Stay Sweet

chapter 1

1984, a year of mullets, mononucleosis, and maneaters. Juneberry Rennis was a 16-year-old nerd who should've been in her Senior year, but her parents refused to sign the papers that would let her skip the grades.

"Robin, I swear on everything good and holy. I am not becoming friends with Bonehead Harrington." June scoffed as she reached out her hand to make a pinkie swear to her best friend of 12 years. Robin reluctantly locked pinkies with her then returned to her journal where she would aimlessly doodle for hours.

"Then tell me, Junie, why is it that you seem to be spending every day after school with him?"

"Tutoring. I tell him how anatomy works, and he pays me. I'm trying to get as far away from Hawkins as I can after graduation. I'm thinking somewhere scholarly like Seattle or Virginia!" She exclaimed, clasping her hands against her heart.

"Based, on what you just said, how are you not flunking out of Geography?! Those two are not even the same type of place." Robin pestered, and June just shrugged her shoulders.

Bing bong bing!

At the bell's tolling, they pushed themselves up onto their feet by the palms of their hands, June whispered a quick "Just lucky I guess," winked, and walked away.

Her next class was English. A personal favorite of hers. Unfortunately, Hawkins High School didn't offer AP classes so she was stuck with honors.

The English classroom wasn't exciting by any stretch, just columns of desks separated into 3 groups around the room. 

June slumped my bag off my shoulder and set it down on the left side of her desk, the side where one would curve their body into a seat. Another delight that was also on the left side of her, was Jonathan Byers, one of June's other best friends.

"So... how's zombie boy?" She giggled to Jonathan, wiggling her fingers to imitate a witch.

"Oh, he's fine, though if he doesn't stand up to some of those kids that are messing with him, I might."

"Count me in on that. Will doesn't deserve all this shit for something that wasn't even his fault." Jonathan nodded as the bell rang again, signaling the students that were up around the classroom to put their butts into a desk.

The teacher began to speak by opening up the floor for conversation.

"Hello class, I hope you all had a great weekend, would anyone like to tell me what they di-"

 Ms. Raymond was cut off by someone walking through the door.

 A sandy brown-haired man entered the room, the majority of a lollipop prodding out of his lips. He had a curly mullet that went to his shoulders which were broad, and the leather jacket definitely wasn't hiding the outlines of his tightly toned muscles. All of the girls were fawning over him, but the fact that he was wearing sunglasses inside a school building, just told June and Jonathan that he was all kinds of trying too hard.

"What's your name, young man?" The teacher asked, folding her hands behind her back.

"It's not really that important, is it, Teach?" The man replied after popping the sucker out of his mouth. The teacher rolled her eyes and clicked her heels all the way over to her desk. She picked up a roster that had all of her students' names on it.

"You must be William Hargrove. Nice to meet you, William."

"It's Billy." The man suddenly snapped at the teacher, his voice practically booming as he scolded her for the mistake...but just as soon the expression appeared on his face, it was gone again. This time replaced by a cooly detached look.

"Well Mr. Hargrove, I'm gonna need you to remove those sunglasses inside my classroom, then take your seat," Ms. Raymond paused, clasping her hands together in front of her chest, probably deciding that she didn't want to go down the path of disciplining him right now. Taking a deep breath and letting her eyes linger over her classroom, she finally landed on June, and then on the empty chair to her right. June winced at the realization that this was the only open desk in this entire room. There was no way out of this. She would have to sit near the mullethead for the rest of the year. "Ah, there's one right there next to Juneberry. Raise your hand June." Reluctantly, June raised her hand. His eyes flickered over to her and she did everything she could to avert her eyes.

As he passed by, she could hear him chuckle derisively at her inability to maintain even the simplest eye contact.

"As I was saying, did anyone do anything interesting over the weekend? Does anyone have any Halloween plans? Yes! Charlotte!"

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love y'all so much - author<333