Look at that, another new chapter!

"You know those days where you think, this might as well happen?" Yeah, it's that sorta chapter. It's not as clean as I would've liked, I'll probably edit it later, but I do really like it. Before you ask, the couple is okay. Just some personal things. Oh, and there's a tiny little slumber party that'll be expanded on in the next chapter - which is longer and starts the day after this one.

In addition: I'd like to give a special shoutout to my buddy, Boris Yeltsin, who's been a great brainstorm partner, and has both given me and helped me expand on a new OC. Keep an eye out for a new, nameless face (well, he's only nameless to Veronica).

Thank you to all my lovely reviewers and everyone who's followed and favorited The Ice Queen of Hawkins so far. Seriously, you're the absolute best and I'm loving how much you're loving my story!

Friday, March 15

11:50 pm

You know those days where you feel like everything bad that can happen, happens? I mean, you've gotta. We've all had days like that, whether it's a parking ticket, failed tests, a monster pulling you into another dimension. Life isn't all good. Sometimes, a lot of times, it can be bad.

Which is why, for the past two hours, I've been sitting on the couch in Hop's cabin, Steve's head pillowed on my tear-damp sweatpants. El is cuddled into my other side, snoring lightly and snuffling as she nuzzles my wet shoulder.

On the table in front of us rests a plate of half-eaten Eggos, three empty mugs of hot cocoa, and six opened letters, the paper tearstained and smudged. I glare down at the one closest to me, my hands otherwise occupied as my fingers stroke two heads of brown hair as gently as possible.

"Dear Mr. Harrington," the letter reads, "The Board of Admissions has carefully and thoughtfully reviewed your application for admission. We recognize your strong commitment to your studies and appreciate the time and effort that went into preparing your application. However, we are unable to offer you admission to Indiana State University."

So. Let's run through a bad day. A really bad, completely shitty day.

Friday, March 15

7:55 am

I hum worriedly, glancing out the window every few seconds. Dustin's just as anxious, biting his lip raw as he frets by the door. If mom was here, she'd be as panicked as the two of us, running around the house like a chicken with its head cut off as she'd beeline for the phone.

"Where is he? He's never late?" Dustin asks, rushing over to my side. "You think he forgot?"

"It's a Friday tradition, and Steve isn't that forgetful." I shoot back, sending Dustin an apologetic smile as he winces. "Sorry, Dusty. Hey, why don't you just ride to school, alright?"

Before my little brother can respond, a car pulls up into our driveway. The door slams and Steve curses loudly, scaring away a branchful of birds. Not wanting to waste anymore time, Dustin and I grab our bags and run out of the house. I pause for a second to lock the door, frowning at the short conversation behind me.

"You're never late, Steve. What happened?"

"Get in the damn car." Is all my boyfriend says, a growl in his voice. I turn and watch my brother morosely get in the backseat.

"Morning, baby."

"We're gonna be late." Is Steve's response. While I have two working hands and no problem opening the door for myself, the usual morning routine consists of Steve fighting me so he can be Prince Charming and help me into the car.

Not today, though. Today, Steve simply got back behind the wheel, fingers tapping the dashboard impatiently as I cautiously climbed inside, strapping in and sending Dustin a hopefully reassuring smile. "We all ready?" Steve only huffs and pulls out of the driveway, practically speeding towards the road to school. "Whoa, baby, slow down -"

"We're gonna be late, and Dustin has a project to turn in." Steve tightens his hands around the steering wheel. I nervously glance at the speedometer. "And I'm not about to let him get punished because I fucked up."

"Steve, it's fine, my teacher loves me. No one can resist these pearls." Dustin smiles and purrs. My boyfriend doesn't even crack a grin. He just glowers at the road, cursing as sirens scream out behind us. "Hey, buddy, shouldn't you be pulling over?" My brother asks.

"Steve?"

My boyfriend stares at me with crazed eyes before suddenly pulling over, all three of us jerking in our seats. I check on Dustin, first, who's winded but not hurt. Steve's knuckles have gone white, though, and are practically bursting through his skin. I lean over to take one of his hands but he pulls it away in favor of opening his visor, driver's license at the ready. He rolls down the window, staring out at the leafless trees. A car door slams behind us, and I'm relieved to see Hopper striding towards us, frowning worriedly as he peers inside. "Morning." I merely wave, blinking worriedly at Steve as he glowers out the front of the Beemer, hands back on the wheel. "You guys alright?"

