4-23-23: Story updated with a new vignette

1969

"Hi, Mikey!" Sophie called out to a scrawny brunette boy outside the library. Mikey turned to her, surprised to see his friend in town, and smiled wide, "Hey, Sophie! When did you come back? I thought you were only here for the summers?" he asked as she skidded up to him.

Sophie giggled and shook her head, "not anymore. Daddy went to court and made the judge change his mind. I get to live with him now!" she replied happily.

"So, does that mean you'll get to go to school with us?" Mikey asked.

Sophie gave a toothy grin and nodded again. She looked past him towards the library, "is Steven in there? I've been trying to find him all day. He wasn't at home or the Foreman's, and he wasn't even at the arcade," she rambled.

Mikey shook his head and shrugged, "I dunno, I just got here, but I'm on my way to the sandlot to meet up with Casey. You wanna go with me?"

Sophie shook her head, "no, I wanna find Steven. See ya later, Mikey!" she called out as she began to hurry into the library.

When she opened the library door, the cool air made her shiver from the contrast of the heat from outside. She breathed in the smell of old books and waved at Mrs. Freeman, the elderly librarian.

Sophie hurried toward the back, where the study section turned into the children's library. She could see the small corner nook where she and Steven spent summer days reading together and spotted his curly hair. A warmth of happiness spread throughout her as she walked toward her best friend.

Steven sat on the floor by the window, his knees to his chest, his eyes staring blankly out the window, his whole body tense with anger. Sophie faltered as she moved closer. The sound of her soft walking snapped him from his thoughts. Steven stared at her eyes wide in surprise and watched as she sat quietly beside him.

She knew something was wrong; she had never seen Steven this angry. So she sat next to him and waited for him to tell her what was wrong, just like he did when he wanted her to tell him how her mother had hurt her.

"You're here early; schools not out for another few months," he stated, his voice monotonous so as not to betray his feelings.

"You were right; daddy didn't let her keep me away, and now…." Sophie paused and looked at him deep into his hazel eyes, "I don't have to see her again. I'm here for good," she finished softly.

Steven cracked a tiny grin and cleared his throat before he turned to stare back out the window. A few minutes of tense silence had passed before he finally spoke.

Steven sighed, "Some kid's project at school got destroyed, and they blamed me. No one believed I didn't do it," he mumbled, "and then my dad left me and my mom."

Sophie bit her lip, unsure how to respond, and decided to sit with him just like he did for her last year.

1970-71

Eric always knew his sister Laurie was mean, even if his dad didn't believe him. Laurie always made him cry or lied to get him in trouble. He never thought either of his parents would ever see Laurie for what she was, and then one day, she made Sophie Winston cry.

He still doesn't know exactly what happened; all he is sure about is that Sophie had gone upstairs to the bathroom, and Laurie had soon followed. A few minutes later, Laurie walked down the stairs cackling how Sophie was a freak, and walked out the front door.

He had waited patiently with Steven for Sophie to follow angrily after the older girl, but she never came down the stairs.

Both boys glanced at each other and hurried up the stair only to hear sobbing from the bathroom. "What do we do?" Steven asked him frantically. Eric stopped him as Steven reached for the door, "no way, Steven!" he whispered harshly, "look, you can't go in there. Just… wait here. I'll go get my mom."

Steven stared at him; the panic in his eyes grew as Sophie seemed to gasp for air on the other side of the door.

Eric turned away, raced down the steps into the living room, and slid to a stop in the kitchen where his mother was making lunch for them.

"Eric, what have I told you about running in the house!" Kitty snapped.

"Mom! Sophie's in the bathroom crying. Laurie went with her. She came down stair and called her a freak. Sophie hasn't stopped…we can't go in and…" he trailed off his panicked rambling as his mother quickly untied her apron and hurried up to the upstairs bathroom. Eric followed quickly at her heels.

He watched as she gently pushed Steven away as knocked on the door, "Sophie, sweetie, it's Mrs. Forman. Honey, are you okay?" she asked loudly.

The whimpering only grew louder, "something's wrong!" Sophie finally wailed. Steven and Eric glanced at each other, their eyes wide with concern.

"Okay, honey, I'm coming in," Kitty called out gently. She opened the door and pushed her way through. The crying continued, and the boys could only hear Kitty's soothing voice as she tried to calm the panicked girl down.

The boys waited until Kitty opened the door a crack, "she's okay, boys, I promise. Why don't you go and hang out in the basement until she's calm down" she suggested. Eric took his mother's suggestion and began to walk down the steps; he stopped and turned to wait for Steven, who seemed unsure about leaving Sophie up there.

"My mom's a nurse; if there is anything wrong, she can fix her," Eric said as a matter of factly.

"Your sister's a bitch" Steven mumbled to him. Eric stared at his friend, shocked at the word that came out of his mouth, and then he grinned.

"Yes. Laurie is a bitch" he agreed happily.

Donna and Sophie giggled in excitement as they sat together in their 6th-grade study hall. Today was Friday, and their parents had agreed to let Donna sleep over that night.

