Powerful || Stranger Things

Chapter 10

"I like shiny things
But I'll marry you
With paper rings."

- Paper Rings, Taylor Swift

-*-

DUMPING everything they bought from the store with a grunt, Naomi watched Naveen scan their new house.

"What do you think?" She asked. Naveen didn't answer and just stood frozen from his spot. Naomi's forehead creased with this.

Naveen turned to her and asked, "You're not serious about me in quarantine, right?" He asked.

Naomi's heart broke. How can she be so  insensitive? All her brother remembered is being imprisoned in the lab and she threatened him --- jokingly --- with it.

"Of course not." She immediately answered and went beside him. "You can do whatever you want." She said then looked around the house before opening the door. "We can enjoy outside if you want?" With that Naveen smiled.

-*-

"Well how about that new kid. Billy Hargrove, is it?"

Her brother's (from different dimension) question entered her mind. She was amazed by the universe. Everything is amazing about it.

The Billy Hargrove, that her brother mentioned before, met her. She wondered if she'll ever meet any of her friends from that universe.

"Naomi! Are you listening?" Naveen asked while waving his hand in front of her. Naomi snapped back in her thoughts.

"Yeah, just thinking about something." She said then fixed her position. They are currently sitting on a bench in the park. Watching kids play and ducks swim.

"What were you thinking? Is it about your talk with Dr. Owens? Is it something about me?" He asked, worried. Naomi quickly shook his head.

"No, of course not. It's just... everything." She said. Naveen looked at her, waiting for her to say something, to continue. Naomi sighed and watched the kids play, changed her position into a more comfortable one. She licked her ice cream, that they bought before sitting in the bench, and sighed again.

"It's just... Like yesterday..." Naomi doesn't know where to start and she looked at Naveen, who looked at her understandingly and patiently. She sighed again, not really experienced in telling her feelings to other people.

"It was like yesterday, I was alone, eating and sitting and now... You're here." She said before looking at him and raised her hands in a defensive manner. "I meant that positively of course." She quickly added after seeing her brother ate his ice cream fast. Her brother always ate fast if he's nervous or bothered or any negative emotions he's feeling.

Her brother having a very fast metabolism makes him exceptionally healthy all the time. Imagine her panic after seeing her brother in such a state back in the lab after he consumed the food that the lab provided.

He sighed, "Great. I thought you don't want me here." He chuckled.

"Are you serious?" Naomi smiled, "I broke time and space for you." She said, chuckling. Her brother joining her quickly.

"Yeah, I'm that irresistible." He said smugly.

"Yeah, you are." She admitted. She, again, sighed for the nth time.

"It's too fast for me. I'm going to school next week. It'll be hard, right? Going to a school, attending it in the middle of semester. I mean, what if I embarrass myself? Or worse, not make any friends? It's too...overwhelming." She admitted, sensing herself relaxing after venting her feelings out. Naveen quickly comforted his sister, one of the things that he normally do in the lab.