A NEW AND IMPROVED VERSION
Ryan Fordman has lived next door to Steve Harrington her entire life. Her entire life, he'd always been a window away, occasionally shouting across the space between their houses. They were inseparable... at least, they we...
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The next day, Steve parked on the side of the road just outside the woods by the railroad tracks. Before they left the house, Dustin explained his plan to lead Dart the baby demogorgan to the junkyard just beyond the tracks. They'd filled up the trunk with cans of gasoline from Ryan's shed in the backyard and two buckets of raw steak meat from the butcher's shop downtown. After all, Dart had grown past eating Dustin's Halloween candy.
They started to unload their supplies from the trunk, Steve slinging his backpack with his nail bat over his shoulder before grabbing the gasoline and buckets of meat. Dustin looked up as a call came through on his radio, wandering off in the distance to answer it. Ryan glanced over at him, "Don't go too far!"
He flashed her a thumbs up, stopping a few feet in front of the car. Steve glanced over at her as she checked her gun, making sure it was loaded, "We need to talk."
"About what?" She asked, not meeting his gaze. "The fact that we're going monster hunting again? I know, it's crazy."
Steve shook his head as she grabbed her own backpack, filled with ammunition, another gun, and more ammunition. She hadn't spoken much since the night before, even then, she had been more focused on taking care of Dustin and making sure he got some sleep. They hadn't spoken about what she said at the house before they left to fight the monster in Dustin's cellar.
"What is going on with you?" He asked. He honestly felt like he was in trouble or something. "You've been acting weird since yesterday."
"Maybe it's the fact that I'm fighting yet another monster from the Upside Down" Ryan shrugged. "It's nothing, don't worry about it."
"It's not nothing and you were being weird before that." He pushed. "It's about me and Nancy isn't it?"
"Steve-"
"Seriously, all I asked is if you wanted me with her-"
"No Steve!" She snapped loudly, much to his surprise. "I don't want you with her!"
"Lucas, I've gotta go." Dustin spoke into his radio, staring at the two teenagers in front of him in shock. "Just be there, stat."
Ryan felt her face burn as she bent down the grab the gasoline, marching into the woods, leaving Steve alone with Dustin. The last thing she wanted was to start explaining the many reasons she didn't want Steve and Nancy together. She had shoved her feelings down for a whole year already, but in just a few short days, it was all threatening to spill out. She wasn't about to let it.
Dustin glanced at Steve in shock, seeing a smile form on his face as he watched Ryan leave, "What just-"
"Nothing you need to worry about." Steve grinned widely, grabbing a bucket of meat. She cared. "Come on, we don't have all day."
*•*•*
Peter sat on the floor in a dark room, his head against the wall. When they had gotten to the lab, him and Hopper were immediately stripped and taken to a decontamination room, being hit with high pressured hot water. He was sure there was more to it, he was just too damn exhausted to pay attention. They gave them hospital gowns and threw them in the room they were in now. Peter had only just stopped throwing up an hour or so ago.
