SKATER GIRL , STRANGER THINGS

fifteen

Flora gasped. Then she laughed. Then she held her hands to her mouth in surprise.

"What is wrong with you?" Nancy spat out, appalled at Steve's behaviour.

Steve scoffed, responding with haste. "What’s wrong with me? What’s wrong with you? I was worried about you. I can’t believe that I was actually worried about you." Steve scoffed again. Flora knew he was feeling immensely hurt.

Nancy's brows furrowed. "What are you talking about?"

Carol stepped forwardi, voice mocking. "I wouldn’t lie if I were you. You don’t want to be known as the lying slut now, do you?"

Jonathan walked up to the group, Tommy laughing. "Speak of the devil." Everyone turned to see a confused Jonathan, Flora rolling her eyes at the fact something was about to go down. Tommy mockingly waved to Jonathan. "Hi."

Nancy turned back to Steve, whose steely eyes stayed locked on the girl. "You came by last night?" Nancy asked him, although her tone presented it as more of a statement.

Carol giggled, taunting. "Ding! Ding! Ding! Does she get a prize?"

Nancy sighed.  "Look, I don’t know what you think you saw, but it wasn’t like that."

Steve still didn't believe her. "What, you just let him into your room to... study?"

Tommy needed to add his input. "Or for another pervy photo session?"

This brought laughter to Steve's 'side of the argument, Nancy's face becoming more disappointed.

"We were just..." Nancy couldn't find a way to explain without telling the truth, upsetting Steve.

"You were just what?" He challenged, "Finish that sentence." Nancy didn't, so he repeated himself.  "Finish the sentence."

Before Nancy could respond, which she was taking her time to do, Flora spoke up, agitated. "I told you what they did last night, Steve." Flora's voice then changed. "Did you not believe me?"

Steve turned to Flora. "I believe what you said you were doing, I just want to hear it from Nancy. You know, solidifying stories."

As Nancy didn't reply, much to everyone's annoyance, Steve spoke directly to her once more. "Go to hell, Nancy."

Jonathan moved to bring Nancy with him. "Come on, Nancy, let’s just leave."

Flora knew this was the point where Steve would drastically change. "You know what, Byers? I’m actually kind of impressed. I always took you for a queer, but I guess you’re just a little screw-up like your father. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, that house is full of screw-ups. You know, I guess I shouldn’t really be surprised. A bunch of screw-ups in your family."

Steve ranted, moving closer to Jonathan, the latter slowly getting more and more annoyed. He wasn't the only one, Nancy ready to side with Jonathan. "Jonathan, leave it."

Steve continued, nonetheless. "I mean, your mom..." He then paused, "I’m not even surprised what happened to your brother."

Flora gasped, knowing what the people closest to Will have been feeling. Before she could speak, Nancy did.

"Steve, shut up!"

Flora added her say, "You've crossed a line Steve."

He registered the girls' words, but his hatred for Jonathan took all of his rationality. "I’m sorry I have to be the one to tell you, but the Byers, their family, it’s a disgrace to the entire..." Steve couldn't continue due to the fact Jonathan Byers punched him.

Steve held his hand to where he was punched, everyone standing motionless in surprise.

And then Steve ran for Jonathan, taking him into a tackle against the hood of one of the cars in the alleyway.

Steve seemed to have the upper hand, much to Nancy's distaste. "Steve!" She exclaimed, shocked as he and Jonathan began to fight.

"Stop! Steve! Knock it off, you guys!" Nancy repeated, stressed at the fight.

Flora watched in silence, unsure how to feel. Steve was wrong for what he said about the Byers family, but there were valid reasons to be fighting Jonathan: his creepy photoshoot antics.

Carol wasn't enjoying the fight, either. Get off of him, seriously!"

Tommy, however, was having the time of his life. "Kick his ass, man!"

Steve then began to speak as he and Jonathan were fighting. "And Flora, the way you and Nancy left her last night, the way you were going to leave her now? That's not how it works."

Flora gasped, surprised that Steve would include her in his argument against Jonathan. "Steve, it's okay." Flora said quietly, still being heard.

"No, it's not. You shouldn't be pushed aside when last night you were clearly shaken up." Steve finished, Jonathan beginning to have the upper hand of the fight.

Carol was still against the fight. "Get off! Stop!"

Nancy began to plead to Tommy of all people. "Get in there, he’s going to hurt himself!"

Tommy tried to get in the middle of it, "Easy, easy! Hey. Hey! Get out of here! Get out of here! Get out of here!"

Jonathan only became more violent. "Jonathan, stop! Stop! You’re going to hurt him!" Nancy wailed, hands flying around in panic.

Flora's voice was like ice. "Jonathan, stop!"

At that point, the group heard sirens coming from the distance.

Tommy was the first to react. "Cops!"

Nancy paled. "Guys... Jonathan, get off of him! Stop it!"

Tommy began to round up the group. "Cops! Come on!"

"Stop it! Come on!" Nancy pleaded again, not having any effect on Jonathan.

Flora groaned. "Byers, the cops are here! You have to stop!"

Carol tried to pull Tommy and Flora from where they were beside Steve, Nicole already gone.

Tommy quickly turned to Carol. "Just go, Carol!"

Nancy still wailed, "Stop it!"

Tommy finally managed to intervene, grabbing Jonathan by his shoulder, voice loud and attentive. "Hey, he’s had enough, man! I said he’s had enough!"

And then the cops were there, surveying the scene. "Kids! All right!" Powell exclaimed, him and Callahan moving to stop the fight.

"Stop it!" Nancy yelled once more, Jonathan pulling his arm back for another punch and instead elbowing Callahan in his nose.

He fell back against the hood of a car, hands to his face. "Oh! My nose!"

Powell took the lead. "Calm him down!"

He managed to get Jonathan off of Steve, Flora and Tommy exchanging a look. They each grabbed one of Steve's arms, hauling him up and began to run (or in Flora's case, skate) away. "Go, go, go, go, go, go!" They chanted like a lifeline, gasping.

Callahan didn't want them to escape. "Hey! Hey, uh-uh. Uh-uh. Come here, little guys! Come here!"

Jonathan didn't like the fact that he was being reprimanded for his actions, Powell placing handcuffs around his wrists. "Get off!"

Powell then called to Callahan. "I got this one!"

Callahan was still trying to get Flora, Steve, and Tommy. "Get back here! Get back here, you little punks!"

Before they were fully out of view, Flora projected her voice. "I'll meet y'all at the station!" Flora then saw a shaky nod from Nancy, so she skated away, satisfied.