burnin' through the sky

AUSTIN ABRAMS, CIS MALE, HE / HIM | who’s that? oh it’s CALVIN CUNNINGHAM. i hear they’re 21 and are known as THE PRODIGY around HAWKINS EMS. they’re also a SENIOR at NOTRE DAME. they’re known to be PRAGMATIC AND LEVEL-HEADED and CUNNING AND DISTANT. some people say they remind them of FINALLY LEARNING WHEN TO HOLD YOUR TONGUE, TIRED EYES AND LATE NIGHT CUPS OF COFFEE, A CLEAN BEDROOM WITH A PERFECTLY MADE BED, OLD TROPHIES FROM HIGH SCHOOL COLLECTING DUST ON A SHELF, THE CONSTANT OVERWHELMING NEED TO PROVE YOURSELF. 

as cal joined him up on the hood, thad made an exaggerated sniffing motion, “man, do you smell that?” he asked, then jerked his head around wildly like he was looking for the source. the source in question? cal himself. he made a show out of pulling up the fabric of his shirt, sniffing it dramatically, then releasing it to comment, “smells good, bro. you get a new cologne or something?” thad smiled as he relaxed against the windshield of his car and took a swig of his beer. he shrugged at cal’s question, “it’s a motel 6…” he snickered, like he wasn’t staying there himself, “how good could the rooms be?” in case it wasn’t clear to cal already, thad would clear up, “i could be staying at a ritz, or a four seasons right now…” he clicked his tongue, “but this is the only lodging in this shithole. couldn’t stay with nancy ‘cuz she’s got like, a jillion siblings, and cassie conrad lurking around like a freak…i mean…im her boyfriend you think i would get some priority right?” he whined, entirely impassioned, but stopped himself, “hey, sorry man, you didn’t come here to hear me complain.” thad sniffed, and drank some more of his beer. 

by no means was thad done with his moping, but cal was one person he actually liked to hear talk as much as himself. cal cunningham had important things to say, a lot of people in hawkins just spewed bullshit 24/7. thad didn’t care for them. he didn’t care to hear it, however. but cal carried himself like he’d been in the real world, like he knew how he had to behave in order to be successful. it always surprised that to find he was from here and not up east like himself. “what’s up with you, man?” he asked in turn, “that business at the abandoned building was nutty, right?.” thad remembered how grateful he had been to have a friend at his side through that. it was a jarring situation as a whole, but it was also tough to face jonathan and nancy together when thad had yet to find a time to talk to nancy. cal’s presence made him feel brave, but he hadn’t forgotten the file cal had taken, “i know something went down with you there…” he left room for cal to talk about it if he wanted, but if not, thad was content drinking beer and enjoying his company.

At first, Cal panicked. What was Thad smelling? The hospital? Jesus, did he still smell like alcohol wipes and medicine and possibly bodily fluids that he may or may not have to occasionally deal with? He kept his face neutral, though, ready to laugh off whatever Thad said and make a snarky comment about how he’d had to try a less strong soap this week because his usual, more expensive brand was out. But then Thad was plucking at his shirt, smelling him and asking about his cologne, and Cal relaxed, a confident grin on his face. “Thanks, man,” He replied, sitting down on the hood of the car close to Thad, to make sure he had the full affect of the cologne. “This old stuff? Just threw it on.” He shrugged coyly, feeling more bold now that he knew Thad liked it. “What did you say your car was named again?” He asked absentmindedly, his free hand skimming over the hood and finally landing near Thad’s. Accidentally, of course. Cal snorted at the comment about where Thad was staying, unable to stop himself from nodding in agreement. “Yeah, you’re right. Still, you’d think they’d at least try to keep you happy. You’re keeping them in business.” After all, how many other people were even staying here? Cal counted very few cars, and none were nearly as nice as Thad’s.

“She doesn’t value you,” Cal scoffed, rolling his eyes at yet another way Nancy Wheeler had let Thad down this summer. Honestly, Cal hadn’t really had any problem with her before now - but cheating on Thad? Insane. “Like, stick the friend here or whatever. If you’re dating someone, you should be able to crash with them. Making you find somewhere else is ridiculous.” Cal replied, validating Thad. Besides, couldn’t the Wheelers have found room somewhere? It wasn’t like their house was small. But, whatever, that was Nancy’s loss. “You’re allowed to complain,” Cal replied, leaning back against the windshield too. “You know I don’t mind it.” He didn’t, honestly. Thad’s complaints were always reasonable, and things that pissed Cal off too. And god knows Cal complained his fair amount as well.

Resting his beer on the dip where the windshield wipers were, Cal tucked the arm further from Thad behind his neck, propping his head up. That sky was nice tonight - something Cal didn’t usually really care to notice. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d just sat outside, staring up at the sky like this. Sighing, he glanced over at Thad, turning his head to face him. “Yeah, that situation was insane,” He rolled his eyes, remembering how weird it had all been. Cal still wasn’t entirely convinced that they hadn’t been given gem or something before going inside - how else could he explain half of that stuff? But, at least Thad had gone through it with him. If he hadn’t been there, Cal would have ditched immediately, and might have missed out on Chrissy’s file, then. So even if it had been a weird and unnecessarily chaotic night, Cal was thankful for Thad inviting him along for moral support in the end. “Uh, yeah...” Cal agreed, pausing while he tried to collect his thoughts. Thad was so easy to talk to - scarily so, sometimes. But their friendship hadn’t delved too deeply into the serious stuff yet. Thad knew some things about his family, obviously, but Cal just always struggled with talking about it all. It was too big to put into words, honestly; too profound for Cal to say without it coming across as dumb complaints. His mom didn’t pay him enough attention? He barely knew anyone in his family beyond surface level things? And, not to mention, his sister’s death date had been in the file. How did he tell Thad that without sounding crazy? He grabbed his beer, draining half of it for some liquid courage. “...it’s complicated.” Cal shrugged, turning back to look up at the sky. “Uh, the file thing? It was on my sister, Chrissy. It had some stuff in there that I didn’t know.” He left it vague, not sure how to even say that she’d died. “We’re not really close.” 

Cal didn’t know how to be. 

