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1982 August
Jonathan officially detested high school. As soon as he walked in the halls, he was spotted by some of the jocks as a weird-outcast-nerd. He wanted to walk back out. Surely high school couldn’t be worse than middle school. Surely high school was full of mature people. He knew that his hopes were dwindling, though. Example One, as he opened his locker after struggling with it for 3 minutes, a rude Senior shut it with a cackle. Example Two, as soon as he entered his first class, a spitball hit him. Example Three, he shared his class with Nancy Wheeler.
Nancy was too much for him. She was shy yet outgoing at the same time. She liked to study but she also liked to sneak out. She was really bright, too, when he looked at her, like one might try to sneak a peek at the sun. He wanted to be friends with her, sadly, but he knew how that would look to their peers. Jonathan was a freak, Nancy was a nerd, and together they’d be labeled losers.
He wasn’t the one who initiated contact. Neither was Nancy. It was Barbara Hollands – Call me Barb – who sat in the empty desk between them. Nancy seemed just as startled by the appearance of her friend as Jonathan was. Barb announced, “We’re going to have a horrible freshman year.”
“Wh–Why do you say that?” asked Jonathan, licking his lips to distract himself from the doom of high school.
“Everyone is already in their clicks,” explained Barb. Jonathan made eye contact with Nancy. They both seemed concerned. “The jocks, the freaks, the populars, the band geeks, the–”
“Barb. Barb! It’ll be okay.” Nancy reached out and ran her palm along Barb’s shoulder. “We’ll be fine. None of us are one thing. We don’t have to be forced into a stereotype if we don’t want to.”
“That’s not how high school works, Nancy.”
Jonathan agreed with Barb. Nancy was being too optimistic. Things didn’t change overnight, or over the summer. Everyone was assigned a group by the way they talk, dress, or look. It was how Jonathan knew that Steve was a jock, Nancy was a nerd, Barb was a band geek, and he was a freak. It’s how it had been for years, and it wasn’t going to change.
At least, he thought it wouldn’t change.
It was lunchtime and Jonathan was already emotionally exhausted. It was only his first day. He couldn’t believe that he had to go through 179 more days of this. He prepared to sit with Nancy and Barb, his only friends around. He looked around the cafeteria, making sure to hold onto his lunch tightly. It took him a while but he saw them in a corner far away from the cheerleaders and jocks.
They barely started to eat when a kid jumped onto the table. Jonathan pulled his lunch towards him while Barb let out a startled yelp. Nancy looked fascinated as the boy with curly hair walked along the tables just long enough to make a statement and not get caught by the teachers. The boy stepped off and went back to lunch after ranting to his friends from a higher standpoint. Jonathan was so very, very confused.
Not long after, though, a boy with blond hair and bright eyes was there. He was in their grade – a complete newb to high school – and yet he was mocking them. Calling them freaks, weirdos, and queers. Jonathan expected that of the Juniors and Seniors, not the Freshmans.
But while the freshman was going on his rant, the lunch room got quiet. Jonathan thought that it was because they wanted to hear the boy talk shit about them. It was entertainment, right? Well, Jonathan got that partially wrong. They were waiting for the real show.
“–fucking queers, all of you. What do you even have to say for yourselves? That you’re all in a cult? That you’re destroying societal norms–”
“What the hell are you doing?”
The lunch room was quiet before, but now it was dead silent. Jonathan glanced at Nancy, whose eyes were just as confused. Steve was the one speaking, now. His tone was hard yet casual somehow. He demanded an end to it.
The freshman turned around hastily. He quickly fired off, “I’m putting the trash in their place.”
Steve showed a confused face. “What the fuck are you talkin’ about, man? They’re just eating lunch.” He shook his own homemade lunch bag for show. His grip on the backpack slung over one of his shoulders tightened as the freshman didn’t have a reply. Steve waved his hand and said, “Get the fuck out of here.” The blond boy left the cafeteria quickly, like a gazelle running from a predator. It was too bad that he tripped, only to catch himself but look stupid about it. He ran out the door and didn't look back. It couldn’t have happened to a nicer person.
The lunchroom slowly grew louder. Jonathan heard the whispers of King Steve, back again, and This is why he’s the best. It made him confused. Steve never mentioned anything. Sure, they’ve only known one another a year, but still. It was peculiar.
