THE KIDS AREN'T ALRIGHT ｡ STRANGER THINGS

28 - RIDING IN CARS WITH BOYS

Heels dug into the freshly mowed grass. Bitter cold air chilled skin with goosebumps. Howls from drunken teenagers wailed on the wind. A boy who's heart had been ripped right out of his chest was storming across the front yard, keys already in hands and his mind on fire. A girl who had witnessed the display hurried after him, just wanting to make sure he was not too broken. They had abandoned the Halloween party together.

"Steve, hey, wait up!" Daisy Lonsdale called out desperately. Her wig had been pulled away from her blonde hair and her cheeks were flushed bright red from the harsh night air, that promised a cold winter would be doused on Hawkins very soon. Steve Harrington did not slow down though, too caught up in his own head. "Steve, damnit. Your legs are longer than mine..." she cried out again, finally reaching him.

When her tiny hand gripped his bicep, he whipped around. His keys scattered towards the grass and his hair fell into his eyes. Daisy stared up at him for a long moment before her warm palm was removed from his arm. "Goldilocks, I really don't want to talk about it." He paused, jawline twitching. "You looked like you were having a good time with Jonathan inside, just please go back into the house and enjoy the night."

Daisy Lonsdale rocked back on her heels. "Aw, come on, the party really sucked anyway. I would much rather stand in the dark with you. We totally don't have to talk about what happened with Nancy. We don't have to talk about anything." She could see the pain flickering through his eyes with the mention of his girlfriend. "I could at least keep you company while you brood about everything on your ride home."

"You want to be brooding buddies for the night?" Steve asked.

"Well, sure." Daisy nodded. "Unless you've got better plans."

Steve Harrington almost gave her a smile, but his heart truly was aching with the realisation that maybe the relationship he had been holding tightly onto was not as perfect as he thought it was. With a little frown, he reached for his fallen keys and found Daisy Lonsdale watching him with an intense sparkle in her eyes. Before they even moved towards his car, he flickered at the wig in her hands. "For the record, you looked really awesome tonight." he mumbled softly, letting his hand flutter against her lower back as he guided her towards his car.

Inside the car, the pair sat in a comfortable silence. Steve didn't even bother glancing back at the house to wonder how Nancy Wheeler would get home. Right now, he didn't even care. Well, maybe he cared a little bit.

With the dull lyrics seeping from the speakers, the teenagers just waited and waited together. Houses blurred by the windows. Daisy nibbled down on her bottom lip as her fingertips poked a hole in her stockings. Steve wrapped his hands around the steering wheel a little tighter. The world continued to blur outside their comfort bubble.

"Let's talk about something. Anything." he blurted out.

Daisy glanced across at him, propping her feet against the dashboard. "Alright." When Steve didn't offer a conversation starter, she found herself smiling softly. "What do you wanna' talk about, King Harrington?"

Steve rolled his eyes with the nickname. "That crown has been snatched. Actually, it was willingly happened over to that tough guy, Hargrove or something. Whatever. He's apparently the new big man, and you know what, good for him. Being that guy really has worn off." The confession almost felt like something was being lifted off his shoulders. With the crazy events from last year, it almost seemed like being King of Hawkins High was a laughable joke and a cruel reminder of the boy he used to be. "I saw him making eyes at Marigold. She's not like, interested in him, right?"

"I don't know," Daisy said, gaze resting back on the blurry scenery. Sometimes she found herself too scared to watch the dark trees at nighttime. Sometimes she imagined the monsters that used to hide in them. "She's always liked games, you know that more than most. If she's wanting a new play toy, the new boy probably would make a decent plaything."

He just snickered. "Mari would tear that boy limb from limb."

Daisy grinned. "Maybe that's not a bad thing."

Heavy silence followed again.

Even the bass of the drum in the songs seemed to be drowned out by the silence. Daisy Lonsdale found herself chewing on the inside of her cheeks. She had promised she would not mention Nancy Wheeler, or how the smart girl had mumbled bullshit about twenty times tonight. She knew that whatever that meant, it was not good and it was haunting Steve right now. Maybe more than he'd care to admit out loud.

When the boy couldn't take the silence anymore, he slammed his hands against the steering wheel as they came to a red light. "Bullshit? Like, what does that even mean?" His voice was laced with pain and maybe a twinge of anger. "Nance said it's all bullshit. Do you think she means me and her? Or everything?"

"Um..." Daisy fiddled with the bangles on her wrist.

He didn't even take a breath, words just falling from his lips as he stared deeply at the red light. His temper was racing ahead of him and his emotions were becoming unchecked. "Bullshit. You know what? Maybe she's just bullshit. How could she even say that to me tonight? We've been together for months and I know things haven't always been great, you know, the monsters and all that, but bullshit? Our entire relationship has been that for her. Do you think that's true?"

Daisy hung her head with his question. It almost felt like forever that she had been on the sidelines watching Steve Harrington and Nancy Wheeler. She had watched them laugh and kiss in the corridors at school. She had watched them walk hand-in-hand at Hawkins Theatre. She had pushed down every single feeling she had ever had for Steve because he was happy with Nancy, and for the most part they seemed to be just that. But now, maybe the was not so true. "I really don't know what's going on with you two, maybe she was just drunk, or maybe not. But I think the only people that know that question are you and her."

Steve grimly nodded. "Right."

"I really don't want to come between you both," Daisy scooted closer towards him. The red light turned green in the darkness. Harsh green light splashed down on them through the windscreen but the car did not move. "But if there is one thing, only one thing I know in my bones. It is that you, Steve Harrington, are not bullshit." Her heart ached when his eyes finally fell upon her face. His lips tipped up in a half smile. "Maybe a few times last year, but not now. You're not bullshit. You're more than that and if Nancy doesn't see that, or feel that anymore, maybe she's just...I don't know, bullshit."

He blinked across at her. "That may be the nicest thing you've ever said to me."

Daisy dragged her eyes away from him and pointed towards the green light. "If you don't plant your foot on the gas, it will be the last nice thing I ever tell you, Harrington." She leaned back in her seat, trying to stop a smile from lighting up her face.

Steve nodded, also almost hiding a smile. Even though his heart was breaking down the middle because Nancy Wheeler had smashed everything he thought was real tonight, he was sure glad Daisy Lonsdale had swooped in and turned his night around. Even if she was leaving mud all over his dashboard. "Yes, ma'am."