Complete Chaos

062

Julia sat on the couch, bouncing Melody on her lap. Her daughter was entertained moving up and down, but Julia was moving her legs from nervousness.

She was trapped inside the house with the three teens, and an officer stood by the front door blocking the only exit. The parents were in a half circle talking with each other every so often; they would make eye contact with her. She couldn't get out of the house and find her friends.

Dustin had turned off the walkie-talkie when the officers chased after them. Steve could have gotten in contact with them by now, and she wouldn't have known. They could be out there looking for them, or they could be in real danger, and she wasn't there to help.

"Steve, where are you," Julia whispered.

Julia was worried for her boyfriend and her friends safety, and she had a good reason to do so.

In the Upside Down, dark gray clouds decorated the sky as red lightning flashed across the sky.

Steve was walking behind the group struggling to catch up to them.

The large flying creatures that looked like bats took a piece of flesh from the lower part of the stomach and gave him a good beating. Luckily for him, he wasn't alone and was able to fight off the large bats with help from his friends.

This could go on Julia's list of reckless things he had done, but it wasn't completely his fault, he was only supposed to locate the gate, which he did, but those stupid bats pulled him under, and now he and the others were in the Upside Down.

The bats were blocking the way they came from, so they had to find another way.

Robin had suggested going to Hawkins PD and getting grenades, but Nancy had a better idea, she had guns at home, and they were closer to her house than downtown.

Nancy and Robin were walking in front. Robin complained about wanting to take a less creepy route, but Nancy simply continued walking and told her they were almost there.

Steve jogged closer to Eddie. "Hey, man. Uh... Listen, I just, uh... I just want to say thanks," Steve said awkwardly and glanced at Eddie making eye contact with him.

He continued and said, "For saving my ass back there," he clarified, referring to when he was on the ground surrounded by the bats.

"Shit. You saved your own ass, man. I mean, that was a real Ozzy move you pulled back there."

Eddie walked carefully, not wanting to step or trip with one of the vines.

"Ozzy," Steve asked, confused, not understanding what Eddie was trying to tell him.

"When you took a bite out of that bat Ozzy Osbourne. Black Sabbath? He bit a bat's head off onstage," Eddie explained to Steve, but it was no use since he wasn't familiar with the musician.

Steve looked at him, perplexed, as they both continued to walk. Eddie stared at him, stunned and a little bit hurt that Steve didn't know who he was talking about.

"Doesn't matter." Eddie moved his hand dismissively. "It's very metal, what you did. That's all I'm saying," he concluded.

After a second, Steve thanked him awkwardly as he stared at the path in front of them.

Eddie walked close to Steve as he said. "Henderson told me you were a badass. Insisted on the matter, in fact."

Dustin's name got Steve's attention. "Henderson said that," Steve asked, surprised, and he looked at Eddie, wanting to know more.

Eddie nodded his head. "Oh yeah. Shit. The kid worships you, dude. Like, you have no idea. It's kinda annoying, to be honest."

A small smile crept on Steve's face. Eddie continued talking. "I don't even know why I care what that little shrimp thinks, but, uh, guess I got a little jealous, Steve."

He shoved his hands inside the pockets of his jacket as he glanced at Steve, "I guess I couldn't accept the fact that Steve Harrington was actually." Eddie looked at Steve up and down before he said, "a good dude."

Steve smiled. "Rich parents, popular, chicks love him. Not a douche? No way, man." He shook his head.

He had judged Steve by what others were saying about him the same way people would judge him without knowing him.

"That, like, flies in the face of all the laws in the universe and my own personal Munson doctrine."

Eddie leaned in closer, "Still super jealous as hell, by the way," he clarified. Steve chuckled and slightly pushed Eddie away from him.

"Which is why, I would never have jumped in that lake to save your ass. Not under any, uh... normal circumstances," he said more seriously and looked around them.

A branch snapped near them, and both boys looked where the sound was coming from.

"Nope. Outside of D & D, I am no hero. I see danger, and I just turn heel and run." He pointed in the opposite way. "Or at least that's what I've learned about myself this week," he said quietly.

"Give yourself a break, man."

Eddie stopped walking, and Steve stopped too. Eddie carried on and said, "The only reason I came in here was 'cause of Julia."

Hearing Julia's name, Steve glared at Eddie with curiosity. "She loves you man. She looks at you so intensely but with so much tenderness at the same time, l-like you are the most important person in the world."

She never looked at him like that. Their relationship was in the past, he knew that, but it still hurt. He was only human after all. Julia would forever hold a special place in his heart. Maybe in the future, another woman would come around and take his breath away.

"You also have a little girl. Your daughter is just a baby; she needs to have you in her life to grow up with both of her parents."

He looked down at the ground and moved a few leaves with his feet. He knew what it was to grow up without both parents in his life, and he didn't want that for the young girl.

"I would have never forgiven myself if I stayed behind and something happened to you. I don't think I could ever face Julia."

Steve observed Eddie carefully. Slowly the pieces were coming together. Steve was connecting them like a puzzle. The way Eddie reacted the first time he saw Julia. How he said her name the first time it held so many memories. All the little glances when he looked back at Julia, Eddie was also looking at her.

"You like Julia," Steve said slowly.

Eddie laughed, but there was no humor behind it. He padded Steve on the back. "Yeah, dude, we dated way back but don't worry, I won't fight you or try to kill you to end up with her." The left side of his mouth lifted upward as he lifted his hands, letting him know he meant no harm.

Steve took a step away from Eddie.

"She loves you, and I can see how happy she is with you and Melody. Isn't that what you want for someone you once cared about, for them to be happy." As he said his last sentence, he looked at Nancy, who was walking at a fast pace with a goal in mind.

Steve followed Eddie's sight. He opened his mouth to say something, but the ground underneath them shook.

They tried to hold onto something as the earthquake continued. "Goddamn it," Steve said as he fell to the ground.

"Here we go again," Eddie said through gritted teeth.

Robin waddled as she tried to steady herself. "Second on my list of least favorite things earthquakes. Seriously, I'm unsteady enough as it is," Robin complained.

That was the second earthquake they had experienced since they got there.

Nancy's house was near them. It was only a couple of feet away; the brunette could see her house from where she was standing. It was just behind a few trees and across the road.

"Where are you going? Nancy," Robin yelled at Nancy as she ran through the woods. The earthquake had stopped.

Robin stood up straight and said, "Come on."

Robin and the two teens ran after Nancy.