#strangersays

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯✮ playlist ✮⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ → Message in a Bottle - The Police → Smalltown - John Mellencamp → American Teenager - Ethel Cain → Heroes - David Bowie → Only the Good Die Young - Billy Joel → You’re So Vain - Carly Simon → Little Lies - Fleetwood Mac → Karma Chameleon - Culture Club → True Colors - Cyndi Lauper → Bitter Sweet Symphony - The Verve → I’m Still Standing - Elton John → Some Protector - ROLE MODEL → Free Fallin’ - Tom Petty

pairings: toni henderson/ dustin henderson (siblings); steve harrington x nancy wheeler; toni henderson/ jonathan byers (platonic friends); nancy wheeler x jonathan byers; toni henderson/ nancy wheeler (platonic friends); toni henderson/ robin buckley (platonic friends); steve harrington x toni henderson (eventually)

taglist:

Dustin continued to gorge himself with oatmeal, his snarky response mumbled between bites. She rolled her eyes at his behavior and continued to focus on the road ahead.

“I hope that someone gets my, I hope that someone gets my-- -- ---”

“SHIT!” Dustin yelped as oatmeal poured down the front of his t-shirt. 

“Dustin,” Toni huffed. 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” His voice overlaps with her own, “But the good news is that it’s just on me and not on the car seat!”

She shook her head and laughed at her little brother’s mishap. As she turned off the main road, both Hawkins Middle and High came into view, “Hold on…”

After parking the car, Toni reached into the back seat. Her hand searched for the fabric that she knew was there, but just couldn’t see. A smirk snuck onto her face when she finally found what she searched for. She presented him with a fresh and clean t-shirt to wear over his hoodie instead, “Aha!”

He snagged it from her hands after peeling off the oatmeal-stained t-shirt. Once he slipped it on, he glanced down to read the text, “Drama Club?”

“It’s an extra t-shirt that we didn’t sell at the fundraiser last month. Keep it,” She shrugged and leaned back again to grab her book bag, “Just don’t spill--”

Before she could finish the thought, Dustin quickly ducked out of the vehicle and immediately moved to the trunk of the Jeep Wagoneer. Toni climbed out with a wave to wait for her, but Dustin had already managed to pull out his bicycle without her. 

“Are you sure you don’t want me to just drive you to Mike’s house after school?” Toni asked him again. A light huff escaped her, “Mom’s not exactly in love with the idea of you biking around town with Will missing.”

Dustin scoffed and shook his head; his curls moved underneath his hat, “Nah. I’m fine.”

He tried to play the question off as a joke as he hopped onto the bicycle seat. She leaned over and grabbed the handlebars of the bike before he could take off. With a small grin and a tap to her bookbag, Toni sent him off towards the middle school, “I know, I know. But if anything changes, walkie me. Got it?”

Toni extended her hand in agreement. Dustin rolled his eyes but giggled as he gave her a high five, “Got it.”

With that, Dustin was off to school, and Toni walked in the opposite direction. The past twenty-four hours had been such a strange whirlwind that it left a bad taste in her mouth. She ran a nervous hand through her hair as she stepped into the hallways of Hawkins High, and she listed out her tasks for the day in her head. Help Jonathan hang posters. Take the chemistry test (that she forgot to study for). Go back out with Mom and the volunteer party to search for Will. 

Task one completed itself as Toni spotted Jonathan in the hallway. The poor guy stood sulking by one of the numerous corkboards that lined the halls of Hawkins High. Maybe her fellow classmates considered him an oddball, yet she knew the elder Byers boy was just more introverted. Maybe if more of her classmates understood the struggle of being raised by a single mother or dealing with an absent father, they’d give him more sympathy. Maybe she’d feel a little more understood by her own friends. 

She shook the thought from her head as she approached him with a gentle smile and a wave, “Hey - how’s your mom?”

Jonathan let out a soft sigh, and his shoulders sagged in the exhale. He passed her a stack of the missing posters to hang, “She’s umm… Well, you know my mom. This whole thing’s left her more scatterbrained… than usual.”

“Yeah… yeah,” Toni nodded along, “My, uh, mom is planning to drop off a casserole to your place. Though I’m sure Mrs. Wheeler’s already been on top of that. Soon your fridge will be overstocked with casseroles.”

She faltered slightly at the underlying implication of her words, “But that’s not to say that Will won’t show up soon. I mean, between the search parties and the cops.”

Jonathan shrugged and glanced down at the poster, “Yeah… the cops. Hopper thinks that he’s at my dad’s since he won’t call mom back.”

Toni gave him an inquisitive look. Though she might not be the closest with the elder Byer’s boy, they both shared a mutual disdain for their fathers.

“I know. That’s why I’m driving down to Indianapolis after school,” He chuffed at the unappeased look on her face, “But… don’t say anything.”

She quickly nodded in understanding, though the air still grew stiff between them. 

“Why don’t you start with the school bulletin boards? I’ll hit the girls’ restrooms and the cafeteria?” Toni suggested to Jonathan with a smile. He just nodded and quietly got to work, tacking up the xerox of the flyer. 

Toni turned on her heels to make her way down the hall, only to spot Barb and Nancy in another walking study session. She raised her hand to wave at her friends, just to be outshone by Steve Harrington and his gaggle of goons, who swept in. She scoffed silently at the scene and fully intended to continue down her determined path. But out of the corner of her eye, she saw Nancy approach Jonathan…

Nancy had always been a sweet girl, and Toni really couldn’t wrap her head around the fact that she’d ever go steady with some sleezeball with good hair-- 

Oh fuck…

Toni cut her eyes over only to find said sleezeball with good hair himself already looking in her direction. Her nose scrunched as she felt his brown eyes scan over her watching figure. And when she silently challenged him by meeting his gaze, Steve quickly refocused his attention back to Nancy. His jaw tightened as she watched him interact with the older Byers’ boy. 

A huff escaped through her nose as she ducked into the girls’ bathroom by her home room class to tape up the picture of Will. The intercom buzzed to life as one of the front office ladies announced, “Attention, faculty and students. At eight PM tonight, there will be an assembly on the football field in support of Will Byers and his family. All are encouraged to attend. Volunteer sign-ups for search parties are still available in the office.”

-- -- --

It was just a little past four in the afternoon when Toni got home to the Henderson residence. Her mom’s little Honda wasn’t in its usual parking spot, but when Toni went inside, she immediately spotted the note her mom had left on the counter. 

Ran to Melvald’s for flashlights. Be back by 5:30 for the search party!

Toni smiled at the familiar cursive script before tossing the note in the bin. She shuffled down the hallway towards her bedroom, and her bookbag landed near the foot of her bed when she threw it. She flopped back against the mattress and gazed up at the plastic glow-in-the-dark stars that littered the ceiling of her bedroom. 

She considered taking a catnap, especially as Mews, their cat, wandered into her room. Yet the thought was short-lived as her bedroom phone rang. She picked up the phone with a groan.

“Henderson house.”

“Toni,” Barb’s voice sounded from the other end, “You have got to talk some sense into Nance.”

A laugh erupted from her chest at Barb’s stressed tone, “Oh god, what did Harrington do now?”

Barb sighed. The sound of her breath made the line crackle with static, “He’s convinced her to come over to his place tonight.”

“Okay, a house party on a Tuesday is weird, but so what?”

“So what?” Barb repeated, “Toni, it’s not a party. It’s gonna be Steve, Nancy, Tommy, Carol… and me…”

Toni cringed at her words, “Oh, don’t sound so enthused. I might start to think that the cool kids are starting to grow on you, too.”

