𝐀𝐔𝐑𝐀 ✶ Steve Harrington

10 | 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐮𝐭

CHAPTER TEN,
revelations and maybe a way out.

⋆.ೃ࿔*

DUSTIN HENDERSON'S DEPARTURE couldn't have been more perfectly timed. Although his exit was deliberate, it was fueled by the best of intentions. He cared deeply for both Steve and Emmy—an old friend and a new one—and he wanted to see them find happiness, even in a situation as dire as this one. As he carefully descended through the hatch, a bright smile tugged at his lips. He was eager, almost giddy, to see what would come of his little nudge. In his mind, he was already envisioning the moment when Steve would finally muster the courage to be honest with Emmy. Dustin knew that sometimes, all it took was a little push in the right direction, and he was more than happy to be the one doing the pushing. As he rejoined the others, Dustin couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement, hopeful that his small act of meddling might lead to something big.

Now, the two teenagers were left alone, the silence between them stretching as they stood on opposite sides of the platform. The distance was noticeable, not just in space but in the tension that hung in the air. Emmy shifted her weight from one foot to the other, her hands buried deep in the pockets of her jeans as she tried to make sense of Dustin's playful wink at Steve. It was obvious that the two had cooked up some sort of plan, but whatever it was, the timing couldn't have been worse. They had bigger things to worry about—like getting out of this mess alive. Emmy's mind raced back to the hours they'd spent the night before, desperately brainstorming with Steve on how to override the elevator's system. Despite their best efforts, every idea had hit a dead end. The frustration of being trapped here, so close yet so far from escaping back to the mall, gnawed at her. Their situation was grim, and the lack of a clear plan made it even more daunting. Steve had been right there with her, stressing over the keypad and the door mechanism, but nothing had worked. They were stuck in this metal tomb with no way out, and the reality of that was starting to sink in even more.

She glanced over at Steve, wondering what was going through his mind. Was he just as scared as she was, or did he still have that unwavering confidence she'd come to rely on? They'd tried everything they could think of, but now, standing here in the silence, it felt like they were at a loss. The weight of their predicament was heavy, and Emmy couldn't help but feel a flicker of doubt. How much longer could they keep this up before they ran out of options entirely? But even amidst the uncertainty, there was a strange sense of comfort in being here with Steve. Despite everything, he was someone she could count on. They were both frustrated, both scared (for her, not so much), but somehow, the fact that they were in this together made it a little easier to bear. Even if they had no idea how to escape, at least they weren't alone in facing the unknown.

"Are you okay? Worried?"

Steve's voice snapped Emmy out of her thoughts, pulling her back to the present. His gaze was soft, filled with concern that made her heart skip a beat. He looked like he was about to say something else, but she beat him to it, raising an eyebrow as she let out a slow breath. "Uh, I'm okay," She answers, though her voice wavered slightly. "Worried? Not so much for myself... but for my family. I don't want them to be scared or frantic because they don't know where I am, you know?"