Chapter 1: September 1st
Mom's job transfer went through over the summer so luckily we are all moved in and ready to go by the time the first day of school rolls around. That being said I still haven't seen or let any of my friends know that I've moved back to Hawkins. I've kept in touch with Max Mayfield especially after her brother, Billy, passed away and Robin Buckley and I talk nightly over the phone. Even though I talk to them regularly a part of me wants to wait to tell them in person about the move, eager to see their surprised faces.
So now that it's September first and it's actually the first day of my senior year, I'm a nervous wreck. It's finally time to see my friends and start my newest chapter at Hawkins High.
I've been up since 5am, too nervous to sleep. I took all the curlers out of my blonde hair and let each heavy curl bounce against my back before shaking them out, giving my hair volume. I run my fingers through the strands until it looks just the way I want and I smile, pleased with the results. I take out my makeup and apply foundation to my face and add a very thin layer of baby pink blush to each cheek. I use a similar shaded eyeshadow to coat each of my eyelids before adding eyeliner and mascara, making my sapphire blue eyes shine. I take out some clear lip gloss and pocket it so I can apply it after breakfast and put the rest of my makeup away.
I haven't been able to decide what to wear, but now that I've figured out my makeup I'm hoping it will help me solidify my decision. I pull out a few options but ultimately I decide on a pink and white checkered dress with a pastel pink cardigan over it. I throw on some white converse and smile at my handiwork in my full length mirror. I grab my bag off the floor and head downstairs with a small smile on my face.
My mom works long hours at the hospital as a surgeon so she is rarely home and when she is home she is often on call. When I was a kid and my mom was still a resident and paying off a lot of her school debt, we lived in a trailer park across town. I had a friend named Eddie Munson that would come and stay with me when my mom was away. Eddie and I were thick as thieves growing up. We did absolutely everything together. Eddie's uncle worked long hours as well so we always snuck into each other's trailers and stayed up into the small hours of the morning, playing D&D and watching scary movies.
I don't know how I would have gotten through those times without Eddie. I would have been traumatized forever if I would have been alone. But he always kept me smiling and made me feel safe and a part of my heart will always belong to the small boy who lived down the road. A part of me wonders if he still lives in Hawkins and if I'll get the chance to see him again and I chuckle to myself as I pour a bowl of cereal. Hawkins High is huge and besides the likelihood he would even remember me is slim to none.
I eat my cereal and clean my bowl before going to the bathroom to brush my teeth. I apply my lip gloss and give my lips a satisfactory smack before stashing the gloss in my bag. I fish my keys out of the front pocket of my backpack and head out, locking up behind me. I get in my car and drive to the high school, nervously tapping the steering wheel as I go.
I find a parking spot in the back, not minding the walk and I get out. I still need to go to the office and get my schedule and get assigned a guide since I am new so I make it my priority to head there first. I nervously tuck some of my hair behind my ear as I walk through the lot, feeling the eyes of the students around me following me as I pass.
"Hi there," a cheerful voice calls and I look up to see a cheerleader with honey colored hair approaching me with a smile. She has a stack of papers in her hands. I smile back at her. "I'm Chrissy Cunningham, varsity cheer captain. Are you new here?"
"Hi, I'm Ripley Marro. I moved here over the summer but I've lived in Hawkins years ago." I answer and her smile grows.
"You went to Hawkins middle right?" She asks and I nod enthusiastically.
"I remember you," she says sweetly. "You and Eddie Munson were like this." She crosses two of her fingers until they are overlapping one another and I laugh.
"We were best friends," I chuckle.
"Well listen," she says, reaching down to grab a flyer. "I don't know if this is something you would be interested in but we are having cheer try outs at the end of the week and I just wanted to see if you wanted the information."
She holds out the pamphlet and I take it from her. I grin up at her and nod.
"I was on the varsity cheer team at my old school for the last three years. I'm a flyer."
Chrissy has a knowing glint in her eye as she leans in. "I figured," she giggles. "That's kind of why I approached you. I swear I have a sixth sense when it comes to cheer. I can spot a fellow enthusiast a mile away. You've definitely got the build for it as well. I hope to see you at try outs then. The team can really use some new blood. It was nice re-meeting you."
She turns away with a wink and walks off and I'm left with a smile on my face. I open my bag and put the flyer inside, looking forward to tryouts. I hadn't even thought about trying out for the cheer team here, assuming that they would have their set list already picked, but my luck is looking up.
I make it to the office without getting stopped again. I step into the stuffy building and am greeted by a kind looking elderly woman behind the desk.
"How can I help you, sweets?" She asks and I explain my situation. She retrieves my schedule and has me sit and wait for the student they have assigned to help me make it through the day. A stern looking girl with curly brown hair comes hurrying into the office. She's got a short needy boy on her heels. He's talking urgently and writing in a notebook, jotting down their conversation as she barks at him. The girl stops in front of me and puts her hands on her hips, seeming impatient and I look up at her with my eyebrows raised.
"Can I help you?" I ask her, confused by the random hostility.
"Are you Ripley?" She asks and I nod. Her hand jolts out and I jerk back slightly startled before taking it.
