CASUAL | STEVE HARRINGTON

CHAPTER ONE

                                         feels like

The pavement felt colder than Drea remembered, like it had absorbed every bitter part of her time away and was now feeding it back to her through her sneakers. Hawkins hadn't changed in the time she'd been gone—not much, anyway. The old houses still sat side by side, their worn shutters barely hanging on. The streets were quiet, and the small-town air clung to everything, making the stillness suffocating.

She ran her hand through her hair, breathing deeply. The early fall breeze hit her face as she walked, making her stomach tighten with nerves. She'd been back for a few weeks, yet it still felt surreal, like she didn't really belong here anymore. The ghost of who she used to be lingered on every corner, casting shadows she couldn't avoid.

Drea kicked a stray pebble as she walked past Hawkins High, her eyes scanning the front steps, half-expecting to see him there. Steve Harrington. The name alone sent a strange feeling surging through her—anger mixed with something else she couldn't quite place. They were technically still together, if you could call it that. No breakup. No real confrontation. Just a slow, painful unraveling that had started when she left for California.

The calls had come less frequently, until they stopped altogether. She'd expected more from Steve, maybe a fight to salvage what they had, but all she'd gotten was silence. And now here she was—back in Hawkins, walking the same streets she had promised herself she wouldn't set foot on again.

"Ugh, can we not?" A familiar voice broke through her thoughts. Drea turned sharply to see Robin Buckley approaching, her stride casual but fast, as if she'd been watching her for a while.

Robin had the same sharp, sarcastic look about her that Drea remembered. They hadn't been close friends before she left, more like acquaintances who shared the occasional sarcastic comment about their high school classmates, but seeing her now felt like a relief. Robin's existence was one of the few constants in this place.

"Well, well, if it isn't the prodigal daughter of Hawkins, back from California," Robin teased, falling into step beside her. "What's the plan, Drea? You gonna sweep in, reclaim the crown from Harrington, or what?"

Drea huffed out a laugh, though it sounded hollow even to her own ears. "Yeah, something like that."

Robin raised an eyebrow, glancing sideways at her. "I'm serious. You've been back for a few weeks now, but I haven't seen you set foot near Hawkins High. Avoiding someone?"

Drea tensed but didn't answer right away. Robin didn't need to say the name out loud. Steve. That was always the unspoken name hanging between her and the life she used to have here.

"I'm not avoiding anyone," Drea lied, shrugging. "Just... getting used to being back."

Robin raised an eyebrow and gave her a long look, her expression softening just a little. "Yeah. Sure. Whatever you say."

They walked in silence for a moment, the awkward tension between them heavy. Drea could feel Robin watching her out of the corner of her eye, as if she was waiting for Drea to crack, to admit something. But Drea wasn't about to pour her heart out, especially not here in the middle of the street.

Robin's sharp tone broke through her thoughts again. "Okay, seriously, though... what's the deal with you and Steve? You two still together?"

Drea tensed. The words hung in the air, heavy and unresolved. Technically, they were still a couple—no official breakup, just months of silence and unspoken distance. She hadn't seen Steve since she returned, and even though they hadn't had "the talk," the weight of their unfinished relationship pressed on her.