Homecoming
A Stranger Things Fanfic
The house was too quiet, and the book only helped so much. Diana Harrington had always believed the mansion was far too large for their family of three, but it grew cavernous now, echoing with every tick of the clock and creak from upstairs.
When the phone rang, she nearly jumped out of her own skin. In the time it took to calm her racing heart, she decided not to answer. Her husband had made it clear that he didn’t want her along on this business trip, and she would respect those wishes to the end. To her surprise, the bedroom door upstairs slammed, and she heard pounding footsteps as her son sprinted down the stairs.
It was the first time she had seen Steve all day, and he didn’t acknowledge her as he past.
His face was angled toward her when he picked up the phone, and she saw the excitement alight in his face. She couldn’t remember the last time she had seen that expression on his face. Was he expecting a call from a girl? Should she leave?
“Hello?” His eyebrows shot up in surprise, but, while the excitement faded a bit, he still seemed pleased. “Sinclair! What’s up?” He paused a second, then rolled his eyes. “Oh, no, I’m way too busy. You know how crowded the video store always is, and all those girls I’ve got lined up to go on a date with. What d’you need?”
He plopped down on the arm chair next to the phone and noticed Diana for the first time. He broached a careful smile–then his jaw dropped. “What are you asking me for?” A moment of silence, and then, “Absolutely not! I’m not calling Nancy about that. If you want her opinion, you call her!” He combed his fingers through his hair. “Hers? Well, this won’t help in your situation, but I asked her mom. Why don’t you ask yours? She’d probably be able to help. Or Erica!” He rolled his eyes again. “Of course. Cause you couldn’t have tried to buy it yesterday or anything.”
Steve looked back at Diana and fidgeted in his chair. “What are the colors again?” He chewed his lip as he listened, then pulled the phone away from his ear. “Hey, Mom?”
Diana blinked, startled to be drawn into the conversation. “Yes?”
“Does white or ivory match pink better?”
Whatever she had expected him to ask, that was not it. “Um, well, I guess it depends on the shade of pink.” The look of panic on his face made her chuckle. “Go with white, just to be safe.”
He breathed a sigh of relief, then put the phone back to his ear. “My mom said go with white.” He waited a minute, then chuckled. “Yeah, yeah, whatever. Do you need anything else? Something that doesn’t involve matching colors? Okay, well, good luck! Bye.”
“What was that about?” Diana asked when he had hung up.
“Uh, you know Lucas Sinclair?”
She nodded. She vaguely recalled the boy, but she couldn’t remember ever having spoken to him before. If she was remembering correctly, he was several years younger than Steve, and she wondered how they had gotten to know each other.
“Well, homecoming is coming up, and he was looking for a corsage for his date. He said when he realized there were so many colors, he panicked and called me. His mom’s at work, so she couldn’t help him, and he had to order it today to get it in time.”
Diana nodded as though the situation made perfect sense. Steve rocked back on his heels and thrust his hands in his pockets. He didn’t say anything. She turned back to her book, and he went back upstairs, silence settling over the house once more.
TV was better than a book. It dispelled the silence and pushed insecurities and uncharitable thoughts into the corners of the room.
The phone rang. Steve answered it before she realized he was in the room. His face lit up. “Henderson!”
She turned the volume of the TV down. To be considerate, of course.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. You’ve still got a few days. Relax a bit.” He listened, then smirked. “Why? You got a date?”
His eyebrows shot up. “Wait, really? How did she manage that?” He paced the length of the small table where the phone sat, tugging on the cord. “Wow, that’s awesome, buddy.” A pause. “Oh, right! Give me just a second.”
He dropped the phone on the table and ran upstairs, only to come down a moment later with a tie draped around his neck. He picked the phone back up and squeezed it between his ear and shoulder. “Ok, let’s see. How do we do this?”
He knotted the tie slowly, narrating every step into the phone he carefully balanced. It was a difficult process, and he dropped the phone twice, shouting a series of expletives as he picked it up, then glancing sheepishly at his mother, who feigned an intense interest in . . . whatever that advertisement was for.
