Billy Hargrove might rule the corridors of Hawkins High as the bully. Yet, behind closed doors at home, he's the victim, tormented by his own father. His mother abandoned him, so he has no defender against his abuser.
But at school, Steve Harringto...
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Nancy needs to apologise. Perhaps it's like Steve says. Perhaps there's a good reason for him to be unable to tell her everything. Anyway, he's never going to open up to her if she continues acting this way. Who would want to tell a girl like her a secret-a girl who snoops around without consent?
The maze of storefronts and kiosks beckon. A carousel of fragrances dance through the air, from the inviting aroma of freshly baked pretzels to the sweet temptation of cinnamon-laced pastries.
On the walk up to Scoops Ahoy, Nancy considers many ways to put her feelings into words. Yet, even now, as she gets closer to the ice cream shop, she finds it hard to settle on one single thing.
Nancy picks at a nail. People skitter like insects from left to right, heading up and climbing down escalators. A bout of anxiety gnaws at her spine, wanting to devour her whole.
A child bumps into her. 'Sorry, miss,' the girl says and runs after a boy.
Nancy gathers herself and enters Scoops Ahoy. The shop is rather empty, but no matter how hard she searches, there's no trace of Steve. He's not cleaning the tables or behind the counter. She only spots his co-worker, Robin, standing over the ice cream containers, cleaning their edges.
'Nancy!' Robin stops herself from her cleaning duty for a moment. She notices Nancy looking around and returns to her task. 'Steve isn't here.'
'Oh.' Disappointment settles in her soul.
'He's off today.' The girl squeezes the cloth she's using to clean. 'Is everything alright?'
She folds her arms across her chest and scratches her elbow. 'Yeah, I guess.'
Robin closes the glass panel, keeping the containers safe. 'You seem kind of ...' She throws the cloth beneath the counter. 'Gone.'
'Do I?' Nancy chuckles, trying to play it off. 'It must be my make-up. I didn't put too much of it on this morning.'
'It's not that. Your make-up looks really good.' Robin smirks. 'Do you want to take a seat?' She steps out from behind the counter. 'There's no one here, so ...'
