Array
(
[text] =>
041. 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝗶 𝗸𝗲𝘆𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗿?
“𝐋𝐄𝐓 𝐌𝐄 𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐎𝐍𝐄,” Dustin pleaded, from the passenger seat. “Just one, seriously, and that’s it. I promise.”
Lori rolled her eyes and let out a sigh, hands tapping along the top of the steering wheel. Music was playing through the speakers of her car, playing tracks from a random cassette she found in the glove compartment that morning. Dustin sat beside her in the passenger seat, his backpack on the floor between his legs— filled with the books he stole from the library a while ago— and a fresh batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies sitting on his lap, in a shiny glass dish covered over with plastic wrap.
A few full days had passed since the interdimensional-havoc ordeal ended. It was the weekend now, and Lori was still thinking about the whole thing constantly, but now she was fine sleeping alone. Sort of. The terrible flashbacks still plagued her mind incessantly at night, but every time she got scared, she looked to Steve’s window. And every night before going to bed since they got home, he flickered the lights of his bathroom three times— just to let her know that he was safe, that she was safe, and that she could head to sleep.
She’d also slept in Maureen’s bed a few times, and Maureen didn’t question it— nor did Lori explain. But it was getting better, the whole aftermath of it. Slowly.
That morning, Maureen had baked a fresh set of baked goods. And, having a meeting during the afternoon, she asked Lori if she could bring them over to the Byers House— a sort of sympathy gift for Joyce. Of course, Maureen only knew the fake story— that Will had gotten lost last year, now recently he’d gotten lost again— and bless her heart for feeling bad for Joyce. She’d been through a lot with her family, Maureen learned— mostly from Claudia. But even so, she felt bad about doing nothing, and wanted to “pay her respects” or some shit like that. Even though nobody had died. Long story short— she just felt bad.
Now, Lori drove down Main Street, ring-cluttered fingers tapping her steering wheel to the beat of the song, with her cousin in the passenger seat. The moms had talked, as they always did, and Lori had just swooped by to pick him up on the way to Will’s.
She let out a sigh. “Fine, just one though. Only one, Hagar.”
A grin split onto his face, and he unpeeled the side of the plastic wrap, eagerly. Lori glanced towards him, a small smile sliding onto her lips from his own. She laughed lightly and looked back to the road.
He bit into one of the cookies, letting out a groan of satisfaction. “Oh my god,” he said, with his mouth full of chocolate chips. “I didn’t know Maureen was such a good baker.”
“She’s not,” Lori said through a chuckle, “She got the recipe from a book.”
“Magic touch, Lor,” Dustin shook his head in astonishment, indulging in the cookie. “Magic touch.”
“Whatever,” She rolled her eyes, the small smile still on her lips.
“So,” he took another bite, pausing to chew for a moment, “Where’s your boyfriend? I thought you guys were, like, inseperable now.”
“We are not inseperable,” she glanced over to him, smiling through the lie about her and Steve. “And he said he’s got things to catch up on with his parents. They just got back into town this morning.”
“Well judging by the fact that you spent the night at his house the other day— and are going there later tonight,” Dustin said. “You guys have been practically tied at the hip since we got back.”
“Oh my god, Hagar,” she rolled her eyes again, regretting how she’d revealed that she slept over at Steve’s that night— because Dustin wouldn’t stop asking why Lori hadn’t listened to the conversation from her window between Maureen and Hopper. “It was one time, and we didn’t even have sex,” she rose her shoulders up and spoke quickly, her bottom lip popping out.
“Agh! Gross, Lori!” he grimaced, “I’m eating!”
She laughed out loud, “That’s what you were implying, you little shithead,” she reached over and pushed his head, jokingly.
“You are so gross,” He fought back harmlessly, pushing her hand away as he shook his head disapprovingly. “I don’t ever want to hear the word sex come out of your mouth again.”
She laughed, feeling her chest patter with a good feeling. She turned the car onto a long road, smoothly driving down as Dustin snuck another cookie. She saw it, but he didn’t have to know that. She just smiled to herself instead of scolding him.