“Ok, you got it? Good. If you have any problems, just call me. Or stop by the video store. Oh, and Dustin? Your mom’s probably already drilled this into your head, but make sure you go to the door to pick her up. Same when you drop her off.” He rolled his eyes at the reply. “I don’t care if her dad isn’t here, and I don’t care if she’s staying in a hotel. No one’s going to say any of my boys aren’t gentlemen.”
The answering snort was loud enough to hear through the phone and Steve frowned at the words that followed. “I know, I know, but I want you all to be better than me, you little–” a series of names followed that contradicted the tone of the conversation.
“I hope you have a really great time. Also, I know your mom will take pictures, and I hope you know I expect to see them.” He grinned. “You’re welcome. Bye.”
He hung up and turned back to Diana. She could almost see him rehashing the enitre conversation in his head.
“I don’t remember anyone named Henderson on the basketball team,” she said.
“Dustin Henderson.”
Oh. She did know him. A bunch of the women in the town visited his mother frequently when her husband left a few years ago, but that had stopped after a few months.
Steve rubbed the back of his neck. “His girlfriend and her sister are in town for a few days, so he’s taking her to homecoming.”
“I’m surprised both he and the Sinclair boy came to you for help,” she said carefully. She wondered if he would answer. He had no reason to.
“They’re, uh, friends with Nancy’s little brother, and I’ve helped them out a few times.”
Diana nodded and turned the television volume back up. Steve disappeared in the kitchen.
She couldn’t remember him ever having spent time with Mike, not even back when he and Nancy had been dating. And she remembered the way he said his boys, his voice full of an affection she’d never heard him use before. It was a strange conversation.
Baking kept her busy–running around the kitchen, mixing, cleaning dishes, rolling out cookie dough. It didn’t matter that there was no way she and Steve could eat all these cookies themselves. Maybe she could take them to the high school for the dance.
Steve walked into the kitchen and glanced at the mess everywhere. He washed his hands and picked up a cookie off the baking sheet. She wondered if she should tell him to wait for supper, then he grabbed the basket already piled with cookies, and began transferring the ones from the baking sheet to the basket. Neither of them said a word as they worked.
The doorbell rang, and Steve dropped the cookies he was holding into the basket before answering the door.
“Max,” she heard him say. “I didn’t know you were coming. Is everything okay?”
Max. Was this another fifteen-, sixteen-year-old boy? Where had he found all these kids? And whatever had happened to Tommy and Carol?"
“Here, come get something to eat,” Steve said. To her surprise, when he came back in the kitchen, he was followed by a young, redheaded girl.
He grabbed a plate and knife and set them in front of her, then pulled out some bread, mayonnaise, and sliced turkey. It seemed an odd combination, but the girl, Max, didn’t argue.
She picked up the bread, but Steve yanked it out of her hands. “No, gross. Wash your hands first.”
Max made a face at him and groaned. Steve pouted right back and mimicked the sound, then nodded at the sink. “Now.”
“Fine.” Max stomped over to the sink and washed her hands, then walked back over and snatched the bread away and began fixing a sandwich.
“Would you like a cookie?” Diana asked. Max’s eyes snapped up to hers, and she froze like a deer caught in the headlights.
“This is my mom,” Steve said quickly.
Diana waved her flour-covered hands. “You can just pretend I’m not here. I was just finishing up this batch.”
Max’s eyes darted away and she grabbed a cookie off the tray. “Thanks.”
She started to take a bite, but Steve took it away and set it on the edge of her plate. “Food first.”
Max rolled her eyes. “Okay, Mom.”
He waited until she had taken a bite of her sandwich, then asked, “Okay, so what’s up?”
Max shrugged as she chewed and swallowed. “Not much.”
Steve leaned his elbows on the counter. “Come on, I know you’re here for something.”
Max shook her head. “It’s really nothing much. I just decided not to go to homecoming.” She punctuated the statement with a large bite of her sandwich.
“Um, no, you’re going to that dance.”
“No, I’m not. It’s stupid and dumb, and I don’t want to go.”
