[REWRITING] When He Sees Me, Steve Harrington

027 Planck's Constant

CHAPTER 027. PLANCK'S CONSTANT

     STEVE'S KNUCKLES ARE TURNING WHITE WITH HOW HARD HE'S GRIPPING THE STEERING WHEEL.

     Laurie is suddenly aware of how humid it is, the wind blowing across her face and she can feel a flush spreading from her cheeks and down her neck. She can feel the adrenaline too, pumping through her veins like the drugs the Russians have given them earlier as Steve drives impossibly faster.

     She's been trying to pull her hair into a ponytail for the past 20 seconds or so, the hair band fraying at the edges where a good portion of the elastic is showing, thanks to Robin's nervous habit of stretching it more than necessary. It hasn't arguably even been that long, but Laurie's hands won't stop shaking and she has to keep biting her tongue to stop herself from groaning with frustration — at her messy hair, or this entire scenario, she isn't sure.

    Laurie has no right to complain, not really. She knew what she was signing up for the moment she decided to grab Steve's hand and follow him back down to the Toddfather. His eyes, briefly flickering down and back up again like they always do when he's thinking, told her that enough; that he was determined to get Griswold's Family out of that goddamn mall no matter the cost.

     It doesn't mean that it still isn't shocking, though. Laurie doesn't know these people — well, sure, she knows of them, but she doesn't really know them — and yet here she is, risking her life mere seconds after their distress call came in. Even for such a sporadic decision, Laurie can't help but to worry about every possible thing that could go wrong.

     "So.. what's our plan, exactly?" Robin asks, breaking the uncomfortable silence, her eyes darting between Laurie and Steve frantically.

     Part of Laurie wants to be angry with Robin, upset that she followed her and Steve in tow without an ounce of hesitation because this eerily feels like a suicide mission. But the freckled girl knows her better than anybody, and before Laurie could even open her mouth to argue, Robin reminded her that it's "Us against the world," before scrambling into the backseat.