CONFUSION| steve harrington x oc| BOOK 1

chapter 10- the slut

tw: this chapter contains physical violence and mention of physical abuse

The car ride was silent as the four friends drove through Hawkins. Phoebe still didn't know where they were going, but didn't want to ask in case Steve decided to blow up on her again. After a couple minutes of driving the car pulled into a parking lot. 

"We'll be quick," Steve deadpanned as he and Tommy got out of the car and walked inside the hardware store.

"What the hell are we doing here?" Carol asked as she read the sign on the building. Phoebe shrugged her shoulders without a word. "Okay, what the hell is going on with you right now?"

"Steve and I kinda had a fight earlier," Phoebe huffed. "I called his right after you called me to ask about what Tommy told you and it didn't go too great," she awkwardly chuckled. "But, uh, I don't think it's just about Nancy...something else is bugging him."

"What? What do you mean there is something else bugging him? Did something happen to him?" Carol asked as she brought a hand to her chin in thought. Phoebe concentrated her gaze on her hands in her lap. She was picking at her nails, something she only did when she was really upset. Carol must have noticed, and she put a hand over Phoebe's. Phoebe's fingers froze and she looked slowly up at Carol, her eyes giving away almost every detail. Carol's mouth fell open in shock.

"Are you freakin kidding me! What did you two do?" she asked frantically. 

"What makes you think we did something..?" Phoebe tried to ask innocently, but Carol glared at her, wanting the truth. "Okay FINE!" Phoebe burst, "He kissed me...or I kissed him. I'm not too sure how it started but it ended with me walking away," she confessed. Carol looked at her, still confused, and as Phoebe looked back at her friend tears began to fill her eyes. "I told him that it wasn't worth the risk of losing my best friend just so we could 'swap spit' I think were my exact words," she chuckled lightly as she realized how silly she sounded when she said it. "So I left, and apparently Nancy went in right after," Phoebe shook her head in disbelief. She hadn't let herself think about that night. It hurt too much.

"Why didn't you tell me all this when you told me it was Nancy and not you that night? I would've scared Steve shitless and made him break up with her," Carol retroactively threatened. Phoebe smiled at her friends loyalty, sadness still in her eyes. 

"I couldn't. I hated how it all happened, and then it hurt like a bitch when I found out about...but he seemed happy and I didn't want to take that away from him. We're both pretending it didn't happen, but I know that it changed something between us." Phoebe explained as best she could as she held back more tears. Carol pulled her into a hug and she tightly wrapped her arms around her. Once they let go Carol took a tissue from her pocket and began cleaning Phoebe's face of any evidence. Just as she finished the boys returned.

"What's in the bag?" she asked, eyeing the paper bag in Tommy's lap. Tommy and Steve exchanged a look before Tommy answered, "Supplies."

---

Phoebe stood on the sidewalk with her hands shoved in her pockets, freezing, as she and Carol looked up at Tommy spray painting the movie theater marquee. She hadn't liked when Tommy pulled out the can of red paint, knowing instantly where this was going to end up. Carol looked over at her, grinning slyly, like she was almost proud of what they were doing. Phoebe shook off her look and turned to Steve who was also watching Tommy. He didn't look happy, but he didn't look upset either. At least he's not mad, I guess Phoebe thought to herself as Tommy hopped down from the ledge and put his hands of his hips, admiring his work. He had added "starring Nancy 'the slut' Wheeler" to the sign for the movie "All the Right Moves".