Brave Like You (Steve Harrington)

Thirteen.

-Candace-

Thanks to my impulsive decision to make Nancy think that Steve and I were together, we had to keep the charade up at school. Robin wasn't happy, but I ended up telling her the truth, but that didn't make her any happier.

On the upside, Steve started driving me to school so Eddie didn't have to drive me anymore. He knew how much I hated Eddie's driving. On the downside to that is that Eddie has been skipping a lot more recently because he isn't responsible for making sure I get to school anymore.

On Valentine's day, Steve and I actually didn't have any plans since we aren't actually a couple. He took me home and that was it. Or at least that's what I thought it was going to be. When I opened the door I heard Eddie's music coming from his room. I went to let him know that I was home. I opened the door and I gasped at a sight that I did not want to ever see. My brother had a guy friend over. And they were engaged in...relations.

"Oh my God!" I shouted, and I wanted to look away and not see what I was looking at, but I couldn't. When I recognized the guy in my brother's bed. Suddenly I was angry. "Billy!"

"Candy!" Eddie shouted.

Billy looked at my brother. "You said she was hanging out with Harrington."

"I can't fucking believe this, " I scoffed and I walked off into my room. I had to get out of here. I was so, so angry.

"Candy!" I heard Eddie's voice. I ignored him, and I headed to my room to grab some music of my own to drown them out.my brother followed me, now wearing boxer shorts at least. "Candace, listen, hear me out, okay?"

If looks could kill Eddie would have been dead when I looked at him. "Hear you out? You're my brother, Eddie! You're supposed to protect me! And you're fucking the guy who spread a rumor about me around our school!"

He started pleading with me. "Candy, listen to me, it's not like that."

I stopped him, "No, I'm not going to hear you out this time." I grabbed my Walkman, and the first tape I could find on my dresser and I walked past him out of my room. "I'm sick of your excuses, Eddie. You've seriously crossed a line."

I left then, and I didn't want to be here anymore. I started blasting my music in my ears. I just couldn't believe this. I knew Eddie and I weren't as close as we were when we were younger, but I didn't realize that he cared so little he would hook up with the guy who tried to ruin my reputation by making up a bold face lie about me.

I walked and I walked and I walked until I ended up at Steve's place. It took me a good minute to walk here, too, so I was very cold by the time I got there. Steve answered the door and his brown eyes grew in shock, "Candy," he said, his voice matched the shocked look on his face.

"Hey," I said, "Sorry to drop in like this."

"It's okay, come in," he stood to the side, and I walked into his house. His tone was lighthearted as I entered the house. "If you wanted to hang out you shouldn't have let me take you home."

"I just walked in on my brother in bed with the guy who tried to ruin my reputation," I said, my voice nearly shaking. I was still so angry.

Steve was shocked. Simply just shocked. "Whoa, whoa, wait... what?"

"Eddie is gay, Steve," I tell him, "But he doesn't want anyone to know. He doesn't want to give bullies more amo towards him."

He nods, "Okay, and you saw him in bed with who?"

"Billy," I said, almost speaking through my teeth. "Fucking Billy."

The surprised look was back on his face. "Oh my God. I'm so sorry, Candy."

"I heard music coming from his room, which isn't anything new. There is always music coming from his room. So I opened the door to let him know I was home. And there was in bed with the guy who told the entire school that I slept with him."

"I'm so sorry, Candy."

I sighed. "It's fine, I just had to get out of there."

"Well, you came to the right place," he says, and then he reaches to my head and takes my hat off for me. I instantly started fixing my hair. "And now I get to spend Valentine's day with my girl."

"I'm not actually your girl, Steve," I reminded him.

"Sure," he said, and he chuckled. "A few months ago, Eddie told me he wished he could beat his ass. I guess he meant that literally." I didn't laugh at his joke. I just wasn't in a mood for jokes. He could tell that from my reaction. "Hey," he says, and he puts a hand onto my shoulder, "It's gonna be alright, okay?"

I nodded, "I just thought that Eddie cared more about me than that. Out of everyone in our school, he had to pick the one who tried to ruin my reputation."

I heard something come from the kitchen, a hissing, bubbling sound. "Shit. The water."

He took off for the kitchen, and I followed him. I watched him as he turned off the stove. The tea kettle was steaming. "You want some tea?"

"Are you having another headache?" I ask him, not answering his question.

Steve has been having some headaches lately. He blames it on the stress of the second semester of his Senior year and not getting enough sleep, but I think it might be something more. Since he claims the pain is in his eyes, I think it might be head trauma from getting beat up so many times. Jonathan last year and Billy this year.

"Yeah," he admits, nodding.

"Do you want some quiet? I can go to Robin's."

He pours the hot water into a mug as he shakes his head no, "No, Candy, Stay. It's fine. Really."

"You sure?" I ask, but I know he is just going to insist.

"Yeah," he says, and then he walks over to me. He places a mug of hot tea onto the counter and then he places a kiss onto my forehead. "I want you to stay."

Steve has been doing that a lot lately. At school where everyone thinks we're a couple it makes sense, but here where it's just us it surprised me. I guess this whole time, he wasn't pretending. It made my heart race.

I was so nervous. I know that I always use the excuse that I want him to be ready for a relationship, but I think he actually is ready. I've always wanted Steve Harrington to notice me, and now that he has I'm so scared. As much as I hate to admit it, being Steve Harrington's girlfriend isn't like dating any other teenage boy in Hawkins. People look at you in the halls and whisper about you behind your back. I'm not really used to that.

Yeah people call me The Freak's sister, but that's about it. I'm not my brother though so ko one really cares about that. But being Steve's girlfriend is a totally new thing I'm not used to. Girls are jealous of me, and I've never had that happen to me before. I don't really like it.

"Steve," I sighed, "We're not at school."

"Sorry," he said, his voice soft. "I guess I'm just used to it at this point."

"I guess so," I said, and then I stepped back so he wasn't so close to me. "Come on, let's get rid of that headache."

He laid on the couch with a hot compress over his eyes and listened to TV as I watched a movie. He was feeling better by dinner time. I made him something to eat since neither of his parents were home. They never seem to be home. I'm kind of used to that too, with Uncle Wayne working nights and all. I'm always cooking dinner for Eddie. He'd forget to eat if I didn't.

After dinner, I didn't stay much longer before Steve took me home. He felt much better after he ate. He was happy and smiling again while he drove me home. It didn't matter how late I got home, I knew Eddie was still going to be awake and waiting for me.

To my surprise Eddie wasn't home when I arrived. His bedroom door was open, so I knew he wasn't in there. I headed into my room, and I noticed a box of chocolates on my bed. I opened them, and I saw a note from Eddie inside saying he was sorry.

I took the chocolates and opened the box, and I threw them through his bedroom door, letting them fly all around his room, making a mess. I didn't care anymore. He wasn't getting off the hook for this. Not now, and probably not ever. He seriously hurt me this time, and I will not forgive him that easily.