‧₊ ·˚ ༘❁ ┊ep 2. trick or treat, freak. ▬▬▬▬▬▬
꒰ ✎ ꒱ؘ STARGIRL, a stranger things fanfiction

Franny was quickly dressed in her Wednesday outfit, her mom added some black eyeshadow underneath her eyes to make her eyes look a little tired.

"There." Franny opened her eyes and smiled at her mom and exhaled. "Thanks." Franny smiled. She told up and walked to her mirror and crossed her arms. "You look like you're dad," Paola told her.

"He was a gem. Asked my mother if I can marry him after our first date. We were only 19."

"After high school, we thought we weren't gonna work out because you know high school sweethearts." Paola laughed and looked down at her ring.

"Yeah," Franny chuckled. "Only if it's true love it'll last." Paola looked up from her ring.

Franny looked at her mother and smiled. "You know, Halloween night was our first date after we graduated." She stood up and hugged her kid. "He would've loved Lucas." She sighed and added a few hair clips in her hair.

"Okay, c'mon I want pictures." Paola happily expressed, and walked out of Franny's room to get her camera.

Kirby was waiting for Franny on the couch. "Okay, a few photos then I have to drive her mama," Kirby noted. "Don't want her to be late." Paola nodded. "Si, si, okay." Yes, yes.

Paola took a few photos of Franny as Wednesday. Franny smiled in a picture and then didn't smile in the rest for the Wednesday vibe. "Can we go now?" Kirby complained.

Paola nodded and kissed her kids on the cheeks.

𓆩♡𓆪

Kirby parked her car in the Hawkins high school parking lot. "Hey, I'll still be here when you're a freshman, don't worry." Kirby comforted her. "I just want to go to school with you now, not wait a whole summer almost."

Kirby chuckled. "Summer will be fun. You'll be with Lucas and kissing him all the time in your room." Kirby mocked kissing noises to her as Franny laughed. "Maybe I'll tell mom soon," Franny explained.

Kirby nodded and turned off her car and grabbed their backpacks from the back seats. "Have a good day." Kirby handed her backpack to her sister and got out of the car.

She closed the door and waved bye to her sister as she walked with Robin.

Franny walked to the middle school as she saw Lucas and the others park their bikes in the bike rack. "Who are you gonna call?" Lucas sang. "Ghostbusters!" Franny and Will sang together in sync then laughed as the boys cheered in excitement.

"Egon!" Lucas cheered. "Venkman!" Will expressed as the two hugged. "Whoa, wait." Mike killed the mood. "Why are you Venkman?"

"Because, I'm Venkman," Lucas replied. "No, I'm Venkman," Mike added. "Why can't there just be two Venkman's?" Franny questioned. "Yeah." Will agreed.

"Because there's only one Venkman in real life. We planned this months ago." Mike told Lucas. "That was last year Mike," Franny interjected. Mike rolled his eyes.

"Anyways, I'm Venkman, Dustin's Stanz, Franny's Wednesday, Will's Egon, and you're Winston." Mike declared. Franny sighed and spotted Gabby taking with Max and walking to go inside the school. The boys just kept arguing.

"Max!" Franny called. Franny got the two girl's attention. Max snapped her fingers in the Addams Family intro. "Nice costume." Max quipped. "Thanks, my mom helped me make it." Franny showed off her polka dot dress. Max looked at the guys and rolled her eyes.

"What are they arguing about?" Gabby asked. "Ghostbusters." Max and Franny said in sync. Max looked back at Gabby and gestured to go to class. "See you in class, Frans." Max bega. Franny gave a wave and watched her go back inside. She walked back to the group.

"What's wrong with Winston?" Lucas started. "He joined the team super late, he's not funny and he's not even a scientist!" Lucas added.

"Yeah, but he's still cool." Mike agreed with Lucas. "If he's cool, then you be Winston," Franny added.

"I can't!" Mike answered back. "Why not?" Lucas placed his hands on his hips. Franny crossed her arms.

Mike stutters thinking of what to say, "Because..."

"Because you're not black?" Lucas mocks Mike. "I didn't say that!"

"You thought it," Franny added. "Shut up Franny," Mike told her.

"Don't talk to her like that," Lucas noted. Mike rolled his eyes. "Sorry, Franny." Mike hugged her. "It's fine, I should stay out of this really." She laughed. Mike chuckled.

