November of 85'

November and December were the two busiest months at the family video store that Kathryn worked at.

Families always came in to rent movies to watch for the holidays, teenagers rented movies to watch with their friends, and a lot of the times there were people coming in to get movies to watch alone.

The regulars who always came in alone made her upset because she knew from stories they told her that they didn't have any family near or sometimes at all.

She always recommended those types of people comedies and comfort movies she loved. Steve Harrington always made fun of her for the movies she watched, mostly because he had no clue what they were actually about.

"Yea weird science, that movies weird I mean it has weird in the title, but it does have that one hot lady in it." Steve ran a hand through his hair.

"Kelly Lebrock?" Kat asked readjusting her green family video vest.

"Bingo yea she's a total babe." Steve was putting some of the movies up that had just been returned.

"That movies great, I mean have you even watched it?" Kat rung up 'karate kid' for a middle school boy that had set it on the counter.

"Don't have to, I already know enough." Kat just sighed, she knew if he actually gave it a chance he'd love it.

"Have a great day." She said to the young boy as he left movie in hand.

"Guys I've got the perfect movie to watch." Robin came in holding 'Grease.'

"'Grease', are you serious Robin? We've seen this. I didn't think it was your type of movie." Steve stopped putting movies back.

"Come on Steve it's a classic. The music! It's great." Robin started putting the movie on.

"Agreed." Kat loved that movie.

"Fine go ahead, but I get to pick the next one." Kat hated the movies Steve picked out, because usually when he did they were movies none of them had ever seen that sucked. Though every time he did pick them out they would laugh about how bad they were.

Really the three of them got along pretty well at work considering they were still working together even after switching jobs.

They'd been through a lot together so being able to enjoy a few movies and running a video store together was quite refreshing.

'Grease' played as Kat hummed to the songs still ringing up people at the front counter when her best friends came in.

        "There's our favorite girl!" Judith exclaimed.

       "Shhh! You're being too loud." Lori hushed her.

      "Hey guys, where's Cady?" Kat was concerned. Cady seemed a little distant from everyone since Halloween had happened and her aunt and uncle told her that it hit her hard.

         "She's still going through a rough time with the break up and all." Judith said before she looked at Steve. She had a huge crush on him, one that made Lori jealous, but she wasn't sure why at the time.

Kat understood that Cady was going to go through a hard time, but she thought she would still want to hang out.

Before Kat got anything out Steve came up from behind her to the counter. "Hiya ladies what type of movies are you looking for?"

"We're just here to visit Kathryn Again before we leave for thanksgiving break." Lori spoke.

"Oh I'm sure Kat here can help you, she has the best taste in movies." He pat her back. He for sure had a thing for Judith. Who wouldn't she was beautiful with flawless red hair, ideal outfits, and an endearing smile.

Kat stared at him. That isn't how he was acting earlier.

"Asshole." She teased in his ear as she walked out from the counter.

"So guys any movies you have in mind?" Kat asked the two girls when she made it to them.

"We actually did come to see you."

"Come on you're already here pick out at least one movie."

      "Alright here we'll take this one." Judith set 'fast times at Ridgemont high' on the corner.

     "Good choice." Kat checked the movie out.

     "We're going to miss you." Lori and her parents were visiting her aunties in New York with her grandma for thanksgiving and Judith was staying at her aunt Violets' house with her siblings in Minnesota.

      "I'll miss you guys too. It's my first thanksgiving back in Hawkins." She handed the movie to Lori.

      "It'll be fine, your family members from far away are coming to visit right?" Judith stuck the movie down in her purse.

      "That's right, I'm sorta nervous. People in my family can be pretty, overbearing."

      "If  you see Cady tell her we miss her, okay?  Judith and Lori were getting ready to leave since closing time was soon.

      "I will, I'll see you both in a few weeks." She gave them a hug bye and started cleaning the counters once they were out of the store.

     "If you like her Steve say something."  Kat pauses to tell him.

     "Isn't she in high school still?" He was finishing organizing movies with Robin.

      "Chill she's a senior and you just graduated old man. You're probably less than a year older than her. And a little birdy told me she liked you." she finishes up with the counters.

         "Oh please Kat don't get any more thoughts in this man's head, he's been ruining all his dates." Robin propped herself on the counter.

         "Hey they just weren't well suited for me, she might be the one. I see her come in all the time for me."

       "Steve shut up." Kat grabbed her bag.

     "What!" Both Steve and Robin grabbed their things too.

       "I told you earlier they came to see me." Kat was bewildered.

      "Maybe that's what they want you to think." Steve turned the lights off when they made it to the door.

      "Whatever helps you sleep at night Steve." They walked out and Robin locked the doors.

     "See ya!" Steve said while him a Robin walked to his car.

       "Have a good thanksgiving." Robin waved to Kat.

      "You too."

       She made it to her own car and hopped in, turning the radio on when she got out of the parking lot.

She listened to songs that reminded her of her friends until she got home.

      Making it home she stepped out of her converse and went in the living room where her parents were in the living room drinking wine.

    "Oh you're home Kathy!" Her mother was already drunk.

      "Hi mom, are you two drinking?"

       "We sure are hon, your dad got new bottles of wine that we needed to test before thanksgiving dinner." Thanksgiving was still in a few days, but her parents were tense, they wanted this thanksgiving to be perfect.

