Facade-[1]-[Steve Harrington]

Misunderstandings

Song of the Chapter: Love Will Tear Us Apart  by Joy Division

Warning: Unedited!!

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Lennon rubbed shampoo into her mangled hair, ridding it of knots, blood and the annoying slime that had already outlasted two washings. She hoped the third time was the charm and thankfully, the substance washed fully out. With conditioner in her blond hair, darker with the water, she sat on the bathtub floor. She brought her naked legs to her chest, leaning her head on her knees as she stared at the water-stained shower curtain. As the water hit her, it carried away the blood that still coated her body. The red tinted water trailed away from her and pooled at the drain. Her hand subconsciously gripped onto the key necklace she always wore. The red nail polish that Nancy applied only the day before, had chipped away considerable due to the recent events. The sound of the shower water hitting the floor and her body, drowned out the voices of her friends in her room. Jonathan and Nancy spoke in hushed voices about the occurrences of that night.

The sound of the water, however, could not drown out the memories. Images of the monster's face opening, her running through the forest, praying to God that she wouldn't be found, all flowed back to her like the mascara that flowed down her cheeks. Lennon hurried, standing to finish washing herself, feeling like she was single-handedly raising the water bill with each drop that fell from the shower-head.

She spun the knobs, turning the water off. Her hands pulled a large towel off of the toilet seat and wrapped the material around her body, just above her breasts. Stepping in front of the small sink, she looked into the mirror. Her small hand wiped the fog off of the glass as she looked into it. Overall, she looked the same as usual, only with the remnants of smudged and runny mascara trailing down her face. Her eyes were the same grey as always, her lips the same full size, the same dusting of freckles across her nose. Lennon pulled her lips into a forced smile, not appearing as happy and normal as she had hoped. She wished that this monster never came. That it chose another town.

Lennon left her bathroom, shutting the light off behind her. Entering her room, her eyes met those of her friends. Nancy and Jonathan sat on her bed, their feet on the floor as they held eachother's hands inbetween them. If Lennon wasn't so tired and sore, her smile may have been larger than the small smirk that graced her face.

"Oh, you're out." Nancy stood, moving her hands from Jonathan's as she did so. "Are you sure you wanna be alone? After everything that's happened? How you, you know, reacted?"

"Yeah." Lennon simply stated, turning to pull out a flannel from her dresser drawer.

"You sure?" Nancy grabbed Lennon's hands, searching her eyes for any sign of a truthful answer.

"Yeah." Lennon nodded. Nancy pursed her lips, making Lennon wonder if it was actually her that didn't want to be alone. Since Jonathan was taking her home, she figured she would leave him to keep her company. Nancy wrapped her arms around Lennon, pulling the girl into a hug. With a hand on her towel, Lennon wrapped an arm around her friend, holding her tight. The smell of mold from the other world they stumbled into, still clung to her.

"Okay, call if you change your mind." Nancy pulled away, holding Lennon's hand. Lennon nodded before Nancy stepped out of the room, waiting in the messy living room for Jonathan.

"You gonna say good bye, or are you waiting on me to change?" Lennon joked at the boy. Her words pulled him out of a trance, ripping his eyes from staring blankly at her poster of Jimi Hendrix.

"Huh? Oh." Jonathan stood, walking to her bedroom door.

"You know you can be scared right?" Lennon blurted as he nearly exited her room. She stood there, in front of her dresser, wearing nothing but a towel as her friend turned to her with a closed off look. "You can be sad and angry and cry if you want to. I know everyone says boys are supposed to be these emotionless robots or some shit, but you can be different." She told him. Jonathan appeared to let down his guard a little, taking in what she was saying. "Nancy likes different, anyways." Lennon smirked, raising a suggestive brow.