One

Chapter Two: The Weirdo on Maple Street

   Phina didn't get any, restful, sleep that night, just as she predicted. The good hour and half that she had gotten earlier in the morning had brought a nightmare that her brain was quick to forget, and Phina was grateful. Whatever had happened, had led her to wake up in tears.
   A new, even worse, feeling had started up in her gut, the nightmare fueling it like gasoline on a fire. She was sick and tired of these terrible feelings, almost actually feeling slightly sick because of them.
   When she finally got up from bed, and got dressed, which had taken way more mental preparation than she was willing to admit, the rest of her family had already started eating breakfast.
   She walked downstairs and into the kitchen, seeing Mike stuff an Eggo waffle into his pocket. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him, and he elected to ignore her. She pretends that she didn't see anything, but Mike could still see the suspicion in her eyes.
   Phina walks into the dining room and sat down at her usual spot, not getting anything to eat. For the third morning in a row, she skipped breakfast, and Karen had definitely noticed.
   "No breakfast again Seraphina," Karen asks.
   "Not hungry," she replies shortly, not bothering with another lie today, to tired to even come up with one.
   Mike sits down next to her and starts quickly eating his waffles. Everyone's attention leaves her and goes to him, giving him weird looks. Phina getting even more suspicious, narrowing her eyes at him, which he again ignores but he can't hide the way he squirms under her scrutiny.
   "Slow down Mike," Nancy says, "that's disgusting."
   Mike looks at her, and smugly says, "do a lot of studying last night?"
   Phina snorts and hides her face in her hands, her tired mind finding the comment a little too funny. Mike must have seen Steve last night, and knowing her brother, he had some sarcastic comments ready for this conversation.
   "Yeah, actually I did," Nancy replies, looking down at her plate, almost bashfully.
   "Oh I bet you did," Phina sniggers. 
   "What was your test on again," Mike asks tilting his head then saying with a smug tone, "human anatomy?"
   Phina lets her head fall onto the table, barely keeping her laughs at bay, her body shaking at the effort.
   Nancy kicks Mike underneath the table, and Mike kicks her back. The table rattles and Phina raises her head off of it, still giggling a little. She was slightly delirious from her lack of sleep, and food.
   "Hey," Karen says sternly, "what's going on?"
   "Nothing," Mike and Nancy say at the same time.
   Phina rolls her eyes at the two of them, breathing deeply to calm herself, "mom. I'm gonna head out, I want to go see Jonathan before school."
   "Ok sweety, make sure you get to school on time," Karen answers.
   Phina nods and leaves.

   Phina got to the Byers' house just in time to see Jonathan getting in his car. He stops when he hears and sees his best friend. She parks her bike and without saying a word, goes up to him and pulls him into a hug. He wraps his arms around her, burying his face in her shoulder.
   "I'm so sorry Jonathan, I'm so sorry," she whispers, "Will is a smart kid, he'll be ok."
   "God I hope you're right," he whispers.
   "Have I ever lied to you," she asks.
   A small smile shows up on his face, "no, never."
   They pull away from each other and he looks down sadly. She places her hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort him in every way possible.
   Phina looks towards his house, "how is she?"
   "Not great. She isn't handling this to well," he sighs.
   "Understandable, considering," she sighs as well, "will you tell her that if you guys need anything, call me."
   "Phina that's not..."
   "No, your mom has been there for me all my life, I want to return the favor," she cuts him off.
   He smiles, "Ok, I'll tell her."
   "Were gonna be late to school, we gotta go," she says looking down at her watch.
   "I was just on my way there, before you showed up," he says.
   "Yeah," she chuckles, "I'm sorry, I just needed to check on you."
   "Thank you for that," Jonathan nods, "you lead the way, I'll follow."
   "Ok."

   Jonathan and Phina walked into the school together, going straight to the bulletin board, putting up a poster about Will. Phina felt eyes on them and looked over to see Nancy and her new friends looking at them. She glared at Carol, Tommy, and Steve and turned back to Jonathan, giving him another thumbtack.
   "Do you need me to put a few up around the school," she asks.
   "Yeah." Jonathan pulls out a few posters, and some thumbtacks. "Here you go. Thank you Phina."
   She goes to tell him that it's not trouble at all when she's interrupted by a voice behind her.
   "Hey," Nancy says to Jonathan.
   "I'm gonna go," Phina said, leaving Jonathan with her sister, not giving him anytime to protest.
   She knew that Jonathan would have used her as a crutch if she was there, as he did in every social interaction they had, so she thought it was better to have him fend for himself for once. She felt slightly bad, but she knew it would help him in the long run of things. Not to mention, she didn't want to really be around her little sister, because where Nancy was, Steve was.
   Phina went around to all the bulletin boards in the school, putting up every poster she had. A few looks were sent her way, judgement filled in each one. She sent her own back each time, and her glares could set fire to an ocean, no one was willing to hold it.

