Say Anything | Steve Harrington |

Ch. 13 Red Flags

November 12th, 1983
Hawkins, Indiana

   The car ride into town was silent; the air thick with a strange sort of tension. Nancy and I had our own problems to work out later but something was off between her and Jonathan. I hadn't heard the two teens mutter a word to one another since I had gotten in the car, at first I figured I was imagining the tension but it had yet to dissipate.

   Awkwardly fidgeting with my hands in the back seat, I had my head resting against the cold window as I watched Jonathan's eyes in the rearview mirror shift from between the road and back towards a silent Nancy repeatedly.

   Clearing my throat, I sat up straight in my seat. "Did you two like sleep together or did I miss something?" My question wasn't completely out of left field; I mean, I'd caught Jonathan staring at Nancy for what felt like the tenth time in the past five minutes. "What?" Nancy scoffed, her cheeks notably red as she turned around in her seat to playfully slap my knee, while Jonathan's face grew a deep shade of red. "No, Nell... Why would you even ask that?" Jonathan questioned and kept his eyes glued on the road.

   Rolling my eyes at the two behavior, I shrugged off his question. "Sorry, jeez. The silence was just getting seriously unbearable." I stated with a smirk as I watched the two smile to themselves. "So... How exactly do you expect to get all this stuff?" I asked, moving to sit forward in my seat to be closer to the two, as I stared down at the poorly written list of supplies that we needed.

   "What do you mean? It's all at Harvey's Camping Supplies." Jonathan furrowed his brow at the question, earning him another shrug and smirk. "I mean, you actually think he'll sell to us, and I quote, four boxes of .38s, two cans of lighter fluid along with two canisters of gas, steel rods, and chains, and a box of nails? Like that's not a red flag."

   Nancy turned back around in her seat as Jonathan set the car into park in front of Harvey's shop. "Don't tell me you're scared." She grinned down at me and I was quick to shoot her a tight-lipped smile as I stuffed the list in my pocket. "Far from Nance, I'd just hate for us to tarnish your good girl reputation." I mumbled the last bit to myself with a roll of my eyes as I pushed open my door.

   Stepping out of the car and making our way into the shop, the three of us agreed that we would be able to finish and get out of the store faster if we split up the items and got them separately. With Jonathan getting the lighter fluid and gasoline, Nancy getting the chains and rods, leaving me with the nails and hammers. Though after I got the supplies I needed, while I made my way out of the aisle to meet back up with the two, a trap sitting alone on a shelf caught my attention.

   "Hey, guys?" I called out to the other two causing them to look over and stop what they were doing, "If we are already getting put on a watch list, you think we could use this?" I asked with a quirked brow before nodding towards the bear trap. The two teens shot each other a grin and quickly nodded their heads in agreement.

   Making our way towards the checkout, we placed all the hunting equipment down in front of Harvey who eyed us suspiciously, "And I'll have four boxes of the .38s..." Jonathan stated, though his voice was weak as the man stared down at him.

   Slowly nodding his head, Harvey took his time turning around to one of the cabinets behind him before picking up the four boxes of ammo. Placing them down in front of the other supplies, he scanned his eyes over the three of us, "What you kids doin' with all this?"

   I shrugged off the question as Jonathan looked between the two of us hoping we'd answer for the man. "Monster hunting." Nancy called out suddenly with a blank face, but it was an answer that Jonathan and I were happy to nod along with in agreement.