Two rows away, Eric glanced at Steven, who frowned at the girls; he grinned, "aww, is someone jealous that Sophie's not paying attention to him?" he asked in a whiney tone. Steven glared at him and punched him in the arm.

"Ouch, man!" Eric complained, "look, the girls can do their thing, and we can get Mikey and do our own thing. And we don't even have to invite them!" he exclaimed excitedly.

Steven looked back at the girls with another frown and sighed, "yeah, okay," he replied, his eyes still on them. He knew this was good for Sophie. Mrs. Forman had introduced the girls to each other the summer that Laurie had left Sophie crying in the bathroom, not that Sophie had ever told him what had happened. But she suddenly seemed…uncomfortable around him, Eric, and Mikey. Mrs. Forman had noticed and decided that Sophie needed a girlfriend, so she introduced her to Donna. The two had hit it off at once, and since then, sometimes, Steven felt jealous.

Eric returned to his homework that was due for their next class, only to pause when he could actually feel Steven tense next to him. He glanced up, noticing a group of the more popular kids snickering around Donna and Sophie. Though Eric could not really make out what the boys were saying, Eric knew it was bad as he watched Sophie glare defiantly, and Donna pursed her lips in annoyance.

Suddenly, one of the boys snorted like a pig at Sophie. She quickly stood up and lifted her hand to smack the kid, but before she even swung her hand, the boy had been tacked to the ground with Steven on top of him throwing punches.

"Mr. Hyde!" the teacher, Mr. Matthews, shouted as he grabbed Steven by the chest and yanked him away. "Get to the office! Now!" he barked.

Steven glanced at Sophie, who opened her mouth to defend him and shook his head. Instead, she clamped her mouth shut angrily and glared at the boy now standing in front of her holding his bloody nose as Steven was escorted to the office.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Sophie asked her redheaded friend, who only nodded in excitement. Donna loved to try new things, which she had never even thought of before, "are you sure you're okay with me trying this with you?" she asked, and Sophie giggled with a nod.

"I'm more worried about them wanting to try this," Sophie admitted in a whisper. The girls glanced back to see the boys following in their swim trousers. Both girls snorted with laughter and continued to walk into the YMCA for their first swim lesson. Mikey, Eric, and Steven followed them into the building, only to be tossed out thirty minutes later for shenanigans.

Sophie gripped Steven's hand tight with excitement as they wandered through Point Pleseant's Main Street to the grand opening of Pleasent Books; after Mrs. Freeman had retired, the new librarian refused to allow Steven to enter. She claimed he was too much trouble for the library patrons, and though Eric insisted that Steven had taken the offensive remark in stride, Sophie knew better. The library had been a safe place for the both of them and to be banished from it really bothered Steven.

She glanced at the building in which the new store sat; a window display of novels and a glass painting of Alice in Wonderland beckoned them inside; she glanced at Steven, who looked back at her with a weary expression as she forcefully pulled him through the open door of the shop. The two friends stared in awe at the inside of the bookshop, which was full of guests. Shelves and tables full of books filled the space, and a winding staircase led the store patrons to a second floor where Sophie could spot not only more shelves of books but couches, chairs, and tables full of people sitting comfortably and reading; some were even sipping on hot beverages.

"Well, hello," a warm voice floated over her. Sophie glanced as a young brunette woman with warm caramel eyes walked up to the two of them with a gentle smile, "Welcome to Pleasent Books. I'm the owner, Ms. Penner." Sophie's eyes widened; she had never met a woman who owned a shop before, "Hi, I'm Sophie, and this is Steven."

Steven gave a short nod and waited for Ms. Penner to make him leave; instead, she gave a gentle smile, "Well, it's wonderful to meet the both of you. Why don't you follow me to the backroom over here? Other children your age are participating in a small contest, that is, if you are interested?"

Sophie glanced at Steven, her eyes pleading to him that they check it out; he sighed and nodded in agreement, only showing a hint of a smile as Sophie grinned and followed the bookshop owner with a skip.

1972

Steven was bored. Sophie and Donna were again at the YMCA for swimming, Eric and Mikey had gone to church with their families, and he was stuck home bored. He glanced around the living room that no one could live in. His mother had been calm and happy and had actually cooked enough food for the week, and he suspected it was the weed that had enhanced her mood.

He rechecked the time, Eric should be home soon, and Mikey would probably be down in the basement with him. If he started walking now, he could meet them as they arrived. He stood up to walk out the door and stopped for a moment before he turned to enter the kitchen and pulled down a metal container where his mother kept her weed; he opened it and pulled out a rolled joint. His body burned with excitement at the thought of trying something he shouldn't. He grinned and hurried out the door to meet Eric and Mikey in the Foreman's basement.

Sophie awoke in fright to noise that scratched at her window. She glanced towards her window seat in time to see the window slowly rise and a suspiciously familiar shadow with curly hair crawl through.

"Steven?" she whispered. He glanced at her as he pulled his leg through the window. The smell of weed billowed around him, so strong she knew it wasn't from just being around it but that he had joined in.

"Hey, I didn't mean to wake you..." he mumbled.

She shrugged and watched him as he pulled out the extra bedding from under her bed and spread it out on the floor between her bed and the window. It was a system they had down since she had moved to Point Place—a haven for when it wasn't so best to be at his own home.

