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CHAPTER 16 - SUMMER IN HAWKINS

   A lot had changed for Iris Cassidy. She was a little taller, her hair was a little longer, and she felt a little smarter. She got her first job, a lifeguard at the new pool that had opened for the summer (Steve had been the one to help her with training, after all, he was a lifeguard for 3 years).

   Steve had graduated, but with no real direction in his life. That was the main conversation they've been having, at least. Right now, he was working at Scoops Ahoy, a new ice cream place at Starcourt Mall, another new building. His other main concern was how he was "hopelessly single" and "loosing his charm".

   Iris' favorite pastime was making fun of the uniform he had to wear while chatting with his coworker, Robin. She knew of her, but only spoke to her this year. They became fast friends, being in the same year.

   The summer was going fast, Iris spending most of it working, not wanting to stay in an empty house. Her and her father's relationship was complicated at the least. Iris felt like she spent most of her childhood trying her best to make him proud of her, and now, it felt like all he did was work or drink.

   He balanced them well, she had to say. He was sober at work, or was at least really good acting like it. Sometimes, she'd come home just before he started drinking, and he'd be how he used to be. Apologetic, but kind.

   John shouldn't have been a dad, and he knew that. But he also couldn't stop. He was starting to resent Iris, deep down. It was a reminder that the last years of his life were real. That he couldn't pretend he never knew the truth of Hawkins lab, that he wasn't a normal 39 year old man and the horrors and death he witnessed couldn't be erased. 

   Iris felt like he'd forgotten about everything that he'd done and said to her last November, but she was also starting to feel like it didn't matter. She was in a rebellious phase, while finding a lot of independence.

   On her teen angst streak, she'd gotten a few tattoos, stayed out late, drank, and stole. Her natural hair was dark brown, but she'd dyed it darker, now a pitch black to match her chipped nail polish. Nothing too crazy, but she couldn't say Iris wasn't enjoying herself.

   She'd taught herself how to drive, which proved to be harder than she thought, but she refused to ask for help, getting it eventually. 

   She spent most of her time with Eleven in the beginning of the summer, but as Mike starting hanging around the cabin all day, Iris found herself there less and less. Instead, she opted for the mall, or babysitting the kids. Although, it wasn't the same with Dustin at Science camp.

   It even looked like Hawkins had even changed, the summer air turning the world more vivid. Iris felt as though she stood out in her darker clothes as she walked through the crowded mall, a piece of Juicyfruit gum in her mouth to cover up her cigarette breath.  

   She made her way down the escalator, fiddling with her lighter in her fingers until she could see Steve's head from behind the ice cream counter.

   She watched him attempted to flirt with the girls in front of her on line, ignoring the way her heart sunk. Iris had brushed off any weird feelings she was having for Steve last year as her head getting messed up from everything. That was all it was. 

   Iris snorted as the girl rejected him and walked away, pulling his attention to her. "That was a hard watch, man."

   "Nice to see you too." Steve rolled his eyes.

   Robin, holding a white board, opened the sliding window from behind Steve. "And another one bites the dust." She says, drawing a sixth tally. The board was a chart of "You Rule" vs "You suck". She paused for a minute before deciphering that they were counting how many girls Steve could pick up, then, she chuckled.

   "0 in 6? Wow that's depressing." Iris said.

   "Yeah, I can count." Steve crossed his arms, turning to Robin.

   "You know that means you suck, right?" She said.

   "Yup, I can read too." Steve bit back.

   "Since when?" Iris tilted her head in amusement, leaning over the counter. Steve peered down at her, a fake annoyed look on his face. She knew he enjoyed this as much as she did.

   Steve rolls his eyes at her, stepping away from the counter and facing Iris. "It's this stupid hat, I am telling you guys. It's totally blowing my best feature."

   "Yeah, company policy is a real drag." Robin says. "You know, it's a crazy idea, but have you considered telling the truth?" Iris claps her hands in agreement as Robin began scooping a generous sized strawberry ice cream cone. 

   "Oh, that you mean I couldn't even get into Tech and that my dad's a douchebag trying to teach me a lesson, I make three bucks and hour and I have no future? That truth?" Steve complained as Robin handed Iris her ice cream. 

   She took it gladly, dropping a five dollar bill into the tip jar discreetly, only slightly tuning Steve out. It wasn't that Iris didn't care, she had been consoling Steve for weeks about it, but how desperate he was to get another girlfriend killed any comment she could think of in her throat. 

   "Watch your six." Iris mumbled instead, eyeing the gorgeous red head that walked into the shop, her curly hair bouncing with each step. Steve turned around, stuttering and cursing. 

   Unintentionally, Robin caught her eye, shooting her a knowing glance of pity. Iris shook her head, as if to say "I don't like him like that", all behind Steve's back. 

   The two girls' attention was brought back when he abruptly threw his hat off while cursing, letting out a loud "Screw company policy!" and turned back to the girls in front of him. 

   Without even looking, Robin turned to the whiteboard behind her, adding another tally to the "You suck" group. Iris, now out of sight, let her lips fall into a thin line of jealously, adjusting her shorts as she walked into the back.