Don't You Want Me? ✵ Steve Harrington

Chapter 61

"Lucas?" she asked in disbelief.

"Jesus, what's wrong with you, Sinclair?" Steve yelled.

"I'm sorry," Lucas panted.

"I could've taken you out with this lamp!" Steve exclaimed before throwing it dejectedly against the wall.

"Sorry guys," Lucas continued to try and catch his breath. "I-I was biking for eight miles. Give me a second. Shit. We've got a code red."

"What?" Steve scoffed.

Lucas walked past Steve and Kim to his old friend. "Dustin, I've been with Jason, Patrick, and Andy, and they're gone totally off the rails. They're trying to capture Eddie, and they think you know where he is. You're in terrible danger."

"Alright yeah, that definitely sucks, but we've got bigger problems than Jason right now," Dustin looked back at Max, giving her the chance to explain.

•••••

After Max explained everything again, the group went to the Wheeler's house to spend the night. They were all exhausted and pretty much collapsed on the floor or the couches the second they got into the Wheeler's basement, but Robin, Kim, and Nancy were determined to show the rest of the group the newspaper they had found on Victor Creel.

Steve paced around the basement, the next morning grumbling while Nancy, Kim, and Robin were upstairs discussing their plan on how to get more information about Victor Creel. "Okay to be honest, do you guys understand any of this?" he asked Lucas and Dusin.

"No," Lucas replied at the same time Dustin said "Pretty straight forward."

"Oh, straight forward, really?" Steve said sarcastically.

"Well, what's confusing to you?" Dustin asked. "So far everyone Vecna has cursed has died, except for this old Victor Creel dude Nancy found. He's the only known survivor. If anyone knows how to beat this curse, it's him."

"Yeah, that's assuming he was cursed, Henderson, which we don't even know," Steve pointed out. "How can Venca have existed back in the '50s? It doesn't make sense."

"As far as we know, Eleven didn't create the Upside Down. She opened a gate to it," Dustin explained. "The Upside Down has probably been around for thousands of years. Millions. I wouldn't be surprised if it predated the dinosaurs."

Steve scoffed. "Dinosaurs? What are we–"

"Okay, okay," Lucas cut in. "But if a gate didn't exist in the '50s, how did Vecna get through?"

"Oh, and how's he getting through now?' Steve asked.

"And why now?" Lucas added.

"And why then? Just pops out in the '50s, kills one family, and he's like, 'I'm good.' And poof, he just disappears? He's just gone? Only to return 30 years later and start killing some random teens? No, I don't buy it. Straight forward, my ass. You know, honestly, Henderson, a little humility now and then wouldn't hurt you."

"Sorry," Dustin said, not really meaning it but just wanting Steve to shut up.

Steve plopped down in the armchair, legs crossed as he continued to study the newspaper.

Dustin sighed as his eyes fell on Max. "Any idea what she's writing? Did she sleep?"

"I mean, would you?" Lucas asked.

The basement door opened and the three boys sat up straighter as Nancy, Kim, and Robin walked downstairs.

Nancy took a breath before starting to talk. "Okay, so, we have a plan."