"I'm Nancy Wheeler. I'm in charge of showing you around." She says and then proceeds to start to walk away from me and down the hall, her heels clacking against the floor. I take that as my cue to follow. I fling my bag over my shoulder and hurry behind her, keeping pace with her male companion. He doesn't bother talking to me as he flips through his notepad, reading over his notes. I'm impressed at his ability to multitask, but I keep my opinion to myself.
Nancy leads the way through the hallways, waving her hands around as she talks. She instructs me on where each of my classes are, first taking me on a direct route from my first period to each period after until we make it to the last. She then takes me down each specific specialized section of the school so I know where other classrooms are in case I need to find other students or teachers send me on errands. She shows me where the cafeteria is and where all the bathrooms are. She makes sure I know where the nurses office is and even the emergency exits. She may be frigid, but I have to admit she is thorough. She leads me to my locker and makes sure I can successfully get it open and closed a few times before she wishes me luck and leads her lackey away. I relax a little once she is gone and set about getting ready for my first class.
I've got English first period so I take out a notebook and my pencil case, setting the rest in my locker. I hold my supplies to my chest as I make my way down the hall. A wave of orange catches the corner of my eye just as I hear a gasp and turn.
"No way!" I hear a girl yell and my eyes meet Max's from across the hall. "No way! No way! No way!"
A huge grin spreads across my face as she starts to push through the crowd of students toward me and I spring forward to meet her. I throw my arms around her and we hug tightly, laughing loudly.
"What the hell are you doing here?" She asks excitedly. "I thought you were in North Carolina!"
"Mom got an offer here so we moved back," I say eagerly and we bounce a little still clinging to one another.
"Does Robin know yet?" Her face lights up and I shake my head.
"No I wanted to tell both of you in person."
"She's going to freak out when she sees you." The warning bell rings signaling class will begin soon and students start to push and shove in every direction. Max starts to move in the opposite direction as me, pouting slightly and I chuckle.
"Find me at lunch ok?" She calls and I nod before we go our seperate ways.
My first three periods fly by. The first day of school is typically a cake walk. Each teacher usually spends the class having the students participate in icebreaker activities and then they go over their syllabus. For a lot of the students this is nothing new having lived here for forever. But it's nice for someone like me to be able to learn a little bit about the people around me and I breathe a sigh of relief as some of the anxiety dissipates.
Chrissy Cunningham is in my second and third class and we sit pretty close to one another. We get along really well and she introduces me to some of the other girls on the squad. They mostly want to talk about boys and I'm alright with listening, getting insight on the Hawkins gossip. Apparently Chrissy is dating the captain of the football and basketball team, Jason Carver, and things have been going well but she is nervous about taking things to the next level. She spends most of her downtime during class asking her friends for advice on when she would know if the time is right. I choose not to weigh in, since I just met her but the more I listen the less I like the sound of Jason Carver. I make a mental note to steer clear of him.
When the bell rings for lunch the girls offer for me to join them but I politely decline letting them know I'm meeting up with some old friends. I wave goodbye before heading to the cafeteria. I open the doors and start to walk towards the line when I spot Robin. She does a double take when she sees me before she jumps up from her seat and runs at me. Some of the people already sitting turn to watch as she barrels into me, lifting me off my feet and twirling me around. I laugh and hold on for dear life as she sets me back down on my feet and beams down at me.
"How the hell are you here?" She asks and I shrug holding out my hands.
"Must be magic I guess," I joke and she pinches my side making me yelp. "My mom got a new job so you're stuck with me, I'm afraid."
She rolls her eyes and tells me to go get my food after showing me where she is sitting. I get in line and wait my turn, happiness blooming in my chest. I'm so excited to finally see them it's unreal. I watch while I'm in line as Max finds Robin's table and sits beside her.
Once my tray is secured and loaded I grab a few plastic utensils and napkins and make my way back to the table, careful not to drop anything. As I'm walking, a tall boy in a denim vest and leather jacket suddenly backs up in front of me, talking animatedly to his friends, and I almost spill gravy on myself. I gasp and he whirls around looking down at me.
He holds his hands up defensively and he's got a sheepish smile on his face. "Sorry," he murmurs. "I didn't see you there."
When our eyes meet I immediately see a small boy with buzzcut hair and chocolate eyes staring back at me, a playful smile on his lips. This boys hair is long and curly and he's obviously much taller and masculine but those eyes are still the same russet color.
"Eddie?" I ask, my head tilting slightly and my voice going up an octave. His eyebrows furrow and he seems confused.
"Yea?" He answers warily and he brings a hand up to the back of neck.
"Sorry," I say, shaking my head and looking down at the floor. "I don't mean to be weird. You probably don't remember me. I'm Ripley Marro."
Once my name has left my lips Eddie's face falls slightly and he blinks a few times. He leans forward and his eyes meet mine again before his widen and his cheeks flush.
"I remember," he whispers after a moment, looking away. "How long has it been?"
"Three years. We just moved back a few weeks ago."
"Back into Forest Hills?" He asks, his eyebrows raising and I shake my head. I glance behind him and I see Robin and Max waving at me eagerly. Eddie turns and notices them as well before looking back at me.
"I should go," I say and he nods, bowing slightly so I can pass. "It was nice seeing you again."
"You too," Eddie says with a smile and I blush as I rejoin my friends.
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