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Sixteen

After days of sulking around the cabin, Allison found herself in the passenger seat of Hopper's truck. She watched the snow fall outside her window, as Hopper drove her to the Wheeler's, where she and Nancy would be getting ready together, before secretly going to a party later in the evening.

As Hopper pulled up in front of the big brick house, dropping her off for what he thought was a small sleepover, he reached into the backseat and grabbed her bag. She gave him a small smile as she reached for it, but it faltered when he refused to hand it over.

"Now, don't forget what I told you-"

"If anything seems suspicious give you a call.", she cut in, successfully pulling the bag out of his hand with a smirk.

"And?", he pried, raising an eyebrow at her.

"And you'll come pick me up."

"Right. I guess you're all set then.", he murmured, watching her open the door and jump down into the snow that had collected on the ground. "Oh! Just one more thing!"

"What?", she sighed, becoming impatient.

"Have fun!", Hopper chuckled, prompting her to roll her eyes at his antics and slam the door behind her. He refused to leave until Nancy had opened the front door and ushered Allison inside, giving him a small wave to assure him that she would be safe.

Allison stood at the main entrance of the house, feeling out of place as Nancy's mom rushed over with a huge smile on her face. Nancy introduced them to each other quickly, before taking Allison's hand and leading her up the stairs, before her nosey mother had the chance to ask too many questions.

Nancy let out a sigh of relief as they reached her bedroom, making sure to lock the door behind her. She watched as Allison's eyes scanned over the room, taking it all in, from the striped wallpaper to the lace curtains on her window.

"I didn't expect it to be so...pink.", Allison commented, regretting it seconds later. "Not that there's anything wrong with that!", she blurted out, trying to take it back.

"It's okay! I know that my room doesn't match my personality, but my mom insists that it's perfect for a young lady such as myself.", she muttered, mocking her mother. "If only she knew what kind of person her daughter really was. Speaking of which, we need to get ready for tonight!", Nancy exclaimed, running to her closet.

Allison lowered herself down onto the end of Nancy's bed and watched as her friend pulled multiple outfits off their hangers, throwing them in her direction. It wasn't long until Allison found herself buried in a pile of expensive clothes, unsure of what to do with them.

"Well? What are you waiting for? Start trying them on!", Nancy insisted, laughing at the look of disbelief on Allison's face as she reached for the dress closest to her.

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After deciding on something to wear, and allowing Nancy to do her hair and makeup, Allison stood in front of a full-length mirror, staring at herself. She had chosen an off-the-shoulder, long-sleeved white dress, that clung to her body in all the right places. Nancy had given her a black belt to wear around her waist, and matching high heeled boots.

"Woah. I look...", Allison trailed off, running her fingers through her curled hair and giving it a small shake.

"Hot.", Nancy whispered in her ear from where she stood behind her, making her cheeks grow warm.

"You think so?"

"Oh, I know so. The guys won't be able to keep their eyes off of you.", she smiled, locking eyes with Allison in the mirror.

"Nance? Can I ask you something?", Allison asked, fidgetting anxiously with her hands.

"Of course."

"Have you ever had sex before?", she inquired, getting straight to the point.

"Yes, I have.", she choked out, taken back by the question at first.

"What is it like?"

"Well, the first time can be painful and a little awkward, but if you're with the right person it can be amazing.", Nancy answered, recalling all of the times she had been with Steve and then with Jonathan.

"And how do you know when someone is the right person?"

"This might sound strange, but the connection is almost magnetic. Even if you try to avoid them, your paths will keep crossing, until it's impossible to ignore. They'll understand that you aren't perfect and love you anyway, and you'll do the same for them. If you can be your true self around them, they might be the one.", Nancy babbled on, as if she had been waiting for the moment when someone would ask her.

Allison knew that everything Nancy was saying, was referring to her own experience with Jonathan. At first, they had seemed like an unlikely couple, but once they had been brought together, it was impossible to separate them.

Although Allison was grateful for Nancy's in-depth response, it had left her with more questions than answers. She and Billy were continuously crossing each other's path, she had been able to open up to him, and he had allowed himself to be vulnerable around her, but then he had gone and had sex with another girl.

"I think I'll just avoid boys for now.", Allison let out a half-hearted laugh as she turned away from the mirror.

"I don't blame you, but that might be hard when you show up to the party looking like that.", she teased, as a set of headlights shone in her bedroom window. She rushed across her room and peered out through the curtains, her eyes lighting up. "That's Jonathan. Let's get out of here!", Nancy pulled open the window and waved her over.

After a moment's hesitation, Allison climbed out onto the roof next to Nancy and then cautiously followed her down to the ground. They ran down the driveway and jumped into Jonathan's small car, where Allison squished herself into the backseat and Nancy settle in next to Jonathan.

"You look incredible.", Jonathan whispered to Nancy, kissing her on the cheek, before speeding down the snowy street. Nancy cleared her throat and gestured to the backseat with a subtle head movement. "Allison, you look great too. I really like the...um...dress.", he stammered, trying to compliment her.

"Thanks. It's Nancy's.", Allison stated, causing him to fall silent, while Nancy held back a laugh. The rest of the car ride was spent in silence, as they turned onto a street, with elegant houses that made Nancy's look small.

Pretentious Assholes.

Jonathan's thoughts invaded Allison's mind, as he drove past the huge houses with the expensive cars parked in the driveway. At the end of the street, sat a house grander than the rest, lit up with Christmas lights and surrounded by vehicles. As Jonathan searched for a place to park, Allison caught sight of the familiar dark blue Camaro, with a sheet of clear plastic taped over its window.