Steve’s eyebrows drew together. “Yeah, you do. You were so excited about it last week, and the fact that you’re here, not at Sinclair’s, means that you want me to talk you into going.”
“No, I don’t. I’m just here because–”
“Because?” Steve prompted. Max looked away and chewed her lip. “That’s what I thought. So why don’t you want to go? Do you need a ride?”
She shook her head. “Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair were going to drive us.”
“Okay, so what’s the problem?” Max shifted in her chair and Steve frowned at her. “You’ve got a dress right? I mean, I heard–” he broke off as her head shot up and she glared at him.
“You heard what, exactly?” He didn’t answer, and she shook her head and huffed. “I knew he saw it. He’s such a liar.”
“Okay, yes, Lucas told me you have a dress.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Did he actually see it?”
Steve shrugged. “I mean, he said it was pink.”
Max laughed, but it sounded desperate. “Yeah, it’s pink, and lacy, and fluffy. It looks like something you’d put on a baby doll.” She took another bite and Steve waited.
“Nancy said I could try on her old dresses, but they didn’t fit. Everyone who has a cheap dress has already sold it, which is fine. Sure it’s a dance, and everyone has expectations, but if I have to show up in ratty jeans, I don’t care. It’s not like I’m popular anyway. I just want to hang out with Lucas and Mike and Dustin and meet Suzie. That’s it. But somehow Mom found out about homecoming and that I needed a dress, so she found this one, and it was cheap.” She scoffed. “I guess cause it’s so ugly no one wanted it. I told her I wasn’t wearing that, but she says she doesn’t wnat me going to a dance in jeans cause I’ll just embarrass her. Like that dress won’t embarrass me. And if those are the choices, well, I just won’t go.”
Steve silently studied her as she spoke, then stared down at the countertop. Diana tried to stay quiet as she washed out her mixing bowl. She felt for the young girl and wished she could help, but she didn’t have any of her old dresses (they probably wouldn’t have fit anyway, and they certainly weren’t in style anymore), and she didn’t think the girl would accept charity.
Steve straightened and walked into the living room.
“Hey, where are you going?” Max called.
“I’ll be right back. Eat your sandwich.” Diana could hear him pick up the phone and a moment later, say, “Hey, I need a favor.” He lowered his voice, and she couldn’t make out anything else.
When he came back, Max asked, “Who was that?”
“Doesn’t matter. How’s school been?” She scoffed and rolled her eyes in answer. “Okay, how have other things been?”
Her face softened a bit. “Fine.”
“How’s your mom?” Max looked away. “Call if you ever need me,” he said.
She nodded. “I will.” He looked at her empty plate and tossed a couple extra cookies on it.
They sat in silence for a while, and Diana wondered if she should say something, but neither of them seemed uncomfortable.
“You know,” Steve said slowly, “you can actually ask for help. I know that makes you uncomfortable, and you have your own way of asking, but sometimes I don’t notice, and that’s not because I don’t care or I don’t want to help. It’s cause sometimes I just don’t pay enough attention. Sometimes I may need you to hit me over the head, but I want to help you. So next time, just ask.”
Max didn’t answer. Instead she slid her finger over the plate to pick up the crumbs. Steve didn’t seem to care, he just sighed and watched her, a slight smile on his face.
There was a knock at the door, and Max looked up. Steve went to answer it, and soon returned with a girl (much closer to his age this time) with choppy, light brown hair and a grocery bag in one hand. She waved at Max and peeked at Diana for a moment before turning away again.
“Robin?” Max asked. “What are you doing here?”
“I heard you had a problem with your homecoming dress. Now, I may not be good at shopping or sewing, but I think I am pretty good at fixing clothes. I mean, I, um, altered almost all of my own dresses for school dances, and I do the same for a lot of my other clothes, so what do you say?” She held up a box of black dye and a pair of sewing scissors.
Max’s mouth fell open and she stared at the other girl, then one corner of her mouth quirked up and her face lit up with mischief. “Oh, absolutely!”
“Great! Let’s go get that dress.” Robin nodded at the door.