"We're fine!" Dustin nearly shouts. "Totally good. We're late for school, man, which is fucking -"

"Language, Dusty."

"Whatever, Leia."

Hopper hums and tilts his head, studying my boyfriend. "Everything okay, Harrington? You were driving like a bat out of hell."

"The kid said it. We're late." Steve growls out. "So, as fun as this is, we've gotta go."

"Hang on." Hopper orders. "You were going 90 on a 25."

"I'm not the only one who speeds, Chief." Steve shoots back, finally looking up at my father-figure. "So why don't you get back in your car and deal with the actual criminals running around town."

Hop makes a face. "Okay." He pats the top of the car. "Hmm."

"Steve." I whisper. My boyfriend huffs. "Seriously?"

"What?!" Steve explodes, shocking all three of us. I blink, mouth open a little. My boyfriend only shakes his head and glances up at Hop. "Sorry. Shitty morning. How much is the ticket?"

"Uh." Hop clears his throat. "You know what, just bring it back down to 25 and we're all good." Steve looks back towards the road, and Hop focuses on me. "You still coming over after school?"

"Yeah." I try to smile. "Is El excited?"

"You kidding? It's all I've heard the past week. She's practically kicking me out of the house." I laugh a little at that, but it's cut off when Steve grunts. Hop frowns again, tapping the car once more. "Alright. You three have a good day. Stick to the limit, Steve."

"Yeah. You got it, Chief." My boyfriend impatiently agrees.

"Next time, I'm writing you a ticket."

"I've got it." He snaps. "Can we go? Dustin's got a project to turn in."

Hop backs up. "Watch the attitude, son."

"I'm not your son." I wince as Steve pulls sharply onto the road, practically covering Hop in dust. Still, he doesn't go over the limit. Dustin practically leaps out of the car the second Steve pulls up to the middle school. He doesn't even wave or wish us a good day, he just runs into the building. Before I can say anything Steve shakes his head. "Don't. Just, don't." He drives over to the high school parking lot, cursing when he notices his usual spot's been taken. With the Beemer at the end of the lot, we walk towards the building silently. I frown at my boyfriend's back.

"Baby, where's your backpack?"

Steve pauses, feeling around. "Fuck!" He growls. "Goddamn it!"

"Whoa, hey, I'm sure it's just in the trunk."

"No, it's not, I definitely left it at home. Just go to class, Veronica." He gruffs out, stepping away from me before I can hug him. "Seriously, stop treating me like a little kid, I'm not that fucking helpless." Okay. Yeah, that's not my boyfriend.

"Steve, it's alright."

"No, actually, it's not. I've got my own shit to turn in, I'm behind enough as it is. Just go to class, I'll see you later." Steve growls before stomping away.

I watch him get back in the car and drive out the way we came, unable to process what the hell just happened.

I frown as I leave my classroom, getting ready for lunch. He's picked me up everyday since we got together, so where the hell is Steve?

"Veronica, hun, you're blocking the door." Tina gently scolds me. I hurriedly step out of the way, still glancing around. "What's up?"

"Have you seen Steve?" The brunette frowns, shaking her head. "No. I can check around, though - babe!" She shrieks, laughing as her boyfriend - James, another basketball player - pulls her into a very passionate kiss. It's a little too passionate, and he's a jerk, so I have no problem looking away with a wrinkled nose. "Jamie, have you seen Steve?"

"Why are you asking about Harrington?"

I don't like his tone of voice, and I hate the way Tina consoles him even more. I'm quick to spin around and interrupt my friend as she deals with her boyfriend's extraordinary jealousy. "Me. She's asking for me. Have you seen him?"

"Hmm, can't say I have, Henderson. Why, trouble in paradise? He's usually following you around like a lost puppy." James laughs. Tina frowns, and he rolls his eyes. "Whatever, it's true. No, I haven't seen your boy. C'mon, Tina. We're gonna be late." He drags her off, Tina sending me apologetic glances as she disappears down the hall.

