TWO
I thought Sandy was blonde
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❪ tw: strong language, mentions of death, smoking, and underage drinking ❫

STRANGER THINGS
(season 2, ep 2)

                     JACKY WASN'T too fond of Halloween. When she was a little girl she loved it and never missed out on trick or treating with her parents and sister. But she felt like after her sister died and she had those memories it just made her sad so, instead she stayed home and had scary movie marathons on the couch with her dad. But, it was her last year of high school and Mary-Rose was taking her out of her comfort zone.

     Jacky was currently in the kitchen, pouring out orange juice for her and El while Jim finished up the French toast. "Dad." She placed down the carton and looked over at him.

     "Yeah?" Jim flipped over the piece of bread, not looking at her yet.

     She took a deep breath before speaking "I'm gonna have to skip out on horror movie night." Jacky announced, finally making him look up. "Tina's having a party and I know I should've asked you before but she gave out the flyers last minute and Rosey wants me to go."

     Jim was silent for a few seconds. "You can go."

     Jacky's eyebrows furrowed together, she was a little surprised that he agreed. "Really!?" She questioned.

     "I know I've been stricter that usual and I love horror movie night but you're in your senior year you should have fun. But, if you come home drunk or high you're grounded for a month, got it?"

     "Yes, dad." Jacky nodded.

     "And be home by 10:00," Jim added.

     "I can leave early so we can still do it." She suggested.

     Jim began shaking his head. "Not necessary."

     Jacky didn't want to go to the party that much so she wasn't backing down. "Yeah, it is. We have a tradition."

     "Okay." Jim felt a presence being him and he knew it wasn't Jacky. He turned around to see El standing behind them with a white sheet over her with holes cut in it so she could see. "Oh, Jesus!"

     Jacky followed her father's gaze and jumped when she saw El. "Oh, my god."

     "Ghost."

     "Yeah, I see that." Jim picked up the pan and walked over to the counter and Jacky placed the glasses on the table.

     "Halloween."

     "Sure is." Jim placed the two pieces of toast that were in the pan on El's plate "But right now it's breakfast, okay? Come on, let's eat."

     "They wouldn't see me."

     Jacky turned to her. "Who wouldn't see you?"

     "The bad men," El answered.

    "What are you talking about?" Jim asked as he placed the plates down.

     "Trick or treat."

     Jacky's eyes floated over to Jim as she sat down. "You wanna go trick or treating?" El responded to his question with a nod. "You know the rules."

     "Dad . . ." Jacky felt bad that El had to watch her leave for school every morning or go to work but she could never leave or have the life of a normal kid. She knew that she was in danger if she went outside right now but she also wished things were different for her.

     "Yes, but—"

     "Yeah so, you know the answer." Jim grabbed onto her shoulders and started to push her over to her seat at the table.

     "No, but, they wouldn't see me," El argued.

     Jim leaned down and looked her in the eyes. "I don't care. You go out there, ghost or not it's a risk. We don't take risks. All right?"

     "Jacky leaves . . ." El mentioned, looking over at the older girl.

     "Jacky doesn't have people trying to take her away to experiment on her. Risks are stupid and . . ." Jim trailed off, waiting for El to finish the sentence.

     "We are not stupid!"

     "Exactly. Now, you take that off, sit down and eat. Your food's getting cold." Jim demanded. Jacky still stayed silent and grabbed the syrup to drizzle over her toast. She hated arguments so if she was there when one was going on she was always quiet and she had to hold back tears when she got into them herself. It always reminded her of when her parents fought and she sat in her room listening to them and crying. El did as he said and pulled the sheet off of her body and sat down but she didn't look happy and Jim could see that. "All right, look. How about I get off work early tonight, and I buy us a bunch of candy. We sit around, get fat and we watch a scary movies. Jacky will join in after she gets home. How's that for compromise?" Jim suggested.

     "C-compromise?" El stuttered.

     "C-O-M-promise. Compromise. How about that's your word for the day? Yeah? It's something that's kind in-between." Jim explained.

     "Like you'll be halfway happy," Jacky added.

     "By 5-1-5?"

     Jim nodded. "5:15. Yeah, sure."

