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VALENTINA AND JONATHAN were lying in his bed in silence after their conversation. More so, after Jonathan demanded the girl get her shit together. They were comfortable, but inside Valentina was brewing up a shaky storm. Thankfully, before she could overthink herself out of talking to Steve, her thoughts were interrupted.
"Hey," Hopper said gently, pushing the door open after emitting a few knocks. Valentina caught the yellow tennis ball one last time that she'd been throwing and Jonathan sat up on his elbows, twisting his torso so that he could see the sheriff standing in the doorway.
The boy gulped. "Is it time?"
Hopper looked between the two teens before settling his solemn gaze onto the Byers boy. He nodded once, then looked down.
Valentina's eyes fell to Jonathan's sunken gaze. She could tell he was nervous. Hell, she was nervous. It was impossible for anyone to imagine what he or his mother were going through right now. What Will was going through. She placed her palm over the backside of his, hoping to offer some comfort.
A few seconds later, after Hopper left the room to give them the remaining moment of privacy, Jonathan stood up. Valentina took her cue and swung her legs over the bed, getting up alongside him. As the two walked toward the door in silence, she noticed Jonathan wiping the back of his hand on his jeans.
"Did you just wipe your hand off?" she asked, eyebrows knit in confusion.
"Yeah," Jonathan said. "You're sweaty as shit."
Valentina looked down at her own hands, remembering how they and the rest of her skin was covered in a shiny green coat. She shuddered, then cursed when she realized Jonathan had already left her in the bedroom.
It was a selfish thought, but she could not wait to go home and swallow a damn pill when all this was over.
Valentina entered the kitchen just in time to see Jonathan exiting through the back door, an unconscious Will held delicately in his arms. Her eyes dropped to the floor, feeling as if she were guilty somehow for watching him. Even thinking about his situation made her feel disgusting. It was the worst thing that could ever happen to someone. She went to the kitchen to grab a glass of water, hoping to drown out the pit in her stomach.
Dustin was there, by the window, grabbing at the hair tucked under his baseball cap. He looked so stressed, so frail, so little. He was just a kid. Valentina was older, she was supposed to be a role model.
Her stomach sank even further.
Forgetting the drink of water, Valentina turned around and headed toward the bathroom. What she needed was space. She needed air, but she couldn't go outside because Mike, Hopper, and the Byers were out there. All of them were going through so much, they didn't need a teenage ditz going through withdrawal added to their plate. The bathroom would have to do.
