Caught Up (Steve Harrington- Stranger Things)

Part 16

Officer Hopper drove me home from the lab. I thanked him after the quiet car ride. He parked his car in front of my house and began talking to other cops on his radio.

As I walked up my driveway, I peered at Steve's house. His car was parked in front. I stopped and looked at my unopened front door. 

My parents have lied to me my entire life, I thought. They never mentioned anything about the lab or my "abilities", what ever that even means. Frustration, anger, and betrayal filled my veins. I clenched my fists. 

I turned around and began walking up to Steve's house. 

I knocked on his door and within seconds, Steve answered. He gasped and wrapped his arms around me. "Kristen..." He breathed. He held me tight for a what felt like eternity, but I enjoyed it.

After releasing my body from his tight hug, he looked into my eyes. I smiled and took a breath, about to speak.

"Who's that?" A female voice erupted. She walked from the inside of Steve's house to the front door, where we were. Her button up blouse was undone at the top and her long, red hair was disheveled. She looked familiar from school. 

I took a step back. Steve stood awkwardly in between us, confused how to handle the mess he made. He glanced back at her, then shot me a sympathetic look. 

"I'm leaving." I stated. Before I was able to move an inch, Steve's hand was grasping my arm. He turned backwards to the girl.

"Melissa, I think you should go." He told her.

She rolled her eyes, grabbed her purse and walked out onto the porch. 

"If you think I'm walkin home, you're sadly mistaken." Her voice was irritatingly high pitched. 

He sighed, annoyed. "Melissa, I'm in the middle of something."

"Yeah, and so were we."

He closed his eyes in frustration. "Melissa, you got friends. Call one to pick you up."

I attempted to escape his grip because this was only getting worse and worse by the second. 

"Please, Kristen. Stay."

Melissa began tapping her foot on the wood, impatiently. 

"Hey! Cherry! Hop in. I'll give ya a ride." We all turned and saw Hopper in front of my house still. 

Again, she rolled her eyes, but finally left. 

We watched her leave, procrastinating the conversation we were about to have. 

"So I'm gone...missing...for two days...TWO DAYS, STEVE, and you're here with a girl!" I threw my hands up, aggravated. 

"I know, it looks bad."

"No, it doesn't just look bad. It IS bad!"

"Can we talk inside?"

"No, there's nothing to talk about." My eyes watered. I looked down, so he wouldn't see. He tried to embrace me, but I pushed him away. "No, I've been stuck in the Upside Down and then I was brought to a lab and they told me...things that my parents lied to me about for my whole life." I cried. "I have no one. I came here before going home...because I trusted you more than my own family." 

He shook his head regretfully. "I'm sorry." 

Without another word, I walked down the steps and headed home, leaving Steve Harrington, the jerk of Hawkins, speechless.