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[ 1984. November ]
THE DAY AFTER, Steve finds MJ during lunch and asks if she can help out with his assignment, which actually turns out to be and essay he needs for early college applications, that same afternoon because it needs to be turned in like two days ago already. She agrees, not having had any plans anyways. So, when the final bell rings and everyone's starts packing their stuff up, he finds her again and they walk to his car together.
Mary-Jane finds herself being all too nervous as she walks next to Steve, wondering if people are looking at them weird. "I'll get you home by like five, that okay?" He looks at MJ and she nods, finding his gaze. She smiles softly. "Yeah that's great."
As they walk across the schoolyard toward the parking lot, MJ spots Max arguing with Lucas and Billy watching from his car. She wonders what they're arguing about about for half a second until she realizes it probably has to do with what she found out yesterday, the boys keeping secrets from her and all that. She smiles proudly to herself, Max standing up for herself and calling them out on leaving her out is exactly what she should do.
"It's a nice car you've got here." Mary-Jane compliments as she sits down in the passenger seat. It's a relatively new BMW, really just showing that Steve's family is most likely pretty wealthy. It's messy inside, with papers and candy-bar wrappers along the floor but it's a nice car nonetheless.
"Uh, yeah, it's my dad's but he's out of town right now so I'm borrowing it." Steve replies, drumming with his fingers on the steering wheel in the same beat as the song playing quietly on the radio. "He's got some work stuff," Steve adds, making eye contact with MJ, "He's not home all that much." He mumbles, looking away.
There's a sadness in his eyes as he says that. MJ purses her lips, eyebrows drawn together as she watches the guy closely, studying his profile as if trying to find answers. "I'm sorry. That must suck." She replies quietly. Guys like Steve Harrington are the type of guys that needs their dad's approval, and Mary-Jane is willing to bet that his dad doesn't approve of everything Steve does. He's popular and all that, but that hardly matters if your grades aren't very good.
"No, actually, it's pretty great. He's an ass anyways so not having to deal with him for a few days is nice." Steve replies carelessly, twisting the ignition key and the car fires up with ease.
Turns out Mary-Jane wasn't in the wrong when she assumed that Steve's family is on the wealthier side. At least by Hawkins standards. Not only is their house on a nice street in a nice neighborhood, but it's big and has a pool in the backyard, making it quite obvious that Steve's parents make some good money. MJ wonders how many parties has been thrown in this house, probably a handful.
