"Hey, Flo, is he in?"
Steve leans on the front desk, big grin on his face while he waits for Flo to answer. He's become a familiar face around here, and he's pretty sure they're all surprised that it's not because he's causing trouble. At least, none that they can prove was him, and definitely not recently. This is the easiest place to reach Hopper when neither of them are at the cabin. When there aren't any monsters to stop or gates that need closing, Hawkins is a pretty quiet town, so Steve isn't usually interrupting much when he comes by.
Flo smiles back, not as wide or happy as his but not mean either. In his experience so far, she always looks at least a little exasperated. He doesn't blame her, given who she works with—Hopper included. At least when she smiles at him, it comes across as genuine rather than pointed.
"Yes he is, go on," she says, waving him toward Hopper's office.
Steve taps the desk and nods, throwing a quick, "Thanks," over his shoulder as he makes his way further into the building. He gets the okay to enter after he knocks but Hopper doesn't look up until the door clicks shut.
"Hey kid," he says, sitting back and rubbing his neck. "Everything okay?"
Nodding, Steve settles into one of the chairs across from his desk. With no personal touches to it, the office is pretty boring. It's kind of sad to think of Hopper spending so many hours here, doing whatever it is he does when he's not dealing with Upside Down craziness.
"Yeah, just wanted to run something by you."
It comes out as casual as he can make it, and he keeps his body loose even though the urge to hunch his shoulders down is strong.
"Go for it," Hopper says, leaning back in his seat. He doesn't look worried which is a plus. Even though it's ridiculous, Steve almost expected Hopper to shut him down before he got started. He doesn't know where the feeling came from; Hopper has been great about everything so far. Steve just keeps expecting something to happen. The more time passes where it doesn't, the more Steve worries about it.
But he's here for a reason and this isn't for him. It's for El and Dustin and even Mike. He can deal with a little discomfort for them.
"El's been kind of bummed now that the holidays are over."
Hopper nods, scratching his beard. Neither of them has enjoyed seeing her so down. What's worse is that she isn't being loud about it. Steve had expected her to get mad, to try and push for more, but she doesn't. He's caught her staring at her dress from the night of the dance, the one that she's left hanging up in her room, and the now decoration-less cabin and sighing. It kills him to watch.
"My parents are out of town," he continues, tapping his fingers against his armrests. "I was thinking El could come over for a day or two. Get a change of scenery. There's more room so the rest of the kids could come hang out with her. Play their game or something."
He forces himself to stop. There's a list in his pocket of all the reasons he can be trusted with this, with El, for a couple nights so she can get out of the cabin again. Hopefully there are enough decent points on it to convince Hopper to let his daughter out of sight.
"Good idea."
"Wait, really?" he blurts out. Hopper snorts, not bothering to hide the way Steve's shock amuses him.
"Yes, really. It'll be good for her to spend a weekend somewhere else," he says, leaning forward and resting his arms on his desk. "I know she'll be safe with you."
Steve tries to swallow but his throat is too dry. He shoves his hands in his pockets, clutching the list he'd made for apparently no reason.
"Oh."
"Yeah," Hopper says, grinning but his voice is softer. "So just let me know when. But maybe don't bring it up until you know it's all set?"
"Sure," Steve says with a nod. "Even if they're too busy or something, she can still come over, though. If she wants to, I mean."
"I'm sure she will."
Steve smiles now; not the charming grin he'd given Flo earlier or even the automatic one he'd worn when he first walked into Hopper's office. He's just happy.
"Now get out of here, you've got a weekend to plan."
Rolling his eyes, Steve stands up. One lazy salute later, he heads out of the station, already thinking about what would be the best thing to buy for a couple days' meals.
Steve looks around his living room and grins. His TV is all set up with the VCR. He doesn't know if the kids will decide to stick with a movie or play their game, but he's prepared for whichever one they choose.
The plainly visible excitement on El's face is something that he's going to hold in his memory for a long time.
"They'll be here any minute."
She nods, tapping the watch around her wrist. It was his present to her for Christmas. A watch hadn't felt like enough at the time, but she barely takes it off. He knows she's still shaky at reading time and wanted to give her something to help out.
"I know," she says. "Almost four o'clock."
He heads out of the room with a wink to grab the last of the bowls of chips. There's popcorn ready to be popped in the kitchen, too, but they're a bunch of thirteen year olds. The likelihood of having any leftover junk food by the end of the night is low.
The doorbell rings just as he sets the bowl with the rest of the snacks on the coffee table.
