__________
-UNKEPT-
PROMISES

All day, Valentina has dreaded going to her film class, where she has to present about true events that could possibly be turned into a movie. The genre she chose was sci-fi, seeing as she is addicted to movies like Back To The Future and Gremlins.

Currently her teacher, Mr. Watkins, was about to pick a name from the bowl.

"Next up we have, ah, Valentina. Ms. Alma you're up next, kiddo." In all honesty, Mr. Watkins was precisely educated in film, knowing everything like the back of his hand. Using analogies from pop culture that sometimes his students wouldn't understand.

At least he was tubular and a laid back teacher, but sometimes he was too laid back. Reminding Valentina of the late, Chief Jim Hopper.

Clearing her throat, taking one last gulp of any confidence she had left. "Hello and good morning, as you all know m-my name is Valentina Alma. The specificity of the genre I chose is sci-fi. During my time of research, it has come to my realisation, the quantity of events the government has been hiding."

The last statement caused confusion, making students give each other confused glances.

Then continuing, "Though it is not known the exact decade that it has begun, the government to this day experiments on children. Some of you may know this name, when I say Dr. Martin Brenner. He specifically has been known to cause havoc in the Hawkins Laboratory just a few miles away, where he takes newborn babies from their mothers and experiments on them. One subject or as I should say, an innocent person that has been forcefully partaken in is a girl named, Jane Ives."

A girl with short dirty blonde who sat in the back, thought it all sounded familiar.

She started taking notes on what Valentina was saying, making sure to double-check that the said events that she had been told when she got into the whole mess last year, added up in the timeline.

"The list goes on with the innocent people who have been taken. However, the way that this would make an excellent movie is the way that it would explore the realities and the uncovering of the truth of what is and has been hidden. Because when you think about it, Hawkins has never been normal, not since 1983 with the disappearance of Will Byers."

Valentina took a breath, "One last thing I would like to say is there are other states who also partake in experiments such as the conspiracy of the Montauk project and monsters."

What she was about to say might make her sound crazy, "This is why I think that we could also be in danger with monsters invading our city. I don't know how I got all that. I- no- yeah- never mind what I said, just be careful. Statistically speaking, at least one of us in this room has encountered these monsters before. Okay, I'm done. I mean thank you for listening." Her classmates gave her weird glances, but slowly started to clap.

Mr. Watkins walked back to the front of class, "That's some weird shit, Ms. Alma. Okay next perso-" His voice started to sound more distant as Valentina walked back to her seat and zoned out.

The dirty blonde girl started writing on a paper, passed it to the people in front of her, whispering not so quietly, "Pass it to Valentina!"

When the note reached her, she looked out of it. Furrowing her eyebrows, opening the note that contained sloppy handwriting.

Meet me after class?
- Robin

Glancing around, until she found the owner of the note. Her eyes found themselves on the girl who was on the passenger side of Steve's car. Reluctantly raising her thumb with a reluctant smile.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Students were filing out of class, heading home for spring break. Valentina found herself heading towards the back of the classroom where Robin was waiting.

They both walked out, "Sorry if my note sounded weird. And I'm also sorry about dingus earlier too, he can be a bit in denial. You know him and that stupid mega-mind of hair. Can you believe he has enough space for that shit?"

"Though he's a good person most of the time, until I start annoying him, it's always funny to see his reaction. It's always so damn priceless, come to think it, he's looking for a girlfriend too. Wait, but you knew that from this morning's conversation. He's going on a date with Heidi?"

"No! It's Brenda, but she's too much about twirling her hair and hairspray fumes. Hey! Maybe if they don't work out, you can go out with him! I don't know why he's going out with other girls because he always talks about this one girl, that coincidentally describes you, you kn-"

Robin stopped her rambling when she saw Valentina's scared expression.

Robin widened her eyes, "Sorry, I tend to ramble too much. Oh my god, I got distracted, now the real reason. The stuff that you talked about in class, I was just wondering if you could stop by Family Video tomorrow, so I can ask you a few questions?"

"Uhm- yeah I can see if I could ask my dad or mom to drop me off." Ideas of what lies she could tell her parents started flowing.

"Here I'll give you my number just in case you have any questions before then." She started to write on a piece of paper and then handed it to Valentina.

