ruby's body ━━ steve harrington

029. 𝐫𝐮𝐛𝐲, 𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐲 (𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐢𝐢)

Steve helps Ruby up, and she turns around, to look at the top of the escalators. They don't have much time, not enough to run away without the guards seeing where they are—

"Come back to me, you stupid girl."

A piercing pain splits across Ruby's head, making her wince.

"You belong to me. Let me in."

Ruby balls her hands into fists, her nails digging sharply into her palms. She focuses on the feeling, on the pain, grounding herself in her body. She doesn't have time for the Mind Flayer right now — she'll get back to him soon, don't you worry — not with Soviet guards on their tail. If anything, the Mind Flayer's arrogant persistence fills her with rage.

And so, she turns to her boyfriend.

"Hide. I'll deal with them."

He raises his eyebrows. "Are you—?"

Ruby gives him a look. "Trust me, OK?"

Steve hesitates for a second. Behind him, Robin and Erica are panicking. Dustin's standing there, not sure what side to be on. Robin hisses in a hushed whisper, "We need to go!" and Ruby gestures with her hands, urging Steve to go with them.

"Look after them, OK?"

Steve sighs. "OK..."

He follows the other three, the small group hiding behind the food court's kiosk. Ruby stands beside the escalators, breathing in, breathing out.

"You can't get rid of me for long..."

Ruby ignores the Mind Flayer. She hears the footsteps of the Soviet guards, growing louder and louder. But, she focuses on herself; she imagines herself as a ghost, invisible to the guards. She pictures herself, standing here, seen by no-one. Sometimes, she wishes she was a ghost, left to haunt the world in her own solitude. She think she'd enjoy it, not having demogorgons or Mind Flayers or lab-coat wielding grandfathers to deal with. Just herself, all on her own, finally at peace.

The guards make their way down the escalators. Ruby holds her breath, as she watches them walk past her, not noticing the invisible girl. She eyes them up, takes note of their massive guns (her dad would know the names — Ruby just figures a bigger gun means more bullets).

To her side, she spots a red convertible on display, a competition prize for mallgoers. Gotcha.

Blood trickles from her nose, the convertible silently rising into the air. None of the guards notice the car behind them, too focused on the kiosk in front of them — the one Steve and the others are hiding behind.

Ruby concentrates on the car, slowly moving it up, over the guards' heads. The guards inch towards the kiosk, and as one raises their gun, Ruby lets go of the car. There's a loud thud.

Dustin yelps from behind the kiosk, but before Ruby can say the coast is clear, she hears a voice from the floor above, exclaim, "WHAT THE HELL?"

Ruby remembers no one can see her.

She turns around, shaking her head, like a dog shaking water off themselves to get dry. As she looks up, her little sister's eyes are wide, the rest of their friends standing around her.

"It's OK! It was me!" says Ruby, raising her hands.

The kids rush down the escalators, just as Steve, Dustin, Erica, and Robin emerge from behind the kiosk. Robin looks at the car — and the squished Soviets underneath — and looks back at Steve. Steve looks back at Robin, both stunned.

"Who were they?" El asks when her group arrive in the food court. Nancy and Jonathan are behind them, and the two exchange a weak smile with Ruby. She presumes El's told them what happened earlier.