PANDEMONIUM [ 2 ] ↠ STRANGER THINGS

20. A SAD ANNIVERSARY

PANDEMONIUM
CHAPTER TWENTY

➝ A SAD ANNIVERSARY

     STEVE OPENED THE DOOR WHEN HE HEARD A LOUD PANG OF KNOCKS FROM OUTSIDE, he opened the door up to find Billy standing on the other side. His blue eyes met Steve's and a smirk instantly grew across his lips. Steve gave him a once over before looking around the front yard, making sure no one was there and he wasn't about to be ambushed by the basketball team. Sure, he may have missed basketball practice today. He had actually skipped school altogether to stay inside with a mourning Colleen. They both had the best intentions to go to school that day, but when the brunette woke up that morning, she couldn't find the will to actually get out of bed and get ready for school. She just pulled the covers back over her eyes and went back to sleep. Steve had woken up two hours later, at 8:24 am, which meant they were late.

And once he saw Colleen with stained tears on her cheeks, he knew they were recent. He saw that the alarm clock was thrown across the room in pieces. Colleen decided that she didn't want to go to school. So he just got out of her bed and took a shower at her house before making her breakfast in bed and bringing all of her favorite movies downstairs so that they could have a low-key day.

Colleen was still found in the living room, laying on the couch with a blanket wrapped around her. Baby It's You was playing on the screen and Colleen was falling in and out of sleep as she watched the movie. She didn't even realize the knock on the door, and only moved when Steve picked her feet off of his lap so that he could answer the door.

"Why am I not surprised that you're here?" Billy shook his head back and forth as he eyed up Steve, who was at his date's house. Billy knew that both of them were missing from school today, but he didn't fully expect to find Steve at her house. Let alone, answer the door. "Why wasn't she at school today?"

Steve looked over his shoulder and into the living room, to find that Colleen had not moved from her spot. Meaning that she was probably fast asleep. Steve stepped out onto the porch and closed to door behind him, "Listen, man. Today is not a good day, all right? It's the anniversary of her— well I'm sure you know that already."

"Anniversary of what?"

Steve looked up at him with wide eyes, but inside he was smiling. Of course he didn't know, because they didn't talk. Their whole relationship was a ruse. Steve cleared his throat, "Her father went missing on this day last year. She isn't taking it good."

Billy chuckled, "And you think that you're the only one capable of caring for her?"

"I'm sorry, do you want to wipe her tears when she keeps crying every five minutes, or help her around the house because she can't do it on her own. Or you can cook all her meals, and watch sappy romance movies with her all day?" Steve raised an eyebrow.