Risk Taker | Steve Harrington

Dart | chapter 3

(Tabitha's POV)

"Wait a sec how big?" Steve asked Dustin in the front seat. He introduced himself as Steve Harrington and the younger boy as Dustin. It was late at night and we were still driving.

"At first it was this big." Dustin made a small gap in between his fingers. "And then grew this big." And now he was making a wide gesture with his arms. (Why am I so dirty minded 😭)

" are you sure it's not just some kind of lizard or something?" I ask from the back. "Yeah exactly." Steve agreed. He faced me and smiled. "Omg, it's not a lizard!" Dustin yelled. My cheeks grew red.

"How do you know it's not a lizard?" Steve yelled back. Dustin raised his eyebrows before answering. "How do I know it's not a lizard?"

"Yes how do you know it's not a lizard?" I asked again. Dustin turned around in his seat. "Because his face opened up and he ate my cat." Dustin noted plainly.

Silence etched the car. "Oh, Dustin, I'm sorry" I say in sorrowfulness. Steve just nodded his head in acceptance that, that wasn't normal.

Definitely not a lizard.

"Uh Tabitha, for some reason I recognise you." Steve drums his fingers on the wheel. My face grew hot. "Uh. No, I don't think so." I say, remembering the window incident.

"Wait yeah I saw you yesterday. You were reading a book upside down." He chuckled.

"Okay I did not! That's just how the book's made." I say, my chin high, arms crossed. "Sure charlottes web is made upside down." He then starts going into an uncontrollable laughing fit, Dustin following even having no knowledge of what was going on.

"Oh shut up" I laughed back.

We finally pulled up at his home that had scraps of meat on the front lawn. Steve got out, I following in suit. He opened his boot with Dustin itching closer.

"You have a bat with nails randomly in your boot?" I asked with curiosity. A smirk plastering on my face. "Yeah in situations like this." He replies smirking now that he has won the sarcastic comment.

I grabbed the bat and gripped hard on it. "You know it's better if I do it as I'm the bo-" Steve starts but gets interrupted by Dustin.

"Sexist much don't you think? I reckon she's very much capable." Dustin says back. I smiled and high fived him, he returning it with a bigger smile.

I ended up passing the bat to Steve and holding the flashlight due to that 1. Dustin has a basmement with a cat eating monster in it. And 2. I don't know how to fight with a bat.

Steve barely touched the locks with the bat but enough for it to clang. "Are you sure it's in here?" Steve asks.

"100%."

After saying that, Steve banged the basement doors with the bat. Nothing.

He shone the light in Dustin's face. "Look kid if this is some Halloween prank your dead."

"It's not a prank-"

"Alright?" Steve intimidated.

I grow impatient. "Stop bickering you too idiots and actually open the door. Your the ones with balls right?" I ask, my eyebrows raised. Dustin looked offended. "I travelled all this way from starting off by getting hit by the same car that delivered me to freeze my ass off while trying to find this lizard, reptile thing." I snapped. "Now open."

I gestured to the basement where they tried picking the lock after my requests. The doors opened and shockingly enough Steve didn't seem frightened. He might not believe Dustin but something in me did.

"You know- I-I'll stay up here in case he...you know climbs up the stairs." Dustin gulped. I laughed at that and he winked in return. Steve rolled his eyes before slowly going down the steps, me following in suit.

"Woah, woah ,woah. What are you doing down here?" He asks turning around. "I'm going into the basement." I sass back to him. I cross my arms as he shakes his head.

"What if you get hurt? Rather me then you after what happened today." He answers in genuine concern. I was trying to figure out if he was just gaslighting me into not going with him so he seems like the stronger one.

"Are you gaslighting me?"

"No." He responds firmly. "If you want to come then come. And if you really want, you can go in front?" He offers. A smirk crawling on his face. "Uh nah I'm good here." I respond.

"How long is it taking?" Dustin calls from the top. "Are you guys dead yet?" He asks. "Nope all good!" I yell back at him and I could just hear a sigh of relief.

"That kid's going to be the death of me." Steve sighs. "Welcome to motherhood." I say with an airy laugh. He continued to shine his light through the basement and I actually grew scared. But it seemed as though Steve was more frightened due to him clinging on my shirt.

With his bag he picked up something slimy. Something that looked like whatever happened to be down here shed. He put it back on the floor before inspecting the rest of the place.

He shone the light on the walls to find one with a big hole in it. "Uh Dustin. Does one of your walls happen to have a hole in it?" He calls out from underneath. I heard small footsteps go down the steps until a shiny face popped out in the dark.

"No." He lingers. All three of us crowded around the hole. "Oh shit." I say. "Oh shit indeed." Dustin and Steve jinx.