Here's to Season 3!
I Just want to start by reassuring you all that Steve and Roni will FINALLY get together by the end of this season. There will be some Angst but it will happen so just bear with me a bit longer on the slow burn… the idea I have for them just is bursting at the seams and I am so excited to finally start writing it out.
This chapter and probably the next are a bit shorter as they are more lead ups to the main antagonists of season 3 and the plots for my story. Hopefully I will have the next chapter out soon to so we can get to the good stuff.
All errors are my own and I own none of the characters except Roni
Stay tuned, I will be back with more, promise.
The mall was the new attraction for our small town. It closed down several businesses including taking business away from the Arcade. Once school was out everyone flocked to the air-conditioned building and the outdoor pool. On my days off… which were more that usual with lack of business, I found myself hanging around Scoops Ahoy, the ice cream shop in the mall. The ice cream was okay… but the workers… and their uniforms, made it so much better.
When Steve told me he got a job, much to his dismay and his father's pleasure, I was happy and proud of him. His dad was still angry about him not getting into school and after my lashing out at graduation about their parenting… things were tense at his house. He stayed with me frequently, and I noticed a pattern when it happened, it was usually when his parents came home from business trips. We never talked about it, but I knew why he was over more, and I was more than happy to be that escape for him.
Walking through the mall it was crowded, which made me uncomfortable, but everyone was happy. The darkness of what had happened last fall was gone, and people were laughing and enjoying themselves. Stepping through the entrance of Scoops Ahoy a familiar face stood at the counter helping customers. I stood off to the side as he put on a fake smile and placed their ice cream in cones before finally looking up at me. I had to bite my bottom lip and look down to keep him from seeing my amused smile.
"Don't say it." He stated putting his palms on the counter and bowing his head. "Don't even say it…"
"I didn't say anything." I struggled to say without laughing.
"This uniform man, its…"
"Cute." I couldn't hold it together any longer and laughed, covering my mouth to try and conceal it as best I could. "Oh come on it's a job, and you are busy… beats sitting at a desk in an empty arcade all day."
"I would love to see you in this uniform." He rolled his eyes before coming around the corner and sitting across from me in the booth I slid into.
"Not a chance, only you can pull off that hat."
"Ha, ha, ha…" he said, "What are you doing here anyway?"
"It's hot outside," I shrugged. "And I am not going anywhere near the pool with Billy lifeguarding."
"He talk to you again?" Steve asked. A few months back Billy had stopped me as I left the school trying to apologize. It was his attempt to justify his actions the night at the Byers, saying if he had known I was hurt he wouldn't have been as aggressive. He was supposed to be on a date and his dad made him find his sister. It was a useless apology. It didn't matter, I knew he was only apologizing because he wanted to clear his conscious… I did believe he was sorry, but when he said it wouldn't happen again, I didn't believe him.
"No, he's been pretty pre-occupied with all the mom's that bring their kids to the pool from what I can tell, and what Max says." I shook my head fiddling with the napkin container on the table.
"That's… kinda wrong." Steve answered back and I just laughed.
"Okay well, I'm gonna go get a hotdog on a stick." I smiled before sliding out from the booth and walking out of the shop. I spent the rest of the afternoon walking around a people watching before ending back up at Scoops Ahoy.
"Hey Robin." I nodded to the stoic girl behind the counter.
"He's in the back." She tilted her head to the back door, and I nodded before walking around to the back. Steve was lounging on one of the chairs when I walked in.
"Get bored already?" he asked, and I stuck my tongue out at him as a response sitting in the open seat.
"Hey dingus, your children are here." Robin called and Steve groaned, getting up and pushing the door open.
"Again…. Seriously?" he said as Mike, Lucas, Max, and Will walked through the door.
"Hey Roni." Max smiled as she passed me and followed the others towards the back door where Steve ushered them through. After getting them through the door and making some half-hearted threat he came back, and I followed him back out to the dining room.
"How often do they do that?" I asked.
"At least once a week." Robin called before Steve could answer. Before I could say anything more the lights in Scoops, as well as through the mall went out, throwing everyone into darkness. Steve beside me switched the light switch on and off.
