Chapter Text
"Could you possibly take any longer?!" Robin yelled out the window of Steve's car as I hurriedly left my house.
I hopped in the backseat and flung my backpack onto the seat next to me. "Sorry!" I said. "I couldn't find my cheer jacket, my hair was not cooperating, and my mom just kept barking orders at me all morning!"
Steve peeled out of my driveway. "Robin wasn't on time either," he remarked, making me laugh and Robin scoff. "I mean, it's not like you two have to be at the pep rally or anything," he continued.
Robin and I both rolled our eyes at that. We knew he was being sarcastic since I was a cheerleader and Robin was in band.
"This stupid pep rally is going to be the death of me," Robin said as she applied her makeup in the visor mirror. "I mean who gives this big of a shit about basketball anyways?"
"Well it is a championship game, Robin," Steve said matter-of-factly.
"Something Steve doesn't know much about considering he's never won one," Robin said under her breath, but loud enough for us to hear, making me burst into laughter.
"Ha-ha very funny, Buckley," Steve said.
"Besides Robin, you get to be next to Vickie the whole time," I said, poking Robin on the shoulder.
"Oooh Vickie!" Steve sang jokingly.
As we giggled and Robin yelled at us to shut up, I sat there and soaked in the pure happiness we were feeling. My life changed after I started working with Robin and Steve at Scoops Ahoy last summer. Who knew a job at a mall ice cream shop would lead to me learning of multiple dimensions, monsters, a girl with superpowers, and fighting my way out of an evil Russian base of operations. People died either from the Mind Flayer or Russians, but the town was told all the deaths were due to a mysterious fire in the mall. Then Joyce moved Jonathan, Will, and Eleven out to California and nothing was the same. But in this moment I finally feel normal again.
The rest of the car ride consisted of us talking about how Robin should definitely ask Vickie out because she definitely "likes boobies", according to Steve. When we got to school Robin and I bid farewell to our chauffeur and went our separate ways; she had to go with the rest of the marching band and I had to make my way to the dreaded girl's locker room.
In the locker room the rest of the cheerleaders were getting ready and talking about some party going on after the game tonight. I got my cheer shoes out of my locker and started putting them on when I heard the voice of Stacy, the only decent girl on the cheer squad.
"Thought you'd never show up, Reid," she said, crossing her arms in front of me.
"Yeah, crazy morning."
"You going to the party after the game?"
"I don't know," I shrugged. "I might have plans."
"Or you might not and you're just making an excuse to not go," Stacy said, laughing.
I smiled and grabbed my pom poms out of my locker. "You may be right about that."
Just then, Chrissy Cunningham announced, "Alright girls! Let's go out there and get that crowd pumped!"
The rest of the girls cheered and I fought to roll my eyes at the cheesy high school rom-com line she just said. I like cheerleading, but I hate the cliché of being a cheerleader. I used to love it after I made the team as a freshman, but that was because I was so used to being an outcast. In middle school I was bullied for who I hung out with and my personal interests- like being in a Dungeons and Dragons club. I was tired of being picked on so I ditched everything I loved and became someone else. Ever since I became friends with Robin, though, I've got to feeling more like my old self.
The loud whooping of the crowd and the music from the band flooded my ears as we ran out onto the court. We assumed formation to start our repetitive routines we've done for years and I scanned the bleachers looking for familiar faces. I found Mike, Dustin, and Max on one side and Robin on the other. She was right next to Vickie of course, which made me grin.
Then the basketball team came out and I spotted Lucas. He didn't spend a lot of time with the rest of the kids since he joined the team. I guess he's going through what I went through my freshman year.
After Jason Carver took the mic and started spewing his usual shit, I tuned everything out.
-
At lunch Robin and I sat together and made conversation while we picked at our food.
"I'm so glad this is our last day before spring break," I said. "What are our plans for this week?"
Robin looked at me wittingly. "You know what our plans are- they never change. We either hang out at my house or yours, rent a movie, and order a pizza."
I pretended to gag as I shoved my spoon into my mouth. "Robin! We are such losers, we don't even go out!"
"Well what would you like to do because it's not like we-"
Robin was interrupted as a booming voice erupted from the other side of the cafeteria.
"But as long as you're into band, or science, or parties, or a game where you toss balls into laundry baskets! It's forced conformity. That's what's killiiiiing the kiiiiids!"
Eddie Munson was walking on one of the lunch tables and causing a scene with different people. I didn't even want to know what the context of the whole thing was.
"Ugh, what is he doing?" Robin asked, turning away from the commotion.
