Chapter Text
Now, before anything else can be said, it must be established that Dustin Henderson was not superstitious. If anyone asked him, he'd like to regard himself much more as a man of science and reasoning. Just like Spock or Stephen Hawkin or Mr. Clarke.
So when, he bolted underneath a custodian's open ladder in his race to make it to homeroom on time that mrning, he really didn't think anything of it. Well, maybe that Hawkins High School needed to review safety codes, but that was besides the point. And when he accidently nudged a table mirror he was using in Biology over the lab table and shattered it into a million little pieces, the only thought that went through his brain was to not turn bright red at the snickering of his classmates. And then, when he nearly tripped and fell flat on his face thanks to the, honestly impressive, crack in the sidewalk right near the school's bike rack at the end of the day, he just cursed as he unlocked his bike to ride home.
It was jsut a bad day, he chalked it up to. No premonition. No omen. Just a rotten, stinking day.
In hindsight, he should've known better to disregard the universe like that.
"Mom," Dustin announced as he burst through the front door as per usual after a day of school," I'm home!" Briefly turning back to the street, he gave a quick wave to Mike who reciprocated before biking off towards his own home. The two had taken a bit of a detour on their ride home to talk about the Hellfire Club meeting that night. It was the big one after all. The one for all the marbles; the finale of The Cult of Vecna. Every spell, sword, arrow, and hit point would all lead up to this. Just thinking about it made his entire body numb in excitement.
He'd aimed to run straight into his room as soon as he got home to quickly run through his homework so he could prep for tonight. But before he could race off, Ms. Henderson chirped up from the living room. "O-Oh, welcome home, honey!" The little waver in her voice made him pause in step. "Can you come over here for a moment?" Dustin knew that tone, that little tickle in her throat. It was her 'another rubberband just got put on my ball of anxiety' tone.
"Everything okay?" Dustin called back, dumping his backpack by the door. From the entry way there were two ways through to the Hendersons' living room. One was just straight through the main hallway. The other was rounding about from the kitchen on the right and walking through the connecting doorway. If she'd spoken any other way, Dustin would've just taken the first path, but she didn't so he decided caution was necessary and he slowly pivoting towards the kitchen.
With each step, a different scenario of what his mother was concerned by popping in his head.
Step.
Her new cat went missing.
Step.
She found out about Suzie changing his Latin grade.
Step.
She lost her job.
Step.
She found out where he exactly was when the Starcourt Mall burnt down last summer.
Step.
She found out exactly what he was doing when the Starcourt Mall burnt down last summer.
Eyes trained on the doorway, Dustin slid his clammy heads blindly across the counter top as the dread of that last idea coursed through him. His fingers brushed against a small wooden chicken statue his mother kept has decor then snatched it up quickly as a makeshift weapon. It was overly cautious, he knew rationally, but imaginary g-men in his living room were quickly taking over all he could see. Angling it above his head like a club, Dustin rounded the corner. His mother was sitting in the loveseat facing him, her manicured nails digging into the pleather as she stared at someone sitting in the seat hidden in his blindspot.
Taking a quick breath, Dustin leapt from behind the corner, chicken raised like a holy weapon in white knuckles before his hands all but gave out like someone had cut his puppet strings.
"Lisa?" he gasped. The solid, wooden block tumbled from his grasp right onto his foot. A sharp yelp came from him. Ms. Henderson immediately jumped up from her seat to tend to her quickly bruising boy while the other person in the room, a young woman nearing the end of her teens, looked on half-amused.
"Glad to see you're still as coordinated, Dusty-Buns." she teased, eyeing him as he clutched his toes and let out a string of curses.
"Lisa, don't make fun of your brother!" Ms. Henderson scolded. She helped Dustin over to the armchair she previously sat in.
"Come on, I wasn't making fun of him," Lisa rolled her eyes," Just some light siblings ribbing. Making up for lost time." The pointed look her mother sent her way made Lisa huff and cross her arms.
"Lisa Henderson, be nice," Ms. Henderson waggled a finger at her," Your brother was obviosuly startled!"
"That's my fault!" Lisa countered, volume growing a tad as Ms. Henderson fast-walked to the kitchen. The two began to bicker back and forth, allowing Dustin to be able to gawk at the appearance of his sister sitting there right in front of him. His mom was right; he was startled. Incredibly so.
