Shatter [Jonathan Byers] Stranger Things II

XXVI: Befriend

be·friend

verb

act as a friend to (someone) by offering help or support.

It was the way they said the words that made a tension fill the room. The small house that belonged to Hopper yet never housed him was currently holding two teenagers who were struggling with what they wanted in life. Steve desperately wanted Nancy to care about him, to see him as he saw her. Emilia wanted to reach out and give Steve what he wanted, but knew she could only offer her friendship. She'd never taken the time to get to know him, until now, and she was beginning to see that he really was a good person, someone she did want to befriend.

"So, where did you go on your road trip?" Steve asked, truly thinking about asking Nancy to go somewhere with him. It would show that he cared, which he did, but would also get Nancy away from all the bad air in Hawkins that seemed to linger since last November.

"Lake Michigan, stopping along the way at shady motels and greasy diners," she grinned at the memory. "I broke some guy's nose."

"You what?!"

She laughed, leaning back in her stool and clutching the underside of the counter to keep herself level. "I broke some guy's nose."

"What did he do to deserve that? I'll be sure not to do it."

"He slapped my ass."

"Yeah, I won't do that."

"I know you won't," Emilia said, still grinning.

"What did Jonathan do?"

"I was my fight, not his. I didn't let him interfere..."

Steve shook his head, reached forward and grabbed his now cold coffee. He stuck his finger in it and stirred it, then removed it and wiped it on his jeans. He couldn't believe that Emilia constantly faced such horrific things, and wondered if Nancy dealt with them too. He remembered the conversation they had when Steve told Nancy what Billy was saying about Emilia, and how she told him that women went through that every day.

"If I'd been there and it was Nancy, or anyone, I would have pummelled the guy. I can't believe Jonathan did nothing..."

Emilia felt defensive suddenly, of course she had to defend Jonathan here. "If I recall correctly, he did pummel you that one time..."

"Oh, yeah, that..." Steve slouched.

"Bygones, Steve, bygones."

Steve smiled, leaning back against the stool and holding his almost untouched cup of coffee. He didn't drink the stuff, and wasn't sure why he agreed to having it. Still, when it was in his hand, he felt inclined to take a sip. It wasn't half bad, but he didn't want to get too used to it and develop a habit. He glanced at Emilia and it was clear that she was addicted to the stuff, sipping away at it at ten o'clock at night.

"Is it ten already?" Steve asked, eyeing the clock.

"Must be," Emilia yawned, as if on cue. And yet she didn't want to see Steve leave already; she'd never had this long of a conversation with him in all the years she had known him. In fact, she knew so little about Steve except what she heard here and there; rumours and gossip that never mattered to her. He was so different from what she'd heard and expected, one on one, Steve was a genuine guy.