Although they had been a year apart, it didn't change how well they got along. Every waking hour was spent together, giving their mothers either alone time by bouncing the duo back and forth, or offering gossip time between them both as the girls picked a park to play at.
Tatum was always the more adventurous one – a fact that hadn't changed as they got older and grew apart - but Barb always wanted to keep up. Whether it be building pillow forts or climbing trees they definitely should not have been climbing, they were unstoppable together.
Barb was the one thing missing from Tatum's return to Hawkins.
Her disappearance, and likely death, was Tatum's main reserve from returning in the first place. Tatum's happiest memories of Hawkins were either with Barb or her mother, and both were no longer around.
"Do her parents still live in the same house?" Tatum asked, sliding the hanger of the swimsuit onto her full arm. "I think I should go see them sometime."
Nancy nodded. "Yeah, they do. I think they would really like that." Albeit pausing, she smiled. "Would you want to grab a late lunch? There's a diner in town that has really good food. I know shopping can make you hungry."
Tatum smiled, surprised at how easy it was to talk to her. "That would be great. Let me try these on and by then my dad should be back so I can tell him."
Making a b-line for the fitting rooms, she was pleased that her guessing of sizes turned out fairly well, given the US and UK sizes didn't line up in the slightest. Now armed with shorts, tank tops and thin tops, she would be able to combat the final month of summer without dying from the heat.
Like she imagined, as she and Nancy exited the department store, a sleek blue Mustang was waiting outside.
"Woah," Nancy mused of the brand new car, one bag draped over her arm in opposition of the five that Tatum had.
"You didn't! This is slick, Dad." Tatum leaned in the open passenger window, finding her father grinning. "I love it."
"And you'll never drive it."
Tatum scoffed. "I don't even know how."
Jordan glanced out the back window, spotting Nancy lingering in the background. "Make a friend?"
"I did, actually. She invited me to lunch. Is that okay?"
Pulling a lit cigarette from his lips, he nodded. "Of course. I'll take your things home." He grabbed his handy pocket notebook that was used for story ideas and scribbled down their address, well aware that his daughter would have no idea where to tell her friend where to go to drop her off. "Here. Memorize this while you're at it."
Taking the address, she exchanged it for her bag, putting them in the passenger's seat before tucking the address into the back pocket of her jeans. "See you at home. Love you."
"Love you too, bug. Have fun!"
Nancy laughed softly while the mustang roared away, waiting until Tatum was back in earshot before speaking. "You two seem like you have a good relationship," she said, guiding the pair to the less exciting station wagon she'd borrowed from her mother. "My dad's a little clueless."
While yes, their relationship did seem healthy and good on the outside, it was predominantly based out of extortion, as Jon often shooed his daughter away while deep in his writing, bribing her with cigarettes and fast bikes. She loved him endlessly, but there was a hint of contempt in her heart.
"He's mostly sucking up for moving us here," Tatum countered, not entirely wrong.
"Why did you move back?"
Tatum 'umm'd as the two climbed into the station wagon, buckling her seatbelt as Nancy started the car. "My dad said that he wasn't getting enough inspiration at home anymore. That's why we left Hawkins in the first place, for a new start and inspiration. He says he used it all up, so we came back. My stepmum and I didn't get much of a choice in the matter."
"Oh, he got remarried?" she asked, driving out of the store parking lot and heading into the town centre. "Do you like her?"
"Elena, yeah. She's really sweet. I kind of don't remember life without her. She was a teacher at my primary school and she and my dad met in year one."
Nancy laughed in soft embarrassment. "There were a couple of those words I didn't quite grasp."
Tatum shared the same laugh, reminding herself yet again how different America was from home. "Primary is the same as elementary school. Year one is kinder...kinder something here."
"Kindergarten? Okay, that's easy enough to remember," she said. "And you're gonna be a senior, right? Barb said you were a year older than us."
"Yep," Tatum agreed. "So you're a junior?"
"I am. But my boyfriend's a senior, so you'll probably have some classes with him." Nancy parked in the angled street parking of Marty's Diner, waiting at the curb for Tatum. "This is Marty's."
Tatum took in the bright red sign tagged on the front of the building, able to spot waitresses inside wearing old school blue outfits moving about. "Cute."
Nancy plopped the two of them in a booth against the main wall, each ordering sodas while looking over the menu. She was quick to notice the eyes on Tatum and spoke up to keep her from overthinking or growing uncomfortable from the attention.
"You told your dad you didn't know how to drive, didn't you?"
"Mhm," Tatum nodded in agreement as she scanned the menu.
"Did you just not want to learn? I got my license as soon as possible."
Tatum changed the direction of her head, shaking it instead and she looked up. "Oh, no. The driving age in England is eighteen, so I just couldn't yet. I have a motorcycle license, though. My dad and I went to get it transferred to an American license earlier this morning so I can legally drive without being worried about using a British license if I get pulled over."
"Really?" Nancy asked in surprise, more over the bike than the driving age rule. "My mom would never let me ride a motorcycle. That must be so cool."
Tatum grinned lightly. "My dad was hesitant at first, but I started with a Vespa. It's a little moped type bike. I slowly managed to get a real bike out of him after a while."
Although pausing for the waitress to take their orders of burgers and fries, she asked, "Do you have one here?"
"I'm working on it. I know I'm getting one because my dad already agreed so I have a way to get to school, but I'm not sure what kind yet. The final say is up to him. I'm really hoping for a red Kawasaki Ninja, but it might be a little too daunting for Dad."
"I have no idea what that means, but it sounds so bad ass." Her brows shot up, her angle of facing the door offering her a view of a new arrival. "Over here!" she called, waving someone over. "Tatum, this is my boyfriend Steve."
As Steve rounded the table, a grin broke out as he spotted the person accompanying his girlfriend. "What's up, England! It's cool you met Nancy. I was going to introduce you two."
"You guys met already?" Nancy asked, scooting in to let Steve join them.
"Yeah, they bought the old Niles property, remember? She's my new neighbor. We met while they were hauling suitcases inside." Steve excitedly leaned his elbows on the table, attention of Tatum. "So, I was thinking, we should throw a party for you. It's right before school starts so everyone is looking for a good time, and you'd get to meet everyone so that first day isn't so awkward."
Nancy gasped in agreement. "Yes! We should do that!"
Tatum laughed, shaking her head slightly. "I feel like my dad planned this."
"What do you mean?" Steve asked, brows furrowing.
"My parents are going out of town this weekend."
"Oh, hell yes."
YOU ARE READING
Royal Pain || Stranger Things
FanfictionAn English accent is bound to stand out in Hawkins, Indiana, and the town was more than willing to find something new to gawk over after the curious incident of Will Byers, the boy who came back to life. With government conspiracies, monsters and a...
two || tan lines
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