"I think you forget, Harrington, that we don't exactly float in the same pools anymore." He had started to exit his car, grabbing his rucksack and slinging it over his shoulder.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Steve lent against his own car, facing...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
When we finally got back, it was just as lunch was beginning. "Thanks for playing hookie." I sighed in relief that he wasn't going to make me miss the whole day.
"It wasn't a complete waste of time, I'll give you that..." I replied back to him, not upset at all that I had gone with him.
"Come on, let's get you in before you complain about missing any more classes."
"You too! I'm not being an excuse for why you're not in school."
"I don't know about that." Billy rolled his eyes sarcastically as we re-entered the high school. I led him to the cafeteria to meet everyone. A group I'm sure he would fit in with. As I walk into the cafeteria, I receive some looks, which could be due to a few things. One, I was seriously late to school, no one really tended to show up after first period absence. Two, I was wearing my new uniform, which told people that I was the new cheer captain. Or three, the fact that I was being followed by the school's new dream boy.
I walk up to my table and smile at everyone. "Hey, guys!"
Cindy asks, her eyes travelling from me to Billy. "Ronie! Where have you been?"
"I was with Billy." I gestured to him, who was currently standing next to me observing the girls.
"Hey."
"Gentlemen, Ladies... this is Billy Hargrove..."
"The boy from California?" Cindy practically shouted across the table.
"What boy from California?" A voice said, Steve made his way over to us. "Where the hell have you been? You've made me worried sick."
"Relax, I was with Billy."
"Who's Billy?"
"The boy from California." Cindy laughed at the situation.
"I'm Billy." Billy turned around to properly face Steve. "Sorry for stealing your girlfriend all morning, we were just catching up."
"She's- she's not my girlfriend..."
"Oh, really?" Billy's smirk became more apparent as he looked between the two of us. I looked away from the two boys and caught sight of Nancy.
"Hey, Nancy!"
"Where were you? I had to sit in Mullin's class alone... I saved you a seat next to me." I walk over to her, joining her in the middle of the cafeteria.
"Sorry, I got distracted. But thank you though."
"That's okay... who's the new boy?" Nancy asked, nodding her head over to where Billy was currently being introduced to the jocks.
"Billy Hargrove -"
"- the boy from summer?"
"- do we all know about the boy from summer then? Was it just me kept out of the loop?" Steve commented slightly offended by that truth as he made his way over to us.
"What is he doing here?"
"He just moved to Hawkins."
"Oh... he's cute..." Nancy dragged off, watching him as Billy smiled at the girls that had come over to him.
"Doesn't he know it?"
"Ah, I almost forgot!" Nancy practically shouted as she reached into her bag and pulled out some paper. "Tina couldn't find you earlier and told me to give these to you. She's having a party for Halloween, wanted to see if you could give these to the girls."
"Cool..." I began reading the pamphlet while Steve leaned over and read it. "Are you two going?"
"I am."
"Yeah, Tina asked me this morning."
"Alright, then I'm in."
"Perfect!" Nancy squealed before waving us off back to the lunch table.
"Gather round ladies," I called to the cheerleaders. "Tina is hosting a Halloween party, I expect to see you all there!" I hand out the paper to each of them and then give one to Billy. "Don't know if you're too cool for it, but here... it's going to be fun - plus a great way to make friends."
"Are you going?"
"Of course, I never miss a party," I smiled up at him.
******
After school, Steve and I went back to mine to help on his college essay. He was currently laying on my bed, staring up at the ceiling, while I sat at my desk, writing up brainstorming ideas.
"Look, Ronie... I'm serious, this isn't going to work."
"Shut up. I need you to give me reasons as to why you want to go college."
"I don't know!"
"- not going to write that down..."
"Veronica! Please!"
"Steve, please!" I mock him. Turning round to look at him I notice him staring at me. "I'm sorry..." I don't know the pressure yet of having to write a paper that practically decides your fate. I couldn't imagine the actual stress Steve was probably feeling and knowing that the early deadline was soon...
I stood up from my chair and sat next to him on the bed, he stayed laying down but had rolled himself onto his side.
"It's not your fault, it's mine. Sorry... I've left things to the last minute again, I keep on doing that." His face fell again as he looked down at the pattern of my bed sheets. The last time I had seen him that sad or stressed was last year when we had the big argument due to him being a shithead of a friend. "I'm such an idiot."
"Steve..." I call out his name gently, hoping to get him out of his head. "It's okay. What you had this morning, Nancy was just being a perfectionist, like usual..." His lips twitched slightly as he raised his face to look at me. "If you don't want to work on it anymore then that's fine... we can call it a night. It's only the early submission deadline that you are stressing about." I dropped my voice a bit, just above a whisper so that he didn't think I was pressuring him to continue. "Steve? If you don't want to do this then just let me know and we can stop." His eyes widened slightly as he continued to stare.
"Can we stop for a while? I just want a break..."
"Of course." I laid down next to him and turned to face him. It wasn't too late into the evening but after school I felt exhausted. "You're staring." I laughed lightly.
"So are you." Steve breathed out gently, smiling at me. He looked down before reaching my eyes again. "I missed you so much."
"I missed you too."
"I feel like I just got you back and now you're leaving again..."
"Steve?" I whisper, no need for my voice to get louder. Our face's are already close together.
"God, you're so beautiful." He breathed out gently, slowly extending his hand and touching the side of my face, just above my jawline. Confusion crossed my face at his movement, but I tried to cover it up. Until this moment the two of us had shared the occasional hug and sure, Steve had saved my life almost a year ago... but nothing this intimate had happened. I tried thinking that this was a normal thing that friends do, but the action was so alien to me that I couldn't push it away as a mere 'friend' moment.
"Steve?" I ask again, this time my voice is a little louder.
"I'm good." He hummed. "I sometimes forget how pretty you are..."
"If this is you fishing for compliments - give it up now." I said in an attempt to lighten the tension filled room.
"I would never." He let a small smirk pass his lips, its intention fully playful.