It had been, what, two years since he last saw his older sister? No, three. Three years. Specifically at Will's funeral. Just like now, he hadn't expected her to be there. Lucas was actually the one to spot her that day, pointing her out to him from their spot in front of the burial. He hadn't been able to get a good look at her due to her being all the way in the back and the circumstance of it all, but he could remember her being lost in the same fifteen year old growing paints that he was in currently; gangly, awkward limbs that never seemed to be the right size for her clothes, unruly hair laying in every direction than the way wanted, acne scattered about like freckles, and just an overall attitude of discomfort that didn't just manifest from being at a funeral.
But now...had it only been three years?
Whatever awkwardness came at fifteen must've left by the time she reached early adulthood at eighteen, leaving behind soomeone behind that Dustin wouldn't even recognize if it wasn't for that familiar resemblance they shared. The long, messy black hair he remembered she had was now cut short in a short pixie cut that brushed against her, now clear, tan forehead. The frumpy funeral dress their dad must've made her ear was replaced by a more comfortable looking set; a pair of sturdy jeans, sleeveless Bowie black tee, and a navy blue pufferjacket. The outfit looked fitting for her form, no longer lanky as she'd seem to finally finish stretching out into the frame of a woman ready to entire the world as an adult.
"What?" Lisa barked, catching Dustin's eyes. The smudged eyeliner around her grey eyes nearly sent a shiver down Dustin's spine. They were the same color as his own, but something about the way Lisa wore that iris color seemed so much more piercing, metallic.
"What did I just say?" Ms. Henderson came out from the kitchen and handed Dustin a little plastic baggy of ice.
As the ice began to sting his foot through his sneaker, Dustin managed to grab his bearings and croak out," What're you doing here? Aren't you suppose to be in Seattle?" His head snapped to his mom. "Wait, is dad here?"
It was subtle, but Dustin didn't miss the strained look that his mom and sister shared. It wasn't fear or anything like that, but still a shared sour sort of look as if the two decided to take a shot of lemon juice at the same time. "No sweetie," Ms. Henderson pursely smiled," Your dad isn't here. Lisa came down by herself to...visit for a while."
"Don't go crazy with the excitement, mom." Lisa snorted. Before their mother could give positivity another go, Lisa leaned forward and rested her elbows on her kneees. "I'm just here until the summer. After that I'll be out of your hairs. Scout's honor."
"The summer?" Dustin raised a brow. He shifted the baggy. "Are you going to transfer to my school? Can you even do that as a senior?"
"You can but I probably won't," Lisa's eyes darted over to their mom's," We're still ironing out all the kinks in this. But for now, don't worry. I'm not going to cramp your style at school."
"It's not that-" Dustin tried to explain but Lisa waved him off.
"It's cool. Don't worry about it."
Dustin nodded but he was worried about it. He was confused at her just appearing out of the blue and at whatever her and their mom were trying desperately not to say around him. But as much as he wanted to ask, he didn't. Both for not wanting to see his tightly strung mother not have her head pop off and the way Lisa was now looking so self concious on that couch, desperately trying to look anywhere but at him. "Cool." was all he said.
"Cool." Lisa breathed in obvious relief, shoulders dropping.
No one spoke for a while. The three just sat there, praying that someone would say something to break the Berlin Wall thick ice. It wasn't until the physical ice - the ice in the baggy - began to melt that someone finally did.
"Why don't you show her around the house, Dustin?" Ms. Henderson suggested," I'm sure you remember where everything is, Lisa, but it'll be good to get another look around just in case. In the meantime, I'm going to call your father and let him know you got here alright."
The Henderson kids nodded and stood to begin the most awkward tour Dustin could ever concieve. It wasn't like he was showing a friend or second cousin removed around; it was a full sibling. One who use to live in the house and probably remembered where everything was despite it being at least ten or so years since she'd been back. Lisa, to her credit, though, didn't try to make it harder for him and just played along as he took her from room to room.
"And this is my room." Dustin announced last, opening the door.
