Risky Business ｡ Stranger Things

40 : Trouble In Mind

The rain didn't hold off, drowning the small, sleepy town well into the night. Prue's bicycle skidded every few meters on the glossy, sleek road as she peddled beside Max; El holding onto the redhead's shoulders as they sped through the pouring rain. The borrowed blue raincoat hugged Prue's soaked bones and she felt chilly with the rain caught on her skin. Eleven was guiding the tribe of three teenage girls racing through a storm to find a red door.

"Here!" El shouted over the roaring rain, thunder cracking through the dark sky. Max pulled up sharply and Prue clenched her brakes hard, the handlebars jerking as she stopped abruptly beside the other bike. The girls all squinted through the falling rain to the house set back from the road. There was a long paved path to the door and the windows were glowing warmly with light; a beacon in the washed-out night.

"Is this it?" Max asked, her eyes flashing back to El as lightning sizzled high above, illuminating the world but for a moment.

"Yes." El nodded, jumping off the back of Max's bike. Prue let her bike drop to the damp earth and the three stalked to the front door, rain washing down their bright raincoats. Prue stood behind El and Max before the red door: it was the colour of blood and the brunette wondered if that was a bad omen.

"Anyone got a plan?" Prue said, leaning forward to peer through the panel of windows by the door. The light inside was orange and it looked so dry and warm compared to the tempest outside.

Max looked to her friend, eyebrows raised in an unsaid question. "El?" El's stare grew hard, focused, her chin dropping down. A moment later, the lock on the door flicked open and blood gathered under El's nose. Being witness to Eleven's powers never ceased to amaze Prue and she was in awe, her lips parting, as the door swung open on its hinges. Max and El crossed the threshold.

"You can't just walk into someone's house!" Prue cautioned out, but she followed the two younger girls anyway, throwing a nervous glance over her shoulder to the dark, rainy shadows. The house was toasty and sweet music drifted through the air. Prue lowered the hood of her blue raincoat as she ambled behind Max and El, who were observing family photos hooked to the walls.

"This is her house," Max muttered.

"What?" El queried, wiping away the blood from her nose.

"Heather's house," Max confirmed, eyes shifting from El to Prue.

"We just broke into Heather Holloway's house!" Prue groaned, eyes finding the family portrait: Heather was smiling wide as she leaned against her father's shoulder.

"That's so rich coming from you," Max remarked, her sarcasm bright in her low voice.

"I've never broken into someone's house before," Prue clarified, "only a laboratory and a basement!" The warmth of the house did little to dry Prue skin's and her hair hung around her face in wet ropes.

"Pretty sure those are way worse," Max quipped out. A cheerily laugh broke out over the soft music and the three girls snapped their heads towards the sound. Prue's pulse rocketed: someone was home.

"Come on," El butted in, pushing Max further down the hallway. The laughter continued as the girls followed the hallway into a homely living room with expensive furniture and fancy wallpaper.

"He's so funny," a woman commented, laughter still fresh on her tongue. Prue froze at the scene before her, Max and Eleven just a little in front of her. The table was set with dinner and a bottle of wine had been opened. Billy sat laughing with two adults who could only be Heather's parents.

"Max?" Billy chimed out, his smile dropping for a brief moment as he clocked the intruders. Max and El were just as stunned as Prue was at the eerie perfect family scene. And what made it so creepy was that Billy seemed to belong here, like nothing was wrong with Hawkins's bad boy having dinner in a nice house with a nice, respected family. Billy made this look natural when it was anything but natural to him.