"Shine so bright that it burns their eyes."
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Luna Hopper, a 17 year old sophomore at Hawkins High, wants nothing more than to finish high school and move away from the small town she's forced to call home. Her cold demeanor and standoffish nature h...
After I finish curling my hair, I grab the backpack off of my bedroom floor before heading out into the kitchen. There, I find Eleven and Jim sitting at the table, each with a plate of waffles topped with whipped cream and sprinkles. A similar plate is placed in front of my seat, but mine has a candle placed at the top.
Jim and Eleven turn towards me as I walk in, but they don't get the chance to say anything before I slightly trip over a white sheet that's sprawled across the floor. After regaining my balance, I point at the sheet and open my mouth to ask a question, but Jim shakes his head, silently telling me not to ask.
Pursing my lips and raising my eyebrows, I sit down at the table. "Happy birthday to me."
Jim gives his best attempt at a smile for my sake. "Happy birthday, kiddo."
Eleven looks up and although I can tell she's in a sour mood, she also smiles. "Happy birthday."
"Thanks," I nod, unbothered by the tension in the air. It's not uncommon for Jim and Eleven to argue. Apart of Eleven staying here has been her adapting to the rules of the house. "Is this why you let me sleep in?" I ask, gesturing to the waffles in front of me.
Jim takes a lighter and lights the candle on my waffles. "That and you looked like you needed sleep," He places the lighter down and looks to Eleven. "Do you remember the song I taught you?"
"Oh, no. Please don't sing," I groan.
"One, two, three," Jim counts in before they both start singing me happy birthday, all while I cover my face with my hands. "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Luna, happy birthday to you."
"Wish!" Eleven smiles, the song lifting her own spirits.
"I wish for a normal family," I say before blowing out the candle.
"Hey, I'll take it," Jim grins as I take the candle out of my waffles. "So, how does it feel to be an adult?"
"I feel the same as I did yesterday, just with more rights," I answer as I take a bite.
Jim chuckles a bit before wiping his face with a napkin and humming. "Hey, I know you're doing something tonight, but don't be out too late."
"Why?"
"Just don't be," Jim says cryptically.
Eleven hums happily as she eats, causing us to turn towards her. "Can your birthday be everyday?"
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"This looks better," I nod and hand Steve his essay back.
"Good enough to submit?" he asks.
"It's better than no submission at all."
We're currently in the library with Jonathan and Nancy, and I'm helping Steve rush his essay. They've all already given me the whole happy birthday stuff and given me presents, so now, it's just a normal day until the party tonight.
"Crap," Nancy whispers after her pencil breaks. She gets up to sharpen it, and we all watch as she visibly zones out, staring at someone who looks exactly like Barb while continuing to sharpen her pencil until it's just a small nub. Jonathan quickly gets up to check on her, leaving Steve and I to sit by ourselves.
"Is she okay?" Steve asks as Nancy and Jonathan go into a different room to talk.
"It's coming up on a year. She's just stressed," I respond, going back to my homework.
Steve nods and goes back to proofreading his essay, but his eyes slowly leave his paper before he tilts his head up again. "Are you okay?"
"What?" I ask, not looking up from my homework.
"Last night..."
I put down my pencil with and look up with a tight smile. "I'm fine, I don't know what happened, I guess I just needed air. You were right though. Your dad's a total asshole."
Steve's nose scrunches up. "I'm sorry about him. I should've warned you better. I talked to him after I drove you home, but he shouldn't of brought that stuff up."
"It's whatever," I shake my head and wave him off. "Small towns come with big mouths."
"Yeah, I guess," Steve sighs. "But are you sure you're okay? These past few weeks you've been acting... different. You can tell me if you're not."
"I mean, I'm stressed, sure but..." Ignoring the knot in my chest, I force a nod. "I'm okay."
Steve slowly gives me a half smile before nodding and going back to working in his paper.
I don't like lying to Steve, but I just can't tell him the truth. It's like my body physically blacks the words from coming out of my mouth.
Whatever, my stress will fade and everything will go back to normal soon, and for now all I need to focus on is having fun at the party tonight.
— an
Short chapter, but next one's gonna be a doozy. Sorry in advance.
