As they cruised through the quiet streets of Hawkins, the tension in the car thickened with every mile. Dove had been staring out of the window for a while, trying to focus on something, anything, other than the looming threat of Eddie being in danger. But then something in the side mirror caught her attention—a car. Dove frowned, watching it for a moment. The same car had been behind them for several blocks now. Too long.
"Steve," she said, her voice sharp, pulling him from his thoughts. "That car is following us."
Steve glanced at her skeptically, then checked the mirror. "It's just a car, Dove. We're still in town."
"No," Dove said firmly, her stomach knotting with certainty. "It's been behind us for a while now. Turn down this street."
Steve furrowed his brow. "That's not the right way to—"
"I don't care, Steve. Turn. Now."
With a grumble, Steve took the next right into a quiet neighborhood. The car behind them followed, making the exact same turn. Dove's heart sank, and she could feel the panic starting to rise.
"Take another turn," she urged.
Steve swerved right into another street, looping through the neighborhood. Sure enough, the car behind them stuck close, mirroring every move.
"Oh, crap," Dustin muttered from the backseat, his voice cracking. "What do we do? What do we do?"
Dove's mind raced. "Take us to my house," she said quickly. "We'll have to wait them out."
Steve didn't argue this time. He nodded, driving swiftly through the neighborhood before pulling into Dove and Dustin's driveway. The car was still behind them.
As soon as they parked, they began to pile out of the car, hearts pounding with urgency. But before they could even make it to the front door, the car behind them screeched to a halt in the driveway. Dove turned just in time to see Jason step out of the driver's seat, his eyes dark with intensity.
Dove's breath hitched as more of the basketball team started pouring out of the car. Among them, she spotted Lucas, who stood awkwardly near the back, not making eye contact. Jason slammed his door shut, stalking toward them with a tense, determined look on his face.
"Where are you guys going in such a hurry?" Jason's voice was calm, too calm, and that made Dove's stomach twist. He didn't even wait for an answer, his eyes locking onto her with suspicion, like she was hiding something.
Dove stepped forward, closing the distance between them and subtly positioning herself between Jason and her friends. Jason was too volatile right now, and they didn't need things escalating. She gave him a sharp look, gesturing towards her house.
"I was going home," she said flatly, her expression making it clear that Jason was being an idiot for even asking.
Jason didn't seem convinced. His eyes narrowed as he stepped closer, tension radiating off him in waves. "After we left the station earlier, I got to thinking. Why would Dove defend the freak that just murdered her friend? But then I remembered.. your loser little brother is in Hellfire. So tell me Dove, where are you hiding Eddie?"
Dove didn't flinch. "I have no idea what you're talking about," she said firmly, but then her tone sharpened, "And even if I did, I sure as hell wouldn't tell you."
Jason's jaw clenched, and she could see his hands ball into fists at his sides. "The only explanation for Chrissy being in Eddie's trailer," he said, his voice rising, "is that he killed her. And you—" He jabbed a finger at her. "it's like you don't even care that she's dead."
Dove's frustration boiled over like a dam breaking, the anger she'd been holding back finally flooding out. She stepped forward, her voice low but full of fury. "Chrissy is theonlyreason I am even tolerating your presense here right now," she snapped, locking eyes with Jason. "You ever stop to think that maybe you didn't know her as well as you thought?"
Jason blinked, caught off guard by her sudden venom. He opened his mouth to retort, but Dove kept going, the words spilling out before she could stop them. "Maybe if we—if we had been there for her," she said, her voice cracking slightly as something new stirred inside her, "she wouldn't have felt like she had to go to Eddie for drugs in the first place. Maybe she'd still be alive!"
The realization hit her as she spoke, like a punch to the gut. This wasn't just about Jason. She felt guilty, too. They had all let Chrissy down.
Jason's face twisted in anger and confusion, clearly not expecting this. His voice was low, almost a growl. "Don't you dare put this on me."
"I'm not just putting it on you," Dove shot back, her throat tightening as the reality of her own words hit her. "I should've been there, too." Her voice faltered for a moment, but she quickly swallowed it down, blinking hard. She straightened, her anger sharpening. "But you and your buddies running around town like some wannabe vigilantes? That's not helping anyone. And if you think this is what Chrissy would've wanted, then maybe youdidn'tknow her at all."
Jason clenched his fists, stepping closer, his anger barely restrained. "You better watch yourself, Dove. Walk away before I do something I'll regret."
Dove didn't flinch. Her voice was icy when she replied, "Funny, I was just about to say the same thing to you."
Jason's whole body tensed, and for a moment, Dove thought he might actually take a swing at her. The air around them was thick with tension, everything on the verge of boiling over.