"Guys... Guys! Guys!" Dustin called out. They all walk towards Dustin as they watch students in regular clothing get off the bus. "Why is no one else wearing costumes?" He questioned.

"I don't know." Franny shrugged, "are we gonna get judged?" Lucas shakes his head. "No, I won't let them." Lucas turned to Franny and held her hand she sneaked a smile.

They enter the school confused. "Why do people make these decisions?" Dustin asked as students laughed at the five, well, the four, they all thought Franny looked pretty normal, just a bit tired and bored.

"Everyone dressed up last year," Will added looking at the people who watched them walk down the hall. "It's a conspiracy, I'm telling you." Dustin denoted keeping his head down.

"Just be cool," Mike observed the people not acting like he wasn't embarrassed.

"Who are you gonna call?" A boy chanted, "The nerds!" Franny looked back at him and rolled her eyes and then flipped him off.

Franny walked with Will to their lockers. "You okay?" Franny asked. Will nodded. "I'm fine."

"If this is about the name zombie boy don't—" Will brushes it off. "No, it's not that, it's something else." Franny nodded and continued walking with Will.

They opened their lockers and Franny grabbed her books for Mr. Clarke's class. She but her locker and turned as she saw Gabby trying to ride Maxs' skateboard. Max held onto Gabby's arm as she tried to ride it. The two laughed and had a fun time.

𓆩♡𓆪

The bell quickly ranged after almost an hour. Franny, Max, and Gabby all walked next to each other to Maxs' locker. "So we're still on for next time we go to the arcade?" Max asked the two. They both nodded. "Yeah, my mom will give us money to play a few games. Then she'll take us out for fries for something." Franny explained.

Max and Gabby agreed to the hangout the three were going to have.

Max opened her locker and suddenly saw Lucas and Dustin standing beside the three. "Hi Max, I'm Dustin and this is—"

"Lucas." He smiled, seeing Franny. "Yeah I know, the stalker and Franny's stalker boyfriend," Max noted about Lucas being Franny's boyfriend.

Lucas went wide-eyed and his palms went sweaty at the mention of boyfriend. Dustin gave Lucas a look. "Uh, no." Lucas began. "We weren't stalking you." Lucas paused.

"No, we were just concerned because, you know, you're new and all." Max nodded, "Sure, it's okay, I got Gabby here to help me." Max side hugged Gabby as she smiled in amazement.

"Okay yeah sure, but there are also so many bullies here," Dustin added. "So many."

"Is that why you're wearing proton packs?" Max asked. "Well, these don't function. But..." Dustin grabbed his trap from the side, "I do have this handy-dandy little trap here." He paused, "And look, it even opens and closes. Look, look, look."

The three watched the two be idiotic for a few minutes they all looked at each other. Dustin presses a controller and the trap doors open. Lucas gives jazz hands.

"Voilà!" Dustin chuckles. "It's cool, right? No? Okay. But, um... So, we were talking last night, and you're new here, so you probably don't have any friends to take you trick or treating, and you're scared of bullies, so we were thinking, the three of us."

Max stopped them for a second, "Three?" Dustin nodded. "Yeah, Franny." Max rolled her eyes. "She never talked to you guys about you wanting me to go with you guys but continue." Max still kept her hand on her locker.

"Okay, that it would be okay if you come with us." They smiled. "It'd be okay?" Max asked. "Yeah. Our party's a democracy, the majority voted you could come."

"I didn't realize it was such an honor to go trick or treating with you guys." Max smiled and gave a sarcastic tone.

"Yeah, we know where to get the full-sized candy bars." Dustin chuckled. "We'd figure you'd want in," Dustin added. "That's presumptuous of you," Max noted observing Dustin's costume.

They paused and thought for a second. "Yeah. Totally. Uh, so, um... you'll come?" Dustin begged. Max rolls her eyes as she shuts her locker and the two follow her. Franny waves bye to Lucas and Dustin as they all walk away. "See you later."

"We're meeting at the Maple Street cul-de-sac at 7:00," Dustin called out. "That's 7:00 on the dot!" Dustin yelled out.

"How do you guys handle them?" Max asked. Gabby and Franny shrugged. "I've been handling them since I was eleven." Franny laughed. Max chuckled.

They turn down a hall. "Hey, I'll go but only if you let me scare them," Max asked. "Yeah, I'll go too," Gabby noted. Franny nodded. "Yeah, just to let you know Lucas screams like a girl," Franny mentioned Lucas' girl scream. "Girl scream?" Gabby laughed.

