Come Together - Steve Harrington [1]

13: investigations

~dreams - fleetwood mac~

IT HAD ALMOST BEEN A YEAR SINCE THE DISAPPEARANCE OF WILL BYERS AND THE EVENTS THAT FOLLOWED. Jennifer had completely cut ties with Eric Scott after he graduated and she had since become happier. Nancy and Steve were still together (much to both Jonathan's and Jennifer's dismay), and the younger boys were closer than ever.

Jennifer had finally turned 16 earlier that year and her parents had surprised her with a light blue 1972 AMC gremlin. She was beyond grateful. She was excited to be able to drive to school with Nancy, but she just ended up going with Steve.

Now Jennifer was sitting in her room, her walkman laying on her bed with the headphones covering only her left ear. She had been listening to the mixtape Steve had gifted her last Christmas. It had mostly consisted of The Beatles and Fleetwood Mac, Jenny's first and second favourite bands.

"Jennifer!"

Matt burst into her bedroom, his light hair a disheveled mess. He had a backpack and a thin coat on, obviously ready to go somewhere. Jennifer pulled the headphones from her ear and looked at her brother with raised brows.

"Do you have any money?" he asked, sounding as though he was out of breath.

Jennifer shook her head and laid back on her bed, covering both of her ears now. Matt, however, stalked over to the girl's dresser, his eyes on the polka-dotted pink piggy bank sitting on top. His eyes darted to his sister before he tiptoed to the dresser. He opened the piggy bank with caution before dumping a pile of coins into his hands.

"Hey!"

Jennifer had ripped her headphones from her head and was looking at Matt in anger. Matt placed the piggy bank back on the dresser before shoving the money in his pocket and sprinting from his sisters room. Jen jumped up from her bed and bounded after the boy, yelling swears at him as she went.

"Give me my money, you little shit!" she cursed, speeding down the stairs.

Matt dodged his sisters grabs before running out the front door and hopping on his bike, pedalling as fast as his legs would go.

"FUCK YOU!" Jen yelled into the darkness.

*

Jennifer pulled up to Hawkins High school the following Tuesday, her light brown hair falling around her face in tight curls. She glanced at herself in the rear view mirror before grabbing ahold of her bag and exiting her car. Immediately, she is greeted by a blue Camaro pulling up right beside her, its obnoxiously loud music making her cringe.

She put an elbow on the roof of her car and watched as a curly-headed blonde stepped out of the drivers side, a cigarette in his mouth. Jennifer watched as he closed the door and tossed his cigarette to the side, nodding towards the girl as he did so. Jen sent a small smile his way as he turned and started for the school, completely ignoring the immense amount of stares he was getting.