Destiny | A Stranger Things Fanfic

4

True to his word Dustin left Joan alone for a rather quiet weekend of figuring out the puzzle that was Joan Agatha Henderson.

The year was 1985 and summer was fresh on the block in Hawkins, a familiar feeling to Joan. Agatha-Joan was a 16-year old cheerleader going into her senior year, which annoyed Destiny-Joan more than it should because instead of being almost an adult she was now reverted to almost an almost-adult.

Agatha had once been nerdy, ditching that side of her when high school came around in favor of being a cool kid once her figure started slimming down and boys started to pay attention to her. It was interesting to Joan filtering through ramblings and photos and questioning her mom and brother.

Dustin would be going to camp this year, one that her dad would eventually send her to as well decades into the future and it was a place that Joan was jealous of to the max. Her dad had so many awesome stories from the camp's early years, before laws and rules made it boring, that she had honestly hope she could go as well.

But, alas, Joan Agatha Henderson had built up a life that was not nerdy and Joan had seen Doctor Who before.

Joan was not going to ruin her future, so she was going to play the roll the best she could with all the enthusiasm as one of her campaigns. And who knows, maybe she'd solve a few famous Hawkins mysteries and scandals while trying to figure out the big question:

Why does no one talk about Joan Agatha Henderson?

Getting into character required research, something that was disgustingly difficult without a computer, so Joan had to drive her car to the library to learn how to look up answers to her questions. She checked out three books on cheerleading and gymnastics, desperate to learn whatever she could to be a good junior cheerleader.

Thankfully her mom was a memory-mom who had a few recordings of her performances, helping her out with drills and positioning and figuring out who was who. However, her stomach flipped in terror as she watched her body fly into the air with intricate twists and landed on one fit in two hands.

Oh God she was a flyer too?!

Joan never before wanted her ripped jeans, graphic tees, and hoodies as much as she did while wearing her cheer outfit in her grandmothers backyard thirty years before her actual birth trying to figure out how to do a somersault, flip, handstand, and what other bullshit Agatha had learned.

And yes, Joan was referring to the girl before her as Agatha in order to keep her sanity.

"Why do you look like you're about to murder young children." Dustin asked from behind the screened in door. Joan just scowled over at her brother and tried once again to do a handspring, but groaned at the thump she made on the ground. "I'm no cheerleading expert, far from it actually, but I don't think whatever you're doing is supposed to finish like that."

"No shit, Sherlock." Joan groaned out, sitting up and rubbing her back. She grabbed the book beside her and read the page in growing frustration "I-I think I grew because I'm having problems doing... anything anymore."

"Well, that's a simple fix." Dustin declared, throwing the door open and walking outside towards his sister and  snatching the book from her hands. Joan let out a hey! and tried to grab the book back, but Dustin quickly put his hand up and avoided the grabby hands and whacks as his eyes darted across the page quickly. He slammed the book shut and looked over at Joan. "Easy, all this is is simple physics combined with physical strength."

"Alright, dork." Joan exhaled in defeat, accepting that the needed help from a 13 year old nerd to learn how to do anything. She sat down and patted the grass next to her for Dustin to sit, and the boy hurriedly joined his sister, opening the book back and diving deep into the how's and the why's of different moves.