Joe Keery Imagines

Family Nerves-Steve Harrington

"See you next weekend, Y/N."

As he walked to class, my stomach sank. I ran my fingers through my hair as I tried to ignore the guilt rising up. It's been killing me lying to Steve but I wasn't ready to tell him the truth. He was the only one in all of Indiana who isn't rude to me. I couldn't lose him.

I spent the entire weekend in my room going over my lies. At school on Monday, I was barely able to look at him without being swallowed by guilt. Eventually, it was hard to look at him.

"You okay?" He whispered during our chemistry notes.

"Yeah," I whispered back.

"Talk to me, Y/N," Steve pleaded.

"We're not supposed to be talking during notes, Steve."

I heard him sigh before going back to taking notes. Throughout the rest of class, Steve continually glanced at me. He kept trying to get my attention but I acted like I was too focused on the notes. The second the bell rang, I darted for the door.

I wish I could say I got better and more mature. But I didn't. I continued to only have small talk with him all week. Friday came around and I wasn't sure if I could face him anymore. So I didn't.

I left the art room right as the bell rang. I let out a sigh of relief as I unlocked my locker. I switched out my books, humming the new song we learned in choir yesterday.

"I can't take it anymore."

I jumped at the sudden appearance of Steve. He stood by my locker, nervously adjusting his backpack.

"What?" I asked, my breath getting caught in my throat.

"I can take you pushing off our date," he sighed. "I can take you not talking to me during Chem notes. What I can't take is you avoiding me, Y/N."

"I'm not avoiding you."

"Really?" Steve smirked, crossing his arms across his chest. "You missed chemistry this morning. You never miss chemistry."

"I had to help my dad with something this morning," I lied and Steve knew it.

"Y/N," he said under his breath, "please tell me what I did to make you avoid me. I've been racking my brain the last few days, trying to figure out why you would keep pushing back our date. But now, skipping class to avoid me?"

"Steve. . ."

"I'm going crazy," he whispered, taking a step towards me. "Please, Y/N, what did I do wrong?"

"Nothing," I said under my breath. "It's not because of you."

"Then what is it?" Steve gently pushed.

"It's. . . Well. . . It's hard to explain but. . . The thing is. . ."

"Y/N?"

"There's something about me that is most likely going to change what you think of me because it's something you don't know that everybody else in this town knows and hate me because of."

"Do you not like me?" Steve asked when I still wasn't making sense. "Is that why you've avoided me and pushed back our date several times? You don't actually like me and you felt bad so you said yes."

"That's not true," I said quickly. "It has nothing to do with you, Steve. It's just. . . There's something I need to tell you about my parents."

"What are you talking about?" He asked softly.

"My parents."

"What about them?"

"My parents are. . . I was raised by. . . I was adopted."