stolen ━ s. harrington

three!

The end of Christmas break was a bitter one. It brought a new walkman for the walk to school and the new semester. Surely, she should've been sat in Sandy's car not trudging through fresh Indiana snow. She frowned when she remembered the old, red station wagon was missing a wheel, courtesy of the youngest Gil and a pair of scissors.

"Nina! Nina! Hold on," someone called behind her.

"Sandy, just because your car is in the shop doesn't mean you can be slow," she complained turning to face him.

"Have you staked your claim yet?" Nina glared at him annoyance flaming in her dark eyes. "Sorry. I just mean-"

"I know what you mean and no I haven't kissed any boys. Second semester hasn't even started yet, jeez."

"You're still hooked over library boy?"

"No," she lied.

Danny Samwell was the cutest, smartest boy she had ever met. Meeting him during Christmas break and him attending a school in another city allowed for a fresh start. He read the Odyssey and Iliad, knew all the great classics. She yearned for the weekend when she could get away from Hawkins and visit his smile.

It felt so strange for her to be stuck on a boy. She kissed and ditched. That's all she ever did. She'd heard rumors she'd gone further, she knew they weren't true. There was a boy she would have considered it for but that was a summer daze too far gone too worry about now.

"I have Millers first hour. I'm gonna make that seat my lovely wife," Sandy cheekily commented.

"Don't you fucking dare! You know that seat's mine!"

"You'll have to beat me to it," he said before breaking into a sprint. Nina groaned before chasing after him desperate for Miller's prime seat.

***

There was nothing truly special about Mr. Avery Miller's classroom. He taught History for the class of '84 and that was all. Therefore, no one really knew why the brown girl was obsessed with the class. More specifically, the third seat in the second row. You could always guarantee she would be perched in the wooden seat ready to learn.

You could imagine her surprise to see Steve fucking Harrington sitting in the mahogany chair.

"What the hell, Steve," she muttered under her breath. Sandy looked at her with despair in his eyes knowing the seat meant a lot to her. Nina closed her eyes and counted to five before moving to the seat next to her sacred spot.

"I know I took your seat Rosie," Steve tried to charm.

"It's Rosalina for you and it's fine," she smiled as if unbothered.

She was bothered. Steve fucking Harrington was a pain in the ass. No, that was rude she hardly knew him. He could be a really nice guy. Regardless, she was annoyed.

"Do you mind letting have the seat tomorrow?" she asked him at the end of class.

He seemed to mull over the question before he responded, "If you babysit some kids with me tonight."

"You steal my seat and I owe you?" she asked in shock. All he did was nod and exit the classroom.

***