𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 -- s. harrington

→ five.

THE DRIVE HADN'T gone as either of them had wanted it to — unfortunately.

          Steve sat silently the whole time, frozen in fear. No matter how hard he tried to speak to Andrea and get at least a couple of words out of her, his lips would screw themselves shut and he would push the thought of talking to her deep down inside and hoped that she would say the first words to him.

          Andrea, on the other hand, was hoping Steve would say the first words and break the awkward silence that had formed. Every couple of minutes, she would glance at Steve quickly and open her mouth to speak but no words formed so she would look away, close her lips and pretend nothing happened. For some reason that she couldn't figure out, she was desperate to talk to Steve, to figure out where they stood as friends and if they even were friends again, but she was too scared to speak up.

          Huffing out a sigh, Andrea opened up the front door of her house and stepped inside, shutting the door behind her and looking around to find her father or little sister. "Anyone home?" The girl called out and prayed that her father wouldn't answer her call.

          "In the kitchen, Andrea," her father called out, causing the girl to frown and squeeze her eyes shut. Daniel Matthews was an understanding father, but when he found out that his daughter was at a party instead of looking after her little sister while she and her friends roamed the streets all alone, he was more than upset. "Get your butt in here!"

          Andrea ran her tongue over her lips and took off her shoes before walking over to the kitchen, flashing an innocent smile when her father's angry eyes met hers. "Look, I know you're upset, but-"

          "Upset? Andrea, I'm disappointed," her father stated and pointed to a chair across the table from him where his daughter instantly sat. "You left your sister with her friends all alone at night with no one to look out for them and you went to a party that had alcohol! Steve Harrington, who I thought we were supposed to hate, called me this morning just as I was about to report you missing and told me he was drunk and you brought him home."

          Andrea frowned and picked at her nails under the table and looked down, letting out a quick sigh before lifting her head and looking into her father's eyes once again - she felt horrible for lying but if it would save her from a lesser punishment she would be willing to do it. "I was doing what I thought was right," she said softly and reached across the table to touch her father's hand but he stood up and walked over to the kitchen, gazing out the window above it. Andrea returned her hand to her lap and felt her stomach knot up - her father was definitely disappointed in her. "I'm sorry, dad."

          "You're sorry, Andrea? Do you think that's enough to fix the thoughts that were running through my mind?" Daniel exclaimed and turned toward his daughter, folding his arms over his chest as he stared down the girl. "After that Byers boy went missing last year and you didn't show up last night, I was terrified, Andrea. I thought something happened to you!"

          Andrea frowned and stood up. Guilt has been poured over her like a thick layer of syrup and she walked toward her father, snaking her arms around his waist before he could move away. She rested her head against his chest and sighed. "I'm really sorry, dad," she said and tightened her grip around her father's waist. "I promise it won't happen again. I was just trying to look out for Steve."

          Daniel leaned away from Andrea and cupped her face, running his thumbs over her cheeks to make sure she was real. "You scared Valorie and I, Andrea," he said and frowned as he watched tears roll down over his daughter's face. Her eyes were red and glossy as she stared back into her father's. "We love you, Andrea, so much and we don't want anything bad to happen to you. Next time you plan on not coming home for the night, please call first."