Sequel to Fade Into You by californialust If only there was a handbook on how to deal with the death of your soulmate. Lia Whitmore would be first in line to buy. Stranger Things Fanfic Based on Stanger Things 4 © californialust 2022 EXTENDED SUMMARY: Lia Whitmore has always been a master of deception. She'd perfected the art of "faking it 'til you make it," slipping into her cheerleading uniform every morning and greeting the world with a bright, flawless smile. Each day feels like a performance, with Lia playing the role of the happy, carefree girl everyone expects her to be. The reality is that she's suffocating in her own skin, trapped in a life she feels she has no control over. But to everyone else, she's the picture of perfection. Popular, confident, and seemingly unstoppable. But beneath the surface, the truth is far darker. The girl inside, the one desperate for authenticity and freedom, is fighting to break through, but the walls she's built are strong. No one knows just how much she's struggling.

"You didn't tell me you were doing target practice tonight," he says quietly. "Didn't know we needed permission," Jonathan mutters. Willow steps between them before sparks can hit dry grass. "Stop. Both of you." Her voice is sharp enough to cut. But Steve just keeps staring at her-hurt, confused, angry. "You could've called me," he says. "I would've come. I just- I worry about you, okay?" She looks at the ground. "I didn't want to make things confusing." "It's already confusing," he says, voice breaking. Jonathan stiffens beside her, jaw flexing. The woods go silent. A branch snaps somewhere far off-too heavy to be wind, too deliberate to be an animal. But none of them move. Not yet. "Willow," Jonathan murmurs, "you don't owe him anything." "That's not fair," Steve snaps. "She doesn't owe you everything either." The words hit her like a punch. She steps back from both of them. "I'm not... choosing right now. Either of you. I can't." Steve looks gutted. Jonathan looks like he expected this. Before she can say more, the air shifts-cold, wrong, familiar. A low growl trembles through the trees. Jonathan reaches for the rifle. Steve moves in front of Willow without thinking. And Willow feels her pulse rise, her weapon humming against her leg as if the monsters recognize her too well.