"We went to a haunted house before for my birthday." Franny acknowledged. "When's you're birthday?" Max queried. "October 20th. Just turned 13." Franny explained. Max nodded. "Happy late birthday." She smiled.

"Later." Max rolled down the hallway on her skateboard.

𓆩♡𓆪

After school, Kirby waited with Robin for Franny. Kirby sees Franny who was seen walking with Max. "Bye." Franny waved as Max picked up her skateboard.

"Who was that?" Kirby asked, "My friend Max." Franny smiled.

Billy and Franny made eye contact as she looked back to his car. He gave her an intense look as she rolled her eyes. Franny's heard about Billy and how bad of a person he was.

"C'mon let's go home," Kirby told Franny. "Bye, Kirbs," Robin responded. Kirby embraced Robin as she gave an embrace back. Franny watched as she got into the car.

𓆩♡𓆪

"You ready Frans?" Kirby questioned watching Franny take a pillow sheet from the closet. Franny nods.

Kirby and Franny tell their mom goodbye and they'll be home later. They walk to Kirby's car. "Okay, I'm going to drop you off at Mike's then pick you up later with Jonathan. Okay? I want you to be safe and if anything happens ask to use someone's phone inside their home." Kirby explained then Franny nodded.

Kirby starts the car as Franny buckles her seat belt. Kirby drives to Mike's house, as Franny opens the door Kirby and her get out of the car, "You're not coming?" Franny questioned, Kirby, shakes her head. "Nah, you have fun Jonathan, and I are gonna go somewhere."

Franny nods as they greet Will and Franny. "9:00. Okay?" Kirby asked and Franny nods. "Bye. Have fun!" Franny nods as she waves and runs off to her friends.

"Where do you guys wanna start first?" Franny asked the group. "Maybe near Maple and Pine?" Dustin added. Franny nods and grabs Lucas' hand and leads the way, as the rest of the group follows behind Lucas and Franny have a quick conversation.

"Why were you talking to Max?" She questioned. "We want her to be a part of our party." Lucas" explained.

"Did you talk to Mike about it?" She crossed her arms, one hand in the bag and one without anything. "No, but we both know he doesn't want her in it."

Franny furrowed her eyebrows. "Why, he let Gabby into the group." Franny explained, "So why not let Max?" Lucas agreed.

They arrived at their first house of the night. They ring the doorbell as a red-haired woman opens the door.

"Trick or Treat." The party says in sync. The woman chuckles. "Oh!"

Why aren't you cute? The little exterminators and a dead girl." The woman laughed and chuckled at their costumes.

Their smiles faded as they heard the woman miss judged their outfits. They all deductively grab candy from the lady's bowl.

At each house, they went to they each complained about what kind of candy they got. "If I get another 3 Musketeers, I'm gonna kill myself," Lucas complained as Franny got, Hershey Bars. Franny laughed.

"Don't, that kills you." She joked as Lucas chuckled at her. "What's wrong with 3 Musketeers?" Dustin put forth. Lucas looked at him, "What's wrong with 3 Musketeers?"

"No, one likes 3 Musketeers," Mike added. "Yeah, it's just nougat." Will agreed. "Whoa. "Just Nougat?"" Dustin noted. "Just Nougat? It is top three for me." He explained.

"Top three?" Lucas expressed. "Top three!"

"Oh, God. Give me a break." Mike blurted out. "Seriously, I can just eat a whole bowl of Nougat. Straight up."

Just then a person in a Michael Myers costume jumped out and scared the five. They screamed and jolted. The person laughed as they pulled up their mask.

It was Max, "Holy shit! You should have seen the look on your faces." Max laughed as Gabby walked next to her.

"And you? Franny was right you scream like a little girl!" Max gestured to Lucas who looked at Franny and laughed. "Sorry. I had to tell her." Franny couldn't stop laughing. Max turns away from the group and walks ahead of them. She turns back.

"Hey, you guys coming or not? Oh, I heard we should hit up Loch Nora." Max paused. "That's where the rich people live right?" Max chuckles as Franny walks up with Max and Gabby. "That was pretty awesome."

"Yeah, and we planned it and I still got you." Max laughed. The rest of the group rush up to the three.

They made their way to Loch Nora. As everyone laughed Franny looked around and saw the big houses and saw the rich people giving out full-sized candy bars.

"C'mon. It'll be fun." Max grabbed Franny's hand and they walked to their first house. They ring the doorbell and people finally got their costumes right. They hand them full-sized bars of candy as they grin in happiness.

