Alice the Amazing ⇒ STRANGER THINGS

[20] Alice the Hothead

{Trick or Treat, Freak, Part I}

"Oh, I want to see those pearls!"

Alice rolled her eyes as her mom snapped photo after photo of Dustin in his Ghostbusters Halloween costume. Sure, he looked cute, but Alice was ready to get to school, and this impromptu photoshoot was holding her up.

"Yeah, yeah, Dustin's adorable," Alice said. She checked her calculator watch. "Can we go now?"

"Not until I get a photo of you both!" Mrs. Henderson said. "Alley Cat, stand by your brother. And hold up Mews—she should be in the photo too."

Alice sighed, but obliged. Mews hissed at the sudden contact and writhed around in Alice's arms.

"Stop moving, you dumb cat!" Alice said sharply.

Mews stopped wriggling for just a split second—enough time for Mrs. Henderson to snap one single polaroid.

"Adorable!" she gushed after it printed. "Radiant! This is going in the Christmas newsletter. Nana will love to see it."

Finally free from the lens, Dustin and Alice hopped on their bikes and rode to school.

"You know," Dustin said, huffing and puffing on the way to Maple Street, "you have a driver's license."

"I know."

"And you could drive us to school."

"I could."

"So why don't you?" Dustin asked, exasperated. "I'm tired of biking, and Mom said you could borrow the car if you wanted!"

"Maybe I like our bike rides!" Alice said. "It's sibling bonding time. Have you ever thought about that?"

"I have," Dustin said, "but I've also thought about how cold it's going to get when December comes. We can bond inside the comfort of a motor vehicle!"

Alice felt a seize in her chest. Her heart pounded, and anger flooded her senses. She was seeing red—and it wasn't just from the fall leaves.

"Shut up about a car already!" Alice snapped. "If you want to drive to school, drive your damn self!"

She sped away, leaving Dustin behind to sputter and call, "Wait up, Al!"

"Ride to school with your Ghost-bastard friends," she yelled. "I'll see you at home."

Dustin braked hard outside of Mike's house, watching his sister get smaller and smaller in the distance.

"What's her problem?" Lucas asked, wheeling his bike over from next door and mounting it.

"I have no clue," Dustin admitted as Mike fell into line. "She's been acting weird lately. Really mean and irritable. I say one wrong thing, and she's pissed at me!"

"Maybe it's hormones," Lucas offered as the trio started their ride.

"Maybe it's her powers," Mike said darkly. "Maybe they're corrupting her, or something."

"Fuck off," Dustin retorted. "That's not what's happening here."

But, truth be told, Dustin didn't know what was going on with his big sister. He intended to find out.

🎃 🎃 🎃

The school day was long and boring. The only bright spot was lunch, where Alice and her friends finalized their plans for the night.

"So," Samuel said seriously, as if he were an army captain planning an attack, "we meet at my house at 8. I'll drive us over to Tina's party. We'll stay for approximately 90 minutes—a respectful amount of time—and then leave for movies at Quincy's."