steve harrington is a total slime. (x reader)

8

Mirkwood itself wasn't a real place- it was a real road, but was nickname the boys had come up with, given to the spot where the roads Cornwallis and Kerley met. It was from Lord of the Ring, or maybe the Hobbit, but the important thing about Mirkwood wasn't its name but the fact that it was not only where Will was last seen but where you had also found Eleven.

You were there for the second night in a row, wandering aimlessly behind Jonathan as he snapped pictures. What the point was, you weren't sure, but it seemed like some sort of coping tool for him. Because of that, you didn't tell him how useless it was. You just silently stood and watched.

Out of nowhere you heard a shrill scream, and despite the fact that this was the same place where not one but two mysterious events took place, you dashed off towards the source of the sound without a second thought.

As you came upon a clearing in the brush, you slowed, staying low to the ground. Voices could be heard in the distance, but you'd have to get closer to understand what they were saying. Risking a peek above the bush you were hiding behind, you couldn't believe your eyes at what you saw.

There was a huge house in front of you, with a large pool to match. A few familiar faces were lounging by the poolside- you watched with wide, unbelieving eyes as Nancy Wheeler shotgunned an entire can of beer, cheered on by none other than Steve, Tommy, and Carol. The only one in the small party who didn't seem interested was Barb, who sat off to the side looking awfully lonely. It hurt your heart to see her- maybe you weren't the only person Nancy had thrown to the wayside for her new, popular friends.

At some point Jonathan had joined you without you noticing, and the sudden, loud snap of his camera made you jump. You quickly looked over, pushing his camera down. "Are you crazy?" You spoke in a harsh whisper. "They'll see us."

Jonathan huffed and raised the camera again- this time, you snatched it out of his hands. "Y/N," he said, exasperated, and extended his arm.

You held it away from his reach. "How are we going to explain this if we get caught?"

"We're taking pictures for evidence."

"Evidence for what? The fact that my friend backstabbed me?" You paused, looking again at how happy Nancy seemed with her new friends. You shook your head, turning back to Jonathan. "What does this have to do with your brother?"

He was silent, dropping his arm and looking down at the ground. The mere mention of his brother took a toll on him- sighing, you gave him his camera back and offered an apologetic smile. "Look, if you wanna stalk them, be my guest. Just don't mention I was here when they catch you." You pat his shoulder, and he gives you the closest thing you've heard to his laugh in days before you turn around and leave.

Once again, you had to walk in the dark. You'd been with Jonathan all day, so naturally he had picked you up in his car that morning. Meaning, your car was still at home. Luckily, the walk home was nowhere near as bad as the walk to the high school you'd taken yesterday- shit, was it only yesterday?

Now that you thought about it, Will had only gone missing on Sunday night. It was Tuesday. The past few days felt like weeks, and you cursed yourself as you realized you had missed an important chemistry test today. But Jonathan had missed it too, and seeing as he was your partner, maybe he could help you study.

You knew about the rumors that often flew around about you and the oldest Byers. Since both of you were natural loners, you really only had each other and your brothers. And now that Will was gone, Jonathan really only had you. You'd spent more time together in the last two days than you could ever remember- and people had taken notice, apparently, because you'd heard whispers here and there.

Normally gossip didn't bother you. You'd dealt with it since the sixth grade, when Steve decided to tear up your reputation in order to reach a new royal status. It hurt you pretty deep at first, but as time went on you had gotten used to it. The words that used to feel like knives in your back now only felt like pinpricks, and these days you usually had a nasty retort of your own. You refused to just sit there and take it- especially when another person is roped in.

You didn't like Jonathan, not that way. He wasn't into you either, as far as you could tell, because it seemed like he had eyes for a certain "friend" of yours. You chuckled as you thought about it. The world seemed to be robbing you of your friends, one by one. At this rate, you wouldn't have any left by Thanksgiving.

As you reached your painful realization, you saw you had also reached the front steps of your house. Feeling your pockets, you cursed as you realized you'd left your keys- along with your bag- in Jonathan's car. Luckily, you remembered the key you keep hidden under the doormat, and squat down only to find it missing.

You heard the jingling of keys behind you. "Looking for this?"

For the first time in days, you heard the voice of your mother. You turned around, tense.

For the first time in weeks, you saw that she had a new fling.

Unfortunately, it seemed like he saw you too.