1983 || Stranger Things

ᴛᴡᴇɴᴛʏ-ғᴏᴜʀ | ɪᴛ's ғᴀʙᴇʀɢᴇ

      Steve, Dustin and Julie all went home and went to sleep that night. The plan was to meet up again in the morning and try to lure Dart with meat. When Julie got up the next morning, she pulled on a pair of old jeans and a Queen shirt that she tucked into her pants, tugging on her converse and her jacket. Julie put her thick, frizzy hair into a high loose ponytail and made sure her necklace was tight around her neck.

      She also made sure that Susan knew that she was going to be busy all day, and gently kissed Max's head, pulling her blankets tighter around her. Julie sat outside on the sidewalk in the crisp air with her stuffed backpack that she packed the night before, eating a muffin while she waited for Steve and Dustin to come get her.

      When Steve and Dustin did pull up, he offered Julie a tired smile from the open window. Julie smiled back as she tossed her backpack in the backseat and sat beside Steve. Dustin learned, and had already seated himself in the backseat.

      "You came prepared." Steve said, pulling out of his spot on the side of the road and starting to drive to the train tracks.

      "You never know what this kid is gonna cook up." Julie said, looking back at Dustin and offering her hand out. Dustin took her hint, and leant forward to give her a fist bump with a smile on his face.

      "Should I be offended?" Dustin inquired with a cocked brow.

      Julie hadn't given anything much thought that early morning, and she wasn't going to start now. "Ask me later." was all she said, turning back facing forward.

      Dustin nodded, and the three of them drove in silence, none of them having the energy to spark a conversation. Within no time, Steve was pulling up to a spot near the train tracks. After he parked, Julie grabbed her backpack and put it on her shoulders, joining Steve and Dustin at the back of the car.

      Strapping on yellow gloves, Dustin and Steve grabbed the meat buckets from the trunk, while Julie unloaded the rest of the equipment. Her job was to do nothing, something she was grateful for. Dustin got pulled away from the meat by Lucas's voice in his headset, which Julie only heard due to her closeness to the boy.

      "Well, well, well, look who it is." Dustin said into his headseat, his hands on his hips.

      Julie moved in to his former spot next to Steve to get a better angle to unload the trunk. She ignored when their hands touched. Steve didn't.

      "Well, when you were having sister problems, Dart grew again, he escaped, and I'm pretty sure he's a baby Demogorgon." Dustin said, and Julie honestly felt bad for Lucas, knowing how confused he would be. "I'll explain later," he continued. "meet me, Steve and Julie at the old junkyard."

      As he spoke, Dustin glanced over at Julie, who was kneeling on the ground, adjusting her barbed wire bat with her bare fingers. The middle schooler also saw Steve's gaze land on Julie for too long to be a simple glance. "And bring your binoculars and wrist rocket." Dustin looked away from the teens before he was caught staring. Steve looked up just in time to see Dustin turn around. If a middle schooler could see how he looked at Julie, why couldn't Julie?

      Julie and Steve stood up, slinging their backpacks on their backs. Steve offered to hold Julie's bat for her in his bag, and she accepted. Julie closed the trunk loudly, causing Steve to cringe at her roughness.

      "All right, let's go." Steve said, picking up a bucket and walking behind Julie, who was leading the way.

      "Just be there, stat. Over and out." Dustin said, following the older pair into the woods.