Chapter Nineteen

Party On

Veronica looked out of the car window of Jonathan's car and watched as the children ran down the street with bags clenched tightly in their little hands. They dressed in all sorts of costumes of monsters, witches, princesses, and ninjas. She couldn't help the smile that spread across her lips as she looked out and watched them, clearly seeing the smile wide on their faces as they ran together.

"So this is what you do? Run from one house to the other at night?" Veronica asked, turning her gaze away from the outside and to Jonathan.

He nodded his head, keeping his gaze forward, "Pretty much. The whole premise is to get candy and treats from the houses."

"Candy?" Veronica questioned

"Yeah," Will perked up from the backseat. "You get lucky if you get the big bars."

Veronica sat there confused for a moment before relaxing back into her seat. Jonathan pulled up outside the Wheeler home, in the short distance you're able to see Dustin, Lucas, and Mike waiting for him dressed in matching costumes. Jonathan turned around in his seat once the car was in park and looked back at his brother.

"Remember when you were talking about wanting to be able to go out?" Jonathan asked him, Will nodding his head. "Well, what if you promise to stay with the kids, in the cul-de-sac, and get back to the Wheeler's by 9? Veronica and I will let you go out trick or treating alone?"

"Really!" Will perked up with a wide smile spreading across his face. Jonathan nodded his head and smiled down at his little brother. "Oh my god, yeah! Yeah, I'll stay and be safe I promise."

"Alright, then get out of here, ok?" Jonathan laughed seeing his little brother nearly trip over himself as he got out of the backseat.

Veronica couldn't help to smile either and see Will rush to his friends, all of them bouncing with excitement before disappearing into the crowds of kids. Jonathan sat there for a while and watched till his brother disappeared from his sight. He sighed heavily with his shoulders sinking down slightly. Veronica reached over and gently grabbed his shoulder before rubbing it gently in comfort.

"He's going to be ok, Jonathan. Don't worry." Veronica spoke giving him a small smile. "I-I can keep my senses out for him. If that'll make you feel better."

"Won't that drain you?" Jonathan asked with his brows pulling together slightly. "I don't want you using your powers if it's going to make things worse for you, Ronnie."

"I'll check in with him every once and a while," Veronica shrugged her shoulders. "Reading and sensing for people don't take a lot of energy."

Jonathan nodded his head, "I appreciate it, Ronnie. Thank you."

Jonathan pulled the car out of the park and continued down the road to head to where the party was taking place. It didn't take long to find the home that was on the northeast side of Hawkins, pushed a little farther back from the main neighborhoods of the town. Which seemed to work in the favor of the party, since the music blaring from the home was heard almost an entire block over. Jonathan pulled up to the house and parked a little way down since the street was already nearly filled with parked cars. Teenagers littered the front lawn along with the debris of empty solo cups and other trash.

Veronica looked around in amazement as she watched everything around her, never being one to experience anything like this. As she walked into the home and felt the vibrations of everyone in the house reaching out to her. She closed her eyes for a moment and reached out to hold tightly to Jonathan's shoulder for balance as the room spun for a second. He turned back to her with a look of worry clear across his features.

"Hey, hey...you ok?" He whispered softly, reaching to caress her face to have her brown eyes focus on him.

"Just a lot of people." Veronica moaned softly, before taking a deep breath. "I-I just have to get used to it. I'll be fine, Jonathan."

"We can leave..." Jonathan started.

"Jonathan...I wanna be here. For a night I want to be a normal teenage girl and have fun at a party." Veronica spoke, her eyes darting over his shoulder and to the dance floor where she saw Steve and Nancy dancing.

Jonathan turned around and followed her gaze for a moment before coming back to her. There was a knowing look in her eyes before she shook her head and moved through the crowd. Veronica moved through the body of teenagers towards the kitchen. With each passing second the vibrations cooled and the room stopped spinning. The kitchen was filled with different types of drinks, empty bottles, and various types of beer. She looked around confused and unsure of which one to grab or if she should.