"Jason, let's just go," Lucas interrupted, stepping up cautiously. He glanced between the two of them, his expression uneasy. "They said they don't know anything."
Jason glared at Lucas but didn't respond. Dove, still breathing hard, let Steve gently pull her back, his hand firm on her arm.
"Come on," Steve muttered, trying to keep the peace as he led Dove toward the house. She was still seething, but her legs followed, her body finally catching up to the reality of the situation.
As they walked away, Jason's voice rang out, filled with venom. "You know where to find me if you want to talk! I'll be here all night!"
Dove stiffened, but Steve tightened his grip, steering her inside before she could respond. As the door clicked shut behind them, Dove finally let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, the weight of the confrontation still pressing heavily on her chest.
As soon as the door closed behind them, Steve turned to Dove, his voice soft with concern. "You okay?"
Dove waved him off, not meeting his eyes. "I'm fine. I just.. need a shower. I've been in this stupid cheer uniform since last night."
Steve hesitated, clearly not convinced, but he didn't push. He gave a small nod, watching as she headed down the hallway, her shoulders tense, before turning toward the kitchen.
Dove stepped into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. The second it clicked shut, she felt her chest tighten again. She moved mechanically, peeling off her cheer uniform and tossing it aside before stepping into the shower. The hot water hit her skin, and for a moment, she stood there, numb, just letting the water run over her.
But then, the weight of everything crashed down at once. The guilt, the fear, the frustration she'd been holding back all day hit her like a wave, and her chest heaved as the tears she'd been choking down finally broke free.
Dove leaned against the cold tile, her forehead pressed against the wall as her body shook with sobs. The water streamed down her face, mixing with the tears as she cried harder, her breath catching in her throat.
She hadn't realized how much she'd been holding in until now, until there was no one watching, no one expecting her to keep it together. And in the safety of the shower, with nothing but the sound of water splashing around her, she finally let it all out, every tear leaving her feeling a little more raw, but a little less like she was suffocating under it all.
For the first time in what felt like forever, she let herself feel everything.
As Dove stepped out of the shower, she felt a little lighter. The tightness in her chest had loosened, though the ache remained. She wrapped a towel around herself and padded into her bedroom, her skin still damp from the heat of the water.
She slipped into clean clothes, pulling on a soft sweater and jeans before catching her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were a bit swollen, her face still red from the tears, but she looked calmer. Grounded, almost. Dove's gaze shifted down from her reflection to the dresser. There, lying on top, was the bracelet Steve had given her for her birthday.
Dove picked it up, turning it over in her hands. Her fingers traced the engraving—for my guiding light—and a small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, despite everything.
Just then, there was a soft knock at her door. Dove's smile faded as she glanced toward it. "Come in," she called out, her voice still a little rough from the crying.
The door creaked open, and Steve stepped in hesitantly. His eyes immediately fell to the bracelet in Dove's hand, and he smiled a little, though there was an edge of something more serious behind his eyes. "Hey," he said softly. "You, uh, need help putting that on?"
Dove started to shake her head but something about the way Steve stepped forward made her pause. She stopped herself, nodded instead, and held out her wrist.
Steve took the bracelet from her carefully, his fingers brushing hers as he fastened the clasp. There was a quiet intimacy in the gesture, the kind of moment they hadn't had in a long time, and it caught them both a little off guard. When he was done, Dove looked at her wrist, the bracelet gleaming against her skin.
They stood there for a beat, the air between them charged with unspoken words. Dove turned away first, her throat tight again. "Did you need something?" she asked, trying to shift the moment back to something safer.
Steve hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, I—" He sighed, his voice turning serious. "I wanted to talk about what you said earlier. About Chrissy."
Dove stiffened slightly, though she tried to hide it. She crossed her arms over her chest and glanced toward the window. "What about it?" she muttered.
Steve took a step closer, his voice soft but steady. "I know you're angry, Dove. You have every right to be. But what you said to Jason—about not being there for her—that wasn't your fault. It wasn't anyone's fault. You were a good friend to her, Dove."
Dove finally looked at him, her eyes searching his. "Then why doesn't it feel like enough?" she whispered.
Steve sighed, his expression softening. "Because it never does when you care about someone that much."
Dove felt a pang in her chest. The way he said it, the softness in his voice, made it clear that he wasn't just talking about Chrissy. He was talking about her.
She turned away from him, feeling the weight of his words, and moved to sit on the edge of her bed. The room felt smaller, more intimate now. Steve hesitated for a moment, then walked over and sat next to her, close enough that their shoulders almost touched.