But before Jonathan could come up with a coherent sentence, Steve laid his lunchbox onto the table and sat down next to him. He said casually, “You look tired.” Steve then unzipped his backpack to reveal a gallon bag of cookies. “I made these in Home Ec. if you want any.”
Nancy quickly reached across Jonathan to take a cookie. Barb followed suit, but since she was further away Steve had to reach his arm across too. Jonathan felt very embarrassed as Steve then deposited a cookie on his lunch tray.
Nancy munched on the cookie for a few moments before she said, “These taste better than your last batch.” Jonathan shot his eyebrows up. Since when do you make cookies for her? he wanted to ask.
“Oh, yeah, Ms. Kelly had some butter from Ireland or something to try out. I think they turned out nice.”
Barb added, “I like that the nuts are chopped up smaller.” Jonathan took his own bite carefully. Sure, he had seen Will come home with baked goods before but Joyce and him made sure not to touch it. Will always looked so happy to have his own plate of dessert, so they left it alone even when he urged them to try some of it out. Barb continued, “Is there semi-sweet chocolate in it, too?”
“Yeah, instead of milk chocolate I guess you use semi-sweet when baking. Cool, huh,” replied Steve. He opened a plastic container from his lunch bag and ate from it.
Jonathan, instead of mentioning that the cookies were better than any frozen or homemade ones he had before, asked, “Where’s Tommy and Carol?” Anyone that knew of Steve, knew that his two friends were attached to his hip. Just this morning they were hugging.
“Oh, I think they’re making out in the parking lot.”
Nancy made a small, frazzled noise. “You can’t just say that, Steve.”
“What?” He looked genuinely confused. “They do it all the time, Nance. It’s not a secret.”
Jonathan prayed to any being from above to just take him now. Steve seemed to be a ruler of the school, so why did he have to like them? Jonathan wanted to get by unscathed. He didn’t think that he’d have to associate with somebody that was viewed as cool.
1983 January
Jonathan wasn’t at a basketball game this time. He was at the Hawkins High swimming pool. Steve and Nancy walked in with their swimwear on, lugging a dummy with them. Jonathan felt the need to put on a jacket, but seeing as he was only wearing swim trunks and no other clothing was in sight, it was not possible to do so. He let out an eep when Steve and Nancy pushed the dummy into the pool. Steve then dived into the pool.
“I thought we were going for a nice, heated swim,” he said, completely out of his element and showing that through a high-pitched voice. “I thought we were hanging out. I didn’t think we were–”
“–going to practice saving a dummy from the pool and do CPR on it?” finished Nancy. She looked a bit pale at the idea too. “Yeah. I got here a few minutes early and found him–” she pointed at Steve, “–making a poster with the techniques of CPR on it.”
“He made a poster?” he hissed.
Nancy nodded nervously. “He’s a certified lifeguard, I think.” Her voice sounded a bit hysteric. “He wants to teach us some techniques in case our brothers and their friends do something idiotic.”
Jonathan supposed that made sense. They were a chaotic bunch. “And he doesn’t know how to invite people to just watch movies at his house.” If there was one thing Steve Harrington was horrible at, it was having normal interactions with people. It was like he couldn’t understand the idea of just laughing and enjoying one another’s company. There needed to be a reason to hang out.
“Yeah,” sighed Nancy. She smiled when Steve popped up from the deep-end of the pool. She then said, “Barb was going to come too, but she canceled because someone from band needed help so she went over to practice with them. I kind of… I kind of wished I had an excuse to leave.”
Steve walked over to them, dripping water just about everywhere. He waved, Jonathan and Nancy waved back. He greeted, “Are you ready to have an exhausting day?”
“No,” he said flat-out. “I thought we were going to learn how to swim in different ways – the butterfly, Steven – not how to do CPR.”
Steve winced. “Yeah, well, we can do that later.” He led them to the deep end. Below, was the dummy. It appeared he went into the pool to place the dummy in the hardest spot to reach. “Normally, we’d start off in the shallower water, but you’re both really good at things so I’d figure you’d be better than I was when I started.”
“Steve–”
“Now, who’s ready to save a person who is injured or possibly drowning?!”
1983 April
“Alright, so you’re going to shift gears– JONATHAN!”
He winced as he pressed on the break. “Steve,” he replied faintly.
“Don’t do that,” gasped Steve. He put his hand over Jonathan’s, not allowing the other to drive the car. “That is wrong. Hawkins isn’t a place that you have to try too hard on. Cities are full of stops and starts. Around here, there’s not much traffic and there’s tons of long stretches of roads that lead to nowhere.”
