KAT

"MOM?" Kat said hesitantly, as she made her away around the stone kitchen island.

"Yes, sweetie?" Karen asked, spreading egg wash on the top of an apple pie with the back of a spoon.

"Uh," Kat said. Steve never gave her any tips on how to phrase this. "I...thi- believe that I...shouldn't have to look after Mike and Holly as much as I do,"

"Oh?" Karen looked up at her daughter, who was a solid four inches taller than her, by the way. "Why is that, baby?"

"I..." Kat avoided eye contact as she concentrated on formulating her response. "I've been looking after them ever since they were born. And because of that I think I've...missed out on a lot of things. Like, opportunities to make friends, hanging out with people my age. Nowadays...uh, I'm not friends with a lot of people at Hawkins High, and I've realized that it's 'cause I spend so much of my time looking after them. Like, babysitting Mike, or picking up Holly from daycare, so I'm asking. For...for some, more free time to do regular-kid high school stuff."

"Kathryn," Karen laughed confusedly, as if her request was nothing more than a toddler asking a parent for an ice cream cone. "You've got plenty of time for high-school stuff. You have, six hours a day to hang out with people at Hawkins High, that leaves you with a ton of time to be responsible for your family, baby, I don't know why you're bringing this up now,"

"No, no. Like, I haven't had enough time to grow up, Mom. You- you said it yourself, I'm like a second parent to them. And I just feel like, that I haven't gotten the, y'know, chance to grow up, find myself and stuff, because of that," Kat said stutteringly, and just placing a finger on the subject made her almost tear up.

"Baby," Karen dusted her hands on a tea towel, cupping them around Kat's face. "You're not parenting Mike or Holly, I am. And I'm so, so lucky for somebody like you to help me with everything, you know I wouldn't ask this of you if I could manage it on my own. Kathryn, you went to Fort Wayne yesterday night with your friend for five hours. Isn't that enough?"

"-Yeah, yeah, I just-"

"-I need you, Kathy. And...I can't believe you think being responsible is a bad thing," Karen pleaded quietly.

"Mom-" Kat took a breath, feeling the burn in her chest swell. "Just- even just- Holly maybe not, but even Mike's old enough to take care of himself now. And Holly will be too, soon, I just, um, think that they're being too dependent on me,"

"Well, I suppose you're right on that leg," Karen said, frowning. "Yes, I agree. Mike and Holly should be more independent. Is that okay, baby?"

"Uh, yeah. Thanks, mom," Kat said, feeling a tightness knit over the burn. "I-I'll go now, if you don't need me for anything,"

"Go ahead," Karen smiled sympathetically. "I love you, Kathryn,"

"Love you too," Kat murmured with a halfhearted smile as she climbed up the stairs.

The next day, which was Thursday, Kat told Ms. Kelley about what happened. And she wasn't doing good that day, for two reasons.

One: the conversation with her mother. And Two: she'd forgotten to shovel the driveway, so her car was stuck until the Maple Street cleaners came along in the afternoon. The latter meant she had to ride her freaking 12-year-old sized bike to school and that Cameron and Monique didn't have a ride either.

"So your mom only listened to you when you were advocating for Mike and Holly?" she asked, springy black curls cascading over her shoulders.

"Yeah, basically," Kat bit her lip. "When I asked her about myself she kept questioning me, but when I said it would benefit Mike and Holly she agreed,"

"That's a pickle," Ms. Kelley curled her lip upwards in a frown. "Well, since you plan on working on it step-by-step, let's take a leap back. Do you believe Steve Harrington's advice worked?"

"I mean, he basically made me realize that was happening, how it affects me," Kat admitted.

"That's good, he's a positive influence," Ms. Kelley pushed her.

"Yeah, I guess so," Kat looked down into her lap, a small smile playing at her lips. "But y'know, he actually told me to 'channel my anger somewhere else',"

"And he's right. Sometimes we cannot change the people around us, no matter how hard we try. Don't lose hope at this stage, but maybe your mom just...is the way she is. You got any ideas on the 'somewhere else' part?"

