Steve Harrington X-reader •~• Summer Nights

S.2/E.1

Hawkins. New town, new people. New life altogether. Hawkins is definitely no California. It's smaller, quieter, smellier. I've never lived anywhere even near cows. I've never had to deal with smelling their shit when you're driving with the windows down. The whiff is strong.

As my brother drives us to school I try to imagine what the kids here are like. The kids at my old school were snobby and rich. I fear the kids here will be snobby too but not necessarily in the same way. I'll be the new kid, the outsider. This is a small town so I can't just blend in with the crowd.

I stared out the window until we inevitably arrive to school. It was a quiet drive. My brother was a rather difficult person to talk to at times so I find it better to not talk at all. Max sat in the back presumably thinking the same thing.

Billy pulled into the parking in which connected the high school and middle school and I could already feel the stares. "Get the fuck out." Billy said turning the car off. "If you shitheads are late after school I'm leaving without your asses."

I got out of his car, biting my tongue not to say anything, and head for the front doors of the school. Max skated her way towards the middle school and Billy was a few feet behind me. As usual, he caught the eye of many girls. They fawn over him every where we go. Little do they know he has a shit personality. He gets it from our father.

"Can I help you?" The lady in the front office asked, looking to me, as my brother and I entered it.

I went to speak but just as I opened my mouth, so did Billys as he brushed past my shoulder. "Billy Hargrove. We're new."

"Yes, okay. Billy and... Y/n?" She asked looking to me to make sure that my name was right.

I went to say yes but once again, Billy spoke for me. "Yeah, that's right."

"Okay, well. Here are your schedules as well as a map of the school. Your first period starts in about four minutes. Is there anything else you need?" She asked handing us our papers.

"We're good , thanks." Billy said pulling my arm towards the door.

"I can speak, you know." I said removing myself from his grasp.

"Oh yeah, you can really tell the way you stood there with your mouth opened yet no words coming out. Listen, this is a new school. A new start, essentially. Embarrass me and your ass is walking." He said storming away.

Now is one of those times where I really wish that I had my drivers license. I would have one if it were my choice. You see, my dad said that in order to get my license Billy would have to teach me in his car. The issue with that is that there was no way in a million years that my brother would ever let me drive his car. My dad doesn't spend much time with me as it is so why would he want to teach me to drive. I don't talk much with my stepmother so that doesn't really leave anyone else.

My first class was English. Room number 218, Mr. Carlton. I made my way to the room number only to end up in the the hundreds hall. I quickly looked over the map trying to see where I went wrong. Just as I was reading it over the bell had rung. "Great." I sighed. My first day of school and I'm walking in late to my first class.

I redirect myself to the right hallway and find the correct room number. I brace myself before opening the door and walking inside. The teacher was currently writing on the chalkboard and I took the opportunity to slide into an empty desk in the back row.

"Ah, you must be our new student." The teacher said still facing the chalkboard. "Well, go on, introduce yourself."

"My names-" I started before getting interrupted.

"Stand up and annunciate. If there is one thing I can't stand more than tardiness it's mumbling." He said now facing the class.

I stood and cuffed the ends of my sleeves. "My name is Y/n. Y/n Hargrove." I quickly sat back down.

"Welcome to Hawkins, Ms. Hargrove. I will let you know now that consistent tardiness will result in detention. I will let today be your warning but from here on out I expect you to be here when you are supposed to be." He then went back to his lesson and all eyes were off of me...mostly. Every once in a while I'd catch someone staring or simply glancing my way. I guess that comes with being the new girl.

After class everyone rushed through the door and was on their way. I grabbed my things and headed for the door as well.

"Hey, wait up." I heard from behind. "Y/n, right?"

"Yeah." I said as we now walked side by side. I pulled out my map and schedule to find my next class.

"I'm Nancy." She smiled.

"Y/n." I said forgetting that I had already introduced myself. "Which you already know."

"Yeah." She laughed. "So, where are you headed?"

"Government with Mr. Peterson. Do you know where that is? Room 318?" I asked.

"Yeah, my class is down that same hallway, I'll walk you there." She smiled. "Sorry that your first experience here was Mr. Carlton, he's kind of..."

"Douchey? Yeah, I picked up on that." I said causing Nancy to laugh.

"I love your bracelet." Nancy complimented.

"Thanks." I smiled.

Nancy seemed cool. It was nice to meet someone so welcoming on my first day. Maybe we could even grow to be friends, who knows.

•••

At lunch I found myself in the back parking lot of the school. I'm not very hungry so instead I'm sitting alone listening to poison, one of my favorite bands, on my Walkman. As the songs played I got stuck on one of them. It was once my favorite. Our favorite.

Every rose has its thorn...

My best friend, Adam. We would listen to this song on his record player in his bedroom while we got high together. It was our song. Adam was my one person in this entire world who actually got me. He was my soulmate.

When you think of a soulmate you think of love. More importantly, the romantic kind of love. But that's not always the case. A soulmate is your other half. It's someone who completes you. Your soulmate is your best friend. That was Adam.

I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the building. What I would do to go back in time. My eyes open when someone had tapped my shoulder. I jumped slightly, taking my head-set off.

"Did you uh, did you drop this?" The boy asked holding up my bracelet. I had taken it off earlier to wash my hands and stuck it in my pocket. I must've forgotten to put it back on and it had fallen at some point.

"Yeah, thank you. I must've dropped it earlier." I said.

"No worries, I just saw it when I was walking by." He said.

"Well, thank you..." I said waiting for his name.

"Jonathan." He said.

"Jonathan." I confirmed. "I'm Y/n."

"Nice to meet you." He said taking a seat next to me. "So, you're new?"

"What gave it away? Me sitting out here alone during the most social part of school?" I joked. He laughed.

"No, I just would've remembered you if I'd seen you before." He smiled.

My cheeks grew warm. "Nice camera." I said changing the subject.

"Thanks. It's pretty new." He said.

"Are you any good?" I asked him.

"I'm sorry?" He was confused.

"Photography, are you any good?" I asked again.

"Uh, I don't really- I don't really know. I don't look at it that way." He said.

"What do you mean?" I asked him.

"I mean, I don't look at it as, a skill or talent per say. I just see it as, I guess...my self expression? I don't know, it sounds dumb." He explained.

"No it doesn't." I reassured him. "It doesn't sound dumb at all."

Jonathan and I talked the rest of our lunch period until it was time to head to class. He was very easy to talk to. I think I could get used to Hawkins. It's not so bad.