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You walk down the hall of Hawkins High. You sigh keeping your eyes on the floor. Everything around you seemed to be in slow motion as shoulders bump into your own without looking back. You blink a few times before looking back up and down the hall seeing a sign with "gymnasium" written across it. You head for it, pushing the door open to hear basketballs hitting the floor, boys laughing, and people talking on the bleachers. You look around the room to see your boyfriend of a few months playing with his team. You smile softly before holding your camera closer to your chest, looking back down to walk up the bleachers.
"Isn't that, y/n?" You hear a few girls giggle and whisper as you walk by. You stop before sitting down to turn to look at them, making eye contact with one of them. You smile softly while she just rolls her eyes going back to talking to the group of girls, laughing. You sigh softly taking a seat at the very back row on the bleachers. You pull out your camera to take pics of the basketball team for the yearbook.
"Hey." You shoot your head up from your camera to meet the eyes of Jonathan Byers. You smile softly scooting over for him to sit. "I thought you had to take pictures of the cheer team?" You huff before pulling out a shirt from your bag that had stains on it, to show Byers what they did.
"We aren't exactly on good terms." You say softly looking from Byers to the group of girls that kept laughing while talking about who knows what.
"Well, I can go over and take pictures for them if you feel uncomfortable. You can take the basketball team's pictures and I can tackle the cheer pictures for you, if you'd like?" He smiles over at you nudging your side. You jump a bit at his gesture and internally laugh at yourself for how weird you are when it came to talking to people. Or when it came to someone willing to help you.
"Yeah? I mean, you don't have to. I got assigned to it, so maybe I should just go." You begin to stand but Byers stops you.
"Hey, no. Don't worry about it. I've had my fair share of bullies." He looks over at the basketball team then back at you. You nod slowly before giving him a half smile.
"Okay. Any way I can thank you for doing this for me?" You ask desperately, feeling bad that you both are going through the same thing.
"You can come help me take pictures at the dance?" He smiles at you, shrugging. Your smile widens before fading a bit causing Byers to freak out for even asking. "Forget it. Forget it. I don't even know why I--"
"I'd love to." You simply say, nudging him. Causing his worried face to soften with a small smile. He gets up from his spot, making his way down the bleachers and out of the gym.
You sigh softly as the bell rings causing Steve to look around the gym. He was looking for you. You smile softly at the thought of him willing to run over to you and pick you up and swing you around, but instead, he just stands there waiting for the gym to clear. He looks at you and smiles wide, walking over to you as you meet him half way.
"I missed you." He says before planting a kiss onto your lips. His hands shaping out the shape of your cheeks as he holds them. You kiss him gently, causing him to back up a bit. "Everything okay?"
"Why are we still doing this?" You ask softly looking into his eyes. Emphasizing the word THIS. Steve's heavy breathing softens a bit as he looks at you confused.
"Doing what?"
"You know, Steve."
"Actually, I don't know what you're talking about y/n."
"Sneaking around." You bluntly say. You look at Steve as his eyes soften at the look of the hurt in your own.
"Sneaking? We aren't sneaking. We are just simply..." He sighs before looking down at his feet nodding. "I'm sorry." You feel tears begin to well up in your eyes, but you don't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing that he hurt you.
"Why are you sorry, Steve?"
"I just, I'm popular. I'm captain of the basketball team. I can't ruin what I have here. And you? You're--" He trails off before finishing that sentence, causing you to scoff.
"In photography class. I get it." You get ready to turn away from Steve, but he grabs your wrist in his hand.
"No, no listen. I just, I can't be seen with someone like you." Your mouth fell agape as you let the single tears fall in disbelief.
"Someone. Like. Me? Just because I'm not popular, or like Nancy, or even remotely noticed by anybody... you can't be seen with me?" You say softly to yourself but more harshly towards Steve. Steve huffs pressing his hands to his hips.
"Look, I'm not trying to hurt you--" You cut him off mid sentence.
"Well you are, so. Congratulations Steve Harrington. You don't need to worry about me anymore." You say ripping your wrist from Steve's grip before walking out of the gymnasium. You let the tears fall rapidly as you rush down the hallway and out to the school parking lot.
"Y/N! Wait!" You could hear Steve behind you but before he gets too close you turn around angry.
"I hate you Steve Harrington. I hate you." You say as the tears keep falling. "Nancy was right, you're bullshit." You turn to get into your car starting it before driving away. You look into your rear view mirror, getting a glimpse of Steve. Mouth opened slightly, eyebrows furrowed. You looked back at the street in front of you, and drove. Never looking back.
