❁ཻུ۪۪♡ ͎. ｡˚
• BLUE •
CHAPTER ONE —
welcome to hawkins

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SERENA, or Ren as everyone called her, sat in the quiet of her bedroom, the familiar hum of her music pulsing through her headphones. Her fingers drummed absentmindedly on the edge of her desk as she stared out the window, her thoughts clouded by everything that had happened in Hawkins. She hated to admit it, but the events of the Upside Down had left a scar on the town—a scar that seemed to linger, even in the places that should have felt safe. So much had been lost, so much had been hurt. Too much, she thought.

With a quiet sigh, Ren slid off her chair and walked to the window. She pushed it open, the cool night air rushing in.

She climbed out, her sneakers finding a familiar grip on the ledge. The roof was cold beneath her, but it felt like home. She pulled out a half-crushed pack of cigarettes from her pocket and lit one up, the flame briefly illuminating her face in the darkness.

She closed her eyes, letting the cigarette burn slowly in her hand as her thoughts wandered. Things had changed too much after the Upside Down—the loss, the trauma, the fear. It was hard to pretend that everything was fine when the town still carried the weight of that night. It was hard to pretend that she was fine.

Ren took a long drag, trying to quiet the noise in her head. The smoke filled her lungs, and for a moment, it felt like she could breathe again.

But that moment was short-lived.

There was a knock at the door, soft but persistent.

"Shit," Ren muttered under her breath, tossing the cigarette into the yard below. She quickly jumped off the roof, landing lightly on the ground before hurrying to her window. She pulled it shut just as she heard the door creak open.

"Hey, you're up early tomorrow," came her mom's voice from the hallway. Karen Wheeler's voice had a tone that brooked no argument. "You've got the game tomorrow."

Ren sighed, stepping back from the window, rolling her eyes in the darkness. "Yeah, Mom, I've got it. Okay?" She forced a smile, even though Karen couldn't see it.

Her mom's footsteps retreated, but Ren didn't move right away. She stood still for a moment, staring at the closed window, the pressure in her chest building again.

"Yeah... okay," she whispered to herself.

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Serena groaned as the phone rang for the fifth time. She'd barely gotten any sleep, and now she was being dragged into the day before it had even really started. Grumbling, she reached for the phone beside her bed and pressed it to her ear.

"What."

"Oh, someone's grumpy when I'm giving you and Robin a ride to school," Steve's voice came through, teasing.

Serena rolled her eyes and rubbed her face. "You owe me, Steve. I got you that date with... whatever her name was." She glanced at the clock on her nightstand—7:00 AM. Perfect. Just the time to make me regret staying up so late.

"Well, chop chop, Prom Queen. Let's go," Steve said, his voice still light and carefree.

"Okay... okay," Serena muttered, dragging herself out of bed.

"See you in ten," Steve said, hanging up before she could respond.

Serena sighed as she stood in front of her mirror, trying to smooth out her messy hair. The day was already off to a great start.

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Serena stood in the kitchen, adjusting her cheerleading uniform, the fabric tight and familiar as she swung her bag over her shoulder. Her mom, Karen, beamed at her from across the room, a proud grin plastered on her face.

"Look at my cheerleader," Karen said with a big smile, her voice dripping with affection.

Serena rolled her eyes but couldn't help but smile. "Mom, stop it," she muttered, taking a bite of toast as she tried to ignore the overwhelming attention.

From down the stairs, Nancy's voice echoed through the house. "Mike! Ten minutes, I swear!"

"Mike!" Karen yelled in unison, her voice carrying a mix of impatience and exasperation.

Serena glanced at the clock on the wall and froze. "Oh, shit. Steve's probably here," she cursed, the realization hitting her like a brick.

"Language," Ted chimed in from his spot at the table, giving her a mock stern look.

Serena grinned and jumped off her chair, slinging her bag over her shoulder. "Yeah, yeah. Put it on my paycheck for Saturday," she said, already halfway out the door.

Karen shot her a disapproving look, but Serena was already on her way.

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The early morning air was crisp as Steve's car hummed along the streets, the soft static from the radio filling the quiet. Serena sat in the front seat, rubbing her eyes, trying to wake herself up. Robin, in her full band uniform, sat awkwardly in the back with her saxophone case between her legs, looking less than thrilled about the whole thing.

Steve had some cheesy 80s pop station playing, and Serena wasn't having it.

"Ugh, this isn't gonna cut it," she muttered, reaching over and twisting the radio dial to something more her style.

The soft static crackled for a second before the unmistakable guitar riffs of a rock song blasted through the speakers. She nodded to herself, satisfied. "Now this is what I'm talking about."

Steve, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, let out an exaggerated groan. "Really? You just had to change it?"