The brunette started to walk away, but not before waving back at Robin. Exiting the school, it was now five minutes after the bell rang and her brother was still at the middle school for one last basketball practice.

There were a few cars left in the parking lot, one looking familiar when a head was out the window, "Valentina, sweetie, if you needed to stay a little after, you should've told me," her Mom exclaimed.

Students who were still at school turned their attention to her mom.

"Ma, how many times? I'm not deaf," Valentina complained as she got in the car.

"Sorry! How was school? Don't say boring cause your expression says otherwise." Her Mom's Spanish accent being more prominent.

"It was boring though, nothing ever really changes," she responded.

"Alright, if you say so." Turning up the volume of the radio, the rest of the car ride was silent. Until it no longer was.

A chime of a clock, making a scenery of the woods appear. Valentina was still in her mom's car, but she wasn't there. The car now seemed abandoned, the city of Hawkins seemed to turn upside down.

Making it seem so unworldly, like a preview of hell. Looking around, there were vines all over the place.
Instead of the usual sky blue, it emitted red smoke.

All of a sudden her world stopped when she saw a figure ahead. So ungodly and inhumane, where it then raised a finger at Valentina.

"Your time is coming. Start saying your goodbyes."

In the real world, her nose was bleeding, head throbbing, a pain like never before, and her eyes were rolled to the back of her head. Wincing before realising where she was.

Her mom gave her a glance of worry where she had pulled to the side a couple minutes ago and turned down the music.

"Vale, are you okay?" It was unusual for Christina's daughter to act this way. The only time that she could remember Valentina had a nosebleed was when she ran into a wall so clumsily, when she was eleven.

Touching her nose, just then seeing the blood, "Peachy Ma, just peachy." Being handed a tissue, she wiped her nose while looking in the visor mirror, making sure all the blood was gone.

"Hija, have you been sleeping well? Or sleeping at all? You know it's bad for your under eyes!" It was at this moment Christina Alma got a good look at her daughter.

"Yes, I'm sleeping just fine, I'm just experimenting with special effects makeup," she lied on the spot.

"Special effects makeup? Last time I've seen you with any kind of makeup was for your aunt's farewell party! Now tell me," her mom begged.

"Seriously! I'm fine Ma." Valentina turned to look out the window. Rolling her eyes, Christina turned on the engine and started driving.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Arriving back home, Valentina headed to her room, where she shut the door. Just then remembering what Robin had told her.

"I don't know why he's going out with other girls because he always talks about this one girl, that coincidentally describes you, you kn-"

Her crush since freshman year might be talking about her? No, it might just be a coincidence after all.

Steve Harrington was someone who seemed like the typical douche jock, but when he stopped hanging out with Carol and Tommy H., he changed. Good change, but that's also when Valentina's feelings for him grew. She always felt pity for him because he was always alone.

Last year during the summer, Steve worked at Scoops Ahoy where he met Robin. Every now and then, Valentina would ask to go to the mall, and she would get embarrassed when her brother asked to specifically go to the ice cream parlor, knowing that his sister had a crush on the Harrington boy.

Most of the time, she would stand outside, to avoid any encounters with him. However, one time she went with one of her friends, the downside was that she made Valentina go in with her.

"Ahoy ladies, my name's Steve. Steve Harrington. I'll be your captain today. What can I get started for you?" he used a what he'd call a pirate accent, very poorly.

"Actually, my friend Valentina here is in desperate need of a boyfriend. I was just curious, were you looking to go on a date any time soon? Say tonight at seven? She won't ask, so I thought that I'd do her a favor," Valentina's friend, Trish, questioned Steve.

Flabbergasted, Steve was wide eyed, with his attention now on a blushing and embarrassed Valentina. After a few seconds, his eyes softened, "Look, Valentina, you look - I mean seem sweet, but-"

"No! It's totally fine, my friend Trish here was most likely doing this out her own boredom, we're going to leave now."

Awkwardly leaving the ice cream shop where Valentina started to harshly whisper, "What the hell was that?"

There was a knock on her door making her snap out of the memory.

"Valentina! Dinner's ready!"

Furrowing her eyebrows, realising that side a of her vinyl stopped, while her clock read 5:00 p.m.

Well shit.

- this chapter is a tad shorter
than chapter one.
i wrote most
of it at school

edit one 02/11/2024:
- another chapter edited!!