    "Promise?" El looked between the two of them.

     "Yes. I promise."

     El looked over at Jacky for her confirmation. "Yeah, El. I promise." Jacky smiled.

     El shrugged. "Halfway happy." Jim smiled at her before her ruffled her curls.

                        JACKY DREADED SCHOOL. She liked some parts. Like lunch or if she had a class with Mary-Rose or Johnathan. But other than that, it sucked. Jacky was currently walking down the hallway, towards the cafeteria but didn't notice Steve chasing after her. "Jacky!"

Steve placed his hand on her shoulder, causing her to jump. "Oh my god. You should be wearing a bell or something." Jacky breathed out. She took a second to process that it was Steve standing in front of her before her demeanor completely changed. "What do you want?"

"To talk."

"That's my cue." Jacky tried to pull away from him but he grabbed a hold of her wrist.

"Jacky, I'm serious." Steve lightly pulled her wrist, making her turn back to him. Soon after, Jacky pulled her hand away from him. "I've wanted to talk to you since that night at the hospital but I didn't know what to say. I'm sorry. I don't know if you'll truly understand how sorry I am but I need you to know that."

Jacky sighed and gently shut her eyes for a second. "Look, Steve, I've heard it all before. You're just saying that to make me forgive you then you'll just betray me again."

Steve immediately shook his head. "No, it's not like that." He stammered.

"You broke my heart do you realize that?" Jacky raised her voice, making Steve's face completely fall. "And you weren't even fazed by it. You will never understand how much it hurt to just have you turn on me. Sorry doesn't cut it. Talking doesn't show me that you changed at all. So, just get out of my way." Jacky's eyes started to water.

"Jacky—"

Jacky cut him off. "Get out of my face, Harrington!" She pushed past him.

                      SHE NEVER WENT to parties, she thought they were a recipe for disaster. Parties were crawling with drunk kids, drugs, the smell of weed, pervy guys, and the smell of sex. But once again, Mary-Rose wanted to get her out of her comfort zone.

     Jacky wasn't really planning on going, she decided to dress up as Sandy Olsson from Grease, since it was such a simple outfit. The black off the shoulder top that put her collarbones on display, tight black pants, black leather jacket, and red heels. Her hair was fresh out of her hair rollers and parted on the side, the left side fuller than the right. It wasn't the classic Sandy hair but she didn't feel like it suited her.

Mary-Rose was dancing and Jacky just watched as she scooped more punch into her red solo cup. "Billy! Billy! Billy!" Jacky heard chanting coming in close. She turned her head, seeing Billy and Tommy H walk in. God, did she hate Tommy. He might've been the biggest douchebag she's ever come across.

     Tommy and Billy went up to Steve and Nancy, it looked like they were taunting him but, Jacky obviously couldn't make up the words from where she was standing. Nancy's eyes rolled and she made her way to the kitchen and the sight of her made Jacky tense up. They've barely talked in a while. "What's in this?" She asked, looking over at the guy standing by Jacky.

     "Pure fuel! Pure fuel! Whoo!" He yelled out. Drunk is what he was. He slammed his fist against his chest, making himself burp before he took another sip of the substance.

     "It's spiked with vodka. A lot." Jacky leaned over to Nancy, raising her voice over the loud music. Nancy just nodded at her before she picked up a cup, collected the punch and downed it. She looked over to the side and made eye contact with Steve who was coming up behind Nancy and before he could open his mouth to speak to her, she grabbed her cup and disappeared into the crowd.

She was making her way back over to Mary-Rose before she was met with the familiar mullet. Billy. "Jacky." Billy smirked, staring down at her. "Looks like you came after all." His voice was cocky. He was about to bring the cigarette back up to his lips before Jacky grabbed a hold of it and placed it in between her fingers.

Billy grinned at the girl as she took a drag of his cigarette. "I didn't come here for you." She blew the smoke into his face and he just inhaled it. "My friend dragged me here."

"The one in the flapper costume, right? I saw you walk in with her." He leaned up against the wall, taking a second to really look into her green eyes.