I wait another few minutes before finally sighing, walking towards the sounds of the bustling cafeteria. I'm so dazed that I barely register bumping into someone. "Shit, sorry. Here." I go down and pick up the fallen books, blinking when I realize it's a frowning Robin. "Sorry, Rob. I'm totally out of it."

"Hey, it's fine. No one got hurt." She waves me off, then holds up her copy of 1984. "You might want to apologize to George Orwell, though, he's got an ego."

I manage a smile, rolling my eyes. "Yeah. I know the type. Sorry, Georgie."

Robin laughs. "Okay, now you really have to apologize to him."

"Robs, c'mon!" A deep southern voice drawls from down the hall. I don't recognize the source of the voice - it's a tall blonde boy, built like a bull, and I seriously have no idea who he is; when did Andre the Giant start attending Hawkins High?

"I've gotta run. Band meeting. See you in Physics?"

"Physically, yeah." I shake my head as Robin runs off to join her friends. "Definitely not emotionally." I murmur.

When I reach the cafeteria, I see every person who isn't my lost boyfriend. Fear builds in my stomach, and I hurry over to my least favorite table. Vicki and Nicole attempt to start something, but I miss whatever they're shooting my way as I go over to Tommy and Carol. "Hi. Have either of you seen Steve?"

"Uh, no, can't say I have." Tommy frowns.

Carol shrugs. "He's probably at home. Why? Trouble in paradise?" She jokes, but it says something about her personal growth that she stops laughing the minute she catches onto how panicked I'm becoming. "Hey, I'm sure he's fine."

"Yeah. That's what everyone keeps saying. Thanks." I shake my head and stalk off towards Jonathan and Nancy. They giggle as they eat off of each other's trays, and while my stomach is in knots I can't find it in myself to be bitter. I haven't seen Jonathan this happy in years, and I haven't seen Nancy this relaxed in months.

Which is why the knots in my stomach get even tighter when I approach them, my family's glee dying when they see my face. "Ver? What's wrong?" Jonathan practically leaps up from his seat to pull me into a hug.

"It's Steve. I don't know what's going on - he was late picking me and Dustin up, he was speeding - he was a dick to Hop, like he used to be." I shake my head as I step away from my brother, slumping onto the seat next to Nance. She rubs my back as I continue. "And when we got to school, I realized he didn't have his backpack. That was three hours ago." I groan and cover my face, clasping my hands at my lips like I'm mid-prayer. "What if something happened? Should I call his house? I don't want to get him in trouble with his parents, but what if - the gate's closed, right? He's safe?" I plead, lips quivering as I bite them, my breathing becoming shallow. "Oh, God."

"Whoa, whoa, hey. I'm sure he's fine. Why don't we step outside, huh? Call Hop?" Nancy immediately snaps into action, helping me stand. Jonathan starts leading us away from the table. He stops mid-stride, and I bounce into his back.

"Good news. We found him." Jonathan looks down at me, a warm smile on my face. "Look."

I blink over his shoulder, my own falling with relief when a familiar head of hair appears over the crowd of students. The relief fades when I see the thunderous expression on Steve's face. He marches straight to the lunch line, glaring underclassmen away as he forces himself in front of a whole bunch of irritated teens.

"The hell are you three doing? Someone's gonna take your lunch." Steve huffs out as soon as he walks over to us. We follow him warily back to the table, my boyfriend glowering when he notices the empty spot in front of me. "Where's your food? God, Roni, we've been over this."

We actually haven't, but if giving me his applesauce and half his meatloaf makes him settle down, I'll take it.

"Sorry, baby. I was just looking for you."

"Well, you found me." He murmurs. I watch as he shoves food into his face. "For fucks sake, Roni, eat." Steve growls.

"Okay, what's your deal, man?" Jonathan snaps before I can even form some kind of response. "She was worried about you."

"Yeah, well, she didn't have to be." Steve grumbles.

Shaking my head, I stand up. "No, I did. I love you, you're my boyfriend, and this town can be dangerous - all four of us know that. Why wouldn't I be worried?" The fight's stolen from Steve, but he's quiet. All I can do is huff and storm away, barely holding onto my belongings as I hurry out of the cafeteria to find a nice, quiet corner to breathe in.

