around her fingers.

"Hey, baby. Your mum seems like a peach," Billy said down the line in a flirtatious tone that lingered with darkness.

Her heartbeat slammed against her skin and she turned away from her mother, who brushed her fingers through Prue's short hair mournfully. Caroline had flipped when she saw Prue's new hair cut but she didn't yell or scream, just shot Sam a knowing, hard stare. Now, Caroline was parking herself at the kitchen table with a glass of ice tea, clearly listening in on the conversation. "Hi―Steve," Prue choked out, trying to sound normal. Billy never rung the house, Prue had asked him not to for she hadn't told her parents they were even friends. She wasn't embarrassed about her relationship with him, it was just that Billy Hargrove wasn't the type of boy a girl should bring home to her parents, not that Billy had ever suggested that he wanted to meet Sam and Caroline Owens.

Billy chuckled darkly. "This should be fun." Prue could imagine him leaning up against his own kitchen wall with one forearm pressed against the wood and a cigarette dangling from his pink lips. "I wanna get you wet," he drawled out low and smooth. Prue shivered despite the summer air.

"What?" she blurted out, cradling the receiver closer as she looked over her shoulder at Caroline sipping from her drink, pretending to be reading a glossy magazine.

"Soaking wet... just dripping and ready for me," he continued and Prue's skin blushed as a wanting sensation tugged low in her stomach.

"Bil―" she started before catching her tongue, knowing her mother was pretending not to listen. "Brilliant." Every inch of her body felt hot, alive. She could hear the devilish smirk in Billy's voice.

"Be ready in half an hour and bring a swimming suit," he said before ending the call suddenly. Prue was still reeling, her skin sparkling and her stomach twirling with heat and anticipation.

"A movie sounds great, Steve," she spoke for the sake of her dear mother who was still eavesdropping. "See you soon." She untangled the cord, freeing her fingers, before placing the phone back on the hook.

"More plans with Steve?" Caroline asked before Prue could slink back to her bedroom.

She knew her face would still be flushing with crimson, so she kept her head bowed, letting her new full fringe hang low. "Yeah. Another movie. I'm slowing turning Steve into a film junkie too," she forced out.

"Let's hope he likes the new hair cut," Caroline digged, voice tempered steel.

"It's only hair, Mum," Prue snapped back. "It'll grow back." Prue stormed off to her bedroom as Caroline swapped her ice tea for white wine, trying to drown her worry.