Jess Henderson is Dustin Henderson's older sister and she was just your average teenage girl trying to get through high school with her best friend Nancy Wheeler.
Her life however takes a turn for the worst when her little brother's best friend Wil...
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Jess had to practically beg Steve for the ten millionth time to go and visit Max in the hospital. She still had intense and wavering survivor's guilt for not being there when Max died or shall it be said; put into a coma. She never wanted any of this to happen, she wished it was her, she wished Vecna had taken her instead of showing her how her family and all of her friends were going to die in the most brutal and evil ways possible.
With her new job at the WSQK 94.5 FM radio station, also known as 'The Squawk' with Robin and Steve, and the stakeouts to find Vecna in the Upside Down, which Nancy had called 'Crawls' Jess hadn't had much time to see Max since she was so, so busy and she felt awful, her mind and soul were a spiralling mess. But all Jess had to do to get Steve to cave—because he was instantaneously whipped for her—was bat her eyelashes, those dazzling hazel green eyes were the death of him, and he was almost immediately driving her to the hospital.
On the way to the hospital, Jess glared outside the window, her palm pressed against her head as her green eyes blinked shut, preventing herself from bursting into tears. She could feel Steve's tender chocolate brown eyes boring into her, he was insanely worried for her; he hadn't heard her joke or laugh or even smile much ever since the events of last year and he knew it wasn't just because of her spiralling survivor's guilt.
You see, Jess had always been close with her not-so-little brother anymore, her loyalty, selflessness, and overall kindness was prominent and it was why Steve fell for her in the first place. But ever since the death of Eddie Munson, Dustin was growing increasingly distant and more angry, more full of hatred. Jess had never seen her brother so angry, he never got mad, he had always been such an intelligent and caring kid, so her heart swelled with darkness and sadness knowing that Dustin wouldn't come to her with his problems anymore, he wouldn't even talk to her without everything being a confrontation or grieving, wallowed yelp of fuelling fire. He rarely even spoke to Jess anymore, and Steve knew it was taking a toll on his gorgeous girlfriend, he hated seeing her like this when she was normally so full of life, love, and stubborn sarcasm which he always admired but ever since Vecna she hadn't been the same. He was afraid she never would be again, he was scared of losing her.
Gingerly, Steve reached for her hand that twirled anxiously in her lap, something that he always did to soothe her and half the time it worked. He curled his fingers around hers, intertwining them steadily, he then brought her hand to his lips and kissed her hand. "S' all gonna be okay, Jessie Bear, I promise," he tried his best to reassure her, but the words fell short.
Jess felt comforted by Steve's comforting words and actions but it did little to ease her pain, all Steve wanted was to see her smile again. That beautiful smile that could light up a room gone from her face. After two more big swerves Steve reached the hospital, he stopped his car, parking in the parking lot, and Jess said nothing as she dropped Steve's hand and un-clicked her seatbelt, refusing to look at him. But Steve, like the incredibly kind, selfless, dorky sweetheart that he was stopped her, his fingers securing around her wrist gently, pulling her to look at him. A good look at him. Her eyes were puffy and read from silently crying, her cheeks were stained from tears and mascara streaked from the makeup she had touched on. His heart broke into a dozen tiny little pieces.
