I Know The End ✸ Steve Harrington

vi. adventures in babysitting

chapter six . . . adventures in babysitting

THE NEXT MORNING THE THREE WERE SET on a hunt to kill Dart. In just little time, it had transformed from a tiny, gooey, cat eating monster to now a demogorgon on the run. With no response from any of their friends, the trio decided it would be better to get it done sooner other than waiting around for someone to respond. A heap of raw meat piled into buckets and one singular bat seemed to do the trick for their hunt for Dart.

Before leaving the house for their adventure, Josie made sure to pile other essentials in her backpack: water, extra gloves for handling the raw meat and most importantly her walkie-talkie.

The three now walked in the midst of the woods on an old train track with Josie walking slightly behind the two boys while they chatted away about God knows what — her walkman clutched to her hip, bolting out her music as she dropped a trail of meat on the floor. The acorns and crisp leaves that had recently fallen to the ground were sprawled before them from the recent fall season, a chain of oak trees continued in their eye line.

"Alright, so let me get this straight." Steve started, "You kept something you knew was probably dangerous in order to impress a girl who...who you just met?" He looked at the younger boy puzzled — even he wouldn't go that far to impress a girl.

"Alright, that's grossly oversimplifying things." Dustin threw back.

"I mean, why would a girl like some nasty slug anyway?"

"An interdimensional slug?" Dustin smiled, "Because it's awesome. If Dart didn't eat Mews, Josie would've liked 'im."

"Well, even if she thought it was cool, which she didn't, I...I just..." Steve stammered, "I don't know. I just feel like you're trying way too hard."

"Well, not everyone can have your perfect hair, alright?" Dustin frowned, his chin falling into his chest as he looked to the ground — even in such a threatening situation he still managed to keep his perfect locks in tact.

"It's not about the hair, man." Steve apprised the younger boy, "The key with girls is just...just acting like you don't care."

"Even if you do?"

"Yeah, exactly." Steve nodded, "It drives them nuts."

"Then what?"

"You just wait until, uh..." He paused, unsure if he wanted to explain to a middle schooler what sex was. "Until you feel it."

"Feel what?"

"It's like before it's gonna storm, you know?" Steve further described, "You can't see it, but you can feel it, like this uh...electricity, you know?"

Dustin nodded, certain he understood the concept. "Uh, like in the electromagnetic field when in the clouds in the atmosphere—"

Steve cut him off promptly, shaking his head. "No, no, no, no. Like a...sexual electricity. You feel that and then you make your move."