Sitting in the cafeteria, Violet was picking at the salad on her lunch tray. She was sat with Daisy Jonas, one of her oldest friends since kindergarten. She was clever, much cleverer than Violet would ever be. She was eating her sandwich and chips, textbook open to the side of her. Her brown hair tumbled down past her shoulders and her glasses kept slipping down her nose. Violet picked up her juice box and slurped on it before speaking to her.

"Have you done the math homework yet?"

"I did it last night. Don't tell me you haven't done it yet?" Daisy asked from her, a disapproving tone in her voice. When Violet shrugged her shoulders, her friend let out an exasperated sigh. "Let me guess, your dad made you practice until late last night?"

"That's hardly a surprise, is it?" Violet said. "I was going to do it after practice, but I couldn't concentrate. Hair-ington was having a party and even though he said he'd keep it down, he invited Carol and Tommy and they weren't exactly being quiet."

"Like right now?" Daisy checked and they looked over the cafeteria as Tommy and Carol shouted Steve's name in a mocking tone and Violet rolled her eyes at their theatrics. She reached for one of her friend's chips, popping it into her mouth as Daisy shook her head disapprovingly. "I don't know how you can even stand being his neighbour."

"It's not as if I had much of a say," Violet said. "But he's not a massive asshole…just a slight asshole," she said to her friend.

"And is it true that he's dating Nancy Wheeler from the year below?"

"So I've heard," Violet replied. She wasn't going to tell anyone that she'd seen Nancy leave Steve's house that morning. She knew if she did then there would just be rumours about the two of them sleeping together and Violet knew how mean high school kids could be. "She's not his usual type, I'll say that for him."

"You think it'll last?"

"I don't think any high school relationship is built to last," Violet said. "Anyway, did you go to the ceremony last night for Will? I would've tried to make it, but you know what my dad's like."

"I went for a little while," Daisy said. "It's just creepy, right? He went missing without a trace…like no one saw anything…and in Hawkins of all places. Nothing ever happens here. My mom and dad are freaking out over me being anywhere but at home at the moment. Oh, they asked if you wanted to come for dinner tonight. Mom's worried that your dad isn't feeding you while your mom is gone."

Violet snorted. "And she thinks my mom cooks when she's home?"

"Good point," she agreed. "Anyway, did you want to come over?"

"I can't tonight. I've got the tournament this afternoon and I don't know how long it's going to go on for…it's qualifications for regionals and if I don't make those then I can kiss any chance of a scholarship goodbye. Then again, I might not even make it if I don't pass math."

"You'll pass math."

"You're talking to someone who still hasn't mastered algebra," she reminded Daisy. "Anyway, I should go to the library for a bit and try to get some homework done before the tournament. Do you think you might make it to a game?"

"I'll try, but I've got chemistry this afternoon and my mom wants me back as soon as school is over."

"Don't worry about it," Violet said and she moved from the bench, taking her lunch tray with her after slinging her backpack onto one shoulder. "I'll see you in a bit, yeah?"

"See you in a bit and good luck with the game."

"Thanks," Violet said and she walked away. She emptied her tray and left it on the stack of empty trays before moving through the corridors and heading towards the library. She stifled a yawn as she waked by the lockers and had to move quickly out of the way of an incoming stampede of kids who were running down the corridor.

"Watch it!" she snapped at them as her back hit the lockers.

"Sorry!" they shouted back in unison and Violet recognised them as some of Will's friends. She thought one of them might be Nancy's brother, but she wasn't entirely sure. She shook her head at them and kept on walking to the library before she spotted Nancy at her locker. Violet was about to walk past her without another word, but she found herself doing a u-turn and fiddling with the straps of her backpack.

"Any luck finding Barb?" Violet wondered and Nancy did a double take at who was talking to her before she closed her locker and shook her head. She cradled her textbooks to her chest.

"No," she answered. "I mean, I guess she might be at home."

"She's not at school?"

"No one has seen her," Nancy replied.

"And have you called her house?"

"Her mom picked up and said she hadn't come home. I just…I'm not sure where she could've gone," Nancy confessed and Violet had to admit that something did feel off. Will Byers had gone missing. Barb seemed to have gone missing from a party.

"What did her parents say?"

"They just said that they thought she would be at school," Nancy said. "I don't know…I mean, I don't want to panic them or make them worry, but Carol and Tommy didn't see her leave and you didn't see anything either."

"I'm not being funny, but maybe it's time to worry a bit?" she suggested. "I know that she might be fine, but the Byers kid went missing. I'm not saying the same has happened to Barb, but I just think sitting on this information isn't going to help anyone."

