The Haunting - Stranger Things [UNDER CONSTRUCTION]

09 - Photos

I slide into the desk for my first class of the day. The corners of my lips instantly turn downwards into a frown. The desk in front of mine is completely empty. Barbara always gets to this class early because she gets to school earlier than Nancy and I do. 

I rest my forearms on the top of my desk and lean forward a little bit. "Hey, Ally?" I call to the girl who sits in front of Nancy's desk. 

Ally spins around in her seat to lock eyes with me. 

I motion to the empty desk in front of me. "Where's Barb?"

"Um," Ally looks to Nancy's empty desk and then to Barbara's. "Shouldn't you know?"

My eyes flicker to my sister who just walked into the classroom. I bring my attention back to Ally in her burnt orange colored sweater. "You haven't seen her anywhere...at all?" I grow concerned for the well-being of my best friend. 

Ally shakes her head and swivels back around. I sit back in my own desk with a worried expression. Even when Barbara gets sick, she still comes to school because she refuses to get behind on school. 

Nancy settles down in her desk diagonal to mine. Her head turns to the right and her facial expressions match mine when she sees Barbara is missing. Out of instinct, Nancy starts to turn in my direction until she remembers that I've been avoiding her at all costs. 

Ally spins around once again, but, this time, it's because Nancy tapped her shoulder. She sighs, realizing what my sister was about to ask. "I haven't seen her." 

"At all?" Nancy grips the edge of her desk.

Ally shakes her head and turns back around.

Barbara hasn't shown up to school at all today. She hasn't been in any of our classes together and no one has seen her. Her neighbor, William, said he didn't even see her this morning. Her car wasn't in the driveway. 

I haven't been able to focus in any of my classes, too anxious about my best friend's disappearance. My feet carry me over to the lunch table that I usually avoid. The one that Steve, Tommy, and Carol always accompany. The one my sister sits at now. 

Carol's right foot is on the top of the lunch table between Tommy and her trays. There is a weird discoloration on the side of her heel that everyone seems to be entranced by. 

"That's why science doesn't make any damn sense to me." Tommy says while stuffing his face full of food. 

"No, I swear. Look at this. It's totally frostbite." Carol shows off her foot. 

"Oh, thanks, man." Tommy accepts the applesauce from Steve across the table. 

"It's a heated pool."

"Well, if it's not frostbite then what is it?" Carol asks.

I walk closer to their table, really wishing I didn't have to talk to them. The four of them were the last ones to see Barbara last night. After she cut her hand last night, she went inside and that was the last time I saw her. I should have waited to see if she'd want to drive me home, but I just had to get out of that house. 

"Ugh, I don't care what it is, it's disgusting!" Steve gripes with his mouth full of food. "Get it off the table. We're eating here."

Tommy inches his spoon close to the spot on Carol's foot, only to get swatted by the brunette girl. She pulls her left off of the table and sets it back on the ground.

Without a greeting, I sit down at their table next to Carol. Everyone turns their attention to me, surprised by my arrival. "Hey, Tommy," I look over to the annoying boy. "When you left last night, did you see Barb?"