Head Over Heels » Steve Harrington

chapter thirteen

Chapter Thirteen: Every Word

Steve called the next day. And also the day after that. And the day after that.

When the fifth in a row rolled around, Sarah Wu was getting suspicious. She leaned forwards, elbows on the kitchen counter as she watched Lydia place the phone back on the receiver. "Was that Robin again?"

"Yeah."

So, technically, Lydia wasn't lying. That time, it genuinely had been Robin. Although, when the phone first rang twenty minutes earlier, it was Steve letting Lydia he was picking her up at seven. Which is why she had dialled Robin's number straight after, begging her to come over and help her get ready.

Lydia knew she would eventually have to bite the bullet and tell her mother that, yes, she was going on a date with Steve Harrington. And yes, it was the same boy her mother had teased her about last week after he'd walked her to the front door. Which would then lead to the inevitable reminder that Sarah was always right.

"She's coming over later to hang out," Lydia told her. "Hope that's okay?"

Sarah was being unusually lenient with her recently. By Lydia's own admission, when she had returned home after the "mall fire" last week – the newspapers had successfully taken that cover up story bait and ran with it – she'd started acting a little different.

Lydia hadn't spoken about it at length with anybody besides Robin, but she was having some trouble sleeping. It seemed understandable – Lydia had witnessed something traumatic and unexpected. Of course, seeing somebody she went to school with impaled by a gigantic spider monster was bound to leave an impact.

But every night, Lydia went to bed and lay awake for several hours, her mind tormenting her with the moment Billy was killed. She never thought she'd feel even a molecule of any emotion towards him. Lydia had disliked Billy from the moment he'd sauntered into Hawkins High. She'd detested him even more after he'd grabbed her ass at a party last year – which ended in her physically having to restrain Robin before she rugby tackled him. But Billy's death was haunting her, over and over.

"Of course," Sarah said, straightening up. "Perhaps she can tell me why my daughter is receiving so many phone calls." Lydia smiled innocently in response, to which Sarah placed her hands on her hips. "That was a cue for you to tell me what's going on?"

"Huh? Nothing."

"I can tell when you lie to me," she reminded, thin eyebrows raised. "Is it to do with that boy? The one who dropped you home last week."

Damn she did not miss a trick.

"Who, Steve?" Lydia chuckled. "Pfft. Wh– why would it be anything to do with him?"

"Because you like him."

Lydia's jaw dropped at the insinuation. "No, I– I–"

"I– I– I–" Sarah mocked.

Lydia frowned. "Don't make fun of my stuttering."

"Then don't lie to me." All right, touché. "I'm your mother, you can tell me things."

Lydia sighed heavily, resting an arm against the counter. Since the cat was practically out the bag already, she supposed she should probably tell her. "Okay, fine, I've been talking to Steve. Happy?"

Sarah wiggled her eyebrows. "Tell me more."

"There's nothing to tell."

Okay, that was a massive lie. Lydia had been thinking about him non-stop. His lips, his arms, even his stupidly perfect hair. It was as if he'd just imprinted himself in her mind. Whenever she daydreamed about their upcoming date, she could hear his voice clear as day, telling her all the sweet nothings she wanted to hear. And all the–