"What are you doing here, slut-pig?"

Violet felt her teeth ground together as she saw Steve, Tommy and Carol approach the locker. Carol had her arms crossed over her chest and her head tilted to the side, an amused expression on her face as she watched Violet intently. Violet tugged the cuffs of her sweatshirt over her hands and folded her own arms over her chest, chin jutting out defiantly.

"Plotting how I can steal your boyfriend, of course," Violet said, tone sarcastic. "You know, ever since those seven minutes we shared locked in a cupboard I haven't been able to stop thinking about him. You're a lucky girl, Carol, having someone like him…the envy of the entire school."

Steve's lips quirked at Violet's sarcastic tone and he knew that he had to tread carefully. Carol and Tommy were his friends, but even he couldn't deny that they could be pains in the ass.

"We all know you're jealous," Carol retorted.

"Who wouldn't be?" Tommy added on with a wink.

"Anyone who has more than one brain cell?" Violet retorted and Nancy looked down awkwardly, still clinging to her books and her mind still on her friend as opposed to whatever petty rivalry Carol and Tommy had going on with Violet Mattheson. "Or do you both share that brain cell…you know…one of you has it one day and the other the next? I guess it would explain why you can't pass physics, right, Tommy?"

"You're a jealous virgin, you know that?" Carol snapped at her and Violet pulled a face, moving her finger through the air from left to right, pretending to be confused.

"So I'm a slut-pig but also a virgin? That's quite the contradiction," Violet said. "I take it Tommy's using the brain cell today then, Carol?"

"You think you can get away with talking to my girlfriend like that?" Tommy demanded, stepping forwards. He towered over Violet, but she didn't back down. She just kept glaring at him with her head tilted upwards. Steve felt Nancy nudge him in the ribs and he looked to her as she mouthed 'do something' to him and he sighed but stepped in. He moved a hand to Tommy's arm, gripping it firmly.

"Come on, man," Steve said. "You're not going to do anything to a girl."

"Wouldn't put it past him," Violet muttered.

"Vi, come on," Steve urged from her then and her eyes widened as she looked at him, pointing to her own chest as he met her gaze.

"Me?" she checked with him. "I wasn't doing anything. I was just stood here talking to Nancy when you all came over and decided to start on me. It's not my fault your friends are assholes."

"You gonna let her get away with talking to us like that?" Carol demanded from Steve and he flapped his arms out to the side. He had to admit that Violet had a point.

"This isn't helping anyone, guys," Steve said. "Vi, just get out of here."

Violet looked to Steve with a glance of disbelief. Then again, why should she be surprised? She knew who he was and she knew what he was like. She just scoffed and shook her head as he had the decency to look slightly embarrassed by his behaviour. She walked away from them and headed to the library as Carol and Tommy kept snickering to each other. Nancy looked at her boyfriend, but she wasn't entirely sure why his gaze was still fixed on the back of Violet's head.

…

Steve wasn't entirely sure what to do with the information that he'd heard from Nicole. She'd told him that Jonathan Byers had photos of them from the gathering the night before. Steve had frowned as he'd listened to her and wondered what Jonathan would even be doing there. Apparently, he also had photos of Violet playing tennis and then closing her curtains too. Steve had been with Carol and Tommy when Nicole had told them what she'd seen. Steve guessed that he had to find Jonathan and confront him. He'd probably destroy the photos as well, especially if they were incriminating.

But he also guessed that Violet deserved to know. He'd asked her friend, Daisy, where she was that afternoon considering she hadn't been in chemistry class. Daisy had looked at him with clear disdain, but she'd told him that she'd be on the tennis court for a regional competition. Steve didn't entirely know how she'd react, but he figured she had a right to know that some creep had photos of her.

"You know, we should probably make him pay," Tommy said.

Steve had wanted to go to the court by himself, but Tommy had insisted on tagging along with him. They headed round the back of the school as the bell rang to signal the end of the school day. There were only three tennis courts at Hawkins High School with metal bleachers around each of them. The bleachers weren't particularly full, but there were some students sat there with some teachers watching on as well. There was a match taking place on each court, but Steve spotted Violet on court number one, sat on a bench and eating a banana. Her father was nowhere to be seen so at least that was one obstacle he could avoid. They headed up the bleachers, sitting near the top row.

"And how do I make him pay?" Steve wondered. "Look, I'll just talk to him and see what goes from there."

"And we really have to tell your neighbour?" Tommy wondered. "Why can you not just tell her now? She's not exactly on court, is she?"

