𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐂𝐔𝐄! ✽ 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗼𝗻

50

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐎𝐋 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐙𝐄 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐒𝐘'𝐒 𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐍 𝐓𝐎𝐏 rendered steve harrington conscious once more. sheridan would never let anyone—especially one of the kids—drive betsy, so she sat at the wheel with max and lucas at her side. mike and dustin were on opposite sides of steve in the backseat. cuts littered steve's face, beginning at his forehead and spanning to his eyebrow, lips, and ending at his jaw. dani haphazardly patched him up with multicolor bandages before they left her home in search of the gate's opening at the local pumpkin patch. dustin pressed an ice pack against his forehead. steve's eyes were swollen tremendously, and his once-olive skin was now crusted in dried, red blood.

although the scene unfolding around him was moving in slow motion, he could not help but focus on sherrie: her wavy orange hair flowing in the wind, her delicate fingers gripping her steering wheel. he would take a million punches if it meant she would be alright.

"dani?" steve groggily asked.

"i'm right here!" she exclaimed, attempting to drown out the sound of the wind. steve let out a groan, the boy heaving his hand to his face.

"no, don't touch it," dustin shushed as she gently directed steve's hand away. as steve turned to look at him, the curly-headed boy's lips curved into a smile. "hey buddy," he greeted. "it's okay, you put up a good fight! he kicked your ass, but you put up a good fight, buddy, okay? you're okay."

"what's going on?" steve questioned. he leaned forward and grasped onto sheridan's headrest.

the girl pondered for a second, thinking of exactly the right response. she knew he'd be upset if she confessed to him that the kids, once again, roped her into their elaborate scheme. but steve was a stickler for honesty. "we're going to the gate-"

"oh my god," he groaned as he fell back into the leather seat.

"steve, i know you're upset, but really, i think the kids-"

"stop the car! we aren't doing this!" he cried.

"i told you he'd freak out!" mike hollered, his brows furrowed in anger.

"max was gonna drive us in billy's car! at least i didn't let that happen, okay?!" sheridan screamed. without warning, she took a wide left turn onto mount sinai, sending everyone to the opposite side of the car.

"dani, you should go out for the indy 500!" dustin teased.

"i'm not even going that fast!" the shaffer girl exclaimed. she then took a right turn onto the merrill farm property, betsy coming to a screeching halt at the sight of the protruding gate. immediately, the kids began to open their doors and file out of the vehicle. mike, dustin, lucas, and max headed right for the trunk, while sheridan got out to help steve.

"i can't believe you're letting them do this," he sighed as he took dani's hands in his own. "i can't believe you're letting them do this," he repeated. sheridan pulled him out of the backseat and he propped himself against the opened door.

"trust me, steve, the last thing i need right now is a lecture," she sighed as she placed her hands on her hips. steve bowed his head. "like i told you, they were gonna let max drive, and she doesn't even have a permit yet. they also wanted to leave you behind. and my ass is gonna get chewed just as much as, if not more than, yours," she explained. her hands gripped onto his shoulders and his eyes locked with hers. in them, he could see she meant well. "you know i wouldn't let them do this if i didn't think it could help us. help will." a sigh fell from steve's cut lip once more. he shook his head, watching the kids dawn goggles, bandanas, and their bags. taking a step forward to regain his balance, he turned to head toward the trunk. "what're you doing?" dani asked.

"you're not going down there without me," steve declared. sheridan smiled as they sauntered over to the trunk together. dustin helped to pick out the remaining gear for the teens. sherrie helped to gently tug the yellow swimming goggles over steve's tattered face and tie his red bandana behind his head. the red-haired girl put on her own set of red goggles and secured a black bandana on the bridge of her freckled nose. as mike, lucas, dustin, and max had already begun filing into the entrance, dani nabbed her nail bat. even though steve's entire face was not only covered but cut to all hell, she could sense his judgment.

"we gotta protect ourselves!" she insisted. steve rolled his eyes and regained enough of his balance to begin toward the gate. given his pace, it didn't take dani but a few steps to put herself in front of him.

"you're not going first," steve declared. sheridan complied and waited at the opening for him. she noticed mike had attached a rope to the front of betsy. if these kids mess up my car, they're dead, she thought to herself. steve joined the girl and peered down into the hole, taking in a deep breath. before he could overthink, he bent down and crawled down into the otherwordly opening. dani watched his gaze fleet from side to side in astonishment.

"incoming!" the red-haired girl announced as she followed her friend's lead. she sat on the edge, her feet dangling in the hole. sheridan leaped down into his gloved hands. she felt them grip tightly against her skin. a sigh of relief escaped steve's lips once he was sure she was all right.

sherrie straightened herself out, and found herself enchanted by her surroundings, just as steve was moments again. thick particles of what she assumed to be dust clouded around the pair. the intricate system of tunnels was lined with veins and that mucus-like substance that dart had left behind in dustin's cellar; she was positive they were in the right spot. as the kids scoped out the area with their flashlights, dani reached in her backpack and equipped her nail bat.

"yeah, i'm pretty sure it's this way!" mike shouted, navigating with his crayon map.

"you're pretty sure, or are you certain?" dustin asked, his inquiry muffled beneath his bandana.

"i'm 100% sure, just follow me and you'll know!" steve peered down at sheridan. on his face was a look of insecurity, almost as if he was saying "look what you got us into" without uttering a word.

"what do we have to lose?" dani asked. she kept her eyes on steve as she followed mike, the harrington boy stuck at their entrance.

"oh, i don't know, maybe our lives?!" he fired back. he held his arms out to his sides before letting them fall, his hands clapping against his legs.

"no, it's okay, i get it, you're pussying out," sherrie teased. the girl shrugged and turned her back to him. he rubbed his temples and sighed before beginning his jog to catch up to the girl.

"you're so lucky, dani. so damn lucky."

✽