Holy crap, it's been a minute. My bad, guys, I swear I didn't mean to not update. But we're back!
So, this chapter will cover a scene at the end of 3x08 (Steve and Robin getting the job at Family Video). Some changes in the town are mentioned, Kathleen's referenced but isn't physically in this chapter - she will be in the next, though. There's brief smut in the middle, but it's not as graphic as the one a few chapters ago. There's not as much of the Party as I wanted to include, but they'll be way more present in the next update, along with Joyce. My plan is to write the next chapter as covering events in October (the Byers and El moving) plus Halloween, and a confrontation between Jason and Veronica.
Speaking of Veronica, this was the easiest chapter I had writing for her, because she's finally allowed herself to heal. She's obviously still sad about those she lost, but her grief and guilt no longer weighs her down.
As always, I only own my OCs. I hope you enjoy.
Also: Spartanlord91, I can make no promises about Chrissy. I've got two paths I might go with her. Either way, she won't be a "one chapter only" character. In this house, we respect Chrissy.
Veronica's POV
August 10, 1985
It's strange how quickly the days pass when you aren't spending them in a guilt-ridden, mourning funk. Not that I didn't mourn, of course I did, but I also healed. A lot. Enough that when Steve became the new lifeguard, I was able to sit by the pool without having a full-blown panic attack. Enough that when I visited my dead friends' graves my first instinct wasn't to blame myself.
It could've been all the changes, too, that made the rest of summer pass in the blink of an eye. With nineteen people dying in the "Starcourt Mall Fire" and the scandal about Mayor Kline working with the Russians, quite a few people were itching to pack up and hit the road. Craig was one of the first to leave town, spending two weeks getting everything in order. The shooting range is still open, but down an instructor. It was hard saying goodbye to him. Without Craig, I'd never have the archery skills that saved my ass as often as they did.
It was just as hard seeing Mark go, my boss closing up shop as soon as he and his wife found a place in Florida. With him went the bulk of my income - babysitting only pays so much - but I get it. It's hard walking around town and not comparing it to how it was before Project MKUltra came in and fucked it all up for us.
All things considered, it was actually pretty nice not having a job the rest of summer break. But with senior year approaching faster than a speeding bullet, I can't be jobless anymore. I've got things I want to buy, and more I've gotta save up for. So when Robin came to Steve and I a few days ago with a potential employment opportunity, neither one of us could say no. Even though we both really, really wanted to.
"God, I can't believe you talked me into this. Both of you." Steve groans for probably the hundredth time, glaring at me and Robin in the rearview mirror.
"Well, it's not like Hawkins has much else to offer." Robin argues, leaning forward and putting some of her weight on the console. I playfully pinch her elbow, and she whacks my shoulder in retaliation.
"Baby, the pool's about to close. Besides, at least we'll be able to spend more time together, now that we won't be in school together." I remind my boyfriend.
Steve huffs. "Yeah, if I even get hired."
"Oh, trust me, buddy, you're getting hired." Robin pats his shoulder before sitting back, having declared the middle seat her spot since she and Steve became best friends. The arguments she and Dustin have about it are every bit as entertaining as you think.
Steve sighs. "You're forgetting whose family owns Family Video. And the arcade. He hates me, I don't even know why -"
"Because you were a douchebag."
"You were a dick to him, baby." Robin and I say, laughing at the fact we spoke at the same time.
With a sigh, my boyfriend pulls into the lot outside of the video store. "Keith won't be a problem. He hates you less than he fears me."
"Ooh, that's a good point. I love how scary you can be, babe." Steve leans over as we unbuckle our seatbelts to kiss me.
"Gross. Keep it in your pants." Robin complains.
"Only because you're here to ruin the mood." Steve shoots back without looking away from me. After another quick kiss, we get out of the car, slamming the doors behind us.
"Wait, you put your mom down as a reference?" Robin asks, having been put in charge of the resumes.
"Yeah. Why not? My mom's, like, super well-respected now that my dad's gone and she's turned her life around. And raised funds for everyone affected by the 'fire'." Steve points out.
