Tension (Steve Harrington)

Chap. 7; The Upside‐Down

The teens entered the house with the supplies and began to set up everything. "Lauren, put the light back in the wires. While Jonathan and I do this," Nancy held up the bear trap and several other supplies. Lauren nodded and turned around when she did, so she rolled her eyes.

"Always got the goddamn grunt work," she said under her breath before she threw down her nine iron. She started picking up each light one by one. She could hear the banter between the two. As she screwed in the lights, they would each light up.

Picking up lights one by one. As she screwed them in, they would light up. As she was nearing the end, the two friends began to help her, considering these lights were everywhere. Once they were done, they joined together with blades against their hands. Lauren glanced down at the long scar on her wrist, immediately shaking it out of her head. This is not the same thing, she thought to herself. "On the count of three."

"One, Two"

"Wait, you guys don't have to do this," Jonathan said.

"Three." All three teens split their hands open.

"Fuck that hurt way worse than I thought it would."

"Jonathan, how did you think it'd feel?" Nancy asked. He just ignored the question as Lauren bandaged Nancy's hand.

"How does that feel? Is it too tight?"

"Oh my god, you guys sound like a bad porno in the back of the car."

"And how would you know that Jonathan?" Lauren asked but didn't receive a response. Nancy began to wrap my hand in return before she moved on to Jonathan. We sat there, no words coming from the group considering their growing fear.

"Did you hear that?"

"It was just the wind, Lo."

"Don't worry. My mom, she said the lights speak when it comes." Lauren looked at him confused having no clue what in the hell he was talking about.

"Speak?" Nancy asked

"Blink. Think of them as alarms." Nancy continued wrapping his hand.

"Is that too tight?" Nancy asked.

"No, it's fine." Lauren leaned against the wall watching the interaction between the two.

"Oh my god, you guys sound like a bad porno in the back of a car." Lauren mocked what Jonathan had said.

"Shut up Lo," Nance said, looking back at Jonathan with loving eyes.

"Oh my god, the sexual tension in this room I can't." Lauren joked walking to the kitchen. Lauren had let her guard down with her club in hand. There was a frantic knock at the door that scared them all. Lauren looked back at the others.

"Jonathan? Are you there, man? It's... It's Steve." He knocked again. "Listen, I just want to talk."

"Steve, you need to leave."

"Hop? Hop, why are you here?" Nancy dragged Lo from the door and pecked her head out.

"Steve, you need to go."

"No, I'm here to make things right. What is that, is that blood?"

"What no?" Nancy pulled her hand from the door

"Did he do this to you?" Steve pushed through the door. Steve looked through the room around to the bat to the nine iron and then around at the lights. "What the hell is all this?" Jonathan began pushing Steve and telling him to leave. "What is that smell? Is that gasoline?" Nancy raised the gun at him.

"Steve, you need to go. Get out."

"What? What is going on?" Steve yelled.

"Nancy what the fuck put the gun down. The safety is off." Nancy kept the gun raised. "Nancy put the fucking thing down."