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"I LOOK LIKE I'M GOING TO A FUNERAL."
The boys shamed and hollered at the fifteen-year-old girl, somehow still bringing a smile to her face.
"Because you are!" Mike shouted, confusing the other three boys who turned to stare at him. "There's no way you guys are surviving this campaign, might as well host your own funeral."
Valentina laughed, giggling at the boys as they spun her around, showcasing every inch of the black dress she felt hideous in but wore nonetheless because it was worth it to see the smiles on Mike, Dustin, Lucas, and Will's young faces.
"Maybe host my funeral, this dress is worse than death," she whined, pulling down the collar of the boat neckline dress. It was plain black, straight across her chest just below her collarbones. The skirt reached to below her knees with sleeves that cut off just inches past her elbows.
"It's not that bad, you look like the witch!"
"I thought you said it was a warlock?" she questioned, turning around to face the boys.
"Basically the same thing," the curly-headed boy said, smiling as he held a witch's hat toward her.
Sighing, she reluctantly took the costume piece from his hands and turned around to face the mirror again.
"Lenny, wake up."
Pulling pieces of her hair out toward the front of her face from underneath the tall hat, the boys continued to giggle behind the girl.
Dark blue eyes met the warmer pair of Will Byers through the mirror, who hid his laughter behind his clammy hands.
"Lenny, time to get up."
He lowered his hand, eyes widening as the girl smiled so brightly at him that he felt like he was seeing stars.
"You have to wake up, honey."
Turning around to face the boys again, their chuckles silenced and their faces paled as the girl clapped her hands loudly, gaining the undivided attention of the kids.
"WAKE UP!"
Jolting upward with a gasp, Valentina grabbed for the roots of her blonde hair and gripped tightly, using the pain to remind her she was alive and conscious.
Standing next to her bed was Alicia Varner, Valentina's mother, shaking the girl awake from her dream.
"What time is it?" she gasped, scratching the back of her head where the consequences of her sudden wake continued to sting.
"Almost two, you slept through school," Alicia spoke solemnly, tone indicating that she wasn't disappointed in the slightest at her teenage daughter for missing an entire day of school.