Dove stared down at her hands, her fingers tracing the lines of the bracelet he had just fastened around her wrist. "When did everything get so screwed up?" she asked quietly, her voice carrying the exhaustion of everything they'd been through.
Steve let out a soft chuckle, though there was a sadness behind it. "It's always been screwed up," he said. "Well, almost always."
Dove looked at him now, her heart tightening as she saw the way he looked at her. There was something so honest, so raw in his expression, that it left no room for doubt. He wasn't just talking about their world, or the mess of their lives. He was talking about them. She knew it now, for sure.
And suddenly, everything felt heavier.
"Steve.." she started, unsure of where to go next, unsure of how to navigate the familiar, yet uncharted territory they were stepping into.
He didn't say anything, just met her gaze with that quiet intensity. It was as if all the unspoken things between them, all the moments they had danced around, were suddenly laid bare. And in that moment, Dove wasn't sure if she had the strength to face it.
She looked away, her fingers still absently running over the bracelet, her heart pounding in her chest.
Steve shifted slightly beside her, his eyes still on her, waiting for her to say something—anything. Dove's breath caught in her throat, and for a moment, the weight of everything between them felt almost unbearable. She could feel the tension in the air, thick and suffocating, but she didn't know what to say. She didn't know if she even wanted to say anything. She didn't trust herself if she did.
Steve finally broke the silence, his voice soft. "I just.. I want you to know that I'm here. I always will be."
Dove closed her eyes for a moment, letting his words sink in. She could feel the truth of them, could feel how much he cared about her—how much he always had. And for a second, she let herself think about what could've been, what might still be, if things were different. If the world wasn't so chaotic, if they weren't both so broken.
But that wasn't the reality they lived in.
"I don't know what to say, Steve," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.
He let out a quiet breath. "You don't have to say anything. Just.. don't push me away, okay?"
Dove looked at him, really looked at him, and for a moment, the walls she had built around herself began to crack. She nodded, her throat tight as she whispered, "I won't."
Steve smiled softly, relief flickering in his eyes. He reached out, his hand resting gently on her wrist, just over the bracelet. "Good," he said, his voice full of quiet warmth.
Just then, the sound of someone clearing their throat broke through the moment, and both Steve and Dove jumped, turning to see Dustin standing in the doorway. He had an unmistakable grin on his face, clearly pleased by what he'd just walked in on.
"Sorry, am I interrupting something?" Dustin asked, though the smirk on his face suggested he wasn't sorry at all.
Dove shot him a look, trying to ignore the heat rising to her cheeks. "No, you're not interrupting anything."
"Uh-huh, sure." Dustin's eyes darted between the two of them, clearly unconvinced. "Anyway," he said, drawing out the word with an exaggerated tone, "I think I have a plan for how we can get past Jason and his goons."
Steve stood up, eager to shift the focus away from the awkwardness. "Okay, let's hear it."
"We're going to tell the police where Eddie is." Dustin said.
"Wait, hold on," Dove said, furrowing her brow as she looked at Dustin. "We agreed that we weren't going to the police."
Dustin, already starting to pace with excitement, waved her off. "No, no, we're notactuallytelling them where Eddie is. That's the whole point." He stopped in front of her, his eyes gleaming with the thrill of his new plan. "We're going to wait until it's dark. Then, I sneak out of the back and head over to the payphone down the street. I'll call the police and give them a bogus tip," Dustin explained. "I'll say Eddie was spotted somewhere across town, like near the quarry or something."
"That's great and all," Dove said, her skepticism clear. "But how exactly does that get Jason and his goons away from the house? They're not the police."
Dustin's grin widened. "While you were arguing with Jason, I noticed something in his car," He paused dramatically, clearly enjoying the moment. "a police scanner."
Dove blinked, finally piecing it together. "So, when the police hear your fake tip.."
"They'll broadcast it over the radio," Dustin finished with a flourish. "Jason will hear it on the scanner and go running. We'll use that window to get the hell out of here and find Eddie ourselves."
Steve, nodded in approval. "That's actually.. a pretty good plan."
"Of course it is," Dustin said, feigning offense.
As the afternoon stretched on, the house was filled with an odd mix of tension and quiet. The sun was still high, casting a golden light through the blinds, but it felt like everyone was holding their breath, waiting for night to fall so the plan could finally be set into motion.
Dove paced through the living room, her hands fidgeting with the bracelet on her wrist. She kept glancing out the window, watching as Jason's car sat idly on the street, the figures inside barely visible through the tinted glass. Every once in a while, she caught a glimpse of Jason himself, leaning against the door of his car, arms crossed, eyes scanning the neighborhood.
