~ Hidden Love ~

CH6 - The Spy [PT2]

"Hey! Dickheads! How come the only two people helping me is Byers and this random girl. We lose light in 40 minutes. Let's go." We heard the boys call Steve an 'asshole'. I laughed at their response as I continued back to fortifying. We rolled some barrels down to the bus, I made the gas trail from the pile of meat to the bus, and we grabbed a ladder and moved it into the bus so we could look out of the emergency exit. As the sun began to set, we all made our way into the bus. We've been in there for maybe an hour or so, and it's extremely boring. We all stayed quiet for the most part. I've sat next to Steve twiddling with my fingers as he messes with the lighter.

"So." We heard the red-head Max say to us. "You both really fought one of these things before." I looked over to her and nodded with Steve. "And you're both, like, totally 100% sure it wasn't a bear?" I was about to respond, but Dustin butted in.

"Shit. Don't be an idiot. Okay? It wasn't a bear." Dustin told her. I looked over to him as he continued. "Why are you even here if you don't believe us? Just go home."

"Geesh. Someone's cranky. Past your bedtime?" She asked him sarcastically as she walked up the ladder to Lucas. Damn, she's good.

"Why are you being an ass, Dustin?" I asked him.

"Me being an ass? Have you seen her? She's the ass." He said to me. I scoffed at him.

"That's good. Just show her you don't care." I looked over to Steve with a questionable look.

"I don't." The boy responded as Steve winked at him.

"Why are you winking, Steve? Stop." Dustin told him as I kicked his foot.

"You need to stop giving relationship advice. It sucks ass." I told him. He looked to me.

"I give bad relationship advice? When's the last time you've dated?" He asked me as I looked at him with a surprised look.

"Yeah, but how's it going with you and Nancy? Since you have the best relationship advice, of course." I asked him as he looked down to the lighter, continuing to mess with it. We sat there in silence as we heard a loud growl from the woods. The three of us sat up "You see 'em?" I asked them.

"No." Steve replied to me.

"Lucas, what's going on?" Dustin shouted to Lucas.

"Hold on."- "I've got eyes! Ten o'clock! Ten o'clock!" He shouted back to us.

"There." Steve said to us as he pointed out of the bus.

"What's he doing?" Dustin asked us.

"I don't know." Steve replied.

"He's not taking the bait." I told them. "Why is he not taking the bait?"

"Maybe he's not hungry?" Dustin said to me.

"Maybe he's sick of cow." Steve told us as he backed away from the window. I looked back to him with a questioning look.

"Steve? What-what are you doing?" I asked him as I walked over to him. "Steve?" He continued to walk away and he turned around.

"Just get ready." He said to me as he threw me the lighter.

"What?" I asked him as he turned around to grab the bat. He was gonna go out there. "Steve, stop. What if something happens?" He let out an airy chuckle as he turned around to me.

"Maybe I'll be fine." He asked me. I just looked at him as he turned around and headed out of the bus. Dustin and I ran over to the window to watch.

"Oh my God, Dustin." I said in a whisper. "He's gonna get himself killed." Dustin just kept watching him in awe. Max climbed down the ladder.

"What's he doing?" She asked us.

"Expanding the menu." Dustin replied as she crouched down to watch.

"He's insane." Max said.

"He's awesome." Dustin said after her. All of the sudden, Lucas yelled for Steve.

"Steve! Watch out!" He said as looked over and saw more of them.

"Shit." I said to myself.

"3 o'clock! 3 o'clock!" Lucas yelled at him again. We saw him look over and I ran to the door and grabbed my baton. I opened it as Dustin ran over. I shot out towards Steve as Dustin started yelling.

"Steve! Abort! Abort!" He yelled to Steve, and he looked back at the bus then me. All of the dogs came for him and he dodged them, rolling over a car. That's when I caught up with him. I ran beside him and hit off a dog with my baton. It snapped in half. I looked over to Steve and he was looking at me. I might have felt a little butterfly flutter in all of that dread of almost dying.

"Steve! Y/n! Run!" The kids were shouting at us. He grabbed me and shoved me ahead as we ran. We both made it in as Dustin shut the door on one of the dogs. Dustin started cursing as Steve held me.

"Are they rabid or something?" Max asked all of us.

"They can't get in! They can't!" Lucas shouted. Steve put his feet onto the door to hold it, but it soon broke. One of the dogs arms got in and scratched the bottom of my cheek as I backed up more. We all started screaming louder as Steve kept hitting the dog's arm. I rushed the kids to the rear of the bus as Steve continued to hit it. Dustin started to radio for his party, for anyone. One of the dogs' arms almost made it in as we all screamed again. I grabbed Dustin and pulled him away from it. I looked over to Max and she looked as pale as a ghost. I followed her gaze as I saw the roof of the bus creaking part-by-part. My heart dropped as we looked up and saw the dog above us. She screamed as I pushed her back behind me, then Steve came up and pushed me behind him.

"Out of the way! Out of the way!" You want some? Come get this!" He shouted at the dog as it shrieked at him. Suddenly, the dog stopped and looked off into the distance. He shrieked towards the distance and got off of the bus. We heard all of the other dogs growl as we heard them going farther away. I didn't notice I wrapped my arm around Steve's until he looked at me. I felt my face flush red. I looked to the ground and moved away from him. Steve got in front of us as I followed behind him out of the door. We saw a dog runaway in the opposite direction of us.

"What happened?" Lucas asked us.

"I don't know." Max replied.

"Steve scared 'em off?" Dustin guessed.

"No," Steve replied, "No way. They're going somewhere."

(1169 Words)

> END OF CHAPTER 6 <