AN: I don't own any of the original characters, places or plot (those belong to the Duffer Brothers). Also I don't own any of the songs and books I might mention or quote, they belong to the artists/authors and labels/publishers.

Not all the things I refer to will always be from '86 and before, so bare with me, there is a reason why I change publishing dates.
The summary is not the best, so just give the story a shot: Basically Rachel comes to live with her aunt and cousin and has to repeat her senior year. She knows about what happened before, because he was there for some and Dustin kept her updated. Story starts at the beginning of school year '85 and will probably stretch into the events of season 4.

Sleep my friend, and you will see

The dream is my reality

They keep me locked up in this cage

Can't they see it's why my brain says rage?

Welcome home (Sanitarium) ~ Metallica

September 25th,1985 - Hawkins, Indiana

"You ask him…"
"Hell, no! It's your problem, you ask!"
Eddie looked up, his conversation with Gareth about the upcoming gig with their band next week suddenly interrupted by the three freshmen they had recently taken under their wing. He looked over the three fidgeting boys. Lucas looked awkwardly to the side, apparently pretty interested in whatever the science kids were doing at their table. Mike had a look on his face as if he'd wish for the ground to open up and swallow him whole. And at last Dustin. Eddie really liked the kid, his ego was a little too big for his own good at times, but he was a good kid. All three were clutching their lunch trays as if their life depended on it.
"You gonna stand there all day, little sheepies?" As if they had only waited for permission by the older boy to sit down, all three quickly took a seat at the table the "Hellfire Club", their D&D club, usually occupied. The four older boys; Gareth, Jeff, Dean and Eddie; returned to their previous conversation. Only to be interrupted again when the three freshmen started arguing again with hushed voices.
"Is there something you want to share?" Eddie asked in annoyance.
After getting an elbow rammed into his ribs, Dustin finally opened his mouth. "So, ahm… I know we have Hellfire on Friday… Buuut…" He drew out the sentence.
"What is it, Henderson? Spill it already, break is only so long." He had no idea what the problem was, it wasn't like Dustin to start struggling for words. At worst he would just start rambling on and talk like a maniac.
"Yeah, right. Ahm, so my cousin is coming on Friday. I told you about my cousin. I mean, I meant to… I," he cut himself short when their dungeon master shot him another look to get to the point and Gareth made the same gesture with his hands from the other side of the table. "We have to pick her up and I can't make it to Hellfire for the whole evening, so maybe we can start early, or finish early, or postpone…"
"Postpone?!" Eddie shouted, accompanied by shouts of protest by the others and scaring the hell out of two passing cheerleaders, while Mike and Lucas tried not to draw attention to themselves.
"Postpone he says," the older boy snorted. "Do you have any idea how much time and effort I put into this new campaign? Postpone… For a snot nosed brat… I. Don't. Think. So."
Dustin visibly deflated with every word. He had hoped to be there to pick his cousin up and he had half a mind to tell the older boys that his cousin was not a brat but a senior like them. He opened his mouth again, only for Mike to blurt out.
"Dustin's cousin is a senior! She has to repeat this year!" Gareth looked at the dark haired boy as if he had grown a second head.
"Oh, so your cousin is a babe, huh? Well that now changes absolutely everything."
"Really?" Dustin's face lit up like a Christmas tree and he seemed to grow at least an inch.
"No! You find me another little, lost lamb or you're attending, Henderson!" Eddie's fist collided with the tabletop, again startling some girls walking by. Dean shook his head, he had no idea how people were still surprised by his antics.
"So, I guess I'll tell my mother that I'm gonna be home late…"

September 27th, 1985 - Indianapolis, Indiana

My hands were shaking as the adrenalin slowly left my body. I was still clutching the knife like my life depended on it. Blindly I stared at the pool of blood where he had been not ten minutes ago, before he had been loaded into the ambulance and driven off.
"Okay, why don't you give me that?" I flinched when the older officer stepped into my line of sight and held open one of these forensic ziplock bags for me to drop the bloody knife into. I swallowed and nodded, my fingers reluctant to let go of the weapon that had probably saved my life. I stared at my trembling hands, blood all over them…

I made a fist, trying to stop my hand from shaking. I hated those moments when everything that had happened five months ago came back to me. At least I wouldn't have to go back to that awful house anymore. Everything I owned or deemed worthy to keep was standing around me in four suitcases and several boxes. I looked up when an old station wagon pulled up next to me and I forced a smile on my face when the driver got out.
"I am so sorry I am late, honey. But Dusty and his friends needed longer to set up their game." Claudia Henderson pulled me into a bone crushing hug and I coughed out what little air I had left.
"Hey Auntie. So where is my favorite cousin?" I was a little disappointed that Dustin wasn't with her and she threw her arms up in exasperation.
"He said that he tried to convince the other boys to play another day, but apparently there was nothing to be done about it. At least they agreed to meet at our house tonight. Those boys can help get all your stuff into the house," she huffed and helped me load my belongings into the car. It was a tight fit, but eventually we got everything in.
"I can't believe you managed to get all that stuff from Atlanta to Indianapolis in the damned cab." I shrugged my shoulders, I wouldn't tell her that the poor driver had gotten an earful when he tried telling me that he would charge me extra for every suitcase.
"I am just glad that I am here now," I mumbled while buckling up. My aunt froze a second and looked at me with tearfilled eyes.
"You should have told me what was going on. I would have gotten you out much sooner. I promised your mom…"
"It's okay. You did everything you could. Let's just get out of here, I am starving." I tried to dissolve the situation, I had no interest in going to that dark place.
"Is it okay if we stop and pick up some pizza? The boys can't live off just snacks and I don't really want to cook at this hour." Claudia happily took my hint to change the subject and my stomach did the answering.
"Pizza works for me." I leaned my head against the window, watching the landscape fly by. After all, it was only an hour from Indianapolis to Hawkins.
I couldn't wait to see Dustin and my other boys. Funny how I thought of his friends as part of my family, but ever since Will went missing and Eleven entered our lives, I had become very protective of those little troublemakers. Even before that, they had always looked to me like an older sister and I was proud of that, when there was so little I could actually be proud of. With a small smile on my lips, I dozed off.