“Your point?” Jonathan demanded blankly.
Steve shrugged, gesturing out the window. “Don’t worry too much, alright? You get too tense when you drive. The only thing we have to worry about in Hawkins are the roads in winter. Snow isn’t that bad– it’s the slush and ice you need to be wary of. The slush pulls your tires around and the ice makes your wheels all whacky.”
“Whacky?”
“Yes,” said an oddly serious Steve. “Whacky.”
“Steve, I think you think I’m overthinking it, but I’m not. I know how to reverse and park and parallel park and park on hills and– and I can do anything.”
“Anything, eh?”
Jonathan frowned. He knew that tone. It was Steve’s secret mischievous tone. “I take it back,” he said instantly. “Help me go through it again.”
Steve blew a raspberry, looking much younger than he acted most days. Jonathan could understand that. He had to grow up fast, as well. Lonnie wasn’t a father figure at all, and Will needed someone to be there for him. Jonathan tried his best, but he knew he failed at times. He heard his mother rant about the elder Harrington’s before, leaving their children alone while they travel the world. It made Joyce and Hopper talk on the phone during the weekend, both seething about the neglect. It gave Jonathan perspective. He used to wish that Lonnie would be gone all of the time, but he wouldn’t know who he’d be if both his father and mother were always away.
“Alright.” Steve clapped his hands loudly, scaring both himself and Jonathan. “Ouch.” He shook his head. “Okay, ignore that, just, uh… Jon, you got this. You’ll pass your test just fine. You’ve already passed the written portion. The driving portion is the easy part.”
“For you. I’m good at studying and memorizing signs. Nancy helped me make flashcards.”
“Is she getting a permit?”
“Nah. Said since we both have cars that she’ll hold off for a couple of years.”
Steve bobbed his head up and down before switching subjects. He said, “You got this, dude. Just put the car in reverse and get us out of here safely.”
Jonathan looked out of the windshield to see the quarry in front of them. It wasn’t the safest place to learn to park, but rough terrain was something he needed practice with. That, and night driving. He hated the bright lights that blared at him. Thankfully, Hawkins didn’t have many drivers out that late.
1983 May
Jonathan found himself at a pool party, hosted at the Harrington Household. It was becoming a normal occurrence. It had been the Party at first, but then it became everyone that wanted to come was invited. Jonathan spotted Tommy and Carol next to Steve at the rim of the pool. Tommy was looking at Steve in a way that made Jonathan wonder if the weirdness in Hawkins was more wide-spread than he originally thought. Nancy was on a pool floaty, blatantly ignoring Mike as he yelled at her to get out of the pool if she wasn’t swimming. The kids were having a water gun fight, all sides losing. And Jonathan? He was in the shade because he got sunburned yesterday. It was turning into a disastrous end-of-school celebration.
1983 September
What was the point of high school again? Jonathan frowned as he reread the textbook. He groaned, still not understanding why he was learning geometry. What was the point? He didn’t need to know this. No one in Hawkins needed to. Unless they were a carpenter or something. Average people don’t need to learn geometry, though. Of that, Jonathan was certain.
Nancy poked him with her pencil. Jonathan jerked his hand away at the feeling of the sharp tip. “Hey,” he said.
“You look glum,” was her explanation.
Jonathan closed his textbook with a thump. Barb looked up at the noise, eyes flashing behind her glasses with disappointment. “Shh,” she whispered.
“Who cares that we’re in the library? No one pays attention to the no-talking rule,” argued Nancy. She picked up a highlighter from her pencil pouch. She opened it to highlight a series of keywords she wrote in her notebook.
“So you understand this crap?” asked Jonathan. They were taking the same math class currently. He was pretty sure that Nancy was going to be moved up next term because she understood it so well.
“It’s easier once you understand the terms.”
Jonathan groaned, raking both hands into his hair. He closed his eyes for a few moments before opening them again. He was met with the mocking textbook cover. He hated it. He was better in art class or language arts. He could use his words somewhat well. He could not, however, get the correct answers even when using a formula.
He decided to take his frustration out by throwing his small, used eraser at Steve. The Junior didn’t stir, as the eraser only hit his hand. And since the eraser was light, it didn’t really hurt even when force was behind it. It only made Jonathan frown in disappointment.
