Don't You Want Me? ✵ Steve Harrington

Chapter 59

"Yeah," Kim nodded. "You remember the monsters I told you about last night? Demogorgans and Demodogs?"

Eddie chuckled. "I mean, yeah it's kinda hard to forget."

"Well, I've fought one of those things with nothing but a baseball bat."

"Yeah, yeah," Steve chimed in. "I did that too. I fought them with her."

Kim glared at him before turning back to Eddie. "The point is, we have a pretty good idea of how to handle this interdimensional shit. It's gonna be okay."

"Yeah, uh, only we usually rely on this girl who has super powers. But, uh, those went bye-bye, so–" Steve started to explain.

"So we're technically in more of the–" Robin tried to come up with the right word.

"The brainstorming phase," Max finished.

"Th-there's nothing to worry about," Dustin tried to reassure Eddie.

Eddie couldn't believe his only hope of survival right now was these five idiots. He was doomed.

The sound of approaching sirens put everyone on high alert. They rushed to hide Eddie under the tarp again and get a peek out the window of the boat house.

Luckily the squadron of police cars and an ambulance drove right past Reefer Rick's driveway, continuing down the street.

"Come on," Kim said, gesturing for the group to follow her. "I want to know what that's about."

"No! We can't just–" one look from Kim and Steve shut his mouth.

"We'll be back as soon as we can, Eddie!" Dustin called as the group ran to Steve's car. Kim slid into the back with Dustin and Max, letting Robin take her usual seat next to Steve. They sped down the road, coming to a stop behind the parked sheriff's vehicle.

Nancy looked up from her conversation with Sheriff Powell as a familiar car approached. Her heart lifted as a group of her friends got out. She couldn't help but smile in relief and wave back as Kim mock saluted her.

•••••

The group drove to the trailer park, yellow crime scene tape fluttered in the wind making the whole place feel more abandoned than it usually did. It might have felt a little creepy, but at least there was no chance of someone overhearing them as they sat at the rotting picnic table, discussing what they knew so far.

"You're saying that this thing that killed Fred and Chrissy, it's from the Upside Down?" Nancy asked incredulously.

"If the shoe fits," Steve shrugged.

"Our working theory is that he attacks with a spell or a curse," Dustin explained. "Now, whether or not he's doing the bidding of the Mind Flayer or just loves killing teens, we don't know."

"All we know is that this is something different. Something new," Max added.

Nancy sighed and shook her head. Why couldn't she have one normal year of high school? She had been this close to having a senior year with no interdimensional mysteries. "It doesn't make sense."

"It's only a theory," Dustin reminded her.

"No, Fred and Chrissy don't make sense," she clarified. "I mean, why them?"

"Maybe they were just in the wrong place," Kim suggested. "They were both at the basketball game."

"And near the trailer park," Max said.

"We're at the trailer park," Steve pointed out.

"Wow, thank you so much for that helpful piece of information, Steve," Kim said without even looking in his direction.