You Lie All The Time [S.Harrington]

chapter twenty

"Make him pay." Eddie requested. 

Steve sent him one nod. Eddie copied. 

Susie, Steve, Nancy, and Robin kept walking. Susie approached Steve, walking beside him.

"I heard what you guys were saying." She stated. "Don't try to be a hero either, alright?" 

Steve looked at her, raising his eyebrows. "Why? Is it because deep down, you really really care about me?" He smirked. 

"Yeah, Steve. I do. Quit being an asshole and don't try to die." She shoved him lightly, staring ahead.

They kept walking, anxiously wandering the dark forest on their way to Vecna's lair. 

"Uh..." Robin trailed off. "I don't mean to freak anyone out, but I swear we've seen this tree before." She pointed at one of the trees nearby with her flashlight.

"That's impossible." Denied Nancy.

"That would suck, right?" Robin replied. "If Vecna destroyed the world because...'cause we got lost in the woods?"

"We're not lost, Robin." Argued Nancy. Robin chuckled anxiously and continued walking.

"Hey, Robin! Watch out for the vines! Hive mind." Reminded Nancy. "Remember?"

"Thank you!" Robin called out, continuing to run off. Nancy tried to quickly follow after her. Steve and Susie walked behind. 

"She's just stressed." Commented Steve with a sigh. "You know, scared."

"Yeah. Yeah. I...I know." Susie replied. "It's Robin." She chuckled anxiously. 

"Yeah." Steve did the same. "She's something." Steve smiled.

"And that's why we lover her." Susie added.

"Totally. Besides, I really shouldn't be saying anything. Funny story, when I was a baby, I crawled backwards." Steve described.

Susie furrowed her eyebrows. "Crawled backwards?" She repeated. 

"You know, I'd push with my hands like this." Steve demonstrated and mimicked the beeping sound of a truck in reverse. "Always in reverse, you know? I mean-- Come on, it makes sense. You push to move, right?"

"Yeah, totally makes sense. I think Baby Steve was really onto something but he was criticized by societal norms." Susie nodded. 

"Right. Exactly." Steve agreed. "That is, of course, until I reversed my baby butt down a flight of stairs and thumped my head really good." Steve huffed.

"Oh...So that's why you're like this." Susie joked. 

"What's that supposed to mean, Susan?" Steve raised his eyebrows.

"Nothing." Susie chuckled. "It just--explains a lot."

Steve stifled a laugh. "I guess it kind does. I think, like, right out of the gate, like, I'm super confident, you know." He started. "But I'm also, like, an idiot."

"Self awareness is key, Harrington. You will get through this." Susie teased, setting a hand down on his shoulder. He looked at her, unimpressed. "Give me my moment here, Suz. I'm making a speech."

Susie put up her hands in surrender, then let him continue.

"As I was saying, I'm a confident idiot. Which is just...I mean, it's a brutal combination." He continued. "But, I mean, the good news is, I get a big enough thump on my head, I can change, you know? I can learn." He stared ahead as he spoke. Susie did the same.

"I can crawl forward."

Susie chuckled. 

"Listen, I guess what I'm trying to say in a really stupid, roundabout way is, um..." He trailed off, stopping his walk for a moment. Susie stopped as well. They faced each other.