“Why’d you do that?” asked Barb, whispering still.
Jonathan shot at her, “Why are you whispering?”
Barb gestured to Steve’s form over the desk, the textbooks and notebooks as his uncomfortable pillows. “He’s sleeping.”
Nancy tilted her head, as if realizing that Steve was asleep for the first time. Jonathan clicked his tongue in annoyance. Barb frowned at them both before throwing the eraser back at Jonathan.
“Hey!”
Barb hissed, “He already finished his homework, unlike someone. Wallow in your misery and leave him alone.”
“He finished his math homework?” Jonathan snuck the sheets from the pile of pillows. He looked at it in surprise. “Since when is he good at math?”
Nancy drawled, “He says since math always has a right answer, he’s better at it. He has a D in language arts, if that makes you feel better.”
“A D?”
“Yeah.” She sighed, like it was a conversation Steve and her had before. “I’ve read over some of his essays. They’re not too bad. Spelling, grammar, and sentence structure mistakes. He’s improved a lot since last year, but I think Mrs. Switzer doesn’t like him. His past few assignments have been relatively good, at least a C or B, but he keeps getting low scores.”
1983 November
The news played in the background as Jonathan cooked eggs on the stove. The toaster was plugged in a foot away from him. He fetched out the bread, laying the two crisp slices on a plate. He turned his head to see his mother searching for her keys. “Check the couch,” he advised.
Joyce quickly found the keys within the cushions. She held them in the palm of her hand like a prize before checking that she had everything else. “Okay. I’ve got to go. Goodbye– wait.” She looked around the room. “Where’s Will?”
“Oh.” Jonathan glanced at the hall. “He’s probably still sleeping. I haven’t gotten him up yet.”
Joyce ranted about not letting Will sleep in before she went to his room. Jonathan plated up the finished eggs and tossed the slices of bread to accompany it. He laid them on the table, just in time to see his mother run out of Will’s room.
“He came home last night, didn’t he?”
“He’s not in his room?”
Joyce asked again, “Did he come home to not?”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?”
Jonathan gulped and quickly explained the situation. Eric needed someone to cover his shift, so he decided to. It would be worth the money, after all. Or at least, he thought that at the time. Now, everything had changed. Where was his brother?
“He’s probably with Mike,” he said. He hoped, more like it. “He practically lives there.”
Joyce looked at him unhappily as she went to the phone. Each attempt at calling someone ended in failure. Will wasn’t at the Wheelers, or the Henderson. He wasn’t allowed at the Sinclair’s because Lucas forbade hanging out with Erica. Jonathan met the girl once. She was a force to be reckoned with. That just left the Harrington’s.
“Hey, Steve, is Will at your house?” asked Joyce. She seemed to practically choke down tears as Steve answered over the phone. “Alright… Okay. Have a good day.” She hung up the phone with a worried look.
“Mom,” he said with uncertainty.
“He isn’t with his friends, Jon,” she said, words like ice in his brain and voice warbling. “Will’s not anywhere.” She looked down in contemplation before a determined look came over her face. "I’m going to report Will missing.”
“Already?” he wondered aloud. He was just lost, he pleaded.
“If Will is gone, then it’s important to find him as soon as possible. Hopper mentioned– he’s mentioned it before, okay? I’ll go down now because if I call they’ll just get to Hopper later when he stops in for his shift. If I go now, then they have to file the report and get a few officers looking for him.”
-
“What if I go to dad’s instead of Hopper?”
“You don’t have highway experience.” She frowned at him, but her eyes were hopeful. “You just got your license officially. And we can’t afford a ticket right now. Or a damaged vehicle.”
“What if I– what if I take Steve?”
Joyce mulled it over. “If he’s up to driving you down, then I’ll allow it.”
Jonathan watched his mother leave frantically through the front door to meet up with Hopper. He sighed as he picked up the phone. It rang twice before the answer of, “Harrington Household, at your service.”
“Steve,” said Jonathan.
“... Jon?”
“Hey, uhm, my brother’s missing, as you know. I was wondering if– if you’d drive me to Indianapolis. It’s at least a 2-hour drive. A lot of it is the highway, so mom’s worried I’m not experienced enough for it.”
“I can drive you, man,” said Steve. Jonathan heard the clink of keys over the line. “I’ll pick you up after I drop El off at the Wheeler’s, yeah?”
“You’re a lifesaver.”
