Miss Perfect | Nancy Wheeler

Scholars

Sprinting through the empty school halls you carry a hefty flashlight. Max is staring at a wall spooked when you find her. "It was here, right here" he points ahead of her sounding traumatised.

You feel an overwhelming sense of dread for the girl and move closer to her protectively. "A grandfather clock?" Nancy asks quizzically.

"It was so real" she whispers.

"It was like she was in a trance- exactly what Eddie said happened to Chrissy" Dustin observes.

This is so so bad. "It gets worse" Max croaks "Fred and Chrissy both went to the counciler for help, both had nightmares and headaches. They'd wake up in a cold sweat and start seeing things from their past"

"Oh gosh" Nancy breathes quietly.

"Their headaches started getting worse and worse along with more intense visions, Chrissy's headaches started a week ago- Fred's six days ago" It keeps getting worse... "I've been having them for five" Max shudders. "They both died less then twenty four hours after their first vision and I just saw that goddamn clock so-"

Steve jumps from his spot "stay here!" Where is he going?

Holding some random classroom lamp he approaches a corner slowly. We all follow ignoring his instruction to stay put. He wields his makeshift weapon as somebody comes around the corner. They both scream into eachothers faces and you recognize Lucas. "Its me! Its me!" He yaps raising his hands in surrender.

"Jesus Sinclair!" Steve grunts.

"I've been biking for eight miles" he pants clutching his stomach "we got a code red"

Dustin steps forward "what?"

"I was with Jason and he's gone totally off the rails, he's trying to capture Eddie and he thinks you know where he is!"

"Yes that definitely sucks but we've got bigger problems then Jason right now" Dustin says matter of factly.

///

"This doesn't make sense" Steve says while pacing back and forth.

"What's confusing to you?" Dustin asks sarcastically.

"How could Vecna have existed back in the 50s it doesn't make sense"

Dustin rolls his eyes at his older friend "Eleven didn't create the upsidedown she created a gate to it, as far as we know it could date all the way back to the dinosaurs-"

"What? Dinosaurs what are you-"

Lucas jumps in before they can get further off topic "okay so if he was from the 50s why come back now?"

"Yeah he just popped out in the 50s killed some random family and was like oh I'm good? Now he's back for some random teens? I don't buy it" Steve huffs.

"Any idea what she's writing?" Dustin changes the subject casting a glance over at Max.

"Leave her be mam she's going through a lot" you snack him in the back of the head.

"Ouch. Jeez" he glares at you.

Nancy and Robin come bolting down the stairs "we've got a cover story to get us into the hospital" Nancy announces joyfully despite the situation.

You had been hesitant to go remembering the last time you left Dustin alone to run off with Nancy. She understood and said she could take Robin instead.

"What about me?" Steve asks sounding annoyed. Isn't he being a little selfish?

"Uh-" Nancy rasps and they go upstairs to talk.

You're left downstairs with Robin and the others. "Is this because he doesn't want to babysit?" You quiz Robin.

"Yeah" she mumbles sounding annoyed also "and I think he's still hung up on her you know"

"Its been two years he needs to move on" you raise your voice growing frustrated.

"You're telling me" Robin sighs.

"You don't...like him do you?" You pry.

"What? No! We are platonic with a capital P!" She slaps her hands on her thighs for emphasis.

"Mkay" you nod feeling awkward that you asked her that. You hadn't really spoken to Robin since last year and didn't know much about her.

"Do you think Nancy still has some feelings left for him?" She fires back an equally as uncomfortable question.

"I don't know. I hope not" you mumble hating the idea altogether. "You know we're together right?"

"What?!" The blonde gasps.

"Yeah Steve didn't say?"

"He doesn't like talking about Nancy. Ever. So it didn't come up"

"Oh"

"You know...I didn't know Nancy was into girls" she jokes trying to lighten the mood.

"Hah. I thought the rumours had been all over town by now" you shrug.

"I mean... I've heard things about you but not Nancy"

"Yeah. Why would anyone put dirt on the reputation of Miss Perfect right?" The words taste bitter as you say them instantly regretting it.

Robin gives you a look. One you don't understand - soft and empathetic with a hidden meaning you couldn't decode.

After a few moments in silence she suggests you both go upstairs to see what the plan is. In Nancy's room you were very familiar with every last decor piece, from the bottles of perfume delicately displayed to the posters she'd had on her walls since you met her. "Oh my god!" Robin runs up to one of the posters "you have a Tom Cruise poster!"

"That's old!" Nancy defends sounding flustered as she digs through her closet.

Robin digs through all of the little trinkets in the room amazed. She seems to be drawn to everything shiny like a curious magpie making you giggle a little. Nancy and Steve still argue about how he can join them to help, you tune it out feeling somewhat jealous from Robins earlier comment. She hadn't meant to upset you but her mouth moves faster then her brain can form thoughts. Her honestly and brutal truthfulness was admirable though.

"Holy shit there's a little ballerina in here!" The excited girl exclaims looking up at you from one of Nancy's jewlery boxes. You smile and place a hand over your face to conceal a snort of amusement.

"Academic scholar? She's giving you an academic scholar vibe?!" Steve points to Robin while arguing. Dude drop it already. Its weird.

"No but she will!" Nancy beams pulling out a pink frilly blouse.

"Oh please tell me you're joking" Robin pleads.