"He just wants the attention," I answered.
"Well he got it. I can't believe you used to be friends with him."
"He wasn't all that bad back then, but now he's just annoying. Let's hope his arrogance doesn't rub off on Mike and Dustin."
"I don't even know what's going on with our children nowadays," Robin said. It made me snicker, but she genuinely seemed a little upset.
"They're just... finding themselves," I reassured her.
"They need to hurry up then, 'cause I miss them."
-
It was time for the basketball game to start and I found myself in the locker room again, still hearing the same conversations going on. Deja vu.
"What time are you going to the party, Chrissy?" I heard someone ask.
"Chrissy?" They said again.
I looked over to Chrissy who was staring into her locker like she was in a trance or something. A girl touched her shoulder and she jumped.
"What?" She asked.
The girl laughed awkwardly and repeated herself.
"Oh," Chrissy said. "I have to, um, go home and get changed first."
Was Chrissy high or something? It didn't seem like her, and Jason would never allow it, but sometimes you just can't tell with people.
After the massive crowd of people poured into the gym and we welcomed both teams, it was time for the national anthem.
"All the way from Nashville, please welcome Hawkins' very own... Tammy Thompson!"
My mouth fell open and I turned to face Robin and Steve in the bleachers. We looked at each other in disbelief as we recalled our conversation from the mall bathroom we had while coming down from whatever drug the Russians gave us. I remember our bruised and bloody faces as we died laughing while making fun of the girl who sang like a Muppet.
Naturally, Tammy's performance was horrible. She sounded like Ms. Piggy but nobody else seemed to mind. I think I even heard Steve date give her praise for how beautifully she sang.
I got bored with the game when we started losing so I told Stacy I was going to the bathroom when I was really just going to walk the empty halls. This was something I'd done before at games when I wasn't needed in the gym and the fun was dying down. Before I turned the corner of a dimly lit hallway, I heard footsteps. Lots of them. Everyone was at the game, so who would be wandering around besides me? I went down the hall and I was met with Dustin, Mike, and Erica with an American flag draped around her shoulders.
"What are you guys doing?" I asked, hands on my hips.
"Jesus, Kat!" Mike exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air. "You can't just sneak up on people like that!"
"Not getting up to trouble, are we?" I said as I started walking with them, even though I had no idea where they were going.
"Why are you asking so many questions? Aren't you supposed to be at the basketball game?" Erica asked, raising a quizzical brow.
"You guys should be at the basketball game too. You know, to support your friend Lucas? Remember him?"
"We shan't speak of that traitor," Dustin said, raising a hand up to silence me.
"Shan't?" I said to myself.
"He ditched us tonight and it's the end of Eddie's big campaign, so we had to get a sub." Dustin motioned to Erica.
"Sub? I'm not just a sub," Erica stated. "This Eddie guy is gonna beg me to replace Lucas after I help you nerds win tonight."
"Oh, how I've missed my Erica," I laughed, ruffling up her bangs.
"Anyway, I'm kind of offended you didn't ask me to be your sub." I jokingly placed my hand on my chest and frowned.
"Why would we ask you?" Mike said. "You've never played a game of D&D in your life."
"Are you kidding, Mike? You must be joking."
The three kids looked at me with blank expressions on their faces.
"Guys! I used to be in Hellfire! I was the best damn player this town's ever seen. I was even better than Eddie, though he'd never admit it."
"No way you were in Hellfire!" Dustin said. "Why'd you quit?"
I rolled my eyes as I began to recall my stupid wishes from years ago. "I got picked on because of it, and I wanted nothing more than to be... popular... So I became a cheerleader and never looked back."
I looked deep into of eyes of all three kids and pointed a finger at them.
"But do not do I did. Be yourselves and play your stupid fantasy games," I warned them.
"Do you want to sit in on our stupid fantasy game?" Mike asked me.
"Uh... well..." I said, taken aback. I couldn't remember the last time I even watched a D&D game, so I was tempted. I just didn't want to deal with Eddie. I hadn't spoken to him since I left the club and he made it pretty clear he resented me for it, so I had to save myself from the tension.
"I have to get back to the game," I lied. "Thank you for your generous offer though, and good luck with the campaign."
Before I turned away to leave them, I heard a "wait!" from Erica. "Can you give me a ride home later? I was supposed to go to Tina's tonight, but she backed out last minute and I forgot to tell my mom."
I shook my head at her classic Erica move. "Yes, Erica. I'll come find you when the game's over." I waved a goodbye to them and made my way back to the gym.
Thank god I got out of that.