Loss - Lucas Sinclair

The Gate (Part 7)

One month later...

A lot had changed since that night with the gate. Hawkins lab closed down for good after a fake story about Barb Holland was spread, making Hawkins Lab look at fault for it. Will was now as back to normal as someone who went through that kind of stuff could be. Nancy and Jonathan were now dating. El and Nikki had gone back to the cabin in the woods with Hopper and he was now their adoptive father. And the two girls can hang out with their friends everyday.

Looks like things were finally starting to look up for the Hopper girls. Maybe they would finally get the happy ending they were waiting for.

And that is where our story continues...on the night of the Snowball.

***

"Hey," Lucas smiled at the mirror, trying to forgive out how to ask Nikki to dance. "Wanna dance?"

To say Lucas was nervous was an understatement, his palms were sweaty, his heart was racing and he wasn't even near her yet. All he could do was mentally kick himself for not formally asking her to the dance. The most he did was ask her if she was going to the dance, to which her response was yes because she wanted to see what it was all about. So, they weren't going together, but they were both going.

He cringe at his words and shook his head. "No."

"We should, you know, get out there, like, do our thing," he sighed as he mentally facepalmed himself. "Stop."

"I love this song. You?"

"Yeah, I love it," Erica came into his view in the mirror. "But not as much as I love you, Lukey."

Erica was well aware of the relationship Lucas and Nikki had and could have. She had met Nikki when she and Lucas went for a walk in the neighborhood and Erica just happened to pass by them while she was riding her bike. It only took five minutes for Erica to like the girl and start to embarrass her brother in front of her. Ever since that day Erica had secretly been hoping for their relationship to become official.

"Get out of my room!" Lucas rolled his eyes before slamming the door in her face.

"Yeah, whatever, lover boy," she called through the door before leaving the boy alone.

***

"Ow, ow. That hurts," Max complained to her mom as she finished styling Max's hair.

"It's gonna be worth it," her mom smiled at her. "Promise."

"Yeah, I mean look at what she did with my hair," Nikki spoke up next to Max as she admired the slight curls in her hair that used to be a little more messy. "It's pretty."

Throughout the past month Nikki and Max had really bonded and made a great friendship. Though she was always happy to have El, who for some reason doesn't like Max, Nikki was happy to have another friend.

"Thank you," Max's mom smiled at her.

Nikki cleaned up some of the light makeup Max's mom did for her as Max turned towards the door of the bathroom, giving whatever she was looking at a glare. Nikki noticed this and looked to see that it Billy she was glaring at.

Nikki was quick to give him herself as he turned and walked away. Nikki was told by Max about what he did to Lucas that night with the gate and all she could say in response was that he was lucky she wasn't there.

It seemed like Billy knew he was on thin ice with her. And with her glares, he swore he could sometimes see her eyes turn red. He kept his distance from her and Lucas as well as the rest of their friends, but that didn't stop Nikki from being ready to kick his ass the second he even looked at them wrong.