Don't You Want Me? ✵ Steve Harrington

Chapter 11

Nancy, Jonathan, and Kim walked out of the hunting shop, arms loaded with their 'monster hunting' equipment.

"You know, last week I was shopping for a new top I thought Steve might like," Nancy laughed as they started putting the gear in the back of Jonathan's car. "It took me, Kim, and Barb all weekend, remember?"

"Yeah," Kim smiled at the memory of her last shopping trip with her two best friends. She wondered if they would ever be able to do that as a group again or if it would just be her and Nancy. "It seemed like life or death."

"And now-" Nancy started to say.

"You two are shopping for bear traps with Jonathan Byers," he chuckled. "What's the weirdest part? Me or the bear trap?"

"You, it's definitely you," Nancy said teasingly.

There was a honk and the three turned around. "Hey, Nance," the driver of the car called. "Can't wait to see your movie."

"What the hell is he talking about?" Kim asked in confusion.

"I don't know," Nancy replied, watching the car drive away. She quickly turned around and ran for the movie theater a few shops down.

"Where are you going?" Jonathan asked as he and Kim chased after her. "Nancy, wait!"

"Jesus Christ," Kim muttered, looking up at the movie sign in disgust. "I'm gonna kill whoever did that," she growled, narrowed eyes still on the words 'Nancy the slut Wheeler'. Kim heard the rattling of a spray can and laughter coming from the alley next to the movie theater. She raced down it, Jonathan and Nancy on her heels.

"Aw, hey there, princess!" Carol mocked Nancy as she marched up to Steve.

"Uh oh, she looks upset," Tommy said, leaning against the wall.

Nancy drew her hand back and slapped Steve across the face, leaving a red hand print. "What is wrong with you?" she spat.

"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you?" Steve shot back. "I was worried about you. I can't believe that I was actually worried about you."

"What are you talking about?" Nancy asked.

"I wouldn't lie if I were you," Carol smirked. "You don't want to be known as the lying slut now, do you?"

"You came by last night," Nancy guessed.

"Ding! Ding! Ding! Does she get a prize?" Carol taunted.

Kim and Jonathan exchanged a worried glance, wondering what Steve had seen or what he had heard. Nothing happened between Nancy and Jonathan, but Kim could see how Steve would think something had.

"Look, I don't know what you think you saw, but it wasn't like that," Nancy tried to explain.

"What, you just let him into your room to study?" Steve asked, his eyes narrowed.

"Or for another pervy photo session?" Tommy suggested with a smirk. "How about you, Henderson, were you there?"

"I was down stairs," Kim told him, glaring at the annoying jerk. "And I can tell you that nothing happened between them. They were just-"

"Just what?" Steve asked, looking away from Nancy and walking over to Kim. "Finish that sentence. Finish the sentence."

They were almost chest to chest, and Kim realized how much taller he had gotten. When they had been friends before, she had been taller than he was but now he towered over her. She had so much built up anger inside of her, that she had no idea what to do with. Kimberly Henderson resorted back to her middle school ways: she started a fight. She swung her fist at him, her uppercut landing perfectly against his jaw. He brought his hand up to his face, but she kneed him in the groin, making him double over in pain.

"Kim! Kim!" Nancy yelled, pulling her off of Steve before she could do any more damage.

"You're a bitch, Kim!" Steve yelled, still groaning in pain. "I don't know why the hell I was ever friends with you."

"I don't know why the hell I was ever friends with you!" Kim yelled back, Nancy and Jonathan both restraining her now. "You're a piece of shit, Harrington!"

"Kimmy, let's just leave," Nancy said.

"He's not worth it," Jonathan added.

"You're right," Kim said, shrugging her friends off and straigenting up. She put as much hatred as she could into her glare at Steve. "It's not worth me breaking my hand over his stupid face."

The three started to walk back down the alley, Jonathan keeping a hand on Kim's shoulder in case he had to pull her back again.

"You know what, Byers? I'm actually kind of impressed," Steve taunted. "I always took you for a queer, but I guess you're just a little screw up like your father. Oh, yeah, that whole house is full of screw ups. You know, I guess I shouldn't really be surprised. A bunch of screw ups in your family."

"Jonathan, just leave it," Nancy whispered.

"I mean, your mom," Steve went on. "I'm not even surprised what happened to your brother."

"Shut the fuck up, Steve," Kim spat, her eyes as cold as ice.

"I'm sorry I have to be the one to tell you," Steve went on, ignoring the girl's protests. "But the Byers, their family is a disgrace to the entire-"

That was Jonathan's breaking point. He spun around and punched Steve right in the jaw, making the pain of Kim's blow come back tenfold. Steve clutched his face, glaring at Jonathan before he tackled him. The two boys continued to fight, while Nancy tried to hold Kim back from joining the fray. Kim stamped on Nancy's toe, making the girl let go of her and ran at Steve while Jonathan was on the ground.

Steve didn't want to hit her. It was the last thing he wanted to do. Even though they had both just screamed at each other, and Kim had tried to beat him up, there was still a part of him that loved her. He shoved her back at Nancy as Jonathan started to get back up. "Stay out of this, Kim," he yelled as Jonathan swung his fist.

The sound of sirens filling the alley way and Steve and his friends quickly ran away. Steve looked over his shoulder to see Jonathan, Nancy, and Kim being shoved into a cop car. Memories flooded back into his head of the two of them cracking jokes at Hoppers expense in the backseat of a similar cop car. He almost turned back to go tell the officers that it had been an accident and that Kim had nothing to do with it, but Tommy shoved him forward.

•••••

"Well, well, well," Hopper said, seeing Kim and her friends sitting in the station. "I thought I'd never see your annoying face again. So much for staying out of trouble, huh, kid?"