Don't Blame Me ➵ Steve Harrington

four

CHAPTER FOUR
trigger warning: homophobic slur

SHE SHIVERED UNDER BILLY'S TOUCH AS HE sucked on her neck. She was aware he was a vice but now it seemed he was a vice she needed. She let out a content sigh and pushed his strong body off of hers. They were hidden at the back of the girls locker room while Billy waited for practice to begin. The other boys on the team had all gather in the bleachers but Billy had suggested Dylan meet him here and Dylan was happy to oblige.

"I think I hear coach out there," she whispered, sounding out of breath. "'Guess we'll have to cut this short."

Billy groaned into her neck, nuzzling his head into her shoulder and sneaking a couple more kisses down her jugular.

"Maybe you could wait here," he grinned. "It's only an hour practice... we can pick up where we left off. We could even grab a shower."

"No way, Hargrove," she shoved him off her again. "I'm not sitting around here in this B.O.-filled locker room for an hour. You're lucky I even showed up."

"I'm damn glad you did, doll." He smirked, finally stepping back from her. "I'd much rather spend my time in here with you than that sausage fest out there."

She scoffed. "Romantic. You falling for me, Hargrove?"

"Never, Holland."

She watched him leave. He had no shame about leaving the girls locker room, he exited with a swagger and his signature smirk. Dylan tried to be much more discreet when she finally left, stepping out slowly and quietly, trying to attract as little attention as possible. Billy was already looking for her, winking as she made her way up into the bleachers to watch the practice. Carol and Tina were already sat in the stands. The redhead looked down at Dylan with a glare.

"Is Secret Slut back again?" Carol chimed happily. Dylan ignored her and focused on her boy's below. "Who was in the locker room, Dylan?"

"If you must know," Dylan snapped. "I had to change my fucking tampon. I'm concerned about your interest in my bodily fluids."

Carol's head snapped back to the practice and she sat up straighter, clearly annoyed at Dylan's response.

To her dismay, Steve seemed to have also noticed her leave the girls locker room more than a little bit mussed up—he was smart enough to put two and two together as he must have seen Billy leave the room just a minute earlier. He watched her through narrowed eyes and shook his head. She didn't know why his opinion bothered her so much.

Billy, catching sight of Steve and Dylan's brief interaction, went from guarding Steve to tripping him. Steve stumbled and fell to the wooden floor. Billy shot Dylan another smirk and she couldn't stop her lips from curling in the slightest at the boy's obvious jealousy. Billy sunk the ball into the hoop then came back to extend his arm and helped Steve off the ground. He mouthed something Dylan couldn't hear and Steve frowned, shoving Billy away when he regained his balance—being the psycho that he was, Billy just laughed at his teammates displeasure.

The bench she was on sunk down next to her. Dylan looked over her shoulder expecting Carol but was relieved to see Tina was the one who had plopped down next to her.

"You came to my party after!" Tina grinned. "Though, I blinked and you were gone."

"Just not my thing anymore," she lied. Dylan probably would have stayed if it hadn't been for Tommy H. "Thanks for the invite. This years been hard... it's nice you're still thinking of me."

"Of course!" The other girl replied cheerfully. "Did you hear Steve's single now? I heard him and Nancy broke up at my party—"

Dylan skillfully tuned Tina out, not at all interested with anything Steve related after the events of Halloween. She couldn't believe his lack of sympathy.

Barb is dead. Why did he sound so sure?

The buzzer went off, indicating the practice had come to an end. Dylan was conveniently startled from her thoughts before she could spiral into obsessing over Barb, once again.

"Dylan, earth to Dylan," Carol waved a manicured hand in front of her face. "The shows over, the guys have hit the showers. Unless you wanna stick around to watch the girls play volleyball. It wouldn't surprise me, you do look like a dyke — just like your sister."

She tried to ignore it, she really did and if the slur had been directed at Dylan alone — she would have just walked away. But when Carol uttered Barb's name, all restraints collapsed. Without even realizing, Dylan swung at her former friend, landing a punch right in the girls perfectly done-up face. The girls that lingered around in the bleachers gasped and Carol stumbled over her feet, falling back onto the bench below, cradling her face tightly. Tears brimmed Carol's eyes at the impact and Dylan watched smugly as blood dripped from the girls nose. But she soon regretted her decision when the coach yelled her name.

"Dylan Holland!" The middle-aged man hollered from the court. "Get your ass down here!"

"You're in for it, bitch." Carol spat out, the words muffled by her hands that still hadn't let go of her nose.

"At least I won't need a nose job," taunted Dylan. "Sweetie, at some point you're going to have to remove those hands from your face — and that nose of yours ain't gonna look the same."

"Dylan!" Coach repeated her name with more urgency than the time before.

He never sent her to the principals office, instead he pulled Dylan into his own small office at the back of the gym. He peered at her from the opposite side of his desk, crossing his arms. "You know I could have you suspended, right?"

"Yes, sir."

"I should bring this matter to the principal," he said sternly, "but I won't. I heard what she said and I know this year has been rough without your sister — I just have one condition."

"Which is, sir?"

"You've been a recluse far too long, Miss Holland," the coach shook his head. "It's about time you take part in some extracurriculars."

Dylan stood outside the coach's office with her arms crossed and a sour look on her face.

Waterboy. Watergirl? Whatever — she was still Hawkins High School basketball's teams newest addition.

"You're still here?" Steve stepped out of the boys locker room and into her line of sight. "You stick around to tell me off or something? 'Cause I'm not in the mood."

"Not everything's about you, King Steve." She snapped back — borrowing a line from Billy's book.

"Then why are you even here, huh? Billy's gone."

She ignored the Billy comment. "Coach made me stay back. Needed a favour."

Steve lifted a brow. "Coach needed you. Don't lie, Dyl."

"Say hello to your teams new watergirl," Dylan sighed heavily. She fiddled around in her jacket for a smoke but came up empty. "I guess we'll be seeing a lot more of each other."

His expression muddled into one of confusion and he muttered a 'what the fuck,' under his breath that Dylan barely managed to catch.

What the fuck indeed.