"Kitchen," he says but El is already up and moving into the other room.
Steve rolls his eyes when the doorbell chimes again, then again, like someone is leaning on it. Schooling his expression into one of not-completely-feigned annoyance, he opens the door.
"Just for that," he says, crossing his arms. "I should send your surprise home."
They look at each other, then up at him, in confusion. He raises an eyebrow, keeping his face serious. There's no way he could actually send El home even if she wasn't as excited as she is. But when he mentioned the possibility of Dustin and his friends using his house for a movie night or whatever they decide to do, Steve left out of the part about El joining them.
"What surprise?"
Dustin speaks first, of course he does, but Lucas tries to lean over all of them to peek past Steve into the house. Apparently annoyed at being pushed, Dustin pushes Lucas back and out of his space. Mike rolls his eyes behind them, clearly above being excited for anything Steve thinks will be good, and Will laughs at his friends.
Steve hasn't interacted with Will much; only when the group uses him for rides around town. It's good to see him laughing. Will has been through things that would definitely have killed Steve, so he doesn't blame him. The only person Steve knows who is as strong as him is El. Honestly, he tries not to think about any of it too hard because it always leads to anger stirring in his chest that he can't do anything about.
It's not as if Will is always serious. The rest of them, Mike especially, are good at getting him out of his head. Steve is still happy to see him so amused by the show Dustin and Lucas are putting on. Even Max isn't trying very hard to hide the way her lips turn up at the ends.
"Break it up," he finally says. If he lets them keep it up much longer, he's worried they'll manage to break something. Like a leg.
Steve steps back, swinging the door wide open so they can file in.
"Finally," Dustin pants, practically falling into the house. Steve yells after them not to break anything when Lucas runs in next.
Mike ambles after them, heading immediately to the table of snacks. Will pauses long enough to thank him for inviting them over before following Mike. Max brings up the rear, pausing when Steve closes the door behind her.
"What's up, Red?"
Max shrugs. She doesn't look uncomfortable exactly, but she is tenser than the others were as she looks around his house. He wonders what she thinks of it. The whole place feels cold to him but he isn't sure how it comes across to other people. His experience with having others over has mostly been parties—which never failed to liven the usually quiet house up—or girls. Nancy mostly. She didn't comment on the house itself, more interested in where his parents were or trying to get him to start on his homework.
"Your house is huge," Max says and Steve laughs a little.
"It is that," he says. That's what made it great for parties. Between the rooms and his backyard and the pool, there is plenty of space. "Figured it would make playing their game better than Wheeler's basement."
"El?"
Mike's surprised shout has Steve smiling. Max, though, stiffens up beside him and Steve watches her closely in concern. She doesn't look scared—he's seen her scared, much as he wishes he hadn't. But the way she holds her shoulders back, tense enough that Steve is almost surprised she's not shaking with it, is telling enough.
The rest of the kids gather around their friend and Steve can see that she's smiling wider than she has since the holidays ended. Max doesn't move to join them. When he looks, she's staring at them, shuffling in place. He's just about to ask her if she wants to help him grab some drinks, maybe see if she wants to talk about whatever is bothering her, when Lucas notices she hasn't joined them. He waves her over with a grin. She smiles back, smaller than his but it looks real enough to Steve. One deep breath later, Max takes a step further into the house.
He doesn't know what that was all about but she looks happier now, at least. The whole point of today is for them to have fun.
"Alright," Steve claps his hands together, "who's ready to get this party started?"
Most of them give the expected eye roll, but El smiles. He grins and makes his way in to join them.
Hours, hours, later—how do they manage it? Even watching a game on TV can't keep him occupied this long—they've finished their campaign. If he'd realized they weren't going to take any breaks, he would have told them to come over earlier. It's hard to mind when they're so into it, Mike flinging himself around as he narrates what the rest of them are dealing with. Even with them having to pause to explain things to El and Max, who are as new to it as Steve, none of them lose any enthusiasm.
Despite Dustin's pestering, Steve is glad he sat this one out. The girls slowly but surely get more comfortable in what they're doing and Steve is still having trouble following along by the end. He appreciates Will's assurance that this was a short campaign for them, even though it's hard to wrap his head around six hours somehow being short.
Just like he thought, most of the junk food he'd set out is gone; the bowls are down to crumbs of chips and unpopped kernels. None of them seemed all that concerned with anything more substantial than that while they were playing. Now that they've started packing everything away, he can practically hear their stomachs growling.
