STARCROSSED ▷ steve harrington

03. vecna's curse - part one

CHAPTER THREE — VECNA'S CURSE
PART ONE

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"GOD, THIS is so stupid," Jackie huffed, pushing the passenger door of Steve's car open. After trying (and failing miserably because of her cast) to drive herself around the previous night, she had no choice but to rely on Steve for rides. She hated feeling useless. The option to take the cast off was there of course, but when she wore it, the pain that would shoot up her leg every time she took a step wasn't as severe.

"Jackie, it's really not that big of a deal. We basically have the same work schedule anyway."

She got out of the vehicle in silence. She wasn't mad at him—she wasn't mad at all, really, but earlier that morning she'd asked Nancy to drive up to the trailer park because she forgot to pack something, and not only were there a fuck-ton of cops at her neighbor's, she also got brushed off by Max, and got to see her mother drunkenly stumble around.

Long story short, she was not having a good day.

"I'll see you later," was her response, and she stepped into the skate shop. Another plus to Sid's Skates and Family Video being right next to one another; there was a connecting door between the stores. So when she said later, it was most likely more sooner than anything, because that door got used more than the front. Steve was right, business for the shop was pretty slow, but he had exaggerated a bit.

Saturday's were always the busiest for both; even if Sid's was less packed, she was still occupied checking someone out when Dustin came sprinting through the front door.

"Yo, dude!" Jackie hollered, holding her hands up. "Slow down! It's a skate shop not a damn race track. What're you rushing around for anyway, shithead?"

"How many phones do you guys have?"

"Phones?" She echoed, confused. "One, why?"

Dustin groaned dramatically and turned to walk through the connecting door to Family Video. He glanced back her way. "Are you coming or no? This is an emergency!"

Jackie looked to the customer she was currently busy with, to him, and then back to the customer. "You're joking, right?"

"Hey, lady, hurry up and buy that thing for your grandson already so I can steal fake blondie!"

Jackie sighed. "I'm so sorry about him. Are you all set?"

"Yes, dear I am," the lady didn't seem offended, she was more amused than anything, judging by her expression. "Is he your little brother?"

Jackie looked to see Dustin climbing over the countertop in Family Video, throwing his things and knocking everything down during the process. Steve's yell of protest could be heard, even from where she was standing, and soon Max's face appeared too. She shifted on her feet and turned back to the woman.

"Yeah, something like that."

After putting up the lunch break sign on the door when the customers had all cleared out, she made her way to the next store over. Dustin was typing away on the computer, and the remaining three looked annoyed. Max's expression only darkened when she saw Jackie enter.

"What the hell is going on?"

"Perfect timing!" Robin pulled her by the arm so that she was behind the counter with the rest of them. "Max was just about to fill us in. Go on."

Max said nothing at first, and Jackie was awkwardly staring at the floor while they waited expectedly, and when her sister started to explain, Jackie felt her stomach drop.