"Another full-sized candy bar." Dustin fumed in happiness. "Like, seriously, rich people are such suckers."

Dustin looked at Max. "Wait, you're not rich right?" Max looked back at Dustin, "No, I live up in Old Cherry Road." Max explained.  "Oh."

"No, it's fine. I mean the street's good for skating." Dustin gave a hmm noise to Max. "Yeah, totally tubular."

Max gave him a look. "What? Did I say that right? Or is it, like, tubular?"

"It's, like," Lucas imitates a surfer from California, "totally tubular." Franny and the two other girls laugh. 

"Totally tubular!"

"What a gnarly wave, dude."

"Totally brodacious dude!" Max chuckled, "Stop, my ears hurt." Lucas and Dustin continue their surfer impressions.

"You guys aren't doing it right, I swear my cousin surfs and he had that actual imitation of a surfer," Franny explained on how she was from California, Long Beach. "You're from Long Beach?" Max cheered. "I'm actually from Lenora Hills but I was raised in Long Beach. Where my dad's sister lives."

They walk up a driveway and get more candy. As they leave the house Franny notices Will was gone.

"Mike? Where's Will?" Franny questioned, whenever she was nervous or in fear, she would fidget with her hands.

"I don't know," Mike explained, as they looked for Will they ran to the backyard of the house they were just at, and Mike called out for Will.

"Will!" Mike wraps his arm around Will as Will was breathing heavily. "Will, what's wrong?" Will looks around as Franny steps beside Mike.

"I couldn't find you. Are you hurt?" Mike asked, in uncertainty.

The rest of the group comes down the stairs. "Is he okay?" Lucas asked. "I don't know."

"We're gonna get you home, okay?" Mike paused and looked at Franny she nodded, "We're gonna get you home. Hold on."

Dustin reached to help Mike stand Will up, "I got him." Mike walks up the stairs with Will as Franny follows behind.

"Mike." Dustin called, "Keep trick-or-treating. I'm bored anyway." Mike walks up the stairs with Will. Franny looks at the four as she turns around and walks with Will and Mike.

They walk down the driveway and Franny picks up Will's camera. She shuts it off and holds it while walking with Mike and Will.

𓆩♡𓆪

In Mike's basement, the three all sit together. "It's like... It's like I'm stuck." Will explained and Franny and Mike watched him.

"Like you're stuck? In the Upside Down?" Franny questioned. Will sighed, "No."

"You know on a View-Master, when it gets, like...."

"Caught in between two sides?" Mike added. "Yeah."

"Like one side's our world, and the other..." Will tried to explain what he was feeling.

"The other slide is the Upside Down," Will added. "And..." Will looked at the table.

"And there was this noise coming from everywhere," Will explained. "And then I saw something." Will looked intensely at the ground.  "The Demogorgon?" Mike asked.

Will shook his head. "No."

"It was like this huge shadow in the sky." He added. Franny bit her nails. "Only, it was alive." He paused. "And it was coming for me."

Mike and Franny both looked at each other in nervousness. Mike looked back at Will. "Is this all real?" Mike paused and exhaled.

"Or is it like the doctors say, all in your head?"

"I don't know. Just..." Will looked at the two. "Just please don't tell the others, okay?" They both nodded. "They won't understand like you two guys."

The corners of Mike's mouth twitch into a smile. "Eleven would."

"She would?" Will questioned. Mike nodded. "Yeah." Mike gave a quick glance at Will. "She always did."

Will looked away. "Sometimes I feel like I still see her." Mike smiled at Will. "Me too." Franny agreed, knowing that she would see her every week.

"Like she's still around, but she never is." Mike shook his head and his smile faded. "I don't know. Sometimes I feel like I'm going crazy."

"Me, too." Will agreed. Mike turned to Will, both eyes shining with tears, "Hey, well, if we're both going crazy, then we'll go crazy together, right?" Mike smiled as Will and Franny broke into a smile.

"Yeah. Crazy together." Will chuckled and smiled.

Karen walks into the basement, "Franny your sisters here." Franny nodded as she hugged Will and Mike as she grabbed her candy bag and gave them full-sized candy bars to Will and Mike. "For Joyce and Bob. And for Karen and Ted." She smiled and walked upstairs as she closed the door, she saw Nancy and Jonathan. She waved and walked to Kirby.

They walked out of Mike's house and got into the car and drove home.