In The Stars / Steve Harrington 3

Chapter 23

"So uh, this place is like Hawkins but with monsters and nasty shit?" Eddie asks from on top of a boulder. "Pretty much." I say as I help Steve to his feet. Eddie nods and I help Steve lean against the rock wall of Skull Rock.

"Wait watch out for the vines. It's all a hive mind." I say as I notice Eddie start to climb down from the rock. "It's all a what?" Eddie asks confused. "All the creepy crawlies around here dude. They're like one or something. You step on a vine, you're stepping on a bat, you're stepping on Vecna." Steve explains to Eddie. "Shit." Eddie curses and nods as he carefully climbs down from the boulder.

"But everything from our world is still here?" Corey asks. "As far as we understand, yeah." Nancy says from beside Robin. "So theoretically, we could go to the police station and steal guns and grenades and whatever we need to blow up those bat things that are guarding the gate?" Robin asks. "Yeah I highly doubt that the Hawkins PD has grenades Robin but I mean guns yeah sure." Steve says from beside me.

"Well we don't have to go all the way downtown for guns." Nancy says and we all turn our attention to her. "I have guns in my bedroom." Nancy says. "You, Nancy Wheeler, have guns, plural, in your bedroom?" Eddie asks in disbelief as he finally climbs to the ground. "Full of surprises isn't she." Corey says sarcastically. "A Russian Malcrove and a revolver." Nancy says with a smile, happy for others to see that she isn't the princess everyone thinks she is.

Eddie nods in surprise and looks over at Steve. Eddie takes off his blue jean vest and throws it at Steve's face. Steve catches the vest and glares at Eddie. "For your modesty dude." Eddie says with a shrug and I shake my head. Steve nods sarcastically and continues to glare at Eddie.

The ground starts to violently shake and I gasp as I stumble backwards. I feel an arm wrap around my waist and pull me back to Skull Rock. I gasp as the ground stops shaking. "Are you okay?" Steve asks me quietly. "Yeah. You?" I ask him. "I'm fine." I gasp as we hear roaring in the distance.

"Yeah so guns seem like a pretty good idea to me." Eddie says from the ground. "Yeah me too." Robin agrees from beside Corey and Nancy. Steve and I look into each other's eyes and I quickly back away from him seeing how close we are to one another. Steve sighs and quickly throws Eddie's vest over his shoulders and puts it on. "So what are we waiting for?" Steve asks as he grabs his flashlight and begins to walk away from the group.

I shut my eyes tightly and then follow him as Eddie, Corey, Robin, and Nancy follow behind me. We walk for several minutes with Nancy and Robin leading the group with Corey and I following several feet behind and Eddie and Steve several feet behind us.

Steve's pov

"Eddie." I call out to him but he doesn't hear me. "Eddie, hey man." I say as I quickly walk up to him. Eddie turns to look at me and slows down his pace. "Uh, listen I just um, I just wanted to say thanks." I say to him as we now walk beside each other. "For saving my ass back there." I say seeing his confusion. "Shit you saved your own ass man." Eddie says.

"I mean that was a really Ozzy move you pulled back there." He says and I look at him in confusion. "Ozzy?" I ask. "When you took a bite out of that bat." Eddie says as he looks over at me. I just stare at him waiting for further explanation. "Ozzy Ozborne, Black Sabbath, he-he bit a bats head off on stage." Eddie trys to explain but I still have no idea what he's talking about. "I don't-" I begin. "No?" Eddie asks. "No." I say with a shake of my head. "Man how did you ever score Bella?" Eddie asks and I shrug. "I honestly don't know." I say truthfully. "It was very metal what you did that's all I'm saying." Eddie says. "Thanks." I say still confused.

"Henderson told me you were a badass. Insested on the matter in fact." Eddie says and that catches my attention. "Wait Henderson said that?" I ask surprised. "Oh yeah, shit, kid worships you dude. Like, you have no idea." Eddie says and a ghost of a smile finds its way onto my lips. "It's kinda annoying to be honest." Eddie adds and I quietly chuckle. "I don't even know why I care what that little shrimp thinks but uh, I guess I got a little jealous Steve." Eddie says and I lift an eyebrow. "I guess I couldn't accept the fact that Steve Harrington was actually a good dude. Rich parents, popular, chicks love him, not a dushe no way man, no way that's like defies the face of all the laws in the universe and my own personal Munson doctrine." Eddie says and I smile.

"Still super jealous as hell by the way." Eddie says and I chuckle again. "That's not the only thing you're jealous about is it?" I ask him. "No well at least it wasn't." He says and I nod. "When you started dating Bella I was so jealous but I saw how much you cared about her and how much she cared about you. She still cares about you." Eddie says and I shake my head. "I doubt that, at least in the way I still care about her." I say with a sigh. "Dude you are so clueless." Eddie says and I look at him. "Did you not see the way she rushed to help you earlier?" He asks and I shake my head in disbelief.

"The only reason I came in here is because Bella came in right after you." Eddie says as we stop walking. I turn to look at Bella and I feel a wave of emotions wash over me. "Now I was to ashamed to be the one who stayed behind but Bella, she didn't waste a second. Not one second she just dove right in." Eddie says as we both stare at Bella.

"Now I don't know what happened between you two but if I were you, I would get her back, because that is the most unambiguous sign of true love that as these sinical eyes have ever seen." Eddie says as he looks at me. I take his words in and look back at Bella, the girl I loved and still love as she grows further and further away from me. I'm broken out of my thoughts as the ground starts to violently shake again. "Damn." I curse as I fall to the ground. "Here we go again." Eddie says as he also falls to the ground.

Bella's pov

I try to maintain my balance as the ground shakes beneath me. "Okay second on my list of least favorite things: earthquakes. Seriously, I'm unsteady enough as it is." Robin says as she crouches to the ground so she doesn't fall over. Nancy and Corey brace themselves against trees and I look up as I see the sight of familiar power lines. I run through the forest as Corey and Robin call out for me. I ignore them and continue to run until I come to a clearing to see the sight of the Wheeler's house.

The ground finally stops shaking and Nancy, Corey, Robin, Eddie, and Steve run up behind me. Steve puts a hand on my shoulder and I feel safe at the warmth of his touch. I push me feelings aside and focus on the task at hand. "Come on." I say as I walk towards the Wheeler's house.