I wish I could say the rest of the day got better. That would be a lie. In the course of three hours, I failed a math test, some asshole spilled pop all over my essay on The Old Man and the Sea, and I fucked up my physics assignment with Robin so bad that Mr. Lewis spent the whole period lecturing me, chipping away at every part of me that I had no choice but to put up my Ice Queen defenses, or risk sobbing in front of the entire class and spending the rest of my life at Hawkins High living that moment down.

"Hey, it's alright." Robin tries comforting me as we leave the class. The hallway parts as students take in my facial expression. "I'll talk to Mr. Lewis. It wasn't even that big of a fuckup, he's probably just pissed about something else and decided to take out on you. Which isn't good, either," Robin backtracks as I glare up at her, "but he's a douchebag."

"Yeah. Thanks, Rob. Have a good weekend." I mutter, smiling as much as I can manage before marching over to my locker. Nancy and Jonathan are already there, and they take one look at me before pulling me into a hug, completely blocking me from view. I will myself not to cry, sniffling into Nancy's shoulder as Jonathan pats my back.

"Hey. It's alright."

"Have you seen Steve?" I ask.

Nancy hums. "Yeah. He's - we tried to talk to him, but he left right after you did. I saw him between classes, but only for, like, a second."

"I just want to know what happened. Everything was fine, yesterday."

Jonathan exhales. "I don't know. Something could've happened at home." He mentions. I shake my head, though.

"No. He would've told me. Oh, God, is he breaking up with me?"

Jonathan snorts, and Nancy is kind enough to smack his chest with her books. Repeatedly. "So not helpful, Jonathan. Vera, he loves you."

"Nance -"

"Hey." She cuts me off. "Remember what you told your dad? That Steve's an honest guy? It's true. Something else is going on, and you know when he's ready you're the first person he's gonna talk to." Nancy grins and shakes her head, and there's no sadness in her next words. "Even when we were dating, that's what he did. Maybe the fact that both of you are having shitty days is the universe's way of saying you're meant to be?" She offers, putting on her usual positive spin. I roll my eyes, but it's not an awful thought to hold onto.

Someone clears their throat, and I look over to see Steve's joined us. He frowns, eyeing me worriedly. It's the first time he's really looked at me all day. "You alright."

"I'm fine." I try to smile, but I just can't. "I just -" I exhale. "Jonathan's gonna drop me off at the cabin. Could you still bring Dustin home?"

"I'm gonna do what?"

"Seriously?" Jonathan and Steve ask.

I glare at my brother, ignoring Nancy as she shakes her head. "Yes. God, where's your brain today, Johnny?"

"Oh, right." He laughs awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head as he stares up at my boyfriend. "'S that okay, man?"

"Sure. Dude." Steve practically hisses out, eyebrows hiked up to his hair. "I just would've liked to have known before I wasted my time waiting for you."

I glare hard enough that I'm surprised lasers aren't shooting out of my eyes. "Well, it's not like I could've told you. You've been avoiding me all day."

"Jesus Christ, Veronica. Not everything's about you."

"Okay, where the hell is that coming from? You were the one who was late to pick us up, you were the one who nearly got Dusty and I into a wreck, you were the one trying to duke it out with Hop -"

"Save it, Roni. I'm not in the mood for a replay of today's failures. Whatever, I'll see you later. Buy, guys." Steve stomps away from us, shoving his way out of the building.

Nancy clears her throat, and I blink up at her, tears forming in my eyes. "Well. That was -"

"Yeah. Let's just get out of here. Please." I whisper. My best friends snap into action, practically running me out of school and into the parking lot.

The drive to Hopper's is void of any and all conversation. The only sounds are the sounds of Jonathan's car sputtering, and The Clash rocking the Casbah. My thanks are just as quiet, and I watch the couple drive back through the woods before turning around, and making the trek to the cabin. I'm moving on autopilot, stepping over traps and around thick groves of trees.

