WHAT GOES UP MUST COME DOWN (DEAD GIRL WALKING) | STRANGER THINGS

CHAPTER ONE | HAWKINS: THE TOWN WITH PEP

MARCH 21, 1986

Amanda threw back the window curtains with twenty minutes left before her alarm went off. She was already up and moving, already dressed from head to toe. She looked back to her stuffed bear, beaming. "This is a very big day, Pascal. Today is the day I find out if I got the lead of Fanny Brice for 'Funny Girl'. I've been dreaming of getting into theatre and now that I'm finally in high school, I've got no excuse to not follow my dreams.

"I've been shy my whole life, I've been underground for a year, it's time for me to finally step out of my box and experience just about everything!" As soon as Amanda finished her "Carpe Diem" speech, her alarm started beeping, setting off the radio that only played today's top 40. She swiftly shut it off, still smiling.

Truth be told, as excited as she was for high school, some people gave her weird looks in the hall, or stared long enough before it started to get awkward. It was no surprise that the story about the girl that came back from the dead made its way around the school faster than the Starcourt mall catching fire that same year. Amanda wanted nothing more than to move past that summer's events and start fresh with whatever she had in front of her, even if it meant not having Will in the picture anymore.

The two were still the best of friends, as they had written back and forth for the past year. Will was settling into his new high school fairly well, El not so much. El may not think he sees, but Will knows what kind of trouble she's been going through with some of the mean kids at school. Amanda had asked if Will was doing anything to help with the situation, but El was refusing help of any sort. Amanda had sighed, knowing exactly what El was going through. It may not have been to that degree, but sometimes she could still hear some of the older kids snickering at her as she ate her lunch by herself. It sucked. And then she went missing. And then it sucked more as she came back up and then no one would leave her alone—she had been holed up at home for a solid two weeks before everyone let her be.

Now, she was ready to be seen. She was ready to let the world know that Amanda Michelle Schwartz was hungry for action. And the Hawkins High pep rally was the perfect place to start.

Amanda was the first to step off the bus, quick to move out of the way and careful not to get run down by the other students as they walked onto campus. Guidance counselor Kelly was herding the groups of school kids into the gym when she spotted Amanda walking in the same direction.

"Amanda," Ms. Kelly called, stopping her, "will I see you after school next Thursday?"

Amanda pulled back a smile, hitching her backstrap higher onto her shoulder. "Of course. Can't wait to recount my tales from the underground." Amanda knew that guidance counselor Kelly meant well, but her responses always came off sarcastic and insincere, something that the counselor noted as a "defense mechanism"—something Amanda needed to work on. With a swift nod, Amanda walked past Ms. Kelly and made her way into the gym.

The pep rally was noisy and raucous as usual, and Amanda tried to not faceplant or get hit in the eye as she trudged her way through the sea of people to get to Mike, Max, and Dustin, with Mike and Dustain arguing about who knows what. Dropping her bag, she let out a huff and a smile. "Hi. What are you guys fighting about this time?"

"Whose girlfriend do you think is better?" Mike asked, turning to her, "Mine or Dustin's?"

"As flattering as that is, I don't really swing that way," Amanda replied, knitting her eyebrows together, "at least, I don't think I do. But Suzie and El are both great in their own way."

Mike squinted at her. "I knew I shouldn't have asked you."

Amanda gave Mike a look. The marching band finished their song and the announcer introduced the Hawkins High basketball team. Jason, being the captain, was the first to run through the paper and Amanda suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. If there was any of her chance of being Fanny Brice getting undermined, it'd be because of him. Nothing too critical had happened, but her voice had slightly cracked on the lyric, Hey, Mr. Armstein, here I am, and it was because he had snorted during her audition—he was only there for Chrissy's moral support. And now after the pep rally, there'd be a sheet of paper taped to the wall in the hallway that could possibly have her name on it. Amanda crossed her fingers and wished hard.