He pushes himself up, ruffling El's hair on the way to the kitchen. She wrinkles her nose but doesn't duck away even with all her friends here. He wonders when—or if—she'll start picking up on stuff like that; being embarrassed about things around her friends. She hasn't been around people all that often yet. Even though she's been able to spend some time with her friends over the past few months, she doesn't see them with their families to pick up on the way they act when they feel like they're being treated like kids.
Steve kind of hopes she never feels that urge to pull away but at the same time, he wants her to get to experience as much of being a normal teenager as she can. Though he has heard the story of her and Hopper's big blow up and how she ran away after. Besides her powers, and the superpowered sister she found while she was gone, that was almost normal teenage behavior, right?
He's heard it from both sides and he can't say he blames her for the urge to get away after being hidden for so long. Even if now that he knows her, cares about her, the thought of her going so far by herself—powers or no powers—makes him uncomfortable.
"Who's hungry?" he calls as he pulls the pizzas from where he's been keeping them warm in the oven. He'd taken a break from watching them play in order to put the meal together. The kids had been so into it, he doesn't think they noticed even when the timer went off.
He's just pulling the second one out when the kids come thundering in behind him, talking over each other so much he can't pick out any individual words. They stop short when they see what he's holding, or he suspects at the lack of pizza boxes around to explain where he got them.
"Did you cook?" Mike asks, looking at it like he thinks it might attack him. Steve doesn't take offense. If saving him from a man-eating vine in those tunnels wasn't enough to soften Mike towards Steve, he figures all the junk food and lack of parental supervision in the world won't do it either.
"Pizza?" El says hopefully, eyes lighting up as she looks them over. Steve grins.
"Yep."
El grabs Mike's arm and drags him to the table. Most of the kids follow, though Dustin stays behind.
"Why didn't you tell me you could cook?" he asks, looking so betrayed Steve kind of wants to apologize.
"I'm telling you now, doofus," he says instead.
Dustin rolls his eyes and points at him. "You owe me lunch."
"I don't owe you shit, shithead." But Steve already knows he's going to try and figure out a day that will work for the both of them. He's such a pushover for these kids, two of them especially so, and unfortunately they know it.
Dustin proves his point by grinning up at him with a quick, "Thanks," before he joins the rest of them at the table.
"Steve makes the best pizza," El tells them when they've each filled their plates.
He almost wants to argue with her, but it's hard to when he knows the only other stuff she's tried is what Hopper has brought home from the only pizza place in town. Steve's pizza is better than that. Hopefully she'll get the chance to try something different in the future. So instead of saying anything, he winks at her and puffs up his chest.
"What can I say? I'm the best."
Mike snorts, but he's the only one. Steve will take the win.
"Thanks," Will says before he digs in, the others echoing him before doing the same.
"Any time," Steve tells them, grinning at the sounds of delight coming from around the table.
"Hey kid."
Steve drags his eyes gratefully away from the book he's been attempting to focus on for the last half hour. Attempting being the key word. He's read the same paragraph at least four times now, and still doesn't know what it says.
"Hey," he says, tossing the book beside him on the couch. Give his brain a minute to rest. "What's up?"
"Thought I would run something by you."
Hopper takes a seat in his armchair and leans forward, elbows on his knees. His face is open, not pinched as if he were upset about something, so Steve isn't worried.
"Shoot," he says, leaning forward, too.
"Now, I'm not trying to pressure you. There's no rush to give me an answer, or to give me one at all."
"Oookay." Steve still isn't worried, but. Well, maybe he's starting to get a little worried. What if Hopper is—he doesn't know what.
"Have you given any thought to what you want to do after you graduate?"
Reading the same sentence over and over actually sounds like a much better way to spend his time that he gave it credit for a minute ago. Hell, he should have stayed home to study instead. Anything to get out of wherever this conversation is going.
Swallowing, Steve shrugs.
Hopper nods and he doesn't seem surprised. Steve's stomach drops. He knows his parents have all but given up on his ability to get into any schools on his own merits. At this point he's not sure why he keeps trying to do well on his tests or get his homework turned in on time. Senior year is way too late to start putting in the effort.
It sucks that Hopper doesn't think he's cut out for it either. He'd kind of thought, what? That Hopper thought Steve was doing okay? He only ever has good things to say about the grades Steve has been scraping by with recently.
