20th September 1983
Karmen took a deep breath as she walked up the stairs of Hawkins High, fidgeting nervously with her bag strap. She had been to eleven different schools in the past six years, but this was different. She was here for a reason. Karmen quickened her pace when she noticed the reception desk, hoping to get her first day over with as quickly as possible.
"Hi, I'm Karmen, just starting today" She smiled at the woman at the desk.
"Karmen Dixon?" The woman replied, as she took a moment too long to answer.
"…Oh, yes. That's me" Karmen grinned, falsely.
She mentally slapped herself for forgetting her false surname so quickly. She couldn't afford to screw this up. The woman soon handed her some books and a timetable, sending her off to her first class, which was only a few doors down the corridor. Karmen groaned when she saw the lesson had already started.
"Ah, you must be the new student" Her teacher announced, as she entered the room.
Instantly, there were around thirty eyes on her, trying to sum her up. She had tried to make herself look as inconspicuous and average as possible, and seeing how everyone seemed to lose interest in her after a few seconds, it seemed to have worked. All but one boy in the corner, who looked away quickly when she caught him staring.
"Well you're just in time for algebra, lucky you. Back of the class please" The teacher instructed her, as she nodded.
The lesson was uneventful, as were her next two classes. It was soon lunch, and she drifted over to the library, hoping to fade into the background as much as possible. Or that was the plan before she bumped straight into someone, almost falling over.
"-Shit. Sorry" Karmen sighed, as she steadied herself.
She saw she had knocked over a bundle of things the person had been holding, and bent down to pick them up. She found numerous photos among textbooks, some of wildlife, some of people.
"Nice pictures" She exclaimed, finally looking up at the person, who had also bent down.
"Thanks" A reply came, with an awkward smile.
She frowned when she realised it was the boy who had stared at her from her first class. He quickly gathered his things, retreating from her, when she spotted a photo he had missed.
"Hey, cheekbones!" She called after him, thinking it an appropriate name as it was she first noticed about him.
"Huh?" He questioned, turning around.
"Your forgot something" She informed him, waving the photo around.
He hurried over, about to grab the photo, when she pulled it back at the last moment.
"What's your name?" She queried.
"Jonathan…Byers" He told her, nervously.
"Karmen" She announced, as she handed him the picture.
"No last name?" Jonathan frowned.
"Uh…it's…" Karmen trailed off, racking her brain for the godforsaken name.
"You don't remember your last name?" Jonathan asked, a small smile on his face.
"…It's just be a long day" Karmen shrugged it off.
"It's noon" Jonathan retorted, feeling more confident than usual.
"Hey! I'm the new girl you're supposed to be nice to me" Karmen insisted, hitting his shoulder.
The pair both let out a quiet laugh, finding a comfortable silence between them.
Karmen waved to Jonathan at the end of the day, after their lesson was over. She walked down the steps of the school with a smile before shaking her head, she wasn't there to make friends. She needed to find Eleven. That was it.
"Hey, hobo!" Two boys from her year shouted behind her, as she opened her locker.
She rolled her eyes in response, shoving her middle finger at them, which only made them laugh harder.
"Don't let them bother you" A quiet voice said from her side.
"I won't. They're just dicks" Karmen shrugged, as she turned to look at who had spoken.
It was a ginger girl from a few of her classes, but she couldn't remember her name.
"You're new here, right?" The girl asked.
"As if I could forget" Karmen sighed.
"Don't worry, next week they'll be onto the next big thing" The girl reassured her.
"I'm Karmen" She announced, as she closed her locker.
"Barb" The other girl nodded.
"Where's that girl you're always hanging around with? Small, petite?" Karmen inquired.
"Making out with Steve Harrington in the toilets" Barb confessed, with an eye roll.
"Ooo, fancy" Karmen laughed.
The girls got into a light conversation when the girl they had been talking about walked over, a guy had his arm wrapped around her shoulder.
"Hey Barb…who's this?" The girl questioned, as they approached.
"Karmen. New girl, etc" Karmen shrugged.
"Nice clothes" The guy, who Karmen presumed was Steve, mocked.
She knew her clothes were ugly, they didn't fit her and were dirt cheap, but it was all she had, and she was sick of people making fun of her.
"Nice hair" Karmen retorted.
"Wha…There's nothing wrong with my hair" Steve insisted.
"Not seeing much right with it either" Karmen went on, as Barb had to stifle a giggle.
"Well…I…there's not much right with that outfit" Steve stuttered.
"Ouch, that really got me put in my place" Karmen said, sarcastically.
"I'll see you later" Steve told the girl, as he pressed a quick kiss to her lips and retreated.
"Steve's really not that bad" The girl told her.
"If you say so…?" Karmen trailed off.
"Oh, I'm Nancy" She greeted.
Soon it was Friday and Karmen was grateful that she'd be able to relax for the weekend, and really start her search. She was walking down the corridor, off to her last lesson, when a boy caught her eye. Or more what was surrounding him did. There was black smoke flying all around him, making her came to a halt. She quickly realised she was the only one who could see it, and wondered what it meant. Could it be a warning, she thought to herself? She watched as the boy and his friends walked past her, frowning at the strange look she was giving them.
"Hey…what's wrong?" Nancy questioned, as she spotted Karmen standing in the middle of the hallway.
"Who was that kid?" Karmen inquired, pointing to the group.
"Which one?" Nancy asked.
"The one with the bowl cut" She answered.
"Oh, that's Will Byers. He's best friends with my brother" Nancy told her.
"Wait, as in Jonathan's brother?" Karmen queried.
"Uh, yes. How'd you know him?" Nancy frowned.
"I met him on my first day. He seemed nice" She divulged, as they began walking.
"Are you really sure you want to hang around with him? He's a bit…weird" Nancy stated.
"He's shy" Karmen corrected.
"Shy and weird" Nancy insisted.
"Well he doesn't seem as big of a douchebag as most guys at this school" Karmen shrugged.
"Why are you so defensive of him?" Nancy questioned, a small smile on her face.
"I'm not!" Karmen exclaimed.
"Sure" Nancy laughed, a knowing smile on her face.
Author's Notes: I hope you all enjoyed this first chapter! Please send in reviews with any feedback you have on this story and chapter. Do you like my ideas? Is there anything in particular you want to see? Thank you!