Invisible- Stranger Things Fanfiction

Chapter Forty: Oh, Shit

*Nikki's POV*
   "Oh, shit."
   Dustin had just seen me kiss Liam, and I'm assuming at least Will and El were also there, but those two are really good at hiding.
   "Nikki, what's-" Liam looked where I was looking, his eyes falling on Dustin. "Oh, shit. What's he doing here?"
   "I have no idea." I walked off the porch, Liam close behind me. "Hey, Henderson, what the hell are you doing at my apartment building?"
   While Dustin fumbled for a response, I heard rustling and very soft whispers in the bushes.
   Liam, who was not used to our group, tried to pull me back from the talking bush. "Um... what's going on?"
   I held a finger to my lips, making the correct assumption that none of the party could see me since they had their ears pressed to the tall bush. (Seriously, they've let these things get too huge. They're Will's size.) I then reach out and, palm open, thrust my hand through the bush, making a bunch of high school freshmen and one junior scream.
   "Holy shit, what's in that bush?" Liam asked, obviously freaking out.
   I rolled my eyes at my friends as I took Liam's hand and led him around the bush to where the six freshmen were hiding. Dustin came around from the other side, avoiding my eye.
   "Are you dipshits spying on me?" I asked, anger boiling up inside me.
   Will shook his head. "Nikki, no, we just-"
   "Just what? Just wanted to make sure I wasn't leaving you?" Their ashamed looks said I was right. "How did you even know I was out tonight?"
   El wouldn't even meet my gaze now, stepping away from me slightly. "I called-"
   "I told them," Dustin interrupted, making us all stare at him. "I saw you two talking today and when Steve said you couldn't hang out tonight, I put two and two together and I-"
   "Wait a second." Liam was staring at me in disbelief. "Henderson, you still have a mad crush on her, don't you?"
   I blinked at his bluntness, but waited for an answer from Dustin. "Henderson?" I repeated, my arms crossed and eyebrows raised.
   Dustin scoffed. "What the hell does that have to do with anything?"
   "Well," Liam began, "I can only assume that you and your little posse came here to try and either a) convince Nik not to go out with me, or b) tell her that you still love her and that she should forget about me and stay with you."
   "You think just because you've been staring all googly eyed at Harrington since we got to high school, you somehow know us? Why the hell did you even ask her out, anyway? Couldn't get a chick your own age?"
   "Dustin!" I scolded, grabbing Liam's hand and walking him back to my apartment. "I'm so sorry about them, they're just-"
   "It's- it's okay." Liam kissed me on the forehead. "Seems like you've got some stuff to work out, so I'm gonna go. Tonight was amazing. I'll see you at school?"
   I nodded, pecking his lips as he got back on his bike. "Thanks for tonight!" I felt my face go all hot and blushy as I looked at those sparkly brown eyes.
   Putting down the hood of his helmet, Liam nodded. "Any time, little lady." He then drove off, the revving of his engine the only noise on the street as it zoomed away.
   As soon as the engine noise had quieted down (aka once Liam was out of sight and earshot) I ran back down the block, stopping when I reached the group to scowl at them.
   "What the hell is wrong with you guys?"
   "Nikki, we-"
   "No, I'm talking, you're listening." I hadn't been this angry with the guys since we started talking again, and I'd never been angry with the girls at all, so this even frightened me a little bit. "Look: I know we're all close and everything, but we don't have to spend every waking moment together! And besides, most high school friendships don't last. The sooner y'all face that reality, the better. And if you ever do something like this to me again, I'll kick all of your asses, got it?"
   Dustin finally looked at me and spoke. "Mon, seriously, they were just worrie-"
   "You." Everyone seemed to understand what was about to happen, because they parted like the Red Sea just as I rushed forward, slapping Dustin across the face so hard, it echoed all around us on the streets. "You can't really expect me to believe that you did this out of love or whatever other bullshit excuse you're going to come up with. You did this because you're afraid the rest of the party will vote you out if I end up leaving, didn't you?"
   Dustin didn't say anything, his cheek glowing red in the pale moonlight from where I'd slapped him. "I just- well... Shit, Mon, I know how terribly I acted this morning, there's no excuse for it. I just- I missed you. And that was a terrible way to show it, I know, but... I've just been waiting for so long for you to say you wanted to get back together, and every day it felt like you were slipping farther and farther away. Now, you're practically gone."
   "Gone?" I questioned, still furious but now also curious.
   Dustin nodded. "You're dating Liam now, and it's only a matter of time before you leave the party for good."
   "Okay, listen. I went on a date with Liam, I'm not dating Liam. Besides, would it really be so bad if we weren't so... exclusive?"
   "What do you mean?" Sarah asked.
   "I mean," I replied, "that maybe we should have other friends than just the eight of us. We don't always have to be together 24/7."
   Will looked at me, his eyes lighting up. "You mean, you're staying in the party?"
   I nodded. "I'm not gonna let some boy drama bullshit take me away from my family."
   Everyone ran to hug me. Well, everyone except Dustin, but that's understandable.
   "So, now that that's settled," El said, "how did your date go?"
   I laughed and started to answer, but then realized Dustin's uncomfortable expression. "I'll tell you later. Now, you guys should probably get home before your parents shoot you."
   They all took off, but Dustin stayed put. He was staring at the ground, but I knew he wasn't just zoned out.
   "Dustin," I said, my anger now subsiding.
   "So you're really with that junior, huh?" he asked, pretending to only be platonically motivated to ask this question.
   I shrugged. "He was... really sweet. And totally charming." Realizing how uncomfortable this was making Dustin, I decided he deserved to be a little pissed off. "And, damn, he's so attractive, I would-"
   "Okay, okay, okay! La la la, not listening!" Dustin had covered his ears with his hands, a grimace on his face.
   We both laughed as I uncovered his ears for him. "Alright, I'm done now."
   Dustin gave me a small smile. "So we're cool?"
   "Are you done being a total douche-bag?"
   "Yes, totally."
   I smiled. "Then I guess we're cool."
   "Look, Mon," he said. "I'm really sorry about... well, everything, but especially this morning. I had no right to-"
   "Hey," I interrupted. "I said we were cool. Don't worry about it."
   Then a loud door was heard slamming.
   "Monica Ariella Harrington!"
   Oh shit. I was out past curfew, and Mama Steve does not like being disobeyed. He was now charging toward me and the boy next to me, his face stern and scary.
   "Where the hell have you- oh hey, Dustin- Dustin?" Steve looked at me in utter confusion. "What the hell happened to Junior Dude?"
   "Liam went home after we discovered I was being spied on by the party."
   Dustin spoke up. "Sorry, Steve, it's my fault she's still out. We were just talking about-"
   "I don't care what you were talking about," Steve said lightly. "I'm just glad my little sister isn't out there being defiled by some reckless teenaged boy with a motorcycle."
   I rolled my eyes. "So, it's fine if I'm out here with Dustin, but if it were Liam-"
   "I'd flatten his ass like a pancake," Steve finished proudly.
"Steve."
"Sorry," he muttered. "Dustin, do you want to come in? You haven't seen the apartment-"
"I should, ya know, get home." I gave Dustin a grateful smile, to which he simply nodded. "My mom's probably gonna flip shit. See ya at school, M- Harrington." He then jumped on his bike and rode away without a second glance.
Steve watched as his best friend rode away, realizing that now everything really would be different. "Oh, shit."