daydream believer // stranger things

004 | there isn't a problem a bagel can't solve

STEVE HAD GOTTEN HIS ASS HANDED TO HIM AT BASKETBALL PRACTICE - THANKS TO BILLY HARGROVE. everywhere he turned, billy was right there with a snide remark on how "king steve" had lost his touch.

he had just started to like the nickname "king steve", and here was billy making him hate it again.

he hated billy with every bone in his body, and wasn't sure why he had chosen him as his target. maybe because he used to be the best on the team, and wasn't anymore.

the boy tried his best to cool off - both mentally and physically - in the showers, but of course, they were only locker room showers. before he knew it, billy and another teammate of theirs had joined him.

steve was just letting the water spray all over his face when billy finally spoke. "don't sweat it, harrington." he told him with a smirk. "today's just not your day."

their other teammate chuckled from the other side of the showers. "yeah, not your week." he joked. "you and the princess break up for one day and she's already running off with the freak's brother."

steve stared up at him, a blank expression on his face. sure, dawn had told him that jonathon and nancy went home together at the halloween party - but he had already known that, and apparently jonathon had sworn that's all that happened between them.

"oh shit." their teammate added with a smirk. "you didn't know." he let out a laugh as he shook his head. "jonathon and the princess skipped yesterday. still haven't shown. but that must just be a coincidence, right?"

shocking steve, billy actually shook his head. "don't take it too hard, man." he told him. "a pretty boy like you's got nothing to worry about." he assured him. "you've already bounced back, right?" he added with a wink. "come on, everyone's seen you running around with dawn."

their other teammate's ears perked up. "that new junior?" he asked with a smirk. "oh, she's hot. you just know she likes it rough."

steve glared up at him. "it's not like that." he said lowly.

billy put his hand on the shower so he was leaning on it. "good - that bitch has a mouth on her." he told steve. "and not in the way you want, you know?" he added. "plenty of bitches in the sea, am i right?" he joked, as he turned steve's knob and shut off the water on him. "i'll be sure to leave you some."

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IT HAD BEEN DAYS SINCE JONATHON BYERS HAD BEEN AT SCHOOL. 2 days, actually. the exact amount of time since will had his episode in the middle school field. dawn could only assume that he had been home taking care of his brother - which only made her feel guiltier about everything that had happened.

her stomach was turning in knots over facing joyce byers again. she could only hope the woman wouldn't slam the door in her face. so, she brought over a peace offering: bagels. when she lived in new york, her mother always told her there wasn't a problem that bagels couldn't solve. and sure, indiana bagels were no new york bagels, but she could only hope the byers had never ventured that far before.

in her other hand was a rubik's cube for the boy. he already had one, but thought it might be fun for them to have a race or something. or maybe she could even teach him how to solve one, if he was up for it.