𝐖𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐍. ˢᵗᵉᵛᵉ ʰᵃʳʳⁱⁿᵍᵗᵒⁿ ¹

018

018. 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗷𝘂𝗻𝗸𝘆𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗻𝘀𝗲𝘁.

  𝐃𝐔𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐄𝐃 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄, and caught Steve's eye. Steve shrugged in response and let out a stressed breath of air as consolation, emitting that 'it is what it is'. But then he looked at the back of Lori's head and thought quietly to himself about what she said, as they started walking again.

    "Yeah— okay," Dustin nodded slowly.

They caught up within a few seconds, taken aback, and joined Lori at her sides. The three of them resumed their walking on the tracks, a foot separating each of them.

Lori was trailing her eyes around the trees, her arms crossed and mind boggled with everything. Her mind was racing with a thousand different things, and she desperately tried to tame it and focus on the nature. She couldn't stop thinking about the stories, the painful truth about Hawkins, about the fact that she was existing while all of it happened at the same time.

There was minute or two more before anyone spoke again. It was Dustin, and his voice spoke out quiet and honest.

"This girl is different, y'know, there's just somethin' about her," he said, looking at the ground.

"Woah, woah, woah, hey," Steve suddenly put his arm out, extending it over Lori to stop Dustin from walking. "You're not fallin' in love with this girl, are you?" he asked, seriously.

"Harrington," Lori squinted her eyes at him, "He's, like, twelve,"

It took Dustin a moment to think, and then he shook his head. "Uh... no. No,"

Steve stared at him. "Okay, good." he said, and slowly turned away to keep walking. "Don't." he said, strongly.

"I won't," Dustin said, and then looked to Lori.

"She's only gonna break your heart and you're way too young for that shit," Steve said, bitterly.

"Love doesn't even exist." Lori told him, half-meaning it and half-not.

Steve rolled his eyes and shook his head, knowing that was something Lori Philbin would say. He didn't have the energy or capacity for feelings to argue on such a topic right then, though.

Then, it was quiet again. The three of them walked in silence, dropping meat and listening to the still noise around them.

After a few minutes of quietness, Steve turned to look at Dustin because he wasn't non-stop talking like he always did. Lori followed his gaze.

They both noticed the glum look on his face as he thought to himself. The two of them made eye contact, and Steve pressed his lips together and widened his eyes a bit — emitting with an obvious expression that her pessimistic "love doesn't exist" attitude got him down. She scoffed, and protested, pointing to his hair.

"Tell him," she whispered-scolded, as quietly as she could. She glanced to his hair.

Steve let out a sigh, and then thought to himself as he looked away.

    After a moment, he spoke, very reluctantly. "Faberge," he announced.

"What?" Dustin looked up from the ground.

Steve pointed to his hair. "It's Faberge Organics," he said.

Lori's lips formed into a small smile, at the reality of Steve stepping off his high horse— and giving out, probably, one of his most prized secrets. All to help the poor kid.