Alexithymia | STRANGER THINGS [ON HOLD UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE]

eleven | the pollywog

With his back pressed against a certain locker in particular, Matthew had his arms crossed over his chest and his headphones on his head as he listened to Black Sabbath's Iron Man.

And while he listened to that song play on his walkman, he simply just tapped his foot on the hallway of the floor to the beat of the song and stared down at his shoes.

It wasn't until he saw a single pair of shoes stop right in front of his own that he slowly looked up from the floor and found himself staring into the eyes of Steve Harrington.

As soon as he saw the look that was on Steve's face, Matthew took off his headphones and said to him, "Well, that isn't a good look for you, Harrington." When Steve only stared at him with narrowed eyes, Matthew feigned a pout as he said, "Oh, no, poor Steve is in a really, really bad mood. What ever will I do now?"

With his eyes still narrowed, Steve said to him, "Get away from my locker, Wheeler."

In turn, Matthew said as he turned his head to look away from Steve, "Hmm. Let me think about that." Then he looked back at Steve and said to him, "No. I don't think I will."

With a sigh, Steve asked him, "What do you want, Wheeler?"

It was then that Matthew said to him, "Nancy. Have you seen her?" When Steve only sighed to himself, Matthew told him, "Only reason I'm asking is because the last anyone saw her, she pulled you out of your basketball practice and talked to you about something. No one's seen her since. So... have you seen her?"

Steve replied, "No, I haven't. Are we done now? 'Cause I'd like to actually get into my locker, Wheeler."

With a chuckle, Matthew said to him, "Man, whatever she said to you must've really gotten to you, huh?" When Steve didn't respond, Matthew said, "It does make one wonder just what the hell my sister could've said to get you to act like this."

It was then that Steve said to him, "You know something, Wheeler? I really think that you should go be friends with Billy Hargrove."

With a scoff, Matthew replied, "Oh, yeah?" When Steve only nodded his head, Matthew asked him, "And why's that, Harrington?"

Steve told him, "Because you're both total douchebags. Now, if you'll excuse me..."

After a moment of silence, which involved Matthew just eyeing Steve, Matthew simply stepped out of the way with a smirk on his face and his hands shoved deep into his front jean pockets.

And while Steve went to open his locker, Matthew put his headphones back on his head and started to walk away from Steve as he listened to the sound of Black Sabbath's Electric Funeral playing on his walkman.

* * *

With an unlit cigarette hanging out of his mouth and his back pressed against his own car, Matthew went to flick open his lighter and bring it up towards his cigarette, only to stop and close his eyes with a sigh when the lighter was suddenly taken out of his hand.

Without even bothering to look at whoever had just taken his lighter from him, Matthew said, "You have two seconds to give me my fucking lighter, or I swear to God that I will kick your sorry ass."

It was then that he heard an unfamiliar voice say to him, "Well, I guess what they say about you is true, then, Wheeler. You really are the asshole of the school."

Instead of responding to the words that were just said to him, Matthew glanced up from his unlit cigarette and found himself staring into Billy Hargrove's eyes.

With a sigh, Matthew asked him, "What the fuck do you want, Hargrove?"

In turn, Billy asked him, "What do I want?" When Matthew only blinked at him, Billy said to him, "Funny that you ask that, Wheeler. I was just wondering if it's a regular thing for you to be a dick to girls that you barely know, or if Valerie's just an exception to that rule."

With a scoff, Matthew asked him, "What do you care, Hargrove? I mean, it's not like you're her boyfriend or something, right?"

Billy replied, "I don't care."

With yet another scoff, Matthew said to him, "Sure you don't. Just like I'm not an asshole to people, no matter who they are and regularly get into fights with people." When Billy only raised his head at Matthew with his eyes narrowed, Matthew told him, "If this is your attempt of getting me to do whatever the fuck you want or whatever it is you're trying to do, then sorry to bust your bubble here, big guy, but that just isn't gonna happen. So, if you could kindly give me my lighter back, that'd be great."

When Billy didn't make a move to give Matthew back his lighter, Matthew went to take it out of Billy's hand, only to stop when Billy had suddenly grabbed him by the front of his jacket and pulled Matthew closer to himself.

It was only when Billy was about to take a swing at Matthew that he suddenly stopped when he felt something sharp and cold get pressed into his neck.

He slowly looked down to see a switchblade pressed against his bare neck.

Then he looked back up at Matthew to see the scowl that the sixteen-year-old had on his face.

It was then that Matthew said to him, "Go ahead, Hargrove. Take the first swing. But just know that if you do, I will not fucking hesitate to slice your throat open. Then we'll see just how long it takes for you to fucking bleed out and die right in front of me."

With a scoff, Billy told him, "You wouldn't do that. You'd just get yourself arrested."

While pressing the blade even more into the front of Billy's neck, Matthew replied, "Oh, yeah? Try me, Hargrove. See what happens."

After a moment of silence between them, Billy slowly let go of the front of Matthew's jacket before hesitantly giving Matthew's lighter back to him.

With a plastered grin on his face and the knife still pressed into the front of Billy's neck, Matthew used his other hand to light up his cigarette before shoving the lighter into his back pocket.

Then he took the cigarette out of his mouth and blew smoke into Billy's face before he said, "Now scram, Hargrove, or I will fucking slice your throat open, right here and now."

After yet another moment of silence, Billy slowly stepped back from Matthew and warily watched the sixteen-year-old boy.

It wasn't until Matthew had gotten into his car and closed the driver's side door that he flicked the switchblade shut and then sped out of the parking lot, leaving behind a really pissed off Billy Hargrove.