"Yep," Kat said with certainty. And she was beginning to respond before-

"-Somewhere other than Starcourt Cinemas,"

"-Oh," Kat was stuck. "Um, I dunno,"

"Well," Ms. Kelley said. "I asked you that because you can't take your anger out on a job shift the same way you do during school hours. Are you gonna be rude to kids coming in to watch movies?"

A specific Party of kids, yes. "No,"

"Exactly. Now, I'm not saying your idea of working at a theater is bad, but I'm doubting whether it'll help you 'channel your anger'. Maybe another job? Something more...y'know, physical?"

Twenty minutes later, and Kat left Ms. Kelley's office both dejected and relieved. She played with her hair anxiously, not noticing how it was quickly coming undone from her thick hair tie and falling onto her slim-fitting striped sweater (which she was pretty sure was Nancy's, and that their mom mixed it up while doing laundry).

"How'd it go?" Steve asked her from his spot near the door, grinning.

"I think," Kat said, poking his chest with the corner of one of her notebooks. "I'm gonna have to do my summer job at the Jazzercise,"

"Oh," Steve blinked in shock. "Uh...so you work out to Jazz music for two months?"

"Yeah, no, I don't have a clue," Kat said. "But I'm probably gonna do it, since it's a better way to channel my anger," 

She bumped into Steve to further prove her point, looking at him grimly.

"I still don't get why your mom didn't listen to you," Steve shook his head slightly. 

"Me neither, but I have a feeling it's something I can't help with," Kat sighed. 

"Somebody's a plum chum!" Cameron hollered, and ran up to her, using her shoulders as a boost to propel himself upward a few inches like a jump.

"I just found out I can't work at Starcourt Cinemas," Kat said overdramatically.

"Oh, thank god," Monique said behind Cameron. 

She was dressed in a flaming red inverted sweater with a patterned skirt. She'd also gotten box braids over the weekend, so her hair cascaded down her back, nearly hitting waist-length. Kat turned around to her, apalled at the suggestion that working at a cinema was dishonorable.

"Cameron, are you wearing an apron?" Steve interrupted before Kat could bark a retort.

Kat turned around, and indeed, Cameron was dressed like a waiter at Olive Garden.

"Harrington, can't you appreciate high fashion?" Cameron said, disgustedly. "The theater club's putting on The Wizard of Oz for next year, and I'm auditioning,"

"Are there aprons in that play?" Kat asked confusedly.

"Of course not. Especially not for men like me. But I'm adding to the character, Kit-Kat. Ms. Schrier says to always incorprate creativity," Cameron said, flexing his muscles as he grinned broadly.

"Hope you get in, man," Steve told him, though he still looked confused.

"Same," Cameron said confidently, swinging his arm around Kat and Monique. "By the way, girls, if one of you could sign up to play Dorothy so I don't have to stare into the eyes of Clarice Merriburn, that would be stellar,"

"Hell no," Monique said indignantly.

"Cam-Cameron, we're not even gonna be here next year," Kat said monotonously.

"Shit, you're right," Cameron swore. "Maybe I should ask Eddie Munson to be Dorothy instead,"

"That would be fun," Kat snorted as they made their way to lunch.

"You'd be a good Dorothy, Katie," Steve said thoughtfully.

"You've never heard me sing," Kat said, eyes wide in horror. "No way,"

"No- no, I'm sure you're fine," Steve said dubiously, but didn't argue against Kat's firm head shaking that was a good few degrees of violent.

"Kathryn!" Monique whisper-hissed, yanking Kat behind the end of a series of lockers.

"What?" Kat said, unconcerned. They had just finished lunch, their three-person lunch table now officially a four-person. Now, Kat and Monique had a free period.

"Steve likes you!" Monique hissed, pulling her closer.

"Um-"

"Awh," Monique recovered from her initial shock and beamed from ear to ear. "Kat, you're blushing!"

