Royal Pain || Stranger Things

seven || eleven

"Guys, why is no one wearing costumes?"

     Carrying her helmet in tow, Tatum grinned wide as she walked out of the middle school, spotting Mike and the gang donning impressive Ghostbuster costumes staring in horror toward the school bus emptying a mass amount of kids definitely not dressed up for the holiday.

     "Aw, lads, you look cool."

     While the others turned in the teen's direction, Dustin didn't.

     "Please tell me that isn't Tatum."

     Lucas' face scrunched. "Who else has a British accent in Hawkins?"

     "I was kind of hoping it was just Mrs. Rivers," Dustin said as he turned grudgingly. He offered Tatum a meek smile. "Hey, Tatum."

     "I dig the costumes," she told them, examining the pack on Mike's back. "They look awesome." She pointed from Mike's name tag to Lucas'. "Why are there two Vankman's?"

     Lucas pointed an accusatory finger in Mike's direction. "Because Mike doesn't have ears."

     "Hey!"

     "Okay, alright." Tatum waved a hand to cut the growing argument off. "There can be two Vankman's."

     "Thank you!" Will expressed. "It's not a big deal."

     "Maybe it isn't," offered Dustin, "but the bigger problem at hand is the fact that we are the only ones at school wearing costumes! We look like dweebs."

     Tatum scoffed. "You do not look like dweebs. You guys should own it."

     "You don't remember what middle school is like, do you?" Mike asked miserably.

     "No, I went to a school with uniforms and we were never allowed to dress up." Tatum paused before smiling. "So, since you guys are allowed to wear costumes at all, whether or not everyone else is, you guys should enjoy it for my sake. Just bask in your awesomeness."

     Will's eyes narrowed. "Why does your accent make it sound so reassuring?"

     Tatum shrugged. "That's some concept the Americans made up. And, my stepmum loves Ghostbusters so she'll definitely enjoy the costumes."

     "That's enough to get me through first period," Dustin said with a nod. "Let's do this, boys."

     Tatum grinned, waving them off as they confidently walked toward the front doors of the school. Sighing as she reached her bike and swung a leg over, she brought the engine to life. "Those kids are going to eat them alive." She was quick to make her way over to the high school lot, not taking the time to put on her helmet and instead sliding into the slim spot that had been made by a double parked camaro.

     "No helmet? Seems illegal."

     "And double parking isn't?" she asked, climbing off her bike and basking in the beauty that was Billy Hargrove.

     Billy, propped on the hood of his car just as he had been the day before, lowered his sunglasses with a smug grin. "What were you doing over at the middle school?"

     "My stepmum forgot the bring the candy she wanted to hand out to her class, so I was dropping it off." Tatum set her helmet on the seat of her bike as she pocketed the keys. "You coming to class?"

     "I was thinking about skipping homeroom," Billy replied, flickering his nearly burnt out cigarette into the grass. "What about you?"

     Tatum smiled, stepping back from the camaro. "Cute, but I'm trying to graduate."