"That isn't gonna work Dingus." Robin scoffed and Steve just looked at her and continued to flip the switch. I couldn't put my finger on it but there was a darkness… outside of the dark building, that crept up my spine. Power outages were not uncommon but this one didn't feel like any normal outage. It was only out for a few minutes before the lights came back on and the building was again in full hustle.
"Hey…" Steve came up behind me putting his hand on my shoulder pulling me from my thoughts. "You okay?"
"Huh?" I shook my head and looked over my shoulder. "Oh, yeah."
"You sure?" he asked concerned.
"I am going to head home." I rolled my eyes and placed my hand on his shoulder avoiding his question.
"I can take you home when I get off." He offered and I shook my head.
"I'm good." I smiled. "See you tomorrow, bye Robin!" I called and turned before Steve could question me anymore on my weird reaction to the blackout. The rest of the night went on without a hitch. I closed up the arcade, and went back to my apartment trying to get rid of the doom and gloom feeling I had. That night was no better, between weird dreams about a gate followed by an odd dream about Billy and a shadow monster, sleep was little and basically non-existent.
After getting ready the next day I left my place and walked down the deserted main street of Hawkins. With the mall open all the shops had help wanted or closed signs in the windows. Most of the shops were small mom and pop shops, it was sad to see them being ghosted out without a second glance. Finding the store I was looking for I went in just as I heard Jim complaining across the aisles.
"And then El, she just… slams the door," he said, and I grabbed a bag of gummy bears before jumping on the counter continuing to listen. "Right in my face."
"Uh-huh…" Joyce answered almost as if she wasn't fully listening.
"You know… it is that smug son of a bitch, Mike." Jim said, neither of them realizing I was there yet. "He's corrupting her, I'm telling you, and I'm just gonna lose it. I mean… I'm gonna lose it Joyce!"
"Just take it down, Hopper." Joyce sighed turning around to walk down another aisle and spotted me. "When did you get here."
"Few minutes ago." I said popping another bear in my mouth with a shrug.
"Why?" Hopper asked suspiciously.
"Heading to work, heard your bellowing figured I would stop in to watch the show." I said smugly.
"Look, I need for them to break up." Jim ignored me and turned back to Joyce.
"That's not your decision." She stated holding up the price gun.
"They're spending entirely too much time together." He groaned.
"They're teenagers." I pointed out with a scowl. "And if I am being honest as much as this is El's first boyfriend, I am pretty sure this is his first girlfriend, they're harmless."
"No one asked you." Jim glared at me and I shrugged with a smile. "Joyce, you agree with me this right?"
"Well, I mean, they're just kissing right?" Joyce said and I had to choke back a laugh as Jim stared at her in disbelief.
"Yeah, but it is constant." Jim said following Joyce to the next aisle. "It is constant, okay? That's not normal, it's not healthy."
"You can't just force them apart," Joyce sighed, "I mean they're not little kids anymore Hop. They're teenagers. If you order them around like a cop, then they're gonna rebel. It's just what they do."
"So what? I'm just supposed to let them do whatever they want?"
"No, I didn't say that." Joyce shook her head. "I think you should… talk to them." I couldn't stop the laugh that escaped my throat and I received a glare as a response.
"No, no, cause talking doesn't work." Jim shook his head.
"Not yelling. Not ordering." Joyce said firmly, "But talk to them, you know like a heart-to-heart."
"A… heart – to – heart?" Jim repeated with a scowl. "What is that?"
"You sit them down and you talk to them, like you're their friend." Joyce explained. "I find if you talk to them like you're on their level, then they really start to listen. And then, you know, you should start to create some boundaries."
"Boundaries?"
"Jesus Jim," I groaned jumping off the counter. "You need to do it calmly and lose your cool like you do when you talk about them together."
"You want me to talk to them..?" he asked unsure. "Maybe… you could do it for me?"
"Oh no." I shook my head stepping back. "Not going to happen, this is between you and her."
"Joyce?"
"No." she answered.
"Yeah, you can, yeah you can." Jim insisted. "You could come by after work."
"No."
"Yes"
"No, it only works if it comes from you." Joyce said firmly. "But maybe I can help you find the right words." She offered, coming over to the counter I had just jumped off of. Jim looked relieved as Joyce started writing down a script for Jim to follow.
"Hey kid you, okay?" Jim asked nudging my arm as Joyce continued writing. "You look like you haven't slept."