Seconds after I give the secret knock, the door bursts open. My shitty day is put on pause as El leaps up onto me, pulling me into an incredibly aggressive hug. I laugh and return the gesture, swinging the slightly taller girl around so her feet hover over the floor. "Hi, sweetheart! You excited?"

"So excited!" El jumps down, her jaw-length curls bouncing as she smiles at me. "Can we have Eggos?"

"You gotta eat veggies, too!" Hopper shouts from his room, and I laugh. The man comes stomping out, huffing under his breath about promises, Flo, and conferences. "Can't believe Flo's making me go to this dumb thing. I hate conferences. They're awful, and it's way too far - maybe I shouldn't go." He looks between me and El. "I mean, both of you are just magnets for trouble."

"Okay, rude." I pout.

"No!" El nearly shouts. Her eyes go wide, like a puppy's, and Hopper's gone. "Please? You promised I could have a sleep-over. You said 'I promise'."

Hopper groans, running a hand down his face. "Fine. Yeah, I did. Alright. You obviously know how to reach the station -"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure the number hasn't changed." I snip.

El frowns, confused. "Number... changed?"

I smile and tug on one of her curls. "I was just being sarcastic, sweetheart." She frowns. "Hop, what have you been teaching your daughter?"

"The abcs." El responds, and something about it pulls a giant laugh out of both myself and her adoptive father. She frowns, then shrugs and joins us.

Hop wipes under his eye before pulling his daughter into a hug, bending down to kiss her forehead. "Love you, kiddo."

"I love you, too."
I'm pulled into a hug next, and Hopper adds a shoulder-clap. "And you, hooligan. I love you."

"Ditto." I laugh as he smacks me up the head. "I love you."

"Alright. I'm off. The kitchen's stocked - Joyce was on my ass all week. Bedtime is 8:30, don't forget to record the new Miami Vice. The cassette's on top of the TV. I swear to God, if you two only eat Eggos this weekend, I'll lose it."

"Go!" El orders, practically shoving her dad out the door. I laugh at his betrayed expression, waving with our super-powered girl as he disappears into the forest, duffle bag slung over his shoulder. "Sleep-over?" El blinks over at me, practically bouncing out of her skin.

I snort and pull her inside, locking up behind us. "Yeah. By the end of this weekend, you'll be a slumber-party master."

I laugh at Miami Vice's ridiculous intro, having fulfilled one of my promises to Hop. El's been in bed for at least an hour. Hopefully she's asleep, but I'm not gonna narc on her if she's talking to Mike. It's sweet. I mean, I learned way more about his kissing than I ever wanted to - the kid's practically another little brother, I don't need to know that shit - but El looked so happy to be talking about her boyfriend that I couldn't stop her.

Nor could I stop her from painting my nails a vibrant pink, but again it made her smile. And I'm clearly a sucker.

Thank God for nail polish remover.

I finish cleaning up before climbing back onto the couch, sliding on my headphones and pressing "play" on my walkman. I close my eyes as Joan Jett's voice fills my ears, humming along. Babysitting El was the best promise I made all week. Any and all thoughts about my bad day were shoved to the back of my mind.

A sudden shriek has me yanking my headphones back off, and I let everything drop to the ground as I run to El's room. I practically kick down the door in my rush to get to her, mouth dropping when I notice half of her furniture rising, the nightlight flickering and the radio nothing but static.

Eleven's writhing on the bed, sobbing as she fights through her nightmare. Not wanting to waste anymore time, I run over the now-shaking ground, sitting beside her with my hands on her shoulders. "Hey, hey. I'm here, sweetheart. I'm here. It's just a bad dream." I lean down to whisper in her ear, dodging a book as it hits the wall beside us. "You're safe, El. I won't let anything happen to you. Just follow my voice, girlie."

The light stops flickering, the furniture settling back on the ground, the shaking having halted. The radio goes back to its soft music, and I watch El's eyes flutter open. Big and wet, I'm not surprised when she jolts up and crashes into me, her sobs resuming. I stroke her hair, whispering words of love and encouragement.