Kathleen Harrington - Jones, now that the divorce is nearly finalized - will never know how much the "Starcourt Mall Fire" affected her son, but that didn't stop her from using her wealth and status to hold a gala for Hawkins. Every bigwig she knows attended, the news about what happened in our town spreading like, well, a wildfire thanks to Cutting Edge. She came home a week ago, looking like she'd aged backwards in her absence. Seriously, you could confuse her for being Steve's older sister, not his mom.
"Veronica's listed too, you dingus." Robin points out, bringing me back to the present.
Steve shrugs. "Well, duh, we've discussed this already Rob. She scares Cheetos Puffs Keith."
I wince. "Maybe don't call him that anymore, Steven."
"Right, my bad." He opens the door for us, placing a hand on my lower back as we follow Robin inside.
Keith is standing behind the counter, looking as detached as ever as Robin immediately starts explaining the situation, giving me little room to talk.
"And, uh, just to be clear, we weren't fired, you know. The mall burned down and, like, killed a bunch of people."
"Thanks for sharing. Didn't know." He snarks back.
"Oh my God, Robin." I hissed, nudging her out of the way as he shoved our resumes towards us. "I'm cashing in that favor you owe me from freshman year, when I kept Drew, Tommy, and James from tying you naked to the school flag." Keith flinches. "My resume speaks for itself. So does Robin's. Steve is a package deal." My boyfriend scowls at me, but I smile back innocently and take his hand, smirking as he rolls his eyes.
Keith scoffs. "I'll hire you, but the other two need to prove their worth." He snaps his fingers and points at Robin. "Three favorite movies. Go."
"Uh… The Apartment, Hidden Fortress, Children of Paradise." She's quick to list off.
Keith nods, then points at Steve. "You, go."
"Favorite movies?" My boyfriend asks, flustered.
"Did I stutter?"
"You might if you talk to him like that." I warn Keith coldly, ignoring Robin as she elbows me.
"Uh, Animal House, for sure." I nod while Robin groans. "Um…"
"Eyes on me, Harrington." Keith snaps his fingers three times and gestures to his eyes.
"Keith." I bit out frostily. "Strike two."
The other teenager gulps, and I squeeze Steve's hand. "Yeah, uh…" he continues, "Star Wars." Robin groans again.
"A New Hope?" Keith asks, but he's less cocky than before as I continue staring him down.
"A new what-now?"
"He's kidding." I quickly interject, squeezing Steve's hand again, this time a little harder.
"Ha, yeah! Just joking. The one with the teddy bears. Duh." He mimics an Ewok and I laugh at his impression, forgetting my anger with Keith momentarily. "No?" Steve asks, both of us realizing Robin was hiding her face in her hands, shaking her head. "Oh, the one that just came out. The movie that just came out. The one with the DeLorean and Alex P. Keaton, and he's trying to bang his mom. The time - yeah, those are my top three. Classics."
Keith pauses, then points at Robin again. "You start Monday, with the Ice Queen. You start never." He says to Steve. My boyfriend glances down at me, disappointment in himself written all over his face. It's my least favorite look on him, so I offer him a soft smile.
"Baby, give us a minute. Okay? Can you see if the copy of The Breakfast Club was returned?"
"Sure, babe." He murmurs, ambling off to the teen section, taking his resume with him. I watch him go, then turn to Keith, leveling him with another unimpressed glare. But before I can say anything, Robin takes my elbow.
"I don't have the money to bail you out of jail." She whispers in my ear before addressing the smug teen across from us. "Alright, you have to understand, Keith, we know his taste is a bit pedestrian, but the dingus has other qualities."
"He's a douchebag of the highest order, Robin." I fight the urge not to leap across the counter and attack him like I did James.
"Would I be dating him if he was still a douchebag, Keith?" I ask instead. He shakes his head at my tone. "He's been a changed man for almost two years. Stop acting like you're some kind of saint, too, I've heard how you talk to my brother and his friends."
