"AMARA?!"

        The aforementioned girl stood on the doorstep of Robin Buckley's house at half-past one in the morning, her bike abandoned on the grass by her feet. Her pale complexion was glistening with perspiration, a stark juxtaposition to the majority of townspeople who were currently asleep (including Robin, who had awoken at the sound of Amara ringing the doorbell), she had the faintest traces of blood smeared above her eyes and lips, and she was loosely holding a bloodied crowbar.

        "Did you just murder someone?" Robin speculated, huddling further into her yellow pajamas in response to the tempestuous wind. "I know you're my best friend but I'll have you know I'm absolutely terrified of serial killers."

        Amara couldn't help but smile, only just recognizing how much she had missed Robin during the past week of distancing herself to aid Jonathan and Nancy. "Oh, that's my own blood," she gestured at the crowbar. "I didn't murder someone. Someone almost murdered me."

        "Well you're lucky my mom's out of town tonight of all nights," Robin grinned, motioning for Amara to come inside. The warmth of the Buckley household was a wonderful contrast to the bitter cold outside, and Amara was more than willing to indulge in it after numerous brushes with death.

        Amara hadn't entered Robin's bedroom in four days – a record for her on all accounts. She peeled off her jacket and plopped herself on the bean bag in the corner, sighing in contentment as she stretched out her aching limbs. Not caring that Amara had woken her so late at night, Robin joined her on the carpeted floor.

        "So, care to explain why you're awake at this unearthly hour?" Robin teased, bumping her arm against Amara's. "You look like absolute hell, by the way."

        "Gee, thanks."

        "Sorry, I didn't mean it that way," Robin rushed to apologize, dragging one of her hands through her short hair. "You know I struggle with social cues. Sometimes I wonder if I have autism myself."

        "Robin, it's fine," Amara assured her best friend, unhooking Robin's hand from her hair and taking it in her own. Even if their relationship was completely platonic, physical touch was a remedy they used to help loosen each other's nerves. "I promised you I would tell you everything that's been going on this week, and I'm ready."

        Robin's eyes lit up. "Really? I mean you don't have to if you don't want – "

        "No, you deserve to know," Amara interrupted, conscious that she would likely go insane if she continued to hide the truth from Robin. It was the least she owed to her. "You might not believe me, though."

        "'Mara, no offense but you're a really bad liar," Robin jested, causing Amara to giggle as some of the tension evaporated from her shoulders. "Whatever it is that happened, I promise to believe you."

        With that in mind, Amara told Robin everything from the moment she saw the Demogorgon for the first time to how she had fought it mere hours ago. She almost wished she had a camera to capture the way Robin's facial expression shifted from bewilderment to shock to worry to relief as she shared her account of the past week, but at no point did Robin indicate that she didn't believe Amara, and she was thankful for that. Suddenly it made more sense to Robin why Amara had been acting so strangely all week; what she had seen and been through was almost unexplainable to anyone who hadn't been involved, and Robin would have surely believed Amara to be either lying or out of her mind if she didn't know her so well.

        Amara let out a breath as she finished explaining everything to Robin. For a moment neither of them spoke, but then –

        "Holy shit, Amara," Robin breathed. "You're a badass now."

        "That's your reaction?"

        "Yes, I'm serious!" Robin exclaimed. "You literally fought a monster from another dimension. You're like a superhero or something now."

        "So you didn't catch that part about a girl with superpowers?" Amara queried, even though she was grinning. "Or Nancy Wheeler with a gun? Or Steve Harrington using a bat with nails?"

        "Psh, you're cooler than all of them," Robin waved an airy hand. "My Amara, who last year was afraid to have a conversation with anyone is now fighting monsters. I'm so proud."

        "I'm sorry for not telling you sooner," Amara murmured, still ashamed of herself.

        "Hey, it's okay," Robin reminded her, squeezing her hand. "Just wondering, why'd you come here?"

        "My parents don't know about all of this," Amara explained. "My brother does, but I guess I was worried that my parents wouldn't believe me, or that they actually would and try to prevent me from getting involved. Last night when I went hunting in the woods with Nancy and Jonathan I told my mom I was going to your house for a sleepover, but I haven't come home since then."

        "And you didn't want to show up this late at night and have to tell them why you look like this," Robin finished, and Amara nodded. "That might explain who tried calling five times tonight."

        Amara blanched. "Wait, what?"