“So, I heard about that Snow Ball thing,” Lori started a new topic, reaching for the volume dial of the car speakers and turning it down a little. “Are you going?”
Dustin’s lips twisted into an uncertain expression, “Yeah. All my friends are.”
Lori glanced to him, “Why the long face?”
“I don’t know,” he said, swallowing a bite, “I dunno. It’s stupid.”
“D’you need a ride, or something?” she asked, “I could ask Steve if he’d be willing to take you?”
“Yeah, sure,” Dustin nodded. “I just, like, don’t know what to wear or anything. I need to step it up.”
“I’m sure you’ll look great, kid,” she said reassuringly. “If you step it up or not.” There was a silence, and Lori looked over at him, confused. “What?”
He stared at her, skeptically. “What have you done with Lori? Why are you being so nice.”
“Maybe I’ve turned over a new leaf.” she shrugged harmlessly.
“I don’t buy that.” He looked at her, unamused. “I think you’re like, in love, or some gross shit like that. Even though you said love doesn’t exist.”
Lori’s heart skipped a beat, and a smile trickeled up to her lips. “Look who’s Mr. Romeo now?” she laughed. “You’re such a wise-ass, you know that?”
“You’re not telling me I’m wrong.” Dustin said, turning to look out the window. “But please, for the sake of my wellbeing, don’t say anything now that’ll make me wanna gag my eyes out.”
She rolled her eyes again, laughing softly at that. Her stomach swirled with a certain feeling, and she thought of Steve.
Her attention was grabbed when a sign came into view on the side of the road, and she turned her head to see the pumpkin patch coming into view— the pumpkin patch. Except all of the pumpkins were gone and the entrance to the tunnels was guarded off and hidden by government trucks and ‘restricted’ barricades. Men lingered about around it, in special suits. She scoffed and kept driving, but Dustin noticed it too, both with heavy hearts.
The rest of the car ride was silent as Lori drove the rest of the way to the Byers House. The car came to a slow stop in the driveway after a few minutes. She sort of sat for a minute, staring at the house. So much had happened here. So much.
Her attention was pulled when the front door of the house opened, and out walked Jonathan with a set of keys in his hand— looking like he was heading out somewhere. Dustin was already unclipping his seatbelt and stepping out of the car with the dish of cookies. Lori pushed her door open.
“Jonathan,” she said, not thinking twice before doing it.
He slowed down, eyebrows narrowing slightly. He stepped down the last two steps of the front porch, as she shut the door behind her.
“Hi,” Lori said casually, shoving her hands into her back pockets. “I’m Lori— uh, from the other night.”
He knew who she was, he remembered her being there at the lab and the house. “Yeah,” he said, slowly walking up to her, “Yeah, I know.”
“Yeah, well, uh,” she shifted on her feet, smiling lightly. “We’re just here to drop off some stuff my mom made, for Joyce. If that’s alright.”
Lori looked to Dustin at the hood of the car, and he held up the dish of treats with a goofy smile. She motioned for him to go on ahead inside, and so he did.
“Yeah, yeah, that’s alright,” Jonathan said, rubbing a hand along the back of his neck. “Thanks.”
Lori nodded, and she could tell that the conversation was slowly sliding to an end. “Is Will here?” she asked, voice quieter.
“Um, yeah, he’s inside,” he glanced back to the door as it shut. “My mom’s just getting all out Christmas stuff out,” he laughed, lightly. “I’m, uh, heading out though,” he pointed lowly towards his beat up car across the lawn.
Lori folded her hands in front of her stomach, nodding at that. And he gave her a faint smile as a goodbye, but just before he could turn away, she spoke again.
“Hey, Jonathan,” she said, grabbing his attention. He paused. “Could you tell Nancy that I say hi, or something?” she smiled, softly.
“Yeah, sure, I will.” he nodded, smiling back.
