Chapter Five

After another dark and sleepless night, Piper felt like she was on edge more than before. That feeling of someone watching her that settled at the back of one's neck never left her. She was constantly looking over her shoulder seeing and waiting for someone to be standing there. Or something. Her mother's voice was still echoing in her mind like a song. Any time she was left alone in her thoughts for more than a second the burn of tears filled her eyes.

Piper knew that was being terrible at covering up what was wrong with her not that she was really trying to hide it. Billy was always able to read and see right through her ever since the two of them were dating. But it seemed lately it was only getting worse. She could see the looks he was giving her, whenever he thought she wasn't paying attention. It was the type of look you give when you're waiting for someone to break from all the cracks. But Piper was forcing herself to keep it together. The last thing she was anyone fawning over and worrying about her. This trip was supposed to be a good one. A chance for her to reconnect with friends and spend a little time with family. But instead, it seemed to be a nightmare. The blurs between dreams and reality blurring to the point that Piper was never really able to tell when she was asleep.

"...and then tonight is the home game for the basketball championship, I mean it's shocking that the team even made it. But I was thinking maybe you and Billy can come with Steve? I'm playing in the band so that would be cool if you could come and watch." Robin rambled as she sat at her vanity, touching up her makeup for the said game.

She didn't notice Piper staring off into space till she felt the heavy silence that seemed to settle between them after she finished off her rant. Her eyes looked up to the mirror and used it to look behind her. A frown came across Robin's freckled face before she turned around in her seat to look at Piper.

"Hey," Robin spoke softly, her slightly rough voice drawing Piper's attention back to her. "You good?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah I-I'm fine." Piper shrugged and turned more to her friend, her hands sitting on her lap and fidgeting amongst each other. "Just not really get a lot of sleep last night."

"Sure that's all? I've sort of noticed that you've been zoning out a lot lately. Is it Billy? You guys going through something?" Robin spoke, her voice laced with heavy concern as she watched Piper flinch back slightly. "I-I'm here...if you want to talk about anything."

Piper gnawed on her plump lower lip and looked down at her lap for a few moments, before looking back up to her friends. "Y-You ever feel...like you're losing your mind sometimes? That...everything around you seems...I don't know...like you start to see things?"

Robin's brows pulled together tightly, "Uh...outside of the normal teenager high school stuff?"

Piper sighed and reached to rub her hands over her face, "I swear ever since we came back here it's like my mind is constantly playing tricks on me. I can't...I can't sleep...I'm...I'm seeing..."

Piper felt her eyes start to water with tears as she began to choke on her words, rocking slightly in her seat on the edge of Robin's bed. She shook her head, her curls dancing around her head slightly, before looking away from the girl in front of her.

"Never mind, I-I'm going to sound crazy," Piper spoke softly with a defeated tone.

"We have literally fought multidimensional monsters, and your boyfriend was possessed by said monster..." Robin started, causing Piper's eyes to slowly move to meet with hers. "...so...I think whatever is going on isn't that crazy compared to that."

Piper hesitated for only a second more before speaking, "I'm seeing my mom."

"Seeing? Like how?"

"Like...her ghost? I-I can't explain it. I'm...I can't tell when I'm dreaming and when I'm awake and it's during those times that I see her." Piper shook her head, "I-I never really told anyone how they died. I was supposed to go with my parents to dinner for my father's company. I didn't want to go so I was really dragging my feet with having to go and get ready. My mom and dad left to go and get his suit, and have to come back and get me so that we could leave for dinner. I sat up waiting for them for hours, and for a second I thought they just went without me...till two officers came knocking on the door to deliver the news. They were hit by a drunk driver a couple of blocks from the house."

Piper reached up and wiped a few tears that slowly began to fall down her cheeks as she spoke.

"What I never tell anyone is that I was supposed to go with them, ready to go, so we just headed right to the venue. But I...I didn't cause I wasn't ready. So if I had just done as I was told they never would've had to come back and get me."

"You can't blame yourself for that, Piper," Robin spoke softly, moving from her spot and walking over to sit beside her friend, reaching her hand over to grasp tightly with hers. "That drunk driver hit them and it's their fault. Not yours."

Piper's voice cracked more as her tears fell faster down her cheeks, "But I feel like it is. My parents would be here if I had just listened."

Robin wrapped her arms around Piper's shaking form as her cries started to take over her frame. Piper let everything go as she cried in Robin's arms feeling like the weight that was sitting on her chest was slowly lifting up away from her. It felt good to tell someone what was happening knowing that they wouldn't think she was crazy. That person just happened to be Robin. Piper doesn't know how long the two of them sat there but soon she pulled away from the nook of Robin's head, reaching shaky hands up to wipe away her tears.

"I-I'm sorry." Piper hiccuped, her voice was scratchy and throat hoarse.