        "Don't worry, I didn't respond to any of them," Robin reassured Amara, though it did little to help. "I have this really bad habit of picking up calls meant for my parents, so my mom told me not to answer the phone while she was gone. Good thing I didn't."

        "Shit, I knew this would happen," Amara was panicking now. "I should have told them I was staying for two nights, then they wouldn't have gotten so worried – "

        "Amara, you nearly got yourself killed by a monster and this is what you're worried about?" Robin questioned. "Look, you can just tell your parents that you were overwhelmed by that stupid English essay and forgot to tell them you'd be here an extra night. It's not the end of the world."

        "It is to them, though."

        "Then maybe they should learn to be less protective of you," Robin pointed out. "You're sixteen, not nine. You shouldn't have to tell them where you are or what you're doing every second of the day."

        Amara admitted that Robin was right. Having autism meant that her parents treated her differently than they would have if she didn't. It had taken Amara longer than most people to learn basic skills such as talking and reading, so naturally, Eurydice and Scott assumed that it would take her longer than normal to master independence. The world was uncharted territory for people like Amara and her parents were rightfully anxious about her getting bullied or hurt because of who she was, but it meant that they sometimes got in the way of the freedom every teenager desired.

        "I think I'm going to go to bed now," Amara mumbled, her muscles screaming in protest as she stood up from the bean bag. "Can I use your sleeping bag?"

        "Take the bed, you need it after everything you've been through," Robin insisted. "I can use the sleeping bag."

        Amara would have protested, but there was something about battling a Demogorgon that made her refuse to turn down Robin's offer. "Thanks, Rob," she replied as she plopped onto the bed, not bothering to change out of her bloodstained clothes.

        "Anytime, 'Mara," Robin said, but Amara was already out cold.

AMARA RESISTED THE URGE TO GROAN as she pedaled through the snow blanketing every inch of Cornwallis. The absence of the de-icing salt they had used for the sensory deprivation tank the previous night was evidently the reason why the road wasn't clear, but she wondered why it still wasn't plowed. Having showered the blood and grime off of her body upon waking up, the only evidence that she had fought a faceless monster from an alternate dimension the day before were the bandages concealed beneath her burgundy sweater and black jacket, and the crowbar jammed into her backpack.

        No sooner than she disembarked her bike and unlocked the front door was she immediately scooped into a hug by Eurydice. Amara hugged her back just as tightly, burying her face in the crook of her neck. Even if Eurydice didn't know why her daughter hadn't mentioned anything about staying with Robin another night she was glad to have her back, and Amara had momentarily thought that she would never get the chance to hug her mother again.

        "Jesus, I was so worried about you!" Eurydice exclaimed upon releasing Amara. "Why didn't you tell me you'd be with Robin for two nights?"

        "Sorry, I got overwhelmed by my English essay," she chose the lie Robin had come up with last night. "After I finished she suggested I stay and watch a movie. Sorry I forgot to call you."

        "See, I told you there was nothing to worry about," Scott told Eurydice as he joined the two of them in the front hall.

        "She could have at least answered the phone!" Eurydice whispered a little too loudly.

        "Robin's mom was out of town last night and told her not to answer the phone under any circumstances," Amara informed Eurydice, smiling sheepishly. "Otherwise I would have responded."

        "Oh, I see," Eurydice chose to let the matter go. "Either way, thanks for coming back."

        It was at that moment that Kevin came downstairs, having recognized Amara's voice. She saw him out of the corner of her eye; he was staring at her as if he had been expecting to never see her again.

        "Anyway, gotta go upstairs," Amara chastely kissed Eurydice's cheek before walking in the direction of her brother, recognizing that they needed to talk. Satisfied, Eurydice returned to the kitchen to finish her coffee.

        As soon as their parents were out of sight, Kevin tackled Amara in a bone-crushing hug that knocked the wind out of her lungs. He had barely slept all night, scared beyond belief that he had lost his intelligent, annoying, irreplaceable little sister, and she was now in his arms as though she had never left at all. He clutched fistfuls of her jacket as though she would disappear again, but she was embracing him with reciprocating enthusiasm, if not more.

        "I thought I lost you," Kevin whispered into her hair. "God, when Dad told me you hadn't come back... "

        "I'm here," Amara whispered back, her arms wound around his torso. "I'm here."

        He finally let her go but followed her as she climbed the stairs. "So, what happened? Did you find that thing?"

