³𝐆𝐎𝐍𝐄, 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧 ✔

008-it's a trap

CARLA SAT IN SILENCE UPON THE HOOD OF HER CAR.

After watching her younger sister at the pool for a few hours-Holly practically begged to go on the daily, and usually her mother was on board with the idea, but today she'd asked her elder daughter instead-she'd taken refuge on the hood of her car, where she'd been or the past few hours.

When she'd arrived, it had been midday, the sun high in the sky, it's heat burning down on the already sweaty souls of Hawkins, but now, it was night. The sky had turned an almost black, the only light coming from the stars.

The pool had probably closed an hour or so ago, and honestly, she was surprised she hadn't been kicked out of the parking lot-her car was the only one left in the public lot. Then again, the lifeguards truly didn't care what happened outside the entrance of Hawkins Community Pool-most of them were just here to bring a paycheck home. At this rate, she could probably get away with staying there for another hour.

Sitting in silence allowed her thoughts to trail back to the morning she'd had. Her nightmare hadn't been as bad as the first one-she'd still woken up abruptly, the images of the monster haunting her mind, but she hadn't awoken Steve the way she had with her scream, or been a wreck the entirety of the day-but that didn't mean she wasn't scared. Scared of not knowing what was real and what was just a figment of her imagination. Scared that they hadn't actually killed the Upside Down, and that it was hiding right beneath their feet, waiting to pop out.

Carla was also slightly worried about the whole Russian situation. The whole thing started out as a mere 'just for fun' sort of activity, but it was now a full mission. They'd turn spy games into child endangerment, sending Erica into the vents to check out the secret room. There were actual Russians with weapons in Hawkins, and her and her friends had managed to get themselves caught in it. Who knows what they were really getting themselves involved in.

Thinking about the Russians reminded her of what was going on a few miles away at the mall. At this very moment, Erica was being sent into the air duct system to open the secret room door, revealing what was hiding behind the armed men and closed doors. And even if Carla wasn't entirely sure about sending the unarmed ten year old down there herself-Erica was a smart girl, but it was dangerous-she too was curious about what the Russians were hiding. She'd call Steve when she eventually ventured home to get an answer.

But for now, she'd just pray that Robin, Dustin and Steve knew what they were doing.

A familiar voice suddenly called out for the girl, breaking her from her small train of thought, "Carla?"

Head whipping in the direction of the voice, her brown eyes met with the pale blue ones of Billy Hargrove, who stalked over to her casually, as if this was a normal event. His shirt was off-not a surprise-and his usual curly locks were wet, showing he'd just taken a shower.

As the boy walked up to her, she raised a brow, "What do you want?" Billy Hargrove wasn't worth her greetings.

"Do you mind helping me pick up some stuff? Someone left out the cleaning supplies, and I have no one to help me clean it up." the boy's voice was usually polite as he explained why he'd walked over, and his face didn't show any sarcasm or assholery the way it normally did. Carla had never seen Billy physically ask for something in the two years she'd known him, let alone do so politely and despite her constant prayers for him to just turn into a better person, seeing him this nice was kind of scary.

Maybe it was just her mind overreacting, but something inside Carla told her not to say yes. To claim she had to meet up with Steve somewhere, or pick Mike up from the arcade-to make up any excuse. Billy would never use the words 'Do you mind?' whether or not he'd changed his ways in a week. The Billy she recalled wouldn't have even bothered to ask for help and probably would have left it to someone else to pick up.