Everybody Wants To Rule The World

022

Marie's eyes shot open the next day. Steve was asleep next to her, and he was knocked out. She looked around Steve's room, and sat up. 

She felt like something was wrong, like something had happened and she didn't know what it was. So she rolled out of bed and grabbed her shirt, and stood up. 

Steve's parents would be out of town until after the fourth, and so they were soaking up every moment together they had. It had been great, blissful.

Marie was staring out the window, watching as the trees swayed in the wind. She could see the birds and squirrels going from tree to tree, but then she looked down at the pool. She remembered her and Nancy talking about Barb, and how the last place Nancy had seen her was at the pool before that thing took her.

Marie was trying her hardest to move past everything that had happened in the last two years, and everything with Billy the day prior. But his words kept echoing in her ears, and in her brain. What could he possibly be sorry for? He has already apologized.

"Hey, what's wrong." Steves voice called out, and she turned to look at him. He was rubbing the sleep from his eyes, and she smiled at him. He looked like a child when he first woke up. 

"I had a bad dream, couldn't go back to sleep." Lie. Steve knew this and opened his arms for her to come back to bed, and she willingly did. His arms had always brought her some sort of comfort, from that first night with the demogorgon after Will disappered, to now.

"I love you." Came out of her mouth, and he kissed the top of her head. Content with how willingly she said it to him, completely different than his relationship with Nancy.

"I love you too, Marie." He said back, and she sat up to look at him. Her heart full of love, and he could see it in her eyes as she met his. 

She leaned down to kiss him, and he kissed her back. It wasn't long until they were in the same situation they had been in the car just a couple days prior. This time though there was no one to interrupt, no angry Police Chief.

Steve had sat up at this point, and Marie pulled away. Steve stared at her, and touched her face with his right hand. She leaned into his touch, and she closed her eyes as she felt his warmth.

"What's wrong?" He asked her, and she shook her head. Not wanting to actually tell him what was actually wrong, knowing he would be worried.

"Nothing, I'm just so happy." She says, and he kissed her again. Marie smiled into this kiss, but her mind kept thinking about the day before. 

-

Marie was sat outside, under the umbrella they gave the chairs for the lifeguards, in the rain. She knew she'd have to blow the whistle soon, it looked like it was going to get pretty nasty. So when the first roll of thunder came across the sky, she and the other lifeguard blew the whistle.

Everyone was quick to get out of the pool and make their way to the locker rooms, but Marie and the other lifeguard had to wait. So they began to clean up the pool deck, and Marie pushed her wet hair behind her ears.

She had been in the pool twice today, both times for young children jumping in while the parents weren't looking, so she smelled of chlorine. Then the rain, so she smelled of chemicals and wet ground. All she wanted to do was take a shower, and wait for Steve to pick her up.

Then she remembered that he was closing tonight, and she didn't want to wait that long while sitting here. So she decided she could call a couple of friends, and she finished cleaning up.

They checked the locker rooms periodically, and once they knew they were clear they made their way into them. Marie walked into the girls locker room first, and looked around.