FAMILIAR ↳ STEVE HARRINGTON

forty-two.

Christine was fanning herself as she walked into the mall, the girl tired from being at work and following Hopper around. It was about noon when she took her lunch, the girl making her first routine stop at Scoops Ahoy to see Steve. She walked in as he was talking to a girl, Christine raising her eyebrows at the exchange.

"I really think I need some real-life experience, you know, before I hit college, see what it feels like. Kinda like uh, I don't know, see what it's like to earn a working-mans wage, you know?" Christine cringed from behind the girls as she watched Steve mess up the register, her lip curling up in disgust as she suffered through the display. "I think that's like really important."

"Yeah, totally."

"Yeah anyway this was like so fun. We should kind of like, you know, I don't know, maybe hang out this weekend or I don't know. Maybe next weekend or—"

"Yeah I'm busy." The girl shut him down, Christine snickering from behind them.

"Oh that's cool. I'm-I'm working here next weekend so...the following weekends better for me." Steve said, realizing he was striking out.

"Uh no. Sorry I cant." The girl said, turning and laughing with her friend as she walked away. Christine pushed past the both of them, Steve leaning against the counter with his head down as he let out a sigh.

"Cheer up Stevie baby. You'll get them next time." Christine chuckled as she gripped him by the chin, giving it a squeeze as Robin slid out from behind the window.

"And another one bites the dust. You are oh-for-six, Popeye."

"Mm, Popeye. I like that." Christine chimed in, earning an appreciative smile from Robin and a sigh from Steve. "Little sailor man."

"Yeah, yeah I can count." Steve quipped, ignoring Christines comment as she eyed the ice cream flavors.

"You know that means you suck. Doubly suck. The other board is just right here." Robin said, gesturing towards the white board that held Christines stats.

"Yep I can read too."

"Since when?" Robin said, making Christine snort. Steve shook his head, pushing off the counter and walking towards Robin.

"It's this stupid hat. I am telling you it is totally blowing my best feature." Steve said, looking back at Christine for confirmation. She gave him a reassuring nod and a thumbs up, still trying to hold in a laugh as Robin spoke.

"Yeah, company policy is a real drag. You know, it's a crazy idea, but have you considered...telling the truth?"

"Oh you mean that I couldn't even get into Tech and my douchebag dads trying to teach me a lesson, I make three bucks and hour and I have no future? That truth?"

"God you're so dramatic. We've talked about this. You need to chill with the no future talk." Christine said from behind them, Steve giving her a raised hand as she called him dramatic.

"Hey, twelve o'clock." Robin pointed out, Christine turning her head and looking at the girls that were walking in. She still stood at the counter, moving slightly to the side as she saw them approach. She looked the girl up and down, wondering what exactly she could have that Christine didn't.

"Ahoy ladies! Didn't see you there. Would you guys like to set sail on this ocean of flavor with me? I'll be your captain. I'm Steve Harrington." Christine cringed again, the girl pushing in front of the group of girls and looking back at them with a apologetic look.

"He's joking. And I'm—I was here first." She said, shaking her head as she looked at him with a dumbfounded look.

"No I wasn't- "

"Just shut up. I gotta get back to work but can I have a to go cup of cookies and cream and then a to go cup of the mint chocolate chip?" Christine said, pointing to the ice creams and hearing the girls behind her giggle. Steve looked at her, shaking his head before going to the ice creams, scooping them out. Christine turned again, looking back at the girl in the front, their eyes meeting before she gave her an up down and then a bit of a glaring look.

"So uh...who's the mint chocolate chip for? Your boyfriend? Officer mustache?" Steve looked pretty proud of himself for that one, Christine groaning as she handed him the money for the ice cream.

"You're just mad because you can't grow one." She said, reaching across the counter and fixing his hair. He glared at her as he gave her her change back, her head tilting to the side as she spoke again. "And yes, it is for him."

She turned before he could say anything else, Steve watching her leave, pushing his head out an extra bit past the group of girls to really watch her leave.

"7 to 47!" Robin called from the back, Steve groaning as he heard her mark it down on the white board.

:::

Christine Wheeler was sitting in her room, the girl having skipped her second routine outing to the mall when she had traveled home and entered around the same time as Nancy, the girl seeing the absolute anguish her cousin was in.  So after asking Nancy what was wrong, the girl had followed her up to her room and was now pacing back and forth across her carpet, ranting about her day as Christine threw a ball in the air.

"They're such literal assholes. Like big assholes. Christine I wish you could see it. The way they treat me, like I'm not good enough to find out a story! Just because I'm a girl.  And Jonathan just doesn't understand, I mean why would he? He's a man too! It's like he can't see it at all." Nancy ranted, shaking her head as she paced back and forth. Christine let out a short sigh, throwing the ball up again and catching it as she spoke.

"I think you need to just get a really good story, show it to them, and maybe they'll actually listen. And don't let Jonathan downplay the real issue, yeah he doesn't understand but that doesn't mean he has the right to invalidate you even more. He's as bad as them if he does."

"Thank you! And he just doesn't understand anything I say. I point it out and he's like 'no that's not what they're doing' like yes Jonathan it is!" Nancy said frustratedly, the girl looking down at her watch and then letting out a sigh.  "He's picking me up in a few minutes I really should go grab some more clothes. Alright I'll see you Christine. Thanks for listening." Nancy headed towards her door, opening it and disappearing as Christine called after her.

"No problem."

"Oh I meant to ask! How's Steve?" Nancy peeked her head back in the door, Christine shrugging as she answered the weird question.

"He's fine I guess."

"Alright. Just checking in. Okay I gotta go. See you!"