"Fine." Keith bites out.
"Furthermore," Dustin would be impressed by my formality, "his mom is Kathleen Jones. The woman who helped fund the victims' and our towns' recovery. Imagine what she'd do for your family's business if she found out you hired her only son?" With aggression off the table thanks to Robin reeling me in, I turn up the charm instead, speaking as enticingly as possible. "Think about it. She knows a lot of important people. And those important people know famous people. You could reap the rewards of her connections." Keith nods, looking off into the distance.
Robin steps in to seal the deal. "And he remains a total chick magnet."
I glower at her while Keith blinks, refocused. "And that's relevant how?"
"Yeah, Robin, how is that relevant?" I ask, slightly amused.
She clears her throat. "Uh, Earth to Keith? The ladies will come in just to see him. They'll come in in droves. Droves, Keith." His eyes flick to my boyfriend, who's perusing the shelves. "We sold so much ice cream, they had to get a second shipment in from Michigan. Goddamn Michigan, Keith. And the ladies," she inhales sharply, "these ladies are hot." The lingering anger fades as I try not to laugh at her excitement at the prospect of all the girls my boyfriend could bring in. "They're so very hot. But Steve doesn't want them, because he has Veronica." She gestures to me. "Steve would never jeopardize that, so he'll need assistance. He needs your assistance, Keith."
Keith pops a Cheetos Puffs in his mouth. "You both make excellent arguments." He smirks in a way that tells me he's fantasizing about all the girls that'll come in to see my boyfriend. Horny bastard. "What's in it for you? You got a thing for him or something? Because that's just awkward, and Family Video only rents dramas, we don't create it."
"No, we're just friends." Robin's quick to say with a wide smile.
I snort, Keith actually saying something funny for once, not assholish. Something crashes behind us, and I turn to see Steve tripping over a cut-out of Phoebe Cates in her red bikini, fingers on the front clasp of her top. My boyfriend takes the resume out of his mouth as he takes in what he tripped over. "Goddamnit. Wait - Fast Times. Fast Times. Ever heard of it? Top three for me, Keith." Robin laughs as I turn to Keith.
"So?"
"He's hired. But you're responsible for him."
I snort, then reach forward to steal a Cheetos Puff from my new boss, who pouts. "Always." I pop it in my mouth and wink over at Steve as I chew, who grins back.
Steve's POV
August 13, 1985
1:26 am
Steve pants as he pulls out of Roni, who's just as breathless as he is. With his mom back in town, it's harder for them to have intimate moments under his roof. As happy as he is that she's back, he misses spending time with his girlfriend like this. Fortunately his mom was out of town for the next four days - just visiting family in Saint John - which means he's got the place to himself.
"I think that was our best round yet." Roni murmurs as he comes back from the bathroom with a wet washcloth to wipe her down, condom already discarded. He's stupid, but he isn't that stupid - they always wear protection. Pride flows through his veins as he watches her walk into his bathroom on shaky legs. He tosses the washcloth into his hamper then leans back, yawning as he eyes his alarm clock. 1:26 in the morning.
"Babe, not that I hate anything we just did, but we probably should be asleep by now." His girlfriend's response comes in the form of the shower turning on. "Roni?" She starts to hum "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go", and he smiles. "You hate Wham!" He shouts.
"And you love it. Just like you like me. Especially soaking wet." She calls back.
Steve must've blacked out, because the next thing he knows he's standing in the shower with his girlfriend, pressing her against the tiles.
They're going to be so grumpy tomorrow, he thinks to himself as he thrusts into the moaning blonde, but this is worth it.
Four hours and two cups of coffee later, neither one of them voices any regrets. Roni's only complaint is that she's not going to have him with her at school this year. "Like, what's the point of going to school if I won't have you to sneak off with when I'm supposed to be in class?" She jokes as she washes her mug - Steve still drinking from his - but there's an underlying sadness in her words.
Steve sighs and stands up, stretching before joining her at the sink. He spins his girlfriend around, kissing her forehead before pulling her into a hug. "You could always sneak out and visit me at work."