𝐖𝐇𝐎: Chrissy Cunningham & @calcunningham​​​

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓: Cal, didn’t anyone teach you not to leave your classified files out in the open for your dead sister to find?

𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄: Cal’s stinky room (it’s actually very clean, i’m just a liar)

Chrissy hadn’t meant to go snooping. She really didn’t! She had just coincidentally walked past Cal’s room and the door was wide open. Wide open and taunting her to go inside and just take a… peek at Cal’s lair. She couldn’t even remember the last time she had stepped foot inside. Three years, at the very least, now that she knew she was six feet under but she was sure it had been longer. Chrissy and Cal weren’t exactly what you’d call close siblings. In fact, she didn’t know if she’d consider herself close to either of her brothers. She was sure if her and Chance hadn’t both been athletic or ran in a similar circle in high school that their relationship would be just as strained. 

Before Chrissy could weigh the pros and cons of stepping inside, she had already made the subconscious choice to walk inside. There was no sight of Cal or anything that seemed too out of the normal. It’s not like she was looking for anything in particular other than something to pass her own boredom. She walked around, eyeing the surroundings. Nothing seemed out of place, but Chrissy still walked around, tapping along his desk when he eyes met a manila folder. She half-expected it to contain an exam from last semester or even a love letter addressed to Ginny Driscoll, but as she flicked the folder open she realized it was anything but that. Written at the top of the file,

Christine Cunningham.

Chrissy didn’t have enough time to skim the page when she heard someone come in. The most she was able to read out besides her name was two words: Hawkins Laboratory. In any other case, it would have made her jump in fear, to be caught red handed with something she shouldn’t be touching but when her eyes met Cal’s, she just tossed the folder back onto his desk, hand gripping the file that seemingly had information on her. She didn’t look mad, or upset, just…. blank. 

“What is this?”

The Cunningham House had never felt like a home to Cal. Homes were supposed to be warm, comforting, a place where you could actually let your guard down. They were supposed to be somewhere to go when school was stressful, or when you had drama with your friends. They were supposed to be a safe place - a place where you could actually relax without worrying about being judged, scrutinized or ignored in some way.

But their house was sort of the opposite of that. Laura’s gaze was too sharp, her words too biting. She always knew everyone’s weakness and just how to cut them to pieces over it. Philip was chronically emotionally absent, never really speaking to any of them about anything at all beyond the weather or how the Hoosiers were doing. Chance had been a thorn in Cal’s side since they were little; the boy who was just better than him at things that other people deemed important. Carl? Poor, sweet Carl was just doing his best to survive like the rest of them. 

The one who Calvin arguably had the most distant relationship with was his sister, Chrissy. They were so different in every way, and it wasn’t like Laura and Philip had ever taught them how to be emotionally vulnerable with anyone. Cal had nothing against her, really, but they just weren’t close. Even still, he was struggling to figure out how he had seemingly forgotten that she died. 

It was all right there in the file he’d been looking over when he had a free moment the last few days. A time of death scribbled out, proof that at least something had happened. And Cal hadn’t known. He knew people found him callous at times, but even he didn’t think it was possible for him to just not care enough about his sister’s death that he didn’t remember it happening.

As he got home from work, he quickly avoided his mother in the kitchen and made his way up to his room, surprised to see the door open. Inside was Chrissy, holding her own file. “What are you doing in here?” He asked her coldly, already on the defensive. She’d seen it - she knew it existed now. Maybe Cal should have already told her, but... he hadn’t known how. “That’s...” Calvin hesitated, unsure of how much even she knew. “I found that at the Hawkins Lab a couple of days ago.” Taking a deep breath and steadying himself, Cal closed the door behind him and turned back to look at her. “It has your time of death in it.” 

chance had actually entered in peace. he wasn’t looking for a fight or to say something spiteful to cal or make him feel bad. but it never mattered what chance’s intentions were, he could always count on cal to start scowling and acting like a little bitch the second they had to interact. “wipe that ugly look off your face, calvin,” chance rolled his eyes, unable to help the venom he was about to spew, “nobody wants to look at it.” clearing his throat and standing up, chance began looking around the ambulance, noting where things were and what was in the vehicle to begin with. 

every comeback or stupid retort that came out of his brother’s mouth tested chance’s patience. cal just knew exactly how to provoke him and push his buttons. “i’m not accusing you of anything, you douche. can you fucking relax?” god. how the hell was chance supposed to get to the bottom of what happened if his brother was already on the fucking defense? like he was the enemy? at chance’s earnest question about the lab, cal responded with sarcasm. it would’ve been fine if he’d at least given chance something useful, but he didn’t. frustrated, chance rubbed his face and cleared his throat, feeling his cheeks redden as he flipped through some safety protocols that were hung up on the walls of the ambulance. 

“no we weren’t at a party at skull rock, we were at the junk yard,” a scoff, “you went to hawkins lab with a group of people, did you not?” he’d heard from someone that cal and thad had showed up, and given the state that cal was in, chance was sure it was true and that something unnerving must’ve happened. “care to share what the fuck you found there?” he glanced over his shoulder at cal, meeting his eyes and holding his gaze. “man, if you don’t tell me, i’m just going to ask someone else. so you might as well.”

with a shrug, chance turned his attention back to the medical equipment he was surrounded by. it was then that he stumbled upon some drawers that looked important. he opened one up and boom. jackpot. “what’s this?” he asked, picking up one of the vials that read ketamine hydrochloride and turning it over in his hands, “sedative?”

Cal couldn’t help himself - he’d never known Chance to have good intentions when they interacted. Even if he did, Cal couldn’t see it like that. This rivalry between them - the snarky back and forth - had just been their standard relationship since they were teens. And naturally, Chance dropped the nice act at the first opportunity to insult Cal. “Fuck off,” Cal replied, rolling his eyes at the implication that the face he was making was ugly. “You showed up here. If you don’t want to see ‘the ugly look’ on my face, get out.” He snapped back, crossing his arms defensively. 

No, frankly, Cal was incapable of relaxing around Chance. Cal might know how to be push Chance’s buttons, but Chance annoyed Cal without even trying. Just being around him - being reminded of all the ways Chance was popular and well-liked - was enough to make Cal want to rip his hair out. He could never be those things, and he didn’t want to be! But he also didn’t want to be compared to Chance, to see the ways he fell short next to him in the eyes of just about everyone in their lives. “I am relaxed,” Cal replied sharply, tension seeping through his veins. Like hell he was going to admit that, though. “Stop touching shit. You have no fucking idea how this thing even works,” He snapped at Chance as he began fiddling with things in the ambulance. 

