more than a feeling, stancy

Chapter 11

Steve wanted to go to the party. It was the perfect opportunity for him to return the little black book to Nancy's possession. However, he found himself in a predicament. He needed to work on his article desperately. His boss would be calling him any minute. Fear crept into his mind at the thought of falling behind.

He figured he could split his night. Work on the article for a couple of hours then makes his way over to the party. But he lacked an address. He knew he was going to have to get it somehow, some way. Steve wanted to call Nancy back but didn't want to explain why he was going to be running late. He needed more time to come up with an excuse. Or, just show up late enough that Nancy won't even notice he was late.

Slouching at the copper-colored desk, Steve let out a sigh. The man was exhausted. He didn't know how he was going to make it to the party. But he figured he has to go because in all honestly, writing an article about the secrets of Five Seconds to Hawkins wasn't going to go over well with the band. Especially Nancy, who rarely took no for an answer.

He retrieved his bag from the floor, pulling out immense amounts of paper and two pens. It would be better to type this all on a computer but Steve was well aware that he wouldn't be able to write this story out in the open. Anyone could sneak up behind him and expose his cover in seconds. Grabbing the pen, he clicked on the back rapidly. He went so fast, Steve started blocking out the sound. It calmed him somehow.

He started slow. Writing down all the things he could think of at the top of his head. Mainly Eddie being an absolute drunk, Robin's opinions towards men, and how Max seemed to latch onto the older members more than the ones her age. The very apparent relationship between Jonathan and Nancy. He bulleted each point, seeing where he hacked into the band. It mainly revolves around Billy, Mike, and Max. Billy was barely around. Whenever he was, he usually had a random girl wrapped around his finger. He assumed he could touch on that, labeling him as some kind of man-whore.

The words made Steve cringe. He knew it was his job but his feelings were getting in the way. Steve enjoyed their company, especially Robin and Eddie. He didn't want to admit it, but Nancy did too. But he knew he has to push the nagging feeling to the side and continue his job. This was his ticket into the future of journalism. Doing pieces that mattered. He still wasn't sure how his boss managed to get him this job, but Tom deserved a good piece.

Steve sat back, glancing over the notes once more. He wasn't necessarily happy with the information. His time was spent with the majority of the band but he wasn't taking notes. Just admiring their way of life. How they interacted with one another. Drank and smoked until they passed out. Steve got caught up in the moment and he knew he was going to get in trouble for it.

Going back to work, Steve grabbed the notebook. He flipped through the rusted pages, taking notes on Nancy's life. She spilled some secrets about her relationship with Mike. He enjoyed it considering it was all positive. That Mike was destined for more but he still managed to put in the work. Steve wrote down Nancy's highlights and all of the dates, figuring out the basics of the band. When they recorded their first song, Nancy's songwriting journey, finding out about their tour and Jim Hopper being their manager.

A timeline formed in his brain. He jotted all his thoughts down on the blank piece of paper. His tongue poked against his cheek as he continued to figure everything out. Referring back to the journal multiple times, Steve was on fire. It was tedious but he finally realized something.

He was destined for this. To be a real-time journalist. Talk about pop culture and important events in the world. His main interest was always getting dirt on famous people. He had read Rolling Stone copies from front to back, absorbing all the information about whatever was going on in the music world. Imagining that one day, he could be one of the writers of Rolling Stone. Or just reporting for any newspaper or magazine. It was his dream. Suddenly his feelings toward the band were starting to disappear.