Really? ||Steve Harrington x Female Reader||

The Monster: Pt. 2

I literally got no sleep that night. Between the intense pain in my foot to the fear of that thing popping up out of nowhere, I found it easier to just stay awake.

The alarm I had set the night before went off, adding to my headache. I was contemplating on whether or not I should sit in bed, but then I remembered Nancy and Jonathan. What if they had found out what that thing was? With a groan, I slammed the alarm clock off and stumbled out of bed, getting ready for the day.

I purposely picked a pair of pants that flared out at the end and some oversized shoes so I could hide the bandages easier. My jacket was ruined, so I opted for a sweater. This should keep me warm for the rest of the day. If not, oh well.

My feet seemed to echo as I walked down the quiet hallway. Mom was definitely still asleep. Dustin might've been awake if this was a normal day, but after the events of yesterday, it didn't surprise me if he decided to sleep in today.

I locked the front door behind me, ignoring the cool, November air, and jogged over to the side of the house, grabbing a bike. I pedaled down the road and to Nancy's house, my flashlight the only thing illuminating my path.

When I made it, the sun had risen, bathing everything in a pale orange light. I left my bike on the side of the house and glanced inside, seeing if anyone was up. The house was empty, just like last night. I tried to open the door, but it was locked. Annoyed, I crept to the side of the house where Nancy's window was. I, carefully, climbed onto the little box and on the roof, ignoring my protesting ankle.

I about knocked on the window when I noticed a faded pair of footprints. Those definitely weren't mine.

It was probably just Steve from a few nights ago, I thought. I pushed the confusion to the back of my mind and lightly tapped on the glass.

The curtains slightly moved before Nancy appeared, a relieved smile resting on her face. She slid open the window and let me inside.

"It's 7:08," Nancy scolded, taking her place back on her bed. I went to sit down, but noticed a pile of black next to her. I gasped when I saw what it was.

"What is Jonathan doing in your bed?!" I whisper-shouted.

"Ok, it wasn't like that," Nancy stated, rolling her eyes.

"I know, but you have a boyfriend! What if someone saw?"

"I live on the second story, not like someone can just look into my window and see what I'm doing."

"Still, better safe than sorry," I reminded, sitting at the foot of her bed. "What are all these books?"

Nancy grabbed the one on the top pile, shuffling through its pages. "I'm doing research."

"On...?"

Before she could answer, Jonathan carefully sat up, his half-closed eyes flicking between Nancy and I.

"Oh... hey," he croaked.

"Hey," Nancy greeted, a faint blush dusting her cheeks. She dug her face back in her book, rustling through the pages.

"Couldn't sleep?" Jonathan grunted. Nancy shook her head.

"Every time I close my eyes, I just keep seeing that thing. Wherever I was, that place... I think that it lives there."

"I'm confused," I interrupted, my eyebrows furrowed. "Where did we get to that conclusion?"

"It was feeding there," she answered. "That deer we saw earlier? That's what it was eating. That means, if Will and Barbara..." Her voice trailed off, but Jonathan and I knew what she was implying.