"Oh, I had to," Serena said with a grin.

Robin let out a dramatic sigh from the backseat. "Ugh, this uniform is literally suffocating me. Do they make these for real people, or just for marching robots?"

Serena glanced back and grinned. "You look adorable, Rob. Like a tiny, angry toy soldier."

Robin raised an eyebrow, the sarcasm thick in her voice. "Thanks, that's exactly the vibe I was going for."

Serena grinned, her fingers still tapping along to the beat of the song. "You look way cooler than Steve's hair, anyway."

Steve immediately reached up and tousled his hair. "What's wrong with my hair?" he asked, half-mocking, half-defensive.

Serena smiled sweetly. "Just telling it like it is, buddy. But hey, it's still better than the bowl cuts I've seen around here."

Robin leaned forward slightly, tapping Serena's shoulder from the back. "Honestly, though, Serena, you're literally one of the queens of Hawkins High. I don't know how you do it. You've got the looks, the cheerleader thing, and the whole 'untouchable' vibe down to a science."

Serena flushed slightly but grinned, trying to play it cool. "Oh, stop. I'm just here, trying to get through the day without tripping on my own feet."

Robin raised an eyebrow. "Please, she loves it. She just acts like she doesn't. But a little fame never hurt anyone."

Serena rolled her eyes, but the grin never left her face. "I swear, you two are the worst."

Steve laughed. "You should, though. You're practically the 'cool girl' in every teen movie."

Robin chuckled. "Yeah. You're the girl who walks into the room, and everyone else just knows they're not as cool as you."

"Well, if I'm the cool girl, you two are my partners in crime," Serena said with a wink, glancing back at them both.

Steve shot a quick grin. "So, what's the plan after the game?"

"I think I'm going for the nap," Serena replied, stretching in her seat. "I've got cheer practice, school, and I've been pretending to have my life together for way too long. It's exhausting."

Robin gave her a sympathetic look. "I hear you. I've got my band competition, and half the music still doesn't make sense. I'm pretty sure I'm just going to wing it and hope nobody notices."

Serena laughed. "You'll be fine. You look awesome in that uniform, Rob, so just pretend like you know what you're doing, and everyone will believe it."

Robin grinned. "I think that's the key to high school, right? Fake it till you make it."

Steve snorted from the front seat. "Honestly, that's been my life motto since freshman year."

"Not funny. You're an elder." Serena grinned.

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Serena strode into Hawkins High, her boots clicking confidently against the hallway floor. The usual murmurs followed her, a blend of admiration and gossip as students parted to make way.

She reached her locker, a small corner of the hallway where she had made her space, The familiar sight of her AC/DC posters greeted her.

She grabbed her books, tossing them into her bag without much thought, her mind still somewhere far away from school.

As she was about to shut her locker, she heard a familiar, overly-sweet voice behind her.

"Serena!"

Serena turned to see Chrissy Cunningham approaching, her blonde curls bouncing as she walked. Chrissy's smile was warm, but there was a trace of nervous energy about her.

"Hey, Chrissy," Serena said with a small smile.

Chrissy clasped her hands in front of her, a little too eager. "So, I just wanted to remind you about the cheer routine for today's game. We're still on for the halftime show, right? You've got your moves down, right?"

Serena's mind drifted, the words from Chrissy becoming background noise as she stared off at the students passing by.

"Yeah, totally," Serena muttered, her voice distant.

Chrissy frowned, not picking up on Serena's lack of attention. "Are you sure? You seem a little... off today."

Serena snapped back to attention, forcing a smile. "I'm fine. Really. Just tired, you know?" She quickly stuffed the rest of her books into her bag, wanting to avoid any more conversation about the routine.

Just then, Jason Carver appeared, sauntering up to the two girls with his signature cocky grin. His varsity jacket gleamed in the hallway lights, and he casually wrapped an arm around Chrissy's shoulders. "Morning, babe," he said, pressing a quick kiss to her temple.

Serena's eyes narrowed slightly, but she didn't say anything. She had seen this too many times before. Jason always found a way to insert himself into any situation.

Jason then clicked his fingers loudly at Serena, drawing her attention. "Yo, Serena! Are we still on for the post-game thing tonight?" he asked with that trademark grin of his, clearly trying to get her attention now that Chrissy was around.

Serena rolled her eyes, not bothering to hide her annoyance this time. She glanced at him coolly, a sarcastic smile on her lips. "I don't know, Jason."

Chrissy shot Serena an awkward smile, clearly uncomfortable with the tension but not daring to interrupt. Jason only chuckled, unfazed by Serena's tone.

