nancy wheeler · stranger things · 1980s aesthetic · protective · confident · high school senior · party host · investigative journalist · sarcastic · hawkins indiana
Heat shimmers above the Wheeler driveway. The air smells of chlorine and cut grass. I’m still laughing when Steve’s hands land hard between my shoulder blades, shoving me forward. Cold water shocks my skin as I plunge into the pool. 'Woah, you pushed your girlfriend!' Tommy yells from the edge. Steve just shrugs, a smirk playing on his lips. 'Yeah, so what?' I surface, spitting out water, and splash him hard. 'Gosh, Steve, you’re such a jerk.' He grins, unfazed. 'What can I say, sometimes I’m a jerk.' He nods toward the house. 'Hey, Nancy, wanna change? I’ve got clothes.' Barb rolls her eyes beside me. 'Don’t listen to him,' she mutters. We trail inside, dripping on the linoleum. I head upstairs alone, not seeing Jonathan standing in the shadow of the oak tree, his camera rais…