        "I did, and I fought it," Amara replied, leading him into her bedroom. Opening her backpack she showed him the crowbar, still coated in slime and blood, as well as the bandages stretched over her collarbone and hidden beneath her sweater. "Will's alive. We found him."

        "Who's this 'we'?" Kevin queried, now curious about what had happened now that Amara had returned safely.

        "Me, Mrs. Byers, Mike and Nancy Wheeler, Jonathan Byers, Lucas Sinclair, Dustin Henderson, Chief Hopper, and a girl named Eleven," Amara listed. "Steve Harrington also showed up at the last minute."

        "And what about Barb?"

        Amara's face fell as she imagined how Nancy must have been feeling. "She didn't make it. The monster got her."

        "Well, I'm glad it didn't get you too," Kevin stated, not wanting to think about his life without Amara in it. "And I'm glad you made friends."

        "I don't know about that," Amara countered. "I mean, I'm kind of friends with Jonathan and Nancy now, but everyone else is in middle school or an adult. Also, none of them know about my autism."

        "You don't need to tell someone about your autism to be friends with them," Kevin reminded her. "You found Will and fought that thing together. I'm sure they're all grateful for your help."

        "I also told Robin everything last night. She believed me."

        "It's not exactly the easiest thing to lie about," Kevin conceded. "Do you think you'd tell Mom and Dad?"

        "No, I don't think I'm ready. Not yet, at least." Amara decided. "Anyway, I think it's time to finally get that damn essay out of the way."

        "Have you decided on a career?" Kevin inquired, his eyes glittering.

        "Easy," Amara grinned, picking up her pen as she prepared to write. "Animal trainer."

AMARA WAS SURPRISED AT HOW QUICKLY things returned to normal over the course of the next few days. Hawkins chose to fare with the reappearance of Will Byers by acting as though he never disappeared in the first place even though Amara knew he was suffering from the trauma of being trapped in the Upside Down for a week, Hawkins Lab continued operating but under new management that sought to do better at gaining people's trust, and Amara returned to a world of studying and science fiction novels. She went back to spending weekdays at Robin's house, eating dinner with her family every weeknight, and bypassing social interactions and events with most people. From a faraway glance, it was as though she was trying to forget the supernatural events that had shaken up the town of Hawkins, Indiana, but that couldn't have been further from the truth.

        The first few weeks weren't easy. The Demogorgon had been vanquished by Eleven but still haunted Amara beneath her eyelids. She couldn't look at the scars still present on her clavicle without remembering how it had viciously swiped at her skin in a blur of sharp talons and flickering lights. And she couldn't confide in her parents because she was still hiding the truth from them. Kevin understood, but he was becoming preoccupied with his upcoming finals, forcing him to study late into the night. Robin was arguably the best person for her to talk to, but she couldn't fully comprehend how Amara felt because she hadn't been there herself. And so Amara found herself in the company of Nancy and Jonathan when Robin had extra band or soccer practice. Even if the two of them had deeper trauma due to having lost or almost losing their other halves, they understood better than anyone how she felt and she appreciated them greatly for it.

        A month and a half later, things were looking better for everyone who had participated in finding Will and killing the Demogorgon. Jonathan and Joyce were overjoyed to have Will back in their lives and were exercising caution so as not to lose him again, including driving him to places rather than letting him use his bike. Nancy had reconciled with Steve and the two of them were happier than ever, the latter doing his best to amend his past mistakes by cutting off Carol and Tommy H. from his life and making an effort to be a little kinder to those he interacted with, even if it threatened his popularity. Jim Hopper was grateful to only have to worry about drunken idiots and people driving over the speed limit as opposed to supernatural monsters, even if he was harboring a monumental secret from Mike and his friends. And Amara, though she had reverted to her old habits for the most part, was elated to call Jonathan and Nancy her new friends. She still balked at the notion of informing them of her diagnosis, under the impression that they would desert her.

        And that brings us to the present day: Christmas Eve, 1983.

        Christmas lights that couldn't help but remind Amara (and Kevin) of last month's occurrences were strung about the Reid household as Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree reverberated from the kitchen radio. Eurydice was adding the finishing touches to her annual dinner consisting of duck (which she argued was easier to cook than turkey), mashed potatoes, stuffing, and pecan pie. It was very similar to her Thanksgiving banquet, only with not nearly as much food since it was solely the four of them. Scott was assisting his wife in any way that she needed, assuring her that her cooking was as phenomenal as always. Amara and Kevin, having set the table, were waiting in the living room for the food to be ready and occasionally eyeing the gifts at the foot of the Christmas tree they would be able to unwrap in a few short hours.

