veda henderson

"Dustin!" I shout, stomping out of my room in frustration and towards the kitchen where he stood twirling the cable of the phone with a smile on his face. He looked up at me, artificial innocence as he looked at my annoyed expression.

"Yes, dear sister?" He responds, flashing me his teeth. I mentally praise him for not doing that annoying growl he's started doing ever since getting his teeth.

I cross my arms across my chest, tapping my sock-covered foot on the carpeted floor and gesturing at him. "You've been on the phone for twenty minutes! Don't you have a walkie-talkie that you use?"

"A walkie-talkie only reaches a certain distance, V. Suzie is all the way in salt lake city which, in case you didn't know, is around-"

"Yeah, yeah. I get it, your fake girlfriend is very far away. Can I use the phone for like three minutes tops?" I almost beg, stepping down a small step to enter the kitchen area and get closer to him, resting my hands on the opposite side of the bend he was currently leaning on.

He glares at me, turning to the phone and using his hand to cover his mouth as he spoke rather loudly into the phone. "I'll call you back later, Suzie-poo."

Before he even had the chance to hang up, I snatch the phone off of him and press the button to end the call, ignoring him as he cursed at me for 'sabotaging his love'. I dial in the number I've become so familiar with, pressing the phone to my ear as I look at him and use my hand to shoo him away. He rolls his eyes, dragging his feet as he left the room.

Keeping my eyes on the entryway, I make sure he's out of sight before even thinking of talking into the phone. It takes longer than usual for Ricky to answer me, when he does, I almost fall over in relief. "Hey, it's V,"

"I know who you are, Vey," Ricky laughs into the phone, probably trying to seem smooth over the phone. Or maybe, he really did know who I was because I doubt anyone else was calling him for anything. Not to be mean but, Ricky didn't exactly have the most friends. I swear the price I paid for his business was being his friend.

"I need to see you, like, now," I inform him, playing with the curled cord of the landline as I turn around to make sure both Dustin and my mum were out of sight. 

"Afraid that's not possible," He fake hissed, pretending as if the words hurt him. I widen my eyes, turning back around so my back faced the entryway. "I can't supply you anymore,"

"Seriously? Is this because you tried to kiss me and I started crying?" I huff, annoyed with how his bruised ego was affecting my needs.

He clears his throat, clearly embarrassed by the mention of his most shameful moment. Well, I wouldn't say most shameful considering Ricky is not someone with a lot of pride, but definitely the freshest wound. 

"No, V, I'm moving tonight and I've already packed up all my things," He tells me, causing my heart to feel like it was going to drop out of my chest.

"You can't leave, who the hell am I meant to go to?" I ask through gritted teeth, mentally reminding myself to keep quiet otherwise someone in the house will hear the conversation.

"Y'know what, screw you. I knew you were just using me for a fix!" He announces into the phone, making me roll my eyes and drop my forehead into my palm, sighing rather loudly. 

"I told you many times, Rick, we're not friends," I dead-pan, tapping my medium-length nails onto the brown bench in front of me. I hear him sigh on the other end as I look down at my bare legs, the shorts I was wearing ending at my mid-thigh. "Can you please just give me a name-- literally anyone,"

He sighs again, taking a moment of silence to collect himself before clearing his throat once more. "There's one kid, real weirdo. I've crossed paths with him a few times and he's got some good shit. I think his name was Teddy Mountain or something,"

I hold back a snort at the weird name, knowing Ricky is probably stoned and is totally butchering the name. That's fine, I can unscramble it by asking around. 

"Thanks, Rick," I smile, pleased with his response. Instantly, I take the phone from my ear and lean over to press it back into the holder, hearing Ricky still trying to talk on the other end before I finally silence him by hanging up. 

It shouldn't be too hard to find this guy, especially if he is a weirdo like Ricky says. Hawkins is a small town and people talk like crazy. With that thought in mind, I turn on my heels and head to my bedroom door which was opposite Dustin's. 

