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IT WAS A NORMAL MORNINGIn Hawkins, Indiana, birds were chirping and trees were rustling. However, the noise that Julie found most irritating was her alarm clock. It blared loudly, causing her to groan as she extended her arm to turn it off, all while keeping her head buried in her pillow.
She got up and threw on some clothes for school. She brushed her teeth and hair before walking into the living room. She expected to see her dad but instead found a note taped to the fridge with sticky tape.
'I left early this morning, bike to school, and then bike over to the police station afterwards—Dad.'
She sighed, threw her bag on, and left the house. Locking the door behind her, she breathed in the fresh air and grabbed her bike.
Julie immediately spotted Troy as she rode her bike into the school. His smirk grew as he walked over to her. She parked her bike in the rack, and Troy placed his arm around her shoulder. If he weren't her boyfriend, she would have punched him straight in the nose—she really wanted to, anyway.
"Hey, babe," Troy snickered as he turned to his friend James, who was watching.
"Hey..." Julie felt clearly uncomfortable with how close Troy was to her.
"Yeah, he's always paranoid that Gursky is going to give him another pop quiz," the two boys heard Dustin Henderson's voice before exchanging mischievous glances. Troy pulled his arm away and dragged her along to tease the boys.
"Step right up, ladies and gentlemen!" Troy called out, making the three boys turn to him. "Step right up and get your tickets to the freak show!"
"Who do you think would make more money in a freak show?" he asked his friend James, while Julie stood awkwardly, sending apologetic glances toward the boys.
"Midnight," he said, shoving Lucas.
"Frogface," he called, pushing Mike.
"Or Toothless," he added, giving Dustin a nudge.
Julie felt very bad for the boys; she could have stood up for them, but she didn't want to get hurt herself, so she just stood there silently.
James sighed and pointed at the boys, weighing his options. "I'd go with Toothless!" he exclaimed, then mimicked Dustin's lisp. Julie rolled her eyes.
"I told you a million times, my teeth are coming in!" Dustin exclaimed. "It's called cleidocranial dysplasia."
"I've told you a million times!" the two boys chuckled. "Do the arm thing," Troy demanded. Julie shook her head at the boy, which he ignored. "Do it, freak!" James pressured.
Dustin then took off his coat and did the 'arm thing.' Both James and Troy pretended to gag.
"It gets me every time!" Troy said in disgust. Julie discreetly glared at him, which went unnoticed by Troy but not the three boys. "Come on, Julie," Troy demanded before shoving past the boys, and Julie followed.
