Chapter Text
The world felt empty in the best way.
No Hawkins noise.
yes school but not now .
No parents calling their names every five seconds.
Just pavement, wind, and running footsteps.
Talia skidded to a stop first, laughing breathlessly.
“…Okay,” she said, hands on her knees. “…We definitely lost them.”
Lydia slowed beside her, grinning. “…We didn’t have anyone chasing us.”
“…Still counts.”
“…You’re dramatic.”
“…You love it.”
Lydia didn’t argue.
Which said enough.
They turned down a quieter street, trees hanging over the sidewalk like they were hiding something.
The air felt different there.
Slower.
Quieter.
“…We’re actually alone now,” Lydia said, glancing around.
Talia looked too.
No cars.
No voices.
No footsteps.
“…Yeah,” she agreed. “…We are.”
A pause.
Not awkward.
Just soft.
Like the world had briefly stopped asking anything from them.
Talia nudged her lightly. “…We’re kind of insane, you know that?”
Lydia smiled. “…Yeah.”
“…In a good way?”
“…In your way.”
Talia laughed under her breath.
For a moment, they just stood there.
Close enough that neither of them had to move to be near the other.
Both of them relaxed in that way that only happens when you feel safe.
When you feel chosen.
Lydia tilted her head slightly. “…You okay?”
Talia nodded. “…Yeah.”
A beat.
“…You?”
Lydia nodded too. “…Yeah.”
Then—
quietly, like it wasn’t a big thing but still meant everything—
they leaned into each other for a second.
Foreheads brushing, just for a moment of stillness in all the noise they usually carried.
Then they both laughed softly at how serious they were being about it.
“…Okay,” Talia said, stepping back. “…We’re definitely normal.”
Lydia raised an eyebrow. “…We are absolutely not.”
“…Fair.”
From behind them:
A grocery bag rustled.
Very loudly.
Both of them froze.
Slowly turned.
Nancy stood at the end of the street.
Robin beside her.
Both holding groceries.
Both watching them like they had just witnessed something extremely predictable.
Robin called out immediately:
“…You are both not subtle.”
Nancy added, calmer:
“…Come help carry things before you start running off again.”
Talia groaned. “…We were alone for five minutes.”
Lydia muttered, “…Barely.”
Robin smirked as they walked over.
“…That’s all you need to cause trouble.”
Nancy nodded. “…Clearly.”
As the girls joined them, still laughing quietly under their breath—
Robin leaned toward Nancy and said softly:
“…They’re inseparable.”
Nancy smiled. “…Yeah.”
A pause.
“…Good,” she added.
And the four of them walked home together.
Not alone.
Not really.
Not ever.
Them sleep over and school waking up late music blasting
”
The sleepover had started with a plan.
It always did.
“Movie night,” Talia had said confidently.
“Early sleep,” Nancy had warned.
“Responsible behavior,” Robin had added, already suspicious.
It lasted exactly twenty minutes.
Now the living room was a disaster.
Blankets everywhere.
Empty snack bowls.
A paused movie nobody remembered the plot of anymore.
And Talia and Lydia somehow still awake at 2:37 AM laughing too hard at something that wasn’t even funny anymore.
“…Okay,” Lydia whispered, wiping tears from her eyes. “…We should sleep.”
Talia nodded immediately. “…Yeah. In like five minutes.”
Five minutes became thirty.
Then an hour.
Then silence finally fell sometime way too late.
Morning Disaster
The first sound was music.
Very loud music.
Coming from Talia’s room.
Robin’s voice echoed through the house:
“…WHY IS THERE MUSIC AT THIS VOLUME?!”
Nancy appeared in the hallway, hair slightly messy, coffee already in hand.
“…It’s 7:42,” she said slowly. “…School starts in 18 minutes.”
A crash upstairs.
Then:
“…WE’RE AWAKE!” Talia shouted.
“…THAT’S NOT GOOD ENOUGH!” Robin shouted back.
Upstairs chaos erupted instantly.
Talia was pulling on her hoodie halfway.
Lydia was laughing while trying to find her shoe.
Someone’s backpack was definitely on the floor being stepped on.
Music still blasting from a speaker no one remembered turning on.
“…We are so late,” Lydia said calmly.
“…We are thriving,” Talia corrected.
“…We are going to die.”
“…Dramatic.”
Downstairs—
Nancy sighed. “…They did not sleep.”
Robin sipped her coffee. “…Not even a little.”
🚪 The Rush Out
The front door flew open.
Talia and Lydia burst out at the same time.
Still laughing.
Still half-dressed.
Still completely unbothered by the fact they were absolutely going to be late.
“…WE’RE FINE!” Talia called.
“…YOU ARE NOT FINE!” Robin called back.
They ran down the driveway, bikes wobbling as they jumped on them too fast.
Music still faintly echoing from Talia’s room inside the house.
Nancy leaned against the doorway.
“…Should we stop them?” she asked.
Robin shook her head slightly.
“…At this point?” she said. “…No. Let them suffer natural consequences.”
They watched as the girls disappeared down the street, still laughing, still arguing about who was more responsible (neither of them).
Robin finally smiled. “…They’re never going to be on time for anything in their lives.”
Nancy nodded. “…No.”
A pause.
“…But they’re happy.”
Robin hummed. “…Yeah. They are.”
And somewhere down the street—
two bikes raced toward school
too late
too loud
and completely together.