THE GOLD | b. hargrove

chapter twenty

"We're not going anywhere!" Harriet stepped forward and took the keys from Max, who looked at her as if she was crazy for not agreeing with the idea. "Jesus, fuck-" She looked down at Steve and Billy who were both lay passed out on the floor of the Byers home. "What the hell just happened?" She was more-so speaking out loud to herself than to the group, her fingers pinching her nose bridge as she paced back and forth trying to compose herself.

She crouched down next to Steve, getting a proper look at his injuries and her breath caught in her throat. She'd known it'd be bad, but the sight of his face all bloodied and swollen made her feel sick to her stomach. "Oh god..." She exhaled, standing again so she could gather something, anything, to try and clean his face with.

The kids trailed behind her, watching the girl frantically open kitchen cabinets and rummage through them in the hopes of finding something to help with Steve's injuries.

"We've got to go Harriet, we have to help El." Mike pleaded with his cousin, standing next to her as she wet a clean tea towel under the tap, careful not to run the water too hot and cause more damage to the already broken skin of her friends face.

"Absolutely not." She didn't look at Mike as she spoke, walking back to where Steve was with her damp towel and kneeling next to him. She dabbed gently at the blood that was already beginning to dry, tears welling in her eyes though she was trying her hardest to keep them from falling. She sniffed and blinked quickly, swallowing down the sobs that were so desperately trying to break out.

"Please Harriet, we can't just sit here!" Dustin stood at her side, watching her swipe the quickly reddening towel across Steve's mouth.

"No. No way." She put the towel in her lap and looked up at Dustin. "You wanna just go and risk your lives in these tunnels, and what? Leave Steve and Billy here so they can actually kill each other when they wake up?" She twisted her body a little to look at the other three kids who all stood watching her sheepishly.

"We can bring Steve with us." Dustin added, which was met with grumbles from his friends who were clearly against bringing the unconscious boy along for the ride.

"Oh so we just leave Billy here to wake up, us all gone and his car missing? What if he comes to find us, he'll be so mad and then we're all dead - if we aren't already mauled by those monsters by this point." Her voice was cracking now, the stress and the upset tangling together to break down her already frail guard.

"You could stay here?" Max stepped away from the boys and went to stand at Harriet's side that wasn't occupied by Dustin. "He's probably not gonna be as mad if you're here when we wakes up." She glanced over to her step brother who was still out for the count. "Plus I can drive."

Harriet scoffed and shook her head. "Probably." She mumbled, going back to dabbing at Steve's face. "Listen, Steve's out. Which puts me in charge. Which means if you all die, it's on me."

"We won't die Harriet." Max put her hand on the blondes shoulder, her touch so light she could barely feel it. "Plus it's probably better we get Steve outta here. Please, we have to help." The girl moved her hand so it was held outstretched in front of Harriet's face, palm open waiting for the keys to the Camaro to be placed there.

Harriet sighed, once again placing the towel in her lap and looking up at Max, who's eyebrows were raised in hope. "If you go," Instantly there was a reaction from the kids who already geared up with the prospect of going to the tunnels, "If, you come straight back here after. With the car, with you all in one piece." The kids nodded eagerly at her, all exchanging hopeful glances between each other. "Jesus, fine. Fine." She sighed, placing the confiscated keys in Max's hand, which instantly closed around them and she walked away back to Lucas and Mike with a grin on her face.