Butterfly

015- Teddy and Nancy

Steve at the Party Hours Before

Steve watched Cleo and Teddy head to the punch bowl, a mischievous gleam in Teddy's eye that could only mean one thing: Cleo had gotten her to at least take a sip of alcohol. Steve clenched his fist to his side but didn't dare leave Nancy on the dance floor by herself. He would chew out Cleo later, he couldn't believe how reckless she was being. 

Suddenly, Nancy pushed past Steve and walked straight over to the punch bowl herself. Steve grabbed her arm. "Hey, hey. Stop. That's enough. I'm serious."

"No," Nancy argues, tightly gripping the refilled solo cup in her hand. 

"Put it down," Steve shot back, holding just as tightly onto the drink. 

"No! Steve stop!"

"Put it down," Steve asked again, trying to stay calm. 

"Stop. Stop!" With that Steve let go of the cup, and Nancy not realizing it, spilled the continents of it all over herself. The red drink staining her pretty white shirt. The people around booed and gasped at the scene and Nancy looked down anger building in her eyes. "What the hell?"

Nancy stomped off towards the bathroom, Steve quickly following after her trying to get her attention. Once they made it to the bathroom, Steve shut the door behind them, and Nancy began wetting a towel trying to dab away the mess they had made. 

"Nance, I'm sorry," Steve says in a hushed tone, watching the girl scrub at her shirt. "It's not coming off Nance."

"It's coming," Nancy said in a babyish tone, not even looking at her boyfriend. 

"Come on. Let me just take you home, okay? Come here."

Nancy stops cleaning herself off turning to the boy, slurring her words as she speaks. 'You wanted... you wanted this."

"No, I didn't want this. I told you to stop drinking." 

"It's bullshit."

"Not it's not bullshit. Okay?"

"Bullshit."

"No, it's not bullshit, Nancy."

Nancy looked up at the boy, practically spitting her words. "No, you. You're bullshit."

Steve stops. "What?"

"You're pretending like everything is okay.  You know like, like we didn't... like we didn't kill Barb." Steve stares at her, as she keeps speaking, her honest words coming out with the shitload of drinks she had. "Like it's great. Like we're in love and we're partying. Yeah, let's party, huh? Party. We're partying. This is... this is bullshit."

""Like we're in love,"" Steve repeats, his voice wavering. 

Steve reaches out for Nancy's face, but she swipes it away. "It's bullshit. The way you stare at her, and pretend... pretend you love me instead. But it's her. It's bullshit."

Steve shook his head, "Love who? Nancy, I love you."

"Bullshit!" She looks back down at her shirt, scrubbing again. "It's Teddy. You've always... l-loved Teddy."

"I love you," Steve repeats. 

"Bull. Shit."

"You don't love me?" Steve asks, his heart falling to the floor. 

"It's bullshit."

Steve shakes his head, walking around Nancy and slamming the door behind him. Outside a girl was screaming and banging on the door. 

"You're gonna have to-" Steve cuts himself off as he sees who's standing there. "Dorothy?"

Teddy tried to push past the boy, her eyes were glassy, and he knew since the last time he had seen her she had had a lot more to drink than she could handle.