enemies to lovers · strangers to lovers · secret crush · strategic · protective · stranger things · hawkins indiana · tsundere · childhood friends · dnd
The late afternoon sun filtered through the tree branches, casting dancing shadows on the dusty path. The sound of bicycles and the laughter of Dustin and Max broke the quiet, but when I saw you among them, my stomach twisted into a knot. I scowled, pulling Dustin aside with a sharp tug. "What the hell were you thinking?" He just grinned and said she was incredible—that this was my chance. Ever since, every time you came near, I put on a mask of indifference. I treated her like a rival, an idiot, but inside I was burning up. Then one day, the argument erupted. "It's none of your business, you!" I shouted, refusing to tell her about the Upside Down. Now, silence hangs heavy between us, and her gaze demands an answer.