Cal’s interest was peaked slightly by the mention of the Junkyard. What the hell had they been doing there? Hadn’t there been a camera there, in that room at the lab? It had been out of focus, so Cal had no clue what Chance and Chrissy had experienced. “What the fuck happened at the Junkyard?” He asked, raising an eyebrow at Chance. If Cal wasn’t more forthcoming about the lab, Chance likely wouldn’t share anything with him about the Junkyard - and unlike Cal, Chance actually did have other people he could ask. Although, part of Cal just wanted to forget he’d seen anything and not ask any more questions. This shit wasn’t his business; he didn’t need to get involved. But... Chrissy kind of was. Even if they were distant, two ships passing most of the time, she was still his sister. And he had to understand how she had died and how it had had no effect on him at all. 

“Yeah, asshole, I went to the lab,” Cal sighed heavily, exhausted by the conversation already. He would share, but it wouldn’t be without difficulty on Chance’s part. “There was weird shit. I don’t know. Cameras, some test tubes and stuff. It was still active. It never shut down, like they said it did.” Cal wasn’t about to give up the file on Chrissy. No doubt Chance would want it, and Cal would never see it again if it got into his brother’s hands. And then Chance was moving around, poking his nose in random shit. “Yes, that’s a fucking sedative! It’s not a toy. Put it back. Do you know how much trouble I would be in if something happened to one of those things? I’d be fired!” He scolded, snatching it out of Chance’s hand. He put it back in the drawer, shooting a glare at Chance.

WHO: thad bradshaw & @calcunningham​ WHAT: cal and thad are NOT on a date WHERE: the motel 6! rosemary’s hood even!

cal cunningham was just thad bradshaw’s pace. after an initial interaction, then a subsequent getting coffee together thad wasn’t feeling so isolated in hawkins anymore. cal reminded thad a lot of the kinds of guys he grew up with– snobs, too smart for their own good, and arrogant. it was comforting in a way. it was nice to have a friend. thad’s schedule wasn’t nearly full enough beyond meandering around and arguing with himself about his relationship with nancy, so, whenever cal had a free minute, thad found a way to be there. whether it be on breaks from work or for early morning walks, they’d been hanging out quite a bit here and there. it always seemed to be fleeting though and thad wanted to nip that in the bud. 

cal came over on a thursday night. thad wasn’t used to hosting at a motel 6 of all places, but it was either this or being around cal’s family, who thad very quickly figured he didn’t like very much. so? the motel 6 would do. the sky was nice and dusky and thad sat on the hood of his beloved rosemary, nursing a beer and waiting for the other to show. elvis played softly from his car. he spent most nights out in the parking lot like this, but he figured he could extend that world for cal to join him in. and from the second he got there, that’s exactly what thad did. he patted the space beside him on the hood and yelled, “hey working man! good to see ya buddy!” when cal joined him, that stretched down to grab a beer off of the ground for him. thad handed it over, clinking the bottle against his own as he asked, “is out here fine with you?” he took a sip of his drink, then gestured to his motel room door, “we could go up there or whatever, but i gotta tell you pal? place is reeeal fucking stuffy. just so you know.” 

Cal Cunningham had never even attempted to kid himself into thinking he had many friends in Hawkins. Growing up, everyone else had been too much or not enough. Too loud, too annoying, too focused on sports, or not smart enough, not funny enough, not interested in the same things. The majority of people were intolerable, and those that weren’t were more of acquaintances at best. College had been a different story - he’d found friends there. The wealthy, elite boys of Notre Dame had become his pals. He’d made it with the rich boys, the ones who always had extra money to offer in exchange for their homework getting done. The ones who’d taken him on vacations to Aspen over Christmas, or to their beach house for the summer. Maybe they weren’t people he could be vulnerable with, but vulnerability was overrated. No one needed to hear what he really thought or felt about shit. It was much easier keeping it bottled up, or pretending it didn’t exist at all. Things felt different with Thad, though. He was like the boys from college, but a little bit easier to talk to. They’d hung out often since meeting at the hospital, and Cal had to admit that it was kind of making his summer. Things at home were tense as always, and things with Ginny felt like they were at a stand still. The only easy thing in his life right now was hanging out with Thad Bradshaw before work or on the weekends. 

When Thad had asked him to come over to his place at the Motel 6 after work, Cal had agreed immediately. After all, he really needed a break from his family and he was sure Thad felt much the same. No one that Cal had ever brought over really ended up feeling at home at the Cunningham house. Cal didn’t feel at home at the Cunningham house. After his shift, Cal had swung by briefly though to take a shower and change out of his uniform, not exactly keen on smelling like antiseptic around Thad. Instead, he’d sprayed on a dash of cologne - just in case the scent lingered - and changed into some of his nicer jeans and a Notre Dame t-shirt. When he arrived to the sight of Thad sitting on the hood of his car ( what had he called it? Rosaline? ) with a beer already in hand, Elvis playing through the speakers, Cal felt more relaxed than he had all day. “Hey, Emerson,” He greeted as he took the bottle from Thad, cheersing him before using the bottle opener on his keychain to open the beer. Cal took a quick swig from it. “Yeah, out here is fine.” Cal nodded, glancing back up in the direction of Thad’s room. “Shit man, that sucks. Were there no better rooms available?” Thad getting a shitty room at the nearly empty Motel 6 rubbed Cal the wrong way. Hopefully it had been one of the better ones, otherwise someone needed to talk to a manager. How could a long term guest get stuck with a stuffy room? “What’s up with you tonight, man?” He asked, taking another sip of his beer. 

