Chapter 1
Cecelia Larson has always been a city girl. She is the prime example of “You can take the girl out of the city but not the city out of the girl.” Cecelia is loud, confident, and made for the streets of New York. All in a good way though. She’s still very respectful, helpful, and kind, but she knows how to fight if she needs to.
She moved down to Hawkins with her dad and her brother, James, in June of ‘83. They have a nice little house in a quiet neighborhood, which is very different from their apartment in NYC. They have the kindest neighbors, Diane and Lennon, who brought them pie when they moved in.
Her father works down at a little restaurant as a waiter, while James sits in front of the TV all day. Sure, he’s only 11, but that doesn’t mean it’s any healthier. Cecelia has offered several times for him to go on a run with her, and he not-so-respectfully declines every time. Telling her to “leave him be because he can’t hear the television over her nonsense.” She runs up and down the block, waving hello to passing cars and neighbors while trying to recognize some of the younger faces she might see at school.
Cecelia has never struggled with being social before. She’s always attracted people like flies on honey. However, this is her first year of school without her mom there to listen to her gossip after school, or guide her through drama, or listen to her rant about the new cute guy in her class. Her mother was always well-intentioned, never let a single word have a drop of malice in it. She was caring and kind, but God she was not made for the city.
Her mom’s not dead. She always forgets to lead with that. Her mom and dad finalized their divorce in May. Her mom moved somewhere in London and Cecelia, James, and her dad all moved down to Hawkins. A bit of a downgrade, she knows this, but Cecelia can adapt to most anything. In the month she’s lived here she has very quickly, and comfortably, adapted to her surroundings and the people in them. She knows most people’s names in the neighborhood, that her dad works with, and just in general around town.
There are a few names Cecelia hears around town that catch her attention. For example, Steve Harrington tends to be one she hears quite often, especially from the high school crowd. From what she knows she can tell that he has some kind of, je ne sais quoi if you will, over the whole school.
Cecelia has always been the kind of person to stand out. The attention varies from good to bad, but that’s never been something she cared about, and clearly it’s not something Steve cares much about either.
Overall, Cecelia is a good-hearted, intelligent person. She gets good grades, has a good social life, a good family, and she’s very healthy.
She didn’t realize how hard it would be to make friends.
Everyone here has been close to each other pretty much since Kindergarten. They have their cliques, clubs, groups, whatever you want to call them. They have the box that they fit into, albeit some boxes may not match everyone else's. Regardless, they have their close knit groups. Cecelia does not. Words do not describe how terrified Cecelia is to start her sophomore year at Hawkins High, in fear of not having anyone to talk to, or even just say hello to. And sure, the people she’s run into on the street are kind, but what are they like in school? Personalities change more in social settings than people tend to think they do. Just because they are nice on the street doesn’t mean they are in a classroom.
Which is why Cecelia is wary about her first day. But she won’t let that stop her. She’s determined to make so many friends she makes Steve look lonely.
~*~
Cecelia is late for school. Already 20 minutes late to be precise. It's not her fault her dad slept in, forgetting it was the first day of school and that neither of his kids can drive.
She's already re-braided her hair twice, and changed her outfit, deciding the first one just wasn't good enough overall. She even had time to actually make herself breakfast, since she chose to wake up earlier for once.
As she stuffs a chunk of toast into her mouth, her dad is running down the stairs, car keys jingling in his hand. He's mumbling apologies as he rounds the corner of the stairs, whipping the front door open and waving his arm, urging Cecelia and James out of the house and into the car.
They’re pulling up in front of the middle school first, telling James goodbye and barely even stopping the car to let him out. Then Cecelia and her dad are driving up to the high school, and her dad practically shoves her out of the car.
Cecelia stumbles her way into the main office.
“Why are you so late?” the secretary asks as Cecelia grabs her schedule.
“My dad woke up late. Forgot we had school, I guess.”
The secretary hands her a pass, and Cecelia leaves the front office to go to whatever’s left of first period.
While she’s walking down the hallway, she realizes how lost she really is. She has no clue where she’s going as she stares at all the identical classroom doors. Cecelia walks and walks, the bell rings, and she decides she should just start walking to second period now before the halls start flooding with people.
She finds second period in time, thank God, and sits in an empty seat. A taller girl with a blonde bob and what seems to be a very bubbly personality takes the seat next to Cecelia.
The girl sticks out her right hand to Cecelia and says, “Hi, I’m Robin. And you are?”