Chapter Text
Hawkins - November, 1983
The air was cool in the Hawkins High hallway as Alice sat on the ground by her locker, absentmindedly drawing in one of the sketchbooks she always carried around like an accessory, as if every class she had for the day was art. She wasn’t that lucky, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t try and turn the classes that bored her into art sessions by doodling in her notebooks.
She had gotten herself to the school a little earlier to sketch in peace, knowing there wouldn’t be as many people around other than the janitor or some teachers. She had her headphones on, with one side of them comfortably slipped off of one ear so she could still hear her surroundings. She was deep into her creative zone with her music when she noticed a couple of students start to walk in with the same idea as her, others hoping for a little extra quiet time like her or to catch up on missed homework from the night before before the day officially started. She blinked, pausing briefly as a shadow suddenly loomed across her page, hindering her light.
“Well, this is a surprise.” Came a smug voice that was a little too confident and familiar. “Do you always just sit on the ground like that, or is this-” He gestured to her vaguely “Like, some kind of statement?” He asked, amused as he crossed his arms and leaned against the locker next to hers.
Alice didn’t have to look up to place an equally as smug face to match the voice, so she didn’t.
“It’s quieter, people don’t usually stop by.” She countered simply with a small shrug of her shoulders as she continued to sketch, despite his shadow.
He never got her attention the way he seemed to get everyone else's. It always kind of bothered him and made him a little curious about her; the way nothing seemed to faze her, but he’d never admit it. Being ignored always felt unnatural for him and he certainly wasn’t used to it, it got under his skin way more than he’d like to believe but he always ignored it.
“You always sit on the floor.” He continued, looking down at her. A statement, not a question. “You know there's like, actual furniture, right? Chairs, tables, a bench. The school’s not that underfunded.” He tilted his head, trying to get a better look at what she was drawing
That got her attention.
“Harrington.” She finally acknowledged him with a sigh, his peeking prompting her to pull her sketchbook closer to her chest as she finally looked up to meet his gaze, her hazel eyes sharp compared to his softer brown ones “I know, just- What do you want?” She snapped slightly
Steve smirked a little, finally finding at least one button of hers to press as he mentally took note of it before he forgot. When she looked up at him, that’s when it clicked. The pale skin, the dark hair, the sad, hazel eyes. She was potentially a Byers, he just never noticed it before or gave it much thought, not at least until now. He suddenly remembered going through his fathers old yearbook one time, realising how similar she looked to Mrs. Byers when she went to school with his Father back in 59. He’d seen her in passing around school, occasionally seeing her with Johnathan too, but he’d just assumed they were two weird friends sticking together to survive another school year. Something that was always easy for him and his friends.
“You’re Byers’ sister, right?... Johnathans.” Steve asked, his gaze lingering a little too long as he tried to figure her out
“Yeah… So what?” Alice tensed, already bracing herself for any direction their conversation was about to take. Her defensiveness was a natural response at this point, already knowing what people would say about her brother before they say it most of the time.
Everyone knew Johnathan, but no one knew him like she did. To her, he was her confidant and big brother, she knew she could always go to him when she was in trouble. To everyone else, he was just the creep with a camera. The weirdo. The freak. It wasn’t much different for her.
Steve blinked, hearing how that could’ve sounded as he raised his hands slightly in mock surrender, backing off a bit “Relax. I just didn’t know he had a sister.”
“We don’t exactly advertise.” Alice rolled her eyes slightly, her tone deadpan. “A lot of people don’t notice me, you’re not the first.”
“I didn’t mean-” He started, but he knew he did in some way
“I’m not offended.” She said, cutting him off “I don’t want to be noticed. Not like you.”
“So, you have noticed me.” He grinned, all too cocky and confident as usual
“I’ve noticed you talk.” She scoffed slightly “And you talk a lot for a C- student that doesn’t exactly contribute to anything other than the basketball team or your little clique, you just hide behind your friends and give into their peer pressure like everyone else."
Steve wanted to reply with some smartass retort, but he shrugged it off with a smile that never quite reached his eyes. Something about that comment coming from her stung him in a way he didn’t expect, or understand. Alice noticed, briefly wishing her tone was a little less harsh.
“Okay…” He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck “I was just saying-”
“I know what you were saying.” She said quickly before sighing “Look, did you want something, or?...”
Steve shook his head, a little too quickly, as he shoved his hands into his pockets and pulled out a note, slipping it into a locker “That’s all I came here for, just so you know. I’m not exactly interested.” He shrugged, simply walking away like he had something better to do. “Great. Another Byers..” He muttered to himself as he left, her words still echoing in his mind.
