April Evans has it all: beauty, charm, and a seemingly perfect life. But behind her radiant smile lies so much more in the shadows, unknown even to her closest friends. Slowly, April's facade begins to crumble as the once familiar streets of Hawkins...
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The blaring music shook the walls of the house, each beat sending ripples through the crowded rooms. Laughter and chatter filled the air, mingling with the sharp tang of alcohol and sweat. Teenagers packed every corner of the home, some swaying to the music, others shouting to be heard.
Among them was April Evans, her bright smile radiating as she chattered to a friend beside her, a red Solo cup in hand. After a while, her friend waved goodbye and melted into the crowd, leaving April momentarily alone. The blonde looked around for a moment, her smile fading slightly, before she began navigating the packed kitchen and hallway until she finally made her way to the living room of whoever's house this was.
With a graceful sigh, she sank onto a couch, taking a sip from her drink as she observed the chaotic atmosphere around her with a smirk. It was the last party of summer, and everyone was trying their best to make tonight wild. She, on the other hand, thought it was stupid how so many people were willing to do crazy things just to make one night memorable when, in less than a month, another party exactly like this would be thrown in memory of some other event or holiday.
April watched from the window of the house as a group of boys outside attempted a dangerous stunt involving a makeshift ramp and a skateboard, earning loud cheers and laughter. Nearby, a group of jocks were pushing girls into the pool, another group were attempting to see who could do a keg stand for the longest. Everywhere she looked, there was someone trying to outdo the next, to create a moment that would be talked about when school started again.
It was bullshit.
She took another sip from her cup, feeling the cool liquid slide down her throat. This party was meant to be for Hawkins High's most popular and elites only. Her kind of people. Hell, she was supposed to be the queen bee of these people but, wherever she looked, she just felt like she didn't belong. As she watched the antics unfold, a nagging sense of disgust crept over her. Was this really what she wanted? To be surrounded by fake people? Everyone using you for their benefit? To be stuck in this loop of pretending to be someone she wasn't just to fit in?
Her inner monologue was cut short when she felt the couch dip from the weight of someone else sitting down beside her. She glanced sideways, expecting to see another drunk partygoer ready to engage in meaningless small talk about how much they'll miss summer or how much they hate school. But she was surprised to see the one and only King Steve sit down beside her.
April's heart skipped a beat as she pushed her blonde hair behind her ear, stealing a discreet glance to confirm that it was indeed him. She wondered why Mr. epitome of cool wasn't out their enjoying the party and acting as stupid as he possible as he could, which wouldn't be that hard for him anyways.
