"The Demogorgon, it got me."
With the disappearance of her younger brother Will, Eleanor Byers discovers just how far she will go for her friends and family. Trading her issues with bullies and love life for battling monsters and saving her broth...
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June 30th, 1985 Starcourt Mall
Bad idea... Very bad idea...
That was all that I could think to myself as I sat in one of the front booths of Scoops Ahoy while the girls ordered their ice cream.
It wasn't just the fact that every time I looked at Steve I felt sick to my stomach, or the fact he had yet to acknowledge my existence.
But it had gone completely over my head when Max and El asked to get ice cream, I forgot he was even working today and that defeats the whole purpose of keeping El's little outing a secret.
Looking over the top of the booth, I checked on the girls for what felt like the hundredth time, they were fine of course but it felt like Steve was taking his sweet time making their cones.
Rolling my eyes to myself, I swallowed my pride and stood from the booth on wobbly knees, I need to get over this feeling. I mean what's the worst that could happen? He ignores me more than he already is?
Coming to a stop behind El and Max, I awkwardly looked at Steve from his place behind the counter. Do I say hi? Wave and smile? Or stay silent?
As if he heard my inner torment over how to properly greet him, Steve finally looked up from the waffle cone he was working on, his hazel eyes connected with mine and...
That was it.
Before I even got the chance to send him the faintest of smiles, he had already diverted his gaze again. It felt like he stared right through me.
So I guess I was wrong, there is something worse than being ignored. It's not being acknowledged at all.
Instead of focusing on the pain in my chest, I focused on the faint whispering from the breakroom that could be heard through the closed window. It was Robin and someone else, they almost sounded like Dustin.
"Alright, two cones-"
"We got our first sentence." Robin excitedly cut Steve off as he went to hand the two girls their cones.
"Oh, seriously?" Steve quickly retreated from the counter, taking the girl's cones with him much to their dismay as they reached for the treat.
"Yeah. The week is long." Robin smirked as she disguised her voice with a thick Russian accent.
"Well, that's thrilling." Steve muttered, unimpressed with whatever that piece of information meant. "I know. But, progress." Robin grinned one final time before slamming the window shut.
"Okay, here you go, you got a strawberry and then vanilla with sprinkles, extra whipped cream." Steve spoke quickly as he turned away from the backroom to face El and Max before passing them the cones.
Muttering their thanks, the two didn't wait a second before digging into their cones.
Steve leaned against the counter with a furrowed brow as he looked down at El who looked practically unrecognizable.
