FAMILIAR ↳ STEVE HARRINGTON

one.

"And then Lucas lit the fuse, and the firework took off and at first we couldn't see it but then it disappeared and then it exploded and we were like woah!" Mike Wheeler told his story at the dinner table, his eyes wide and reminiscent as he recalled his day with friends. Christine was sitting beside her aunt, pushing peas across her plate, her elbow resting on the table and her face resting in her hand, the girl so incredibly bored with the dinner that she could feel herself almost falling asleep.

Christine had arrived that day, settling in and moving into her room while missing school, the Wheelers deciding that tomorrow would begin her new run at Hawkins High. It had only been about a month and a half of the school year, so her father figured she wouldn't be missing too much considering how early into the year it was.

"Mike I told you not to play with fireworks. I read a story the other day in the paper about a boy who shot off a firework and it blew his finger off." Christines eyes didn't come off of her plate as her aunt spoke, the girl thinking heavily about a few things. What would she wear, where would she sit, would she see Nancy and would she have to talk to her, how long would she have to sit at this dinner table and how she couldn't wait to get a good nights rest.

"Christine are you excited for your first day tomorrow?" The attention from her aunt was turned into her and the girl finally looked up, her eyes devoid of any emotion as she cleared her throat at looked down at the food again for a moment.

"Oh I'm just...thrilled." She said, giving her uncle a tight smile as he gave her a brisk nod and a warmish smile.

"I think you'll adjust just fine.  And if you need anything just find Nancy and she'll help you out." Christine turned her attention to Nancy for only a moment, the girl in question not saying anything and only looking down at her plate in defeat.

After spending the entire afternoon with Nancy, Christine was reminded of why exactly she had never liked her. She had an air of pretentiousness, a dorsal of snootiness when she spoke to Christine, almost as if she was reminding the girl where exactly she was staying and exactly who's house it was with every word she said, even if she didn't directly say it.

"May I be excused?" Christine asked out of politeness, her aunt giving her a smile and a nod as the girl already began to stand. She took her plate to the kitchen, scraping off the food she was unable to eat and washing her plate quickly. Dinner seemed to finish officially a few moments later, Christine making a point to yawn dramatically so that her aunt and uncle would presume that she was pretty tired. She escaped up the stairs, heading into her bedroom and closing the door behind her, the girl pressing her back to the door and letting out a short breath. A moment alone.

Christine wanted nothing more than to apologize to her dad, get him to let her go home, or even just take her with him. After spending less than an entire day in Hawkins, she couldn't bear the thought of spending months here. She groaned, making her way to the bed and plopping onto it, a groan in her throat as she tried not to start crying or something. Her new reality was absolute hell, and she wanted nothing more than to go home.

Christine was on the verge of falling asleep when she heard a knock on her door, her eyes shooting open as she managed out a short reply. Mike walked in, his eyes frantic and searching as he looked at Christine.

"What?" She asked, looking at him with confusion.

"Do you have any quarters or anything? I'll pay you back I just gotta go to the arcade." Christines mood spiked at that, her eyes widening as she saw a reason to leave this house. She was quick to stand, making her way across the room to a small box and grabbing a coin purse out of it.

"I'll give you the quarters if you let me drive you." Christine negotiated, her eyes squinting as she looked at the younger boy. He gave her a confused look, his eyes stopping on the coin purse as she shook it, the change clanging around inside.

"Why? It just sounds like a double win for me." Mike said, shrugging at her proposal. Christine was already grabbing her keys from the top of the dresser, her eyebrows raising as she awaited his answer.

"Because I don't want to be in this house anymore than you do." The girl admitted, hoping Mike would just let her go. He squinted his eyes, looking over her face for another minute before snatching the coin purse from her hand, his mouth opening to speak.

"Fine. But you have to pick my friends up too." Christine nodded at that, a contented smile crossing her lips as she followed Mike out of the room. They hurried down the stairs, her aunt saying something about not running in the house, Christine grabbing her jean jacket off of the hook and pulling it on.

"Where are you going?" Aunt Karen asked, Christine turning her head as she thought of what to say, Mike standing impatiently at the door.

"I asked Christine to drive me to the arcade. It's a little chilly out and I didn't really want to bike there." Mike interjected before she could start, Karen looking between the two before jsut nodding.

"Thanks Christine." Her uncle said, making the girl give him a short wave and then rush out the door. She closed it behind her, Nancy standing on the stairs as she shut it, her arms crossed over her chest as she watched her cousin and brother leave.

"Alright Mike...where do your friends live?"