Is There Someone Else? | Stranger Things 4

XII

Steve
The whole way trailing behind Dustin I was stuck at Eddie's hip, Delilah hung at the back alone and every time that I glanced back at her, her face never changed, it was blank, pale, frightened.

Even though I wouldn't trade anything for being as close as I am to her now, every day since this started, from the moment she almost crashed her car, the guilt I felt had made me want to throw up. She didn't ask for this, she didn't deserve this.

"Hey Harrington look, I'm sorry man if I caused any panic back there, making you guys think I kidnapped her and all that wondrous stuff," Eddie said half smiling at me briefly before tripping on a tree root. Hurriedly I grabbed his arm tightly and hauled him to his feet grunting.

"You're nuts dude I know that much, but I also know that you would do a lot for her, you wouldn't hurt her," I said admittedly, glancing back at her once again to see her eyes shifting between the two of us nervously. I gave her a reassuring smile that she returned, but it didn't reach her eyes, her eyes just looked dead and tired.

"You know uh, the other night Delilah did your little thing, the hips thing that she makes fun of you for," Eddie said laughing, I looked at him in a sort of disbelief.

"Did she really?"

"It's cute the way she does it, she tries so hard not to crack a smile but it always peaks its way through." He reminisced smiling at the ground. In front of us, Dustin's eyes were dead-locked on his compass, not seeing the lake right at his feet. Eddie ran forward securing an arm over his chest. "Easy there big guy."

"It's like looking at a piece of history." Delilah mused from next to me unenthusiastically. I looked down to see her face haunted by what she saw last night, I grabbed her hand softly and smiled.

"Hey don't be scared, all of us are right here." She sighed.

"I know Steve, that's what I'm worried about." Eddie had pulled the tarp off of a boat and helped Robin and Nancy inside of it.

"Delilah, is she staying or coming?" Eddie asked me taking me off guard.

"Eddie you said only three!" Dustin screeched offendedly.

"We'll find a way to make her fit, can't leave her with these dinguses," I said jokingly glaring at Dustin, Lucas, and Max. And we did too, it made for a very tense boat ride out to the lake with Delilah wedged between Eddie and me, one of his hands on her left knee and my hand on her right.

"Dustin your compass thingy went from wonky to wonky with an ahhhhh," Robin said to Dustin over the walkie.

"That's the gate! That's the water gate! Watergate!" He cheered excitedly. I sighed dreadfully, standing up and taking off my shoes.

"Steve what are you doing?" Delilah asked looking up at me confused.

"Someone has to go down there and who better than Hawkins High's swim team co-captain and ex-lifeguard of three years? No complaining." I said pointing around at them.

"I'm certainly not complaining." Eddie barely whispered. Delilah lightly smacked his arm and glared at him.

"Steve I really don't think this is a good idea," Delilah said anxiously, I smiled uneasily and sat next to her slowly.

"Well I mean I'm diving god knows how many feet into murky water towards a portal to a monster hell scape so no part of this is really good but, I'm gonna be okay," I said softly pulling her into my chest momentarily before standing up, staring right at Eddie.

"I know how she is, we know how she is, don't let her come in after me, no matter what happens to me, if I'm dying, being attacked, anything. You leave me and get her back to land safely." I said to him sternly, ignoring Delilah's frantic looks to beg me otherwise.