Chapter Text
Chrissy wakes on the morning of her 18th birthday earlier than usual.
She quietly walks to the bathroom and strips scanning her skin in the full length mirror.
She's careful not to let her eyes rest on her stomach or thighs too long.
(If you listened to me and ran before and after dinner I wouldn't need to constantly fix your clothing.)
Chrissy shakes her head of her mother's voice and continues her search, wondering where the initials would be placed.
She hoped half-heartedly that they might be somewhere easily concealed and not on her hand like Janice Mitchells where everyone can see and ask.
Her eyes sweep over her arms, down her small chest, and briefly over her stomach.
She wishes that this wasn't so important and she could just brush her teeth, but she knows the first thing everyone will be asking about is the marks.
She prays that they aren't on her back or somewhere that she'd need her mother's hawk glaze on her naked body. The criticisms fast on her tongue.
(why are you slouching so much, it makes you carry weight badly. I think you might need to start using my special cream, dear, I can see some stretch marks forming)
A deep breath and Chrissy looks farther down, nothing on her feet or legs.
What if she doesn't have any initials at all? What if she's destined to be alone or her soulmate died before she could find out who they are?
Worry pools into her stomach and she takes a second to splash water on her face.
What would be worse? Not having any soulmate initials or having them and they aren't Jason's?
She's not that concerned about Jason being her soulmate, he believes that they are "fated" no matter the marks.
Lucky for him that his marks are C.C. He assumes that this means her, Chrissy Cunningham, because who else could it be (should be Chrissy. We're forever, baby) so automatically hers must be J.C.
But doubt forms anyway as she keeps looking, now a bit more frantic. Nothing on her calfs or behind her knees.
She turns in the mirror to see her back, or as much as she can handle.
Deep breaths, it's just your skin moving over your muscles and bones. Remember what Ms. Kelley says, that your mind plays tricks on you. What I see might not actually be real life.
She turns to face front again as her eyes move farther up her legs past her thighs and she's looking across her hip bones.
She spots something just in the crease where her pubic hair starts to form. She blushes and takes a closer look. The initials E.M. are dark against her pale skin, more curvy than she would've thought.
Not J.C.? Her brows knit together.
It's uncommon for couples to not be soul marked, but not unheard of. Odd, though, why would Jason have her initials and not vice-versa?
She feels some relief however, she's not alone. She does have someone she can call a "soul mate", if only she knew someone with the initial of E.M.
Chrissy decides to keep it a secret for now, she's grateful that the marks are in a more private place as well. Jason is less likely to see them that way.
(You know I respect you Chrissy and that's why I don't touch you there.)
Of course, he requests (believes that she needs to) give him handjobs or blowjobs after a date or "great game" as a reward.
She rolls her eyes and sighs.
(that's what a good girlfriend does, dear. If you lose your figure, you need to keep Jason somehow)
It's really too early for these thoughts to be so present.
Putting on her cheer outfit, signature blue eyeshadow, and brushing her hair into a high ponytail and walks down the stairs to the breakfast table.
Her father is in his chair; newspaper in hand, her mother cooking bacon and eggs. Her stomach clenches with the smell of the grease.
Her father notices her and smiles, "Happy Birthday, sweetheart".
She gives him a kiss on the check and sits down.
Her mother places the hot food down smiling wide.
"Happy Birthday, dear. You get a special breakfast today. Not every day that my girl turns 18 and gets her soulmarks!", She exclaims and Chrissy gives a small smile in confusion.
Usually her mom tries to turn her away from breakfast. Before she can get too invested however, her mother places a bowl of yogurt and granola.
"Mom, this is my typical breakfast", she almost laughs because what was she expecting? Pancakes?
(Her younger brother got his favorite blueberry waffles for his 10th birthday last month, but she dismisses the thought.)
"Not just yogurt and granola, silly." Her mom smiles, "I put an extra scoop of honey, just for today."
She smiles proud like Chrissy should be pleased with her generosity.
"Wow, Mom thanks", she musters.
(an extra scoop? More like a teaspoon instead of nothing)
But she eats it anyway, forcing down swallows.
"So, I don't want to pressure you,”
A lie her mom always pressures her.
"But me and your dad need to know.”
Her father grunts as he drinks his coffee. Her mother's eyes lock on hers, expectantly.
"My soulmate's initials?"
Her mother nods. She's probably more excited than Chrissy is.
"Oh yeah, I got them. Checked this morning".
Her head is down and she tries to eat more of the yogurt, the taste still bland even with the honey.
