Eye of the Storm ✇ Steve Harrington

Chapter Eighteen

It took some work and time, as well as squabbling, but the group of five had finally managed to bring the junkyard to the perfect state in which they needed it to trap and kill the Demogorgon. And they'd done so just in time. As night fell over the junkyard, they found refuge in the boarded up and secure bus, left to wait for any sign of their plan being set in motion.

Nora had lost track of how long had passed as they sat and waited, silence spreading through the bus. None of them wanted to be talking and distracted when the creature finally arrived. According to Dustin, they couldn't risk being caught off guard. However, silence was bound to become too much for some at a certain point. And the first to break it was Max.

"So, you really fought one of these things before?" The redhead looked to Steve where he sat on the floor beside her. As Steve nodded, Nora leaned over so she could see past him and to her sister who was now showing a dubious look on her face. "And you're, like, totally, 100% sure it wasn't a bear?"

"Shit. Don't be an idiot, okay? It wasn't a bear." It was Dustin who answered instead of Steve, the tone of his voice showing just how annoyed he was getting with all of Max and Nora's scepticism. "Why are you even here if you don't believe us?"

Max, never one to simply accept someone being rude to her, stood to her feet with a roll of her eyes. "Geesh. Someone's cranky. Past your bedtime?" She bit back before climbing the latter to the top of the bus where Lucas and his binoculars kept and eye on the clearing and its surroundings.

"That's good. Just show her you don't care." Steve commended Dustin once the younger girl was gone, earning himself as well as the Henderson a sharp glare.

"Nope, all you're showing right now is that you're an asshole." Nora corrected in a firm tone. And if Dustin continued this way, she'd be getting Max and walking them both out of here, the plan be damned.

Ignoring Nora, Dustin's eyes focused on Steve as he tried to deny the accusation of caring. "I don't." But, of course, both of the high schoolers could see right past that. And Steve was the one who made it known. "Why are you winking, Steve? Stop!"

"He's just being immature." Nora shook her head at Steve but couldn't keep the small smile of amusement from her lips. Still, she focused on Dustin as she continued on. "But take it from me, as the damn sister, being an ass isn't gonna get you where you wanna be. Not in this case."

"Protective big sister, huh? I like the look." Steve commented, making Nora laugh as she turned back to him.

"Shut up, Harrington." She replied simply, not even bothering to deny the title. She wasn't the overprotective type, after all, Max was right, she could take care of herself. But that didn't mean she'd sit by and just watch someone be a jerk to her.

Her instructions seemed to stick, and even though he did laugh at her just a bit, Steve did quiet down. The silence within the bus itself, allowed Nora who was sitting right below the hatch of the roof to overhear Max's conversation with Lucas above them.

"My stepbrother's always been a dick, but now he's just angry all the time, and... Well, he can't take it out on my mom, so..." Max's voice drifted from above as she spoke about Billy, and Nora could feel eyes on her face. She knew if she could hear her sister so could Steve who sat beside her, but she didn't acknowledge him.

"So, he takes it out on you?" Lucas finished for Max, prompting the redhead to correct him soon after.

"More on Nora. She tries to make him focus on her whenever she can." As she listened to Max's reply, Nora's brows furrowed.

She never gave it much thought, never questioned turning Billy's anger on herself instead of their younger sister. But hearing Max speak about it now made Nora realize she was doing for Max the same thing Billy did for her so long ago. For a moment, she couldn't help but panic. Just for a second. Thinking that one day she might turn out the same way as he did. He started down this path in that same way.