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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Ryan sat on the couch in the Hargrove house, waiting for Max to finish getting ready with her mother for the Snow Ball. Just a few hours before, Steve and Ryan had helped El get herself ready, Steve doing her hair while Ryan did her makeup using some that she had borrowed from Nancy for herself. Despite both her and Steve offering to take her, Hopper wanted to give her a ride himself.
About a month before, Ryan had promised Nancy she'd volunteer chaperone with her which was why she was in a dress, waiting patiently for her kid to get moving. If she was right, Steve would be picking up Dustin at the exact same time.
Billy walked into the living room, hiding something behind his back. They hadn't talked much since the incident with his dad and Max the previous month. She still hadn't quite forgiven him for what he had done to Lucas and Steve either. The last time they'd spoken was about an assignment for astronomy. That was two weeks ago.
"Hey, Ryan." He greeted quietly. "Max should be out in a minute."
Ryan nodded, squinting suspiciously at whatever Billy was hiding behind his back, "Whatcha got there, Hargrove?"
"I know you don't wanna talk to me, I'm not your favorite person, I know that." Ryan stared at him suspiciously, but didn't speak. "I deserve all of that, I deserved what happened last month, but I overheard you talking to Wheeler the other day and, well- here." Billy moved his hands out in front of him, revealing a Beatles record. It wasn't just any Beatles record either, it was the same one she had given Axel a year before, right before he moved. "I figured since the guy you gave yours to is my cousin, it was only fair I replaced it. It used to be my mom's, it was the only thing she left behind after she split. I never listen to them, but apparently you do. Consider it a late birthday, early Christmas present."
"Axe," Ryan blinked, taking the record from his hands. "Axel is your cousin?"
"Yeah, kind of hard to believe, right?" Billy laughed awkwardly, staying a safe distance away from her. "He's nice. Me? Not so much."
Ryan flipped the record over to look at the back when something fell out of it. She bent down to pick it up, seeing the picture that Nicole had taken of her, Tommy, Jonathan, and Billy at the Halloween party. She had been meaning to ask Nicole for it, but she just hadn't found the time. "You kept this?"
"I am human, you know. I keep things." He shrugged. Ryan raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I kept it. That was a fun night, all the way until you tried fighting me to get to Nancy and Steve."
"I didn't try, I did." She corrected.
"My mistake." Billy grinned. Ryan held out the picture for him to take. "No, keep it. I can just ask Nicole to develop another one. You should have it."
She glanced down at the record in her hands, shaking her head, "I can't accept this."
"No, seriously." Billy raised his hands, taking a step back before she could hand it back over. "I don't listen to The Beatles, it should go to somebody who does."
