80s gays ☆ steve harrington ☆

bruises in the police station

chapter eleven
"bruises in the police station"
stranger things

"So what are you reading about?" Dustin asked, looking at the book in Theodore's hands.

"Subatomic particles." He looked up at the younger boy. "Photons too, but when I hear that, all I can think of is -"

"Ghostbusters," they said together, and Theodore smiled at Dustin.

Theodore was sat with Dustin in the library. They were having a little group revision session with Steve, Will and Mike. The others had yet to arrive.

Dustin peered over into the book, grimacing at the content. "I understand it but at the same time I don't."

"I think that's just how being a scientist is. Bullshitting the parts you don't know," Theodore said, shutting his book. He took a proper look at Dustin, and could see the questioning look on his face. "Alright, spill, what d'you wanna know?"

The kid had the decency to look a little guilty about it. "Well. You're younger than Steve, right?"

"Yeah. I skipped a grade though," he said, wondering if that was what Dustin was curious about. "Robin's a year younger than me but is in some of my classes because she's secretly a genius."

"But you ... kinda seem older," Dustin continued. "Like, you're a teen, and you act it sometimes, but other times it's like you're an adult."

Theodore shrugged. "Dunno, Dustin. My dad left when I was a kid. Had to help my mom take care of my brother. We lost said brother, and I grew up in a quiet home." He smiled a little, but it was sad. "I think you're lucky you're an only child, Dustin. Having siblings means constant noise, and losing them means knowing the noise you can't get back."

"How did ... how did Abel die?" Dustin seemed nervous over it, like it was taboo. He'd probably heard the stories; the rumours that crept up once a year.

"Car crash. It'd been dark, and there'd been ice on the road. Mom couldn't get control of the car back in time. Ended up around a tree, and Abel had died on impact. Me and Mom lived, but I'd broken my leg in two places, my arm in three. Mom hadn't come off any better. Abel took the worst." He breathed out through his mouth slowly, fingers anxiously tapping the pen against blank paper. "I was in the front with my mom. Sometimes I think that maybe if I'd been in the back with Abel, I could've - I dunno, saved him? Died in his place. Shit, didn't mean to get so dark."

Theodore couldn't look at Dustin. It hurt; he'd never really talked about it before; no-one ever really asked him about it. He couldn't bring it in himself to look at Dustin after what he'd just said.

"Who else knows this?" Dustin asked, looking alarmed. "Does - do your friends know? Steve and Robin?"

"Robin kinda knows. Steve knows Abel's gone. Hopper knows because he was the first one on the scene. I think he was the one that pulled us out of the wreck, now that I think about it." Theodore scratched at his nose. "Everyone knows Abel's dead. Barely anyone knows how he ended up like that."