   Heading to her first class, math, Phina hardly looked at anyone, letting herself draw into her mind about the night before, the distraction of the posters no longer there to keep the thoughts at bay. As she was about to go into the classroom, an arm wraps around her shoulders.
   "Hey there red headed Wheeler," Steve Harrington says.
   "Remove your arm before you don't have one Harrington," she bit out at him.
   "Ok ok, calm down," he laughed, but did as he was told.
   "What do you want Harrington," Phina groaned.
   "Can't I just want to talk to you," he asks.
   "No, not really. You want something and I'm not going to help you," she snapped.
   "Ok someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning," he joked, smiling his arrogant smile that he used on ever girl he ever talks to.
   "Maybe it's because I couldn't sleep last night knowing you were in my sisters bedroom," she snapped at him, turning her head to the side, glaring.
   "How'd you know I was there?"
   "Because you aren't a ninja Harrington, I was out on my roof last night and you didn't even notice me," she snapped.
   Before he could get another word in, she walked into her classroom and sat down, him following behind and sitting quietly next to her. He wasn't going to risk his life trying to talk to her right now. He could sense her blistering anger, and he did not want to be the one that unleashed that upon the world.

   Phina sat in her room, drawing. After yet another stressful day, she need it to wind down a little. She tilted her head to the side, closing her eyes as her hand took control. Her mind kept going back to last night, the monster. She wondered if that was what she would draw today. Maybe if she drew it again, she could try and figure out what it was, and why she had drawn it.
   "Phina! Dinner," her mom yelled.
   She snapped out of her trance, her eyes opening slowly, looking down at the drawing. This one wasn't of the monster. No, it was much much worse. It was of Steve Harrington. It wasn't finished, the shading not deep enough for proper demension, but it was still incredibly accurate, and she hated it.
   Phina wanted to smack herself for drawing it. She hated him, didn't she? Her drawings were supposed to calm her, but these past two just caused her more frustration and anger than before.
   Phina closed her sketchbook roughly and walked down to the dining room. Everyone sat around the table awkwardly, and she almost just turned around and walked back up, but her mother was giving her a pointed look.
   Karen looked around at everyone, "something wrong with the meatloaf?"
   "Um, no, I had two bologna sandwiches for lunch," Dustin says, "I don't know why."
   "Me too," Lucas chimes in.
   Phina looks at them suspiciously and Dustin gives her a pleading look that says, leave it, so she does.
   Phina sits down next to Mike as Nancy says, "it's delicious mom."
   "Thank you sweety," Karen says.
   A moment passes before Nancy speaks up again, "so there's this, special assembly thing tonight. For will, at the school field, Barb's driving."
   "Why am I just hearing about this?"
   "I thought you knew," Nancy lies.
   "I told you, I don't want you out after dark until Will is found," Karen says.
   "I know, I know, but it'd be super weird if I'm not there, I mean, everyone's going," Nancy tries to convince her.
   Karen ponders for a moment, "just. Be back at ten."
   Nancy smiles triumphantly and Phina rolls her eyes. She knew that Nancy wasn't going to go to the damn assembly, she probably going to hangout with Steve. Karen catches Phina's eye roll and her eyes light up with an idea.
   "Why don't you take your sister too," Karen says.
   Phina's eyes widen and she starts to object, but Nancy sends her a pleading look, "ok sure."
   Nancy mouths a thank you to her sister, which earns her a look that says you owe me. Suddenly, Mike coughs as he is drinking his milk.
   Phina looks at him worriedly and follows his eyes to where he's looking. A girl, with a completely shaved head walks down the stairs. Dustin hits the table, trying to get everyone's focus away from the girl, but Phina locks eyes with the her, and she feels and instant connection with her.
   "Sorry, spasm," Dustin explains.
   Phina continues to stare at the girl, who she'd never laid eyes on before, but felt as if she knew her. Mike lightly kicks her underneath the table, and she whips her head towards him. They have a silent conversation with their eyes, him pleading with her to be quiet about her. She agrees, but he'll have some serious explaining to do.

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