"Rough night," I shrugged, and he scowled down at me waiting for me to elaborate. "The black out brought out some really weird dreams."
"There that should do it." Joyce said, handing him the paper.
"With that I am going to head to work." I sighed, handing Joyce a few dollars for the pack of gummy bears. "Good luck with all of that."
"Call me if you need anything." Jim called after me and I just lifted my hand in a wave as I left the shop.
STEVE'S POV
I bowed my head as I watched the two girls, I just served walk out the door. I had just made a complete ass out of myself. After the night outside the dance with Roni, I hadn't thought twice about trying to flirt with anyone, it just seemed wrong. Every now and then I thought maybe I had moved past it and could move on but my heart was never into it.
Unfortunately for me, my coworker liked to capitalize on my failed attempts and made sure I knew every time it happened.
"And another one bites the dust." Robin said holding up a sign in the window. The board had two sides, one stating YOU ROCK and the other YOU SUCK. "You are oh for six, Popeye."
"Yeah, yeah I can count." I said leaning on the counter.
"You know that means you suck." She snide back at me.
"Yep, I can read too." I said with a sigh.
"Since when?" she smiled, and I rolled my eyes.
"Its this stupid hat." I tried to deflect the conversation. "I'm telling you it is totally blowing my best feature."
"Yeah, company policy is a real drag." She said putting the board down. "You want to know what I think? I think that its because you're not putting your heart in it, I think your heart is on someone else."
"I don't know what you're talking about." I scoffed, turning around to walk into the back.
"She's in here everyday and when she is you smile like a dope, and you stare at her when she isn't looking." She said matter-of-factly and I sat in the chair with a groan. "Have you even tried with her?"
"She isn't interested." I sighed.
"I find that hard to believe." She stated. "She is in here almost every day, and I seriously doubt it's for the ice cream or my personality…. So" she nudges my feet from the table only moments after I propped them up.
"So what?" I asked.
"So why haven't you asked her out?"
"It's complicated with Roni." I sighed, tossing my hat on the table before running my fingers through my hair.
"How complicated can it be dingus, you like her, she likes you… just kiss and figure it out." She said with a shrug, and I bowed my head and chuckled shaking my head.
"Oh my God, you two did?" Robin questioned smacking my arm.
"Ow!" I feigned pain holding my arm. "What was that for?"
"What happened?"
"Nothing, we kissed." I shrugged hearing the bell up front. "It wasn't a good time, we're friends."
"If you say so," Robin called as I went back out to the front to serve a new customer.
Next Day
The next day was a lot of the same. I was in the back going through inventory when I heard a familiar voice from the lobby and I immediately ran out in the main room finding the curly haired boy that I hadn't seen in weeks.
"Henderson!" I exclaimed. Dustin looked at me a big toothless smile on his face. "Henderson! He's back!"
"I'm back!" Dustin replied before gesturing to the ice cream shop, "You got the job."
"I got the job." I repeated back with more excitement than I intended.
"How many children are you friends with?" Robin asked and I looked between her and Dustin and shrugged. Pulling Dustin to a seat outside the ice cream shop I watched as he dug into the sundae, I had made him. Between mouthfuls he was explaining camp and a girl he had met there.
"No, no." I shook my head. "No way… Hotter than Phoebe Cates? No."
"Mm-hmmm," This kid smiled with another spoonful of ice cream, "Brilliant, too. And she doesn't even care that my real pearls are still coming in. She says kissing is better without teeth." He seemed so proud of that and I tried to give him a smile.
"Wow. That's uh… great." I nodded averting my eyes back into the shop towards Robin who was helping a customer. "Proud of you… that's kinda romantic."
"So do you really just get to eat as much of this as you want?" he asked gesturing to the ice cream.
"Yeah, I mean sure." I shrugged, "Its not really a good idea for me though… you know I gotta keep in shape for the ladies."
"Yeah and how's that working out for you?" Robin called snidely.
"Ignore her." I stated sitting up a bit straighter.
"Ladies? Or one lady in particular?" Dustin asked a goofy grin on his face as he raised eyebrows a couple times.
"What are you talking about?" I scowled looking between him and Robin who was also grinning back at me. "Not you too." I groaned.
