GJWHF (Billy Hargrove)

chapter 4

"You think I should call Nancy and at least let her know she can find her own ride to school?" Steve had woken up early and made breakfast for himself and Dani while Dani checked over the homework he had done. Nancy was supposed to help him with it last night after the party, it wasn't a huge assignment just some simple math homework, but those plans had obviously changed. So there Dani was, contemplating whether her brother had written numbers or drawn hieroglyphics all over his homework.

"Fuck her," Dani was obviously still angry about last night. Steve had been heartbroken and she hadn't expected it to be so easy to get him to wake up and do his homework early that morning. But he did, and he'd made chocolate chip pancakes, her favorite. "Let her feel bad. Maybe next time she won't get so drunk and act like a complete asshole."

"She was pretty drunk last night..."

"Drunk words are sober thoughts."

"Thanks, Socrates, that was real deep."

Dani's face morphed into genuine shock. "You know who Socrates is? Wait, you don't think he actually said that though, do you?"

"No, Dani," the older Harrington set her plate next to her, even going as far as to put her syrup on her pancakes at a near perfect amount, "I'm being sarcastic. You're the queen of sarcasm, you should be able to understand it well enough."

"Alright snappy, let's leave the sarcasm to the professionals and non-idiots, it's hard to tell whether you're actually stupid or not anymore." Dani had to duck as Steve threw the dish towel he'd had on his shoulder at her face.

Steve's expression fell more and more as the time passed on quickly. As the two got ready to head out of their house for the day, it became evident in Dani's eyes just how nervous her brother was to face the day; more specifically, to face Nancy. "You want me to kick her ass?"

"What?" Steve's eyes widened, knowing she was dead serious. "No, no, don't do that. You'll just get in trouble and I'll feel bad. Plus, Nancy and you are still friends-"

"Not after what she did to you."

"C'mon Ellie," the two got into the car, Dani turning up the radio just a tad bit louder when she heard the ending of Aerosmith's Dream On, "you don't have to cut her off just because of me, she didn't do anything to you."

"Would you ever go back to being friends with Tommy after what he did to me?" She had a point.

"No, but Tommy is an asshole," Steve argued. He may not have been very happy with Nancy after what happened, but he didn't want to be the cause of her losing her friend. "Nancy said some pretty assholey things, but we both know she's not a complete asshole."

"I love the fact that you really just used the word assholey, and I would like to steal it from you."

Steve laughed at his sister, letting the previous conversation die. He knew he wouldn't be able to convince her to give Nancy another chance, she had to decide that on her own. And he knew she felt just as betrayed by the girl as he did, so it kind of comforted him knowing she was on his side in all of this.

"Oh, shut up, this is the best part," once again Dani's hand flew to the stereo and put the music at near ear bleeding volume, something Steve wouldn't normally allow, "dream on, dream on, dream on, dream on," Dani could definitely hit that last high note, Steve on the other hand - well he tried.

~

"So, words out that Nancy Wheeler was seen leaving Tina's party last night with one Jonathan Byers." Mr. Bruner sat behind his desk, feet up, sucking down the rest of the iced coffee his favorite student had brought in for him.