False Start

Episode Eight: The upside down

Here it is part one of the finale chapter of season one rewrite! hope you all enjoy this as much as i did, i can't wait for you all to read season two it's literally my favorite of the series. 

Friendships are put to the test as the trio fights off the demodogs. 

You almost miss Jonathan and Nancy sneaking off.

You had been showing El what you recently had drawn in your sketchpad when you noticed a shift in your periphery. Turning your head, you see Jonathan stand, offer Nancy his hand to help her up, and then walk towards the main doors together.

What the fuck.

"They wouldn't dare..." You excuse yourself and run out the gym and into the hallway to follow them, absolutely furious. You're so sick of their bullshit, of Jonathan's bullshit and putting Nancy first. This isn't even a petty jealousy thing, this is about the years of friendship between the two of you that has just suddenly disappeared within a damn week all due to circumstances completely out of your control.

The slam of the main door is the only warning Jonathan gets before you're yanking him by his coat and flinging him back, forcing him to look at you. "Where the fuck do you think you're going?"

You've never, ever yelled at him like this before. Not even earlier this week when he'd given you that bullshit apology after screaming at you for being in his room, for saying the two of you weren't family. You didn't yell at him for hiding Nancy's pictures from you, for going off without you to find the monster. Despite everything, you've never been this cruel to him, even if he may have deserved it at times.

Jonathan's wide eyes stare down at your hand that's still clutched around his coat, frightened. "Stace, we were just–"

"Just what? Sneaking off without me?"

"It's not like that, Stacey." Nancy now steps in, her hands held up as if you're some rabid dog she wants to calm down. "We just figured we'd help Joyce and Hopper."

"'We'? Are you fucking kidding me? You two talked about this, had an entire conversation, and still somehow came to the conclusion that ditching me was a great fucking idea?" You scoff, deeply hurt by the fact that the two of them had an entire conversation without thinking to include you in it.

"Stacey, can we talk about this one on one?" Jonathan asks, his voice lowered. You can see the genuine upset in his eyes and for a moment your grip on him lessens, but then you see Nancy behind him and your anger only returns.

"No, we can discuss this right here."

He sighs and tries to grab the hand not clutching his coat, but you slap it away. "Stacey-"

"Stacey" His voice falters. "Look, my mom and Hopper are out there right now trying to find Will while that monster is still out. Nance and I... We want to finish what we started."

"Without me?" You don't mean for it to happen, but your voice catches at the end.

Jonathan's gaze softens and this time he succeeds in grabbing your hand. You let go of him and allow him to pull you in, weak against him as always. "I'm doing this to protect them, to protect you, Stacey. I'm always trying to protect you. You know that, right?"

You used to think that you did, but now? You're not so sure, and it terrifies you.

Nancy has stepped away from the conversation, now kicking at rocks while you're with Jonathan, and you can't help but think about how wrong all of this feels.

"I know," you tell him. "But how many more times do you expect me to forgive you for lying and ditching me? If you want to protect me, you need to talk to me."