G O O D G I R L S [BILLY]

C H A P T E R T H R E E

The Stranger
Hawkins, Indiana
1984

Almost a full year has passed now since the strange and unusual events that wreaked havoc on Hawkins' residents took place. Tensions have seemingly calmed, the monsters have crawled back into their cave, and as always, the social order at Hawkins High has been restored. Life has travelled full circle, and back to the beginning now, things were normal once more.

Johnathan Byers has retracted his hand from the battle for Nancy Wheeler, turned his back on the brow-raising friendship they formed, and retreated back to a place in the school he had become so familiar with: the shadows. Any trace of his existence that suddenly prevailed at this time last year had disappeared, and Johnathan, back in the same place he started, reigned as Hawkins' biggest freak.

After everything, Hawkins' latest power couple stood strong, despite Dana D'Amico's grimace. Steve Harrington and her graciousness herself, Nancy Wheeler, were very much so in love. So in love, that the basketball star was even considering adjusting his entire life to that of his younger girlfriend. It appeared that, whereas every other freshly formed relationship that sprung about due to last year's events died out, theirs had grown stronger.

While at one point in their sophomore year, Penelope Christensen and Nancy Wheeler had bonded over demogorgon slaying and little brother saving, the two girls now, inevitably, did not speak, smile, or wave. They passed by one another, only acknowledging the other when absolutely necessary, just as it always had been before last year. In a way, it saddened Penelope that her quick to form and quick to fizzle friendship with the Wheeler girl disintegrated so fast. Nancy was a lot like her in certain ways that Dana and Molly were not, and she missed having someone else to relate with. She was soft-spoken and reserved, and appeared to, despite what rumors attempted to say about her, had morals and boundaries. Penelope was all of this and more, a result so clearly of her pious father's rules and restrictions. Being friends with Nancy made her behavior feel more normal, because Dana, she knew, was anything but moral and reserved, and Molly, of course, was a fluttering bird flying solo to the tune of her own song.

Hanging around with Dana D'Amico almost twenty-four hours a day gave Penelope more opportunity to expand her social horizons. It was an in to all things that'd give her name meaning in high school. She loved the perks of her long term friendship with the beautiful and bountiful brunette cheerleader, but at times, Penelope felt isolated from herself in their friendship. She wasn't unsatisfied; that's too strong of a word to describe it. Despite their differences, they were still as close as friends could be. But Penelope felt that in a room full of people, she could feel herself staring back at her. The person in the room was not who she was. She felt alone in some of her stances, she felt behind in some of her experiences, and lacked what Dana and Molly and the other girls had: fearlessness.

She had to pretend when she was with them more often than not. She would drink, but only a little so as to preserve her image, and flirt, but never with the wrong guy. She was protective over who she was and what the significance of her name held in this small town, while Dana would run wild and free and do whatever it was that she pleased. Molly was by her side more often than not, but even still, the raven-haired girl enjoyed a beverage far more than the blonde. In times like that, Penelope wished she had Nancy Wheeler back in her life. Nancy understood where she came from at least.