The Haunting - Stranger Things [UNDER CONSTRUCTION]

08 - Nilla Wafers

Teeth chattering, I sneak through the front door of my house, tightly wrapping my arms around my shaking body. My whole body felt numb from the long walk home from Steve's house and being soaking wet. I quietly shut the door behind me, sniffling. 

As I turn for the stairs, the foyer light flashes on and I flinch from the sudden brightness. Mom stands in the doorway to the hallway with her fingers on the light switch. Her eyes widen a considerable amount as she takes in my appearance from my red, puffy eyes to being soaking wet. 

"Reagan, what happened to you?!" Mom struts over to me, shedding her blue robe off of her body. 

I shake uncontrollably from being so cold. "I left the assembly early because it was just t-too hard." I easily lie with a  sniffle. 

Mom wraps her robe around my shaking body. "Why are you wet?" She rubs my arms over the robe, trying to warm me up. 

I grab onto the robe, fingers numb and aching when I try to tighten my grip on the dry material. "Took a shortcut through someone's yard and the sprinklers kicked on." 

The lies just flow out of my mouth with ease. I didn't plan on what I was going to tell my family if they were still up when I got home. All I could think about on the way here was how cold I was and how parts of my body had gone numb. I can't feel my hands, feet, or parts of my arms. 

"Why didn't Barbara drive you home?" 

I shiver as a draft of air from the vents hit my body. "They weren't ready to leave yet and I told her not to worry about it. I-I just had to get out of there."

"Oh, sweetheart," Mom looks at me with heartbreak. "I know how hard that must have been for you to be there. I know how close you are to Will because of Jonathan."

My chin continues to quiver from being cold and from the fight with Nancy. I was crying the whole way home. Mom pulls me into her body in a comfortingly manner. She thinks I'm crying because of the assembly, but if she knew I am actually upset because of Nancy both of us would be screwed. 

"I'm going to go take a hot shower and then go to bed." I tell her with a thin lipped smile. 

Mom nods her head as she pulls away. "That's a good idea, sweetheart. Go get warmed up." She grips my upper arms. "Wait. Who's sweater is this?" 

I glimpse down at the sweater I borrowed from Barb's car. She always keeps a few extra sweaters in her car. The door behind the passenger's seat tend to get a little stuck at times, so she usually just leaves it unlocked. I was easily able to get in her car and grab a sweater. 

There was no one outside at that hour and I was too freezing to actually consider that anyone could see me, so I stripped my own drenched sweater off by her car and pulled hers on. It kept me slightly warmer until the water in my hair started to soak into it. 

"Barbara's." I answer my mom. "I grabbed it out of her car before I started to walk back."

Mom nods, "Okay. Go ahead."

After taking a long hot shower and changing into my warmest pajamas, I made my way back to my bedroom until I heard the song of the front door clicking shut. Curiously, I tiptoe down the hallway and peer around the corner where I can see down the stairs and into the foyer. The lights are on and Mom looks quite furious at Nancy, who seemed to be trying to sneak in. 

I quietly stand by the corner without being seen by either of them. I glance at the clock on the wall and feel my eyes widen at the time. It's nearly eleven at night. Our curfew was at ten.