Secrets // Steve Harrington

Chapter Thirteen - In Memoria

Word Count: 2,805 words.

Warnings: None. 

I hadn't imagined my first day back at school to be as hard as it was. I mean, I had known going in that there was going to be an assembly for Will in the Middle School but I hadn't thought that I would have to deal with that in Hawkins High School.

They stared. Everyone stared at me. I wasn't sure whether it was because perhaps they had heard that I had found his body or if they always stared and I had just never noticed it before now.

"Mad Munson," someone whispered.

Had they always whispered like that? Since the boys had told me about the nickname, it was all I could hear. Everywhere. The fear that their stares and their words settled in my chest made me pull my bag closer to myself. It made me want to be smaller so that they wouldn't notice me.

"Hey, what are you doing back in school?" Eddie asked. He approached me quickly, placing a hand on my shoulder. He smiled.

I swallowed, giving the halls a nervous glance. "Have they always stared?"

He followed my gaze, sending stern looks to anyone that had their eyes on me. "Come on."

My brother guided me towards an open classroom, gently nudging me inside before closing the door behind him. It was his Home Room.

"They always stare Lia, you just don't pay attention to them," he explained.

Shaking my head, I replied. "Why do they stare?"

Eddie tried to laugh lightly. "Why are you letting it bother you? You've never cared before..." he trailed off.

"Before what?" I urged him to finish. "Before I found a dead kid's body in the lake?"

I knew in my heart that Will wasn't dead, but that didn't change the fact of what had happened. I had come face to face with death, something that I knew was always going to happen, but although I hadn't faced the Reaper myself, I had seen someone else's.

"I know you're struggling," he began, nervous as he spoke. He had no idea what to say. Eddie was the best brother I could ever ask for but he was the worst person to go to for advice.

"I'm fine Eddie," I cut him off before he could say anything else. "Nancy is pissed off at me and Barb is missing so maybe I'll go find Steve Harrington for advice."

It was meant to be a joke but my brother knew better than that. "I heard about Barb. Thought it best not to tell you."

I nodded. "It probably was, but Nancy's angry because apparently I was too busy at home to notice."

"Too busy? You've been completely drained for the past week."

"I know that," I assured. "It doesn't mean I couldn't have called her."

Eddie shook his head, pulling at my shoulders to take me into a tight hug. I wrapped my arms around his torso, resting my cheek against his chest and inhaling deeply. One hand against the back of my head, he stroked my hair gently.

"You didn't have to come in or you could have told me this morning so I could walk in with you," he muttered.

I closed my eyes. "I'm going to the Middle School for the assembly," I told him. "Will you –"

"Yes," he replied before I could even ask the question. "I'll go with you."

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