"No, I'm not," Kat said, suddenly defensive. "And Steve doesn't like me, Moni. He's still...hung up on Nancy,"

"Oh, but you wish he wasn't," Monique said, dark eyes gleaming like a fortune teller after discovering a government-shattering plot. "Don't lie to me, I know what you were up to in ninth grade,"

"Jeez, Moni," Kat muttered. "Okay, fine, then I'll say this short and fast so can't pull it apart to throw it back onto my face later. I think he's cute, okay? And, attractive, I guess,"

"So you admit it!"

"Admit what?"

"You like him,"

"No, I admitted that he's cute slash attractive, something literally every person on this Blue Boat Home recognizes,"

"God, you're hopeless," Monique pinched the bridge of her nose, speckled with tiny moles that looked like planets in outer space. "Lemme rewind. Steve Harrington likes you! It's sooo obvious, Kit-Kat! This- this is what I was wondering about the other day: why someone like him would suddenly hang out with his- because of you! He's in love,"

Monique trailed off the 'o' in 'love' as a high note, holding both hands over her heart like a storybook princess. 

"Moni, I feel like you're making way too big of a deal out of this," Kat said, unimpressed. "And this locker wall is really uncomfortable-"

"Aha! You're forgetting how dazzled up you were during sophomore year when Bobbie Thorne asked me out!"

"Because you actually liked h-"

"Shush! What's important is that we're having a girl talk. Right here, right now. Now spill,"

"Alright, alright. Fine," Kat rolled her eyes after double-checking that the halls were empty. "I might have, zero-point-zero-one chance, of a miniscule crush on Steve. But it's more complicated than that!"

"Getting there," Moni said triumphantly. "Explain?"

"It's just- I like Steve, right? And it's great, but then, like, at the same time, there's this intense, sort of intensity that comes up, right? And I think it feels nice, but then it spills over the pot, and it's like I'm-" Kat wrung her hands repeatedly. "-burning up,"

"Okaaay," Monique said quizzically. "Does he make you uncomfortable?"

"Not him. I think it's me, overthinking. Cause I think about how he makes me feel good, but then, this other voice in my head is like 'it'd never work out'" she mimed it in a high pitch. "Get it?"

"I'm processing," Monique chewed on her lip, a sparkly edible lip gloss spread over it that smelled like cherries. Her eyes darkened as she noticed Kat's problem was legit. "Well, if it's a you issue, then maybe try to resolve it? Talk it out, take it out somewhere healthy, that stuff. And, if he actually makes the 'second voice' too uncomfortable? Then tell him. Talk it out with him as well. 'Cause-and I don't want to jump the gun here- if you both feel the same way and wanna like, y'know, keep the ride going, then you're gonna have to be clear on your emotions,"

"Wow," Kat blinked. It seemed she had underestimated everyone around her's emotional intelligence. Maybe it was just hers that was underdeveloped. "When'd you get so wise?"

"Mrs. Click. Five days a week," Monique shrugged. "Duh,"

"I'm glad I never had her," Kat said, Monique's casual expression making her smile. 

"You think? Absolute nightmare," Monique muttered in hatred. "Alright, that's enough girl talk for today,"

She held her hands up as if she was a judge on television making a verdict. 

"This meeting is-" she slammed her fist onto her other hand dramatically. "-Adjourned. Time for ice cream,"

"Moni, it's December!"

"Who cares?!"

━━author's note ━━

this chapter was a rollercoaster lmao and i feel like it couldve been better but oh well i have limits too. kat and moni are so cute, and so are kat and steve + cam! we also finally got another step in kat's character arc, aka kat and karen's first confrontation. karen is a pretty bad person in that convo, and gaslights + manipulates kat multiple times. it's important to recognize that again, karen only listens to kat when she brings up how her choice would be beneficial to mike and holly. really speaks volumes about their relationship.

also, in terms of the timeline, we're still in between seasons two and three. the Snow Ball is going to be in the next 1 or 2 chapters, and will signal the end of Act One.