THE ILLUSION OF HOPE ━ stranger things

𝟬𝟬𝟮 ━ At the beginning

ioh! chapter two
━ At the beginning

"How was school today, Sweetie?" Karen yelled from the kitchen as Jules marched through the front door. She held a rosey, pink flower that she picked from a blossom tree, another one to add to the collection; Jules liked to decorate her room with flowers, vines, and any sort of plants she could find.

It gave her some sort of peace━she liked feeling connected to nature in a way. Her powers also helped to keep them alive and blossoming━that was a bonus.

Karen always knew that Pietro wouldn't be with her as soon as she walked through the doors. He liked to live in the moment, but usually came home after maybe an hour or two. She liked how active he is━but she has never known him to have friends.

"It was great! The teachers said I was a bright girl, and I made a friend!" By now Jules was already in the kitchen leaning her head on the palm of her hand, sort of in a daydream-like. "Her name's Anne, she has red hair, like me. I met her in my English class."

Anne Bearing was part of the popular squad in Hawkins high. Not Steve Harrington's group━which Nancy was kind of part of━it was another. Anne had accidently bumped into Julianna when heading through the doors of their English class. From there the friendship began.

"That's great! I'm so proud of you!" Jules beamed and practically flew up the stairs with a large smile adorning her face, "Help your brothers set the table, will you?"

"Of course, Ma."

Jules quickly took the flower into her room and placed it in the selection of others she had collected. Her collection held most wild flowers she had found to be slowly dying, some were beautiful━full of colour and life, others were deep shades━those were her favourites.

She walked back downstairs and met Mike at the table, who was placing down the plates with a frown on his face. Pietro launched himself down the stairs, nobody even knew he was home. Although, he thought to himself how easily he could get around with his power and he loved it.

"How are you, Mike?" Jules asked, tone as sweet as honey, she knew how much Mike cared for Will, she did too, care for him, but they were best friends after all.

When she heard about Will, she immediately accused herself━if she went with him he wouldn't have gone missing, right? She could have protected him. She should've done better.

Pietro lay a hand on his sister's shoulder, he knew her habits of blaming herself for things that weren't her fault. He mumbled to himself mindlessly, "Always blaming yourself."

Mike looked up at her. By the look on his face, it seemed to her that he'd been asked that question many times and he was annoyed by it. "I'm doing as best as having a missing best friend can be!" Sarcasm dripped through his words━there were also laces of sadness━and Mike just gave his sister a weak, fake smile in return.

Everyone was quickly seated at the table, holly with a small struggle, where they tucked into the food Karen had set down. It was quiet━quieter than it ever had been━usually there was slight small talk but no one felt like they could, their thoughts ran somewhere else.