“No problem. Anything for the Byers– you’re the best family around.”
Jonathan hung up and looked around. He scratched at his scalp and cursed himself for not checking Will’s room when he got home that night. He could be anywhere by now. Jonathan didn’t think that Lonnie had Will, but it was better than the alternative that he was lost or alone or taken or dead.
Steve showed up 20 minutes later. Water bottles and sacks of peanuts were in the middle console. Jonathan barely had time to buckle before Steve backed out of the driveway. Jonathan huffed through his nose, thankful that Steve had his back.
“Did you tell El?” asked Jonathan.
Steve hummed back, his eyes focused on the road. “I told her to keep the boys from doing something stupid.”
“Like searching in the woods for him?”
“Yeah.” Steve turned the wheel and peeked his eyes to the passenger’s seat. “Are you alright? I mean, obviously you’re not, but, like, you’re not injured or ill or anything, right?”
“I’m mentally a mess. Physically, I’m perfectly dandy.”
Steve exhaled shakily. “Alright, Jon, what’s Lonnie’s address?”
They arrived at the house an hour and a half later. Jonathan wasn’t sure what sort of laws Steve broke, but it was definitely something bad. Steve pulled his BMW up, parking it on the street. They looked at one another, both full of hesitancy.
Jonathan knocked on the door. Cynthia, Lonnie’s new girlfriend or something answered the door with an annoyed air around her. “Yeah, so, can I help you?”
“Yeah,” exhaled Jonathan. “Is Lonnie around?” Steve eyed him carefully. Jonathan wanted to laugh – wanted to scream – that he wasn’t the one that Steve needed to worry about.
“Yeah. He’s out back.” She glanced back into the house. “What do you want?”
Jonathan shoved through her. Cynthia wasn’t going to move, after all. She probably liked the deadbeat. Jonathan huffed as he knocked on walls and doors. He called out for his brother to no avail. He came out of a room in time to be startled by Steve pushing Lonnie away. Jonathan paused. He was in Lonnie’s path but Steve stopped him.
“Ooo, who’s the strong one, Johnny?” asked Lonnie, eyes dead yet tone casually amused.
Jonathan watched as Steve stood rigidly, fists clenched at his sides. Jonathan was about to ask a question when Cynthia appeared. She asked, “Will someone please explain what is going on here?” She seemed unused to Lonnie’s troubled life. Poor thing.
Lonnie introduced casually, “Cynthia, Jonathan. Jonathan, Cynthia.” He stepped forward and patted his son on the shoulder. “This is my oldest.” His finger pointed at Steve. “This is his friend…”
“Steve,” supplied the Junior.
“Steve!” Lonnie chuckled to himself, walking past both teens. “Cynthia, meet Steve.”
Cynthia didn’t bat an eye. She asked again, “What’s going on?”
“Will is missing,” stated Jonathan. He gestured to Lonnie, who was casually leaning against the wall in the hallway. “You didn’t pick up. The police say that it’s most probable that missing children are with their families in some way, so I offered to drive up here.”
“If you wanted a reason to visit me, all you had to do was ask,” said Lonnie.
Jonathan seethed silently. He was ready to pummel the bastard, but Steve set a firm hand on his shoulder. Jonathan looked up to see Steve looking odd. Something about him was completely off. A part of Jonathan was scared, just a tinge, at what he was seeing.
“When was the last time you saw Will?” demanded Steve.
Lonnie shrugged, wrapping a hand around Cynthia’s waist. “It’s been over a year.”
Steve straightened his posture. “You’ve heard nothing from him?”
“I’ll tell the police the truth, kids. I haven’t seen that boy ever since the divorce. Now,” he sighed loudly, “please leave. There’s no point in you being here.”
Jonathan didn’t reply. In response, he went banging on the walls again. He opened doors and checked small crevices. He was in the bedroom when he noticed a car in the backyard. He matched through the house on a mission to find his brother no matter what. His father made excuse after excuse that he wasn’t around. That he wasn’t in the trunk or hiding in the shed. That he wasn’t anywhere in Indianapolis.
The car ride home felt like a blur.
Steve tried multiple times to start up a conversation, but each attempt failed. Jonathan felt bad about it but he wasn’t in the mood. His brother was missing. So, instead of talking he ate peanuts and sipped water anxiously. They thankfully made it back to Hawkins before nightfall.
