Dahlia Hopper, the queen bee of Hawkins High, had always been wrapped up in the usual high school concerns, her perfectly styled hair, flawless makeup, fashionable clothes, and the attention of boys. Despite her popularity and all the expectations t...
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"Shit!"
Dahlia panicked as her eyes landed on the clock on the bedside table, well, Reed's bedside table. It was already 7:30, which gave her barely half an hour before class started at 8. She shot up and frantically searched for her clothes in his wardrobe, rolling her eyes at the limited options. None of it was remotely her style; Reed’s collection of oversized hoodies and wrinkled jeans didn’t exactly scream 'queen bee of Hawkins High'. But she didn’t have time to be picky.
"Reed, wake up!" she hissed, her voice a tense whisper. She didn’t dare speak louder; the last thing she needed was his parents discovering she’d been here all night. Dahlia had no interest in an awkward parent confrontation over breakfast, and besides, she and Reed weren’t even dating.
Reed groggily rolled over, squinting up at her. "Well, hello, pretty. Why are you up so early?" he mumbled, flashing a lazy grin. Dahlia glanced at him in disbelief as she swiped on her lipstick in the reflection of a compact mirror. She left her wavy hair loose, there was no time to style it, and she sighed, regretting her decision to stay here. This whole thing had been a terrible idea.
"It's 7:30! Are you really that clueless? Class literally starts in half an hour." she snapped. "You seriously annoy me. This is the last time we’re doing this. Just pack up my stuff and drop it off at my place." she added, shooting him a sharp look as she slung her bag over her shoulder. Without another word, she made for the window, not wanting to risk being seen by his parents. Her dad already had a complicated reputation in Hawkins; the last thing she needed was people talking about her sneaking out of boys’ houses in the morning.
Climbing out the window, Dahlia quickly adjusted her bag and glanced around to make sure no one had seen her. She started making her way down the street, the cool morning air hitting her face as she walked. She mentally cursed herself for not getting up earlier, feeling the tension in her stomach as she worried about showing up late.
Just as she was dreading the long walk to school, she spotted Dustin Henderson riding his bike toward the middle school, his curly hair peeking out from under his cap.
"Dustin!" she called, her face lighting up with relief. She waved him down, and Dustin’s eyes widened as he recognized his old babysitter, a grin spreading across his face.
"Dali! What are you doing all the way over here?" he asked, his curiosity barely contained. Dustin had always admired her, she was practically a legend to him.
Dahlia offered a quick, casual smile, keeping the details to herself. "Oh, I was just visiting a friend last night. Long story. But would you, sir, be so kind as to give me a ride to Hawkins High?" she asked, batting her lashes with a playful smirk.
Dustin’s face lit up with pride. "Of course, m'lady!" he said, quickly moving forward to make room for her on the back of his bike. Dahlia climbed on, and as they started down the road, Dustin couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement. He couldn’t wait to tell Lucas, who had an enormous, very obvious crush on Dahlia, that he’d been the one to give her a ride to school.
As they rode, Dahlia felt a strange comfort in the situation, something she hadn’t expected after the chaotic morning she’d had. It was almost nice to just be here, riding along with Dustin, a break from the pressure of always having to appear perfectly composed. She could feel the tension in her shoulders slowly fading, and, for a brief moment, she even found herself laughing at one of Dustin’s silly jokes as they sped down the road together toward Hawkins High.
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"Just a heads up, you might see two little brunettes coming out of the bathroom." Carol said with a grin as Dahlia hurried past her. Dahlia only wanted a quick look in the mirror to check her hair, though Carol already thought it looked amazing. Dahlia’s wavy hair fell loose around her face, giving her that natural, queen-bee vibe that seemed to draw everyone’s attention without her even trying.
"Oh, okay. Thanks," Dahlia replied, barely paying attention, as she walked toward the bathroom door. Just then, she saw Nancy, her ex-best friend coming out. Nancy looked like she wanted to say something, her eyes meeting Dahlia’s for a second, but Dahlia moved past her, not wanting any more awkward moments between them. As she reached the door, she noticed Steve Harrington slip out, quickly avoiding her gaze. Steve, too? she thought, already tired of running into people she’d rather avoid today.
Dahlia wasn’t particularly close with Carol, Tina, or Nicole, but the three redheads had attached themselves to her like a team. They seemed to think Dahlia should be their leader just because she was the only blonde in the group. Dahlia thought that was silly, but the girls were determined to follow her anyway.
Then there was Steve Harrington. Back in middle school, Steve had a huge crush on her, but she turned him down. She always thought he was too snobby and mean, the opposite of the kind of person she wanted to be with. She wanted someone kind, someone she could actually look up to. Still, to keep her place in the social scene, she had accepted that Carol, Tina, and Nicole would be her constant companions, even if she didn’t feel as close to them as they seemed to feel about her.
Dahlia knew that this day would be another boring day.
