Stranger Things: Little Miss Perfect (A Prequel Novel)

Chapter 2: "I saw someone from my class that I recognised."

I finally finished the first day of school, it was so vastly draining. All I want to do is lay face down on my pillow and not have to interact with the world. I had chosen a club like my mom asked, the choice they had was minimal to nothing; The only club that somewhat interested me was the news agency club, they make in-house school newspapers to put around the town for outsiders and students to read. You get to make your own headlines and produce a structure for the paper, I've decided to join as an intern who will be helping in making the newspaper and printing. The school halls were practically dead when I went to the signup list which was practically full, a bunch of different people and a clean divide between genders. The club starts on Wednesday afterschool and I'm strangely excited for something extracurricular.

I had to go into town for the list that my mom gave me and then call dad to pick me up when I was done. I'm in Downtown Hawkins which is bustling with people commuting home from work and children treacherously running up and down the pavement. I slipped my way into the town's local library to pick up some of the textbooks I needed for chemistry. When I walked in I saw someone from my class that I recognised, Barbara?, I think that was her name. In my first period class, she was quiet and arranged to sit next to me and she attentively listened. We had class discussion thus made us have a quick conversation where we talked about Isotopes and it's properties. I didn't sit next to her at lunch though, she was nowhere to be found so I sat with these popular girls that I somehow fell in with.

Barbara was perusing down the textbooks section of the library where I also intended to be. I took a breathe and walked down the section and gave Barbara a quick "Hi."

"Oh hey, Nancy from chemistry right?" she said in a pleasant tone.

Do I have to make small talk now?

"Yep, are you here for textbooks as well? My parents are forcing me to get revising on the first day."

She replied "I'm looking for some English ones, I like being prepared."

I asked her "Where were you at lunch? I didn't see you around the cafeteria..."

"I was hiding out in the toilets, I saw you with your group though."

"They aren't really my group, I felt really out my depth." 

I add onto that "The whole school makes me feel out of my depth." 

"I feel you, I'm really sorry but I have to get home before dark." She says in a somewhat of a hurry.

I hastily reply "Can I stick with you tomorrow? I mean since we're lab partners now and everything..."

She replies "Sure thing, lab partner."

She gives me a gentle smile and chats up the lady at the counter about taking the books out. 

I grab the textbooks I need and take them out at the desk.

Okay, one thing done, now onto the next. I need to pickup this package for my mom, my dad bought something for my mother of an infomercial as an apology for getting into an argument. This isn't the first time let alone the last. I head in and see an old man behind the desk, I walk up and say "This is Nancy Wheeler, I'm picking up for Ted Wheeler." I rehearsed this in my head hundreds of times beforehand. The old man responded by hobbling over to the back and inspecting the shelves with hundreds of brown paper packaged parcels stacked. "I forgot my glasses..." the old man said which then enlisted him to hobble his way back to the desk to pick them up and take double the amount of time going back to the shelves. I was starting to get impatient but kept my calm. He grabbed the package and pushed a clipboard towards me "Sign here please." I quickly scribbled out my signature horribly and sped walked my way out. 

One thing about Hawkins is that it doesn't have phone boxes so I rushed my way into the theatre and asked the blonde girl at the counter who was chewing gum vigorously if they had a phone. "Over there." she said in the most monotone voice ever to be conceived. I walked over to the phone and saw a group of teenagers, one of them looked over at me and whistled in a seductive manner. "Ew" I muttered quietly, I noticed one of the guys in that group as the class jester. I think his name is Steve? He'd always ask the teacher the dumbest questions but everyone laughed along with him anyways. We made eye contact for a few seconds until I looked away to punch in my parents number.

The dial tone rang on for a few seconds until I heard Mike on the other end, "Mike, can you get mom to come pick me up?" 

He replies in an impish tone "Why? Have you been around a boy's house?" 

"Mike! Just ask them to pick me up from the theatre, god..."

He replies with the same attitude, "They're not here right now."

What? Why? They promised me. "What do you mean? Where are they?"

Mike replies, "They're over at Joanna's house! They probably forgot you needed picking up."

Ugh, as if this day couldn't get any worse. "Tell them when they get back then, as soon as they're back."

"Fine, hope you had a good date..." I can almost hear him say that with eyebrows raised.

The tone dial stops and I put the phone back on it's stand.

I'm not sure how long they're going to take, at least an hour, since I'm here I might as well pass the time. I go up to the blonde receptionist still chewing on that gum and I ask "What film are they showing today?"

"The Evil Dead." She definitely doesn't want to be there.

It's not my kind of film but I ask "Can I get one ticket?". 

"Five dollars please."

I slide it from my pink wallet decorated with flower decals (I haven't got a new one yet).

"Sure the movies only just starting, get in there quick." She exclaims in the same exact tone, impressive.

I enter through the red velvet doors and walk up the aisle in-between the seats. I see Steve once again but I sit on the opposite side to him by myself as I view the advertisements. There's a spare seat next to him but I can't bare to socialise, I'm exhausted to put it lightly.

I hear a raised whisper from next to me and guess who it is. Steve is staring directly at me asking "Do you want to sit here? There's a spare seat." I'll feel bad if I just reject his offer so I spring up off the dirty theatre seats and move myself next to him.