Hey Jude | A STRANGER THINGS Story

CHAPTER THIRTY

"Hey," Judy said as she climbed out onto the top of the bus. Steve was looking through Lucas's binoculars, but set them down to look at Judy.

"Hey," he replied simply.

"See anything?" Judy looked around the fog covered ground but didn't see much of anything.

"Not yet," he sighed as he looked through the binoculars again. "I'm sorry you and Nancy aren't that close anymore."

Steve caught Judy a little off guard. She didn't think it was that noticeable, or that Steve would even really care. "It happens," she shrugged and deflected. "I got a new best friend anyways."

"You talkin' about me?" He asked, pointing to himself with raised eyebrows.

Judy smiled, "Don't make a big deal out of it. And don't tell Dustin, or El-"

"Who?"

"Just don't tell anyone that. I have a reputation for not liking Steve Harrington."

"Man, I feel truly honored right now," Steve smiled as he looked around and the two of them settled into the quiet of the night. Steve sucked in a long breath through his nose and let it out through mouth slowly. Judy looked at him perturbed.

"What?" She asked.

"I'm just thinking about what Nancy's doing right now," Steve confessed, breaking Judy's heart just a little. He was never not thinking about Nancy.

"Hopefully not waiting to fight another demogorgon," she said, quietly.

"She's with Jonathan Byers." He said, "Tommy told me."

Judy didn't have anything to say. She hadn't seen either of them that much the past two days and she didn't think anything of it. But the look on Steve's face and the tone of his voice made Judy think of the way Jonathan looked at Nancy, the way he spoke to her.

"Do you think I should stop trying with Nancy?" Steve asked, looking at Judy who was already watching his sad face. He saw she was sad too, and struggling to answer him.

"I think the two of you might have outgrown each other." She looked at Steve hoping that answer was good enough, but his eyes showed he wanted more. So she went on hesitantly, "Things happened that you two never expected and it caused a riff. You don't have to sail through rough seas just to reach the other side. You can just wait it out and see what happens."

As much as Steve looked disappointed, the nod he gave Judy was more of a sign that he knew she was right, even as bad as it hurt.

"Hey!" Dustin yelled from inside the bus. Steve and Judy leaned over to look in the hole. "Stop flirting and get down here."

Steve let Judy go first and they both crouched to look through the bus windows with the three kids. "Ten o' clock." Whispered Lucas in between Steve and Judy. They all looked that way and sure enough, a demogorgon. It moved further into the fog and all they could do was watch. Darts high pitched chittering fluttered through the air.

"Wait. You sure that's not a dog?" Max asked feverishly. No one could answer her then.

"He's not taking the bait." Steve pointed out. "Why is he not taking the bait?"

"Maybe he's not hungry?" Dustin said.

Steve took a moment before stepping back, Judy turned around to look at him. "Maybe he's sick of cow." He said, looking at Judy with wide eyes.

"Steve?" He walked over the door of the bus, picking up his bat and lighter. She immediately questioned, "What are you about to do?"

He breathed heavily, before tossing Judy the lighter. "Just get ready."

Lucas climbed up the ladder as Steve walked out of the bus, Max and Judy watched through the windows as Dustin closed the door. Steve swung the bat in circles as he walked further into the fog. Dart continued to chitter as Steve whistled like he was calling a dog.

"He's insane." Max said, staring out of the window.

"He's awesome." Said Dustin, smiling more than he should of.

As Dart came closer to Steve he planted his feet further into the ground

"Steve, watch out!" Lucas yelled from on top of the bus, startled everyone else. "Three o' clock! Three o' clock!"

Judy looked to her right, finally seeing a second demogorgon. Dustin saw it too and immediately ran to the bus door, pulling it open and screaming at the top of his lungs, "Steve! Abort! Abort!"

Only Steve couldn't get away fast enough. As the first demogorgon charged towards him, Steve rolled on top of the hood of the car, landing his feet on the ground just in time to swing his bat into the face of the demogorgon. Each of the young kids yelled for Steve to run towards the bus, and as he did Judy held out her arms to pull him in.

He was quick to get off of Judy, who he fell into, and covered the door with a metal sheet, holding it in place with his feet.

"They can't get in! They can't!" Lucas yelled, only for a pair of claws to dig through the door and metal. Judy pushed the kids to the other side of the bus as Steve swung his bat and the claws coming in the door. Standing behind the ladder, Judy watched the sides of the bus. Max stood in front of her holding on to the ladder. Bending metal sounded above them and Judy watched in horror as another demogorgon hung its head above Max.

Screaming in a high pitch, Max stood there frozen. "Is anyone there? Mike? Will? God! Anyone!" Dustin yelled into his walkie-talkie.

The beast continued to growl as Judy pulled Max away from the ladder and held her stiff body close. "We're at the old junkyard, and we are going to die!" Dustin continued screaming frantically.

"Out of the way!" Steve came in front of Max and Judy, ready with his bat. "You want some? Come get this!" He yelled, standing off with the demogorgon.

The monster growled with its face wide open and screeched one final time before suddenly jumping off the bus. Judy let go of Max quickly and looked out the window. The monsters continued to growl as they ran away from the bus, leaving wisps of fog behind them.

Judy walked back around the ladder and opened the door, stepping out onto the dirt. Lucas, and Max were close behind her.

"What happened?" Lucas asked.

"I don't know." Judy answered honestly. She looked at Steve as he stepped out of the bus as well. The two of them stood in front of the kids watching any and everything in the scrap yard that they could see.

"Steve scared 'em off?" Dustin asked this time.

"No. No way." Steve turned to face the kids, "They're going somewhere."