Tension (Steve Harrington)

Chap. 46; Back Together Again

Lauren stared at the movie with wide eyes. She reached into the man's beside her bucket of popcorn. He gave her a dirty look and she gave him on back. "Do you mind?"

"Do you mind? I don't appreciate the dirty-ass look I got, sir." He gave her another dirty look. Lauren gave him yet another look and grabbed his drink, and stood up. She walked out of the theater and into the empty hallway. As she stumbled down the hallway, she had an overwelling urge to do a cartwheel. So she slurped down Coke. Despite the fact that she was in a dress, she did it.

But with her drug-influenced state, she fell on her ass with a laugh. She stayed on the ground for a moment before pushing herself to her feet. When she did this, she felt another urge to do a back handspring. She fought this one. If she hadn't, she would probably have died if she couldn't stick a cartwheel.

Lauren walked as if she were on a tightrope to the escalator. The water fountain caught her eye and sent yet another urge into her head. And so she pushed past the velvet rope and down the middle of the two escalators. The shoes she had on hit the floor and were immediately kicked off as she ran to the water.

Without hesitation, she stepped over the railing and into the water. It was cold. It was extremely cold, but she didn't care. She had goosebumps on her arms and legs and everywhere they could be. The water was a mere foot deep, so Lauren was able to float. Sometimes, she wasn't able to do her whole life.

Her eyes were closed as she relaxed in the water. She thought about Eleven a year and three-quarters ago floating in her pool. Then she started wondering what she was doing. What she and Max had done the last few days, considering they hadn't hung out, just the two of them before. She took deep breaths and really relaxed.

She was safe from the Russians, at least until they retaliated. Everybody was safe from them. "Lauren?" She pecked her eyes open to see a blond standing with his hands full of a popcorn bag.

"Walter?"

"Wha- what the fuck are you doing in- Hold on I'm coming down there." He pushed off the railing and ran over to the stairs. While he was doing that Lauren went back to relaxing. Walt kelt down on the edge of the fountain. "Lo? What the hell are you doing?" Lauren sat up and grabbed his wrist. "No."

"Yes, let's swim?" Walt saw her bloodshot eyes and pulled them apart to see them more. "What are you doing?" She swatted his hand away.

"Did I give you some bad shit?"

"This isn't your shit. I slept in my contacts,"

"Yeah, you and Steve skip out on me on the fourth of July. And you got high on someone else shit. So, who's shit?" Lauren pushed herself out of the water and sat next to him. Water soaked the ledge.

"Come closer so nobody hears." Walt looked around the empty mall. She pulled him closer and whispered into his ear. "The Russians."

"The Russians?" He pulled away from her. "You are seriously fucked up right now." Walt looked down at the rest of her body. "Lauren what the fuck happend to you?" His hand ran over the brusing on her neck and the other mans blood on her dress, but how was he supposed to know otherwise. "Did Steve do this to you?" He didn't even believe what he was saying, but his best friend was covered in blood. There was a lot to think about, so the word just felt out.

"What, no. He would never do that." Even high she knew he wouldn't.

"I'm sorry, I just want to know what happened."

"I'm fine. Come swim." She tried to pull him in the water.

"I've known you for how long, and you have never swam, why now?"