𝐅𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐒 • Steve Harrington

Chapter 10

Steve followed Julie into Benny's, his backpack hanging off his shoulder and his keys in his hand. He had pushed the door open for her instinctively, making her laugh regardless of the gratitude she voiced with an amused, "Thanks."

Once the door swung closed behind them, she told him, "Grab a table."

"Any particular preference?"

She shrugged. "Something by a window."

His lips slanted into a smile knowingly. "With enough space to study."

"You got it."

Then he left her alone by the counter where she waited patiently for Earl to leave the kitchen.

When he finally did some moments later, throwing a dishtowel over his shoulder, his face lit up. "Julie, didn't expect to see you here this time of the day. No school?"

"Yeah, I have a free period now and lunch coming up next, so I thought I'd spend them both here." She rested her arms on the countertop.

"Well, you're welcome any time, you know that."

She warmly smiled. "How are things?"

"Same ol', same ol'," he noticed her expression shift, "but don't let it get you down. I've been preparing for the worst in case south is where things are headed. It's not ideal, but it's not in my hands."

"I'm just sorry you have to do that at all."

"Ah, ah, ah. What did I say?"

"Don't let it get me down."

He smiled, too. "Sit. I'll bring you a chocolate shake with extra cream, how about it?"

"Can you make that two? I have—"

The tune of "Glory Days" by Bruce Springsteen ran through the room as if on cue, and both of their necks turned towards the jukebox that the culprit appeared to be walking away from with a bop in his step. He was snapping his fingers timely, too, and nodding his head all the way to the booth by the curtain window he slipped himself into.

"—company," Julie sighs.

Earl's lips curled at the heat in her plump cheeks. "Coming right up."

She walked over and slipped into the leather seat across from Steve, who'd been nodding his head and emptying out his backpack. He messily stacked textbooks and notepads alike.

"Nice choice."

He shrugged. "Figured everybody loves a bit of Springsteen."

Julie only quirked a brow, not baring so much as a smile as she dug into her backpack for her own textbooks and flashcards.

"But you."

"No, Springsteen's rad, it's just the whole mall thing. It's a total bummer, you know?"

Steve crossed his arms on top of the table and leaned forward. "You don't think this place is going to make it?"

"I want to hope so, but Earl, who took it over after the original owner passed, thinks otherwise."

His eyebrows drew together. "Your mom's pretty cool about the whole thing though."

"I think it's because we inherited a ton of money when my dad died. He had this secret account she didn't know about that came pretty much out of nowhere."

"For what?"

"I have no idea. The whole thing's totally sketchy, but it's written in her name. She kept pushing for more information on it but it's allegedly classified."