"Yeah. So?" Dustin questions.
"Yeah, well, it wasn't popular until I made it popular," Steve insists. "All right? I practically invented it. We're heading in the wrong direction."
I roll my eyes. I just really don't want to admit that I know exactly where we're going because Steve has taken me here before.
Steve grabs my hand and starts off to the left.
"Steve," Dustin protests. "Where are you going? Steve!"
"Stop whining," Steve tells him. "Let's go. Trust me."
Steve turns to me as we walk through the woods. "Hey. You okay?"
I nod my head. "I'm fine. Just..." I take a breath. "Wondering when this ever ends."
"Now. This time," Steve tells me.
"How do you know that?" I ask.
"Cause this time we're finishing it. Vecna. The gates. All of it," Steve insists.
I nod my head. "I hope you're right."
Steve grabs my hand in his. "I'm gonna be."
Steve climbs through a bunch of bushes and tree branches. "Oh, boom! Bada bing, bada boom. There she is, Henderson. Skull Rock. In your face, man. In your stupid, cocky little face."
Sure, enough I push a branch out of the way and see the rock formation.
"Doesn't make sense," Dustin protests.
"Yeah, yeah. Even with it staring you in the face, you can't admit it," Steve says. "You just can't admit you're wrong, you butthead."
"I concur." I turn around and see Eddie standing there. "You, Dustin Henderson, are a... total butthead."
"Jesus, we thought you were a goner," Dustin says as he hugs Eddie.
"Yeah, me too, man," Eddie says. "Me too."
Eddie sits down and starts to explain to us what happened.
"When I got to the shore, I tried calling you guys, but, uh... my walkie was busted, man. Drenched. So, uh, I did the thing that I do now, apparently. I ran." Eddie laughs bitterly.
"Do you know what time this was?" Nancy asks. "The attack?"
"Yeah, no, I... I know exactly what time it was." Eddie takes his watch off. "My walkie wasn't the only thing that got soaked." He tosses it to Nancy.
"9:27," Nancy reads.
"Same time our flashlights went kablooey," Robin states.
"Which means what, exactly?" Steve asks.
"That that surge of energy was Vecna attacking Patrick," I explain.
"Well, we're one step closer," Robin offers. "We know how Vecna attacks."
"And where he attacks from," Lucas states.
"So now we just need to sneak into his lair in the Upside Down and drive a stake through his heart," Max says.
"If he has a heart," Robin states.
"A stake? Is he like a vamp? Is he a vampire?" Steve asks.
I put my hand on his shoulder. "I think it was a metaphor sweetie."
"A bullet should work on him, right?" Eddie offers.
"I say we chop his head off," Lucas states.
"I'd say all of the above, but we can't do any of that 'til we find a way into the Upside Down," Nancy reminds us.
YOU ARE READING
slay 'em dead//Steve Harrington
Fanfiction"It's a school night," I remind him. "Shouldn't you be inside?" Steve asks. "But it's so nice out here," I tell him. "I mean I am pretty nice to look at," Steve remarks.