"I still don't have a car." Roni reminds him. "And I wouldn't drive the Camaro even if the shop had finished fixing her up. She's not mine."
"Yeah, when are you planning on getting one? Not that I mind being your chauffeur or anything." Steve's quick to reassure her.
His girlfriend shrugs. "Dad's supposed to bring me to his lot next weekend. He's found some options for me. I was thinking, since Keith gave both of us Saturday off, you could come with me?"
As much as Steve still didn't particularly like her dad, he was always willing to be a buffer if things got awkward between Robert and Roni. Besides, he'd started to come around to his daughter dating a Harrington. "Of course, babe."
"Mm. Okay, I'm going to brush my teeth again. We should take off soon, we don't want to be late picking up Robin."
"I've gotta say, I'm a little pissed your brother wanted your mom to drive him to school today. I don't care if we're meeting them there, I don't like it." Roni laughs. "What?"
"Nothing, you just sound like such a dad."
He pauses. "A hot dad?"
"The hottest. Hey! Hands to yourself!" Roni pretends to scold him, Steve having quickly smacked her ass as she walked past.
Steve finishes their dishes before joining his girlfriend in his bedroom, kissing her cheek as he goes into the bathroom to take care of his own coffee-breath. They're out the door five minutes later, Steve resting his hand on Roni's bare thigh whenever he has the chance. He eyes her skirt at the stoplight, huffing in annoyance when she smirks at him. "I can't believe you're punishing me for graduating." He smiles as she laughs.
Robin's already outside when they reach her house, backpack causing her to tilt forward slightly. "Jesus, Rob, it's your first day of senior year, not moving day!" Steve jokes with his favorite band nerd. "What the hell's even in your backpack?"
"I'm surprised you even know what a backpack is, Harrington. Didn't you only come to school with a pencil and some paper?" She snarks back.
"I still graduated, nerd." Steve grins at her from the rearview mirror. "Barely, but I did it." Roni smacks his chest, then turns to Robin.
"I mean, he's got a point, Rob. You're going to fuck up your back at this rate."
"Don't worry mom, most of it's going in my locker." Robin looks at Steve through the mirror. "A locker is a storage -"
"Ha, ha, shut up." Both girls laugh, Roni holding the hand that's on her thigh.
Pulling into the school is bittersweet. Steve hasn't been back since graduation, not wanting to be the guy who's always trying to relieve his glory days. As a reflex hee drives to his old parking spot, only to find it's already been claimed. With a sigh he drives around towards the entrance of the parking lot, then stops the engine. "You guys ready?"
"Absolu- Willow!" Robin screams as she opens the car door. "Wait for me! Thanks for the ride, Steve. See you inside Veronica!"
Roni snorts as their friend practically falls out of the Beemer in her effort to reach her fellow bandmates, then turns to Steve. "I love you."
"I love you, too. You're going to kill Senior year, babe." He says with the utmost confidence, pulling her into a kiss. "Let's go find Dustin and your mom."
The two Hendersons are already at the school's front doors, looking around impatiently. Steve watches with a smile as Claudia pulls her daughter into a quick hug before he's focusing on Dustin, who's wearing a Weird Al shirt. Brave choice. The curly-haired boy looks more nervous than he ever remembers seeing Veronica's little brother. "Hey, dude." Steve puts a hand on his shoulder, squeezing. "You've got this. You're the most badass kid I know, El aside." Dustin glances up at him. "And you'll have Roni."
"I'll have Roni." The younger teen nods. "Thank you."
"If anyone bothers you, let me know. I finally won a fight, remember?" Steve jokes, and Dustin laughs.
"Sure. I'll call if Leia's too busy." He points to his sister, the blonde Henderson frowning as she separates from her mom.
"What?"
"Nothing, just love you." Dustin is quick to say. "We should go in, I'm pretty sure Jonathan and Will are already here, we passed Jonathan's car when mom was parking."