Laura claps her hands, "Oh wonderful dear! I'm sure Jason will be so happy."
Amazing how everyone assumes Jason is her soulmate too.
"Hmm, yeah for sure.”
She doesn't know why she's lying, but maybe she wants to keep the true owners initials a secret for a bit longer.
"Can we see where they are?", her mother and her persistence.
Chrissy releases a sigh and mumbles, "They, uh, they're kind of in a private place."
Her dad barely covers a cough and her mother's eyes widen.
"Oh, well. Better to keep them between you and Jason, hmm?"
Chrissy nods. Her parent's marks are located on their wrists, her mothers' left and fathers' right.
Truly soul-matched.
This makes her wonder if her soulmate has her initials in a similar placement and she blushes again.
Jason picked her up as usual.
Such a gentleman, her mother crones.
He knocks on the door and gives her white calla lilies (her favorite flowers are daffodils, but no matter.)
"Happy Birthday, baby", he leans in for a kiss, but she moves her head so his lips touch her cheek instead.
"Thank you", Her smile is measured.
She notices his eyes are looking her up and down trying to find her soulmarks.
"I'll place these flowers in water, dear, don't want to be late for school now”, Her mother grabs the bouquet and waves them off.
Chrissy hears her heartbeat pounding and she hasn't even dropped her bag when he says. "So, where are they?"
So direct that she just sighs and barely gets out "They're on my hip, but-"
"They're mine though, right. J.C.?", A half-question, half-statement.
"Oh, hmm." She pauses, her mind racing (a lie or the truth) "Yes, of course it's J.C. Whose initials would I have otherwise?"
Coward, she chastises herself. Bitting her lip, she meets Jason's eyes and her heart almost breaks.
He beams, his smile is all teeth and he kisses her hard. "I just knew it Chrissy! We'll be together forever now."
She nods but thinks she can feel her throat close up and eyes burn. She wonders how long she can keep up the lie.
School goes as well as she assumed. Almost everyone wishes her a "Happy Birthday" and looks at her expectantly.
Her smile never meets her eyes, but she forces a laugh and says,Yes, I have my soulmarks. No, you can't see them. Of course, they're Jason's!
These same three sentences over and over and over again all day. Even some teachers ask her about them which she finds invasive, but is too polite (pushover) to say anything.
Her only reprieve is lunch when she can pick at her half a sandwich and apple slices since everyone else is too busy eating or gossiping to interrogate her anymore.
She considers leaving for the bathroom but Stacy from cheer pulls her arm and whispers," Can you believe that you and Jason are soulmates? You're so lucky that you don't have some loser like Nancy Wheeler."
Nancy was dating top IT boy Steve Harrington in sophomore year and everyone was sure that they would be soulmarked, but they broke up suddenly and two weeks later she was seen with the loner Byers boy.
A year and a half later, Nancy proudly showing off her J.B. on her palm after her birthday.
"She doesn't seem to mind and Jonathan was just quite". Chrissy tries to argue.
"Well it was social-suicide and if I was Nancy I would've kept it a secret. At least until graduation." Stacy says smugly.
Chrissy tries to smile back but her thoughts are louder.
See? You did the right thing by lying. If you can continue until graduation then everything will be fine.
Chrissy works on the deep breathing techniques that Ms. Kelley taught her, inhale, one, two, three, four; hold one, two, three, four, five-
"toss balls into LAUNDRY BASKETS!"
She exhales too soon and is blinking wildly.
"Oh God, here we go again." Stacy remarks rolling her eyes.
Chrissy looks around for the voice in the ruckus of the lunchroom, she sees Jason stand up in her peripheral.
"Got something to say Freak", he spits at the boy standing on the table.
Chrissy notes his long dark hair, ripped jeans and strange t-shirt. She tries to get a closer look at what it says.
Hellfire Club, she muses.
He and Jason continue their argument and she asks Stacy, "Who is that?"
Stacy raises her eyebrows, "You really are a blonde sometimes aren't you Chrissy", she jokes and says, "That's Hawkins' very own Devil-Worshiper, Cult Leader, and Freak".
When Chrissy urges her to go on, "God Chrissy, he's the local drug dealer and third time senior, Eddie Munson? Surely you've heard of him?"
Stacy is looking at her like she was born yesterday.
"Oh right! Of course." She has heard of someone like that but had no idea who he was.
He didn't look like a "waste of space" that Jason was always going on about.
Not to mention that Eddie must be the one supplying the weed for afterparties. She rolls her eyes.
Chrissy tries not to notice that his initials match the ones embedded into her skin as she leaves for her next period.