"Want some hot cocoa?" I ask when her sobbing finally dies down, and she nods into my neck. I move to stand, but she clings to me all the same. Rather than fighting what she needs, I stand up. Despite El being taller than me, she's definitely lighter. It's no struggle to pick her up like she's still the little girl I found in the woods. She shifts onto my back, sniffling in my ear as I walk us back to the kitchen. Miami Vice is still recording, nearing the halfway point. I get to work on the hot cocoa, the barnacle on my back no real hindrance as I heat up the milk on the stove. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

"Papa." El mutters. "He was hurting me. Why was he hurting me?"

I frown, not knowing what to say. "I don't know, sweetheart. I wish I did."

"He locked me in the room, again. Because I didn't want to kill the cat. I killed the men." She stilted out. "He hurt me, Veronica."

"I know. He was a monster." I growl out, then tilt my head to peer up at her. "He'll never touch you again."

"Why do I keep dreaming about him?"

I exhale before walking us away from the stove, turning it off so we can talk. I twist to drop El on the couch first, then quickly join her. She rests her head on my shoulder, still crying. I wrap an arm around her shoulders to tug her in even closer. "Sometimes, our brain likes to pull tricks on us. It can be cruel. Way crueler than we deserve. When we go through something as difficult as, well, what that mouthbreather did to you, it takes a while to move on from those bad memories."

"How long?"

"I don't know." I hum. "After my dad left us, I dreamed about that moment every night for four years. I still have those nightmares, sometimes. And sometimes I dream about the Upside Down."

"How do you get through it?" El asks, rubbing her nose on my shoulder. Gross, but I suppose it's necessary.

"I keep a photo album in my bedside drawer." I reveal. "It's full of pictures of my family, my friends - you, the Party. Steve. Nancy. Ridiculous ones from when Jonathan and I were growing up. Baby Dustin. I look at all the good things in my life. I don't think we're supposed to forget what happened to us."

"What are we supposed to do?"

I kiss the top of her head. "Keep on living, I guess. Hey, take my walkman. Why don't you listen to some music while I finish up the cocoa?"

"Okay." She flashes me a small smile, and I ruffle her curls before returning to the kitchen.

Practically lost in my own world, I jump when El runs up to me, tugging on the sleeve of long-sleeve shirt. "Whoa, where's the fire!" I ask, eyebrows furrowing at her urgency.

"Fire? What fire?" El asks, and I can hear her panicked breathing growing.

"Hey, no! It's just a saying." I hold out my hands in an attempt to soothe her. "It just means, 'what's your hurry?' You know, what's got you all worked up?"

"Car. Heard it."

I frown deeper at her words, eyes flicking to the safe in the corner. "Alright. Stay behind me. Maybe Hop turned around?"

"Not Hop's car. Different. Parked, but there were no footsteps." El quickly explains. I nod, and blink over at the safe as I turn the stove back off. It opens and I press a cloth to her nose, catching the blood. She holds it in place as I go over to Hopper's previously-locked weapons, loading the pistol and clicking the safety off. Trying not to be distracted by the Miami Vice situation, I lead El to her front door. Ear to the wood, the hold on the gun tightens as a door slams, waiting with bated breath as someone walks towards the house, the porch steps creaking. I reach for the doorknob, until someone bangs out the secret knock. El and I frown at each other. They knock again.

"Roni? It's me. Look, I swear I was-wasn't followed. I just -" I press my hand to the door as Steve continues talking on the other side, his voice wet. "God, I just need you right now."

Clicking the safety back on, I'm quick to open the door. El watches as I tug Steve inside, and she locks the door as I drag my boyfriend into a hug, running my hands up his back as he sobs into my shoulder. We all move towards the couch, El sitting on one side as Steve collapses onto the other. "Hey. Hey, what's going on?" Steve shakes his head, refusing to answer. "We're making some hot cocoa. Do you want some?" He nods into my shoulder. "Maybe some Eggos?"

"Eggos." El cheers, but she's still shaky as she rushes to the kitchen. I twist to watch her with careful eyes, making sure she doesn't burn herself as she finishes making our hot chocolate and starts toasting her precious frozen waffles. Meanwhile I hum "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" under my breath, Steve cuddling into me as he sobs. Pressing kisses to his forehead, I smile as El returns with two mugs of hot cocoa, the third mug and the plate of syrup-and-whipped-cream-drowned Eggos floats behind her. She sets them all down as carefully as possible on the coffee table, then scurries back to the kitchen to shut off the stove and clean her bleeding nose.