At his words, Claudia starts to cry, pulling her children into tight hugs. Steve's honestly surprised neither one of them loses consciousness. Eventually Roni is able to wiggle her way out, kissing her mom's cheek before hurrying over to him.
Steve is more than happy to hold her. "If you need me, I'm a phone call away." He whispers before kissing his girlfriend, suddenly hit with the fact that this is it - they're no longer in school together. It's one thing to hear it, it's another to experience. "I love you. So much."
"I love you, too. We're being really dramatic, though, all things considered." Roni jokes, and he laughs in response.
"Yeah. Okay, I'm risking my reputation here."
Roni rolls her eyes, stepping away from him to glance at her brother. With one more hug for her mom, she and Dustin disappear into the school, joining the other students.
"They'll be okay, right?" Claudia asks.
Steve smiles over at the woman who raised two of his favorite people, throwing an arm around her shoulders. "They've got each other, and the Party. They'll be alright."
Veronica's POV
August 13, 1985
Look, I'm fully aware that Steve is still around, he's just at work. He isn't… gone. We didn't break up, we're actually probably stronger than ever, which is saying something. "I just miss him." I grumble as I play with whatever the cafeteria staff are calling food today.
"Hm?" Nancy asks, momentarily pulled away from a conversation with Jonathan about the newspaper club.
"Nothing." I huff, rolling my eyes as she returns to the conversation, Jonathan's heart eyes making it so he doesn't even see my irritation. Turning to try and ask Tina and Richard a question about English, they're practically eating each other's faces. Honestly, I'd take cannibalism over whatever monstrosity the school's serving. That's besides the point, though. I'm being subjected to couples all over the place - even Chrissy Cunnighman is cosying up with Jason Carver. Ugh, she can do so much better.
The worst part? Robin's off with a couple of her bandmates at some meeting with their director - Richard might just be too distracted to be there, but I'm not about to risk my fingers prying his face from Tina's.
So I'm here. Alone. Single. My grossly in love friends don't even realize I've left, not even when I flick Jonathan's ear.
Thankfully, the Party is only a few tables away, choosing to stay in our line of sight. El's huddled between Mike and Max, who've probably spent the day glaring at anyone making comments about the understandably awkward girl. My brother's engrossed in some science debate with Lucas while Will's drawing in his sketchbook.
"Hey." I huff, sitting down next to Dustin and stealing a chocolate pudding. "How's your day been so far?"
"What the hell, Leia?!" Dustin practically screeches.
"Hungry. Forgot to pack lunch. School lunch is shit. Ooh, mom made lasagna last night? Nice."
"No, Leia - Veronica Henderson - hey!" I wink at a giggling El as I obnoxiously chew my ridiculously big bite of lasagna.
"Who pissed in your cheerios this morning, Dusty?" I ask after swallowing.
Lucas smirks, and begins chanting under his breath, "Dusty-bun. Dusty-bun. Dusty-bun."
"Shut up. And no one, I just can't believe my first bully in high school is my own sister." Dustin scoffs.
"Sorry, sorry, just annoyed. C'mon, guys, tell me everything. I want to be a wide-eyed freshman again."
Max clears her throat. "The algebra teacher smells like onions. Old onions."
"Gross. Elaborate." I wave her on, sadness momentarily fluttering in my stomach when I realize how much I sounded like Hop.
"Don't really want to, Veronica." She snorts. "But the boys found a flier for a club. One that's right up their nerdy alley."
"Oh, yeah, check this out!" Mike rummages through his backpack and pulls out a crumpled piece of paper. I groan as he straightens it, eyeing my little brother as he bounces excitedly with Will. Lucas is only moderately impressed, sticking with his classic "I'm Mr. Cool" persona that he dons whenever he's faced with change.
"'The Hellfire Club'. Damn, I really thought Munson would've given up on advertising it by now." I mutter, eyeing the infamous Hawkins High Dungeons & Dragons club. "They haven't had a new member since Eddie started the club five years ago, when his buddies got here."