Normal teenagers drink, right? She asked herself.

Her eyes scanned over the counter for another moment before landing on a clear glass bowl that was filled with a red liquid. Veronica stepped forward and grabbed one of the empty cups that were stacked beside it, before grabbing the ladle and filling the cup generously. The music was loud around her making her ears hurt with the vibrations she was able to feel. For a moment she didn't know which was worse, sensing everyone at the same or feeling the vibrations of the music against her senses.

"Be careful with that," a voice spoke from beside her. She turned around quickly and noticed an unfamiliar face smirking down at her. Her stomach flipped the moment she looked into his blue eyes. "That stuff will mess you up if you have too much of it."

"I-I'm sorry..." Veronica started, her eyes moving to scan over his body. Something dripped down his exposed chest beneath the leather jacket he was wearing. "...do I know you?"

The smirk on his lips widened more as he stared down at the girl in front of him. Her brown eyes were soft and innocent as she looked up at him. But the more intense his eyes became as he looked down at Veronica, the more uneasy she began to feel again. Her hand reached out behind her and gripped the counter for support.

"Names Billy, Billy Hargrove. Just started at Hawkins High not too long ago. Word around the school is that you too are new?" He asked

"Uh...y-yeah...sort of." Veronica shrugged her shoulders. Billy stepped forward a little more with his body pressing her between himself and the counter.

"Well then, maybe we can help each other out? Being the new kids and everything" Billy had dropped his voice down slightly as he bent down to look her in her eyes. "What do you think about that, darlin'?"

Veronica stared up at him with her mouth opening and closing a few times without words coming out.

"Dude, seriously, doesn't wanna mess with that freak." someone spoke, a student she'd noticed from her second period. He stepped up beside Billy and patted him on the shoulder a few times.

Billy's eyes scanned over Veronica's body once again, his smirk only widening more, before turning and following with a cluster of boys that headed towards the dance floor. Veronica stood there for a second and felt her heart racing against her chest feeling like it was trying to break free from her ribs. Veronica took a few deep breaths before turning away and heading out of the kitchen. She brought the cup in her hands up to her lips and took a small drink, cringing at the harsh taste that welcomed her tongue.

Her eyes scanned over the party and saw that Steve and Nancy were gone from their places on the dance floor. When her gaze continued to follow along with the crowd, even though it was full of people, she could see that Jonathan was missing too.

"Goddamn it, Byers," Veronica whispered before bringing the drink back up to her lips and taking a drink.

Veronica made her way out onto the back patio of the house where the air was cooler and not as tension-filled for her. She sighed softly at the relief and leaned against the back railing of the patio looking through the sliding doors and watching the party.

"Not having fun I'm guessing?" a voice spoke from the other side of the patio. She gasped lightly and looked over, only this time it was someone familiar. Veronica relaxed when she saw Steve slightly smile at her. "Sorry...didn't mean to scare you."

"I-It's ok..." Veronica took a deep breath before moving closer to him. "I'm guessing you're out here cause you're not having fun either?"

Steve shrugged his shoulders and leaned against the side of the house. "Kind of hard to have fun when your girlfriend pushes you away and calls you bullshit."

Veronica cringed slightly, before handing her drink to Steve. "You might need this more than me."

Steve gently took the solo cup from her hands and looked down to see the infamous red liquid before taking a drink from it. "Thanks."

"Where's Nancy?" She asked gently.

"Uh...seems our dear friend Jonathan is taking care of her. Saw him leave with her about fifteen minutes ago." Steve answered, taking another drink from the cup. Veronica frowned as she looked at Steve. "I'm guessing that you didn't know he left?"

"No. Would've been nice seeing as Jonathan is the reason I'm here and my ride back home." Veronica reached up and took off the witch's hat that sat on her head, before moving her hand through her curls.