“Ha, never,” Bard wryly laughed, “But she’s being dense, Toni. Acting like he’s not just trying to get in her pants. That’s why you have to come with us.”

“Come with you? Hell no,” She chuffed.

“Why not?”

“First of all,” Toni started, “My mom and I signed up for the volunteer parties to help look for Will. And even if I didn’t have plans, my mom wouldn’t allow it, and I don’t even want to breathe the same air as Carol, much less hang out with her. She’s the reason why the school play was switched from The Crucible to Oklahoma! And I fucking hate Oklahoma!”

“Toni…”

“No.”

“Toni…”

“No!”

Barb exhaled harshly on her end, knowing that she couldn’t change Toni’s mind, “Could you at least… call her? Talk some sense into her?”

Toni sighed as she picked up the desperation in Barb’s tone, “I…”

Before she could answer, Toni heard the garage door of her house go up and her mother called out her name, “Coming! Listen, Barb, maybe she’ll come to her senses and everything will work out? But I’ve gotta run. Catch ya tomorrow.”

“Catch ya to--” Barb’s voice cut off when Toni placed the phone back on the receiver. 

-- -- --

“Will!” “Will Byers!” “Will!”

Voices called out across multiple distances, the feminine and masculine tones mixed in the constant call with no response. The sun had set an hour ago, and the nightscape of the woods had started to come alive. Toni walked a few feet ahead of her mother, continuing to survey the area for any clues. The whistle that the police had given her to use in case they found something remained in her free hand, and her thumb occasionally grazed over the creased metal. 

As they searched, she wondered if this hunt would feel the same if it wasn’t Will Byers who was missing, but her own baby brother who was the last person to see Will alive. And if it wasn’t a kid, would the town rally around some other poor soul or just presume them dead? Maybe she was just overempathetic, but something about how Will just seemed to vanish didn’t sit right with her. 

“Toni, slow down, I can’t keep up,” Her mother took winded breaths as she jogged to keep up. Toni halted in her spot as she realized that her long legs had carried her further away from her mother’s side than intended. 

The two Henderson women walked in tandem, occasionally stopping to call out for the missing boy. Toni hugged her jacket closer to her frame. 

“Was Dusty okay when you dropped him off this morning?” Claudia finally asked her daughter the question that had been nagging at her all day.

Toni cracked a smile at her mother’s concern, “Yeah, he was good. I mean, as good as he can be when one of his closest friends is missing, but y’know, Dustin. He’s always so… chipper.”

Claudia chuckled at her choice of words, “You were the same way. Not in middle school, but you both share this natural enthusiasm. And I know that your father--”

“I don’t want to talk about dad.” Toni stopped and looked at her mom with a sour expression. Yet when she noticed the way her mother’s shoulders drooped, she was quick to apologize for her tone, “I’m sorry, I just… I want to make sure that our family is taken care of - you, me, and Dusty.”

Her mother offered her a comforting grin as she reached out to pat her shoulder, “Our family is gonna be okay, just the three of us.”

“Just the three of us,” Toni nodded in agreement. The ladies were prepared to continue ahead when Toni noticed another volunteer nearby - a familiar volunteer at that. 

“Mr. Clarke!” She called out to her old science teacher. 

The gentleman paused his steps and shone the flashlight in her direction. When he realized it was a former student, he waved her over, “Toni! It’s great to see you. I’d prefer it to be under better circumstances, but I’m glad to see you volunteer.”

“You too,” She smiled and nodded, “It’s good to see you too. I hope that my brother and his pack of nerds aren’t driving you too crazy.”

Her wording made a bubble of laughter escape him, “Your brother and his friends are some of the brightest students I have the privilege of teaching.”

“Oh, lord, did Dustin pay you off with his allowance to say that?” She joked. 

“No, no. Not yet, at least,” Mr. Clarke shook his head as they continued the search together, her mother just a few paces behind, “Though I was surprised to see him at school today. Mrs. Wheeler had called before third period to let the school know he’d be out for the day. I figured that Dustin and Lucas would also feel a little… emotional about coming to school.”

“Ha, Dustin loves your class too much to ever pretend to be sick,” Her mother interjects from behind. 

They all laughed at the comment, but it quickly died out when the three of them found a storm drain. Mr. Clarke approached it first and knelt to glance inside. 

“Would Will even fit into that tiny space?” Toni questioned. 

“I don’t know,” Mr. Clarke answered as he turned back to the ladies. He held up a small, torn piece of lightly patterned white fabric, “But you might want to whistle for the Chief.”

Without another word, Toni put the whistle to her lips and alarmed the other volunteers.

-- -- --

The passing period was just about to end. Toni had a free period coming up and had already agreed to meet Jonathan in the school’s darkroom. Yet as she shut her locker, she was met with a surprise. 

“Oh my god, Nance!” She clutched her chest and gawked at her friend. 

“Sorry,” Nancy cringed slightly. Toni took a closer look at her, noticing the way the weight of the world seemed to sag onto her shoulders. Yesterday, she had been so cheery, and today, Nancy Wheeler seemed cursed by the world. She cocked her head to the side and asked, “Have you seen Barb?”

Toni stiffened at the question, “Um… no. I guess she wasn’t in homeroom. But didn’t you two… go to Steve’s last night?”

Nancy went pale at Toni’s response. She went to ask something else, but King Steve called for his princess, “Nancy, hey. You promised we’d get lunch together.”

“Coming!” Princess Wheeler glanced back at her prince in a varsity jacket and nodded. Her eyes darted back to Toni as she pulled away, “I’ll… talk to you later.” 

As Nancy and Steve disappeared towards the cafeteria, Toni watched on in confusion. 

“God, I don’t get what she sees in him,” A voice scoffed from behind her.

Toni exhaled and turned back towards her locker, “Neither do I, Robin. I’ll catch you in sixth period, and… keep an eye out for Barb, I guess.”

Without another word to her friend, Toni hurried down the hall to meet up with Jonathan. As soon as she tucked into the darkly lit red room, Jonathan seethed, “Hey - the light!”

“Sorry,” Toni quickly excused herself, “What do you think you found? Where did you take these photos anyway? The curfew went into effect last night.”

Jonathan scoffed at her questions, “Yeah, cause Hopper’s curfew is just so strict. And… the photos haven’t even developed yet. I had to reattach some of the frames because my camera started acting up.”

“Okay, okay,” Toni nodded as she glanced over the pins, “I’ve, uh, got a counseling appointment, but I’ll try and catch you after school.”

Footsteps approached from outside the darkroom, and Jonathan simply nodded in response. Toni moved to leave, but the door opened from the outside first. She nearly collided with Nicole, the redhead in her math class. Both girls muttered a polite ‘excuse me’ before continuing with their days. 

-- -- --

“Tonya --”

“Toni,” She quickly corrected. 

The guidance counselor gave her a tight-lipped smile, “Tonya’s a very pretty name, you know. And you are a very pretty girl. I don’t understand why you want your name to come off so… masculine. You won’t want to put Toni on your college applications in a couple of years, and your parents probably spent proper time picking out that name because it really does suit you.”

Toni shook her head and bit back any remark that she’d write in her journal later, “No… my legal name is Tonya because my mom passed out after being in labor for six hours, and my dad couldn’t remember what they had agreed to name me, because he was, as one would expect, drunk. So he named me Tonya because that is what the nurse's name was.”

The room remained silent for a few moments as they sat staring at each other. Eventually, the silence was broken when the counselor cleared her throat, “You mentioned wanting to go to college during our meeting last month. Have you given any thought about where you want to go? What do you want to study?”