And then he turned away and walked towards his car, and Lori turned to the door. She felt good. She stepped up the porch steps and pushed it open, immediately hit with a feeling of reconaissance. Except there were no tunnel drawings anymore, the walls weren’t taped with papers, and the floors weren’t cluttered with the crayon sketches. The furniture was actually in place, now. It was cozy.
So different.
“Hi, there,” A familiar voice broke her out of her staring, and she looked to the kitchen where Joyce was approaching from.
“Sorry,” Lori laughed a little for the staring, “Hi,”
She stood in the living room as Joyce approached, wearing a turtleneck with her hair loosely curled. She was pretty, really pretty.
“You’re Lori, right?” Joyce asked, putting her hands out. “You were here… the other night, with the kids. Hop said you helped babysit them.”
“Yeah, that’s me,” she said, nodding carefully. She could hear voices down the hall— Dustin and Will. “I, uh, I came to drop off some stuff from my mom— Hopper, he, uh, he gave her this made up story about Will and I guess she felt bad, or something. She would’ve come herself but she has a meeting in town.”
“Well, it was very nice of her,” Joyce smiled warmly, her eyes sort of shining. “Will, he loves chocolate chip cookies.”
Lori smiled at that. “That’s great,” she said. And then her voice got lower. “Is he alright, now, Will?”
Joyce just smiled even warmer. “He’s recovering, but, yes. He’s just fine.”
“Good,” Lori felt a relief wash over her shoulders. “Would you mind if I spoke to him? Just for, like, a minute,”
“Go ahead, honey,” she said, tilting her head down the hall. “He’s in his room with Dustin. Showing him some kind of gadget, I don’t know.” she waved her hand through the air, nonchalantly.
“Okay,” Lori smiled softly.
Smiling at her once more, Joyce turned away and walked back into the kitchen where she resumed searching through a cardboard box of Christmas things. They didn’t really have to say anything else about that night— because they both knew. It was like what Steve said— they all shared some sort of collective consciousness now. It was hard to explain, but they all just knew the answers to one another’s unspoken questions, talking wasn’t necessary.
With that, Lori walked down the hallway. It felt sort of weird to walk down the hallway now, after all of it. But she walked all the way to his Will’s room at the end of the hall, remembering how the last time she’d been in it was when he was unconscious. She stopped in the doorway.
Will and Dustin were sitting on the floor, looking at some sort of gadget, like Joyce had said. They were laughing.
Dustin stood up, “Alright, I’ll go get the batteries!” he said to Will, and then turned around and scurried past Lori in the door to rush down the hallway. He was carrying a little compartment in his hand as he ran.
Will watched him go, and then he shifted his eyes to Lori standing in the doorway.
“Hello,” she said, softly.
“Hi?” he said, a little awkwardly, from the ground.
“I’m Lori, Dustin’s cousin,” she stepped into the room, voice kind, “I don’t think we’ve met yet.”
She struck her hand out towards the boy, and slowly, he took it and shook it once. She sat down on the floor, a little distance beside him.
“Well, I’ve met you,” she said, with a tiny laugh. “But it was sort of a one-sided thing. Kinda hard to introduce yourself to someone that’s unconscious.” she said, lightly.
“You were here… that night?” he asked, eyebrows narrowing. He gulped a little bit.
“Yeah. I was.” She picked up one of the little compartments lying on the floor.
His voice came out quiet, and sort of sad. “Why?”
“I was babysitting your little shithead friends.” she joked. “All night. It’s a— it’s a long story. I’ll spare you the complicated details.”
“Oh,” he sort of laughed, just a little bit. She didn’t say so, but he assumed she knew the whole story— about him, Eleven, the Upside Down.
“So, um. You’ve probably heard this, like, a hundred times from a bunch of adults, but, maybe it’ll sound different coming from someone closer to your age.” she paused, and then looked to the boy. “You’re a strong kid. And I might only know half of the trouble, but Jesus, I wouldn’t have been able to do all that. Nobody could’ve.”