Jacky nodded. "Yeah, Mary-Rose." She replied. "And...what are you supposed to be? A jackass?" She questioned, examining his attire. His bare chest was fully exposed, paired with a leather jacket, blue jeans, and black boots.

Billy just chuckled at her words. "You're definitely something, Jacky Hopper." He smirked. "I just threw this on. Who are you supposed to be?"

"Sandy from Grease." She answered.

Billy looked her up and down, his eyes becoming darker with lust. "You look great." His voice was low.

Jacky's head tilted to the right as she looked at him. "You want something, William?" She brought the cigarette back up to her lips.

Billy rested his arm against the wall and leaned in closer to her. "What would you say if I told you that what I wanted was you?" He whispered, his eyes flickering from her eyes to her lips.

Jacky followed his movements in a teasing manner. "Then . . . I'd say that you're not gonna get me that easily." She smiled before completely pulling away from him. "See you around. And you're not getting this cigarette back." Jacky waved the cigarette that was in between her fingers before she walked back over to Mary-Rose and Billy just bit the inside of his cheek in defeat.

Steve watched them from a distance while Nancy continued to drink. All though, he was trying to make sure she didn't over do it he couldn't help but glance over at them every few seconds. In all honesty Steve was in love with Jacky when they were fourteen and that love never faded. He thought being like Tommy H would be what he wanted and maybe it would help him finally get over Jacky. But it didn't. He started to date Nancy and he cares about her a lot, he liked her a lot. But he didn't feel the same way about her that he felt about Jacky. And later that night after Nancy basically broke up with him in the bathroom it hurt but mostly because he knew that he could never find a girl that will love him. For a while he hoped Jacky would but in his eyes she didn't. In reality Jacky did love him she was just incredibly hurt by him.

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  JACKY'S BACK WAS BRACED up against the wall outside of Tina's house. She was waiting outside of Mary-Rose and she was still smoking the same cigarette which was basically done. Steve stomped outside, slamming the door shut. He plopped onto the porch. He didn't even notice Jacky standing there until she spoke up. "The hell happened to you?"

Steve looked up at her and his eyes fixated on the cigarette in her hand. "You know those things are gonna kill you, right?"

     "Maybe if I didn't live in this town I wouldn't have to smoke." Jacky dropped the cigarette on the ground before putting it out with her boot.

     "Jacky." Steve looked up at her. He didn't know if he should ask this but he really felt like he would feel better if the answer was no.

     Jacky finally made eye contact with him. "What?"

     "Are you with that Billy guy or something?"

     "Hell, no do you think I'm an idiot. He's just trying to get with me." Jacky chuckled dryly. She thought for a second before her eyebrows furrowed. "Why do you care anyway you're always all over Nancy?"

     Steve shrugged as he quickly tried to come up with something. "He just seems dangerous and you talk to him a lot, looks like you were getting pretty close in there."

     "More like he talks to me a lot and I don't need to explain myself to you. Again, why do you care?"

     That question made Steve anxious. "I don't!" He raised his voice before looking down at his hands. "Plus, Nancy's . . . Nancy's over."

     "I hope it's not something you did, again." Jacky crossed her arms.

      "She said our relationship was bullshit."

     She wouldn't admit it in that moment but Jacky did feel some sympathy for him. She always put up an act with him, it was her way of coping with the pain. "That sounds painful."

     "Yeah." Steve sighed.

     "This isn't me showing any kind of liking towards you or anything but, I'm sorry. No one deserves to hear that."

     Before Steve could get a word out the front door open. It was Mary-Rose, holding her bag close to her chest in one hand with her keys in the other. "Alright, Jack. You ready to go?" Mary-Rose's eyes switched between the two.

     "Mhm." Jacky shook her head. She started to walk behind her before she glanced back at Steve. "You should go home." She suggested.

     Steve watched them go to the car. He was definitely not getting over Jacky.

KARISSA SPEAKS !

—the little steve, jacky, and nancy love triangle going on is reminding me of the song glimpse of us (the lyrics reflecting steve's feelings)

—we love be jealous steve

—this chapter is a little short but i still hope you guys like it

—this act is finally fully prewritten so i will be updating more often mostly on weekends bc i have school