𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚏𝚎𝚌𝚝 𝚋𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚏𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚍 [𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚟𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚝𝚘𝚗]

VI

┓

bitter taste of teenage heartbreak and danger
part two

┗

𝚗𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛 9𝚝𝚑 1983
𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚘𝚍𝚜
𝚊𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚗𝚘𝚘𝚗

the three had begun their search for the unknown creature. valentine silently listening to jonathan and nancy talk about the picture situation that occured yesterday in the school parking lot.

"it was like you were alone, or you thought you were" jonathan says, stepping over a branch, "and you know, you could just be yourself" he continues. valentine almost feels like his words were personally directed at her, even though he was telling them to nancy. she felt like she feels like she has to be someone she isn't and she feels alone because she can never tell anyone about it because she doesn't want to let everyone down. she's miss perfect after all.

"that is such bullshit" nancy scoffs, "w-what??" he replies, stammering, "i am not trying to be someone else, just because i'm dating steve and you don't like him--" he cuts her off, "you know what? forget it.
i just thought it was a good picture" jonathan snaps, "he's actually a good guy" nancy states, "yesterday, with the camera..." she trails off, "he's not like that.. at all" she says. "he was just being protective"

"yeah thats one word for it" jonathan replies, "oh and i guess what you did was okay?" she replies "no, i never said that" he says. "he had every right to be pissed as a matter of fact and so did joseph!" nancy says to him.

the mention of her boyfriend made valentine feel like she had to get involved. "oh alright you two! that's enough. knock it fucking off" she snaps at the two. "that means i have to like him?" jonathan retaliates. "jonathan!" valentine says.

"hey don't take it personally okay?" jonathan says to nancy, in an attempt to apologise. "i don't like most people, he's in the vast majority" he says. "you know, i was actually starting to think that you were okay" nancy replies, "yeah?" he asks, she nods. "yeah."

"yeah, i was thinking, 'jonathan byers, maybe he's not the pretentious creep everyone says he is" nancy states. "nance.." valentine sighs. "well i was just starting to think you were okay" he begins.

"i was thinking, 'nancy wheeler, she's not just another suburban girl who thinks she's rebelling by doing exactly what every other suburban girl does... until that phase passes
and they marry some boring one-time jock" jonathan says as he steps over branches, pausing.

"who now works sales and they live out a perfectly boring little life at the end of a cul-de-sac, exactly like their parents,
who they thought were so depressing, but now, hey, they get it." he says.

"guys! shut the fuck up, you're arguing and whining like a married couple, i get it jonathan, you don't like steve, nance i get it, you don't like that he doesn't like steve" valentine says, "but please shut the fuck up and stop arguing so we can find this... this thing and kill it so we can save barb and will!" she snaps. jonathan scoffs and storms off.

"rebellious phase? bullshit" nancy says, "great, now we're stuck here with a gun and a baseball bat covered in sharp shit" valentine says sarcastically.

soon they find jonathan along with a deer that had been hit by a car. "we can't just leave it" nancy says. "i'll do it" jonathan says, "i thought you-" he cuts her off, "i'm not nine anymore"