A small smile spread out onto Will’s lips. He didn’t need to say thank you, or anything like that— he just didn’t. So all he did was smile to her and smile to himself.
Dustin came back then, carrying the batteries and a wobbling tray of cookies— one dangling from his mouth. So, that’s what took him so long.
Dustin groaned when he saw Lori sitting next to Will. “Lori, what’d you tell him? Shit— I’m sorry, Will, I forgot to warn you, she’s, like, super weird,”
Lori rolled her eyes and flicked his cap as he sat down— knowing he was only joking— sending it falling off his head. Will laughed out loud and Dustin groaned.
And then he placed the cookies on the ground and they jumped back into coversation about their project, Lori leant back on the edge of Will’s bed and smiled, and Joyce jingled Christmas bells from the kitchen.
“What if she calls the cops, or something?” Dustin said, worriedly.
An hour or two had passed since the Byers house, and now the two cousins found themselves parked in Lori’s car in front of Hawkins’ Public Library. Dustin had the bag of books on his lap and the empty dish of baked goods was sitting in the backseat of the car. Lori’s hands were loose on the wheel, the radio playing just softly in the background.
“She’s not gonna call the cops,” Lori drowned out, rolling her eyes. “I mean, like, Hopper is the cops, right? He could totally wiggle you of of this shit.”
“Sort of,” Dustin said worriedly, leaning forward to stare out the window to the library.
“Hurry up, Hagar,” Lori said, and shoved the side of his arm. “I wait for no one.” a smile slid up to her lips with those once-familiar words.
Dustin pushed open the door. “Yeah you do, Lori. You know you do.” he said, and then stepped out. “I’ll be a minute.”
“If she wants to talk, just run!” Lori called after him, referring to the librarian. “It always works!”
She watched his curly hair bob all the way to the grand doors of the library, and then laughed lightly and turned back to watch the street. She thought to herself, about that phrase, “I wait for no one” and how much the meaning of it had changed. Really, Lori Philbin used to wait for nobody, not even her own mom sometimes. But now, as she sat and thought to herself, she realized how she did wait for Dustin, she did wait for Steve, and she would start waiting for any of those little kids if they ever needed.
Although deep in thought, Lori’s attention was grabbed by a door jingling across the street. On the other side of the street, Main Street, she spotted none other than Billy Hargrove walking out of a record store with a cigarette between his lips and a bag dangling from his fingers. His other hand was shoved into the pocket of his brown leather jacket.
Her stomach sort of swirled with annoyance, and the urge to do something. She hadn’t seen Billy since the fight, she hadn’t heard a single word from him at all. He’d just left the Byers house without saying anything.
Letting out a sharp breath, Lori pushed open her car door and stepped out on the slick pavement. She kept her eyes pinned on the back of Billy Hargrove’s head and his stupid curly mullet, Dr. Martens pounding hard on the ground as she crossed the street. She cut a single glance at the road to see if cars were coming, and she crossed the street fast, catching up to him. Her arms were crossed hard over her chest, keeping the jean jacket close to her bod— the black turtleneck underneath keeping her neck warm.
Right when he stopped at the driver’s side of his blue Camaro, Lori’s voice spoke out. “Hey, Billy,” she said, somewhat casually. She stopped walking a few feet away from him.
He paused, midway through pulling open his car door. He recognized that voice. He took in a breath, let his head fall back a little bit in a sigh, and turned to look at her with his hand on the door. He took the cigarette from his lips.
“What do you want,” he said, unamused and irritated.
“What do I want?” Lori tilted her chin up, and cut an eye to his car. “I was just looking to follow up after the other night. You know, cause, you’ve been kinda quiet,”
“I was told to stay away,” he shut his eyes, tired of the conversation. Lori thought back to when Max had yelled those very words at him in the living room. “So I’m stayin’ away. Alright? Long story short. Now I’ve got places to b—”
“How did you get your car back, though,” she asked, looking to the Camaro. “Last thing I remember, it was gone when we got back to the Byers’.”
