Asher Hart, Hawkins resident psychopath. There wasn't that many people who hadn't heard about Asher and his family, and that wasn't in a good way. But after helping Dustin out with Dart which led to Asher making new friends, he started to change for...
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Dustin and Asher had been walking, for what felt like hours, in awkward silence. The two hadn't been around each other and had changed so much, they just didn't know what to say. They both were annoyed at each other in some way, so in both of their minds, staying silent was better than talking.
Asher was annoyed by the way that Dustin is acting. In the nearly six years the two have known each other, Dustin had promised Asher that he'd be better than the Hart boy. Yet, here he is, acting out just like Asher would. While Asher knew it was because the loss of Eddie, he still knew that Dustin was a much better person than Asher and he had to start acting like it. Dustin, on the other hand, was annoyed that Asher had just vanished out of his life. They were all going through shit, and Dustin knew that Asher had finally reached his breaking point, but he should have let Dustin be there for him; not push him away like he's nothing.
So, the two stayed in silence, knowing that if one of them opened their mouths, a full-blown argument would break out. As much as they needed to let out how they felt, now was not the time, and they both knew that.
"There's the van" Dustin bluntly points out, seeing a van pulled over on the road, with Steve and Jonathan looking over at the two.
"You've gotta be shitting me" Steve says, getting out of the van, walking straight over to the two teenagers "What the fuck happened to you two?"
"Doesn't matter" Asher tells Steve.
"Doesn't matter? You disappear on us, for what, a year, and then you show up with the two of you looking like you've been in a fight?" Steve asks Asher with a scoff "You've got a lot of nerve just showing up out of nowhere. Where have you even been this whole time?"
"Again, doesn't matter" Asher bluntly tells Steve "I'm here now, aren't I?"
"Oh, you're here now, yeah" Steve sarcastically says "So, where were you when he was breaking down because his brother abandonded him, huh? You weren't there, I was."
"I had other stuff I was dealing with" Asher shrugs, making Steve roll his eyes "Oh yeah, roll your eyes. I mean, you don't know what it's like to lose two of the people you care about most, do you?"
"No, I don't, but Dustin does" Steve says, looking at Asher with a glare "You're his brother. You were supposed to be there for him when he was grieving the death of someone he looked up to, but instead, you were too busy in your own little self-pity party to even care about anyone else. It's your job, as his older brother, to take care of him, but you weren't even there."
"Well, he said we aren't even brothers, so..." Dustin mumbles out as he gets into the van, with Asher following, trying to get rid of Steve's glare.
TIME SKIP BY STEVE GIVING ASHER A REALITY CHECK
The four had been driving around town for a while, going in the same circle. Asher had no idea why they were going in the same circle over and over again since he hasn't been there, but even if he was, he knew that he'd still be confused either way.
"And just by sheer luck, Jessica was coming back from a party, and I charmed my way into getting us a jump" Steve explains to the two, mostly Dustin, as they drive around "Which brings us to you two, arriving like Rocky Balboa and Casper the Ghost. So basically, of all the crawls, this was, like, the one to miss. So, well done, Henderson. Really, really, like, well done... Speechless? That's new."
"I'm still processing, Steve" Dustin defends himself "It's a lot. Holly? Why Holly?"
"It's like asking 'why Will?'" Asher mentions "They pick people for a certain reason, right? Maybe she's a new spy or something?"
"Well, maybe Eleven could tell us, but it's a bit difficult to contact her now that we've lost our connection to the Upside Down" Steve bitterly says.
"Okay, for the future, when the lights go from really bright to really dim, it means the generator is surging so you have to turn everything off" Dustin defensively explains "Immediatley."
"Wow, great" Steve sarcastically says to Dustin "Thank you for that, Henderson. I'll remember that the next time that happens. Or, maybe, and this is just a suggestion, you could be where you're supposed to be."
"I was on route to the Squawk" Dustin argues.
"When you fell off your bike and Ash came to help you, right?" Steve asks with a scoff "Remind me, what did you fall into again? A knuckle sandwich?"
"Hey, can you keep it down up there?" Jonathan asks, taking off the headphones, making Asher jump.
"Shit, I forgot you were here" Asher says, putting his hand on his chest to calm himself down "You're so silent. It's freaky."
"I'm listening for a signal back here, in case you forgot" Jonathan announces, completely ignoring Asher, making Steve give him a sarcastic thumbs up.
"Looks like you two are getting along" Asher jokingly says, making Steve glare at him "What, too soon?"
"Who was it?" Steve asks, looking over at Dustin "It was Andy and his goons, wasn't it?"
"Yes, it was them" Asher says with a nod.
"No it wasn't" Dustin says "Ash doesn't know what he's talking about half of the time, baring in mind he is stoned most of the time."
"You just poked the bear one too many times" Steve continues, believing Asher more than Dustin.
"Your concern for me is overwhelming, Steve" Dustin sarcastically says.
"My concern?" Steve asks with a sarcastic laugh "I have shown nothing but concern for you, for the both of you, since forever, and I have been repeatably ignored and now look what's happened. We are totally and royally screwed!"
"Correction, we are screwed because you don't know how to do the most basic thing like prevent a power surge" Dustin argues.
"See, this right here is your problem" Steve argues back "You can't admit that you were wrong. You can't admit it."
"It's the easiest thing in the world" Dustin bluntly tells Steve "Like, my mother could prevent a power surge. Shockingly enough, I think your mother--"
"Jesus Christ! Just do it for once! Just admit it, Henderson. You're wrong! You screwed up!" Steve yells.
"Hey! Can you guys shut the hell up?" Jonathan loudly asks, being sick of the two bickering as Asher looks over at them in concern "Jesus Christ."
"You two seem to be getting along" Dustin mutters out in an awkward tone.
"Yeah, well, in this case, I actually like his suggestion" Steve comments "I don't want to talk to you anymore."
"Good, I don't want to talk to you either" Dustin also comments, leaving the van in silence.