"Don't apologize," Robin spoke softly, giving her friend a soft and gentle smile. "You obviously needed to get something out."

Piper nodded her head, "Billy has also said the moment he got here things have been weird. Like...he feels cold and senses that something's there...like right over his shoulder all the time. I think being away from Hawkins for so long has triggered something."

"Memories can do that," Robin shrugged "You guys left so soon and so quickly after Star Court, maybe your brain wasn't able to process?"

"Maybe. That's what Joyce said, something about familiar places bring back memories."

Robin nodded her head, "Do you feel better now?"

"A little, thank you." Piper smiled slightly, the corner of her lips only turning up slightly.

"Of course, always happy to help whenever needed." Robin smiled "Gotta pay you back somehow after hearing me whine about Vickie."

Piper laughed and nodded her head, "You gotta make a move already. Steve told me about the Fast Times movie that keeps getting returned...and on what part."

"Oh god," Robin rolled her eyes "He didn't go on and on about "boobies" again did he?"

Piper cringed slightly and nodded her head as she began to laugh, which caused Robin to follow along and do the same.

"Come on, let's finish getting ready. Have to leave for the game soon," Robin spoke, standing from her spot and moving back to her vanity.


The entire town seemed to erupt into nothing but excitement and high energy as people began to spill into the parking lot. For the first time in years, Hawkins had a basketball championship win. Watching Lucas and the rest of the team play and basically fight for the win seemed to bring a lightness to Piper that she hadn't felt in a long time. But she was sure it was mostly due to her mind being distracted by something else that had nothing to do with her. Steve and Billy were off talking with their old teammates, joining in on the celebration of the wind.

Piper sighed softly and walked out to the parking lot to feel the cool spring air against her warm skin. She felt like her lungs were getting the first breath of fresh hair after being stuck in that packed gym. Her feet began to wander and looked around as she walked through her old high school, smiling when she noticed that some things have and have not changed. The sound of the crowd seemed to fade away into the background as she walked toward the other side of the halls. Just as she reached the other side of the parking lot the sound of doors bursting open with laughter caught her attention. It didn't take long for her to see that it was Dustin, Mike, Erica, and a group of others she didn't fully recognize.

"What are you guys so happy about?" Piper asked, stepping toward them and out of the shadow, causing Dustin to jump slightly with a scare. Seeing his reaction only made her laugh a little more.

"Jesus Christ, Piper!" Dustin shouted, glaring toward her. "Can't be lurking around in the shadows like that."

"Sorry, sorry." She raised her hands up in false defeat. "But seriously what are you all happy for?"

"We just dominated Eddie's D&D campaign. Erica rolled the final blow, and defeated Vecna once again." Mike smiled, his eyes wide with excitement as she talked to Piper.

"Awesome." Piper laughed, not fully understanding the game that they played, but knowing it meant a lot to them. "Lucas won the championship game...maybe should go and find him? Congratulate him too?"

A forlorn look came across both their faces before nodding their head and running off into the parking lot to look for their friend, Erica not too far behind them. Just as Piper moved to step away the sound of a car revving up caught her attention. Looking over she saw a large worn down black van starting up only a few spaces away from her, the blaring music muffled due to the windows being rolled up. Normally that wouldn't catch Piper's attention except something about this did. Behind the wheel was one of the guys that came out with Dustin and Mike, his wild long curly hair making him stand out even in the slight shadow of the car. But beside him was a girl she'd noticed during the game. Red hair pulled back into a ponytail, a cheerleader.

Piper watched the van pull out of the parking lot before disappearing down the road. Piper shrugged her shoulders before walking back toward the gym hoping that either Billy or Steve was going to be ready to go. She stuffed her hands into the front pocket of her jacket and smiled when she saw Lucas, Dustin and Mike clustered together as they animatedly talked with each other.

"Babe!" Billy's voice cut through the crowd, drawing her toward him as he waited beside his car.

She quickly walked to him and wrapped her arm around his shoulder before pressing up on her toes to kiss him. The excitement from before still moving through her system. Billy moaned softly against her hips, his hands moving down her sides slowly before gripping them tightly. Billy pulled her tighter against his chest as he bent down and deepened the kiss more. Piper pulled away with a soft moan and a smirk spreading across her lips.

"What was that for?" Billy asked, the same sultry smirk on his lips as he looked down at her.

"Just cause," Piper shrugged her shoulders, "Why don't we head back to the motel...and have a little fun of our own? We haven't really relived our little nights together in our room."

"Oh yeah?" Billy's voice dropped down slightly, pushing off from his car and pulling Piper with him.

She laughed as Billy opened her car door and helped her into the passenger side, before rushing around to get behind the wheel. Billy pulled out of the parking lot before pressing hard on the gas and driving toward the motel.