Toni’s fingers drummed against her knees as she thought about her answer. The pressures of being sixteen and deciding what you wanted to do with the rest of your life - what joy…

“Most of my friends either want to stay in state or run off to either coast,” She started as she straightened her posture in the uncomfortable office chair. 

“I don’t know where I want to go, maybe a nicer liberal arts college in Chicago?” Her blue eyes flicked over to the clock on the wall. Five more minutes until she could drive home, maybe convince her mom to order a pizza and watch M.A.S.H., “I think I’d like to study theatre. Or writing, but not journalism, creative writing. Maybe be a director… and a playwright.”

“Theatre?” The counselor chuckled to herself and shook her head, “Toni, you’re a smart girl. You could do anything you set your mind to. But do you want to know what happened to the last drama club girl who told me she was going to be a director?”

Toni shifted awkwardly in her seat, “Um… no…”

“She graduated, got a job at Melvard’s, and got pregnant,” The counselor deadpanned.

In her shock, Toni could only blink as the guidance counselor laughed as if she’d made a funny joke, “Ah, so tell me how your friends are doing. I know last time you mentioned feeling disjointed in your friendships, that you didn’t feel like you really found a group to mesh with.”

The counselor adjusted her glasses to read off the names in her notes, “Robin… Barb… Nancy…”

“Yeah, well, Nancy has suddenly gone boy crazy and drags Barb around with her because I ‘keep myself too busy’ with drama club,” she deeply exhaled from her nose as she adjusted her posture. 

The counselor cocked her head to the side, “But you mentioned chatting with Ms. Wheeler before you came into my office. Y’know, you were really close with Nancy and Barb last year.”

“We were close because the three of us had the same schedule last year,” Toni explained, “And I was talking to Nancy because she asked if I had seen Barb today, but I don’t even remember the last time the three of us got to really hang out.”

“You could’ve had the same schedule again this year if you had signed up for accelerated algebra and econ like I had suggested last year,” Her counselor quickly corrected her. 

Her jaw tensed at the tone of the older woman. Toni carded her fingers through her hair and shrugged, “I didn’t feel that I was ready for that. My brain just isn’t-- Math is my brother’s thing. I’m more into history and literature, which is why I already approached Mrs. Click about taking U.S History as a junior, like you suggested.”

It was obvious that the counselor didn’t appreciate the reciprocated tone from her. 

Toni moved to grab her bag until the counselor interrupted, “Your little brother, Dustin, I know he’s friends with the Byers boy that went missing. How’s he holding up?”

“I’d rather not discuss my brother or Will. That’s just… a really sensitive situation… for our community,” Toni tried to brush her off, “But my mom and I were out last night with the other volunteers to search for him. To try and do our part to help.”

“Because you’re a nice girl, Toni,” The counselor nodded before her tight lips settled into a practiced grin. She shuffled a few papers on her desk and glanced at the clock in satisfaction, “Well, Miss Henderson, I think you’re all set until next month. I do just want to encourage you again to go out for our Lady Tigers basketball team - you’ve got the height for it. And a sport would break up all the artsy things on your transcript. It will show a college just how spirited you are.” 

“Right,” Toni furrowed her brow in disagreement as she stood up. She grabbed her bookbag and headed out of the office. “Have a good night, Mrs. K.”

-- -- --

“Basketball?” Toni scoffed under her breath, “Is she kidding? I can’t even finish the mile without needing my damn inhaler.”

If she had the time, she could rage for hours about the blatant misogyny the older ladies in town had. They always had something to whisper about the Henderson family - from Ms. Henderson owning her own home, Toni being a stubborn teen with a flair for the dramatics, and Dustin not having a father figure in the home. It was suffocating, but at least it wasn’t completely unbearable. It was small-town life - everyone knew every person and thing that occurred in town. 

Maybe that’s why Toni jumped at the first chance to help the Byers family. Because Will went missing, Hawkins suddenly wasn’t permitted to be a mundane town anymore.

Toni fished out her car keys from her pocket as she stepped into the school parking lot. Yet at the top of the hill, she was met with a scene almost parallel to the day before. 

Steve, Tommy, and Carol surrounded Jonathan Byers as Nancy watched from the sidelines, conflict present in her expression. Toni’s brow furrowed as she tried to get a better view of what the moment in front of her entailed. As soon as she recognized Jonathan’s camera in Steve’s hands, she started to march up the hill to help… Only to be too slow. 

“Let’s go - the game’s about to start,” Steve called out to his trio. He shot Jonathan a final glare as he led them back towards the school. 

Toni closed the remaining distance and immediately scrambled to help Johnathan pick up the torn photos and the pieces of his damaged camera. And then Nancy was there, also squatting down to help. When Steve called back to her, the air grew tense as she passed off the photos she had managed to look through back to Jonathan. 

Jonathan and Toni stood in the parking lot, neither quite able to look at each other. 

Toni was the first to speak up, “Maybe we can take it to the Radio Shack. It’s not quite their specialty but--”

“I need to go home,” Jonathan cut her off with an unreadable expression. He took a deep breath, some tension leaving his shoulders, “Thank you, Toni. I do appreciate you trying to help but- but I just need to go home…”

“Right,” She nodded and passed him the broken pieces of his camera, “Right. I’m really sorry… that this happened…”

Jonathan acknowledged her apology with a tilt of his head as he sulked back over towards his car. 

-- -- --

At the book club with the girls! Dinners in the fridge.

Bake for 20 @ 375. Home by 10. Love you both! - Mom

Toni crumpled up the note and tossed it in the trash can as she finished preheating the oven. It was the standard Thursday schedule at this point. Mom would be out with her women’s club, and Dustin would be home late after AV club. 

The sun had just started to set, and for the first time in days, she felt like she had a moment of calm. She cracked open a Diet Coke from the fridge as her eyes darted over her homework. Quadratic equations… how riveting…

She knocked out at least half of the homework problems before the oven beeped. It’s all routine as she moved through the movements. Check the temperature, set the timer for another ten minutes, finish a couple more problems, pull dinner out of the oven, let it rest for five minutes, and finalize the last of the math homework. With her mother’s favored pink oven mitts, Toni placed the baking dish on the kitchen counter with a sense of finality. And for thirty minutes, everything felt normal. 

The buzz of the landline pulled her from the mindless moment. She tugged off the oven mitts and stuffed them under her arms. With a huff, she picked up the line, “Henderson household. This is Toni speaking.”

“Toni.”

Her eyes widened at the voice on the other end, “Nancy?”

“Yeah, uh, it’s me.”

The poor girl sounded like she had just sobbed her eyes out before giving her a call, “Umm… is everything okay? I mean, the shit that happened with Jonathan obviously wasn’t cool.”

Nancy cringed at that as she tried to figure out how to tell her the bad news, “I-I know, I’m going to talk to Steve and try to get him to apologize.”

Toni huffed, “Apologize? Nancy, that was cruel. You can’t think that what Steve did was okay?”

“It wasn’t,” Nancy’s tone turned defensive, “But Jonathan wasn’t exactly a saint either, but that’s no--”

“Okay, so neither of them is perfect, but need I remind you that your current soiree with Harrington doesn’t negate the fact that he’s a Grade A douchebag.”

Nancy took a controlled breath as she attempted to re-navigate the conversation, “So you don’t like Steve, that’s fine. I didn’t call about him or Jonathan. I’m calling about Barb.”

Both paused for a moment of silence, “What about Barb? Did you find her?”

