butterflies; steve harrington x henderson!oc

one

˗ˏˋ[the disappearance]'ˎ˗

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

valarie was abruptly awoken by the sound of the phone ringing. 
she groggily stumbled to answer it, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "henderson house, who am i speaking to?" she muttered into the receiver, hoping it wasn't some telemarketer or wrong number.

the voice on the other end was familiar, and she recognized it as joyce, the mother of will byers. valarie's heart raced as she wondered why Joyce would be calling her at this early in the morning. 

"um, hi joyce. It's valarie," i mumbled groggily into the phone, still half-asleep. "did something happen?"

"hi valarie, i just wanted to check if will stayed over at your place last night. did he?" joyce's voice sounded anxious.

"no, he didn't. why? is everything okay?" i asked, my heart starting to race with worry.

that was weird i thought to my self, that i realized that today was a school day. "shit" i whisper-shouted and ran to dustin's room to wake him up and then make breakfast.

there was a brief pause on the other end of the line before joyce replied. "i'm not sure. he never came home last night and he's not answering his phone. i just thought he might have stayed over at your place."

my mind started to race with possibilities. will was a good kid and never stayed out without letting his mom know. "i haven't seen him since yesterday. i can help you look for him if you want," I offered, my voice gaining strength.

joyce sounded relieved. "thank you, valarie, but that is not needed he probably went to school a little bit earlier than usual."

joyce hung up the phone leaving valarie in wonder.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

valarie tries to ignore the ache in her chest as she gets dressed for school. she picks out a long-sleeved shirt to cover up the scars on her arms, but as she glances in the mirror, she can't help but feel triggered by the sight of them. she tries to shake off the feelings of self-doubt and disgust that wash over her, but they linger in the back of her mind. she takes a deep breath and reminds herself that she can make it through the day, that she is strong enough to face the stares and whispers of her classmates. but as she grabs her backpack and heads out the door, she can't help but feel a knot of anxiety in her stomach, wondering if anyone will notice the faint lines beneath her clothes.

valarie's responsibility as an older sister never ceased to weigh on her. after getting herself ready, she headed to her younger brother dustin's room to wake him up. "come on, dust. time for school," she gently called out, nudging him awake. dustin groggily opened his eyes, mumbling in protest before reluctantly getting out of bed. valarie prepared breakfast for them both, making sure dustin had a nutritious meal to start his day. as they walked towards the school together, valarie held dustin's hand, guiding him across the bustling streets. she couldn't help but feel a sense of protectiveness over him, knowing that she was his only constant support amidst the chaos of their lives. despite her own anxieties and struggles, she was determined to make sure dustin had a safe and happy day at school.