"This looks fucking awesome." Dustin says with a giant grin. "Who's Eddie Munson?"
"A third-year senior." Max answers for me, glancing down at her sandwich when we look at her. "Billy used to buy weed from him. Said he was a whackjob, but so was Billy."
I reach over to briefly squeeze her hand, then turn to my brother. "Look, they're not bad guys, they're just… extreme. In a way that draws the wrong kind of attention. Especially now that people are starting to blame Satanism for what happened this summer, and D&D is connected to it by anti-nerd, overzealous, judgmental Christian freaks."
"So you're telling me not to join, even though this is exactly where I'd belong?" Dustin looks at me with those big blue eyes, and I sigh.
"No." I look at the other boys. "I'm not. I just… worry. Eddie's nice enough, but he gets himself into a lot of trouble. Not the kind we do. I don't want him roping you into anything. Aside from his heavy metal band, Corroded Coffin's pretty decent." I amend my statement.
"So can we join?" Dustin asks.
I shrug. "Yeah. I'll keep the bullies away from you, too. I'm the only one who gets to make fun of you guys. Plus Max and El." I nod to the girls, the redhead appearing less morose.
"Bullies? What bullies?" Will asks, nervous.
I nod over to the jocks' tables, where the basketball team is holding court, showering Jason Carver with praise. "Those meatheads, for one. See the guy wearing the cap? That's Andy. He's been a dick since middle school. You know he once put gum in Barb's hair? It's why she ended up cutting it so short. Jason's just as bad, but he pretends not to be. I don't care how nice he is to his team, he's a judgmental prick to the rest of the school." Even at his worst, Billy refused to acknowledge Jason. He couldn't stand even having to share a court with him. He once said it was because sometimes his teammate had "Shark Eyes". Cold, dead, and calculating. Like Neil's. "There's others, too. Mark and Drew are still here. At least James is gone." I huff.
"You'll keep us safe though, right?" Mike asks.
I look back at the younger teens, then sigh. "Yeah. I'll keep you safe."
"Good, because I see them." Dustin's quick to say, leaping to his feet and rushing over to the Hellfire Club's table, noticeable only because of their mandatory shirts. You know, for a guy who hates nonconformity, Eddie sure loves enforcing a uniform.
I groan as the boys follow, Max and El staying behind to finish their meals and talk about their classes so far. Lucas also stays behind, moving to sit next to his girlfriend. I try to join in on their conversation, but my eyes are constantly flicking from Eddie's growing excitement to the basketball team's growing interest in whatever's going on at the "Freaks' Table".
"I'll see you later." I tell the remaining three Party members, ignoring their questions as I hurry to my previous table. Tina finally detached her lips from Richard's to go talk to Chrissy, leaving the blonde on his own. Nancy and Jonathan have presumably disappeared to the darkroom, where they're hopefully only being professional, but more power to them if they aren't.
"Richard, buddy, pal, best friend." I spout off.
"Hold your horses, what's got you so riled up?" He asks, sounding more Southern than ever.
"Do you like Dungeons & Dragons?"
"Love it, why?"
"Because Dustin, Mike, and Will have decided they like it enough to risk having a target on their back." I point over to Eddie Munson's table, then Jason's.
Richard clenches his jaw. If there's one thing that can turn this sunshine teen into a raging beast, it's bullies. "So what do you want me to do? 'Cause I ain't fixin' to get expelled. I've made it this far."
"Join the Hellfire Club?" It comes out as a question, one that has Richard blinking at me like I'm the Mind Flayer, or something.
"You want me to do what? Absolutely not."
"Why not?"
Richard huffs. "Munson's got shit taste in music. Screaming ain't music, it's just noise."
I snort despite the urgency of my situation. "Well, it's a good thing it's just a D&D club."
"Why do I gotta join? He's your brother."
"He's your friend, too. Besides, you scare Jason and his buddies. They're twigs compared to you." Richard hums. "Please. I'll owe you a favor if you say yes."
"Okay." He nods. "I'll do it."