Just as he said that, the umpire sat to the side shouted time. Steve nudged Tommy in the ribs as he made a loud huffing noise and silence descended around the court. Steve watched as Violet stood up, jogging back to the baseline and bouncing a ball against the clay court. She took a deep breath before she tossed the ball into the air and hit it with her racket with so much force the crack echoed through the air. The ball landed on the other side of the net and her opponent stretched to reach it, but it bounced off the edge of her racket and Violet won the point. Steve watched her clench her fist as she moved to the other side of the baseline and prepared to serve again.

"You know…she is pretty hot when she's not being a total bitch," Tommy muttered under his breath. "Don't tell Carol I said that."

"Your secret is safe with me."

"Don't tell me you wouldn't," Tommy replied and Steve shot him a sideways look. "Come on, she's nowhere near our league, but she's still good looking."

"I haven't thought about her like that," Steve mumbled as Violet won another point after a short rally.

Steve didn't know why he felt compelled to sit through the three remaining games until the final match point. He could've tried to get her attention and leave, but a part of him didn't want to distract her. He could see the determination in her face from the way her eyes never left the ball to the way her jaw clenched with concentration. As the rally continued on match point, Steve was convinced she was going to miss the ball as a dropshot left her running to the net, racket stretched in front of her. It bounced off the edge of it and just made it across the net, but her opponent hit it straight back. Violet seemed to have read the move and instead hit it with such force across the court that both her feet left the ground and her torso twisted. The ball landed just in the line, chalk flying upwards.

The umpire declared that was the match to Mattheson and Steve watched her as she clenched her fists and yelled 'come on' louder than he thought she could ever yell considering how quiet she usually was whenever they spoke. Steve found himself clapping along with the rest of the crowd before he felt Tommy hit him across the arm.

"What?" Steve asked.

"Clapping, really?"

"You gonna pretend that wasn't impressive?" Steve questioned from him. "Doubt either of us could beat her in a match."

She shook her opponent's hand and then the umpire's hand too before she went to the bench and sat down, grabbing her towel and wiping her forehead. She buried her face into the towel and Steve almost wondered if she was crying with relief. Everyone began to stand up and leave the court as it was announced that Violet Mattheson had won the ladies' singles qualification tournament for the regional high school championship.

"Shit, Carol," Tommy suddenly said as they left the bleachers and Tommy spotted his girlfriend by the edge of the court. She looked fuming. Tommy headed over towards her, arms stretched as he proclaimed his innocence. Steve chuckled and moved over the court to where Violet was putting her racket away into a racket bag.

"Hey," Steve said and she turned her head over her shoulder to glance back at him. Her face fell then and she zipped the bag up before slinging it onto her back like a backpack. "That was impressive, really…I knew you were good, but never that good."

"Well, tennis matches don't tend to attract the same crowd that your basketball matches do so I'm not surprised you've never seen me play," Violet retorted. He could see that there was sweat by her hairline and her cheeks were flushed red. "What do you want, Steve?"

"I just wanted to tell you something because I figured you had a right to know," Steve said and he fell into step next to her as she left the court, hands gripping the straps of her tennis bag. She needed to go to her locker and grab her rucksack with her books before heading home. She, thankfully, could drive herself back considering her dad had insisted she get her licence as soon as possible to save him from dropping her off at school.

"What is it?"

"You know Jonathan Byers?"

"I think everyone knows him now, Steve," Violet said, making reference to the fact that his brother had, in fact, gone missing. "What about him?"

"Well, Nicole said she saw him in the photography room doing whatever photographers do to photos…and he had images of our party last night…he also had images of you playing tennis and…in your bedroom."

"What?" Violet snapped and she stood still at hearing him. "Well, what was he doing?"

"What do you mean what was he doing?" Steve retorted and he stood opposite her.

"Why was he there and taking photos? Have you not asked him?"

"I haven't seen him yet, but I was going to talk to him. Tommy and Carol said they'd meet me at his car."

Violet's lips arched into a smarmy smirk and Steve's brows furrowed together. He ran a hand through his hair, mussing it up and cocking his head to the side. "What's that look for?" he asked her.

"You, Carol and Tommy are going to talk to him after school," Violet said. "So is that talk to him or threaten him because it's hard to know with you lot sometimes."

"You really think that little of me?" Steve asked, but there was a cocky edge to his voice.

"After how you behaved earlier, I really don't think all that much of you," Violet retorted. "I don't get you, Steve. I don't get who you are. One minute you seem to be this nice guy who actually isn't as big an asshole as people think you are and then the next minute you're exactly that guy."

"Is this because of what Carol and Tommy said earlier? Come on, Vi, I broke that up, didn't I?" Steve complained, hands folding over his chest and crumpling the striped blue tee he wore under his blue zip up jacket.