Max ran from the kitchen, then paused in the doorway and grinned back at Steve. “Thanks.”
Steve grinned and waved as she ducked out. Then he grabbed Robin’s arm and whispered, “Black and white match, right? Cause Sinclair already bought the corsage.” Robin’s stare was just as blank as his, and Diana had to turn back to the dishes to cover her smile.
“Well, black matches everything, and white matches everything, right?” Robin asked. “So, probably!”
“Yeah, yeah, okay. Thanks, Robin. I owe you one.”
“Eh, don’t worry about it. See you tomorrow.”
When the two girls left, Steve joined Diana at the sink. “Do you want some help?”
She shook her head. “That’s alright.” She glanced at Steve out of the corner of her eye. “That girl seems to really care about you.”
He shook his head. “Robin and I aren’t–”
“No, I mean Max.”
He looked up at her. “Oh.” A grin broke across her face. “Yeah, um, I try to help her when I can.” He stared down at the dirty dishes.
“I think she appreciates it,” she said quietly, and he smiled.
It was nice to get out of the house on occasion. Diana left the front door open as she carried the groceries into the kitchen. She left them on the table and went back out to get more. Once they were all inside, she began putting them away, leaving the ones she would need for supper on the counter.
Steve came down when she was almost finished. He looked at the cans she was stacking. “You could’ve told me you were back so I could help.”
It hadn’t even crossed her mind. “I didn’t want to bother you.”
There was a knock at the door and Steve went to answer it as Diana pulled out a pan.
“Henderson!” Steve nearly shouted from the front door. Henderson. He was the one who asked about the tie.
“Come on, sit down, tell me all about it.” Steve ushered the younger boy into the kitchen and to the table.
“I brought pictures, as requested,” the boy said, shrugging out of his backpack.
His eyes caught on Diana, and he stopped. She wondered if she should leave them alone and fix supper later, but then he smiled. “Hi, Mrs. Harrington! You might not remember me, but I’m Dustin.” He held out his hand to shake hers, and she couldn’t help but smile back.
He turned back to Steve, pulled out a stack of pictures, then dropped into the seat beside him. “Here you go. Mom took a lot, and I might have borrowed some of Mrs. Sinclair’s too.”
Steve laughed and picked up the top few. Diana resisted the urge to peek over his shoulder.
“Looks like you had lots of fun,” Steve said as he shuffled through the stack. He stopped on one and smirked. “And this must be the famous Suzie. She’s cute.” He looked at Dustin and raised his eyebrows. “Definitely not hotter than Phoebe Cates, though.”
“I think you need your eyes checked,” Dustin said, folding his arms.
“Mom, what do you think?” Steve held up the photo.
Diana dropped her spoon. “What?”
“Isn’t Suzie hotter than Phoebe Cates?” Dustin asked, pulling one foot into his chair and holding onto the back as he turned to face her.
She checked to make sure the food was in no danger of boiling over, then walked over to the table and took the photo from Steve. It showed Dustin, all dressed up and with his curly hair styled nearly straight up, standing beside a girl with dark hair, glasses, a bright smile, and a light dress.
“I, well, I wouldn’t say she’s hot,” Diana began, and Dustin frowned. “But she certainly is adorable.” She handed the picture back and glanced down at some of the others.
One showed the Sinclair boy standing with Max, who was nearly beaming in her now-black dress with a white corsage on her wrist. A glance at some of the other scattered pictures proved they were all of the same kids, only in a variety of goofy poses. Diana thought of the stiff family photos scattered throughout the house and her heart ached a bit.
She went back to cooking as Dustin recounted the events of the night with Steve giving teasing commentary. She smiled, enjoying their presence.
Dustin began packing his pictures back up after a few more minutes. Diana glanced at the stew, nearly done.
“Dustin?” Both he and Steve looked up at her. “Would you like to stay for supper?”
Dustin beamed. “Sure! I’d better call my mom, though.”
He raced into the living room for the phone, and Steve looked at his mom and smiled. “Thanks.”
She smiled back.