As Lisa took her first steps onto the knotted cream carpet, she couldn't help but let a wave of nostalgia hit her. She wouldn't tell Dustin this but she remembered this room the most. Bits and pieces cling to her memory like flies on sticky paper. Such as that silly looking space comforter he still had on his bed and the obnoxious Crayon lamp he'd begged for one Christmas. The dinosaurs on the window ledges were ones she could vividly remember them both playing with when they were kids except without all the dust now accumulated on their plastic surfaces. There was also a significant lack of Legos. She could still feel those phantom blocks digging into the soles of her feet like they did every night when she went to bed. The bed...Lisa looked over to the large dressed pushged against the far wall of the room that help up an empty lizard tank. It had been right there, her old bed.
"Oh, um, I'm getting a new lizard." Dustin piped in.
Lisa snapped out of her memories and she turned towards him. "That's pretty cool." she added, hands digging into her jacket.
A brief moment of that same uncomfortable silent fell before the voice of their mother in the other room broke it for them. "Are you kidding me, Tom?" Ms. Henderson hissed. Dustin jumped and slammed the door behind him, as if they both didn't overhear.
Lisa chuckled. "It's fine," she waved off," I'm not sure if you remember, but I'm not that stupid."
"I don't thi-"
"I'm just kidding. Come on, I got to take something funny out of all this." She took in the look of all the new posters he'd put up on the walls. As she scanned around, she took glances at her little brother. During his tour, she took the opportunity to take a good look at him when he wasn't looking. The last time she'd seen him in their old shared room was when he was a little kid, barely out of diapers. It had been right after their parents came back from finalizing their divorce. He was so small then All curly hair and empty gums. Now here he was; a whole teenager. “Nice shirt, by the way.”
Dustin glanced down at the demonic logo on his shirt. “Oh this? Thanks. It’s my club t-shirt.”
“Comic?” Lisa eyed the ‘Hellfire’ across his chest.
“No, Dungeon and Dragons, actually.” Dustin grinned proudly. He nudged his chin towards her, “Do you still play?”
Lisa’s brows flew up, smirk coming back. “You think I stopped?” she snorted,” I’m the one who showed you and your friends how to play in the first place. What were their names? Michael? Luke?”
“Lucas,” Dustin clarified,” And Will.” He went to his desk and handed her a photo he had palced there of them at their Middle School science fair. “Will moved last year after some, uh, stuff. Mike and Lucas are still here, though. They’re both actually in the club! Lucas had to call out but me and Mike are going to be there tonight for our end of campaign session.”
“Those are super fun.” Lisa handed the photo back to him.
Dustin beamed, placing the frame back on his desk. “Yeah it’s going to be awesome! It’s ran by this senior guy named Eddie. He’s, like, such a good DM. It’s insane.” Lisa nodded, leaning back against one of the walls as Dustin babbled on about the campaign. She didn’t say anything but nodded and smiled before Dustin, while taking a breath, caught himself. “Oh, uh, sorry. Got into the rhythm of it.” His cheeks turned slightly pink.
“No, dude, it’s totally fine. I’m happy that, y’know, High School’s not that bad for you. Way better than mine at least.”
“I doubt that.”
“You really shouldn’t.” Something pained crossed over her face for a second. He wanted to ask about it. He really, really wanted to be nosy which, in his defense, he had a right to since he hadn’t talked to his sister in who knows how long. But it have to wait.
As soon as he opened his mouth, the voice of their mother interupted with,” Dustin! I made you and Michael some sandwiches for your club tonight!”
Dustin jolted, looking down at his wrist watch and nearly having his eyes bulge out of their sockets at the time. “Shit!” He scrambled towards the desk, rummaging through the scattered paper on top and drawers. Lisa just stared with a raised brow as he shuffled some pages in one notebook and ripped out ones in another. "I'm gonna be late!" At that point he gave up and took at least three notebooks randomly out and shoved a handful of pencils in his pocket. A smoke silhouette hung in the air as he sped out of the room without even a goodbye.
Lisa sighed, bemused at the entire little show of his. “Somethings never change.” she mumbled under her breath. Going over to his bed, she flopped onto it heavily. A dull ache was beginning to set in her bones as the tenseness of the unjoyful reunion rolled out into a brief moment of solidarity.
“Dear God,” she grumbled,” I’m so unlucky.”