"I like the costume," Steve spoke with a smile, his fingers pointing up and down to her outfit. "Sort of fitting...since you have powers and everything."

Veronica smiled and looked down over her outfit before looking back up at Steve. "Thank you."

Steve stared at her for a moment before finishing off the drink she'd passed off to him, he moved to set it on the railing before speaking, "Do you wanna get out of here? Since we are both obviously over this whole...party thing?"

"R-Really?" Veronica perked up.

"Yeah...I know a place." Steve smiled slightly.

"This is it," Steve spoke as the two of you came upon a larger boulder structure in the middle of the woods. It looked like a skull sitting on two larger rocks. "I-I come here to clear my mind...have a little alone time."

Veronica looked up in amazement and quickly felt the peace of being in the middle of the woods with nothing else around. She turned to Steve with a small smile on her lips as she stared back at him with amazement in her eyes.

"You're sharing it with me?" Her voice was soft. Steve just looked at her and nodded his eyes, a smile tugging on the corner of his lips, before walking closer to the rock.

"Come on, we gotta sit at the top. Can see Lover's Lake from up there."

Steve walked quickly around her toward the boulders and started making his way up the rock, before turning around and holding his hand out to her.

"You coming?" Steve smiled before continuing up.

Veronica laughed softly and moved to race up after Steve, only stumbling a few times, before she finally reached the top. She moved and took a seat beside Steve and gasped lightly when she saw the view of the lake through the trees. Steve couldn't help but look at her and smile, seeing the child like amazement on her face. The moon reflecting back in her dark eyes in a way that made him feel breathless.

"This is peaceful, Steve...thank you." Veronica smiled looking at him shyly. "Kind of need a little peace right now."

"What's going on...i-if you don't mind...sharing. Kinda have been worried about you since the library and Nancy let me know about the other day at school."

"I don't mind," Veronica spoke up. "Um...I just don't have an answer at the moment. I'm having blank spots showing up. I don't remember anything that happened the other day. I-I'm having flashes...visions...of the...the place where we got Will from."

"The Upside Down?" Steve asked, his brows pinched together slightly in confusion. Veronica nodded her head slowly. "Wow."

"Yeah," Veronica nodded her head with a shrug, "I don't really know what's going on. Kind of scared...to be totally honest."

Steve reached over and gently placed his hand on top of hers, a part of him feeling like he needed to reach out and comfort the girl beside him.

"Nancy says something about you being one of those monsters from last year. I know she was scared when you came through when they set it on fire. But..I don't think so."

Veronica's head snapped over to Steve with wide eyes. "Nancy thinks I'm one of those monsters"

Steve's eyes widened, realizing he'd let something slip. Something he didn't realize that Veronica wasn't aware of. "I-I'm sorry. I thought you knew, I thought Jonathan would've said something." Veronica shook her head quickly and turned away from Steve. "I-I don't think it! I-I don't."

Veronica couldn't help the tears that welled up in her eyes as she looked out to the water.

"I don't blame her. I'd think I was a monster too." Veronica whispered.

Steve shook his head quickly, "No. No...Veronica...sh-she doesn't mean it like that. She's scared. I'm sorry, I-I shouldn't have said anything."

"I'm glad you did," Veronica looked at him. "I like you, Steve. You're a good guy...with good intentions. Can tell."

Steve's eyebrows rose up slightly, "T-Tell?"

"Can read people...remember?" She spoke, "You give off a...feeling that I haven't felt before. It's...different, but I like it."

Steve smiled at her and nodded his head slightly before looking out toward the water. A comforting silence fell between the two teenagers as they watched the water softly ripple and move onto the shore. Veronica became so relaxed that she rested against Steve, her head moving to lie on his shoulder. A smile tugged on the corner of his lips as she found comfort in him. Veronica felt the soft electrifying warmth that only Steve gave her and the more she sat there the stronger it became.