"Like I said, no pressure. If you'd rather go to school or, hell get a job at that new mall they're opening up. That's fine. But it's crossed my mind that," he pauses and gentles his voice like Steve is an animal he doesn't want to spook, "maybe you should think about law enforcement."
Steve blinks at Hopper, picking at his jeans. "Like, what? Be a cop?"
"Yeah." Hopper nods. He looks as serious as Steve has ever seen him.
"I don't, I mean," Steve doesn't know what to say. Him, a cop? "I've never thought about it before."
That isn't quite true. In those moments when he thinks about his dismal chances of getting into a school, while not even sure he wants to go to college—high school has been hell to get through and he knows, he knows college is going to be too much even with his parents' money to pave the way. In those moments, he's considered what it would be like to do what Hopper does.
He can't, though. Go into law enforcement. He might be able to handle the day to day, and it's not exactly the government but it still feels too close.
It's not that Steve thinks they're all bad. Hopper is good at it, suited to looking after the town. Keeping everyone safe when they have no idea what they're in danger from. But they're not all like Hopper. The guys at the station seem okay—well, jury's out on that Callahan guy.
Steve is not like Hopper.
Hopper smiles at him, the same one he wears for El when she needs encouraging. "You'd be good at it."
"Really?" Steve doubts that. He can pick up a bat and swing it at a monster or throw a lighter into a tunnel that leads to another world, sure. Put him up against a guy who shoves kids into walls and he barely stands a chance. He couldn't beat Byers or Tommy, either. Steve likes to think he's an okay babysitter but in the real world he's not much of a protector.
"Really," Hopper says, nodding. "You've got good instincts"—Steve scoffs but Hopper continues like he doesn't notice—"and you think fast in dangerous situations. You've got a good head on your shoulders. You do."
Hopper leans forward, reaching out to rest a heavy hand on Steve's shoulder. "You're a good kid, a good man. I trust you with my daughter. I would absolutely trust you to have my back if I needed it."
Suddenly the hand on his shoulder feels even heavier and it has nothing to do with Hopper. It's pressure, a band squeezing around his chest and pressing down all around him in a way that thinking about his future has never done before. Hopper said he didn't have to give him an answer, that's the same as giving the wrong one, isn't it?
It sounds like this is something Hopper has been thinking about for a while, something that seems important to him. He's done a lot for Steve since that day Steve woke up to him sleeping across from him in his hospital room. The only reason he doesn't have to look over his shoulder around Hargrove is the talk that Hopper had with him. He lets Steve crash on his couch and take up space doing work that with only three months left of school doesn't even matter. Is it really too much to ask that Steve do this for him? It's not like he would be starting tomorrow. He might hear back from a college or two willing to take him by the time he graduates.
Fuck.
"Yeah," he hears himself say. It sounds steadier than he feels. "That would be. If you really think it's something I can do."
Hopper smiles, patting his shoulder and sitting back in his chair. "I wouldn't have suggested it if I didn't think you'd be good."
Steve forces himself to relax. After some slow, deep breaths he smiles. It fits strangely on his face after getting so used to the real thing. It's amazing what having other people around him who care about him—people who show it without throwing their money or reputation around like his parents—has made it unnecessary. It will become real, he'll make it real. Hopper believes in him.
He can do this.
Steve can't believe he's doing this. This might actually be the worst day of his—no. He's had some terrible days. Riding along with Hopper for a day-in-the-life of a Hawkins deputy isn't close to the worst thing he's gone through. It might even be cool if it weren't for the way his stomach tries to eat itself when he thinks about. Everything. All the ways it can go wrong—and in Hawkins, there are plenty of non-human things that can, and have, been added to the list. There haven't been any monsters since November but Steve doesn't expect that to last.
Just let it not happen today.
"Ready to head in?"
"Yeah," he says. It takes effort not to tap his fingers against his thigh or pick at his jeans, but he doesn't think it comes through in his voice.
Hopper claps him on the shoulder and the way his lips are stretched so wide they must hurt and his eyes crinkle at the corners bolsters Steve's resolve. No matter how it turns out, he's doing this for a reason. A good reason. Steve doesn't think he's made anyone look that proud before, and if it means he has to shove away some nausea or curl his hands into fists to keep from fidgeting, he can handle it.
The building is the same as it's been every time Steve has visited this year. Following Hopper inside should be a breeze; the easiest part of the whole day. His foot is like lead when he takes that step but he pushes through. No one seems to notice his hesitation. Flo smiles at him when she looks past Hopper's shoulder.