WHO: @calcunningham​ & chance  WHERE: the cunningham residence  WHEN: late night, immediately after the town hall/junk yard shenanigans 

if chance hadn’t already been sold on the idea that there was something dark-sided and supernatural happening in hawkins, the ‘rabid’ dogs at the junkyard would’ve been confirmation. the group he’d been with all night had narrowly escaped getting mauled by the hounds and it was only once they had finally driven off in a rickety bus, towards safety, that chance loosened his grip on the gun he’d been clutching since they arrived at the junkyard. 

the journey back to his house was a blur. he couldn’t remember where they parked the bus or how he and chrissy got back to his truck, but at some point in the dead of night, the two siblings made it home. chance’s plan had initially been to just collapse into bed the second he got back…but the sight of his cal and his ambulance in the driveway quickly altered those plans. 

“yo,” chance greeted hoarsely, waiting for chrissy to enter the house before approaching cal who was doing god-knows-what inside the ambulance. without waiting for an invitation, chance hopped into the back of the vehicle himself and plopped into the seat that he figured was meant for an EMT or a relative of whatever patient was being tended to. “you’re up late,” he observed. cal looked as tired as chance felt (and looked, probably). he figured that meant that the excursion to hawkins’ lab had been almost as harrowing as dealing with the junkyard dogs.  clearing his throat as he rubbed at the back of his neck which was definitely sore, he asked, “what happened at the lab?” 

Calvin Cunningham was a logical, rational person. He preferred his facts to be concrete, for things to make sense. And the knowledge that his younger sister had died two years ago? Yeah, that made zero sense to Cal. How could he not remember that? He’d thought she’d just... gone missing. Cal had thought she was in the forest commune, along with some of the other people from town. But the file clearly had a date of death, something he’d guaranteed before the agents had showed up at the lab and they’d had to hustle out of there. Chrissy had died on March 21st, 1986, a day that meant nothing to Cal before right now. He couldn’t even remember what he’d been doing that day. 

Thad had dropped him off after they’d gotten back to his car, and since arriving back at the Cunningham house, Cal had been sitting outside in his ambulance. It felt suffocating inside - it always had, ever since he was a kid. The file on Chrissy was open as he looked through it, though he wasn’t taking in much anymore. He was still thinking about the lab doing surveillance on something, about the girl who could move shit with her mind. Fuck, maybe they had been drugged with gem. That was the only thing that seemed logical to Cal, given everything they’d seen, but... that couldn’t explain away the file he now had. 

Jumping at the sound of Chance greeting him, Cal couldn’t stop himself from scowling. It was a reflex now, shaped from years of resentment and jealousy. Before Chance got fully settled, Cal stashed the file in the front seat, away from prying eyes. “What?” Cal snapped, though he was exhausted and it lacked some of it’s usual bite. As tired as he was, though, Cal couldn’t sleep. He knew it without even trying. “So are you.” He pointed out defensively, shooting a weary look at Chance as he sat in the seat in the back. Cal was on the cot - it had given him more space to look at the file. “Just the usual,” Cal said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. “Totally normal night of breaking and entering.” Chance wouldn’t believe him if he told him the truth, because Cal wouldn’t have believed Chance if their roles were reversed. “What about you? Where did you two sneak off to? Some party at Skull Rock?” 

“too easy? psh.” thad eyed the other, suddenly amused. that was a nice change of pace from the constant state of stress he’d been suspended in recently. who was this guy? too good for harvard? if anything, the comment gave him an edge on most of the others who dwelled in hawkins. they were so quaint, normal, content with being hickish in a hick town for the rest of their lives. this guy? not so much. he appreciated someone who thought like he did and based on their current back and forth, the stranger fit the bill. with the first genuine and full smile he’d donned since he’d arrived in hawkins, thad eyed him up and down, noting the shade of his eyes and how his lips curved into an easy smile as they bantered. again, his cheeks felt warm, but not in the aggravated way they had when he was struggling to insert a twenty into the vending machine. weird. 

thad was quick to write off most things most people said, but something about the other had earned his instant respect, so he listened as he detailed his reasons for attending notre dame. they were honorable, sure, but with the light hearted nature of their conversation, he had to gibe, “oh so you want to be in charge and stuff? your pockets are gonna be hella stuffed, dude.” thad’s understanding of politics were that they were entirely fake. everyone got paid off at one point or another, no matter who you were. thad’s own father had been paying off local representatives, mayors, and even governors for as long as he could remember. he didn’t say it like it was a bad thing or anything, more of a celebratory fact. because if the one standing beside him wanted to be a politician? well, thad didn’t believe anyone was above being bribed. either way, he offered a final comment of support, “you’ve got my vote, pal.” he didn’t think twice about what a future politician was doing in a hospital, really. 

smiling even wider, thad immediately understood the liberal arts degree comment to be a joke and he laughed, punching his shoulder back in turn, “yeah right.” he scoffed, “business. i am next in line to take over my family’s diamond manufacturing company, so,” he shrugged, not modestly at all, “if the entire lifetime of preparation isn’t enough, a degree should really help out with that.” he caught cal’s eyes as he introduced himself and the grin on his face softened as thad firmly slapped his hand into cal’s and firmly shook it, “thad bradshaw, the third.” reluctantly dropping his hand, he looked at the vending machine, then back to cal, “how sure are you that you can’t take a break right now, working man? i’ll cover your coffee.” 

Cal smirked, glad that the other guy seemed more amused than anything else by his comment about the school being too easy to get into. Most people he knew would have had some snarky reply ready for a statement like that, or they would have shoved him into the nearby trashcan. Cal was pleasantly surprised that this guy did neither of those things, and instead smiled at him. He returned it easily, eyes lingering for a minute on the pretty pink dusting the other’s cheeks. “For some of us, yeah,” He replied softly, eyes lighting up at the opportunity to brag about himself. “I personally love a challenge.” Cal kept his voice low, glancing down at the other’s Emerson shirt again with a half-smile. Honestly, Cal did love it. He relished any opportunity to prove himself capable enough, and college was obviously not an exception. Cal was glad this guy seemed to get it - he seemed so much easier to talk to than most of the idiots Calvin had gone to high school with. And if he went to Emerson, he had to be able to hold a good conversation, which was a must for Cal. Hopefully he’d be sticking around Hawkins for a while. 