           "Oh that's great mom, I'm going to go get a shower and head to bed." Kathryn slowly took a step up the stairs.

        "Very-well we'll try not to bother you." Her mom took another sip of the dark liquid.

       "Goodnight mom and dad."

       "Night." They both said.

        She went the rest of the way up the stairs and made her way into her room.

     Her room hadn't been updated since she was younger, but it was a nice room. The walls had a floral wallpaper on them, she had a large wardrobe in the middle of her room, a bedside table with a lamp and a stack of magazines and jewelry, a vanity where she kept some of the makeup she still had, a nice bed with a hand quilted comforter, frilly curtains, plants and her giant bookshelf filled with books and knickknacks from her childhood.

    She was tired but needed a shower from her long workday, so she went to her wardrobe and pulled on a drawer at the bottom where she kept her underwear and another drawer where she kept her pajamas.

     She went to her bathroom across the hall and a certain feeling washed through her when she caught a glimpse of her brothers old rooms. Mark had been staying in his old room, due to his wife cheating on him. They were getting a divorce, but wanted to wait a little longer before they finalized it.

     The feeling that washed through her was sadness. Her brothers were a lot older than her and with Philip she never really got to have a strong bond with him since he was almost 16 when she was born.

       She went into the bathroom locking the door, setting her clothes on the counter and turning the shower on the highest setting. The type of showers she liked were the ones so hot they burned your skin at first. They were just thing she needed after a long day of work.

     She washed her hair, her hair was so long that sometimes it was frustrating. She always thought about cutting it, but then chickened out when it came down to it.

Then she washed her body. Her legs were long and her skin was smooth from all the moisturizer she always used.

Then she rinsed off and brushed her teeth in the shower humming short parts of songs that reminded her of her friends: Eddie, Lori, Jeff, Judith, Cady.

She turned off the shower when she was done and draped herself in a soft towel, drying off.

She looked at herself in the mirror wondering, was this the girl she was happy being?

She didn't know that, but she knew she was cold as soon as she stepped out from under the stream of the boiling shower water.

She rung out her hair, brushed it, and changed quickly before basically sprinting to her room.

The hall was dark, she didn't like not knowing what lurked in the dark. It's why she struggled at night, especially with the nightmares that still sometimes occurred.

When she made her way into to her room lit up from a small lamp at her bedside table she closed the door behind her. A load of exhaustion hit her so she got on her bed, threw the pillows off and fell into a deep sleep.

***

When morning hit Kathryn did her morning routine. Her mornings were almost all the same when she didn't have school.

        Today she had to go to work to unbox a new supply of movies, then when done she had to go to the store. Thanksgiving was now in 3 days and her parents wanted her to get the rest of the groceries for the dinner.

         When getting to work she said hi to her boss Keith, who always tried to hit on her, before heading to the back to get the new box and sorting all the new movies in their respective spots. It didn't take her long and she was at the store by noon.

       At the store she didn't think she'd see anyone she knew. However of course when you don't want to see someone you know, you always do.

      Eddie Munson was looking at boxes of stuffing when she strolled up with a half filled shopping cart.

      "Eddie?"  She wanted to make sure it was him. She had seen him just a week before when she had band practice, she could say their friendship had gotten closer, before she could only say he was a friend, but now she called him her best friend

      "Hey Kat. Thanksgiving shopping?" Eddie spoke.

     "Yea you too?" She grabbed her own box of stuffing.

       "Yea, but as you can tell I've never done this before. Uncle Wayne's usually the one who cooks for thanksgiving, but he's working at the plant then, so I wanted to surprise him or something."

      "You're spending thanksgiving by yourself?" She got the same feeling she always did when people came in looking for movies to watch alone during the holidays, except way worse.

        "Yea looks like it."  He took hold of a stuffing box and put it in his own cart.

        "Hold up why don't you come over to my house for thanksgiving. I'm sure my parents won't mind, you can even take home a plate for Wayne." Kat took the stuffing from his cart and put it back.

     "You positive? I know your parents hate me."

     She was not positive. Her parents would probably be furious. They knew who Eddie was.

      "Positive. There's going to be some family members over, but they won't even notice you're there." Lies.

     He looked at his outfit and smiled knowing she was lying.

      "Okay what time?" He gave in.

     "5:30, but my families always 30 minutes late so just come in and we can hang out."

     "Got you."

     Eddie joined her the rest of her shopping trip and helped her carry out the groceries to her car.

      "Thanks you really didn't need to stay with me or help me." Kathryn shut her trunk.

       "No worries, I didn't expect you to be here and I have no plans today anyway.

        "What would I do without you? You're a life saver." Kat had a huge grin on her face. Just the fact that someone cared to help her made her happy.

       "Well guess we'll never know, because I'll be stuck on your hip these next few months with band Callahan, you'll get sick of me." If they only knew.

       "How could I ever?" She walked to the front of her car.

       "I don't know, I don't know. I'll see you on thanksgiving." He gave her a wave before he went to his car. She watched him crazily drive out of the lot feeling excited for thanksgiving.

       A/N: foreshadowing ??? Yes or no hmmm?

    Hope you enjoy here's the next chapter unedited. Two chapters in one day, possibly three.

       This book finally got to 200 reads and I'm so thankful for all my readers I hope you continue reading because I have big plans for the future. This is the first book I plan on finishing.

      Next part will be the thanksgiving chapter. Thank you for reading!!!!