I could see the sky from the windows, the pale blue shades letting me know that I had time to go out and search for 'Teddy Mountain' but not too long since it'll be dark soon and my mum will throw a fit if I'm out late. 

"Where are you off to?" I hear my little brother's accusing voice, making me groan and spin around to face him. He was leaning against his door frame, one of his signature hats covering his light brown curls and almost covering his eyes, yet, I could still see mischief in them.

"Out," I state, ready to turn back around, find a jacket and set off on my mini drug-fueled mission.

It had been three days since my last fix, three long days that were starting to have serious effects on my body. I was sweating so much that I decided to wear shorts for the first time in a long time, paired with a white singlet and hair secured out of my face with a black scrunchie. 

"I was going to ask if you wanted to come to my club tonight? play a game with me and my friends?" He asked, standing up straight and leaving his door frame to meet me in the brown carpeted hallway with the biggest pleading eyes he could muster. 

"I'd love to if I wasn't busy doing literally anything else besides babysitting you nerds," I pout with fake sadness, watching his smile fall from his face as he huffed in annoyance. I replace my pout with a fake smile "Sorry, Dusty-Bun,"

"You've left me no choice, V," He declares dramatically, lifting a pointed finger in the air before pointing it towards my abdomen. Even though Dustin is four years younger than me, he wasn't that much shorter than me. I consider that unfair due to the fact that my father is 5'3 while his is 5'11. "I must call in the big guns,"

My eyes widen, realising what he meant by 'big guns' and how totally crewed I am if he plays that card. I look at him with hesitation before replying "You wouldn't dare,"

"As long as I'm breathing, Veda, I would dare," He challenged before turning at the speed of lighting and running off towards the direction of the living room before I had to chance to grab him. I immediately chase after his little dramatic ass, trying to catch him as he shouted and ran down the hallway.

"Mum!" He shrieked, narrowly dodging my grip and sliding into the living room where our mother was situated. I tumble in after him, standing up next to him as he once again adopted his big puppy dog eyes and stared at our mum. "Veda called me a loser,"

"Veda! That's not a nice way to talk to your brother," Our mum gasps, holding a hand to her heart as if I had just thrown something at her. I love my mum, but she is so dramatic. Truthfully, I'm nothing like either of them while they couldn't be more similar. "Now, how are we going to resolve this?"

"I was thinking maybe Veda can come with me to my d&d game tonight? I think we could really bond over the awesome creatures and battles!" Dustin exclaimed, almost jumping up into the air while I cringed at how he phrased himself. 

I groan once my mum smiles and claps, nodding her head, "That's a wonderful idea, Dustin!" 

Dustin grins, faking a bow. Ass-kisser.

"But, mum, I already have plans," I whine, moving to sit beside her on the couch to try and change her mind. I knew it was a lost cause, Dustin was her little white knight and if it'll make him happy, she'll do it. She doesn't mean to, I think it's just because Dustin is the youngest and since I lived away with my Dad for most of Dustin's life she wants us to bond. 

"You should have thought of that before you called your brother names, honey," She smiled, leaning over to press a kiss on my forehead before pulling back and examining me with concern. "Gosh, you're burning up. Some fresh air will do you good,"

Sometimes, I wonder how on earth my mum doesn't know that I use drugs. All the signs I show that she usually picks up when it comes to bad influences around her children, she can't seem to find in her own daughter. Maybe it's her heavily tinted rose-coloured glasses, or maybe she doesn't really know me well enough to see this behaviour as out of the ordinary. 

She probably sees this as me reacting to what happened with my dad, something we pretend never happened. 

I was more than happy to ignore it. 

I sigh in defeat, knowing there's no chance she's going to change her mind. Reluctantly, I get up and head towards my bedroom, ignoring Dustin as he danced in victory before going to change into something warmer. It was freezing in here.

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a/n

the start of the story takes place a month or two before the events of episode one so I hope that clears up any confusion for the next few chapters :)

this is because I want to build up peoples relationships before everything starts to go down hill.

enjoy!