𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥

001. Rockin' Robin.

EIGHTEEN MONTHS was how long it'd been since that night, the night they lost Eddie and Max, the night they went after Vecna, and the same night the four gates opened up, and left Hawkins under quarantine. And what was Valerie Smith up to now, you may ask?

Well, she was working as a candy striper at the hospital and has been for well over a year now. After the gates opened up, and you know, got them all on lockdown in their little town, she figured it wouldn't hurt, giving back to the community in their beloved little town and besides, Doris loved her and Robin.

Her girlfriend visited often, even learned what Doris' favourite snack was, which she always brought with her. Meanwhile, Robin and Steve worked at the Squawk with Jonathan and Nancy. So, things were very different. Like, a lot different, from a year and a half ago.

Like the big metal sheets covering up the gates, and no sign of Vecna, or any of his Demo-whatevers. It felt like life was getting back to normal, well, as normal as it could be with the terms they now had to live under.

"Valerie!" Her mother, Iris, shouted as she was fixing up her hair, she was pinning the front pieces back since she has to wear a stupid hat at work anyway. She didn't hear her mom at all, since she was playing music from the radio next to her. "Valerie!" Iris repeated then turned to her husband. "Does she not have working ears?" She whispered to Leon who snorts, continuing to pour a cup of coffee. "She's in the bathroom. Playing music." Stephanie said, hopping down the stairs and Iris looks over at her.

"Can you hop on back up and get her then?" Iris asked her daughter who furrowed her brows. "For me." The Smith woman grinned and the teenage girl sighed, turning back around. She glared at the closed bathroom door which she began banging her fists on. "Valerie!" She shouted and that's when the music finally shut off. The door swung open and Valerie posed.

"How do I look?" She asked her baby sister and the fourteen year old just glanced up and down at her. "Breathtaking!" She said very sarcastically and the twenty year old frowned. "You used to be so nice to me, Stephie," she said as she turned back around, grabbing her radio. Stephanie rolled her eyes, "mom was calling for you." She walked away. "What's up, mom?" Valerie shouted down the staircase. "We gotta go soon! I don't wanna be late, look at the time!" Iris called back. "Okay! Be down in a sec!" The twenty-year old called back before rushing towards her bedroom to put her radio away.

"How do I look?" Valerie did a little spin when she got to the kitchen. "Very beautiful, Val." Iris replied, grabbing her things from the counter as Leon walked over. "You look amazing!" He told his daughter who giggled, hugging him. "Have a good day at work. Behave. And be nice." He said and Val quickly nodded. "Always!" She said and then she looked over at Stephanie who was staring down at her plate of food.

She looked so forlorn and Val wondered why. "Steph, have a good day at school." She called out, walking behind their mom. "It's school." The teen replied with annoyance and Leon looked over at his other daughter. "We should head out soon too." He said. Since Iris and Val worked at the hospital, they headed out together, and since Leon works near the school, he drops off his youngest daughter everyday before he heads to work. "Okay." Stephanie replied, tossing out her food and putting away her plate before rushing back upstairs to get her backpack.

"Do you think Steph is okay?" Valerie brought up in the car to the hospital. "Probably. I don't know. Must be puberty..." Iris sighed, glancing out the window. "Maybe." Valerie whispered then she looked over at the radio. "My friend should be on the air now." She said and reached over to turn on the radio. "Hmm, the fast talker or the handsome one?" Iris asked and Valerie chuckled. "Clearly the fast talker." She replied as she turned the volume up, just as Robin spoke, beginning her morning segment.