³𝐆𝐎𝐍𝐄, 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧 ✔

006-afterwards

THE RAIN CONTINUED TO POUR.

Carla watched it from the passenger seat of Steve's car, eyes glazing over every raindrop as it hit the windshield, sliding down to the front of the car, or as they raced against one another towards the bottom of the window.  The sound, though muffled, was still prominent, thunder coming through every few minutes.  The weather almost comforted Carla—even the world was letting itself shed a few tears.

Steve sat beside her, playing around with her hands gently.  He traced over her palms, going over the bracelet the Party had gotten her two years prior and down to her scars.  Unlike some, Carla never completely hid her scars away—not like she completely could, either.  But, that didn't mean she wasn't entirely secure about them.  If she could turn back time, she would have.  She hated her scars; they only reminded her of the Demogorgan, of the pain.

But, she could admit, Steve helped her feel more comfortable.  While, sure, he did think about her almost death whenever he saw them, he quickly glimpsed over that.  He'd think about how while the Demogorgan may have 'marked her',  Carla survived.  Whenever she felt down about them, he reminded her that she looked bad-ass with them.  That they showed how strong she was.

"Hey." Carla broke the small pool of silence they'd been sitting in.  Thinking about turning back time got the Wheeler thinking about what could be happening if, indeed, nothing had happened—if Will hadn't gone missing, if she hadn't have ended up in the Byers' house, if she hadn't been pinned by the Demogorgan. "Do you ever think of how it would be if nothing ever happened? No monsters, no Upside Down."

Steve took a minute to reply, "Yeah. Sometimes I just think back to '83, before anything went wrong and try and picture that version of myself now—picture of who I would have been if I'd never showed up at the Byers' that night. I was such a douche-bag, and I can't even imagine still being that person now."

Carla listened, nodding as he continued, "So, in some weird way, I'm slightly appreciative of all of it.  I don't know how, but it caused me to get my shit together and turn into a better person."

"I was never an asshole, so I couldn't relate." Carla shrugged, thinking about where she'd be if nothing had happened.  She wouldn't have the scars, or the nightmares. She'd be hanging around with Jonathan, third-wheeling her sister and Steve.  "But I don't think much about me would have changed.  I'd probably be pushing my way through the summer, third-wheeling you and Nancy."

"I disagree."

"About what?"

"Me and Nancy." the Harrington stated, "I mean, sure, we might have lasted longer but I like to think we—" he gestured between the two of them, "—would have found our way back to each other eventually."

"Really?"

"Yeah." Steve looked at his girlfriend.  He always reminded the girl that it had always been her, which had always been true.  Back in sophomore year, when he left the first note in her locker, his friends, Tommy had chastised him, but for once, Steve didn't listen.  Something had drawn him to Carla Wheeler, and even after their break-up—when he was going out with Laurie and Amy and Becky—his heart still yearned for her.   "I love you, I always have.  I don't think I would have been able to push back my feelings forever—even if we got closer again because of everything."

"I like to think we would have made it back to each other too."  the Wheeler girl gave a genuine smile towards the boy she loved, "Because, believe it or not, I love you too."