Alice sighed and rolled her eyes, her gaze burning holes in the back of his head as she watched him walk away. Alice directed her attention back to her sketchbook, her shoulders losing tension the more she lost herself in her drawing again, sighing softly as let herself be distracted once more. Before she knew it, more students started showing up for class and filled up the hallways as they waited for the bell to ring, the space becoming more crowded and loud by the minute. She looked up briefly when she felt the cold rush of air of someone quickly shuffling by her to catch up to Nancy Wheeler who had just walked into the building, her books tucked firmly into her arms like her life depended on them as always. It was Barb; Alice didn’t know her that well, but she was always nice to her in passing and it was something she always appreciated, not many people around school would bother to even give her the time of day given that she was a Byers. She already knew Nancy because her youngest brother is best friends with hers, having spent many a night driving to the Wheelers house to pick Will up from his little D&D games when Joyce or Johnathan were busy working late, but compared to Nancy? Alice didn’t fit in as much, she was the quiet outsider always looking in. Not as pretty, not as nice, not as popular.
Invisible.
Alice wasn't all that close to Nancy in general other than sharing some of the same classes with her or exchanging brief pleasantries in passing when picking her brother up from her house; but she was nice enough, smart too, she just couldn’t get over her little miss perfect act sometimes. It didn’t help the fact that she was now dating Steve Harrington if the gossip around school was anything to go by, the King of Hawkins High himself, putting her under a different kind of light entirely. Nancy was smart, opinionated and liked her studies. Steve seemed to be the opposite; loud, immature and only cared about himself and what everyone in town thought of him, especially his too-rich-to-care and absent parents. Sometimes she wondered who was more fake between them or how Steve managed to get someone as smart as Nancy Wheeler to fall for him besides his pristine looks or perfectly styled hair because she doubted there was much in that thick skull of his between his ears sometimes. Alice sighed quietly to herself, her focus on her sketching breaking as she was subjected to the usual hushed whispers of school gossip, knowing damn well everything she’s learned about Steve Harrington was involuntarily and absolutely against her will. She never understood why almost every other girl (And some guys) was infatuated with him besides his looks when she could see through his little act a mile away.
“So, did he call?” Barb was asking her excitedly with barely contained anticipation as they walked past her towards Nancy's locker, which was always a little too close to Alice's for her liking.
“Keep your voice down..” Nancy ushered, but Alice didn’t miss the slight smile that tugged on her lips as she looked around to make sure no one was listening to their conversation.
“Did he?...” Barb pressed, a knowing smile on her face.
“I told you, it’s not like that…” Nancy tried, but Barb shot her a look that made her smile a little wider as she shook her head slightly. “Okay, I mean, yes, he likes me, but not like that.” She tried to assure her as they stopped outside her locker “We just… Made out a couple times.” She clarified with a soft smile, as if recalling how it felt that second all over again all the while putting in her locker combination, shrugging as if it was nothing.
“We just... Made out a couple times.” Barb mimicked her teasingly, rolling her eyes and shaking her head in disbelief with a soft smile, knowing it was a bigger deal than that “Nance, seriously, you’re gonna be so cool now, it’s ridiculous.”
“No, I’m not.” Nancy assured her, still smiling, but Alice could see that she looked like she was trying to convince herself just as much behind it.
“You better still hang out with me, that’s all I’m saying.” Barb joked, but there was a hint of seriousness behind it that Alice didn’t miss as an outcast herself. Nancy simply responded with a look of disbelief at the thought as Barb continued before she could reply “If you become friends with Tommy H, or Carol, I swear-”
“Oh, that’s gross! Okay, I’m telling you, it was a one-time-” Barb shot her a look this time, raising her eyebrows in disbelief. The same knowing look of hers making Nancy smirk a little to herself “Two-time thing.” She corrected shamelessly, making Barb laugh a bit before there was a pause between them as Nancy opened her locker, suddenly finding a hastily written note in blue ink, the paper folded and clearly ripped out of a notebook. “Meet me. Bathroom. - Steve”
“You were saying?...” Barb teased playfully as they exchanged looks
Alice had reached her capacity of unwarranted school gossip for the day already by that point before it was even 9am, already zoning out at the mention of making out as well as Steve's other excuse of a ‘friend’ and his annoying Girlfriend, Carol, making them friends by default. It made sense though, shallow people stay together so they can strengthen their act and enable one another while establishing themselves as the solid teflon of the school; untouchable, living carefree in their own little world- And the popular people always stay in their own group for comfort just like any other clique in school, the freaks and the nerds included. Comfort isn’t always a want, it’s a need, and Alice was always reminded of that too much for her own liking sometimes. Being alone was always easier for her, but she was thankful her youngest brother had seemed to find a clique of his own and that she could confide in her older brother like a confidant. It was enough for her knowing her family was there, she didn’t need much else.
Before she could be subjected to any more unwanted mental imagery of Steve and Nancy, she closed her sketchbook with a soft thud and put her things away, fully slipping her headphones back on and raising the volume on her walkman when the other students and noise suddenly became too much for her. She pushed herself up off of the floor and headed for the girls bathroom before class started with a sigh, slinging her bag over her shoulder as she tried not to think about the long day ahead too much.