Never Let Go

chapter 6

Nancy opened the door wider and allowed Robin and me to enter.
"What can I help yo with?" Nancy said as we headed downstairs to the basement.
"I want you to teach me how to shoot." I said sitting back on the sofa.
"What?... wait a minute... why?" Nancy stuttered and looked at Robin who up until now had been clueless.
Robin just shrugged.
It takes a minute until she realises and I brace myself for a lecture.
"Oh no!... Don't even think about it Mandy. You think you're coming into the upside down with us for the big final fight. No chance it's not happening, Eddie litteraly just said Vecna is after you last night and already you're going behind his back...
Like you've done with other stuff."
That last sentence was said under her breath.
"Nancy!" Robin shouted instinctively knowing where Nancy was going with this.
I look at them both.
"Excuse me?" I respond.
"You know!..." Nancy continues as I get to my feet again.
"Fraid I don't Wheeler... enlighten me."
"You and Steve!" Nancy is almost in my face.
I smirk I'm going to play with her. Not because she's right... no of course she's not. I'm going to tease the fuck out of her I'm beyond pissed with her right now, after what I'd been through  losing Eddie and all that heart ache. She has the audacity to accuse me of actually being with Steve.
"What about me and Steve?" I spit.
"That Kiss." She snapped back.
"Oh yeah.... it was good. I can see why he made Skull Rock a legendary make out point."
Robin bit her lip trying not to laugh she knew I was pissed and I was just playing. Nancy on the other hand had gone red with rage almost.
"He's not to bad between the sheets either." I added with a wink.
Ok I admit I maybe took it a bit too far but she needed a reality check.
I ducked as her hand failed to make contact with me.
"I'm too quick for you wheeler." I say as I grab her hand.
Then right before my eyes the great Nancy Wheeler the strongest of us three girls crumbled before me her eyes filled and she burst into tears.
"Woah Nance... I'm playing nothing has ever or will ever happen with Steve... I was just angry with you. You should know Eddie is the only one for me."
I pull her into a hug and Robin piles on top of us.
"I'm sorry... I'm such a mess." She sobbed.
"No shit?" I say still holding her.
"Nancy do you still have feelings for him?" Robin asked gently.
"I don't know."
"You do know. Otherwise you wouldn't of nearly slapped one of your best friends." I say as I've found a box of tissues and handed it her.
"What do i do? I can't hurt Jonathan he's not done anything wrong."
There was a moment of silence between myself and Robin.
"Nancy... we've seen it Jonathan has changed so we won't blame you if you say you've simply fallen out of love with him." Robin says.
"Ugh we've been drifting since he moved away if I'm honest." Nancy finally admits.
"Would it help if I said Steve still loves you." I say kneeling at her feet.
"Really?"
"Oh sweetie if you could of seen the horror in his eyes when Vecna had you."
"Yeah I've never seen Steve that scared." Robin added.
"Ugh I need to make a choice don't I?" Nancy sighed.
All Robin and I could do was nod. I change the subject to distract her.
"So what do you say you help me learn to shoot.... please Nance! If roles were reversed and it was Steve in Eddie's place what would you do?" I'm practically begging.
"I'd be doing the same thing you are."she smiles.
"But both Eddie and Steve are going to kill us..."
She's right of course not only has Eddie asked Steve to protect me but I've been friends with Steve since we could crawl. He won't be happy.
We leave the Wheelers and head for the woods near Hoppers cabin.
After a long day of near misses... yeah it's a good job Hopper had a supply of blanks I've nearly killed Robin 3 times over I'm finally getting it.
I take aim with Nancy's shotgun and hit another target.
"That's five for five... you're getting it Mandy." Robin cheered this time from a safe distance.
"It's not enough... you need to focus! Get angry it helps trust me." Nancy instructed from my side.
I reload and take aim.
"Come on Henderson... you going to just stand there and watch Vecna take Eddie from you for good this time?...." I knew what Nancy was trying to do and it was working my finger trembled over the trigger.
"Don't let him Mandy... fight for your man this time. Save him this time!"
My mind flashed to the night Eddie died. He tried to leave both me and Dustin behind to go buy more time for Steve, Nancy and Robin to get to Vecna.
He obviously hadn't counted on the Henderson stubborn streak both Dustin and I shared. After he'd cut the bed sheet rope I took a long run and jumped and pulled myself straight back through leaving Dustin shouting behind me I caught up with Eddie.
We were fighting the bats together until Eddie shouted
"There's too many... you're not going to die tonight Mandy" he planted a kiss on my forehead.
"I love you." He whispered in my ear just as he pushed me clear of the swarm.
The memory faded as the pain of the memory thobbed in my heart again.
"Noooooooooooo!" I screamed and shot five more targets in frightfully quick succession.
"Woah!" I heard Robin Whisper.
I lowered the gun and then collapsed to the ground.
"Mandy!" Nancy ran to secure the gun and Robin ran to my side.
"You ok... " Robin gasped.
"I'm fine." I insisted a little dizzy.
"No you're not... your nose."
I put my hand up and blood dripped into the palm of my hand.
The girls heaved me to my feet just in time for us to see Steve watching us.
"What's going on?" He said.
No amount of lying was going to get us out of this one.
"Damn it Mandy!... can you not just do as you're told just once!" The lecture from Steve started as soon as we got back to the Wheelers basement.
I rolled my eyes as I pressed play on my walkman Manic Monday still inside.
My headphones hung round my neck I was still able to hear the music turned up loud whilst I argued with my overprotective babysitter.
"He's getting closer to you Mandy... you really need to watch yourself. I don't want to have to tell Eddie or Dustin we've lost you."
I admire Steve's loyalty to both Eddie and my brother but surely he can see my point of view.
"I needed to learn Steve... I can't let him take Eddie away from me again. I can't do it again I can't just watch this time wether Eddie likes it or not he's going to need me in his corner."
"I know... but you're hardly using your walkman you're practically teasing Vecna baiting him to come and get you and you know we are no where near ready to fight him again."
Steve had a point.
More annoyingly he had a pout that he'd put on his face to help him win arguments. None of us girls could ever say no to it.
"Fine!" I throw my hands up in temporary defeat.
I head upstairs.
"Where are you going?" My protector demanded.
"Outside for a smoke.... am I allowed?"
"I'll go with her." Robin said as Steve ran his hands through his hair in frustration.
"Nice work Buckley that'll give those two time alone." We sat on the porch steps and giggled.
It was getting dark we were going to head for Skull Rock soon to possibly meet up with Eddie. The plan was we'd give him an hour after sunset and if he wasn't there he hasn't been able to escape for the night.
Suddenly the twilight peace was disturbed by Mike who had been chilling in his room for most of the day screaming through the house.
"Guys come quick!... Lucas is on the phone he's panicking too much he's not making sense."
We all came running from different directions.
Nancy the calmest one of us took the phone from him.
"Lucas honey breathe... what is it?"
We stood in silence as Nancy listened and gripped the phone with both hands.
"Ok Lucas... sit tight we'll be there as quick as we can." Nancy slammed down the phone.
"Steve you're the quicker driver... we need to get to the hospital. There's something wrong with Max!"
Steve simply took hold of Nancy's
hands.
"Hey... she'll be ok. Let's go guys."