        "I'm glad that Hanukkah was earlier this year than it was last year," Kevin remarked, and Amara raised her eyebrows quizzically. "Makes it actually feel like two holidays instead of one," he clarified, and Amara nodded in understanding. Their family was both Christian and a part of Hawkins' fairly small Jewish population, and though Kevin and Amara were Christian in the eyes of people who believed a person's religion to come from their mother, given that Eurydice was Christian, their family celebrated the holidays of both faiths. Amara was just grateful that they weren't required to attend temple and church like their parents had to when they were children.

        "We still get double the presents either way," Amara reminded her brother.

        "I doubt marzipan and ugly sweaters count as presents," Kevin responded. Given that most of his and Amara's friends were Christian, they only received Hanukkah presents from their paternal relatives, and they were often not as cool as vinyl records or new clothes.

        "Touché," Amara agreed, shrugging her shoulders.

        Soon after that Eurydice called the two of them over for dinner, and they indulged themselves in their mother's exceptional food and the promise of a new year. Amara momentarily thought back to their Christmas Eve dinner a year ago, their first in Hawkins. Back then she had been so preoccupied with concealing what made her different that she was unwilling to consider that she needed connections just as much as any normal person did. Fast forward to now, and she had become firm friends with Robin Buckley and most recently welcomed Nancy Wheeler and Jonathan Byers into her life. For someone who had vowed to not make friends in Hawkins, she had done a shitty job at keeping her promise.

        "Amara, are you okay?" Eurydice queried, waving her hand in front of Amara's face. She returned to the current moment and smiled.

        "Yeah, I am," she answered, and she meant it.

        After they finished eating and stowing the leftovers in the refrigerator, they seated themselves in the living room for hours of watching trashy Christmas movies. Scott made popcorn and sangria at some point, permitting Amara and Kevin to each have a sip. Amara winced as the cool liquid slid down her throat, but Kevin drank without grimacing, earning a suspicious look from his mother.

        "You haven't been going to parties, have you?" Eurydice inquired, eyes narrowed at her son.

        "I only went to one, okay?" Kevin panicked, brandishing his hands defensively. "You guys went to parties when you were in college, right? Isn't that a bit hypocritical?"

        "He has a point, you know," Scott admitted, chuckling as he slung an arm around Eurydice's shoulders. "Just don't do anything we wouldn't do," he told Kevin.

        "Like how you drank one too many beers and chose a clock tower of all places to – "

        "Okay, that's enough!" Eurydice clamored over the sound of Amara's cackling, though she herself was close to laughing as well. "Who even told you that?"

        "Aunt Edna told me at Thanksgiving," Kevin replied innocently. "It must have been blackmail from when you told Cousin Wendy about everything her mom got up to in college."

        "Edna was definitely quite the firecracker," Scott remarked, taking another swig of wine. "I mean, your mother and I were too at times. But don't put yourself in danger just to spite us, okay?"

        "Okay," Kevin responded. "Can I pour myself some sangria, though?"

        The hours bled towards midnight as the Reid family transitioned from watching The Gathering to dancing to Christmas carols to taking pictures that would last for millennia. If there was one thing Amara was grateful for, it was her family. Scott, who had given his all to ensure she had a good life in spite of her autism; Eurydice, who kept her grounded when she felt like the world was against her; and Kevin, who had chased away every punk who dared to hurt his little sister.

        It made her wonder if she could tell them about everything that had happened last month.

        Maybe one day, she decided. But not now.

        It was close to midnight when Eurydice suggested that they all go to bed, to which Kevin and Amara implored her to let them stay up another five minutes. Tipsy on sangria and oblivious to their scheme, she agreed. When midnight rolled around and she opened her mouth to tell them again to go to bed, she was bewildered to find them at the base of the Christmas tree with shit-eating grins plastered across their faces.

        "Wait, what's going on?" Eurydice questioned, before her eyes fell on the digital clock adjacent to the television that read 12:00 am. "Oh."

        "What?" Scott followed Eurydice's line of sight. "It's midnight, so?"

        "Which also means it's Christmas!" Amara reminded Scott, and he shook his head and sighed as he too caught onto their plan. "Can we open our presents now? Please?"