Steve hiccups, his sobs dying as he struggles to sit up. "God, I'm sorry. Woke you both up."

"No, it's alright, we were already awake." I reassure him.

El nods. "Yeah. I had a nightmare. Cocoa?" She offers Steve a mug with a bright smile, her brown eyes wide and shining. "Supposed to help. I think."

"Yeah. Thanks, kid." Steve wipes his face with his jacket-clad arm before accepting the mug. I took a sip of my own rich drink before setting it aside, swiping Steve's tears away with my thumbs. "Thanks, Roni." Steve mumbles.

I simply smile. "Of course, baby."

"You're always taking care of me. Even when I'm a douchebag."

El mouths the word and I snort, kissing my boyfriend's damp cheek. "Well, you do the same when I'm a bitch, so I guess we're even." He barely smiles, but I take the win. "I'd like to know why you were a douchebag, though. Whenever you're ready."

"I have to show you something." He mumbles, then reaches into his jacket pocket. Belatedly, I realize he's dressed in his pyjamas, bed-rumpled hair sticking up like he was electrocuted. Steve pulls out a stack of open envelopes, refusing to look at me. "I got them this morning. Dad did, actually. He opened them, and then he shoved them in my face. It's why I was late. Why I was such a prick." I frown and take the stack from my boyfriend, tears filling my eyes as I read each letter. "They hadn't come all at once. Dad had intercepted them. Once he realized I got one from every school I applied to, he was more than happy to force all that rejection down my throat." Steve growls, sobs bursting through his anger. He barely sets down his mug before I tug him back into my chest, tossing the letters onto the table in favor of holding Steve. "God, I'm so sorry. I coulda hurt you and Dustin. Nearly got into an accident going to pick up my backpack. Dad threw it at me, said he'd kick me out of the house if the school called and told him I'd skipped. Then I got a flat on the way, and my spare was gone. The tow truck took forever, mom had to come pay for the repair, and by the time I got to school it was lunch. My teachers wouldn't take my late work, I failed my science quiz, and I was a prick to you again. You didn't even do anything, and I went after you!" He shouts.

I hum and rock him. "Yeah. And it sucked. It scared me, Steve. I didn't know where you were - I thought something had happened. Not just a crash, but... but the Upside Down, too." I frown at El, who shakes her head. "I don't want to lose you."

"You won't. I'm so sorry." Steve sobs out another apology. I hear sniffing and twist my head once more, frowning at the younger girl. El nuzzles into my shoulder, and I wrap my free arm around her. "I don't want to lose you, either. I can't." Steve kisses my neck, then my lips, before hiding his face in my hair. "Nance and Jonathan both called. There was a lot of yelling, and then I told them what happened. They still yelled. I'm sorry you had such a bad day, too." I hum, trying not to think about it, focusing on Steve and the rejection letters instead. "I'll kill Lewis. No one talks to my girl like that, I don't care that he's a teacher. I'll fuck him up."

"Yeah. Me too."

I can't help the laugh that bursts out of me, and I tug at El's curls. "No more killing, alright? It was a bad day, and a bad night. Tomorrow'll be better. See, this is what we get for deciding to leave the house on the Ides of March."

"Ides of March?"

"What are you talking about?" El and Steve question, both still crying.

I chuckle and shake my head. "Never mind."

Friday, March 15

11:58 pm

I sigh, eyes trained on the clock across from me. I'm being pulled closer to sleep, and despite the fact I know I need to brush my teeth, it's physically impossible for me to move. I shake my head, kissing El's hair once more before blinking down at my snoring boyfriend. The clock ticks to 11:59, and I gently squeeze his shoulder, sharing a reminder I don't want him feeling guilty about. "Happy three months, baby."

"Love you." Steve huffs, still asleep. I smile, telling myself to kiss him silly the next morning.

"Love you, too." The clock strikes twelve, and moments later I succumb to my exhaustion, finally ready to sleep the bad day and difficult night away.

Tomorrow will be better. I'll do my best to make it better.

Phew. There you have it. Next chapter will be happier, I promise!