“Toni…”

And suddenly that night, she understood the adage of ‘When it rains, it pours.’ If watching the defeat in Jonathan’s eyes wasn’t enough, if getting a C on her chem test wasn’t enough, if Nancy telling her that Barb was missing and that her parents were actively filing a missing persons report…

Then watching her little brother walk into the house, soaked to the bone with tears streaming down his cherub cheeks, would be the last straw. 

“Dustin,” Toni attempted to console him between sobs that wracked his smaller frame. She hugged him tighter when he gasped for air between his tears. Her fingers brushed through his messy curls, his signature baseball cap now discarded on the floor, “Buddy, please, tell me what happened.”

When he didn’t answer, she kneeled to look him in the eyes, “Was it Troy? Did those assholes try to ambush you again?”

Dustin furiously shook his head as he finally started to catch his breath, “W-Will…”

“Will?” Toni’s ears instantly perked up. She could hardly recall a time she’d seen Dustin so distraught. Not even when their parents told them about the divorce, though he was also far too young to understand fully. 

Dustin hugged his big sister tighter, his face buried into his shoulder as he finally told her, “They found Will’s body…”

Toni’s heart shattered at how small his voice sounded. She tugged him closer and made sure he knew that she was here. That despite the pain he felt in the moment, she wouldn’t leave him to feel it alone. And in the warm glow of the Henderson living room, Toni kept hold of Dustin until his sobs subsided into yawns.

“Okay, but it’s…” Toni glanced towards the kitten-printed clock on the wall, “7 AM.”

“And?”

“And? Jesus Christ,” She mumbled under her breath. She rubbed her eyes and let out a sigh, “Your school doesn’t start until 8:30 AM. And… are you sure that you’re all up to go to school? Y’know… with—” 

“Toni, did you take the last of my Eggos?” Dustin called out from the kitchen. 

Her shoulders dropped as her younger brother’s voice cut in. Her brow furrowed as she glanced back in his direction, “I put them in the toaster for you, and they popped up right before Lucas got here.”

Suddenly, Dustin came around the corner. He attempted to tug his backpack on as an Eggo waffle dangled from his mouth. Dustin made a muffled comment and Lucas tried to keep a laugh in. Toni huffed at the audacity of the boys, “Will you two explain why you're off to school in such a rush?”

“Emergency AV Club meeting,” Dustin easily answered between bites of his breakfast.

“What?”

“Emergency AV Club meeting,” Lucas clarified as Dustin walked out the front door. 

She held up her hands at the boys’ tone, “Yes, I heard the first time, but still. I don’t understand why either of you are so eager to get to school early.”

“It’s a HAM radio, Toni,” Dustin stressed as he tossed on a baseball cap that had somehow ended up on the floor with his shoes. 

“You say that like it’s supposed to mean something to me,” She stressed before her hand came to cradle her forehead. Toni opened her mouth to argue, but couldn’t find it in herself to start anything so early in the morning, “Fine, fine. Go forth and conquer, nerds. Just… Dustin, make sure you—” 

“Radio! Got it!” He yelled back as he bolted with Lucas to his bike outside. 

Toni stood on the front porch as she watched the boys bike up the street. 

— — — 

“Munson, please,” Toni urged the poor boy as she shoved the flyer back into his hand, “The drama club needs more boys, and you’re the perfect recruit!”

Eddie scoffed as her persistent insistence that he should audition every time another school play came around, “I already told ya, Tones, I’m not your guy.”

With a huff, she rolled her eyes and continued to follow him through the halls, “But— but you’re a natural, I mean, D&D is just extreme storytelling, and you’re always very dramatic during your campaigns. And trust me, I know because I hear you and the nerds every time you use the auditorium for your… club meeting or whatever.” 

“Agh! You shouldn’t be eavesdropping on my campaigns--”

“Yeah, yeah,” Toni shushed him, “But it’s in your blood. C’mon, your dad was in drama club!”

Eddie dipped around another corner with double doors leading out to the school practice fields, “And now my dad’s a jailbird on his way to being six feet below. So I guess drama didn’t really work out for him.”

Toni stopped in her tracks, and she realized what he had planned. Her face scrunched into a disapproving look, “Skipping second period isn’t gonna boost your C-.”

“No, but it will get me at least a hundred bucks from the varsity boys and their insistent demands for the good stuff,” he tossed her a playful smirk, “You should try some yourself sometime and remove the permanent stick up your ass.”

The warning bell rang to signal the start of the new period. Toni scoffed and turned to return to class. She made it to her desk right when the tardy bell rang. The teacher already started spewing the plans for the next book report due. She shuffled through her bag to find the syllabus until the class was interrupted by the door. 

God help the poor soul who was late to Mr. Johnson’s honors lit. 

“Pardon me, but can we see Ms. Wheeler for a moment?”

Toni’s eyes cut over towards the doorway to see the vice principal. Her brow furrowed as she glanced at Nancy. The poor girl seemed to avidly avoid the eyes of everyone in the room as she stepped out of class.

“It’s probably about Barb,” Ally whispered from behind. 

Her head whipped back to give the girl a questioning glance, “What do you mean it’s about Barb?”

Ally chuckled gently and shook her head, “Well, Nancy asked me yesterday if I had seen or heard from Barb, and today the police are questioning students? Obviously something’s wrong.”

When Ally continued to give her a strange look, Toni dropped the awkward encounter with a shake of her head, “Right. Obviously.”

— — —

Toni’s eyes flicked between the two officers who sat across from her. Officer Powell and Officer Callahan… Her fingers continued to drum against her bicep as her arms remained crossed. That gnawing feeling in her stomach from yesterday was slowly creeping back in. 

“Do I also get to call my mom?” She exhaled harshly through her nose, “Because I saw Mrs. Wheeler walking out with Nancy, so I think my legal guardian should be present as well if the cops are questioning me. If not, maybe an attorney will do.”

“Ms. Henderson, you’re not in trouble,” Officer Powell calmly replied.

“Right, right,” Officer Callahan straightened his posture, “No reason to be so defensive, Missy.”

Toni’s fingers stopped drumming as her blue eyes focused solely on Officer Powell, “Can you at least acknowledge that this is about Barb? Because I don’t even know why you’re calling me in to talk.”

The gentleman gave her a sincere glance that only confirmed her question, “Ms. Henderson, many of your teachers and peers advised us that you are friends with Ms. Holland and Ms. Wheeler.”

She simply shrugged, “Yeah, we were — are. But that doesn’t explain why you called me in. You don’t need me to describe Barb for the missing poster; she’s got parents who can do that.”

“Because you were the last person who spoke to Ms. Holland before she disappeared from the Harringtons’ home, besides those present at the… get together, as I understand it,” Officer Powell spoke plainly. 

Toni’s brow furrowed at the Officer’s explanation. A small pit began to form in the bottom of her stomach. I was the last person to talk to Barb on the phone? She mulled over the thought, and I just brushed her off like it was nothing.

She cleared her throat and shifted in the seat, “So, you just want to know what she said?”

Officer Callahan took the lead, “That would be a great start.”

Toni swallowed down her pride as she recalled the phone call from that night. Nothing about that night screamed to her that Barb would be in danger or run away. She enjoyed her friends, enjoyed her life. Barb wasn’t the type to just vanish out of thin air.

“Barb invited me to come over with them,” Toni started, “To the Harringtons’ house. I told her no, obviously, because my mom and I had signed up for one of the volunteer search parties.”

“Did Barb mention anything out of the usual?” Officer Powell continued. 

Officer Callahan followed up, “Or talk about drinking or smoking or—?”

“No, no. God, no. Barb?” She cut them off with a wave of her hand, “She’s my friend, but she’s as straight-laced as it gets. She and Nancy both… Until Steve came into the picture…”

“You think your friends have changed because of some guy?” Officer Callahan butted in again, his tone slightly mocking, “So Barbara was jealous of Nancy?”