Sophie waited until Steven was settled in his spot, "so, " she asked suddenly, "did you enjoy it?" He opened his eyes and stared at her, "enjoy what?" he asked suspiciously.

She rolled her eyes, "the weed. You smell like pot and not; I had to walk through the house to get here. You smell like Edna when we drop you off at home," she snickered.

Steven looked at her carefully, "I tried it with Eric and Mikey. It was... awesome," he admitted, "do you want to try?"

Sophie rolled her eyes and shrugged, "no. Not now. Maybe later. Like, after I know how it affects dill holes like you." Steven gasped a hit her with a pillow causing her to laugh out loud.

1973

Kevin knocked on Sophie's door, "firefly, breakfast," he called out. He rolled his eyes when he heard hushed whispers through the bedroom door, "you too, Steven!" he called out.

The kid had been spending most nights at their house, and though Kevin always left the backdoor unlocked for him to crash in the living room, he always used Sophie's window. It was a good thing he trusted Steven with Sophie, even if he always reeked of pot. Probably started stealing it from Edna, he thought with a snort.

Both kids hurried to the kitchen and sat at the counter, where he served them eggs, bacon, and toast. He watched worriedly as Steven wolfed down his share of the meal. "You've been coming over more often, is everything alright at home?" Kevin asked. He frowned and hesitated, "Edna is home, right?"

Steven nodded and continued to shovel food into his mouth before he swallowed and answered, "yeah, but my Uncle is staying over, and he's been convincing mom to throw all these wild parties; I just figure it's better here."

Kevin grunted in acknowledgment.

Sophie stared at the flyer at the YMCA as she waited for Steven. She bit her lip in thought and frowned as she heard his familiar footsteps trudge up behind her, "watch ya lookin' at?" his voice flowed over to her.

"They're starting a middle school girl's sports team for volleyball, and the players will move onto the high school team next year," she answered, "Donna's not interested, but I… I mean, the extra activity might help with-"

Steven yanked her arm and forced her to look at him, "your not fat. There is nothing wrong with you," he snapped.

Sophie smiled and shook her head, "I mean… I know you, dad, Kitty, and Dr. Evans all remind me that I am okay. But that doesn't change how I feel, and as much as I have enjoyed swimming, I don't want to swim competitively. So I want to try this. I just…don't want to try out alone," she stated.

Steven peered into her eyes and searched to ensure she was telling the truth. He huffed and let go of her arm. He hated how she had that look on her face where she would ask for something without actually asking for it.

He glanced at the sports team announcements and groaned, "look, let's make a bet, you try out for volleyball, and I'll try out for baseball. See, same days. If only one of us makes the team, that person wins. If we both make the team, the person who lasts the longest wins."

She smiled and nodded, "what's the prize? A favor? Cash?" she asked giddily. He rolled his eyes and grinned good-naturedly, "a special gift," he replied.

Sophie frowned, "Steven, I don't smoke," she snarked.

He laughed, threw his arm over her shoulders, and pulled her close to kiss her head, "not what I meant, Soph."

Steven stomped toward the library, angry, annoyed, and disgusted. Every adult in his family seemed to leave him feeling this way, especially this year. First, it was his uncle. Who knows if the guy is really his uncle or maybe it's just one of his mother's many dear friends. His upper lip sneered at the thought.

About a month ago, this hot, blonde, big-boobed biker babe had stopped at Kevin's shop to get her bike looked at when Steven was helping out. He remembers how his whole being felt on fire just looking at her. He had grabbed Mikey, and the two of them had followed her for about two weeks. They had learned everything they could about her; her name was Esther, she loved her bike, and she was taking a cross-country ride for the hell of it. So he was ecstatic when she showed up at one of his mother's parties. He had grabbed a beer and was about to wander over when he watched her leave, slobbering all over his uncle, and left to probably give him a ride.

Douche.

And then his mother...Steven huffed in anger and reached the library door. He yanked it open and stomped inside, earning a glare from the new librarian. Steven hurried to the hidden alcove and quickly spotted the girl he needed, curled up and reading quietly.

She glanced up and frowned as she saw the look on his face. Sophie stood quickly as he shoved passed and stole her seat on the floor. He dragged her down so that she sat between his legs, her back to him, wrapped his arms around her, pulled her close, and buried his face in her hair.

She opened her book and read quietly while she waited for him to calm down. She frowned worriedly as she felt tears seep through her hair.

"Steve-" she started but stopped as he tightened his grip around her.

"You won our bet," he mumbled faintly, "my mom..." he suddenly stopped what he was saying and allowed her to turn to face him a little. "I flooded the damn locker room," he snapped viciously.

Sophie raised her eyebrows in confusion, "why? I thought you liked-"

"I think sports are the way for the government to try and control you," he interrupted.

Sophie rolled her eyes and gave a slight grin, "so it has nothing to do with your mother?" she asked.

Steven stared at her before he frowned, "I caught her in the locker room with the coach," he admitted. Sophie grimaced and nodded as she turned back around, leaned against him again, and read silently.

The story can be found on Quotev and Wattpad.