Politics had been Cal’s ambition for most of his life. He knew that it was a dirty profession - one that relied on lying, cheating and scheming his way into winning votes. Cal had read The Prince at least five times, after all. And for years, that seemed like exactly the path he was destined to go down, until Chrissy went missing. It had flipped a switch in Cal, making him realize that although he might not be a good person, he could try. “Uh, not anymore,” Cal frowned, realizing that his rambling definitely did make it seem like he was going into politics. “No, actually, now I’m going to be a doctor,” He explained, standing up straighter at the words. Being a doctor was still important - hell, most people that it was more important. But Cal had always felt like he had to explain and justify his choices and actions; he couldn’t stand seeming like he was incapable of something. After all, he’d chosen to be a doctor. Not because he couldn’t be a politician, but because this was better for him. “My pockets are still going to be stuffed once I’m a surgeon,” Cal replied with a shrug. 

Cal laughed with the boy, glad he really wasn’t going into liberal arts. After all, what a waste of a degree. Emerson was a liberal arts college, though, so it was a bit of a gamble on Cal’s end that the other wouldn’t get upset. For some reason, Cal actually really didn’t want to offend this guy. “Diamond manufacturing?” Cal repeated, eyebrows raising in surprise for a moment. That had to be a billion dollar job. This guy had to be absolutely loaded; far richer than anyone here in Hawkins. Holy shit. If Cal hadn’t been in student organizations and classes with guys just like Thad for all of college, he probably would have said something stupid now. But, he knew not to act like that was too big of a deal - rich people could tell you weren’t one of them when you got excited about stuff like that. “Well, good luck with that. Hopefully the market stays high. I’m sure it will, everything else looks tacky in a wedding ring.” Cal remarked drying, hoping that he sounded confident enough for a smart guy like Thad Bradshaw to believe him. Smile dimming slightly at the other’s request, Cal shook his head regretfully. “I wish I could, but I really do need to get back. Lives need saving, you know,” Cal shrugged, making no move to leave. He studied Thad for a moment, not wanting to get back to his shift. “I get off in an hour, though.” He added before the other boy could walk away and go back to the room of whoever he was here to see. Cal wasn’t done talking to Thad; he was the first person Cal could stand to be around since he’d started his shift this morning, and he was a lot nicer than most of the people Cal knew. “You can buy me coffee then if you want, Emerson.” 

Beth dropped her jaw dramatically, feigning offense. “We all know you like salty stuff better, so that’s fake.” As though that was enough to win the argument. Cal was always one to go for the popcorn when they went to the movies as kids, while Beth was one for the candy. It was enough that she took note and always had a bowl ready when they watched something together, which became less often now that they were in college and he had a girlfriend.

“And you tell Ginny to lay off telling people in the street that their hair doesn’t look good,” Beth mumbled, thinking back to when she’d run into her. She wouldn’t think it that big of a deal, except that she was Cal’s girlfriend now, which meant Beth had to hold her to somewhat of a higher standard. ”Probably better than what my dad’s paying me at the office, that’s for sure.” As it turned out, the family rate wasn’t always a good thing.

Deep down, Beth knew that her chances with Cal’s older brother were slim. Maybe even none, if she was being honest. But there had to be some sort of hope to hold onto that maybe one day she’d have the Cunningham last name, and it couldn’t be with Cal, especially not when girls like Ginny Driscoll were his type. At his retort, Beth stopped in her tracks, pointing a finger into Cal’s chest. “I’ll have you know that dentists are doctors, too, Calvin. A perfectly noble profession that doesn’t involve riding around in an ambulance or getting covered in blood.” It wasn’t unlike Cal to think himself above her, but Beth wasn’t just going to let him away with it, not when she could slide a technicality in his face.

“Duh, of course you do. Don’t look at me like that,” she teased. Cal seemed like he took the bestowing of her best friend title seriously for a moment, that was, until he had to ruin it by being Cal yet again. “Only if you want one, I’m sure Cindy would make some for us. It’ll be pink and everything. Your favorite color.”

Cal rolled his eyes at her counterargument. “Is a lot of salt good for your teeth then?” He asked, continuing to needle her. There was no winning an argument against Calvin Cunningham when he wanted to be petulant - although Beth Richards was probably stood the best chance out of anyone. She’d put up with his constant need to be right more than most people had, honestly. “I’m really starting to think I’m going to have to find a new dentist in the future or risk having to sue your for malpractice.” 

He frowned, jaw setting at the thought of getting caught in the middle of an argument between Ginny and Beth. There was literally no part of him that wanted to get stuck in that situation. “Did your hair look bad?” Cal asked with a raised eyebrow, wanting to get the facts straight at least. Because if Ginny was just being honest, Cal would point out that being blunt wasn’t a bad quality. Maybe that was rude of him, but Cal had always been the type to defend the people he was dating. Just because someone was in the wrong didn’t mean that he couldn’t find some excuse for them, and the appearance of being a happy couple mattered to him, even if there were cracks in their actual relationship. “She also has her own job. She doesn’t need my money.” Maybe when he was an actual doctor, whoever he was married to would be his trophy wife, but on his current salary? Yeah, that wouldn’t impress anyone really. 

As far as Cal could tell, Laura and Rebecca would just have to get over the idea of being in-laws. Maybe Mrs. Richards would have a better chance with the Foremans; they had two daughters, Cal was pretty sure. Or maybe she and Laura could just learn to stay out of their children’s love lives - there was a novel idea. Because Cal was positive he wouldn’t be marrying a Richards any time soon at least. “I know dentists are doctors, Elizabeth,” He poked her back after swatting her hand away from his chest. “Not that anyone’s ever said that a dentist saved their life, but sure. They’re “doctors.”” He couldn’t help the dig, arrogance coming out in full force once Beth mentioned his ambulance. “Please. You couldn’t handle being covered in blood.” Cal snorted, crossing his arms over his chest. “It’s not a cozy little office job.” Maybe he was going a bit far, but Cal was still struggling with learning when to shut the fuck up. And besides, it wasn’t like Beth didn’t know he was a dick. She knew just as well as most. 

