Stephanie Hargrove was eccentric, and artistic. She loved everything - the littlest things made her happy. She was sassy, but in a funny way which made everyone automatically like her. She wasn't the most popular girl in school, not as popular as he...
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____________________________________Black smoke blocked the sky from sight as I shivered as the paramedic wrapped the blanket tighter around my body. Police, firetruck, and ambulance sirens filled my ears, echoing around my brain as the rain poured down. I felt numb, my eyes staring down at the floor. A weak smile spread across my features as she spotted him, running towards her. "Steph!" I was barely able to get a word out before I was engulfed in his arms.
He buried his face in my neck, tears slipping down my face as he rocked me gently back and forth. "I'm sorry." He blurted, pulling away and moving his hands to cup my cheeks, "I miss him, Steve." Ramona whispered tearfully at him as my arms rested on my lap. Steve sighed, resting his forehead against mine momentarily before making the move to close the gap with a tight hug. A contented sigh left my lips and my eyes fluttered shut, my hand grabbing a fistful of the fabric of the shirt he wore.
What felt like a short time later, Steve pulled away, his hand instinctively tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. He went to speak but was cut off by someone calling my name from behind. "Steph!" Joey cried, rushing towards me who sat in the ambulance, barely keeping my eyes open. Hearing his voice caused my back to straighten and my head to raise.
Tears pricked in my eyes as I stood, the blanket slipping off of my shoulders and crumpling to a heap on the concrete. "Joey!" I crashed into his arms, gripping the fabric of his top in fistfuls. "Joey.." "I love you," I whispered, burying my face. "Steph, where's billy? Did you find him?"
I whimpered as I pulled away from the hug, realising he was with Dustin and Erica when Billy died. "Billy, he" I couldn't even get out the words without sobbing, he looked behind at Steve and Steve began shaking his head. "W-what?" A slight tear escaped his eye, he hadn't seen Billy for most of his time here and was never going to be able to again. The two of us held each other close as I continued to sob into his shoulder.
"There you are!" I heard my dad call out from behind startling me. I immediately looked up and began backing away the closer he got to me, "what the hell is this? Where have you been". My feet continued walking backwards until I was at the ambulance where Steve stood, "where is your brother".
Steve knew I wasn't going to be able to say it out loud so he said it for me, "your son is dead, me Hargrove". His eyebrows dropped along with his face at the words, "don't you lie to me, boy".
"Dad, he's not lying" I muttered. He pressed his fist to his mouth completely shocked by our words before exiting.
-
(One month later)
The Gate was finally closed. At least, that's what we hoped. After finding out hopper had passed on his mission to close the gate, eleven cried herself to sleep almost every night. Joyce would continue getting flashbacks on the event and break down into tears, however she thought she had to stay strong for the kids.
"I'll miss you." I admitted, staring sadly at him. "I'll miss you, too." Will said sadly, a frown etched on his face. "Don't let any assholes push you around, okay?" I ruffled his hair before my hands fell to his shoulders. "Give me a call, I'll have Steve drive me up there and I'll beat their asses."
"But-" "Yeah I'm eighteen but I'll still say something to them, max can beat them" I joked, my eyes glancing behind him at Jonathan before falling back to Will. "See you around, little man.", "In awhile, crocodile." Will replied, pulling me into a quick hug. I stepped aside, allowing the party to step in to talk to him. "Jonathan." I smiled up at him, "Don't let any shitheads say shit to him, or El"
"I won't." Jonathan nodded, pulling me into a hug. I rested my head against his chest, sighing to myself. "I'm gonna miss you.", "I'll miss you, too." I spoke, "But I'll keep Nancy safe, don't worry" I chuckled resulting in Jonathan laughed sadly, pulling away to wipe away the tears. "Okay..", "See you later.." I said, planting a kiss on his cheek. "See you later, Ramona."
El sighed as she looked around the yard of the Byers house, saying goodbye to all of her friends before the moving trucks left. El closed the door as she rushed toward the last person who she hadn't said goodbye to yet, me, wrapping me in a tight hug. We stayed like that a while, holding each other tightly "I'm really gonna miss you", "I'm gonna miss you." El repeated, her voice scratchy and not the same. I forced myself to smile, a sad one at that as I waved to the moving truck that left the house.
Not turning toward my other friends until the moving truck left the driveway completely. Everyone began to spread out and be one their way home, instead I joined Steve and robin in looking for a new job.
"Uh just to be clear, we want fired you know. The mall burnt down and like killed a bunch of people" robin spoke, I looked down, the memory flooding my brain. Keith stuffed a Cheeto in his mouth, unbothered by robin's words, "thanks for sharing didn't know. Three favourite movies go".
He pointed to robin, "uh the apartment. Hidden fortress, children of paradise", "you go" he pointed towards me and I had to think for a second before I came up with three of the movies I enjoyed watching, "urm, uh, flashdance, risky business and uh the, no what's it called, oh yeah the breakfast club".
"Now you" he clicks his fingers over to Steve. Steve struggles to think and begins looking around for help, "eyes on me Harrington".
"Animal house" I slap my head, "yeah, uh Star Wars", "a new hope?", what?".
Keith raises his eyebrows clearly interested in which one Steve enjoys watching, "which Star Wars?", "the one with the teddy bees duh" he begins imitating ewok, "no? Uh, oh! The one that just came out. The one with the DeLorean and Alex P. Keaton, and he's trying to bang his mom".
He realises what he just said and regrets it, "yeah uh those are my top three, classic". Keith rolls his eyes completely done with Steve and points towards me and robin, "you two start Monday, you start never" he tells Steve.
"Will you just um, will you just give us a minute?", "why?", robin looks to me and tilts her head in the direction of where Steve needs to be, "Steve come on".
I grab his hand and pull him toward the corner and look up at him, thankfully Keith can't see us, he'd probably tell us to get out. He leaned down and pressed his lips on mine and I smiled mid kiss, happy that I'd finally got him.