Toni’s eyes flicked between the officers. She gave Officer Callahan a particularly disgusted look, “Are you so dense to think Barb ran away because some stupid douche Nancy’s seeing? Obviously, something happened between her leaving the Harrington house and walking back to her car—”

“Car?” Officer Powell gave her an inquisitive glance, “We didn’t mention anything about Ms. Holland’s car.”

“Barb mentioned that she was driving them when I talked to her,” Toni coolly explained.

“And why didn’t you tell us that earlier?” Officer Callahan asked, his tone held a silent accusation.  

She clenched her jaw, irritation setting in. It felt like she was going in circles with two officers set on finding every little flaw in the story. With a huff, Toni leaned back in her chair, “I won’t be saying anything further without my mother or a lawyer present.”

— — — 

The car ride back home was quiet and uneventful. Part of her enjoyed the brief moments of quiet between the hectic scenes occurring in Hawkins. Yet, another part of her longed for some of the silences in her life to be filled. She glanced down at the passenger floorboard and found Dustin’s discarded shirt from a few days ago. The small memory brought a smile to her face, only to further push her to realize how much she missed having Dustin at home or on the drive to school. 

When Toni pulled into the driveway, no one was home. She knew Dustin was probably just at the Wheelers, but she couldn’t recall exactly what her mother had planned for tonight. Bridge club? A dinner party? Whatever it was, it just meant a house with more silence. 

Locking up her car, she dipped into the house for the night. Mews, her cat, was quickly at her feet, crying for supper. 

“Okay, okay. Give me a minute here,” Toni hummed as she snagged the bowl off the floor. She was quick to place it back down after adding a couple of scoops of dry food. 

With a shake of her head, she prodded into the living room, tossing her bookbag onto the couch. She swiped the remote off her mother’s designated recliner to turn on MTV. Holiday by Madonna began to pump through the speakers. She twirled back to the kitchen to make herself a snack before starting her homework. 

Toni paused for a moment as her eyes drifted to a surprise on the counter — her mother’s uncorked bottle of wine. Her mother had only recently started keeping alcohol in the house again, even after her father hadn’t been around for years now. She approached the bottle and instantly spotted the discarded wine glass her mother had used earlier. She lifted it, seeing the swirls of the remaining alcohol. Sure, she had tasted alcohol before, but it seemed a brutish symbol of Mr. Henderson’s drunken habits.

Her mind wandered to her classmates and the group at Steve’s get-together. Though she didn’t know the whole story, Toni could assume that alcohol had been present. With Steve Harrington's keg king popularity, it was hard to imagine he didn’t at least try to offer some shitty gas station beer. 

In her thoughts, Toni moved without thought. Before she could truly think it through, Toni had already filled the glass with the bitter red wine once. She brought it to her lips, tipping it back and swallowing without even acknowledging the taste of the pungent liquid. It was hardly a full glass, but enough to make her shiver as a tingle hummed beneath her skin. 

Toni didn’t allow herself any time to feel guilty of the situation. Instead, she erased her tracks. She immediately recorked the wine and returned the glass to its original place in the sink. The wine was stored in the back of the fridge, behind the milk. 

The aftertaste left her mouth dry and begging for something to clear the bitterness from her palate. In the midst of stealing one of Dustin’s honeybuns, the landline rang from the living room. Toni quickly swallowed down her bite as she jogged over to the phone, “Henderson residence. Toni speaking.”

“Toni,” Nancy’s voice answered, relief evident in her tone. 

“Nance?”

“Toni, I—” She started again, “I’m with Jonathan. We think we… discovered something. About Barb’s disappearance.”

Toni blinked in confusion, “Wait, is there something you haven’t told me about Barb’s disappearance? And… and are you with Jonathan Byers?”

“Yes and yes, but I can’t tell you here,” The girl briefly explained, “Just… come find Jonathan and me at the funeral tomorrow. Bye.”

“Wait, Nancy—”

But the dial tone cut in, the question dying on her tongue. 

— — — 

Toni observed her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Her mother had done a simple French braid tucked under itself to create a neat bun, a respectful style that kept her usual brunette curls out of her face. Her outfit was just as simple as her hairstyle, pleated black pants with a modest black top. Something about the day felt wrong, that it wasn’t Will Byers in that casket. But she knew that she just needed to be there for Dustin and for Jonathan today. 

With a sigh, she left to go down the hall but caught movement in Dustin’s room. She peeked in to see what he was huffing about. That’s when she noticed how he kept fiddling with the tie, the knot slipping with each attempt to tighten it. Her hand moved to rap gently against his doorway. “Need some assistance?”

Dustin’s brow furrowed, “You can tie a tie?”

She chuckled and moved further into his bedroom, “I’m in drama club. I had to pre-tie the costumes when we did Twelve Angry Jurors because none of the boys could figure out how to do a double windsor.”

Her fingers moved to tighten it before buttoning his sweater, “Dapper as ever, my liege.”

Dustin beamed up at her, dimples on full display despite the dreariness of the day, “Thank you, my lady.”

Toni paused for a moment, a sad smile stretching across her face. What if this were Dustin’s funeral? The thought briefly crossed her mind. She couldn’t imagine the emotional turmoil Jonathan felt after losing his own little brother. 

Before she could stop herself, Toni tugged Dustin into a tight hug. 

“Whoa, whoa. Hey, hey,” He chuckled, awkwardly patting her back, “We okay?”

She released him, her hand moving up to ruffle his curls, “Of course. Go ahead and run to the car. You can choose the cassette.”

“Aw, hell yeah!” He smiled and scampered off down the hall. 

Toni watched him with a saddened expression. She knew the kids’ routes home from the Wheelers’ house when she dropped each of the boys off at their respective houses. She knew that Dustin was likely the last one to have seen Will that night. Somewhere deep down, she thanked whatever God watched over him that night to ensure her little brother got home safely. She only wished that God had been kind enough to have made sure Will Byers had also returned home to his family. 

— — — 

The funeral passed all too quickly. The priest gave some nice resting words, but it was clear to anyone that the Byers weren’t the type to attend church every Sunday. It was painfully clear, too, that many of the funeral goers consisted of parents who felt an obligation to attend in solidarity and the middle schoolers who had never even spoken to Will when he was alive. There was hardly a dry eye, yet the three boys who stood in front of The Wheelers, Sinclairs, and Hendersons had hardly shed a single tear. 

Instead, Dustin nodded towards a blonde girl in his class, a knowing grin on his lips, “Just wait till we tell Will that Jennifer Hayes was crying at his funeral.”

Toni nudged her little brother with her elbow, the saddened glare in her eyes effectively silencing them. 

With a final group prayer, the priest dismissed everyone to the reception in the assembly hall. As folks passed by, they tossed roses on top of the casket before offering their sympathies to Lonnie and Joyce. When the Wheelers passed, she watched Jonathan and Nancy dip over behind a grave.

Her mother was rattling poor Joyce’s ear off. It was hard to distinguish Claudia’s rambling from Dustin’s continued begging to get inside before someone ate all the deviled eggs. Toni gave him another stern look, questioning the boy's priorities. Yet once he finally goaded the two ladies to head inside, Toni peeled off to search for Nancy and Jonathan.  

“You want to go out there,” Nancy’s voice was closer now.

Toni then picked up Jonathan’s response, “We might not find anything.”

“I found something.”

Toni turned the corner, making herself known, “And what exactly have you found, Nancy Drew?” 

Both of their eyes shot up to look at Toni in surprise, “Hey, it’s just me… but you two seriously need to get me up to speed.”