"Good to see someone taking an interest in his future," she says, eyes shining brightly from behind her glasses. Steve shoves his hands in his pockets and puts on a wide smile.
"Hey, Flo," he says, nodding his head at Hopper. "Gotta make sure the boss meets my lofty standards."
Hopper rolls his eyes when Flo laughs, but he doesn't stop smiling. Powell snorts while Callahan squints at him like Steve spoke in code. Steve knows the guy is okay at his job but doesn't understand how yet. Maybe Steve, who still hasn't gotten any acceptance letters, will have his whole future to find out.
Clearing his throat, Steve raises his eyebrows. "So, what's first?"
First is a tour of the building, as though Steve hasn't been here nearly once a week for the past five months. The break room is nothing special with a fridge, a couple tables and chairs, and a coffee post on the small counter space.
"It doesn't look like much, but it's better than eating at your desk and getting drawn into work while you're trying to eat."
"A lot of experience with that?"
Hopper gives a long look across the way. Steve doesn't know which of them he's staring at, but he suspects they've all drawn Hopper back into work at some point. "You have no idea."
As they approach the evidence locker, Steve pushes his hands further into his pockets. They're starting to cramp from how tightly he's holding them but he can't seem to make them uncurl. If he goes inside, it will all feel too real. Like, if he goes in and sees where they keep everything, he won't be allowed to leave.
He's being an idiot.
Thankfully, Hopper doesn't let him inside—he may be Chief, and there may not be much in there to mess up, but he doesn't want to take any chances at letting someone in who doesn't officially work in the building. Steve, who doesn't trust himself not to ruin something by accident, is more than okay with that decision.
Hopper still takes the time to explain the way they handle bringing new items in and it takes a lot to keep from backing out of the entryway before he's finished. At least the interest on his face seems convincing enough that Hopper isn't annoyed while they head through the front of the building.
"Don't go scaring him away, now," Flo says with a pointed look in Hopper's direction as they pass her desk. He laughs and tips his hat.
"Don't mind her," Hopper says, holding the door open for Steve. "You're more likely to be bored to death than anything else around here."
He doesn't feel very humorous, but Steve laughs. Hawkins might be quiet most of the time, but he's learned that when it gets loud, it's deafening. Sometimes he thinks his ears are still ringing, and it's been months since the Gate was closed.
Or maybe that's leftover damage from the plate and Hargrove's fists.
Their ride through town is quiet. Steve doesn't know why he's surprised. He knows nothing is going to happen—if any sort of pattern holds, they shouldn't have anything new to worry about until at least October. Maybe Hawkins or the universe or whatever wants to wait until Steve is an actual fixture of the department before the world turns upside down again.
God, he hopes not.
"This is what your average day looks like around here," Hopper tells him as they head toward the edge of town. The woods line the road to their right; Steve tries not to think about it. Or look too closely into the trees. There's nothing out there anymore. Just squirrels and deer and a cabin with a teenager who is probably going a little stir-crazy right now.
"Now don't go giving this valuable information away," Hopper drawls, glancing Steve's way before he pulls over. Steve raises an eyebrow.
"I wasn't aware you had valuable information."
Hopper snorts. Warmth shoots down Steve's arm when Hopper shakes him by the shoulder and the knot in his stomach begins to unravel. "I am a fount of knowledge, Harrington. It's not my fault no one wants to listen to it."
"Sure, Hop," Steve says with a laugh. Hopper pats his shoulder and lets him go. The touch lingers, leaving Steve more relaxed than he's been all day. "What is this drop of knowledge I'm supposed to be keeping to myself?"
"Smartass," Hopper says, but he sounds fond. He gestures to the road. "This is one of the best spots to catch people speeding."
"What, really? Here?" Steve looks around, taking in all of the nothing along the road. Just a bunch of trees that he is still trying not to pay attention to. "Huh, I guess that makes sense, actually. Just a straight stretch of road, right?"
Hopper nods, grinning. "Told you, you have a head for this."
The knot starts tightening up again even as he puffs up at the compliment.
Steve wishes he could choose how to feel about this. It should be enough that Hopper thinks he can do it. No one has ever thought he could be good at something. His dad has mentioned Steve working at his company, but that's. It's expected. Steve is sure he'll be stuck getting people coffee and files and basically running errands for the real employees. And all of that is assuming it's even an option anymore.
