dream » stranger things.

xiv. almost sisters

wendy carmichael took scraps of junk, trying to put it inside of the bus.
"so last year, you were doing wild shit like this while i was at home studying for midterms?" wendy asked, covering one of the windows.

"yep, pretty much. but it was only a one time thing." steve responded.
"you have an interesting life, steve harrington." wendy smirked, and she left out of the bus.

wendy looked over, seeing max mayfield help lucas and dustin. wendy smiled softly at the girl whom she had come to love. after being with billy, max was starting to become like a sister to wendy—even if billy didn't act like it.

max looked up, seeing wendy stare at her. max gave the girl a slight wave. wendy waved back at max before grabbing another piece of scrap metal.

steve grabbed a can of gasoline, pouring it onto the ground in one long line away from the cluster of meat that they had made.

max grabbed a ladder, pulling it into the bus. she propped it up to the overhead hatch, making sure that it was secure.

max left out of the bus, walking over to where everyone else was. everyone else was talking to each other, going over the plan once more.
"and then i'm going to light up the demogorgon." steve commented.

"guys!" max called out. everyone turned their head to look at max. "it's ready." she responded.

lucas, wendy, steve, and dustin all walked to the bus, walking inside, ready to take down dart.

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wendy sat next to steve, crossing her arms over her chest. steve was busy playing with his light, flicking the cap on and then flicking it off.

wendy yawned slightly, leaning her head onto steve's shoulder. steve looked down at her, a small smile creeping onto his face.

max mayfield watched the two. she didn't know why wendy was dating billy in the first place. max was growing bored with the lack of action.

"so you really fought one of these things before?" max asked with her arms crossed over her chest. steve looked over at max, still playing with the lighter. he only nodded.

"and you're, like, totally, one hundred percent sure it wasn't a bear?" max questioned.

"shit. don't be an idiot, okay? it wasn't a bear." dustin looked at max. wendy furrowed her eyebrows, but then realized that dustin was following steve's advice instead of her's.

max looked up at dustin, taken back at his tone and attitude.

wendy nudged steve lightly, and he looked down at her. then, steve's eyes traveled towards dustin.
"why are you even here if you don't believe us?" dustin asked, harshly. "just go home." he shrugged.

max rolled her eyes, getting up off of the seat.
"geesh. someone's cranky. past your bedtime?" max asked, slightly annoyed with dustin.

the redhead went up the ladder, going to join lucas on top of the bus. when she left, dustin paced and steve watched him.

"that's good. just show her that you don't care." steve commented.
"i don't." dustin stated, as if he truly didn't care.

wendy groaned, taking her head off of steve's shoulder. she shook her head in disapproval.

"dustin, that was an asshole move." wendy stated. steve winked at dustin, letting him know that he was in on his plan.

"why are you winking, steve? stop." dustin commented.

minutes had past of silence between the three, before steve tried to break it.
"wendy, can i ask you something?" he asked, looking at wendy carmichael.

"what?" she asked, waiting for his question.
"do you really love billy? like i don't get what you see in him." steve asked.

wendy looked at him in disbelief and she scoffed.
"yes, i love him. i see the good in him, for your information." wendy rebuttaled.

"what? the good to hurt you?" steve asked. dustin looked up, waiting to see wendy's response.

"what are you talking about, steve?" wendy rolled her eyes, glaring at steve harrington.

"i know that it was him that bruised your wrist, wendy! you never come to school with bruises. don't think that i didn't notice him coming up to you after i left. does he hit you, wendy?" steve asked, whispering the last part.

winifred carmichael looked at steve with wide eyes as he made his accusation against billy hargrove.
"no, he does not hit me, steve! that bruise was a one time thing!" wendy whispered angrily.

dustin henderson watched steve and wendy interact. he wondered if susie was aware of billy's toxicity.

"wendy, he doesn't deserve you." steve responded. wendy shook her head, folding her arms over her chest. she turned away from steve, feeling tears prick at her eyes.

she couldn't believe that she and her best friend were being driven apart over someone that she hadn't known for even three months. she and steve were growing to hate each other, and it was tearing her apart slowly.

her tear fell, causing her to sniffle and wipe it. the sound of growling peaked wendy's attention, causing her to jump up.

steve, dustin, and wendy all crammed to try and see out of the small window of the bus.
wendy saw nothing but fog around them.

"you see him?" steve asked, looking out of the window.
"no," dustin commented. "lucas, what's going on?!" dustin called out.

"hold on!" lucas called back. wendy sighed, backing away from the window. she smoothed her hands over the top of her ponytail, growing nervous.

"i've got eyes! ten o'clock! t-ten o'clock!" lucas yelled out. wendy watched as dustin and steve looked out.
"there." steve pointed out towards the creature.

"what's he doing?" dustin asked.
"i don't know." steve shook his head.

wendy heard the creature's chitters and growls.
"he's not taking the bait. why is he not taking the bait?" steve mumbled, more to himself.

"maybe he's not hungry?" dustin responded in a questioning tone.
"maybe he's sick of cow." steve commented, causing wendy to look up.

steve backed away from the window, causing dustin and wendy to look at him.

"steve..." wendy started as she watched steve begin to walk off.
"steve? steve, what are you doing?" dustin asked, starting to panic.

steve breathed out, picking up the lighter, holding it out towards wendy.
"just get ready." he said, and tossed the lighter towards wendy.

"steve, no!" wendy called out, watching steve open the door to the broken down bus.

wendy carmichael turned towards dustin.
"he's going to get himself killed." she responded.