FOREIGN [S.T. S.Harrington & B.Hargrove]

friends and foes

"Holy shit!" Steve cheers as I run to give him a hug. "You did incredible!"

"Girls sports are finally being taken seriously," Carol adds.

Steve lifts me up off the ground and then sets me back down. I was still panting from the hard game, but Carol opens her arms for a hug and I take it, too.

"Think the girls' volleyball team is more badass than the football team," Tommy jokes. "You looked rad out there."

I separate from Carol and send Tomy a smile. "Thanks, man."

"Next game is the finals.. The big championship," Carol recalls. "You excited?"

"I can only take two," I say and frown. "Coach wants us all on one bus."

"Well, I'm obviously going," Steve says, pointing at his chest.

"Oh, I have to go!" Carol exclaims. "It's like.. sisterly-law."

"You're not sisters," Tommy says.

"It's a friend thing, you doofus," Carol scoffs.

"I still have a bit to decide. But, I'm gonna be here like.. every day, busting my ass practicing," I admit.

"Well, how about we get some food to celebrate the big win?" Steve offers.

I clap and the four of us head to the door to leave the gym.

"Benny's?" Tommy says.

"Oh, God, no. Not Benny's," Carol denies.

"That's the only place I can stand to eat at that's close," I complain.

"Didn't you guys hear?" Carol asks. "Benny was found dead at the diner. Suicide."

Steve hands me his jacket and I put it on before we brace the cold outdoors.

"No way," Tommy argues.

"My dad said so. Chief Hopper is already looking into it."

"No way," Tommy repeats. "First a missing kid, now a death? Hawkins never has that much in one week."

"Missing kid?" I question before remembering. "Ah, Byers. I heard something about that."

"Hopefully we won't need to hear anymore now that Steve took care of the psycho," Carol says.

Steve unlocks the door and Carol and I climb into the backseat.

"Psycho? What, like.. Jonathan?" I wonder.

"Say his name again," Tommy requests.

"Jonathan?" I repeat.

Tommy laughs and slaps his thigh. "Your accent is so funny when you say it."

"Tommy," Carol scolds.

"Chon-a-den," Tommy mocks my accent.

Carol kicks the back of her boyfriend's seat as Steve starts the car.

"Why'd you have it out with him?" I ask Steve.

"Nothing. Just little things," Steve brushes it off.

"When was this?"

"Before the game," Carol answers. "That's why Wheeler bounced."

My mouth opens and I let out an 'oh'. I forgot Nancy was supposed to come to the game. I hadn't even noticed her absence.

--

"Would these make my boobs look bigger?" Carol wonders, holding up a top to her chest.

I scoff. "Like you need bigger boobs. Give them to someone who could use them."

I rummage through the ankle braces, humming the song playing through the store.

"Have you thought about who you're bringing to the big game?" she wonders.

"Well.. you.." I name. "And then, I don't know."

"Oh, please. Don't act coy," she teases. 

"What?"

"You're gonna ask Steve to come."

"I mean.."

"He never misses your games. He's been to literally every single one of them. And this being the big one? He would die if you didn't ask him to come."

I shrug and toss the brace into my basket before looking for athletic tape.

"I still don't get why he's banging Nancy Wheeler and not you," Carol comments.

"It's not like that," I argue. "Steve and I-"

"Live together. You go to school together. You have similar hobbies. You are always hanging out," she cuts me off.

"Always hanging out until Nancy came along," I mumble.

"See! And you're jealous," she points out.

"I am not jealous," I deny. "Nancy is just.. I don't know."

"That's not very feminist of you," she jokes. "Madonna would be upset."

"It's not about that. It's that Nancy is a total fraud," I explain. "She's just pretending to be someone else so that Steve likes her. And he's doing the same so she likes him. It's gross."

"True," she agrees.

"It's like in Grease when Sandy and Danny are lying about who they really are," I clarify. "Two different worlds.. Pretending to be a part of each other's even though they are totally opposite."

"Sandy and Danny end up together, though."

"That's because they accept each other for their differences. Once Steve and Nancy get tired of playing pretend with their personalities, they'll get tired of each other."

"And then you swoop in and claim your man."

"Gross," I complain. "Even if Steve is the hottest guy in Hawkins, I live with him. It's like.. a stepbrother thing."

"I knew a girl from last year who slept with her actual stepbrother."

"That's not at all helping the case here, Carol," I scoff.

We make our way to the counter and I curse under my breath.

"What?"

"I left my purse in your car. Can you hold my stuff?"

"Of course," she agrees.

I hand her my basket and run outside.

"I am going to bring him home!" a woman shouts.

I startle and jump back as she storms past me.

"Yeah, well while you're talking to the lights, the rest of us are having a funeral for Will!" Jonathan Byers screams at the woman's back. "I'm not letting him sit in that freezer another day!"

The woman keeps walking. Jonathan inhales and exhales erratically.

A small group of people had gathered around, confused by the screaming. Among all the other people, Jonathan's eyes lock onto mine. My body jolts from the fire in his eyes.

For a second or so, we just watch each other. My refusal to move was mostly out of fear.

"Show's over," he sarcastically mumbles, turning on his heel and walking away.