love me - stranger things²

[022] the shire.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

the shire.

STEVE, NANCY, ROBIN, LUCAS, DUSTIN, AND MAX WALKED THROUGH THE LARGE FORREST, SUNLIGHT BEAMING DOWN, SHINING THROUGH THE THICK LAYERS OF LEAVES THAT HUNG ABOVE THEM. "Dude, I'm telling you, you're taking us the wrong way." Steve said to Dustin with certainty.

"It's north. I'm positive. I checked the map." Dustin responded, a compass in one hand and and a large paper map in the other.

"You do realise Skull Rock is a super popular make-out spot?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Yeah, well, it wasn't popular until I made it popular." Steve explained with a slightly egotistical tone. "All right? I practically invented it."

Dustin looked at him for a moment before looking back ahead. "Oh yeah? And is that what you'll tell Jen when you're explaining to her how you got us there?" He tested, Steve rolling his eyes.

"We're heading in the wrong direction." Steve said, ignoring the boys comment as veered off course from where Dustin was leading them.

"Steve. Where are you going? Steve!" The boy called.

"Stop whining. Let's go. Come on, trust me." The group walked for a while longer, Dustin and Steve walking ahead followed by Nancy and Robin, and Lucas and Max. "Oh, boom!" Steve exclaimed, walking through a large bush, Skull rock quickly coming into view. "Bad bing, bada boom. There she is, Henderson. Skull Rock. In your face, man. In your stupid, cocky little face." He teased.

"Doesn't make sense." Dustin said after a moment, looking from the rock to his compass confused.

"Yeah, yeah. Even with it staring you right in the face, you can't admit it. You just can't admit that you're wrong, you butthead." At the sound of Steve's voice, Jennifer rushed from where she was against the side of Skull Rock, wrapping her arms around Steve, looking him over for any injuries.

Steve's arms snaked around his girlfriend, copying her and looking over her for any injuries. "I concur. You, Dustin Henderson, are a... total butthead." Eddie spoke aloud, jumping down in front of Dustin from the rock he stood on.

"Jesus, we thought you were a goner."

"Yeah, me too, man. Me too." As the others emerged from the bush, Jennifer proceeded to check on them all, spending a few seconds longer on Max than the rest of them before moving back to Steve's side.

Steve found himself staring at her face, gently grabbing hold of her cheek and looking over her. "You okay...?" He questioned despite knowing that she likely wasn't, her puffy eyes and the dark circles that sat under them worrying him. Jennifer simply nodded, not wanting to go through the gruesome details of what she had witnessed the night before.

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EDDIE SOON FOUND HIMSELF CROUCHED DOWN ON THE GROUND, TAKING THE CANISTER FILLED WITH WATER WHICH JENNIFER HAD HANDED TO HIM AND BEGAN UNSCREWING IT. "When we got to Skull Rock, I tried calling you guys, but, uh..." He paused, taking a large gulp of water. "-my walkie was busted, man. Drenched. So, uh, I did the thing that I do now, apparently. I ran." He chuckled humorlessly, Jennifer sighing from where she stood next to Steve.