Jonathan and Nancy shared a look. No one moved or said anything until Nancy nodded. With a sigh, Jonathan offered her the folded photo, anticipation etched into his face. She crouched down next to them and accepted the photograph. 

When she unfolded it, Toni didn’t expect what the image revealed. A tall… skinny… faceless man— no — faceless being was standing proudly in the secluded corner of the Harrington home. 

“And… what am I supposed to be looking at right now?” Toni lifted her gaze to glance between the two. 

“The thing that killed Barb,” Nancy’s jaw set, the tension in the girl’s body was foreign to Toni. She couldn’t recall ever seeing her friend so angry before. 

Toni’s brow furrowed, a prominent line on her forehead as she attempts to wrap her head around it, “Is this why you two called me last night?”

Jonathan snatched the photo with a huff, adding it to the bottom of the stack he held. He gestured to the map on top with the creature’s known sightings and other indicators, “This thing has been spotted within a consistent mile. Nancy and I were thinking that we could all look for it.”

Toni blinked in shock, “You want me to come monster hunting?” 

“After the funeral, of course,” Nancy cut back in, “Barb was your friend, too. You in?”

“Tonya?” Claudia Henderson’s voice called out for her daughter. 

Toni cringed, “Shit. Um, yeah. I’m in. Let me just handle my mother and Dustin.”

Jonathan and Nancy offered her a quick nod as they continued their planning. Toni swiftly moved around the graveyard, appearing on the other side of the family vehicle. 

“Tonya!”

She began to walk quicker, “Mom, mom, I’m right here. I just ran to put my scarf in the car.”

“Toni,” Her mother’s blue eyes were wide with concern, “You know I don’t like you just silently stepping away. Especially with everything that’s happened.”

“I know, I’m sorry,” Toni sighed as she gestured back towards the reception, “But I’m fine. I- um- was actually wondering if I could hang out with Jonathan and Nancy tonight?”

Claudia led them back to the front doors, “At the Wheelers' house? Sure, Dusty is hanging out with Mike tonight, so you’ll be able to make sure he gets home safely, too.”

Toni cleared her throat, “Yeah, I mean, I can drop Dustin off. But we were actually planning on hanging out at the Byers’ home.”

Her mother halted in her tracks, a ghastly look on her face, “Absolutely not. The Wheelers’ house, or, you know, they could come over to our home if you tidy up your room.”

“Mom,” Toni crossed her arms, “It’s just Jonthan’s house. He literally lives closer than Nancy does.”

“Is that attitude I hear?” Claudia asked, her feet finally underneath her again. 

Toni blocked the pathway, “No, but you can’t act like I’m gonna go fall off a cliff while you let Dustin have free range of Hawkins. You can’t fret over me being barely a mile away while Dustin’s hanging out in Mike’s basement and having sleepovers all the time. I’m the eldest.”

“Yes, you are. Which is why I expect you to listen when I say no.” Her mother’s tone grew firmer. “Dustin lost a friend. And you have chores to do.”

“I can do my chores before I go to Jonathan’s. I just don’t understand why I’m practically on house arrest—”

“Young lady, you are far from being on house arrest. And I suggest you watch that tone before you are not only grounded, but you lose phone and car privileges,” Her mother shut down any argument, “Am I understood?”

Toni’s eyes flicked across her mother’s face. She took slow breaths as she simply nodded. Her gaze cut back to Jonathan and Nancy, releasing a sigh as she hung her head in defeat. 

— — — 

It was an hour after sunset when Dustin arrived home. His arrival wouldn’t have been such a big deal if it weren't for the fact that he was supposed to spend the night at the Wheelers’ house. 

“Did something happen? Why’re you home early?” Claudia quizzed him. Mews was situated in her lap, contentedly purring as the mother-son duo chatted, “You could’ve called, and Toni would’ve picked you up so you didn’t have to bike in the dark.”

Dustin flung his book bag to the floor of the entryway, his baseball cap to follow, “The party got into an argument. So sleepover cancelled.”

Toni sat up from her spot on the living room couch, concern etched into her brow, “You guys got into a fight?”

“A fight?” Claudia’s eyes instantly widened. 

Dustin’s shoulders sank, a wave of anxiety washing over him. Even though he knew that his mother and older sister had his best interests in mind, they also tended to be a little protective or overreact. He moved to plop in front of the TV, “It was a stupid argument. Both Lucas and Mike said stupid things. And it’s just… stupid.”

Both Toni and Claudia shared a look. Toni was the first to make a move, shifting to sit on the floor next to her little brother, “Would it be stupid of me to ask to play Mario Bros?”

Dustin lifted his head with a curious glance.

Toni sighed and reached for the controllers, “And… you can be player one…”

A large grin stretched across his face as he snagged one of the controllers from her, “Hell yeah!”

“Language, Dusty,” Claudia chided from behind them. But the Henderson siblings laughed at their mother’s expense, banding together as Mario and Luigi. 

Eventually, their mother bid them a good night. She dipped back into the master bedroom with the cat to indulge in a bath and whatever romance book her club suggested that week. Dustin and Toni continued to jump between games until the landline rang.

“I got it, you keep playing,” Toni huffed as she got to her feet. She jogged over to the living room phone, holding the plastic green receiver to her ear, “Henderson house, Ton—”

“Toni,” Jonathan’s voice cut her off, “I’m at the Wheelers’ with Nancy. Where were you?”

Toni tucked into the kitchen, not wanting Dustin to eavesdrop on the call, “I told Nancy earlier, my mom put me on house arrest this afternoon. I’m on thin ice.”

“You need to get over here,” He stated plainly. It was clear he was frustrated, but it wasn’t quite at Toni’s lack of attendance, “Nancy needs to tell you what she saw…”

“Byers, I know you have this ominous and brooding demeanor, but right now, I need less of that and more answers,” Toni sighed, her hand moving up to rub at her temple. 

“I can’t say much more than that. But… please, Toni.”

With a deep breath, Toni glanced around the corner to where Dustin sat on the living room floor. Her eyes cut back to the hallway as she evaluated her options. Something was amiss, and even if she couldn’t find the answer herself, she knew that she’d be one step closer to solving Barb’s disappearance. 

“Okay… okay…” She hummed, averting her gaze from her little brother, “I can be there in twenty.”

Toni placed the phone back on the receiver. She took a deep breath, mulling over the mess the teens seemed to find themselves in. Something was wrong in Hawkins, and no matter what, she wouldn’t let Dustin be the next kid to go missing.

She swiftly moved back into the living, squatting down next to Dustin, “Hey, so—”

“You want to sneak out,” Dustin stated bluntly. He paused the game and turned to look at his big sister with a knowing smirk, “Is it a guy?”

“Oh, God, no,” She huffed, a little surprised by his assumption. Her hand moved to ruffle his curls, “I’m just going over to Nancy’s. Jonathan is there, and he’s… y’know, upset about Will.”

Dustin simply nodded, understanding the sentiment behind her words. It was obvious that he had more questions, but didn’t want to press it. 

Toni gave him a grateful smile, “Thanks. I owe you a 3 Musketeers. And if mom emerges from her cave, just tell her I went to bed early.”

She dropped the hand from his head, instead offering it out to him in agreement. Dustin raised his hand to his mouth, ready to spit-shake until Toni quickly pulled her hand back with a squeak of surprise. Dustin just cackled at the reaction. With a roll of her eyes, Toni got back to her feet, leaving him to enjoy his Atari in peace. 