“I’m incapable of love.” Cal replied stubbornly, rolling his eyes rather than take any of this seriously. Besides, Cal was over Beth. Or at least he was trying to be. Being back made feelings stir up again, but that was only because of how strongly he’d felt in high school. Now, he was dating Ginny and Beth was still pining after Chance, and he deserved someone who wasn’t. “There’s nothing wrong with liking pink,” He replied, nudging her with his elbow. “I look great in pink, in fact.” 

thad very rarely thought poorly of himself, but ever since the explosion went off, he felt utterly useless. he couldn’t buy the injuries away and he was no good with the emotional stuff. while he might have been a skeptic on matters of love, he still cared about nancy, he was just struggling to show her that in the ways he tended to her while they were still in the hospital. he left the room a lot, wandering the halls like a lost soul, frequenting the vending machine like it was his own personal business what people did or didn’t buy. he wasn’t necessarily hungry, or thirsty, but it was the act of putting cash into the machine, then watching something fall out. an instant response. an indicator that something was happening. 

that autopilot action was thwarted when thad was trying to put a twenty into the machine. it just wouldn’t take. he was getting so frustrated his cheeks were steadily growing rosy from all his huffing and puffing. it took him a second to process someone was talking to him, but when it registered, he put on his snobbiest grin and answered, “sure thing.” looking down at his shirt with pride, “why didn’t you, man?” thad asked, surprised at the revelation, “i wouldn’t step foot in a shithole like indiana for notre dame.” he rolled his eyes, then pumped his fist into the other guys shoulder, “what, are you like, catholic?” thad frowned at the next revelation that it wouldn’t take his twenty, but jumped at the opportunity to take the five from notre dame guy. “not sure, i think i’ve tried just about every piece of junk in this machine.” he admitted as he inserted the bill, then scratched the back of his neck. looking back over at the other, he asked, “what about you?”

The guy seemed pretty upset about something, which made sense. They were in a hospital after all, and he was probably here to see one of the patients. If Cal was guessing correctly, it was someone from the carnival explosion - he was pretty sure their rooms were all this way. At least, this had been the direction he’d seen Max Mayfield coming from when he’d confronted her about stealing his ambulance to get the patients here. Cal had gotten chewed out about that by his boss, and while he was glad to still have a job, he was pissed the little gremlin had done it in the first place. 

“It seemed a little too easy to get into,” Cal replied with a shrug. In actuality, after getting his Harvard rejection letter, Cal had sworn off Boston all together. But, he wasn’t about to just admit that to the impressive guy in front of him. How embarrassing would that be? At the mention of Indiana being a shithole, Cal snorted in agreement. “Yeah, I feel that. But with the amount of senators, representatives and governors who went there? I mean, hell, honorary degrees are meaningless, but they gave FDR one, so I can technically say we’ll both have degrees from the same university when I finish.” Cal rambled, grinning with pride. He thought FDR’s policies were too progressive, personally, but he was thrilled to share a school with a former president. He rolled his eyes, smile on his face at the friendly fist to his shoulder. “My parents are,” Cal shrugged. In all honesty, he hadn’t believed in anything since he was twelve. “What about you, Emerson? Getting a liberal arts degree?” Cal teased, softly punching Thad back with a smile to show he wasn’t actually making fun of him. 

With another shrug, Cal leaned against the machine, not even bothering to look in. He had become way too acquainted with this thing since he’d started working here. “I need some caffeine,” Cal admitted. “Probably a Coke, since I don’t have long enough to go grab a coffee.” He looked over at the other boy, half-smile on his face as he held out his hand to shake. “I’m Cal, by the way.” 

Beth rolled her eyes at him, giving his arm a light shove. “I’m sorry, since when did a dentist have to condone healthy eating? That’s your job, Dr. Cunningham. I just need to tell the kids to not chew too much gum or eat jawbreakers,” she pointed out. She missed this when they were off in college–she and Cal going back and forth, what others would see as pointless arguments being held out until one of them got the last word. It was usually Beth who did in the end, but not after Cal had given her a fair fight.

He opened the door for her, and she nearly stopped dead in her tracks. “I’m pretty sure Ginny Driscoll is your trophy wife,” she muttered, finally stepping through the doorway. Back when they were kids, their mothers were convinced that at least one of the Cunningham and Richards pairings would work out, but Beth never wanted it to be with Cal. Besides, Cal was dating Ginny, who had somehow managed to go from tolerable to raging mean girl who pointed out peoples’ split ends on the street. 

“You’re right. Cindy’s a little young for you, anyway,” she said, louder this time as they reached the sidewalk. “You’re so dramatic. I don’t think a spit ball could take out anyone’s eye. Ever considered optometry?” Beth teased, beginning to head in the direction of the pizza parlor. “Oh, please, Calvin, you know you love me. I was going to say I’d allow best friend in the world, but trophy academic stimulant has a nice ring to it.”

Cal rolled his eyes, shoving her back. “Oh, so proper dental practices include eating whatever you want? Time to go eat a handful of sugar, then. I’m sure four out of five dentists recommend that.” He replied. Frankly, the idea was a bit gross to him - he’d never had a sweet tooth - but he loved making stupid arguments and sticking to his guns. Cal had never met an argument he didn’t want to counter before; it was the former Debate Team Captain in him. 

At the mention of Ginny, Cal frowned. That comment felt pointed, and kind of out of nowhere honestly. Sure, things with Ginny had been a bit awkward at times since they’d both come back to Hawkins, but they were still together. Beth didn’t really have the right to criticize that, considering she’d been in love with an idiot like Chance for years. “Yeah, she likes me for my EMT salary,” Cal replied snidely, scoffing at the idea. He definitely didn’t make enough to woo anyone who was only interested in him for his money. “Lay off of her, Elizabeth.” 

Once upon a time, Laura Cunningham and Rebecca Richards had been positive that two of their kids would end up together. At first it had been Chrissy and Adam, the pair that had actually had the best shot at ending up together. Once they’d broken up, there were still plenty of other options, though. “Who said anything about Cindy?” Cal wrinkled his nose. “I think our moms are just going to have to accept not becoming in-laws, at this rate.” Considering Chance was probably never going to be interested in Beth, and Beth would never be interested in Cal. Maybe Carl and Cindy would beat the odds and make it. “Excuse me, which one of us is going to be a fucking doctor?” Cal cut in as he followed her. “I think I’m the higher authority on eye related injuries. When there’s an issue with someone’s molar, I’ll give you a call.” After all, Cal was working as an EMT currently. The amount of gross eye injuries he’d had to help with was weirdly higher than you’d expect. His ambulance had seen some shit. 

