Basic Instinct [stranger things]

99. Brown Envelopes

CHAPTER NINETY-NINE
BROWN ENVELOPES

The group of six were sat together once again numerous hours later, listening not so patiently to Nancy and Robin's plan that had been spun up no more than four hours ago.

With all due respect, Aaron wasn't exactly paying attention to what the two girls had to say. In fact he was having to force himself to listen to their plan, knowing the group had to do something to help Max.

He was stuck in some sort of twisted daydream, beyond paranoid about what that very day would bring him.

Like usual, and without much thought, his gaze landed on the tired looking brunette sat next to him. Catching her forcing herself to listen to what Nancy was talking about all the same as he was. A ghost of a frown on her lips with her face void of any expression.

Although, Aaron guessed that she was feeling so much emotion, that her mind didn't know what one to show.

Aaron could have written a ten page essay on how much better Kimmy deserved than the life she had been given.

It seemed whenever something positive happened to her and she took a few steps in the right direction, something horrendously painful and unfair would plant itself smack bang in the middle of her life and would send her back for miles.

And it annoyed the life out of him.

Snapping his green eyes off of the girl, Aaron forced himself to listen to what Robin had to say. Simply unable to find a reaction within him at the wide eyed look on the older girls face.

The older girl was talking at an alarming rate, words falling out of her mouth so fast that Aaron was surprised she knew what she was talking about. And truth be told, he was already a little lost.

"Thanks to Nancy's newspaper minions, we are now rock-star psychology students at the University of Notre Dame." Robin shrugged excitedly, passing the book she was clutching over to Steve so he could get a look at it.

Aaron had to stop the confusion showing on his face, knowing it was his own fault that he was slightly perplexed on what she'd meant.

"I'm now Ruth." Nancy added with a shrug. "And she is now Rose."

"Ruth?" Steve scoffed in disapproval, causing Nancy to send him a grin in return.

However before the girl could retaliate with her own teasing remark, Dustin was speaking up in an impressed murmur.

"Nice GPA." The boy hummed, glancing up from Nancy's book which matched Robin's one which Steve still had ahold of.

"Thanks." Nancy smiled proudly.

Aaron was exhausted. And if he were to be completely honest, unless Nancy and Robin actually had some point to all this sudden identity theft, he wasn't interested.

The blond was fighting to keep both his focus as well as keeping his eyes open.

He hadn't had the chance to ask Kimmy about how she was feeling since she'd woken up, having not been alone with her. Aaron supposed he could have asked her, but he hadn't wanted to drag the attention of the others, not wanting them to know her business.

Because of this, stress was eating away at him.

What if she had gotten worse?