Being a cop isn't his dream job or anything, but does that really matter? Some people might be able to do what they love for a living; he's sure Nancy has everything planned out despite having another year of high school to get through. Jonathan might manage it, too, though Steve doesn't know if the Byers can afford it—he's not friends with Jonathan, but he doesn't hate him either, and it feels unfair that the guy might not be able to pursue something he wants because of money when Steve has all the money in the world and not a single thing to pursue.
Steve, though, is just one of many—a majority, even—people who won't enjoy his career. He's almost seen the end of the world, or something close. This is nothing like it. Having to clock in everyday for a job that makes him uncomfortable is, well. He's managed at school for twelve years. At least he'll be getting paid.
"A lot of kids," Hopper side eyes him and Steve holds his hands up, putting on as innocent a face as he can, "like to treat this as a great place to race. We break it up and they cool it for a while. But there's only so much to do to keep people busy around here, I guess."
"Maybe when the mall opens up…"
"Yeah, maybe." Hopper sounds about as convinced as Steve feels. Even with a mall, Hawkins will still be Hawkins. Without monsters running wild—even when they are—there isn't a lot to keep teenagers entertained.
He misses that recklessness; that invincibility he'd felt for so long. He doesn't miss the person he was, not really. It's strange to look back and remember the person that he used to be. But it sucks to know what's out there, how scary the world can be, in a way that most adults don't.
At least he's not alone. When he lost Nancy, he'd thought that was it. The last, the only person, who cared about him was gone—and it wasn't even real. Somehow, though, he's had more people caring about him since then than he's ever had. It's enough to make thinking about her hurt a little less; the ache in his chest seems more reserved for his anxiety over his future than the heartbreak he'd felt right after it happened.
"So what do you think so far?"
Steve doesn't curl his hand into a fist or drum his fingers against his leg or even swallow dryly. He shrugs a shoulder, smiles, and jokes, "Not as glamorous as I was led to believe."
"Uh huh," Hopper says, taking off his hat and spinning it slowly in his hands. "Whoever told you it was glamorous was a liar."
"Yeah, seems like it." Steve looks out at the trees and down the road, then back at Hopper. "But it's not so bad."
If he says it enough times, it will eventually be true.
Hopper grins and before Steve can react, Hopper's hat is being shoved on top of his head.
"No, watch the hair!"
Lie sitting heavy on his tongue, Steve still can't help but join in when Hopper laughs.
"It looks good on you," Hopper teases with bright eyes and a grin that stretches across his face. So even though Steve is going to have hat hair after spending way too long this morning styling it just right, he leaves the hat where it is. It doesn't fit right, but that's okay. He can get used to it.
Coming home to another rejection letter shouldn't hit so hard. He's had plenty of experience since the first one showed up at the start of the month. Given that there are a handful of schools he hasn't heard back from yet, he suspects it won't be his last. Somehow there isn't a single school out there willing to take him. Not without some donation for a new building or something, to pave the way.
Even if his dad is still willing to do anything like that, he certainly wouldn't do this one. It isn't one of the names Steve has heard mentioned time and time again over the years. It also isn't somewhere he particularly wants to go. None of that loosens the vice tightening around his chest at the knowledge that he's one step closer to graduating high school with only one option for his future.
Steve crumples the whole thing into a ball. At least no one else is around to see the school's logo and get curious. Not that he thinks anyone is getting their hopes up at this point.
His parents haven't brought it up in months. He'd always kind of figured, for their reputations if nothing else, they would be pushing him towards a university of their choice and making it happen whether he wanted it or not. The fact that they're not tells him all he needs to know; it would be a waste of money and time to smooth the way for him. It isn't like he wants to force himself through four more years of classes that he's no good at. If they don't bribe somewhere to take him in, that's one more spot for a person who deserves it.
He just wishes he had options.
God, is being overly dramatic a side effect of all the time he's spent with Dustin? Of course he has options. Plenty of people start working right out of high school and do fine. Better than fine. Steve just wishes he had some idea of what he would like to do, and how to get there whenever he figures it out.
Even if he does, though, what does that mean for him and Hopper? Hopper wouldn't try to keep Steve from going after something he wants, but that doesn't mean he won't be upset. Steve hates the idea of disappointing him. What if he tries something else and fails? Hopper might not give him another chance at working with him.
Everything would be easier to think about if he had even a semi-solid idea of what that supposed other job might look like. Right now all he knows is that he's going to be graduating in a couple of months. For now, he'll just keep riding along with Hopper, finding out what's required of him to get a job at the station.
A couple of months is plenty of time to figure things out. It has to be.