Sweet Creature - Steve Harrington

2

Stress was never something I dealt with well. The knots in my stomach and the tension in my neck only grew worse as I heard Nancy's giggles coming from the room next door. Letting out a soft sigh, I lay on my stomach, my gaze fixed on finding the small tin box hidden beneath my bed. My thoughts consumed me as I began to roll what little was left in my stash. 

Despite being older, I would never be able to escape the shadow that Nancy cast over me. Nancy was popular, smart, and now she had Steve Harrington wrapped around her finger. Climbing out of my window and onto the roof, I took my first deep inhale. The thought lingered in my mind – would they ever accept me for who I was?

The sound of a window sliding open caught my attention, and the laughter from Nancy abruptly stopped as Steve crawled through. I remained silent, gazing at the stars and taking small puffs from the joint between my fingers.

"Emma? What the hell are you doing out here?" His deliberate steps drew closer as he spoke, and a small smile played on his lips.

I shook my head, a hint of amusement in my expression. "I could ask you the same thing, silly, but I don't really want to know." I could feel the warmth radiating from his body as he settled beside me, his attention fixed on me as he started to play with the ends of my curled hair.

Slowly, I turned to my side, my eyes tracing the contours of Steve's face, the curve of his lips, and the lines of his jaw. It felt so real and present that I couldn't resist tracing them with my fingers as he took the joint from me. A slight frown tugged at his lips as he extinguished the joint.

"Emma, what's wrong?" I couldn't bring myself to answer, to admit my feelings. Steve stood up abruptly, pulling me along. "You're freezing, Emma. What the hell."

"I can't feel the cold, Steve." His frustration only seemed to accentuate his beauty. Leading me back into my room, he closed the window behind us. My thoughts spilled out almost without my control.

"Steve, will you stay with me? Just tonight?" My voice wavered, and tears welled up in my eyes. The stress was overwhelming, a maelstrom of anger and sadness engulfing my mind. The chances of a carefree high had faded the moment I saw Steve leave walk out onto the roof. Steve pulled me into a comforting embrace, running his hands through my hair again. Shaking his head, he kissed my forehead. "I was planning on it anyway, Em."

"They're where they always are, in the bottom left drawer." I wrinkled my nose at the scent as I pulled my shirt over my head.

"Em, there are so many. I thought I only left one pair here." I chuckled to myself, a quiet and contented sound.

"Well, Steve, you leave a pair here every time, saying they're for the next time. That whole drawer is practically yours." A faint smile played on his lips, but his eyes remained distant. I climbed into bed, absentmindedly playing with my own fingers. The creak of the bed signaled Steve's movement as he pulled the duvet over himself and rolled onto his side.

"Can you believe it's been almost two years, and this might be the first time you haven't left something behind for the collection?" My hand idly brushed through my hair, and I watched him do the same.

"I even have a can of Farrah Fawcett hairspray here!" Giggles bubbled up within me, and I impulsively ran my fingers through Steve's thick hair, eliciting a telltale dilation of his pupils. Blushing, I pulled my hand back, murmuring a soft apology before toying with a loose thread on my duvet.

"Emma, I—" I softly shook my head, a small smile gracing my lips. 

"It's okay, Steve. You don't have to say it. I understand." A sigh escaped him, and he pulled me close to his chest, capturing my lips with a gentle kiss. The love I felt for Steve ignited once more, and as he pulled away, I leaned in, craving the connection before he left me again. I knew it was wrong, I knew I should've stopped myself, told him to leave and to not look back, to pick the better sister.

I awoke to Mike's frantic yells and the cool touch of Nancy's hands on my shoulders. "I don't need a ride today, so you don't have to wait for me."

I blinked slowly, pushing the grogginess from my eyes. "Who's taking you, Nance?" My gaze settled on the alarm clock – 6:30 – just enough time to get ready and fetch Stacey for our dreaded Biology test.

"Steve's picking me up in fifteen minutes, so don't worry about me." I nodded slowly, watching Nancy leave my room.

A groan of frustration escaped me as I glanced at the small bruises that marred my skin. I tugged on my ruby sweater and slipped into my black skirt, tucking in my sweater. Half of my hair remained loose, while the rest was loosely braided. Glancing at the time once more, I rushed downstairs, ruffled Mike's hair, kissed my mom's cheek, and bolted to my car.

"Emma!" Stacey's voice pulled me from my thoughts. "What are lipids?"

I offered a quick answer, "They're fats." Stacey nodded, flipping to the next notecard. "What's bothering you? Is it Steve again?" I cast my eyes downward, focusing on my hands.

"He's with Nancy, Stace." 

"Honestly, my cousin's a jerk. Just smile and be glad you dodged that bullet." A sad smile touched my lips as Stacey enveloped me in a tight hug. 

"I just don't understand, Stace. After two years, I thought... I thought I meant more."

The biology classroom felt stifling, as if the walls were closing in. Carol sat beside me, blatantly cheating off my paper during the test. Steve sat near the front, his back turned to me.

"For Christ's sake, Carol, keep your eyes on your own damn paper!" I could feel the weight of my classmates' stares as I pushed myself out of my chair, grabbed my bag, and handed my test to the teacher before leaving.

It was five minutes before the bell rang. I stood at my locker for a moment before my books were knocked from my hands. 

"You're such a stupid bitch. You didn't have to do that. You could've just sat there and let me cheat off you. You let everyone use you, hell, you let Steve use you in more ways than one." The laughter that followed felt like daggers.

I shook my head and pushed Carol away. "I don't know what you're talking about, Carol." I smiled as Carol stumbled but was suddenly pushed against my locker, the lock digging into my back.

"Come on, little Emma. We all know you let Steve hit it at the start of the year." I straightened my back, determination in my eyes.

"You're delusional. I would never let that piece of shit touch me." I turned my gaze to Steve, my eyes narrowing. "And you should know I'd never be with a guy like you, who uses girls, lies, and relies on his daddy's money to get ahead in life. Sorry, King Steve, but you won't see me kneeling." Shaking my head, I pushed past Carol making my way towards the exit at the front of the school, making sure to hit my shoulder against his roughly. I knew there were tears welling in my eyes but I wasn't going to let them see that.