— — — 

Toni stood looking up at Nancy’s window. She’d seen and read countless books and movies with the silly trope of the boy climbing up the house to the girl’s window. How hard could it be for her? Maybe she had never been able to climb the rope in gym, but scaling a house would be easier… hopefully. 

With a sigh, she moved to wedge her foot into the crack in the brick. Her hands rested against the house’s siding for balance. She prepared to pull herself up by the lip of the roof when the garage door opened, light flooding into the yard. Toni froze in place, not wanting to alert Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler, fearing they would call her mom. 

A rumble came off the concrete — it was trash night. Her eyes watched as Mike Wheeler pushed the garbage can to the curb for collection the next morning. When the boy turned around, he immediately spotted her pressed up against the side of his house, “Toni?”

She chuckled awkwardly and jumped back to the ground, “Um, hey…”

“What are you doing?” The boy asked with an accusatory glance. It was clear that he was upset, though that didn’t surprise her. From what Dustin had told her earlier about the party’s argument, it had been a rough day all around. 

“Um… Nancy invited me over, but no one answered the front door when I knocked,” She lied, hoping Mike would simply let her follow him back through the garage door. 

He simply glanced over her once more, clearly uninterested. With a sigh, he waved for her to follow him back inside. Toni offered him a thankful smile, ruffling his hair as she quickly made her way up the Wheelers’ stairs. She immediately ducked right and knocked twice on Nancy’s door. 

“Mom, we told you that we don’t need any snacks,” Nancy called through the door. 

“Yeah, but you called for me,” Toni replied. 

After a scurrying of feet, Nancy quickly opened her bedroom door and tugged her into the bedroom. Toni’s eyes flicked between her old friend and Jonathan, noting the pink on their cheeks and Nancy’s frazzled hair. She then saw the first aid kit on the bed. 

Toni’s face immediately fell, her brow furrowed as she took in their disheveled state, “What the hell happened to you two?”

Nancy returned to sit on the bed next to Jonathan. Toni moved further into the room, taking her own seat on Nancy’s vanity stool. She recalled being in the same position plenty of times when she’d come over for study dates with her and Barb. And here they were, trying to solve the mystery of their missing friend. 

“I saw that… monster, Toni. Except, it isn’t faceless. It’s head just splits open and… consumes…” Nancy forced the words out. The girl’s hands were clammy, eyes glazed over and unfocused, “And if it took Barb…”

“You can’t think like that,” Jonathan attempted to assure her.

Nancy just glared up at him, “You weren’t stuck in there.”

Toni blinked, suddenly further confused by their explanation, “I’m sorry — stuck in where?”

Jonathan and Nancy shared another glance between themselves. Toni noticed the weight they shared. It left her with a different set of questions for Nancy, but there were far bigger problems to face right now. 

“There was this… portal in a tree. Nancy stuck her hand through.” Jonathan attempted to explain, “And I pulled her out. It wasn’t, like, some great oak tree. It was one of those skinny birch trees. I know that it doesn’t make sense.”

“Nothing about what’s happened over the past week makes sense,” Toni shook her head, “But we have to act now and get the questions answered later. If some… beast is on the hunt for your brother and Barb, our odds are getting slimmer by the hour.”

Nancy seemed to get a better footing for herself, agreeing with a hefty nod, “We have to go back out there. All three of us. That way, we can set a trap and follow it to where they are. Or kill it…”

Toni glanced at Nancy with a look of curiosity mixed with concern. It had been a rough couple of days, but it was obvious that something changed in Nancy within the past twenty-four hours. Something about her once timid friend had died, and a raw determination had taken its place. 

“Tomorrow afternoon,” Jonathan suggested first. 

“We need more ammo,” Nancy added, her hands hugging the cardigan tighter against her frame, “Can you meet us at the army outlet near city hall?”

Toni nodded at them, mulling over the idea, “Yeah, yeah. But… I’m sorry. I don’t exactly see what the plan is? We just set a trap and pray we’re lucky?”

The air stiffened. It made Toni feel awkward for pulling the rug out from underneath them. But Nancy stirred for a moment, clearly deep in thought. She then reached toward her nightstand for their biology textbook, flipping through the chapters in search of the unknown answer. 

“This thing is... a predator,” Nancy stopped and gestured to the drawings of apex predators. “It hunts at night, and it’s a solitary creature.”

“Like a bear,” Jonathan added. 

“Right, but…” Nancy flipped through a few more pages before halting again. Her finger brushed over the diagram of a Great White shark, “Sharks can smell blood in one part per million. That’s one drop of blood in a million, and they can smell it from a quarter mile away.” 

Toni shifted the stool closer to get a better look. “So you’re saying it can detect blood?”

Nancy’s eyes cut between the two other teens, “It’s just a theory.”

There was a pause, a breath of hesitation. Each pondered the decision, different questions coming to their minds. Should they tell their parents? Should they tell the police? Would anyone believe them?

“We could test it,” Jonathan finally added. All three silently nodded in agreement. 

After a breath, Toni got back to her feet, “Tomorrow. Noon. Army store by city hall. I’ll bring snacks.”

Her joke was a momentary relief amidst the insanity of the situation. If they were right, who knows where things would lead? But they had to try… for Will and Barb. 

The parting was brief. Toni wished them a good night, in favor of returning home for relief of her mother's discovery that she’d snuck out. Luck would have it that she didn’t run into any of the Wheelers on the way out of their home. 

But that luck would come to run out once she made it back to her own vehicle. Once inside the driver’s seat, Toni noticed the familiar maroon cruiser rolling down the street. She attempted to stall the car, but the engine had already roared to life, alerting his vehicle to another presence. She knew he wouldn’t act while someone was watching; unfortunately, she couldn’t stay longer and risk her mom realizing her daughter had snuck out. 

Without another moment, Toni’s foot pressed against the accelerator as a familiar mop of brunette hair moved in her rearview mirror.

— — — 

Jonathan had called when he and Nancy had finally decided to head into town. Toni agreed to meet them there shortly, rather than have them drive from the Wheelers' to the Henderson home. The trip would be quicker, and then they’d have two vehicles in case of an emergency. 

The windows to Toni’s Jeep were down, allowing the autumn breeze to waft through freely. The sleeve of her denim jacket billowed in the window, keeping a steady beat underneath the sound of Billy Joel’s Only the Good Die Young playing from the car radio. In the backseat, beneath a blanket, lay the hatchet she stole from her mother’s gardening shed. It was small, intended for camping rather than chopping wood, but it could chop clean through a joint if needed. 

As the main square came into view, Toni turned down Main Street. She was only a block or two from the store. Ahead, there was a slowdown, folks breezing by the HAWK movie theater. People were likely checking out the marquee for that weekend's selections. 

Only Toni couldn’t be more wrong. The previous week’s release still hung on the marquee — All the Right Moves. Yet her heart lurched when she spotted the bright red spray paint that followed — starring Nancy ‘The Slut’ Wheeler. 

Her blue eyes saw red, frustration boiling over when she spotted the stupid mop of brown hair, followed by a skanky red head, and her asshole boyfriend. Of course, it had to be Steve. He probably tried to sneak into Nancy’s window, only to find her alone with Jonathan. 

Toni pressed her foot onto the accelerator, whipping into the small parking lot. She instantly spotted Jonathan’s vehicle as she climbed out of her own. As soon as her feet were on the ground, Nancy and Jonathan exited the store. He focused on loading the hunting supplies into his trunk. Nancy was smiling, none the wiser to the scene Toni had driven past. 

“There you are,” Nancy hummed as she put her hands in her pockets, “Jonathan was starting to question whether or not you’d ditch us again. 

