Troy stared at the ceiling in the dark, listening to the faint sounds of his parents’ argument drifting up from downstairs. He could make out bits and pieces—a clash of voices he was all too familiar with. He shifted, thinking about Ali’s invite. Maybe that party wasn’t such a bad idea after all.
Quietly, he got out of bed, slipped open the window, and climbed outside. He grabbed his bike from under the porch, hopped on, and pedaled away, letting the cool night air clear his head.
Soon, he found himself in front of a large, upscale house. He parked his bike near the driveway, hesitating for a moment. Something about this felt off, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. Shrugging it off, he made his way up the front steps and knocked.
The door swung open, and Steve’s face appeared, eyebrows raised in disbelief. "You’ve got to be kidding me, Allison," he called over his shoulder before turning back to Troy with an unimpressed look.
Troy looked away, hands shoved into his pockets.
“I knew you’d come,” Ali’s voice chimed from behind Steve, her eyes lighting up as she saw Troy. She flashed Steve a playful smile, then stepped aside, gesturing for Troy to come in.
Steve let out a sigh. “Fine, whatever. Come in.”
Troy stepped inside, feeling Steve’s cold gaze linger on him as he passed. Ali led him toward the living room, books and papers strewn across the table.
“Just let me finish this geometry stuff with Steve, and then the party can start,” she said, glancing at Steve with a mischievous smile. Steve rolled his eyes but didn’t argue.
Just then, Tommy entered the room and froze when he saw Troy. “What’s this freak doing here?” he sneered, giving Troy a once-over.
Steve stepped between them, unfazed. “He’s invited, Tommy. Chill out and go hang out with your girlfriend or something.”
Tommy glared but eventually stalked off toward the backyard.
As Steve turned back to his notes, he muttered under his breath, “You’re only here because Ali wanted you. If it were up to me, I’d have called the cops by now.”
Troy clenched his fists but kept his cool. “So… how’s the geometry going?” he asked, a little too casually.
Steve snorted, barely looking up. “Is this your boyfriend, Ali?” he asked with a smirk, glancing up at her.
Ali laughed, shaking her head. “He’s a friend, Steve. Calm down.”
Steve looked over at Troy, a sly smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. The doorbell rang, and Steve looked back at Troy with a smirk. “Go open it, pretty boy,” he said, his tone mocking.
Troy took a steadying breath, resisting the urge to tell Steve exactly where he could go. Instead, he headed toward the door, reminding himself not to let Steve get under his skin.
Troy walked to the door, took a deep breath, and opened it. On the other side stood Barbara and Nancy. For a split second, Nancy froze, her eyes locking onto Troy’s in startled recognition. He felt it too, that brief shock of surprise mixed with something he couldn’t quite define. Barbara noticed the tension and cleared her throat to break the silence.
“Troy, it’s a surprise to see you here,” Barbara said with a smile, nudging Nancy back to reality.
“Yeah, I could say the same,” Troy replied, giving her a quick smile before turning his attention to Nancy, who flushed under his gaze.
“Hi, Wheeler,” he greeted, his voice casual but his eyes lingering. Nancy’s cheeks turned a shade pinker, and Barbara’s eyes darted between the two of them, clearly intrigued.
YOU ARE READING
004 - Stranger Thing
FanfictionA young boy is back to his family hometown, he star to know more about his past, is family and star to chase strange creature is haunting the town.
