𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚏𝚎𝚌𝚝 𝚋𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚏𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚍 [𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚟𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚝𝚘𝚗]

XIV

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steve drive

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𝚗𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛 3𝚛𝚍 1984
𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚛'𝚜 𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚒𝚍𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎
𝚖𝚒𝚍𝚍𝚊𝚢

steve had asked valentine to be his emotional support for when he tries to get nancy back. she had told the boy he was foolish but sat in the passenger seat for the drive nonetheless.

she helped steve pick out a bouquet of flowers for her 'bestfriend' who's been resenting her since she had told her how wrong it was to fake being inlove with someone.

"here goes nothing" steve sighs before grabbing the flowers, "hey" valentine lays her hand on his arm, "it'll be fine, no matter the outcome.. im here" she says, she leans in and kisses his forehead, he nods and smiles before getting out of the car.

"listen.. i've been thinking..." steve starts practicing what he's going to say, "i love you, i'm sorry" he says to himself. "i'm sorry? what the hell am i sorry for?"

"steve!" dustin says and quickens his pace at the sight of the older boy, "are those for mr or mrs wheeler?" he asks, "no?" steve says, "good" dustin says before grabbing them and throwing them. "hey! what the hell man!" steve raises his voice at the younger preteen. "nancy isn't home" dustin says, "where is she?" steve asks, "doesn't matter" dustin says as steve follows him to his car. "we have bigger problems than your love life" dustin says.

"do you still have that bat?" he asks, "bat? what bat?" steve looks at him confused, "the one with the nails?" he says in an obvious tone, "why?" steve asks, "i'll explain on the way" he says.

valentine was touching up her makeup in the car while steve was gone and as she hears the two doors open she doesn't look up but instead applies her lip gloss in the wind mirror.

"that was quick, i take it went well?" she asks steve, "she wasn't there, steve drive!" dustin says, "henderson??" valentine questions, "drive!!!" he raises his voice to steve who turns on the car and begins driving.

hammer to fall plays on the radio after dustin explains to the pair about how he found a 'lizard' in his trash and he kept it and it had grown like a bunch of times already and it's locked in his basement.

"here we stand or here we fall, history won't care at all" valentine jams out as she listens to dustin.

"wait a sec. how big?" steve asks, "that's what she said" valentine says and steve looks at her and flashes her a smile before chuckling which makes the girl smile to the boy driving as she sings along.

"first it was like that" dustin says, opening his palm to show how it could fit in his hand. "now he's like this" he says opening his arms to show the current size on the apparent new found reptile.

"i swear to god, man, it's just some little lizard, okay?" steve says, "it's not a lizard" dustin argues, "how do you know?" steve asks, "how do i know if it's not?" dustin says, "how do you know it's not just a lizard?" steve says, "you two! stop the bickering, steve if we're gonna entertain this then quickly drive to my house so i can grab my bat" valentine says.

"because his face opened up and he ate my cat" dustin said, answering steve's question to allow valentine to realise he isn't messing the pair about.

valentine turns the radio up. "while you're waiting for the hammer to fall" she sings along quietly.

"i don't hear shit" steve says, "he's in there" dustin tells him. "alright. listen kid, i swear, if this is some sort of halloween prank you're dead" steve says, "it's not!" dustin says, "alright?" steve says to make sure dustin understands, "its not a prank" he says.

steve moves the torch to see dustin's and valentine's faces, "get that out of my fucking face steve" valentine says, "ow" dustin says, covering his eyes.  "you got a key for this thing?" steve asks.

not too long after the cellar doors are unlocked, they open it. "he must be further down there" dustin says. "i'll stay up here in case he tries to escape" he says. steve sighs.

valentine grabs her bat and gives dustin a crowbar she grabbed from the shed before taking a step into the cellar. "what are you doing? are you mad?" steve asks. "i'm saving your ass" she says, gripping onto her bat after making sure the gun is in her pocket.

she turns the cellar light on and carefully walks down the steps cause she doesn't know where this creature is. steve follows her and the two search the room before steve lifts his bat up. "uh val.." he says, she turns to see a weird blob. "ew what the fuck" she says as goo drips off of it, "is that how we started off?" she asks in attempt to lighten the mood, steve chuckles as they hear dustin calling for them.

"uh guys? steve? whats going on down there?"  he calls down, "get down here henderson" steve calls back to him.

"oh shit.. oh shit!!" they hear him shuffle about and the two look back to eachother and laugh.

"no way... no way" dustin looks at the gooey consistency on steves bat, dripping onto his cellar floor. "he's shed again" dustin says, valentine  looks at the corner of the room and walks over to it and crouches. "holy shit" she says.

"guys, this dart is a traveller and he's planning his journey to china" valentine says, "but he doesn't know directions apparently" valentine says in an attempt to lighten the mood yet again. she doesn't want to believe it. if she does it means she has to go through what she went through last year and she can't do the nightmares again. they only just stopped being as bad.

steve walks over and crouches down, prodding at the edges of the newly found tunnel with his bat. "we're in deep shit" dustin says.

the three get into steve's car, valentine runs a hand through her hair out of stress. "code red, code red" dustin says into a walkie talkie. "steve drive to the store we need buckets and raw meat" dustin says. "what the fuck henderson are you trying to get us killed?" valentine whips her head to look at the curly haired boy.

he doesnt answer and just ushers for steve to drive. while steve drives dustin tries getting his friends to answer.

"code red lucas, code red. code red!!!" he keeps repeating, "shut the fuck up say something else!!!" valentine says and steve rests a hand on her thigh to calm her down, she gives the boy a smile.

"sorry, man, my stupid sister turned it off" lucas says through the walkie. "well when you were having sister problems, dart grew again. he escaped anddd im pretty sure he's a baby demogorgon" dustin says, "what?!" valentine says. he never mentioned this to the other two in the car with him.

"wait what?" lucas says, "i'll explain later just meet me, valentine and steve at the old junkyard" dustin says, "steve?? valentine?" lucas asks, "and bring your binoculars and wrist rocket" dustin says, "steve harrington and valentine as in.. josh's hot sister valentine???" lucas asks and valentine and steve are both holding back a laugh. "just be there, stat. over and out" dustin says.

steve pulls up outside a supermarket, "hey josh's hot sister" he says, opening valentine's door and offering her a hand to get up. "hey harrington" the two laugh.