brutal ━ mike wheeler

eleven. the snow ball

ELEVEN━━━━
THE SNOW BALL

stranger things;
season 2    ep 9

ADRIAN STOOD IN FRONT of his bathroom mirror, his hair was slightly pushed back and he was wearing a somewhat nice outfit — a rare thing when it comes to him. Tonight was the snowball — which he was strictly forbidden from going to but he was going anyways because when does he actually listen to his dad?

He had returned to his own home after the whole 'closing the gate' ordeal. His dad wasn't happy with his week away from him and it's safe to say he didn't get meals for a day or two. He also had a bruise on his ribs that had just finally healed. He knew this was going to happen because his dad is a piece of shit.

When he stared at his reflection, he saw the darkened areas around his eyes. It was at times like this that he hated the dark circles around his eyes, seemingly getting darker and heavier day by day. His skin looked paler considering the cold weather and his cheeks were rosy. He looked sick. He frowned and grabbed his cheek, tugging slightly. He closed his eyes and rubbed his face before swinging the door open, taking in a deep breath.

He sharply turned and started to make his way down the stairs, cringing at the sound of the wooden planks creaking under his weight. He silently hoped that his dad hadn't heard it. But, of course, things never went as he hoped. "Adrian. Where are you going?" His father slurred from the kitchen. Adrian felt his whole body freeze up as his father made his way out of the kitchen, a bottle of liquor in his hand.

"Nowhere. Just out." His dad looked at him with an unamused look on his face, looking at the outfit he was wearing. "You got a date?" Adrian shook his head and gripped the stair railing more than he already was. "No, I don't." His dad stared him down, the same bored look on his face. Adrian cleared his throat and walked down the rest of the stairs, walking past his dad and toward the door. He felt a hand grab his shoulder. He turned around and faced his dad, a frown on his face.

"Where are you going? Don't make me ask again." His dad's voice was stern and quiet, almost like he was about to explode. Adrian looked back at him with the same look. "School. The Snowball is tonight." His voice was just as stern as his dad's. The two of them stared at each other, neither of them wavering. Eventually, his dad sighed and let go of his shoulder, waving him off. "If you're not back by ten you're locked out." His dad finally walked off, going back to the kitchen.

"Fine." It wouldn't have mattered whether or not he was back by then anyway considering he snuck in and out of his house like it was nothing. He grabbed his doorknob and quickly left the house. He closed his eyes and huffed, starting his walk to the school. The sky — that was once a colorful palette of blues, pinks, and oranges — was now a dark blue, a few stars illuminating the sky alongside the moon.

He felt the cold air prick at his cheeks and couldn't help but smile a little. He loved colder weather. It just felt nicer overall. He rounded the corner and stopped right in front of the gym doors, flattening the jacket he was wearing. He let out a breath before pushing the door open, digging his hand into his pocket. He pulled out a bright blue ticket — the only way he could get in — and stood in front of the tables where teachers were taking tickets.

"Good evening, Adrian." Adrian forced a smile toward Mr. Clarke and set his ticket in the bowl in front of him. He gave him a nod of acknowledgment before pushing through the second set of doors, looking around the room for his oddball group of friends. It didn't take very long to find them as they were sitting fairly close to the entrance, and Max's hair was easy to spot.