"Angie, hey. It's morning." Steve nudges her shoulder gently, his voice soft but insistent.
"What?" she mumbles, half-asleep. Then it all hits her— the chaos, the pain, the memory of last night. Her eyes shoot open. "Where the hell am I?"
"My house," Steve says.
She blinks, taking in the unfamiliar sheets beneath her. "Is this your bed?"
"Yeah, it—"
Her voice sharpens. "We didn't sleep in the same bed, did we?"
"No, no, no." He waves his hands quickly, backpedaling. "I slept on the floor. Gave you the bed."
"Thanks," she groans, swinging her legs over the edge.
Her muscles protest as she reaches for her jacket draped over the chair.
"That managed to be the one thing not stained with blood," Steve says, watching her movements with that quiet mix of worry and relief that's become second nature.
"Hm." She grunts as she slides her arms through the sleeves. Then realization dawns. "Shit! I need to get home! Eddie's probably worried sick!"
"I—It's okay. Whoa, slow down," Steve says, stepping toward her as she stumbles a little.
"Slow down? I haven't been home for two days, Steve."
"That's... not normal at your house?"
"No!" She slips her shoes on in a hurry. "You forget I have no friends."
"Had no friends," he corrects gently, handing her the hair tie she left on the counter.
"Right, had." She ties her hair back lazily, some strands escaping to frame her face. "Still new to me."
"Well..." He snatches his car keys from the counter. "Come on. Let's get you home."
Angie limps up the steps to the trailer, each one heavier than the last.
"You sure you don't need help?" Steve calls from the car, leaning over the steering wheel.
"I'm still a strong, independent woman, Steve," she says, bending down to grab the spare key from under the cement block.
"Right..." he mutters, still not convinced.
"I'll be fine. You can go now."
"Yeah, yeah, I know, I just—"
"Angie!" Eddie's voice cuts through the air as soon as she steps inside. He looks like he hasn't slept since she left. "You haven't been home in days!"
"I know. I'm sorry. I was—"
"Holy shit! What happened to your leg?" His eyes widen as he scans her for more injuries.
"I, uh... got attacked by a dog."
It's not exactly a lie. Just not the whole truth.
"How are we even gonna—doesn't matter." He pulls her into a hug, holding on tighter than usual. "I'm just glad you're okay."
She hugs him back, breathing in the comfort of home.
Over his shoulder, she spots Steve still waiting by the car.
She flashes him a thumbs-up— a quiet thank you and I'll be okay.
He nods once before pulling away from the curb.
After he's gone, Eddie starts rambling, words tumbling out in one long stream. "I even called that Byers house looking for you. First time, somebody answered but hung up right away. Second time, the whole line just died."
YOU ARE READING
Angelica "Freak Two" Munson
Fanfiction"Hey, Harrington!" she reverses against her heel, flipping him the bird, "The names Freak Two, actually. If you're gonna insult me, you might as well do it right." ---------- Angelica Beatrice Munson, aka "Freak Two" is Eddie Munson's younger sister...
