Chapter Twenty One

Hawkins High had been decorated in the generic winter decorations that nearly all high schools seemed to drag out for winter dances. Paper snowflakes hung in their masses from the ceiling, along with streamers and a large disco ball. The tacky decorations made the expensive dress Neil had brought for Jaime seem like a waste of time, the powder blue strapless dress was made for better events than Hawkins pathetic attempt at a winter formal. Jaime thanked her lucky stars that Billy had seen fit to bring a flask of Neil's whiskey, and some unknown student had spiked the punch bowl, so the warm buzz of alcohol was improving the evening a little.

Out on the dance floor Tommy and Carol happily danced together with the other couples seemingly having the night of their lives while Jaime nursed a plastic cup of punch wishing for the roof of the school to collapse and squash all the happy people beneath it.

"Not having a good time, Princess?" Billy mocked from over Jaime's shoulder. He had clocked her standing miserable and alone as he had returned to the hall after slinking off unnoticed with some girl who's name he couldn't remember.

"You stink of cheap perfume. About sums you up, doesn't it Hargrove?" Jaime shot back spitfully, far from in the mood for Billy's teasing. The unwelcome stab of jealousy only amplified Jaime's bad mood, who even was she? When had she, Jaime Mayfield, captain of the cheer squad, most popular girl in school, ever been reduced to such pathetic jealousy over someone like Billy? Never was the answer, or at least it had been before she moved to Hawkins. Had she been back in California there wasn't a chance in hell that Billy Hargrove would even evoke any emotion, he had been nothing to her and now he was everything.

Pushing those thoughts aside Jaime allowed the anger to rise to the surface instead, and span sharply to face the smug grinning face of her step brother. At a measured speed she looked Billy up and down, starting at his hips until she came to an end at his hair. "Make the most of the dogs that throw themselves your way, Hargrove, because this is as good as it gets for you. You've hit your peak, and there is nothing better for you past this point."

Not giving another second of her time to Billy, Jaime flashed him a smirk before sashaying out onto the dance floor with the intention of getting lost in the crowd before slinking off to one of the classrooms to get drunk on her own. It was completely unfair that Billy was having a good time, yet she was literally counting down the minutes till the dance was over and she could go to one of the after parties that was being hosted. Much like Billy, Jaime had been invited to more that one party, their popularity not ebbing even with the time that had passed, and they had both agreed that Tina's house sounded like the best one so that was to be the one they would attend.

But as Jaime weaved through the dancing couples and watched with distaste as they all looked so happy, she wasn't sure she was in the mood for a party after all.

"Jaime! Where are you going?"

It seemed as though the night wasn't going to be as dull as Jaime first thought. Barely louder than the music Steve's voice sounded from behind Jaime, stopping her dead in her tracks and causing a smirk to tug at her lips. "I wasn't expecting to see you here, Steve. I thought you were busy hiding from Nancy?" Jaime teased, moving closer to Steve so he could hear her better.

"I'm surprised you're here after the rumours about what happened with me and your brother." Laughed Steve.

"He's not my brother." Jaime corrected. "And I came with Tommy if you must know."

The pair glanced over to where Tommy was dancing with Carol, his hands all over her in a very unsubtle way that had Jaime cringing, why had she mentioned Tommy? It only made her look more pathetic, and Steve's wide eyes said it all.

"Where were you going?" Steve finally spoke after dragging his eyes away from Tommy and Carol, wanting to redirect the conversation just as much as Jaime.

A cold scoff slipped from Jaime's lips. "Anywhere but here."

It wasn't hard to see that Jaime was strugging with what had happened in the underground tunnels, and it wasn't as though Steve could blame her, everything he knew about Hawkins was still hard to digest and grasp. The kids seemed to handle it so much better than he, Nancy, Jonathan, and apparently Jaime too. Maybe it was that they still had some child-like naivety, or maybe they were just stronger than the teens and adults, what ever it was Steve envied them.

