MELANCHOLY [S.T. B. Hargrove]

46

"Are you smoking weed in my movie store?"

I look up to Steve from my position on the floor. "No."

"Then, what's that?" he asks, pointing to the bud between my fingers.

I blink in thought. "Grass."

"Grass?" he repeats, crossing his arms.

"I'm going vegan."

"Vegan?"

I poke my tongue to my bottom lip. "Yep."

"How did you even get in here when Robin and I just got here?"

I point with the lit stick to the window that was still open.

"You broke in," Steve blames.

"I.." What was I doing? "Yeah.."

Steve holds his hand out to me. I grab it and he helps me stand.

"Did you realize that I don't unlock this door until I get here?" he asks as we walk out of the storage room.

"It wasn't budging and I was too short to jump back out of the window," I admit.

"Put that out," he points to the weed.

I tap the end of it until it goes out.

"Hey," Robin greets.

"God, I'm not high enough," I complain, leaning over the counter.

"How'd you get it?"

"Eddie."

"Eddie Munson? That weirdo?" Steve scoffs.

"Blackmail," I answer. 

"You were smoking in the storage room?" Robin asks.

I giggle. "Yeah."

"You're gonna get us fired," she scolds.

"Nah," I deny. "Just tell people that it's like.. the smell of.. fuckin' old plastic."

"I think you're high enough," Steve says in regards to my earlier statement.

"She's banned for a few months and becomes a lightweight," Robin jokes.

"I had to drop Mike off at the airport at the ass-crack of dawn."

"Mike? What about Nancy?"

I shake my head from the counter. "She didn't go."

Steve hums. I prop my chin on the counter and squint.

"What?" he asks.

I shake my head and indistinctly mumble- denying I was thinking about anything.

"You wanna pick the movie for today, Bird?" Robin asks.

"James Dean," I mutter, plopping my head back on the counter.

"James Dean?" she repeats.

"Blue eyes," I slur. "Pretty.."

Steve steps closer to Robin. He whispers to her, but I could still faintly hear.

"James Dean reminds her of Billy," Steve informs quietly.

My chest clenches at the name. I turn so I was face down on the counter.

"Don't fall asleep," Steve says, louder this time.

"'m not," I deny.

For the first time in a while, I felt light. My head wasn't as scrambled. It was just.. mush. Steve rubs my back and I sigh at the contact. Comfort was an unspoken boundary. But, there were times Steve really did seem like a brother when he'd do things like this.

Robin starts talking about a movie to watch instead.

"Dude, you know I don't do double VHS," Steve scolds.

"But, it's about doomed love," Robin says with a pout.

"All love is doomed," I decide.

"Precisely!" Robin says. "Also, Julie Christie is b-b-b-bonkers hot in this."

I weakly raise my head to look at her. "Blue eyes?"

"The bluest eyes!" she confirms, patting my head as she walks by. "Like, seriously, the most beautiful creature I've ever seen in my life."

Robin turns the TV on. I roll my head to look at it, my hair covering my face. 

"Blue eyes," I whisper.

Steve's hand pauses on my back as the TV gets louder.

"We can confirm that the body of a Hawkins High student was discovered early this morning.."

I inhale sharply and force myself up straight.

"Holy shit," Steve mutters, keeping me stable.

I hear the name of the address. It was near Max's new trailer.

"Max," I gasp.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Steve grabs me from around the waist.

"That's Max's neighborhood. I have to-"

"You're not driving to a murder scene while stoned out of your mind!" Steve argues. "Sober up, and then we'll discuss this."

"No! No.." I whimper in protest.

Steve pulls me to the ground behind the counter. "Now, stay."

Fucking lightweight weakness. I blame Eddie for not dealing.

"Jerk," I huff at Steve and lean back against the counter.