—

Samantha Harrington fiddled with her thumbs, her eyes traveling around the tons of kids captivated in conversations with their friends. Unfortunately, for her, she sat alone.

It was her sixth day at Hawkins Middle School, and she still hadn't made a friend.

She knew absolutely nobody, except her brother's girlfriend's little brother, who she'd see on some occasions when Steve would be dropping Nancy off.

It's not like he paid any attention to her though. No one did, she was able to fit in with the plain bland crowd without actually fitting in in the first place.

Sam thought going to school for the first time would be new and exciting! But it was anything but that...

Let's rewind it back a little, shall we?

Samantha Harrington was born on Monday, July 5th, 1971. Her first seconds of life weren't spent with her awaiting mother but with a brooding man who immediately took her from her own family.

The man went on to call the girl, '10', and she spent the beginning of her childhood inside an isolated building.

Sam was special. Papa, the man, would remind her constantly.

He would often assure her that she was the most powerful out of all of his test subjects. At only nine years old, the man forced the young girl to spy on some men from different countries.

Everything was running smoothly... until Sam-or 10, encounter something... strange.

It was slimy, the eeriness surrounding the creature was enough to scare her away. But the girl had always been curious. Once she got closer to the creature, a warning sign fled through her and she knew that this thing was bad.

She screamed and cried, begging to escape the own hell of her mind.

When Papa proposed to do it again, this time to spy on the weird slimy creature, she denied. She was punished, and that was the last time Sam Harrington would listen to that vicious man.

The girl escaped that night, head shaved and bare foot as she walked through the woods in Hawkins.

It was a miracle that the first person she encountered was her own mother. Darla Harrington didn't even have to look twice before realizing that was her lost daughter.

After that, John, her father. And Darla, her mother, spent many nights arguing over what to do with the nine year old girl.

Eventually, Darla divorced John and moved to Oregon with Sam. And that's how Sam's journey back to civilization begun. With leaving her distant father and brother alone to deal with the hell in Hawkins, Indiana.

The past four years for Sam, she was home schooled. Relearning all the basic stuff she needed to know, and some extra curriculum stuff, thanks to her darling mother.

Everything was starting to look bright again until out of literal no where, Darla passed.

Custody was handed over to John, and Sam was forced to face the grim city of Hawkins once again.

Now, the thirteen year old girl is adapting to life. Her father seems to not even give two craps about her, only dealing with her when he had to. An abrupt awakening for the girl, which had made her more independent.

And her brother, Steve... who was slowly reaching out to her. Sam got it in her head, obviously they're siblings, they should be close... but they aren't. 

Why try now Steve? Was her question.

He was a tween boy the last time she saw him. Which only meant he was annoying and rude, but she sensed jealousy off of him as well.

Being only nine years old, she had no idea what his deal was.

Now, she's got a clue.

That's off topic though. Sam is now sitting alone, like she had for the past few days. Limited to wearing long sleeves or scrunchies to hide the tattoo that told too much about her.

The only other thing that reminded her of her time with Papa, was the weird attachment she had accidentally made in her mind with the weird creature from another dimension.

Sometimes... she feels like it's talking to her.

—

Sam gathered enough courage to go talk to the other new girl with bright red hair. Today was the ginger's first day, and she was also all alone, riding her badass skateboard.

Sam admired her from afar as she approached closer to the girl.

The ginger aimed for a trick before her blue eyes met Sam's brown ones, she quickly lost her balance, slightly tripping off as the board rolled over to the brunette.

Sam stepped on the board with her foot, observing the cool looking thing before handing it back over to the new girl.

"Max, right?" Sam questions, already knowing the answer but she had to make conversation somehow.

Max hesitatingly nodded her head, brushing her wild hair back as she suddenly pulled Sam closer.

"Three o'clock, on your right. But don't look." Max spoke above her ear in a whisper.

Sam, being the curious person she is, whipped her head to the right, eyeing the four boys who were watching the two.

Max yanked her back, "I said don't look!"

"Sorry!" She hastily replied back.

"They've been stalking me all day." Max casually says, hopping back onto her board to stroll along, "What's your name again?"

"Samantha, but you can call me Sam."

"Sam. I like that."

And this was a start to a friendship, the first real friend that Sam ever actually had.

After school, the two girls met up at the arcade.

They rushed over to Dig Dug, ignoring the two boys from school that were again stalking them.

"Madmax?" Sam asks with a chuckle, reading Max's gamer tag.

"That's me." Max replies in a sing-song tone, her hands digging in her pockets before letting out a sigh.

"Shit. I'm all out of quarters."

Sam grabs the coins she took from her father's old piggy bank, inserting it in the game, "There you go, Madmax. Show me what you can do."

Max smirks, letting her fingers hover over the controls.

"Thanks, Samoney."

—

Samantha phoned Steve to pick her up from the arcade at the end of the night, he complied of course. His efforts with connecting with his little sister would not fail, even if it interrupted private time with his girlfriend.

On the way back home from the arcade, Steve dropped Nancy off.

The two shared farewell kisses as Sam rolled her eyes in the back seat.

It's not like you guys won't see each other tomorrow or anything.

Nancy sent a small friendly grin to Sam, partly suspicious of Steve's abrupt reveal to having a little sister.

Steve and Sam waited in the car as Nancy entered her home, she instantly faced her own little brother.

He was one of the kids from school that was stalking Max and her.

His face was recognizable. Too special.

She could spot him out anywhere in a crowd.

Once the boy's eyes landed on Sam, an alarmed expression filled his face.

He nervously gulped, trying to play cool.

Should he wave or not?

They clearly both knew who each other were. So wouldn't it be awkwarder if nobody waved?

He waved in a try hard way, Sam scrunched her face in confusion.

But, still, the girl sent a wave back.

His face went red and he finally closed the door, Nancy and him entering their house at last.

"What's his name?" Sam timidly asks.

Steve shrugs, "Oh? him? That's Mike. But don't even think about it."

"Think about what?"

"You know what I mean."

"Oh please." Sam scoffed and Steve snickered as he drove off.

—