Strange Love / Steve Harrington

Chapter 21: Those Feelings

"Jesus, slow down!"

Dustin drove the cart that Clara and Steve sat in the back of while Erica sat beside him.

"Yeah, what is this, like, the Indy 500?" Clara referenced.

"It's the Indy 300." Steve corrected her.

"No, dingus, it's 500!"

"It's 300!"

"Let's say 69." Clara said jokingly.

The two laughed loudly at Clara's small words, making Erica concerned for them. "What is wrong with them?"

"I don't know." Dustin responded honestly.

"Dustin, watch out!" Erica exclaimed.

Dustin didn't stop in time, causing them to crash into a set of barrels. Clara and Steve flew backwards, hitting their heads on the metal wall of the back. "Oh, concussion number 2."

Dustin panted heavily as he looked back to the two kids sitting in the back. "You guys all right back there?" They only answered with groans of pain. Dustin looked back to Erica and shrugged lightly. "They're fine."

Dustin and Erica hopped out of their seats, running to the back of the cart before they both opened the doors to the back. They looked inside to see Clara and Steve still recovering from their minor injury. "Come on. We gotta go, now. Come on! Get out! Let's go!"

The two kids clapped at the teens, alerting them to get out. Steve hopped out of the back first with Clara following behind him. Steve's numb body collapsed to the ground as Dustin opened the elevator doors with the keycard he stole. "This sucks."

Erica helped Clara and Steve into the elevator by pushing them in roughly.

Clara sat on the ground tiredly as she watched Steve stand on one of the rolling carts with his arms extended out. "Hey! You look like you're surfing!"

"Surfing! Yeah!" Steve nodded in agreement as he continued messing around. "Whoa!"

Erica observed their behavior. "They seem drunk."

"Why would they be drunk?" Dustin questioned.

"I'm a natural! Check it out!" Steve called to his younger friends.

Clara pulled the rolling cart towards her, causing Steve to slip off and hit the ground. "Wipeout!"

They both giggled loudly as Dustin rushed over to Steve's side. He placed his hand on Steve's forehead, checking if something was up. "He's burning up."

"You're burning up." Steve retorted. Dustin forced Steve's eyelids apart to see his bloodshot eyes and his large pupils. "Ow!"

"His pupils are super dilated." Dustin inspected.

"Maybe he's drugged." Erica suggested.

"Boop!" Steve cooed as his finger lightly touched Dustin's nose.

"Steve." Dustin called to his friend as he tightly tapped Steve's cheek to get his attention. "Are you drugged?"

"How many times, Dad? I don't do drugs." Steve slurred his words. "It's only marijuana."

"This isn't funny, okay? I need to know what they did to you. Are you gonna die on us?" Dustin interrogated Steve.

Clara laid on the hard ground, staring at the bright lights in the elevator. "We all die, Dustypoo. It's just a matter of how... and when."

Dustin looked at Clara, scared at the fact that the smartest one in the room was an idiot at the moment. His eyes moved away from hers as he looked back to Steve. "They're gonna be looking for us up there, so I need you to tell me where you parked your car."