-
Nancy called the house. Joyce answered it, thinking it was the chief. She looked put-out when Nancy offered condolences. She helped search for a few hours last night, but Karen called her in early in fear of Nancy being the next one to go missing. Joyce and Nancy talked for a few more minutes before Jonathan was handed the phone.
“How are you doing?” asked Nancy. Her voice was caring and soft and kind and gentle, full of remorse and guilt.
Jonathan appreciated the sentiment. “It’s kind of weary here, but we’re fine.” It was a lie. He hated being stuck in the house. He wanted to do something. He wanted to help in any way he could. “How’s school?”
“Oh, uh, they canceled all tests and quizzes for the week. It’s okay, but, uh, it’s weird without you there. Barb mentioned how she was kind of waiting for you to pop your head in the library while we studied on Monday.” She paused, like she couldn’t find the right words to say. “We saw the missing posters.”
Jonathan tried not to show his confusion as he said, “Yeah?”
“Yeah. They’re all over the place. If someone sees Will, they’ll know it. They’ll find him, Jonathan. He’s going to be okay.” She paused for a beat, then said, “When I was part of last night’s search party, Barb and I saw something strange in the woods.”
“Where?”
1983 December
They throw a holiday celebration at the Harrington’s. Steve offered up the place, his reasons including, It’s a bigger house– everyone can be there without a problem. It has two ovens, and no, don’t ask me why that is. The Coopers were insane, I think. It’s secluded, so no one will hear us talking about crazy shit. And, Jon, it means I don’t have to leave my house. Have you seen how deep the snow is? I swear, I’m going to freeze to death if I’m outside for longer than 5 minutes.
So, the Byers arrived with bowls of snacks. Hopper’s truck was parked on the road, allowing Joyce to park her vehicle in the driveway. It meant less of a trek through the snow. Jonathan picked up Nancy and Mike, so he was taking up the other spot. Dustin and Lucas both got dropped off by their mother’s. Erica was apparently salty about not getting invited, so Lucas promised her a goodie bag. Jonathan only knew that because Will brought his radio with him and the Party chatted the whole ride over.
Harrington's house was decked out in blankets and comfortable furniture. The kids fought against what movies to watch while Joyce and Hopper mixed together a pitcher of eggnog that was put specifically near the alcohol where the kids weren’t allowed to touch. Jonathan snuck a mug of it with Nancy who grinned the whole time. Barb thought they were dumb, up unitl she took a sip from Nancy’s glass. Soon, all three of them were drinking spiked eggnog while they watched the television buzz to life.
Steve shushed the kids as he walked past them. Hopper and Joyce laughed as the movie started, much to the confusion of the others. Dustin stole a blanket all for himself, only sharing when Lucas asked him to. El zipped open her fanny pack – something Jonathan had never seen the girl without, aside from the isolation tank – to take out a lip balm. Lucas caught sight of it.
“What kind is that?” he asked.
El answered, after looking at the tube, “Cherry.” She leaned the lip balm forward. “Want some?”
“Uh… sure.”
Steve entered the kitchen with a little wave. The other teenagers raised their mugs in response. Steve smirked at them, taking out a blue mug with a snowman on it. He poured himself some eggnog and joined them in the kitchen.
“You guys having a good time?” he asked, the doting host he was.
Nancy assured instantly, “The food’s great, the company’s great, there’s nothing else we could want.”
“It’s nice to get out of the house,” supplied Barb. She twiddled with her nails. “My parents have been very protective ever since Will went missing.”
“Same,” whispered Nancy. “Mom won’t let me go off on my own. If I try to leave, I have to take Mike with me or time it so mom can drop me off so she knows where I am.” She turned to Jonathan. “I’m really glad he’s safe.”
“Me too,” he whispered back. He took a sip from his mug. He switched the subject cheerfully, “Steve, I heard from Will that you’re letting them take over the living room for their next campaign.”
“Oh, shit, really?” said Barb. Her eyes were bulging from surprise. “They finally convinced you to let them stay here?”
“They said it was either be in my living room, or they’ll have El throw me in the pool with her mind, so, yes, I accepted the terms.” Steve scoffed. “My own sister was in on it. Traitor.” They chuckled at his tone. It was still full of fondness but it had overlapping annoyance in it.
“Yeah. The things we do for our siblings,” murmured Nancy. Barb huffed as the other three teens locked eyes with knowing looks. Nancy jabbed her in the side. “Hey, we can be just as annoying as them. You’re not missing out on anything, I promise.”
