Stranger Things: Clash of Both Worlds (A Prequel Novel)

Chapter 1: "The more layers I peel, the more I crave escape."

It's been two weeks since the mall burning; With school coming back towards the fore-front I can already imagine the gossip that's going on between everyone in my year. A juicy new story with its many watchers conspiring on its sudden appearance. It's been meticulously hard not being able to confide in others about what really happened. The only friend I really have now is Steve. About a year ago, I would've projectile vomited at even the thought of somehow confiding within a literal jester in physical form.

I'm thinking that maybe the mall brought us together in a weird fate sort of occurrence because there's no way this unlikely friendship appeared out of thin air. Steve is the last person I would've ever told about Tammy since he's practically the walking chick magnet with not a single idea of what it's like living how I have been, hiding. My mom has always been all about fate which probably comes from her floral hippy past. They can tell that something is up with me; They're even more suspicious of me than normal. I've usually been left alone most of the time, I was always the 'easy' child who had not one thought of rebelling. They are very indifferent now, especially after ramming their car into another during last year's prom... 

Steve and I have now been enlisted in finding new jobs and since this dingus would have literally no chance in being hired independently, his intelligent, lustrous and overwhelmingly stunning best friend will be there to sway the judge. Operation Croissant is completely off the table and on the floor with the remains of all my other rebellions, I've left my 'got to rebel against everything' phase. I've now reached the peak age of 17 where you grow out of that kind of stuff and move into adulthood which sounds more and more unappealing the more my parents state that to me. I don't want to end up like Mrs Wheeler in her painstakingly boring loop of being passive aggressive to poor cashier workers; We all live in small town Hawkins and the more layers I peel, the more I crave escape, I can't reside on any escapades now.

The first establishment we were going to try was 'Melvald's General Store'. I have discovered already from a very civil encounter when I was trying to apply a year ago that he did not like teenagers, not at all. It shows how desperate we are, going back to the place that denied me a year ago and now this time there's two of us, two teenagers!

He will for sure freak when he sees us, We'll be kicked out telepathically. My thought process was that Joyce has left for warm and sunny California (jealous) which means he's lost his most integral staff member. It's a shot in the dark, truly a shot in the dark, but it would be a slight promotion from Ice Cream Parlour Worker to Sales Assistant. It has a nice ring to it, don't you think?

We both are wandering down the town's still pavement and I look over at Steve with his stupid rat hair,

"What are the chances we'll be sent away? Fifty-seventy?"

He replies with a quizzed glance, "I don't know what that means."

"Of course you don't" I reply.

We have our resumes in hand and I still bathe in second hand embarrassment every-time Steve mentions the fact he wrote in confidence that he put his mother as a reference. I can't help but imagine him asking his own mother for a completely biased statement on how 'great' of a worker he is.

Steve walks into the store first and swings the double door's open like he's a club's bodyguard causing the doors to bang excruciatingly loud on the doorstop causing all the customers and cashiers to slowly turn and glare in utter surprise.

All he mutters is a 'Sorry!' in a restrained tone as he embraces all the glares as they break his short-founded confidence in two. I throw my hands around to signal going to Melvald's office so we can hand in our low effort and bare resumes. It's a shame I can't put "Survived multiple life dangering events" on there, it's still weird to admit sometimes. I knock lightly on the door as we stand idly outside of the office, I stare over at Steve leaning against the door frame.

"Don't lean on the door frame like that! You've gotta look professional."

He then lifts himself off the door frame and stands upright with his hands in-front of his lap like a soldier partaking in a military drill.

The door swings open and there he is, with his bald head illuminating under the sepia hue of the office light. Today he isn't wearing his usual frown which means we may have caught him on a good day. 

He stares us up and down, Steve and I thrifted just the right outfits fitting into a smart-casual dress code perfect for an interview. I had to explain what smart-casual meant to Steve for an embarrassing 10 minutes, it's clearly a hard concept to pick up.

"Come sit down!" He exclaims in a weirdly chipper tone, Steve and I then hesitantly sit down.

I give Steve a questionable look as even he knows this is weirdly off-beat for Melvald. 

"I'm guessing you guys want a part-time job after the mall incident right?"

"Yessir." I have to reply with the upmost of high manners to counteract Steve's lack of social skills, I've told him to stay mute the entire introduction if I can help it.

"And I see you have your resumes there."

I give him a hesitant uncomfortable laugh while I slide my one over the table, Steve follows.

"So you have multiple languages under your belt, impressive, and you 'Steve' have sports as a skill?"

Steves replies while glancing over at me a ridiculous amount of times, "Yes, I used to swim in the Hawkins swimming team..."

"Interesting..."

He adds onto to his spiel, "Robin I see you've added Mr Hauser as a reference, I know him, nice chap."

I nod and smile, just keep nodding and smiling and we'll get through it.

"Steve you've put your mother as a reference..."

"I don't think I've heard of a Mrs Harrington..." He adds.

He replies quickly and nervously, "She's out of town a lot on different business trips, she's super well respected around the town hall."

Melvald replies, "Right..."

He gently lets down the resumes and excels a deep sigh. I gulp as I see what's about to come.

"Robin... You can have the job."

"Steve, you're gonna have to find somewhere else..."

I can see Steve's face practically drop as his fake smile dissipates. I can see fear set in as he suspects that he'll have to find his next job alone.

I throw myself up of the chair dramatically, "I'm sorry Melvald, I'm not taking it, thank you for the offer."

Melvald replies, "Are you sure?"

I'm probably going to regret this but seeing Hair Harrington's face drop like that sort of made me feel bad for the guy, he tried at least. 

"Yes, I'm sure. We'll be leaving now." I've adopted the same Mrs Wheeler passive aggressiveness unintentionally.

I flash him a fake smile and swing the door open and leave through the stores double doors with Steve by my side.

"Oh my god, your mother as reference? We need to get rid of that." I say jokingly as I hop of the steps of the general store.

"It'll work next time I swear, I can't believe that old fart didn't know her." Steve replied sternly. 

"Sure thing dingus, where to next?" I reply with an exaggerated interrogatory tone .