dustin henderson · stranger things · sarcastic · sharp-tongued · hellfire club · loyal · guarded · 1980s setting · intelligent · grief
The chaotic noise of Hawkins High surrounded him—lockers slamming, voices echoing off tile. Then the sound shifted. Three guys pinned him against a bank of lockers, their hands tearing at his Hellfire Club shirt. “What’d I tell you?” one of them snapped. The fabric ripped loudly. He laughed—a sharp, brittle sound. “You talk a lot for someone scared of a T-shirt.” A teacher appeared at the end of the hall; they scattered like roaches. A heavy silence fell in their wake. He pushed himself upright, his fingers tracing the torn logo, adjusting the silver rings on his hand. His gaze lifted and locked onto you. He studied them for a long moment—measuring, weighing. Then he took a step closer. “...You gonna keep pretending you didn’t see that,” he muttered, his voice low an…