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┌ 01 ; WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE ┘
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GWEN MISSED CALIFORNIA. Sadness washed over her body as she sat in her 'new' bedroom. She looked around the barely decorated room, posters sloppily hanging on the walls and a desk that was more holes than wood pushed into the corner. Her butt was cushioned by her bed, a generic beige comforter warming the back of her denim-covered legs.
She sighed as she looked over to a box labelled 'Things Billy broke'. It was filled with remnants of cassettes, vases, photographs, dolls, and even an old photo frame that contained a photograph of her, Billy, and their dad. Their mom was no longer in the picture; replaced by her dad's new wife and stepdaughter. She liked the new additions to her small family, her opinions differing from her twin brother's. Whilst the box was full of 'broken crap', aptly named by the Hargrove patriarch, she held onto everything inside because they were still memories.
Her Converse squeaked across the floor as she swung her legs back and forth out of boredom. She was meant to be unpacking, but she couldn't find the motivation to do so. As soon as the last item would come out of the last brown box, it would set in that this was real. That she was no longer in sunny California, but in drab Indiana. A small town like Hawkins was never going to be able to contain the ferocity of the Hargrove-Mayfield family, and the residents would soon learn that, in due time.
A knock on her door broke her out of her daydream and she turned her head to see her twin standing in the doorway. He looked bored, as he always did. His mullet, which he had been growing for two years, curled to his shoulders and glowed in the sunlight. Another thing that reminded her that they were actually related; the blonde curls that adorned both their heads - although hers were much longer and in a prettier style. Her eyebrows raised slightly, realizing that he was yet to speak.
Gwen cleared her throat and relaxed more on the bed so she didn't look so guarded in the eyes of Billy. "Anything I can help you with, dear twin of mine?" Not like she really cared, their relationship had been breaking down since they'd both hit puberty, and she'd grown to dislike his presence when he came near her.
His muscled arms crossed over his chest, mimicking her eyebrow raise and adorning a small smirk. "Can't be bothered unpacking either, huh?" He slowly strolled over to her bed, perching next to her on the comforter. She sighed softly, not wanting him to get comfy in her room.
"Yup." She popped her lips, her short answer eliciting a chuckle from the slightly older Hargrove. He'd always held it over her head that he had been born first, only by a matter of minutes, but that was all it took for Billy's smugness over their age. She ran her fingers over her dual braids, the soft strands making her smile slightly. She'd always been proud of her long hair, having taken so long to get it to the length she'd achieved after a mishap with safety scissors and an unsupervised twin adventure in California. She'd gotten Billy back for the incident, the scar on his elbow being a reminder for all time.
Billy sighed, shifting his body so that his back was resting against the cream colored wall. "It doesn't seem real that we're here. I mean, last week, we were in Cali; a real happy family. Now, we're here," his lip curled as he looked around the plain room, "in goddamn Hawkins. What a shithole."
Gwen couldn't help but roll her eyes at her brother's sour attitude. Sure, it sucked having to move so far, but he'd told two lies. Hawkins wasn't a shithole, it had some serious potential, and they really weren't a happy family. Billy despised the idea of having two new members of the family - he thought Susan and Max didn't belong and he didn't want them to belong.
"Oh William, you never could have a nice word to say about anything." She commented, and in her moment of comfort, she let her head rest on Billy's shoulder. This was the closest they had been since the Mayfields had taken up shelter in their comfy little family, and it solidified something between the pair. Even with their disagreements and differences, they were still family and they had to watch out for each other. Especially since Gwen knew that Billy's explosive attitude was bound to get him in trouble once they started attending school.
Billy snorted and wrapped an arm around his sister's shoulders, giving them a slight squeeze. "Untrue, my dear Gwendoline. I always have a compliment to pay towards your humble ego." He smirked down at her, his chin resting on her head. He couldn't help but feel sad at how much he had missed the only person who used to defend him throughout their childhood.
"Telling me that 'I don't look like total shit' is not a compliment and never will be." She impersonated his deep voice comically, shaking her head at him. He was really something, Gwen thought.
"I think it's a great compliment, reserved highly for my favorite twin." He shook his head too, his stubbly chin irritating her senstiive scalp. She pushed him away from her, although his arm hung loosely over her shoulders still.
"I'm your only twin." Gwen rolled her eyes again, now wanting to continue unpacking. Her wardrobe was barren, clothes neatly packed into the boxes that were stacked against the wall. She'd be searching for an outfit all night if she didn't hang everything up inside the closet soon.
Billy grinned widely, his cheeks stretching at the action. "And I'd never want anyone different to be my only twin." He winked cheekily at the blonde, the sunlight glinting off his pearly whites.
Gwen couldn't help but return the grin, it was too infectious. "Yeah, me too."
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published: 26th march 2018
haha this sucks so bad :) seriously overdue first chapter but i just really wanted to write it in a bout of inspiration in the late night. the relationship between gwen and billy changes so much throughout this chapter. first she's tired of him then she's smiling with him. can't really explain it, but that's usually how siblings are, i guess. steve is introduced next chapter when the kiddies go to school!! can't wait to write that interaction and can't wait for my babies to fall in love!
