Apocalypse, Steve Harrington

Chapter Thirty. Monster Hunters

     

     She was beginning to regret sneaking out of the house. It was a Saturday afternoon— usually, she'd be lounging around, watching Magnum P.I, rotting in her own exhaustion. Instead, she was monster hunting with a middle schooler and his babysitters. One foot in front of the other, she walked down the bumpy train tracks, the bucket in her left hand swinging back and forth. The scent of the raw meat wafted up towards her nose; she cringed, and turned her face away.

    Her brown eyes darted around, slowly trailing upwards and onto the three boys ahead of her. First, she saw Dustin— his bucket was still full, and he had been talking Steve's ear off. Then, Steve himself, who had been tossing a generous amount of bait onto the tracks. Last, her gaze fell upon Daniel. He was chucking the meat down the tracks like it was a game, aiming carefully and throwing the bait underhand. Her eyes lingered there for a moment; then, as if on cue, he turned around. She looked away.

    Steve and Dustin's conversation flooded her ears. "I feel like you're trying way to hard, man," the older boy said. "I don't get it, why would she like some nasty slug, anyway?"

Dustin scoffed, "Not everyone can have your perfect hair, alright?"

"It's not about the hair. The key with girls is..." Steve paused to think, "Just actin' like you don't care."

Daniel pursed his lips. He hummed in disagreement, "Not really."

"Yeah, like you'd know, lady-killer," Steve chuckled, tossing a piece of bait towards his friends feet.

   He kicked the bait. "I would know," Danny said. "If you're completely nonchalant, you're gonna give her the wrong signals. Then, it's a mess, 'cause she thinks you don't like her."

   Dustin shook his head. "Woah, woah. Back to Steve's thing," the boy shook his head. "Act like I don't care— but, what if I do care?"

   Steve inhaled. "Then... act like you don't. Drives 'em nuts."

   The curly-haired boy blinked. "...Then what?"

As if someone would be eavesdropping, Steve glanced behind him to make sure no one was there. Riley looked away, and he leaned closer. "You just wait until you feel it."

Dustin didn't react. He stared at Steve, blankly. "Feel what?"

   "It's like before a storm, you know?" You don't feel it, you just know," he attempted to explain. "Like this, uh, electricity."

   Dustin nodded, "Like the electromagnetic field—"

   Acting fast, Steve cut him off. He waved a hand in the air, "No, no, no," he said. "Like... a sexual electricity."

All three of them raised a brow— Dustin, Danny, and Riley reacted in almost identical ways. "Slow your roll, man, he's twelve," she cut in, eyes wide. "You're just teaching him how to be a player, no one likes a player. This girl, if she really is cool... she wouldn't want a Steve."

Steve scoffed. "How would you know?"

She squinted at him. "I'm a girl, dipshit."