Facade-[1]-[Steve Harrington]

Phone Call

Song of the Chapter: Landslide by Fleetwood Mac

Warning: Unedited!!

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"I don't think you actually want to study, you just want a burger." Lennon laughed, walking through the halls of Hawkins High, unfortunately still surrounded by the hormonal teens of their mundane town. By her side was none other than Steve Harrington, appointed "King" of said juveniles. Lennon didn't see him like the others did. She knew there was more than what the boy showed and she was intrigued. He brought out the curious side of her.

"You're not wrong. I do really want a burger right now." Steve scrunched his face up, a sight that made Lennon snicker. Reaching the doors, Steve pushed them open, standing aside for Lennon to walk through first. He met the girl on the stairs after two other students pushed their way out, causing both Steve and Lennon to roll their eyes.

"Anyway." Lennon begins once Steve is once again at her side, her voice laced with annoyance at her two peers. The two walk down the steps and move through the parking lot. "We could go to Be-" Lennon began.

"What's your dad doing here?" Steve cuts her off. Lennon's brows furrow, looking to the boy. She follows the gaze of Steve's brown eyes to the car given to her dad by the Hawkins Police Department.

"Why is he here?" She mutters, walking quickly towards her dad who retrieves a cigarette from his pack. Jim looks up, spotting his daughter as he shoves the pack into the chest pocket of his beige uniform. The man takes a few steps before he's within speaking distance with his daughter.

"What are you doing here?" Lennon asks her father, hugging her binder to her chest. Behind her, Steve catches up to where she stands.

"To tell you to go straight home." He explains, smoke blowing out of his mouth with every word. The grey smoke swirls into the air before fading to the sky of the same color. The smell of the smoke invades Lennon's nose and makes her itch for a cigarette of her own.

"But I was going to Benny's with St-" She challenges before Jim cuts her off, growing annoyed with the girl. The Hoppers had a tendency to become short with people, especially each other. Jim takes a drag from his cigarette.

"Home. Straight home, you hear?" Jim points a finger as the cigarette bounces on his moving lips.

"Why?" Lennon squints her eyes at the man.

"Because the Byers boy is missing." The statement made Lennon's heart drop. Jonathan had always talked about how he wished he could run away from their melancholy town while Lennon worked and he sat with her to keep her company inside the dull store. Perhaps the monotonous routine of school, work and home had gotten to him. Maybe he finally did run.

"Jonathan?" Lennon gasped, her mouth not seeming to close. She saw her breath in the unforgiving cold air and was suddenly more aware of the chills that her arms bared.

"Will." Jim corrected. Lennon's brows furrowed more than before and her lips parted. Will Byers would never run away. The boy had always been timid around new people and loved his family too much to desert them.

"When?" Lennon breathed. Her eyes darted to Steve. His face held an unreadable expression, one that Lennon couldn't place. His eyes seemed to only be fixed on her, as if nobody was there. Not even her father. As soon as her eyes met his, he blinked a few times before glancing away. His arm raised as he scratched the back of his neck in as natural of a way as he possibly could. Her eyes met those of her father once again.

"Sometime last night." He answered. Lennon's mind immediately shifted to her drive home. She should have put his bike in her trunk and driven him home. Maybe then he wouldn't be missing. "Now straight home." Jim commands. He places a large hand on Lennon's head, ruffling the girl's blond hair. He meant it to be loving but Lennon only saw it as an annoyance. The girl groaned, fixing her hair before walking away from her father and Steve with tears forming on her waterline. She bit on her bottom lip in order to suppress the urge to break down in sobs right then, right there.