Lori noticed he wasn’t taking any drags of his cigarette, and that actually, he was aiming the burning end elsewhere— directed away from her.
He let out a sigh, knowing that she was just testing him. “What the hell d’you want, Philbin. An apology?”
She placed a finger on the side of his car, looking down at it appreciatively. “What if I keyed your car?” she said, finally taking up Steve’s previous assumptions of her.
His eyebrows narrowed, “What?”
“Maybe I will. When you’re gone.” she said, looking back at him. “Maybe I’ll key your car.”
“Look, I’m sorry, alright?” Billy finally let out, his voice low and raspy. “I know what I did.”
He apologized, and she could tell that, somehow, he meant it— but she wasn’t done yet.
“I know what you’ve been told, Billy, and I know that you’re keeping your distance— which is a very surprising decision on your part,” she said, calmly. “I also know you probably don’t have to be told again, because your little sister is already enough of a badass.” she paused and crossed her arms harder, never letting her eyes break from his. “But I just wanted to make sure you heard it one more time. From me.”
He tilted his chin up a little bit, staring down at her. She burned her eyes right into his.
“Listen to me closely when I say this.” she took two steps forward, now only a foot or so apart from him. “I don’t care if this is predictable, or if this stupid, cliché confrontation is so painfully expected, or if I sound dumb being the goddamn hero right now.” she paused, taking in a long breath to control the anger rising in her veins. She let the air out slowly. “If you touch any of my friends again, any of those kids,” she rose her hand, “If you ever lay another finger on Steve,” she poked his chest, really hard. “I swear to god, Hargrove, it’ll be your goddamn funeral.”
Time paused when she finished speaking. Billy had already been told— but this, this was a different thing. He realized, right then, that Lori Philbin was nothing to mess with. He noticed that she hadn’t even included herself in those warnings, she only warned him about her friends. But even so, he knew, that if he ever laid another finger on Lori or any of them ever again— she’d do much more than punch him in the face. And it’s not like he was going to cower away or avoid Lori Philbin at all costs now. After those words, it was simply clear that they were on the same level now— not to be messed with one another.
“That’s all.” She said, lowly, as she turned on her foot. And as she started walking away, she spoke one last time. “I will could very well still key your car, though. I swear I’ll do it.”
He didn’t say anything, and quite frankly, he couldn’t even think of words to say at all. When she was far enough, he took a long drag of the cigarette and blew it out, watching her walk down the sidewalk and across the street through the smoke of it. He cussed to himself, sighed, and slumped down into the driver’s seat. He started the engine and sped off as she reached her car.
Dustin was waiting at the passenger side door when Lori made it back. “Was that Billy?” he questioned, but he didn’t need to ask because everyone heard the roar of his stupid engine speeding down the street. “What the hell did you say to him?”
She unlocked the doors and pulled her’s open, sitting down with a huff. “Just reinforced the shit he should already know.”
“Okay, whatever that means,” Dustin had a hunch that she confronted him about the other night, and probably warned him to stay away. He slumped down into the passenger seat. “I’m not in trouble. There’s not a single dent in my criminal record. We’re all good.”
Lori let out a laugh at his ridiculousness, and shoved the key into ignition. As he strapped himself in, she pressed on the gas and turned the car around from their parking spot— heading down Main Street. Dustin fiddled with the radio as she drove, and her rings tapped along to the melody like usual. They enjoyed the stillness in the car for a while, just simply driving.
Lori’s eyes were grabbed when the Sheriff’s Department came into view, and she leaned forward in her seat to peer out her window. She immediately noticed Hopper walking out of the station and towards his car with a cigarette in hand. He came to a lingering stop when he noticed her in the car.
And then the tiniest smile slid onto his face and he rose his hand, giving her a one-shake wave. And from across the road, she took one hand off the wheel and waved back, noticing the tiny smile on her lips, too.
[text_hash] => ef43f75f
)