"They're not going anywhere," Steve muttered from the couch. He had his arms stretched across the back of it, his head tilted back as if he were trying to relax, but Dove could see the way his leg bounced restlessly. He wasn't as calm as he pretended to be.
Dustin, who had been sitting at the kitchen table, flipping through some of his notes, looked up. "Relax, Dove. It's only a few more hours."
Dove crossed her arms, shaking her head. "I just hate this waiting. It feels like we're sitting ducks."
"Well, we can't exactly make time go any faster, unless one of you has secret superpowers I don't know about," Robin chimed in from the armchair, flicking through a stack of VHS tapes with a dramatic sigh. "Why do you have two copies of Breakfast at Tiffany's?"
"It's Dove's favorite," Steve answered simply.
Dove blinked, surprised. "How do you know that?"
Steve shrugged, glancing at her like it was obvious. "You went to Tina's Halloween party dressed as Audrey Hepburn a couple years ago."
Dove stared at him, surprised he remembered something so specific, something she hadn't even thought of in ages. "You remember that?"
Steve gave her a small, nostalgic smile. "Yeah, you looked—" He stopped himself, clearing his throat. "You looked like you were having fun."
Robin glanced between them, eyebrows raised, before continuing her critique. "I mean, Breakfast at Tiffany's? That movie is so overrated. Holly Golightly's a mess. Plus, the book was way better."
Dove snatched the tape out of Robin's hands, glaring playfully. "Excuse me? It's a classic. And for the record, one of these copies is signed by Audrey herself."
Robin leaned back in the chair, unphased.
"Why two copies, then?" Max asked, suddenly chiming into the conversation.
Dove rolled her eyes but smiled. "Because, I can't wear out the signed one. Obviously."
Robin raised her hands in mock surrender. "Fine, fine. I'll let you keep your shrine to Audrey Hepburn."
Dove shook her head, laughing, and set the tapes back down, but her smile faded a little as the weight of everything returned.
As the last light disappeared beyond the horizon, the house grew still, thick with anticipation. Steve stood by the window, peeking through the curtains, his jaw clenched. Jason's car was still parked across the street, unmoving. Dove sat quietly on the couch, fingers tracing the bracelet on her wrist.
"It's time," Dustin whispered, walking back into the living room. His voice was steady, but his nerves were obvious.
Dove stood up and crossed the room to her brother. "Be careful, okay?" she said, her worry bleeding into her voice. "If anything looks off, don't go through with it. We'll figure something else out."
"I'll be fine." Dustin gave her a reassuring smile, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Piece of cake."
Robin chimed in, "Just don't accidentally call the wrong number. We don't need the fire department showing up instead of the cops."
Dustin rolled his eyes. "Once! That happened one time!"
Steve glanced away from the window, keeping his voice low. "They're still sitting there, haven't moved an inch. You've got a good shot."
Dustin nodded, taking a deep breath before slipping out the back door, disappearing into the darkness of the yard. Dove stood frozen for a moment, her heart pounding in her chest. All they could do now was wait.
Minutes felt like hours as they sat in silence. Steve kept glancing out the window, waiting for any sign that Jason's crew was onto them. Dove clenched her fists, mentally rehearsing their escape plan over and over. Everything hinged on Dustin's phone call, and she couldn't shake the feeling of dread gnawing at her stomach.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Steve tensed up. "They're moving," he whispered. Dove joined him at the window, watching as Jason's car suddenly roared to life, headlights flooding the street. Within moments, the car peeled away, tires screeching as they sped off into the night.
"They took the bait," Steve muttered, grabbing his jacket. "Let's go."
Dove, Robin, and Max followed him out the door as quietly as possible, the cool night air hitting them as they rushed to the car parked in the driveway. Steve slid into the driver's seat, with Dove hopping in beside him. Robin and Max jumped into the back, pulling the door shut behind them.
Steve started the engine, the rumble breaking the eerie silence. As they sped down the street, the tension in the car was palpable, the streetlights casting fleeting shadows over their faces as they drove. After a few minutes, Steve pulled up near the payphone, where Dustin was pacing nervously.
He hopped into the backseat, slamming the door. "It worked. They're heading toward the quarry. Should buy us at least a couple hours."
"Good job, Henderson," Steve said, giving him a quick nod in the rearview mirror before speeding off again, this time in the direction of Lovers Lake.
Dove stared out the window, her thoughts racing. The plan had worked, but now the real danger began. Eddie was out there, hiding, scared—and Jason and his crew were still looking for blood. She gripped the seat, her stomach in knots, as the car sped through the dark streets of Hawkins.