Steve added, “Did I tell you that El wants to paint our nails tonight? She said mine can be blue, but someone has to have green.”
“I like green,” said Barb.
Nancy said, “Why are you getting your nails painted?”
Steve shrugged. “I think she saw your mom’s nails and liked it. Will said he’d try to paint our nails too.”
“When did this happen?” questioned Jonathan.
“Oh, like, right before I came in here.”
“You offered us up on a platter, didn’t you?” said Barb in a teasing manner. She was grinning. “You knew we wouldn’t let the kids down.”
“Look, they’re the ones that want to paint our nails. I think we’re getting a really good deal. I tried to paint El’s nails, like, 2 years ago and failed horribly. She cried when the polish dried on her skin because she thought it made her have claws instead of pristine, pretty, shiny nails like she wanted.”
Jonathan said, “So your alternative is to be the one who may or may not end up with claw-like nails?” Steve hummed an affirmative. “You’re weird. I should’ve guessed the Lab-thing earlier than a month ago.”
Nancy added, “It makes sense now why you’re really confused about social dynamics.”
“Oh,” said Barb, “and why you didn’t think it was weird when Tommy kissed your cheek that one time.”
“What?!” both Jonathan and Nancy questioned.
Steve looked at them in blank confusion while Barb grinned innocently.
“When did that happen?” asked Nancy, voice scandalized.
Steve spoke up for himself, “It’s not that weird, alright? Tommy and Carol kiss my cheeks all the time.”
“Tommy and Carol?” squeaked Barb. Her eyes were round, like saucers, and her mouth was curled into a wide grin.
“It’s a friend thing.”
1984 February
He frowned at the noise. Jonathan walked through the crowd, bumping into every shoulder and elbow it felt like, and made it to where Steve was stationed. He had a red solo cup full of punch in his hand, his stupid hair styled perfectly, and a loopy grin on his face. “Johnny!” he greeted, all slurred. “How you doing, man?”
“What are you doing?” he practically hissed. When Steve gave him a bewildered look, Jonathan took Steve’s arm and pulled. Steve forcefully trotted after him. Jonathan shut the door to the bathroom in case anyone decided they needed to vomit.
“Heeeey!”
Jonathan held onto Steve’s shoulders. “Steve, I need you to listen to me.” Steve blinked repeatedly at him. “Steve,” he repeated. “Why did you throw a party?”
Steve stared for a few moments. Jonathan thought he was lost in space, not able to hear a thing, but eventually Steve’s facial expressions settled. “I… I’m tired of it, Jon. El saw him at the middle school. His body wasn’t found. That means he’s out there, waiting for us. He knows where we are. He knows, Jon. We’ll never be normal if he’s out there. He’ll find us, again and again. He knows how to manip–manipulate people, how to make us feel like we have no other choice but to follow him. As long as he’s out there, we’re not safe. I can’t protect El. I’m a shitty guard. I can barely make people trip, let alone escape from that man.”
“Hey, hey,” hushed Jonathan. He patted Steve’s cheek. Drunkenly, Steve pouted as Jonathan brushed Steve’s hair behind his ears. “Brenner can’t get you guys. Hopper won’t let him. And you mentioned Dr. Owens. He’s in charge of the Lab now. Brenner doesn’t have the power to fake your disappearances.”
“But–”
“Plus,” he said, then waited for a beat, “I saw your powers first-hand. You gave Will energy so he could heal faster. He got to go home because of you. He hated that hospital, Steve. Absolutely hated how it made him feel. Sure, your powers might not be flashy but you helped. And, if it came down to it, you know we’d be your alibi if Brenner ended up dead.”
“Yeah?” Steve’s voice sounded off, like he was about to cry. He moved a hand to wipe at his face.
“Yeah,” confirmed Jonathan. He patted Steve’s shoulder. “Now, let’s get you to bed.” He opened the bathroom door. As he helped Steve up the stairs, he said, “You’re lucky I’m the one who checked up on you. Nancy offered to come here before I did.”
“Nancy?” he warbled. “She would’ve beaten me up.”
“Yeah.” He tapped on Steve’s door to make sure it was clear. He opened the door a moment later, thankful no one decided to take residence. He lugged Steve to his bed, where the Junior grinned up at him. “Sleep, alright? I’ll kill the music and clear people out.”