"Oh, come on you like her, why haven't you said anything?" Dustin asked pointing his spoon at me.
"Like I told Robin, it's complicated." I sighed leaning my head back on the booth.
"What's complicated?" the voice came from behind the booth. My head shot up and I could feel my cheeks starting to warm. I willed myself to breath and slow my heartbeat as Roni walked around the booth and slid in next to me. We hadn't talked about the dance or the kiss since that night. She was so sure that I would walk away after she said everything that night, that I made a point to prove to her I wasn't going anywhere. There had been several chances and moments that almost broke that barrier she had put up, but I was just as scared as she was to ruin what we currently had.
"Uh… Nothing." I said my voice squeaking slightly. Clearing my throat I put my arm on the top of the booth and tried my best to look 'cool' and 'calm' "Nothing." I repeated.
"Oookay…" she said eyeing me suspiciously. "Henderson, when did you get back?"
"Yesterday." Dustin answered a wide grin on his face.
"And where's the rest of you're fellowship… posse?... what ever you call yourselves?" she asked looking to me as she tried to remember the nerd term for their group.
"Party, we are a party or warriors." Dustin rolled his eyes and Roni just shrugged swiping a finger at some whip cream on the top of Dustin's ice cream.
"Whatever." She stated.
"Yeah, where are the knucklehead?" I asked realizing now that Dustin wasn't surrounded by his usually group of friends.
"They ditched me yesterday." Dustin scoffed taking a big bite of the ice cream.
"Really?" Roni scowled next to me leaning back into the booth comfortably. The hand I had placed above the booth lightly brushing her shoulder, and if she noticed she didn't say anything or move away. It almost felt like she moved closer to it, but that could have been my imagination.
"My first day back." He stated in disbelief. "Can you believe that shit?"
"Whoa… seriously?" I asked.
"I swear to god."
"Mike and El left first?" Roni questioned wincing as she spoke, like she knew already.
"Yeah…" Dustin scowled tilting his head slightly. "How'd you know?"
"Jim's having a cow over them spending too much time together," Roni sighed with a shrug. "It's a whole thing."
"Well, they're gonna regret it though." Dustin said his voice getting lower as he leaned forward on the table. "Big time, when they don't get to share in my glory."
"What glory?" Roni asked suspiciously looking at me from the corner of her eye.
"So… get this." Dustin leaned even further forward pushing his ice cream to the side. "Last night, we're trying to get in contact with Suzie… and uh…. " What he said next was in audible and I scowled leaning forward Roni close behind.
"What?"
"I intercepted a secret Russian communication." It what I heard but it didn't sound right. Judging by Roni's deepened frown and pursed lips she had heard the same thing.
"What?" I repeated shaking my head hoping he had said something different, and I just misheard him.
"I intercepted a secret Russian Communication!" he said loudly and Roni was up quickly moving next to Dustin and slapping her hand over her mouth cringing as people around us stared.
"Shut up." She hissed.
"Jeez, shh… yeah okay," I whispered trying to avert my gaze from everyone around us. "That's what I thought you said."
"What do you mean a secret message?" Roni asked finally removing her hand from his mouth.
"I mean… I overheard a message and now we could be heroes." Dustin's excitement was back as he looked between me and Roni. The word hero intrigued me, and I leaned back casually.
"Heroes?" I questioned.
"True American heroes." He nodded; Roni was already shaking her head.
"Hold on." She said looking over her shoulder. "How sure are you of this?"
"100%." Dustin answered almost offended by her question. "I know what Russian sounds like."
"This is Hawkins… why would you receive a Russian message… or intercept it, it seems… I don't know, weird." She sighed hesitantly. "Maybe its just nothing."
"Or maybe it's something and we could save America." Dustin pointed out and I nodded in agreement until Roni glared at me.
"I'm so over saving everything…" she mumbled leaning back. "Okay, whats the catch?"
"No catch." Dustin shook his head. "I just need your help."
"With what?" I asked suspiciously. Dustin looked around and then started shuffling through his bag before pulling out a book and displaying it for Roni and I to see. It was a book of Russian and with a proud smile he brought out a tape player as well.
"Translation."
Thanks again for sticking with me.
Again I appreciate all suggestions, comments and likes/follows.
See you soon with the next chapter.