The comment caught Toni off guard, but she was far more focused on the sight at the theater. She opened her mouth to warn her, but some other asshole beat her to it. With a honk, the guy snidely remarked, “Hey, Nance! Can’t wait to see your movie…”

Nancy’s brow furrowed in confusion at the comment. The girl’s eyes cut from the car, to Toni, and finally back to Jonathan. Before either of them could stop her, Nancy bolted in the direction of Main Street, her legs instinctively carrying her towards the theater. Steve had asked her the day before go with him there; it couldn’t have just been a coincidence. Jonathan shouted after her, concern evident in her tone. A defeated Toni sighed and jogged along behind them.

Nancy had halted, jaw slack in shock at the scene. Jonathan, and then Toni, shortly followed. 

“Jesus,” Jonathan grumbled as he tossed a stern glance at any bystanders. 

Toni reached out, attempting to soothe her friend, “Nance—”

A cackle from the alleyway cut her off, followed by the hiss of spraypaint. Again, Nancy had rounded the corner before Toni could think to catch up. She looked at Jonathan before stumbling along to follow once more. 

“Aw, hey there, princess!” Carol’s shrill voice rang out. Tommy’s ridiculous giggle followed behind, “Uh-oh! She looks upset.”

Once Toni had entered the alley, she watched as Nancy’s hand snapped across Steve’s face. She gasped in surprise; her footsteps became more hurried as she pushed past the shock. It was obvious that Nancy felt a whirlwind of emotions at once. Betrayal, anger, frustration, longing — all combined into one accusation, “What is wrong with you?”

“What’s wrong with me? What’s wrong with you? I was worried about you, “ Steve scoffed. His body language was conflated, assertive; yet the look in his eyes revealed how hurt he truly was, “I can’t believe that I was actually worried about you.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I wouldn’t lie if I were you,” Carol jumped in, the gum in her mouth somehow less irritating than her voice, “You don’t want to be known as the lying slut now, do you?”

Toni finally cut in, “I know your whore mouth isn’t talking, Carol.”

Carol narrowed her eyes at her taller classmate. They flitted about, finding each insecurity to pick her apart. Tommy seemed just about eager to hurl an insult at the older Henderson girl. However, Jonathan’s appearance more than caught his attention.

“Speak of the devil,” Tommy’s beady eyes landed squarely on the boy, itching for a good fight.

Nancy backed up toward her friends, her anxious eyes cutting between the group of teens. “You came by last night?”

“Ding! Ding! Ding! Does she get a prize?” Tommy and Nicole laughed at Carol’s shitty joke. Both Toni and Jonathan stood rigidly behind Nancy. 

Tommy hopped down from the top of the concrete stairs, “Didn’t know Byers had it in him to go after two babes at once…”

Nancy was solely focused on Steve, frozen like a witness on trial, “Look, I don’t know what you think you saw, but it wasn’t like that.”

Steve rolled his eyes. It was clear that as long as his friends were around, he’d be angry and offer little leeway, “What, you just let him into your room to… study?”

“Or for another pervy photo session?” Tommy added after him.

Nancy nervously shifted in place, her tone slightly more desperate, “We were just—”

“You were just what? Finish that sentence,” Steve cut her off. Nancy wavered, only for him to press her further for an answer, “Finish the sentence.”

Nancy hesitated. Her lips failed to form any words; no apology, no excuse, not even a lie. Steve’s eyes darkened at the lack of response. With a scoff, he straightened his stance and brushed her off, “Go to hell, Nancy.”

Toni was over it. Teenage relationship bullshit had gotten Barb into trouble in the first place; she wasn’t going to let it stop them from saving their friend now: “Let’s go, Nance.”

Jonathan watched as Toni turned on her heels to march back to their cars. He lingered behind, obediently waiting for Nancy. When she continued to stall, Jonathan reached out to gently take her arm, “Come on, Nancy, let’s just leave.”

He used his body to put some space between her and Steve as they followed Toni. A switch flipped in Steve at the scene. The taller boy swiftly pursued him, “You know what, Byers? I’m actually kind of impressed. I always took you for a queer, but I guess you’re just a little screwup like your father.”

Toni halted her steps as she overheard Steve continue to antagonize Jonathan. She pivoted, stuck as an onlooker to the scene unfolding before her. Steve relentlessly shoved Jonathan as he hurled insults, “Yeah, that house is full of screwups. You know, I guess I shouldn’t really be surprised. A bunch of screwups in your family.”

“Jonathan, leave it,” Toni called out to him.

But the Byers boy froze in his tracks. Steve persisted down, the support of his clique spurring him on, “I mean, your mom… I’m not even surprised by what happened to your brother.”

“Steve, shut up!” Toni snarled, though it did little to deter the bully.

Steve burrowed down, each jab harsher than the last, “I’m sorry I have to be the one to tell you, but the Byers, their family, it’s a disgrace to the entire—”

Jonathan’s fist recklessly collided with Steve’s jaw, abruptly knocking the boy into the nearby railing. Steve recovered quickly, charging headfirst at Jonathan to knock him back into Tommy’s car. The collision knocked the air out of Jonathan’s lungs, providing Steve the opportunity to shove Jonathan to the ground. As Steve moved on top of him, Jonathan reacted by grabbing Steve’s shoulder and using the leverage to flip himself over. Yet Steve surprised him by driving his knee into Jonathan’s side. The boys stumbled apart before getting back onto their feet.

Tommy and Carol kept egging on the fight as they cheered for Steve. Nancy turned to Toni for help, only to find her bolting down the alleyway for help.

When Nancy whipped her head back, she watched as Jonathan’s fist smashed against Steve’s temple. Tommy attempted to jump in, but Steve’s pride stopped him: “Get out of here.”

Nancy gasped, eagerly attempting to call him off, “Jonathan, stop! You’re going to hurt him.”

Toni couldn’t recall a time she had even attempted to run so fast. It certainly hadn’t been for gym class. She was grateful for her sudden speed when she rounded the alley corner to find Office Powell and Officer Callahan speaking with the theater manager. Before she could even catch her breath, she called out to them, “There’s a fight! In the alley!”

Finally, Steve was able to land a solid punch, yet Jonathan’s spite was stronger. If Ms. Byers could see the anger that coursed through her son, it would only remind her of the brute Jonathan’s father had been in high school. His thoughts ran wild with anger. Maybe he was just as bad as his dad, but that didn’t matter when the uppercut punch toppled Steve to the ground. Jonathan pinned Steve to the ground, his anger boiling over, while his fist caused blow after blow to Steve’s head. 

Sirens roared to life, filling the alleyway with their cry. The onlookers scrambled in surprise: “Cops!”

Nancy attempted to warn Jonathan of the officers by grabbing his elbow. Yet she pulled back when Jonathan threw another bludgering punch.

“He’s had enough, man,” Tommy crouched down to pull Jonathan off of Steve, only to be briskly shoved aside. Yet Jonathan remained erratic, going so far as to strike Officer Callahan when he attempted to break into the fight. Before Jonathan could land another punch, Officer Powell snagged him by his jacket, yanking him backwards. 

Toni watched from the end of the alleyway as Tommy helped Steve to his feet. Blood poured from his nose, but additional scratches were scattered across his face. A deep purple was starting to set in under his left eye. Steve wavered slightly, but Tommy was quick to steady him. The boys ran in tandem to get away, while Officer Callahan pursued them. 

Officer Powell now had Jonathan pressed against the hood of Tommy’s car, his handcuffs binding Jonathan’s wrists together. Nancy paced close by, tears forming in her eyes. Toni was quick to her side, gently taking hold of her shoulders and pulling her friend into a tight hug.