"Great, now's your chance -"
"I'm cashing in my favor now, though." From the evil grin growing on his face, I know I walked right into a trap.
"Yes?" I ask anyway, hoping for something simple, like helping him plan a date with Tina.
"You've gotta join, too." Well, shit.
"What the hell are you wearing?" Steve asks the minute I step into view. My brother's standing next to me, smiling brightly enough to rival the sun.
"We're in the Hellfire Club!"
Steve narrows his eyes at Dustin before shaking his head at me like this is my fault. "Great. I graduate, and you lose your fucking mind." He gripes. "Bye, guys." He says to Jonathan and Nancy, our best friends pausing to hug me, making promises to meet up at Sally's tonight before dealing with the Party.
"Veronica's been fooling you, Steve. She used to play Dungeons & Dragons with us all the time. She's a nerd, you're dating a nerd." Dustin's quick to expose me.
"I already knew that, Henderson - yeah, sure, just get into my car. No 'hi' or handshake." My boyfriend complains, then turns to me. "The Hellfire Club? You know that's social suicide, right?"
"Please, my friend circle includes two investigative journalists, a southern Superman, a band geek, Tina, and a bunch of freshmen. Which is an improvement in quantity considering two years ago it was just me, Barb, Nancy, and occasionally Tina." I point out. "This isn't my fault, technically, I was tricked. By Richard."
"How?"
"I owed him a favor for asking him to join to keep the boys safe."
Steve pauses, then snorts. "Wow. I need to talk to Richard, get some tips on how to outsmart you."
"You could ask for some tips on romance, too, he always greets his girlfriend with a kiss." I pout.
My boyfriend smirks. "Oh, does he? How does he kiss Tina? Like this." Steve quickly pecks my lips. "Or like this?" He deepens the kiss, and I moan. "Like this?" He murmurs before nearly bending me backwards, stealing the air from my lungs. We break apart for a moment, well-aware of the stares we're receiving from the other high schoolers. I can hear the party groaning behind us as they wait for their parents to pick them up.
"I don't care how he kisses her." I laugh out my confession. "Just kiss me like you missed me, Teddy Bear."
"As my Ice Queen commands."
Four obnoxious honks make us pull apart, and we turn to see Dustin glowering at us, having leaned forward enough to slam his hand down on the car's horn. After Steve yells at him through the closed window like a crazy person, I nudge him. "Robin's going to meet us at Sally's later. She and Richard have to stay late for a band meeting, and Tina's got cheerleading."
"Alright. Come on, before your brother breaks my car." Steve huffs, escorting me to the other side and helping me into the passenger seat. As I sit down, I notice Jason Carver looking my way, Andy standing menacingly behind him. I glower back, rolling down the window as Steve starts the car and showing them both middle fingers as we drive past. Pricks.
You know what, maybe I'll end up fitting into the Hellfire Club after all.
But I'm not wearing this shirt at school, not after the shopping spree Nancy and Tina subjected me to.
Concerning Jason: I'm of the opinion that he's as bad as Billy. Canonically, Billy is racist (in this fic, I wrote Billy differently because I wanted to give him actual growth). He's abusive. He's stuck in a vicious cycle perpetuated by his dad. Jason is bad for different reasons. While his behavior is a result of Chrissy's death, he already hated Eddie and the Hellfire Club for being different, believing the rumor about D&D being satanic. His grief about Chrissy and then Patrick doesn't excuse him enciting a lynch mob by preying on people's fears, encourage people to go out and hunt the Hellfire Club, and pointing a gun at Lucas with the intent to kill. For this version of Jason, I'm going to maintain his complexity, but I'm not going to shy away from having him be a little more awful from the get-go.
As an aside, I have a complex relationship with religion. There's some trauma there, so that might be part of the reason for my animosity towards Jason. I'm not against it, people have their beliefs. That's their prerogative, just as it's mine to agree/disagree with their beliefs. I do have a problem with people using their religion as an excuse to do terrible things, as well as with people acting like their better or moral than others because they're religious.