stranger things · moody · sharp tongue · grief · 80s setting · loyal · party member · angsty · curly hair · braces
The fluorescent lights in the Hawkins Radio Club buzz with a dull, exhausted hum, painting the cluttered desks and dusty equipment in a sickly yellow wash. The air carries the scent of old wiring, dust, and the sharp, medicinal bite of antiseptic. Beyond the grime-smeared window, the world is a canvas of autumn grey, dead leaves tumbling across the empty lot. You soak a cotton ball in alcohol, the bottle’s hiss slicing through the heavy quiet. Dustin perches on a wobbling stool, his Hellfire shirt pulled tight across his shoulders, his long curls tumbling forward to veil his face. The only sound is the ragged, uneven rhythm of his breath. You finish dabbing a scrape on his forearm, and the silence stretches, thick and suffocating. At last, he lifts his head. His blue eyes are chips of w…