A NEW AND IMPROVED VERSION
Ryan Fordman has lived next door to Steve Harrington her entire life. Her entire life, he'd always been a window away, occasionally shouting across the space between their houses. They were inseparable... at least, they we...
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*one week before the disappearance of Will Byers*
Five months had passed since Ryan had turned her back on Steve. Five months since Steve had shown up on her doorstep, begging her older brother Peter to let him see Ryan only for the door to be closed in his face.
That day, Ryan had run into the house, hiding her tears from both of her brothers. Once she made it to her room, she slammed her door shut and yanked the curtains of the window that looked into Steve's room next door closed before sliding down the wall, letting out heart wrenching sobs Peter and Aaron could hear through the door.
No matter how many times they tried, they couldn't get her to open up. It wasn't until Steve had shown up a complete wreck, begging to see her, rambling about what had happened that they figured it out. Needless to say, two doors were shut that day.
"Hey Ry, can I hang out at the diner until you get off tonight?" Axel asked, leaning against the lockers next to hers. "I can help you study for that history test during your shift."
Since their last day of sophomore year, Axel was the only person Ryan had left of her old life. She had started over during that summer, which was harder than she thought, especially with Steve being her next door neighbor. She kept busy, volunteering at the Sheriff's station while her brother worked, getting a job working at Benny's when school started, and babysitting Jonathan's little brother and his friends when needed. She made sure she was never around when Steve was.
"Yeah, no problem." She took her jacket out of her locker. "I'll be watching Will tonight too so Jonathan and Joyce can pick up extra shifts."
Watching Will was the easiest job in the world. All she had to do was supply the kid with paper and colored pencils and he entertained himself, not to mention she always ended up with a new drawing to put up on her fridge at home. He would sit in a booth by the window while she worked, given all the free food he could eat occasionally asking her questions about her day when she had the time to answer. She loved it. It was like having a baby brother.
Loud laughter and girlish shrieks came from down the hallway catching Ryan's attention. Apparently, Steve had made his way to Nancy Wheeler's orbit, lifting her up in the air.
When Ryan had first heard about how Steve had started jumping from girl-to-girl, she couldn't believe it. Steve, the same guy who kissed her on the swings when they were thirteen because he wanted his first kiss to be with someone he actually cared about, who wanted her first kiss to be with someone who cared about her, was now the biggest player in Hawkins and not just on the basketball team.
Now, it was just another thing that widened the gap between them. He was different. She didn't know this Steve. Maybe she never really did.
Ryan slammed her locker shut, adjusting the bag on her shoulder as she turned to face Axel, "Happy Monday, Axe. Let's go before they decide to parade the halls or something."
