SKATER GIRL , STRANGER THINGS

nineteen

The group were left silent, debating what to do. Flora's eyes then brightened, turning to Dustin. "Henderson, didn't you say your teacher knows about this shit? Like, y'know, science?"

Dustin looked to Flora with a blank look. "Yes, Flora. My science teacher does know science."

"Do you know his number?" Joyce asked slowly, earning a nod from Dustin.

"Who should call?" Dustin then looked around the group, unsure.

"You." Mike told him.

"Definitely you." Lucas agreed, Flora violently nodding along.

Dustin stood at the phone connected to the wall, waiting for his teacher to pick up. "Mr. Clarke? It’s Dustin."

"Yeah, yeah. I just, I...I have a science question." Dustin said into the phone hesitantly, knowing his timing was bad without context- something his teacher didn't have.

"Do you know anything about sensory deprivation tanks? Specifically how to build one?" Dustin rushed out, probably cutting off his teacher.

Dustin shrugged into the phone, "Fun."

Flora leaned into Nancy. "He was probably asked what this was for."

The boy's voice then turned accusatory.
"You always say we should never stop being curious. To always open any curiosity door we find." He paused for only a second, "Why are you keeping this curiosity door locked?"

Soon enough Dustin was sat at the table, notepad in hand, writing and annotating  anything that Mr. Clarke was saying. He was mumbling the occasional "Uh-huh." as he wrote, highly entertaining Flora.

"How much?" Was his next question, writing the answer with a confident nod. "Yep, all right. Yeah, we’ll be careful.
Definitely. All right, Mr. Clarke.
Yeah, I’ll see you on Monday. I’ll see you on Monday, Mr. Clarke. Bye." Dustin rushed out, hastily hanging up now that he had the information he needed.

Flora ruffled Dustin's hair, regardless of the cap on his head. "Knew you could do it."

The boy then turned to Joyce. "Do you still have that kiddie pool we bobbed for apples in?"

The woman nodded, "I think so. Yeah. Yeah."

"Good. Then we just need salt. Lots of it." Dustin announced, checking the noted he'd made.

"How much is 'lots'?" Was then thrown to Dustin, the boy quickly calculating the amount.

"1,500 pounds." Dustin said meekly, getting a reaction from Flora.

"Thats a lot of salt." She then looked to everyone else, confused. "Where are we gonna get that much salt?"

The group had ended up piling into cars, Hopper leading them to Hawkins Middle School.

Flora grinned as she entered the school with Lucas and Dustin, being given the job of inflating the pool.

"You know, I remember this place like the back of my hand."

Lucas rolled his eyes, knowing Flora would go off onto a rant.

"Yeah, there was a talent show once. A band, cheer regimes, the usual. I did a skating thing. Naturally." She giggled, remembering the range of people at that talent show.

When the trio began to sort out the kiddie pool, they faced some problems.

Unfolding it, Dustin grunted. "This damn thing is heavy."

Flora looked at the pool, face scrunched. "It’s upside down."

Lucas shook his head. "No, this way."

Once they got it flat on the floor, the right way up, the trio faced another problem: the sides wouldn't stay up, collapsing at any available opportunity that was provided.

Flora grabbed one side, Dustin another, and Lucas the third. Only one side didn't have support, yet the sides still fell.

Struggling to form an idea, Flora continued to blabber meaningless words. "Okay, um... you guys should know how to do this."

Dustin shook his head, looking to Lucas. "How does this even work?"

Lucas shrugged. "Try that side." He'd pointed to the side that the trio weren't holding, Flora reaching to hold a part of Dustin's side as they all tried to hold the full thing up, failing yet again.

Dustin groaned as it fell again, yelling. "Son of a bitch!"

"Pull it back. Pull it back." Lucas told them, Flora and Dustin doing as he said already.

"I am!" Dustin exclaimed in defense, his and Lucas' eyes falling to Flora.

Noticing their eyes on her, Flora spoke. "Yup, doing that too."

As the pool continued to fall, Flora looked to the boys. "What if it needs the water in it to stand?"

Realising she was right, Lucas and Dustin let go of the pool, letting it fall as they waited for Mike and Nancy.

Dustin turned to Flora. "We have time for you to tell your piercing story."

Lucas nodded. "I'm also wanting to hear this."

Flora sat the two boys down on the bleachers, dramatically throwing her arms around. "So, basically, this guy wanted me to give him a tattoo and I said yes. He also offered to give me a tattoo back or something like that, and I got a tattoo and the piercing."

Lucas immediately complained. "That was not a long story!"

Dustin looked over the visible areas on Flora. "Where's the tattoo?"

She grinned, showing it to the boys. "Here it is."

Lucas noticed the 'E.M' beside the smiley face, raising an eyebrow. "What does that stand for?" He asked.

Flora's eyes widened. Like hell was she telling them it was Eddie Munson. "Uh, it stands for Early Mornings. My least favourite part of the day." She giggled, creating a spontaneous lie.

A few minutes later, Mike and Nancy brought through the hoses, the three going to support the pool as the water began to flow inside. In the end, Flora had been right when she suggested water was needed for it to stand.

Lucas pulled out a thermometer, dipping it into the water and reading the measurement. "Colder!"

Nancy changed the tap speed, Lucas checking again a minute later. "Warmer!"

Nancy changed the taps again, Lucas  repeating the use of the thermometer.
'Right there!" He yelled, Nancy leaving the taps alone as they now had the optimum temperature.

Hopper and Jonathan then began to pour bags of salt into the pool, Dustin using a carton of eggs to see whether or not there had been enough salt used.

As the egg sank to the bottom, this meant more salt was needed. Hopper and Jonathan continued to pour in the salt, Dustin checking a few bags later and discovering that the process was complete, and that the group had successfully made a sensory deprivation tank.

Everyone then regrouped around the tank, Mike setting up the walkie talkie on a stand close to the pool.

Joyce then brought in Eleven, the girl rolling down her socks and placing the blacked out glasses on the top of her head.

Before she could step into the water, Flora stopped the younger girl. "El, I'm here if you need me okay?"

Eleven smiled and nodded. "I know." And then stepped into the water.