Hello everyone! I've finally succumbed to the pull of a Stranger Things fanfic (I LOVE YOU STEVE HARRINGTON!) so here I am! It might be kind of short, I'm not sure yet. HOWEVER! I do have a few important disclaimers to say first!

1. Obviously, I don't own anything from Stranger things. Just Jo.

2. I want to make sure everyone understands that the mentions of bullying and some words used towards Jo are NOT things I agree with or would ever approve of saying to anyone. I do, in fact, actually have Tourette's, so a lot of what she does will be based off my own day to day tiks. If anyone is uncomfortable with reading about bullying associated with this disorder, please do not read! I don't want to upset anyone with this.

That's all! Enjoy!

JOHANNA

Jo took a deep breath before taking the last few steps and entering the Scoops Ahoy Ice Cream Parlor in the new mall. She walked casually up to the counter and bounced on her toes as she waited for Steve to turn around. He was leaning on the back counter, talking to his coworker Robin, a girl in her grade, through the open window. Her stomach twisted both with nerves and a little bit of envy for Robin.

She watched as Robin peered around Steve and motioned to her, and Steve quickly turned around.

"Oh, hey, Ainsworth! Uh- Don't tell me, it's… Johanna! Johanna, right? Jo?"

Jo blinked wide eyes at him as a blush lit up her face in surprise. "Uhm… Yeah. Hi." She didn't know he even knew her name. Ok that's dumb, of course he did, but she was surprised he remembered it, at least.

"What can I get for you?" He asks, leaning against the counter. Her knuckles rapped twice against it and she jerked her leg. She can feel her face burning more at his close proximity, the way he was focused on her without Tommy H. and Carol Perkins around to push her around. He had really changed last year after ceasing his friendship with the two, which only made her crush on him grow stronger.

"Uhm, can I just-" a whistle broke her sentence, but she powered through, "get a scoop of pistachio in a waffle bowl, please?"

"Yeah, sure thing," he said, ringing it up on the register. "It'll be one-fifty."

She dug around in her little yellow wallet, almost tossing it over her shoulder at one point, before finally handing him the money. When he gave her back the change, she tossed it and an extra dollar in the tip jar.

Steve grinned at her, said, 'Thanks!' and started dishing up her ice cream.

"So, you're… A senior now, right?" He asked.

"Y-Yeah." Was her great response. This was the most she had ever talked to Steve Harrington at once without also being bullied.

"Cool, cool," he said, nodding his head. She watched with a burning in her chest as his brown hair flopped around on his forehead with the movement. "When they say to take it seriously, they're not kidding. You don't wanna end up stuck in here." He motioned in a circle with his ice cream scooper at the parlor.

She laughed awkwardly and accepted the proffered treat from him, nearly dropping it when their fingers brushed. She wouldn't really mind being stuck in here, if Steve was still there.

She popped her lips and whistled before awkwardly nodding at him and bidding him a good day.

STEVE

He turned back to Robin with a sigh as Jo rounded the corner out of sight, once again found with an empty parlor. She looked at him with an eyebrow raised.

"What, no flirting this time? I thought you were trying to prove that you're awesome."

Steve waved her off. "Flirt with Ainsworth? Are you serious?" He laughed and shook his head, propping his forearms on the counter between them. "It'd be a waste of time, she's absolutely terrified of me."

Robin snorted. "You're kidding, right?"

"Uh, no?" He replied in a 'duh' tone. "Did you not just see that super awkward conversation I had with her?"

"Steve, that was a girl being shy, not 'terrified,'" Robin said as she rolled her eyes at him.

"Ok, whatever, sure. Either way, it'd be super weird."

Robin suddenly frowned at him. "Oh yeah? And why's that? 'Cause she's too freaky for you, Harrington?"

Steve backpedaled and pushed away from the counter with wide eyes, putting his hands up in defense. "No! No, I just meant, like- It'd be weird 'cause of all the crap that happened in high school. Back when I was still 'King Steve.'" The name rolled off his tongue with a bite it never used to hold.

Robin eased up on him, uncrossing her arms. "Ok, fair. Plus, you're looking for a real relationship, right?" She laughed, a little sarcastically. "I doubt Ainsworth would come back for a second date. She's got more class than that."

Steve scoffs in mock affront. "Excuse me, I can be perfectly classy when I want to."

"And when do you ever want to?"
Steve raised his eyebrows and unsheathed his scooper at the sound of the bell. "Touché."