𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 -- s. harrington

→ three.

A DAY HAD gone by since Andrea's conversation with Steve and it was still on her mine, but that was the last thing she ever wanted to think about. Today was her favourite holiday, a day where you could pretend to be someone else and get away with it. A day that her family loved dearly and decorated their house perfectly each and every year. Today was Halloween.

          Valorie tugged on the bottom of her police dress for her Halloween costume and huffed out a sigh as her sister placed the hat on her head. Valorie lifted her head and looked into the mirror, tilting her head to the side as she inspected her outfit. Behind her, Andrea clapped her hands in front of her chest and smiled brightly at her younger sister. "I look ridiculous," Valorie stated and spun around to face Andrea, folding her arms over her chest and nudged the toy badge that was clipped onto her shirt.

          Andrea rolled her eyes and adjusted the hat on her sister's head, looking her up and down as she inspected the costume. "You look wonderful, Val!" She exclaimed and clasped her hands together in front of her body. "The long sleeve shirt you've got underneath and the thick tights will save you from the cold for a little while."

          Valorie rolled her eyes and trudged around her sister, crouching down and picking up the black ankle boots she was pairing with the outfit that her older sister forced her into. "I'm heading to Dustin's after trick-or-treating, will you pick me up later?" She asked and sat down on Andrea's bed, slipping into her boots and zipping up the sides. Valorie glanced over at her sister and rolled her eyes once the older blonde started wiggling her eyebrows. "What?"

          Andrea slid over and sat down on the bed next to her sister, throwing an arm around her shoulders. Valorie and Dustin had been close for a really long time and she was a part of the boys' "party" that they formed many years ago. It was obvious that Valorie had a small crush on Dustin and it was even more obvious that Dustin had a crush on Valorie. "You and Dustin are hanging out alone?" She asked, cocking an eyebrow at her rosy-faced sister.

          "What's this I hear about Valorie hanging out alone with a boy?" The girls' father asked from the doorway, cocking an eyebrow at his youngest daughter just like his oldest was doing. Daniel knew that his daughters were smart and there was no need to be overly protective of them, but it was still loads of fun to tease them whenever he found out that they would be hanging out alone with a boy.

          Valorie shot up from her seat on Andrea's bed and huffed out a sigh, glaring at her sister before pinching her thigh as hard as she could. "I hate you," she hissed and narrowed her eyes. Valorie looked over at her father and smiled innocently as she walked toward him. "I'll see you guys tonight! Jonathan is picking me up, he's going with the boys too!"

          Andrea smiled mischievously at the back of her sister's head and stood up, rubbing her thigh to soothe it from the pain she had been put in by the pinch of her sister's tiny fingers. "Jokes on you, brat, I'm coming too because Jonathan asked me to!" Andrea laughed and patted her sister's back and looked at her father.

          "Keep an eye on the two lovebirds, would you?" Their father said and smiled at his daughters. They reminded him so much of his wife and it made him happy to see them both so happy after the death of his dear Beth. Andrea had Beth's sharp green eyes and laugh, and Valorie had her dimples and smile. His children were the spitting image of his wife and even though it was hard for him somedays, he was lucky to have children who reminded him so much of the love of his life.

          Andrea gave her little sister's shoulders a squeeze before darting over to her window at the sound of a car horn. She pulled open her curtains and looked down at her driveway, her eyes landing on none other than Jonathan Byers's car. "He's here, Val!" Andrea exclaimed and shut her curtains again. She grabbed her purse from hanging on her closet door and grabbed her sister's elbow, pulling her from the room. "We'll see you later, dad!"