Invisible- Stranger Things Fanfiction

Chapter Eighteen: She's a Little Runaway

Steve, Dustin and I had gotten my bike, shoving it into the back of his car, and were currently driving away from my house as far as my brother could go. When we pulled up at the Hendersons' house, Dustin and I looked at each other in confusion.
"Steve, I don't think Mrs. Henderson would like us just showing up at her house uninvited," I said.
Dustin shook his head. "She'd be fine with it, she loves you. Steve's probably just here to let me get my stuff, right?"
Steve cleared his throat, looking at us for the first time since we had gotten in the car. "No. Dustin, we're dropping you off here, then the two of us are leaving."
"Where are we going?" I asked. I was unsure about leaving Dustin here, but I figured it wasn't worth arguing until after I knew where we were going.
   "A hotel, far away from Hawkins," Steve answered.
"Steve," Dustin insisted, "I want to go with you guys."
Steve shook his head. "I'm sorry, Dustin, but it's risky enough running away with Nikki. She's my little sister, though, so I kind of have to take her with me. Your mom would flip her shit if you skipped town with us."
   "She flips her shit when I cross the street alone," Dustin argued. "Come on, dude, just let me come with you."
   At the exact same moment, both boys looked at me for assistance, not saying a word because they both knew the other would fight to have me side with him. I was conflicted, yeah, but I knew the right thing to say:
   "Dustin, you should stay here," I mumbled, avoiding the Henderson boy's eyes.
   "What?" Both boys were staring at me in shock.
   Dustin held my shoulders, making me unable to resist the temptation of looking at him. "Mon," he whispered, moving his hand and stroking my cheek with his thumb. "You've always wanted to run away, I know, but just think for a minute. The Wheelers love you. The Byers love you. Hopper thinks you're cool (which is the best you'll get from him). Lucas's parents haven't met you, but they'd for sure love you. And my mom and I... we love you. You could come live with any of us. Steve, too. I know you want to run away, and I may be totally selfish for saying this, but I want you to stay."
   He skipped right past tugging on the heartstrings and just yanked the damn things. "Dustin..."
   Steve spoke up. "Nikki, do whatever you want. Don't listen to what either of us have to say. What do you think you should do?"
   Looking between them, I said goodbye to the life I could have with one to open the door to life with the other. I threw myself into Dustin's arms, hugging him tightly as I fought back those damn tears. "I'm sorry, but I have to go."
   I felt Dustin's breath catch in his throat, but couldn't bring myself to look at him as I walked up to my brother. "Let's go," I croaked, getting into the car. It was only after we were in and beginning to drive away that I looked back at Dustin's house, seeing the shocked faces of all of the other party members peering out his living room window.

*Dustin's POV*
As I walked inside, slamming the door behind me, I jumped when I realized I wasn't alone. "Holy shit, guys, who let you in here?"
"We're not idiots, Dustin," Mike answered.
El nodded. "We found your spare key."
I sighed, sliding down the front door and hitting the hardwood beneath it. I didn't care about them right now, all I could think of was Mon. "She left."
Will came over and slid down next to me, putting his hand on my shoulder. "Well, she's gotta come back, right? School and everything."
"Yeah, school," everyone piped up, trying to be optimistic. But as I looked up through foggy, tear-coated eyes, I saw it on their faces: they knew she wasn't just on an errand run.
I snapped at them. "Don't be dumbasses," I said through a breaking voice. "She's gone."
"No, she isn't," Max insisted. "She's your girlfriend. She's our best friend. Nikki wouldn't just leave us without saying goodbye."
I sniffed, blinking and shaking my head to keep the tears away. "She did." A tear slid down my cheek. "Steve said they're getting away from Hawkins."
Lucas sat perpendicular to me on the other wall, his head in his hands. "Oh my gosh."
"She's really gone," El said sadly.
Mike stood up, his sneakers pounding unexpectedly loudly on the floor. "No, she can't be gone." He pulled on his hoodie and stood at the door.
"What are you doing?" I asked, standing up and letting him fling the front door open.
Mike opened the screen door and pulled me out by the wrist. "Getting your girl back."

*Nikki's POV*
Blue jean baby,
L.A. lady
Seamstress for the band

"What's wrong, kiddo?" Steve asked, turning down the car radio. "You always sing along to Tiny Dancer."
I kept my eyes on the glass of the passenger's side window, looking out at the sun setting over the quarry. I normally loved sunsets, but this one was... daunting. The sun was setting on my life in the party, and when it rose, I would go back to being a scary little loner. Steve was there, yeah, but I knew how much he loved those kids.
"I miss them," I uttered, not wanting to fully voice this.
Steve looked at me, then returned his eyes to the road. "Do you want to go back-"
"N-no," I stuttered quickly. "I can't go back. If I go back, even if I move in with someone else, I'd have to get my clothes and shit from our house. I can't deal with seeing Mom and Dad."
   "I'd go back and get your things," Steve offered.
I shook my head. "You don't want to see them any more than I do."
"True," My big brother reasoned, "I'd go back for you, though. Besides, we've got enough for a few days right now. Clothes, food, water, soap and that shit. We've got about a week until we decide anything permanent."
"Steve-"
"I know, Nikki, but at least trust me on this."
"No." I caught a glimpse of them in the side mirror, making sure I wasn't just thinking wishfully before speaking again. "We've got company."