𝐌𝐘 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐎, steve harrington

Chapter 16

"You're positive that was Dart?" Lucas questioned torwards Dustin, the group all walking along the train tracks as it had only grown darker out. Olivia and Steve had their fingers laced together as they walked, smiling up at one another every few minutes. Olivia had started to notice the aching in her feet as she held the bat with nails in her free hand which wasn't holding Steve's hand.

"Yes. He had the same exact yellow pattern on his butt." Dustin informed them, the oldest girl grimacing.

"That's a bit specific. How do you even remember that?" Olivia questioned, looking at Dustin in confusion.

"Because they grew a bond." Lucas said with a snarky tone, Dustin beginning to argue with him. Olivia sighed, annoyed with their constant arguing over the past few hours.

"He was tiny two days ago." Max cut in, the boys stopping their arguing to listen to her.

"Well, he's molted three times already." Dustin said flatly, everyone turning their heads at him in confusion. "Malted?" Steve questioned, none of the four others knowing what Dustin was implying.

"Molted." The curly-haired boy corrected. "She'd his skin to make room for growth like hornworms." Olivia hummed in surprise before looking around the woods with her flashlight, the darkness sending fear to her which she shouldn't have been afraid of considering everything she'd gone through in the past year. Steve squeezed her hand, noticing the chilling feeling she had. Olivia turned to look up at him, smiling when their eyes met. He exchanged the gesture before she looked back at the kids.

"When's he gonna molt again?" Max questioned.

"It's gonna be soon." Dustin shrugged. "When he does, he'll be full grown, or close to it." Olivia scoffed at his words.

"Great. Soon enough, the rest of them will be full grown, too. The next thing we know, we're fighting millions of those fully grown little shits." She mumbled, gritting her teeth.

"Yeah, and he's gonna eat a lot more than just cats." Olivia stopped walking, widening her eyes as Steve's remark.

"Wait, a cat?" Lucas questioned as he stopped walking too, shoving Dustin's shoulder. "Dart ate a cat?"

"No, what? No." Dustin quickly shook his head, Olivia sighing as she looked up at Steve.

"What are you talking about? He ate Mews." Steve muttered, looking between Dustin and Lucas with drawn brows. Olivia groaned, shaking her head.

"News? Who's Mews?" Max questioned.

"It's Dustin's cat."

"Steve!" Dustin shouted, Lucas' jaw dropping open in shock.

"He doesn't know Dustin kept Dart." Olivia whispered, Steve jaw falling open.

"Oh, shit." He whispered, Olivia pursing her lips as he sighed, closing his eyes. She smiled up at him as he cursed to himself, Olivia squeezing his hand gently.

"I knew it! You kept him!" Lucas shouted, pushing Dustin's shoulder.

"No! No. No, I... No, I..." Dustin's voice wavered as he looked around nervously, his eyes meeting with Olivia's to try and help him get away with his lie. She held her free hand up, shaking her head as she took a step back.

"Why are you looking at Liv?" Lucas questioned angrily, looking over at Olivia with confused brows.

"He missed me." Dustin finally cracked, Olivia and Lucas both sighing. "He wanted to come home."

"Bullshit!" Lucas tilted his head..

"I didn't know he was a Demogorgon, okay?" Dustin defended, raising his tone as Lucas did too.