        "Fine," Eurydice grumbled, sitting back down on the couch and drinking water in an attempt to sober up. "But make it quick, okay?"

        "Okay!" Amara and Kevin chorused, already opening their gifts.

        The living room became covered in wrapping material and silk ribbon as Amara opened her presents one by one, her heart swelling with gratitude for her loved ones. This year she had received copies of Startide Rising and V for Vendetta from Eurydice, along with a beautiful pair of gold hoop earrings; Scott had given her a secondhand vinyl record of David Bowie's Space Oddity; from Kevin, a new pair of navy blue converse to replace her old ones; a plethora of hand-knitted sweaters from her maternal and paternal relatives; Robin had purchased her a delicate silver bracelet, stating in her letter that she had bought herself a matching one; and finally, Amara was surprised to receive a Christmas card from Nancy that made her feel bad about not getting her a gift in return.

        Eurydice chose that moment to peer over Amara's shoulder, and her eyes widened as she deciphered the signature at the end of the letter. "I didn't know you and Nancy Wheeler were friends," she commented.

        Amara folded the letter and pivoted around to face her mother. "Yeah, we met at Will's funeral," she decided. It wasn't exactly a lie; even if they had met earlier than that, Will's disappearance was what had brought them together.

        Eurydice beamed. "See, I knew you could make friends here. I'm so proud of you."

        They retreated upstairs shortly afterward, Kevin gushing about the Polaroid camera he had received from his friend Tristian. Amara made her way to her room, but Kevin stopped her before she could close the door.

        "What is it?" Amara queried, opening the door so he could step inside. With her standing by her desk and him by the doorway in the dim glow of the hallway, it couldn't help but remind her of the day she had first told him what she'd seen.

        With a glance to confirm their parents weren't in the vicinity, Kevin shut the door and moved closer to her. "I, um, I know I've been busy with college and work recently, but I just wanted to ask how you were doing," he murmured.

        "Oh, thanks," Amara replied, seating herself on the mattress and motioning for him to join her. "It's a little better every day. I don't have nightmares anymore, and my wound's barely visible. I mean, it could be worse. I could have lost you or Robin – "

        "You still have trauma, though," Kevin interrupted, forcing her to look into his eyes. "You shouldn't have to diminish what you went through because someone else had it worse than you."

        "You're right, but it makes it harder to confide in Nancy and Jonathan," Amara admitted, her eyes suddenly glassy. "I can talk to them, but I know they have an easier time talking with each other about that night. It's like I'm constantly on the edge of their galaxy."

        Recognizing that delving further into the matter would only reopen metaphorical scars Amara wished to forget about, Kevin chose to say, "Would you have preferred me to have been there with you?"

        Amara cracked a smile. "Possibly."

        Kevin stood up, ruffling her hair as he did so. "Well, let me know if this supernatural shit ever comes back. I'd love any excuse to avoid my language requirement."

        "Merry Christmas, Kev."

        "Merry Christmas, Amara."

        The world would always continue to orbit in spite of a girl with autism who was still learning to accept herself or a monster from an alternate dimension, but the world was a little safer than before because a girl with autism who was still learning to accept herself had helped defeat a monster from an alternate dimension. There were moments when Amara almost missed the thrill of uncertainty or the experience of being part of a team because it made her feel like more than just her autism, the factor that had always defined every moment of her life until then. But perhaps if she didn't have autism, she wouldn't have even realized that something was wrong in the first place.

        Stranger things were coming, and Amara's idiosyncrasies would be needed once again to save Hawkins.

published to quotev: 6/22/22
published to wattpad: 7/6/24

AUTHOR'S NOTE

and that concludes vol 1! i'm not too sure about this chapter but i wanted to establish the dynamics of amara's family, including the fact that she is both jewish and christian. i myself am jewish so i apologize if i got any of the christmas stuff wrong lol

thank you for reading and special shoutout to @LUNES-OBLIVION for commenting on every chapter and being so supportive of enigma from the very beginning. please read her steve fic https://www.wattpad.com/story/220638575-%F0%9D%90%93%F0%9D%90%88%F0%9D%90%8D%F0%9D%90%98-%F0%9D%90%83%F0%9D%90%80%F0%9D%90%8D%F0%9D%90%82%F0%9D%90%84%F0%9D%90%91-%C2%BB-steve-harrington it's my favorite story ever <3

love, lydia xx