Strawberry Ice Cream [steddie]

Rocky Road

Thursday, July 4

Steve pushes through the mall doors to the outside, Eddie, Robin, Dustin and Erica behind him. "Oh man, now this... this is what I'm talking about!" A shiny yellow Cadillac is parked right in front of them, and a ride in it is what Steve's needed all night.

"Toddfather?" Robin says, reading the custom license plate in mild disgust.

"Oh, screw Todd, Steve's her daddy now," Steve says, hopping into the driver's seat of the red leather interior. Eddie's right behind him, stopping on Steve's left and leaning forward over the door.

"Say that again," he says in Steve's ear, grinning mischievously. Steve gives him a look and swats him away, to which Eddie only laughs.

"Did you just talk about yourself in the third person?" Robin asks, walking up to the passenger side door.

"Did he just call himself daddy?" Erica asks, just as judgmental. She and Dustin climb into the back. Eddie walks around to the other side of the car, about to hop in the passenger seat.

"Absolutely not," Robin says, hands on her hips. Eddie pauses, pouting.

"Please?"

"Backseat, Munson," Steve says. Eddie looks at him, momentarily surprised before relenting.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. Girlfriend privileges." Eddie winks at Steve, flashing him a grin before joining the kids in the back.

Steve rolls his eyes, refocusing on the mission. "Alright, where are we going?"

"Weathertop," Dustin says.

"Weather—what?"

"Just drive!"

"Okay, Jesus." Steve fits the keys into the ignition and pulls out of the mall parking lot.

After minimal directions from Dustin and driving for what feels like forever, Steve's feeling totally aimless and a little bored. Eddie stuck his Metallica tape in the stereo ten minutes ago with permission from Steve—he used the old 'driver controls the music' excuse, because he figures anything to make Eddie happy and Dustin annoyed at the same time is worth it.

It's something to do other than drive straight for miles. And, he doesn't totally hate hearing the album again. Especially when he can watch Eddie air-guitar in the rearview mirror.

"Jesus, how far is this place, man?" Steve asks Dustin, after his headache starts to return.

"Relax, we're almost there," Dustin says.

"Suzie must be pretty special, huh?" Robin says. "I mean if you built this thing and lugged it all the way to the middle of nowhere just to talk to her?"

"I mean, nobody's scientifically perfect, but Suzie's about as close to being perfect as any human could possibly be."

"Aw," Eddie says, nudging Dustin, half affectionate and half teasing.

"She sounds made-up to me," Erica says. "She sound made-up to you?"

The silence is loud.

"Why are you hesitating, Steve?" Dustin asks, offended.

"I'm—I'm not! I'm not," Steve says quickly. "I think she sounds real. You know, totally, absolutely real."

"My thoughts exactly," Eddie says, earning another look from Steve.

"Left, turn left," Dustin says suddenly.

"There's not a road here," Steve says.

"Turn left now!"