adore you - steve harrignton

02

I didn't sleep easily that night, I tossed and turned for a while before deciding to go downstairs and look for something to eat or drink.

I was walking down the stairs when I saw my brother sitting at the counter, alone. I felt a shiver run through me at the thought he might be drinking.

I walked over to him quietly and he made no move to acknowledge my appearance, so I didn't say anything either.

"I haven't been drinking," Sam said after we'd been sitting there for a while and I turned to look at him.

"That's good," I say quietly and Sam nods in what seems like false agreement.

"I wanted to, but there was no alcohol in the house." He says and it makes my heart sink a little.

"Oh." That is all I say as I stand up and grab a glass from the shelf and pour myself some water.

Sam turns to me with a raised eyebrow. "Oh? That's all you have to say after the hours of lectures you've given when I so much as mention drinking?"

I shrug as I sip some of the water and then set it down. "I'm not in charge of you, do what you want. I've tried stopping you before and it ends up being a bigger hassle for me and you don't even give a flying fuck."

Sam seems a little taken aback by this but nods slowly as he turns away from me and stands up. "Night Ror." He says without looking at me.

"Night Sam," I say as he walks up the stairs.

I finish my drink and put it in the sink before checking the time on my watch. It's 5:30 am. I groan as I realise there is no point in trying to sleep.

I walked back up the stairs and grabbed my walkman from my bed and made my way back down the stairs again, grabbing my bike from the garage, which seemed to be the only thing unpacked, and began to walk down the street with my headphones over my ears whilst listening to Bohemian Rhapsody.

By the time I had walked out onto the street, it was 6:40 and the faint light of the sun was beginning to creep into visibility.

I continued to walk my bike in the familiar direction that was Nancy Wheeler's house.

About three or so years ago I had seen in the newspaper that Nancy's younger brother Mike's best friend Will Byers had gone missing. There wasn't much on how it happened just that it was the first sort of bad thing to happen to the sleepy town that is Hawkins.

I had met Will a few times when I had been over at Nancy's since Mike and his friends always played D&D there, and he seemed like a nice kid. I was glad when I heard he'd been found.

I hadn't spoken to Nancy in some time, but when I told her I was moving back she was really excited, which surprised me a bit, but I was glad to see her too.

When I got to the Wheeler's house it was almost 7:30. Which had been my intent so I wasn't stupid early and woke up everyone in the house.

I knocked on the door and set my bike down on the lawn next to the house as Mike came to the door.

He opened it like he was waiting for someone but when he saw it was me he looked disappointed. "Who are you?" He asked and I almost laughed.

"Aurora Carter, a pleasure to meet you," I said holding out my hand and Mike gaped at me.

"Rory?" He asked and I smiled.

"In the flesh," I said and he blinked a few times before turning to look over his shoulder.

"Nancy, Rory's here!" He called out.

Nancy came running down the stairs and when she saw me her face lit up. "Rory!" She yelled and I grinned.

"Nance!" I walked into the house and she wrapped her arms around me.

"God, Ror. I've missed you so much." She said, her voice muffled into my shoulder.

"I missed you to Nance," I said as I squeezed her shoulders.

She smiled at me as she pulls back and seems to study my face. "You look so different!" She said and I smiled.

"So do you," I say gesturing to the hair cut and she laughs.

"Come in, everyone's here." She says as she turns into her house and I follow her. "Guys Rory's here."

I walk in behind Nancy and see her family sitting around the table. Her mom comes up to me first.

"Rory! You look gorgeous, sweetheart!" Karen says as she pulls me into a hug.

"Thanks, Mrs Wheeler," I say with a grin and she pats me on the shoulder as she turns back to cooking.

Nancy's dad looks up from his paper at me and nods with a small smile as I smile back.

Mike is busy stuffing his face and doesn't notice me at all.

Holly, Nance's little sister sends me a small smile as she plays with one of her games.

Nancy drags me up the stairs to her room and I notice how much it hasn't changed.

I notice that some of the surface items in her room have changed, toys had been replaced with books, posters with pictures and small stuff like that.

I look over the photos and see one of the two of us at around about 5 and then some others of her and-

"Johnathon?" I ask pointing to the photo on the wall and Nancy laugh as she shakes her head.

"Yup." She says and I quirk an eyebrow at her.

"No more Steve?" I ask and she smiles with a shake of her head.

"That ended almost as quickly as it started," Nancy says as she sits down on her bed and sighs. "I can't believe you're here! I mean in Hawkins. I never thought I'd see you again after your dad..." She trails off but the meaning is there in her tone.

"Yea," I say as I join her on the bed, "Me either."

We sit in uncomfortable silence for a while before Nancy turns to me.

"So, what are your plans?" She asks and I raise my eyebrow. "Now that you're back. Since you still have Senior year, are you going to start an internship while you're at school or what?"

I sigh at this. "I haven't even decided yet, I'll just have to see where life takes me."

Nancy nods at this, approving of the answer. "I'm working at the school post, so you could always try to come work with me?" She asks hopefully.

I laugh and she deflates like a balloon. "Nance, me and journalism is not a thing that anyone wants to see together."

"Yea, yea. I figured as much." She sighs and then I hear her mom calling up the stairs.

"Nance! Time for school!"Her mother said and Nancy sighs. 

"Last year of school," I mutter, somewhat encouraging and Nancy laughs. 

"How'd you get here?" She asks as he grabs her bag from her bed. 

"Don't laugh, but I biked here," I say and Nancy lets out a snort. 

"Biked? I thought you had your license?"  She says and I nod. 

"I do, I even had a car. But mom sold it before we left so we could afford to come back. I didn't mind at the time but now I wish I still had her," I say with a sigh. 

"Her?" Nancy asks.

I hold my hands up as she opened the door. "She was a beaut, I'm allowed to give my car a gender aren't I?"

Nancy shakes her head. "You haven't changed at all." 

**

so that's the second chapter! hope yall are enjoying the slowly moving story xx