My Best Friend's Ex | Steve Harrington x Reader

Season 2 - Inside Hawkins Lab

Breakfast was quiet as usual as I waited for Jonathan to pull up. I had no idea what was about to happen, only that we were meeting up with Mrs. Holland and telling her about Barb.

I still didn't like it, but Nancy promised me that she would explain everything to me in the car.

Dustin had excused himself a few minutes prior so that he could ride his bike to school, but I still sat at the table, picking at my toast.

"Shouldn't you be on your way, Honey?" My mom asked, looking at the wall clock.

"Uh, no," I said, avoiding her gaze. "Jon's picking me up. He, Nancy and I are gonna go... Bowling, after school."

"Sounds like fun," she said, although I could hear the suspicion in her voice. It wasn't often that someone else drove me in the mornings - I liked being able to take myself places. "Why can't you drive?'

Because I don't know where we're going, I thought. "I dunno. Jonathan just wanted to."

My mom went to say something else but was cut off by the honking of a car horn.

"Sounds like he's here," I said, relieved, as I stood up from the table. I went over to the door and took my bag off of the hook before swinging over my shoulder.

Mews brushed up against my leg so I swooped down to pet him quickly before opening the door and throwing a smile to my mom.

"Have fun, Sweetie," she told me. I nodded and walked out of the house, slamming the door behind me with a sigh. I really sucked at lying.

I hopped down the steps and waved at my friends as I got into the back of the car.

"So, is someone gonna tell me what's happening?"
~~~
My leg bounced as we sat on a park bench, watching the children play on the playground. It was a cool fall day, and leaves fluttered gently to the ground with each passing breeze. I wrapped my jacket tightly around myself, both to keep warm and for something to do.

Parents were standing around, watching their kids, and every so often glancing at us three. It was probably strange seeing teenagers at the park on a school day.

Nancy anxiously checked her watch beside me before glancing up at Jonathan and I.

"It's fifteen past," she said.

Jonathan nodded, looking down at his own watch from the other side of me. "Yeah, I know."

"Just... Give them time," I said, referring to the Hollands. It probably wasn't easy hearing that someone was keeping information from them about their daughter's disappearance.

Nancy nudged me slightly and I looked up. She was staring at a man reading a newspaper in the pavilion.

"That guy, there," she said. I studied him, and pointed him out subtly to Jonathan.

"What?" Jonathan and I said at the same time.

"He just... Just talked to himself."

I swallowed and watched as his lips began to move again. Then, he lowered his newspaper, and his eyes met mine. I quickly turned away, feeling awkward. He was probably just some guy who wanted to read his newspaper - no reason to feel weird, right?

Instead of dwelling on it, though, I looked around the park. There were two women a little ways who were in jumpsuits, stretching. There were also some kids playing Duck Duck Goose, a man feeding the ducks, and another man walking his dog.

I found it a little odd that there were so many people around so early on a Friday morning, and gently scratched the back of my neck. The more I looked around at these people, the more I felt like they were looking back. Like they were watching us.