“I love you?” Cal scoffed, tips of his ears heating up at the words. Sure, he had in high school. But he was with Ginny now. If there was ever a time to get over Elizabeth Richards, it was now. “Wait, I’m your best friend?” He looked at her, genuinely a bit touched by that. He would have assumed the real answer was one of her siblings, or someone she knew from college or something. But as sweet as that was, Cal was simply incapable of letting a moment be genuine between them. “What, are we going to make each other matching friendship bracelets?”

WHAT: A Meet-Cute between two assholes on their way to redemption arcs

WHERE: The hospital!

Cal liked his job for the most part. He wanted to be a fully-fledged doctor one day, working as a surgeon preferably, but for now, the fast-paced environment of EMS work was interesting. Until days like this, when very little happened. Hawkins was a sleepy town most of the time. The explosion had shaken things up, but once the dust had settled and the patients were being seen by doctors and nurses, Cal was left with very little to do. 

He’d responded to a few calls today, but nothing life threatening thankfully. Now, he was on his break, getting a Coke from the vending machine. Glancing down the hall, he spotted a guy he’d seen around a few times the last few days wearing an Emerson shirt trying to insert a $20 into the machine. “Emerson, huh?” Cal asked once he’d arrived, glancing at the bill in the other’s hand. “I thought about applying. I go to Notre Dame,” He smiled proudly, unable to stop himself from taking the opportunity to brag about his own private school. “Uh, I don’t think it takes bills that high.” Cal reached around his pocket, pulling out a $5. “What are you getting?” 

𝐖𝐇𝐎: Virginia Driscoll & @calcunningham​​​​​​​​​​​

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓: Val/Calginia on the dash :/

𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄: Cunningham Residence!

Virginia Driscoll did care about Cal Cunningham. Sure, it had been up for hot debate if she lacked that part of the brain that made you feel empathy or compassion, but she would go to her grave saying she cared so much about him right down to the crazy family. Things were just different. It wasn’t like high school and now being together in the form of real life and not countless letters or phone calls? It was an adjustment. What could they talk about if not for school? What could they do other than rent movies? Posted up in Cal’s bed, she flipped over on her stomach. Thank whoever above for Laura Cunningham allowing her sons to close their doors. Otherwise, she’d have begged Cal to come to her dad’s.

“We should go see a movie,” she finally spoke up, looking over at him. “No offense, but if your mom asks me to help with dinner again, I might scream,” a little overdramatic? Maybe. “I don’t even know how to cook more than mac and cheese,” and that was why Cal’s mom never favored Ginny. She didn’t go to church with his family, wore clothes that would make anyone over the age of thirty-five faint, and never had the skills of a homemaker. In Laura’s eyes, Virginia Driscoll was totally and utterly useless. “I heard that there’s an early release of The Dead Pool playing at the Hawk and you know I love Dirty Harry,” she begged, giving him her best puppy dog eyes, accompanied by a pouted bottom lip. “I’ll even treat you to it.”

Calvin Cunningham and Virginia Driscoll made perfect sense together. Both were intelligent, driven, somewhat emotionally detached hot people. They’d also both been nerds when they’d gotten together for the first time back in high school, towards the end when he’d decided to stop pining after Beth so much. And Cal liked Ginny! He had no reason not to. She listened to him talk about his course work, just like he listened to her talk about hers. Ginny put up with his mother, which wasn’t something Cal himself even liked having to deal with. On paper, they were a perfect match. 

But in reality, there was something...off. It felt odd being back together now in person after having been long distance for a couple of months; some piece of the puzzle wasn’t fitting together quite right. But maybe it was in his head. Maybe they were actually fine, or at least they might be given some time. Cal liked Ginny enough to keep trying for now, and that was all that mattered. “Yeah, she said she’s doing chicken tonight, so if we stick around, she’ll definitely rope you into something.” Cal rolled his eyes. How one tolerated being around Laura Cunningham for an extended period of time, he did not know. “Thank you for dealing with her, by the way,” Cal looked at Ginny, offering her a small smile. “I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to avoid this place for awhile, though. Trust me, with Chrissy being around, she’ll forget all about you soon enough.” Laura would probably be glad for it, honestly. Cal knew the pair didn’t really hit it off for a variety of reasons. 

“Dirty Harry?” Cal repeated, trying not to let his distain show too much. “Clint Eastwood’s fine, I guess.” He thought the movies were kind of shitty, honestly. Not much thinking skills required, but Cal supposed shutting your brain off for a few hours was kind of the point of movies sometimes. “It beats Who Framed Roger Rabbit at least.” Not that he’d seen it. Rolling over to face Ginny, he raised an eyebrow. “You want to treat me, Driscoll?” He asked, wondering if she’d go back on it. “I can get dinner, if you want to just blow off eating with my family.” 

Beth began to shove her books into her bag before Cal could object, eager to get the hell out of the library. Back in the day, they’d spent hours there together at the opposite ends of a table until one of them caved and went home, but now, things were different. Everything was different post-Adam, and even more so now that he was back. Beth didn’t find the same stamina that she used to when it came to studying, as it could’ve been better spent at home, with her brother. If she hadn’t registered for a summer class back in the spring before he’d come home, she wouldn’t have been in one now, But, this was college, the thing that she had to take seriously, while no one else in her family could. 

“You’re so weird,” she said with a roll of her eyes, slinging her backpack over her shoulder. “Right, I’m buying with the money from my new coffee business.” Beth shrugged theatrically, pouting her lip. “I don’t know, that would require you to be a family member or a friend, both of which are questionable,” she teased, getting a head start on the exit. “I would say you’re in between an academic stimulant and someone I throw spit balls at during family dinner, so that’s for you to decide.”

Since switching to Pre-Health after Chrissy disappeared, Cal had become a much better person. That didn’t mean that he was a great guy, or even healthier when it came to his study habits. In fact, he still spent 90% of his time with his nose stuck in a book, determined to learn all that he could about whatever he was interested in in order to help him reach his next life goal. That happened to be med school currently. He didn’t know which one yet, only that he had to get in somewhere because he wasn’t sure he wanted to be an EMT forever. 