"How are you doing? You know, with everything that happened."

Now there was a loaded question. There was no way that Jaime could actually tell Steve exactly how she was feeling, that she could still see the creature so vividly it was like it was real, or that she could smell the putrid scent the tunnel had reeked of, that was information that no one was ever going hear. Over Steve's shoulder though she could see Billy still stood where she had left him, watching the two of them his face hardered, and eyes dark. Jaime might not have been able to unload her real problems on Steve but she could have some fun.

With that in mind Jaime playful batted at Steve's chest as she let out a light giggle. "I'm fine, to be honest I don't even think about it. Now, are you going to ask me dance or what?"

A blush crept up Steve's neck and spread across his cheeks, he hadn't thought that Jaime would want to dance with him. After everything that happened he hadn't seen much of Jaime, and what little he did she was always with Billy, and that was someone he just couldn't deal with. "Would you like to dance?" Steve grinned, offering out his hand which Jaime took with what he read as a genuine laugh.

As the two of them danced together, spinning wildly to the music, Steve couldn't help but wonder what was really going on with Jaime. He had to give it to her she was a pretty good actress and if he hadn't been with her that night he would have no idea anything was wrong with her, but he could see that something wasn't right. Unsurprisingly when they had all returned to school she and Billy had been side by side, the unrivaled King and Queen of Hawkins High, it did shock him though that she acted as though she didn't know him. In the few classes they had together she actively ignored him, and from the snippets he'd got from Dustin it seemed like Jaime and Max weren't on speaking terms either. Not one person would have guessed that from the way she was presenting herself though.

"Did you not learn your lesson the first time, Harrington?"

It had taken less time than Jaime had anticipated for Billy to be unable to watch she and Steve together, making a surge of power course through her at the control he had over her step brother. "Billy, we're just dancing. Nothing wrong with that, right?"

Sucking on his teeth in a lame attempt to stop himself from making Harrington wish he was dead, Billy kept his hard gaze on Jaime as he spoke to Steve. "You're done here, Harrington. Walk away while you still can."

Much to Jaime's disappointment Steve raised his hands in surrender and backed off with no argument what so ever. He really was a push over, no wonder Nancy had moved on to something new. There was little time to ponder on such dull things so as Jaime had bigger fish to fry, specifically Billy Hargrove. He had gotten her all worked up and left her nothing short of hot and bothered, now it was time for her revenge and so far it was going swimmingly.

"Jealous, Hargrove?" Jaime taunted. "Worried me and Harrington were going to slip off to a dark corner? That I was going to let him do everything you want to me?" It had been a while since Jaime had felt so smug, Billy looked about ready to explode, and it filled her with glee that it was her doing. "I'm sure that dog you disappeared with did nothing but disappoint, but I keep telling you Hargrove, I want a man not a little boy."

At lightning speed Billy's hand shot out and grabbed hold of Jaime's slim wrist, gripping the soft flesh so tightly he could feel it getting hot under his touch. The bitch kept pushing, ket kicking, and he had yet to really unleash on her but she had officially just ran out of luck.

With a sharp tug Jaime fell into his solid body as the music changed to a slow dance, giving Billy the chance to whisper in her ear without rousing suspicion. "You're gunna wish you were dead by the end of the night." Hissed Billy, his voice a low growl.

Wrappig her arms comfortably around Billy's neck Jaime grinned up at her step brother, anything but fearful of his words. He would never be as good as playing games as she was, he would never beat her no matter how hard he tried. It was for that reason alone that Jaime always pushed harder, further, Billy was her favourite toy and he couldn't best her. In fact he always did everything she wanted him to without even realising it.

"Oh, Billy. When will you learn that you're just not my level. You'll never win. Ever." Replied Jaime in such a patronising tone that she almost laughed. "Maybe I will sleep with Steve, and maybe that will knock you off that throne you've gotten too comfortable on. The night is young."