𝗧𝗘𝗘𝗡𝗔𝗚𝗘 𝗥𝗢𝗬𝗔𝗟𝗧𝗬 [steve harrington]

chapter 5

apologies
🎶 ribs - lorde

"Can I just get a small vanilla milkshake?" Izzie smiled at the waitress as she nodded and turned to take Steve's order. 

Steve looked up at Izzie, with a sarcastic smile. When he noticed that the waitress was standing waiting for him, he spoke up. "Oh, I'm sorry, umm can I get a number two? Extra fries, thank you." He smiled.

Steve looked at Izzie raising a brow. "What?" She laughed.

"You told me we were going to lunch, and you don't even order anything?" He asked.

"What do you mean? I got a milkshake."

"That's not a meal." Steve replied.

"Steve I'm honestly not hungry. I had a big breakfast this morning." Izzie assured.

"Well I got extra fries incase you wanted some. Because you always do that." Steve chuckled.

"What do you mean 'I always do that'?" The girl asked. Slightly offended.

Steve responded with a knowing smile. "Izzie, you say you're not hungry, and then you try to sneak my fries." Steve, in all honesty, didn't mind when Izzie took his fries, he just thought it was silly that she wouldn't just order her own.

Izzie tried to hide her smile, realizing Steve was right. "That's so not true."

"Whatever you say." Steve shrugged.

"The funeral should end by the time we finish." Izzie added as the waitress sat down their orders, hoping to change the subject.

Steve sighed. "I don't even know what to say to her Izz. I mean, I'm into her. I don't want to ruin this, you know."  The boy had truly began to have doubts about his relationship with Nancy Wheeler.

Izzie nodded. "So, why don't you just go and apologize?"

"Because I'm having trouble deciding if it's worth it." The boy confessed. "I don't know if I love her. I don't think I-"

"Steve." The girl said, cutting him off. "You don't have to love her. It's new."

"Yeah, I know Izzie, but-

"Remember, at least try with her. To see where it goes." Izzie smiled. She kept repeating that advice. And at some point, she began to question her judgement when encouraging Steve to pursue Nancy. Only because Steve has a lot of doubts about their relationship. What if he actually doesn't really want her. She tried her hardest to push it away, but one question kept resurfacing in her mind. Does he love someone else?

"Yeah, whatever." He sighed. "You know Izz, I don't think I could talk to Tommy and Carol like this." At his words, Izzie raised an eyebrow. Noticing her confusion, he continued. "I mean like, Tommy would tell me it doesn't matter if I love her, as long as she's good in bed. And well, Carol would laugh and call her a priss."

"That's very true." Izzie laughed, grabbing some of Steve's fries. "That's why we are such good friends."

The pair talked for a while longer, Izzie sneaking some of Steve's meal here and there. As time went on, the two had decided that now was the time to make their way to the Wheeler's house.

Walking out of the diner, Izzie turned to Steve. "So, do you know what you're going to tell her?"

Steve paused. "Uhm-"

"So you don't?" Izzie interrupted, raising an eyebrow.

"No. Not at all." Steve admitted.

"Okay, well I can tell you what's she's going to want to hear." Izzie replied. "All girls just want to hear that they were right. So all you have to do is say she was right, even if you don't mean it."

The boy nodded. "Okay. Let's do this." He smiled, opening the car door.

"Let's do this." She laughed, climbing into the passenger seat.

-

Izzie was left in the car as Steve went in to see Nancy. While waiting, she found herself unreasonably anxious. In fact, she was having trouble identifying what she was anxious about. She couldn't quite pinpoint it. It was almost a feeling of impending doom.

Ever since Izzie was little, she was a nail biter. Her mother tried everything to make her stop. Clear nail polish, bribery, slapping her hands. Nothing stopped her. As she grew up, it slowly became less prominent in her life. Turning into nothing but a nervous habit.

As Izzie's nails became shorter and shorter, she continually asked herself, what is wrong?

She never figured it out.

Lost in thought, she was startled by a tight grip forming around her wrist. With a jump, she turned to see Steve sitting in the seat next to her. "Steve, you scared me half to death!" She scorned.

Steve rolled his eyes, dropping her arm. "What's wrong."

"What do you mean?" Izzie questioned.

"Your biting your nails." Steve replied. "I haven't seen you bite your nails since freshman finals, you only do that when your worrying." Concern grew on the boy's face as Izzie didn't reply. "Izzie, are you okay?"

Izzie nodded. "Yeah, I, I just feel like something is wrong."

"Are you sure you're fine?" He asked.

"Yeah, just a weird feeling." She assured. "How did it go with Nancy?"

"Not well." He sighed. "When I brought up the idea of us hanging out she made up some excuse about how her brother needs her or whatever, it was obvious she didn't want to hear it."

"I'm sorry." Izzie frowned. "Hopefully she comes around."

Steve started the car. "Yeah, hopefully."

A smile grew on Izzie's face as an idea formed in her mind. "I know how to make you feel better." Steve turned and raised an eyebrow, curious to see what the girl had come up with.

-

Hours later, the pair had found themselves dancing on Steve's kitchen counters to anything and everything the radio would play.

This has been a tradition for the pair ever since the seventh grade. When one was having a bad day, they would cheer each other up by cooking grilled cheese and dancing in Steve's kitchen while his parents were at work.

It was pure bliss for Izzie, one of those moments you try your hardest to savor because you know this is a memory your going to wish you could relive.

And it was. In the years to come, Izzie would often find herself looking back in this night. Dancing on the counter tops, the feeling of innocence that she had since longed for. She would look back on this night as one of the last normal nights she and Steve had before their world turned upside down.