Stay or Go

Chapter 38

Hopper gives Jonathan and Joyce directions to the cabin where he was hiding Eleven for close to a year. I suck in a breath and lean over the counter, "things are pretty messed up, huh?" I look over at Steve who is leaning against the same counter with his arms crossed. I smile weakly and straighten up "you could say that." I muse, the others are getting ready for their jobs. Mike and El are standing and talking together. "If you had just not come here on that one day, you would have an easier life." I say coping Steve and crossing my arms.

"I wouldn't change anything." He says forcefully which makes me look at him, he has a look of seriousness on his face "you wouldn't?" I ask confused, because of course I would change the way everything has gone if given the chance. Steve nods his head slowly "yeah, I mean, I was an asshole before all of this happened." He earns a smile "I think the demogorgan scared me so much that I didn't want to be mean anymore."

I nod my own head and turn my body to face him "I'm also glad because I saw the way you and Jonathan protected each other that night." Steve continues "and I realised I never had a friendship like that. You two would die for each other." I swallow hard, its weird seeing our friendship from someone else's perspective because it's all the two of us have ever known. From a young age, Jonathan and I realised that no one else would look out for us the way we would. I guess a bond like that never truly changes.

"Well you and Nancy are now official in our group." I say smiling cheekily and lightening the mood "so welcome. Enjoy your time." We both laugh and he pulls me into a hug. This connection sends lightening up my whole body before I relax into his grip. Comfortable, protected, two things I never thought I would feel in the arms of Steve Harrington.

Nancy then asks if we can help her look outside for something and we happily oblige. In the dark I am shinning a torch down at the pile of trash from the shed. Steve is the first to break the silence "you should go with him." And I know he is talking to Nancy who looks up at him confused. "What?" She asks and so Steve explains quickly "with Jonathan."

I wish I could be anywhere else right now and have half a mind to go back inside when Nancy scoffs "no, I'm... I'm not just gonna leave Mike." I frown and crouch down to search underneath some old Christmas lights "no one's leaving anyone." I tell her. Steve goes over to Nancy and helps her lift something up, I try to ignore the painful feeling in my gut as he does this.

"I may be a pretty shitty boyfriend but.." Steve says, a face full of concentration "turns out I'm a pretty good babysitter." He shines his torch on an electric heater which is what we were looking for. The two of them share a moment I try to ignore by standing up and brushing myself off. "Steve." Nancy says so softly that I now feel sick to my stomach.

Steve just shakes his head and steps back a few paces which makes me feel a lot better, god why am I like this? "It's ok Nance." Steve says reassuringly "it's ok." He then comes back over to me and we head inside. Once in the Byers house I let out a long breath "that was tense huh." Steve says noting my action, I shrug "I don't know if tense is the word I would use but you definitely seemed like you wanted to rip each others clothes off for a solid minute just then."

He rolls his eyes and shives my shoulder gently making me smile. We say goodbye too all of the ones leaving and now Steve and I are stuck with the kids. How fun. "Everyone inside." I order firmly as the cars drive out of sight "we don't want to be out here if more demogorgans attack." They all start shuffling inside and my brother sighs "demo-dogs."

I hit him up the side of the head "whatever." I make a funny face at him. Max is the last to go in and she seems a little uneasy so I throw my arm around me shoulder and she seems to relax a little bit. I guide her through the house towards the kitchen and settle her down at the table. "Do you want a drink?" I ask her and she nods slowly. I grab a glass and fill it with water before handing it to her.

"How are you so calm right now?" Max asks me, clasping the water with both hands. I sigh and run a hand through my hair "there are worse things out there than monsters from another dimension." I tell her truthfully "and I have looked them in the face, once you do that you can face anything." Max seems a little lost for words and I let her stew over that while I help Dustin clear the fridge.

Once it's done I turn to Steve who is standing behind us "it should fit now." I tell him casually. He just stares at me in disbelief as he holds the dead demo-dog wrapped in a blanket. "Is this really necessary?" He asks and my brother instantly goes on the defensive before I can even open my mouth. "Yes, it is, ok? This is a ground-breaking discovery. We can't just bury it like some common mammal ok? It's not a dog."

I frown and tilt my head, gesturing with my hand I point out "but you did think it was like a dog." My brother elbows me in the ribs "not relevant." We move aside so Steve can place the creature in the fridge. As he goes to do it he turns to us and says "but you're explaining this to Mrs Byers all right?" And Dustin raises his hands in surrender. I snort and cross my arms.

"It's your funeral buddy." I warn him as I pat his shoulder gently. He huffs and I smile, messing his hair up lovingly. "The lab is swarming with those dogs." We hear Mike say to someone in the living room and Dustin calls out "demo-dogs!" This time Lucas replies, ignoring my brother "the chief will take care of her." I lean against the door Fram connecting the kitchen to the living room. "Like she needs protection." Max muses making a face from her position on the floor.

Steve comes in then, Dustin trailing after him as he tries to make Mike feel better. "Listen dude, a coach calls a player in a game, bottom line, you execute it. All right?" That went straight over the kids heads and I snort coming up beside him "are you forgetting who your talking to?" I ask enteraingly and Mike snaps back "okay, first of all, this isn't some stupid sports game.And second we're not even in the game. We're on the bench."

This catches Steve a little bit off guard as he stammers "so my point is...." Everyone stays silent as he trails off, expecting him to continue and he doesn't for a moment, figuring out what to say. "We're on the bench." He finally caves "so, uh, there's nothing we can do." I shake my head, my brother and I having the same thought.

"That's not entirely true." Dustin says and everyone looks at us. I start explaining our idea "I mean, these Demo-dogs, they have a hive mind. When they ran away from the bus, they were called away." This makes the others realise what idea we are stringing up in the air. "If we get there attention..." Lucas says "maybe we can draw them from the lab." Max finishes looking up at the other boy. "Clear a path to the gate." Mike says looking down at his shoes solemnly.

Steve looks at all of us as though we are insane "yeah, and then we all die!" He says throwing his arms up in the air. I shrug sassily "that's one point of view." This seems to anger Steve as he comes over to me "no, that's not a point of view Lori, that's a fact." I stand my ground and stare up at him expectantly. "I'm not going to let you sacrifice yourself." Steve says so quietly no one else can hear it. I continue to stare up at him "and I'm not asking." I counter back.

Mike brushes past us and towards another room "I got it!" he shouts to us and we all follow him. Mike points to one of the pictures on a wall "this is where the chief dug his hole." Mike explains "this is our way into the tunnel. So...." He runs off again and we follow behind "here. Right here. This is like a hub. So you got all the tunnels feeding in here. Maybe if we set this on fire..."

Steve laughs insanely "yeah, that's a no." He says but I argue back quickly "the mind flayer would call away his army. They'd all come to us." We start making a plan when Steve shout over all of our voices "hey! Hey! Hey!" Clapping his hands to get our attention "this is not happening." Max starts to say something but like a middle aged mum Steve places his hands on his hips and shakes his head "no, no, no, no, no." He cuts her off "no buts. I promised I'd keep-you shitheads safe, and that's exactly what I plan on. We are staying here. On the bench. And we are waiting for the starting team to do their job. Does everybody understand?"

When the children reply I step back a few paces as if the wind has been knocked out of me. My emotions are my own, not like they were a few minutes ago when I was happily making plans with a bunch of kids that would put them in danger. Rosemary. I excuse myself and head for the bathroom. I am going to kill that girl.