He was glad that Beth still pushed him academically. If she’d turned into an underachiever in college, he probably would have driven the two hours to Purdue and forced her to study himself. She was too smart to be a slacker. He would allow them to take a break now, though. After all, they’d ace their class - Cal and Beth always did. “I’m weird for wanting to be healthy?” Cal continued, picking on her purely to get a reaction. “God, maybe they should take away your future dental license for that. I’ll call the board right now if you want,” He teased, throwing his backpack over his shoulders as he stood up. 

“I mean, I don’t mind being a trophy wife. Or, I mean, a trophy academic stimulant,” Cal shrugged, following her towards the door. At the mention of him being neither friend nor family, he made a face. “Yeah, not really trying to be your family member any time soon. And I guess it is too soon to call us friends, you’re right. We’ve only known one another since we were kids.” He deadpanned, rolling his eyes as he opened the door and held it for her. “Considering you almost took my eye out last time you shot a spit ball at me, I think I’m owed financial compensation, Dr. Richards. I’ll accept it in the form of the coffee you now owe me for being annoying.” 

The question was intimidating, like she shouldn’t need an excuse for needing a break beyond the biochemistry that Cal knew. It was a challenge: more than one that she felt before he went to college: they were always going to be decided. Even if Cal wasn’t going to be a dentist, he was going to be something in the medical field, and Beth thought that was enough to accept his opinion. It was the same way they’d studied in high school, with one of them cracking before the other to accept a break in the stream of studying. It just so happened to be Cal this time that was giving into her request.

Beth didn’t want to look up, afraid of what she’d find, but she did, anyway. The look of a boy with a highlighter between his teeth was enough to send her into a loving territory she’d never met before, and with Cal, it was worse. “Shut it,” she warmed, hitting his arm lightly with her pen. He had used her full name, and it was enough to narrow her eyes and stare at him. “Fuck off, Calvin. Yes, I want to get pizza. Who the hell are you? Do you not want pizza?” she challenged, snapping her notebook closed with a pen between the pages. “Coffee isn’t even a question. At this rate, I’ll be buying out Melvald’s supply of beans. I’ll take them home so only Adam and I can access them, and then you’ll have to pay a reasonable fee. At least, that’s what they suggested when I joined a business class,” she teased, raising a brow.

Cal loved how much Beth challenged him. Back when they were younger, he’d hated it, hated that she could keep up with him intellectually when very few others could. But over the years, he’d grown to love that about her. He loved that she was smart, and didn’t let his bullshit phase her. In fact, she gave it right back. That was part of the reason why he’d fallen for her when they were kids, and what had made it so tough to get over her even now. 

But he had a girlfriend. Who was gorgeous. And also smart. And Beth was into his older brother. 

He snorted when she hit him with the pen, rolling his eyes as he swatted back at her with his highlighter. They’d always used each other’s full names to annoy the other, as neither went by them. He had to admit, though, that he liked the way she said Calvin. “Hmm, maybe not. Maybe I want something that stimulates my brain more, like a vegetable,” He replied just to be difficult, ignoring that it was his own suggestion. “But fine, if you insist, we can get pizza. But you’re buying.” Cal smirked lightly, zipping his backpack up. “I have to pay you a reasonable fee? What did your business class define as ‘reasonable’?” Cal replied dubiously. Business classes were useful, but he was glad he’d never had to take one. “Do I at least get the friends and family discount?” 

WHO: beth richards & @calcunningham​ WHERE: the library

Beth was absolutely the type to take (and study for) a summer class, and she knew that Cal Cunningham was of the same breed. Three years of high school together wasn’t wasted on the belief that the only person to get into Notre Dame wouldn’t take all of his academic experience as seriously as she did. Since Adam and Chrissy had come back from the dead commune, she hadn’t gotten much studying done, but since the wave of carnival fear had gotten done, it was time to get back to hitting the books, trying to get ahead for the summer. It was another biology class, one that she’d been hoping to get out of the way with a less-challenging summer class, but it was still kicking her ass. If anyone could motivate her to study, Cal could.

So, they sat, with their coffees, ready to go. Beth brought her binder full of notes and a rainbow full of pens to the library, sitting across from Cal at the table at the library. They were both enrolled in science classes, and she figured a good catch-up with one of her unlikely best friends/past academic stimulators might be a good thing. What also might be good about it was that Cal could get away from his insufferable girlfriend, who was once Beth’s friend, Ginny, who was apparently back for the summer and worse than ever. She wouldn’t say that, though. Not in her dreams. “Let me know when you want to break for lunch. You know, we could hit the diner, or something. Not that Benny’s is open to hit, but you know. I could get away from this textbook for an hour.”

No matter what was going on in the world, one thing was for certain: Cal Cunningham was going to be studying for a class. He hadn’t been able to sit still and relax even once in his life, especially not now that he was so close to graduating. If he took an extra class this summer, he was on track to graduate in December, which meant he could go ahead and apply for medical schools soon. That would add a whole new level of stress, but Cal was excited for the challenge. Working as an EMT right now was really great experience, even if things had kind of gone off the rails at the carnival in town a week ago. 

Being back in Hawkins was kind of weird, though. He’d come periodically after Chrissy had gone missing - that was how he’d reconnected with Ginny over Spring Break. But now they were here together as a couple? It was.... nice. But weird considering he still hung around Beth Richards. But, they were family friends. Friends on their own, even. It was fine for them to study together just like they always had in high school. Especially because Cal was pretty sure she was still caught up on Chance. 

Yellow highlighter trapped between his teeth, Cal scrunched up his nose as he read from his Biochemistry textbook. The class was challenging, so he figured it was probably a good thing he was taking it over summer. “You need a break already?” Cal asked once he’d taken the highlighter out of his mouth, raising an eyebrow at Beth. “Breaks are for the weak, Elizabeth,” He teased, though he was already closing his own textbook and notebook. “Holy shit, yeah, I forgot Benny’s was closed now. You want to get pizza?” Cal offered, shoving his books into the backpack he’d brought. “We should get coffee before we come back, though. You’ll fall asleep and you really aren’t cute when you snore.” A lie, but not one Cal was ready to admit to. Besides, while he’d always had a soft spot for Beth, joking was their love language - platonically, of course. Because romantic love had always been out of the question, he’d just been stupid enough to hope that it might not be.