"You think you broke that up? You just stood there and didn't say anything when they were calling me names. You…I get that in school we're not friends. I get that I'm nowhere near as popular, clever or pretty as the girls you like to hang out with, but we…I've sat on that tree stump in the forest and I've told you things no one else here knows," Violet said, hand moving to her chest. "And I guess maybe I was an idiot for thinking that would mean anything to you."

"Vi, it does," Steve defended himself. "They're my friends though. We're…well…"

"Not friends?" she suggested for him.

"No, we are-"

"-We're not though, are we?" Violet said. "And that's fine. You've got a reputation to uphold and my life is tennis. Maybe I was just expecting a bit too much of you to stick up for me against them."

"It's not as if you need anyone to fight your battles for you," Steve said. "And I'm not your boyfriend, Vi. Besides, you were giving as good as you got. Maybe things might be easier for you if you just…I don't know…didn't retaliate."

Violet rolled her eyes at him. "Whatever, Steve," she said. "Glad to know where you stand in all of this."

"Don't be like that," Steve groaned.

"I'm not being like anything," she defended herself. "I need to go. Just stay away from Jonathan Byers. I'll talk to him."

"Vi," Steve called her name as she stormed off. He watched her go, hands holding his hips and he shook his head as he watched her retreating, ponytail swinging down her neck and strides purposeful. He didn't go after her, but he wasn't going to take her advice either.

…

Violet wasn't entirely sure how Steve Harrington got underneath her skin, but he did. He was an arrogant, pompous ass. Violet knew that. But then she also knew that somewhere, deep down, he was capable of being sensitive and actually kind. She'd seen that before as they'd grown up next door to each other. She remembered how he'd snuck her chocolate from his house whenever her dad said she couldn't have it. He'd listened to her complain about getting up early from practice and had told her how that sucked. But at school it was like he had to be someone else.

Grabbing her rucksack from her locker, Violet pulled it onto her bag and carried her tennis bag by her side. She headed to the parking lot when she spotted Nancy, Tommy, Nicole and Steve walking towards her. She looked over their shoulders and spotted Jonathan Byers by his car, knelt on the floor and hunched around something, trying to grab pieces.

"If it isn't the school slut," Carol called out as Violet walked by them without acknowledging their existence. "Think you're too good to look at us now, huh?"

Violet still didn't say anything and she didn't turn back around either.

"Oi, we're-"

"-Leave her alone," Steve interrupted Carol, watching as Violet kept walking away towards her car.

"You're serious?" Carol checked.

"Yeah, I'm serious," Steve snapped, tone indicating that he wasn't in the mood to argue the point. "Hey, Nancy!" he decided on shouting as he realised his girlfriend was still by the parking lot.

Violet looked to Nancy as she left Jonathan. "Any news on Barb?" Violet wondered, but Nancy just shook her head and scurried by Violet to catch up with Steve.

Heading to the parking lot, Violet watched as Jonathan picked up pieces of something. She dropped her bag to the ground as she crouched down and began helping him. She slowly pieced together that it was his camera. Jonathan glanced upwards and looked to her, but he couldn't exactly meet her eye.

"I take it they broke this?"

"Harrington did," Jonathan said.

"He told me about the photos," Violet said and she handed him the few pieces she'd grabbed, still crouched down across from him. Jonathan placed the broken camera into his bag, knowing that there was no hope of reviving it. "What were you doing out there?"

"Looking for my brother," Jonathan said.

"Behind our houses?" Violet checked.

He didn't say anything to her then and Violet suspected she might have her work cut out for her trying to get some rational response from him. She stood up at the same time that he did, her hands going to her hips. He kept on looking down, almost as though making eye contact with her was impossible.

"Look, I know what's going on is…it's horrible and I can't begin to imagine what you're going through," Violet assured him on that point, shaking her head. "And I'm not going to make excuses for what Steve just did. It was a dick move, but he…he does seem to think that you were creeping on him and his friends. I get the feeling that with your brother missing, that's the last thing you'd be doing, but I can't defend you if you don't tell me what was going on."

Jonathan still didn't say anything. Violet suspected she may as well give up. She just shrugged her shoulders and began to walk away. She fumbled in the pocket of her tennis shorts for her car keys, tugging them out before she glanced back at Jonathan. "Hey," she called to him as he stood by the open car door. "Did you see Barb leave the party when you were in the woods?"

"No," he answered her and Violet let out a hmm before she tossed her bags onto her backseat.

Starting the ignition, she got the feeling that things weren't piecing together and she hated how that piqued her interest.