"Hey, just making sure," Jason said, giving Chrissy another squeeze. "Anyway, gotta go talk to the coach. Catch you later, Serena."

He gave them both a lazy salute before walking off, leaving the two girls standing together.

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Serena sat at her desk in history class, her eyes fixed on the notes in front of her, but her mind was far from the lecture. Her fingers tapped nervously against the edge of her paper as her leg bounced under the desk. The sound of her foot tapping was a steady rhythm in her mind, but it barely drowned out the echo of memories that kept resurfacing.

The warm summer air. The dark corners of Hawkins. The things she'd seen. The things she couldn't forget.

She shifted in her seat, attempting to focus, to stop the images from flooding her brain.

Her eyes skimmed the paper in front of her, the words a blur. She wanted to concentrate, to take in the lesson on early American history, but all she could think about was the feeling of that heavy air, the creatures lurking in the shadows, the way everything felt like it was falling apart.

"Serena?"

The voice of her teacher, Mrs. Jensen, cut through her thoughts, and Serena jumped, startled. She blinked rapidly, looking up at the front of the class where the teacher's gaze was focused on her.

"Serena?" Mrs. Jensen repeated, this time with a note of concern in her voice. "Are you with us?"

Serena cleared her throat, feeling heat rise to her cheeks. "Sorry," she muttered, her voice a little shaky as she quickly looked down at her paper, feeling the weight of everyone's gaze on her for a brief moment. Her heart was pounding in her chest as her mind raced to catch up with the present. "I... I didn't mean to zone out."

Mrs. Jensen raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced, but she let it go. "Well, I was asking about the Industrial Revolution, but it seems like you've got something else on your mind. Maybe take a moment?"

Serena's fingers dug into her palm as she tried to control the anxiety threatening to bubble over. She needed to leave. She couldn't breathe in here. Not with these thoughts, not with these feelings clawing at her.

"May I go to the bathroom?" Serena asked quickly, her voice a little sharper than she intended, her nerves making it come out more urgent.

Mrs. Jensen nodded, and Serena grabbed her things before the teacher could say anything more. Without waiting for permission or another word, she stood up, walking quickly out of the room.

She made her way to the counselor's office, her footsteps slow and heavy as though she was walking through mud. When she arrived, she knocked twice on the door, her stomach churning with nerves.

"Come in!" Dr. Mitchell's calm voice called from inside.

Serena pushed the door open, stepping into the small office, and closed it behind her quietly. The room smelled like coffee and old books. Dr. Mitchell, seated behind his desk, looked up with a gentle smile, but the warmth didn't seem to reach her. He gestured to the chair across from him, and she sat down without a word, her eyes cast downward.

"Serena," Dr. Mitchell's voice was calm, but it still had that weight to it, that quiet insistence that she open up. "What's on your mind today?"

She didn't know how to answer. What was always on her mind? She looked out the window, her gaze drifting over the small patch of sky visible from the office. Her leg bounced nervously under the chair, but she didn't even notice it anymore.

"Everything feels off," she muttered, her voice barely audible. "Like, like nothing is really real anymore."

Dr. Mitchell was quiet, waiting. She hated the silence. It always made everything feel too loud, like her thoughts were screaming at her.

"Things haven't felt normal since... well, since last summer," Serena continued, her voice tight. Her fingers stopped fidgeting, her nails digging into her palms as she tried to force the thoughts back.

Dr. Mitchell took in her words carefully. He had been patient with her from the start, knowing she wasn't ready to speak openly about whatever was troubling her. But it was clear to him, there was something deeper, something she wasn't letting out.

"Are you still feeling like you're just going through the motions?" he asked gently.

She nodded, her chest tightening at the thought. The memories came back in flashes, uninvited. She gripped the armrests, trying to steady herself. Every time she closed her eyes, the same memories came rushing back, but she couldn't say them aloud. Not here, not to him. She couldn't let him know. She couldn't even say the name.

Her throat felt dry, and she shifted uncomfortably in the chair.

"I'm just... I'm not who I was. I'm not... I don't know who I am anymore. I've just been faking it. Faking everything." She shook her head, her voice cracking slightly.

Dr. Mitchell, ever the professional, leaned forward slightly. "I know it's hard, but sometimes naming what you're feeling helps. Can you tell me what's really bothering you? Who's on your mind? What happened to you last summer?

Serena felt her heart rate spike, and she froze.

Before she could respond, Dr. Mitchell's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "Is it about... Eli?"

The name cut through the air like a blade, and Serena's breath caught in her throat.

"No," Serena said quickly, standing up abruptly. "Sorry. It was a mistake coming here. I'm going."

Dr. Mitchell didn't try to stop her. He had been around long enough to know when someone wasn't ready to talk.

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