☆✫❣︎𖤐♥︎𖦹𖣴
// two
• 𝗉𝖺𝗋𝗍𝗒 𝖿𝖺𝗏𝗈𝗋
High school was Julia's place to escape, though she hating waking up earlier then usually to get ready for eight hours of her day, but she didn't have to worry about anything when she was there, like coming home alone with her loud thoughts, her father wasn't home until six in the afternoon.
"When alpha particle go through gold foil, they become..." Barbara trailed off slowly, peeling her eyes up from the flashcards o to to Nancy as they walked down the school hallway.
"Unoccupied space." Nancy answered, smiling to herself.
"A molecule that can—" Barbara began to read again only for a hand to snatched the cards away from her grasp, Julia rolled her green eyes at the sight of Tommy and Carol. "Hey!" Barbara cried out.
Tommy came over with Carol shoving his finger into Barb's ear, Steve came around looking through the flashcards. "I don't know, I think you've studied enough, Nance." Steve mentions standing infront of them ripping away through the cards.
"Steve-"
"I'm telling you, you know, you got this don't worry. Now, on the important matters. My dad has left town on a conference and my moms gone with him, cause, you know, she doesn't trust him." Steve cocked his head with a hum, hands staying on his hips as he spoke.
"Good call." Tommy added with a smirk letting out a laugh, Julia glanced between the two boys knowing exactly what Steve was trying to say without actually saying it. "So are you in?" Steve turned to his girlfriend.
Nancy cocked her clutching her books closer to her chest. "In for what?" She asked confused, Carol scoff leaning back against Tommy's chest, staring back at her. "No parents, big house?" Carol stated, a way for the girl to understand. "A party?" Nancy questioned.
"Ding, ding, ding!" Tommy laughed at his girlfriend, Julia crinkled her eyebrows together ignoring the couple focusing her attention on Nancy and Steve.
Nancy cocked her head glancing between the three before her. "It's Tuesday." She mentions staring up at boyfriend, she never could understand how her boyfriend's head worked, and she was never the one to party on a weekday.
"It's Tuesday!" Tommy mocks letting out a scoff. "Oh, my god." Carol snorted laughing with Tommy.
Julia turned her attention to them, glaring that she could almost feel her jaw break for how hard she was clenching it. "will you two shut up, thanks." Carol lips parted at her words, glancing up at Tommy with a glare in her face when she caught a smile on his.
"Come on, it'll be low key, it'll just be us." Steve began ignoring his best friends words. "what do you say, are you in or are you out?" Steve wasn't the type to show emotion when it came to Nancy, he knew his friends would make fun of him for being in love.
"Oh, god. Look." Nancy didn't get the chance to answer when Carol forced all of their attention behind the three girls, looking pass their shoulders towards Jonathan Byers who was hanging flyers of Will onto the wall.
"Oh, god, that's depressing." Steve comments staring at the teen across the hallway, nothing but pity in his eyes. Julia frown seeing the bright smile that belong to Will on the flyer.
"Should we say something?" Nancy says watching the teen, her hands got clamming when she spoke. "I don't think he speaks." Carol mentions.
"How much you want to bet he killed him?" Tommy let out a short, Julia snapped her head glaring back at him, Steve scoff smacking the back of his head, that wasn't something he would say. "Knock it off."
"I have to say something." Julia states clutching her bag on her shoulder making her way over, Nancy quickly followed after the teen. "Hey." She approached staring up at him, Jonathan turned away seeing the girls. "Oh, hey."
"I just... I wanted to say, you know, um.." Nancy stuttered turning over to Julia for some help, she didn't know how to give someone sympathy. "I'm sorry about everything." Nancy finally said watching as Jonathan look back to the group.
Julia followed his glance but quickly turned back to him. "He'll be back soon, he's a smart kid, I'm sure he's safe wherever his is, I can help you look for him," Julia suggested with a small shrug, Jonathan tears his eyes away the group nodding.
Before either of them could say anything, the school bell rang, Julia watched Nancy from the corner of her eye as she walked away from them "I'll see you around I guess, got a chemistry test." Julia smiled once again walking away.
"Yeah, yeah, thanks again, and good luck on your test." Jonathan stutters out his sentence, she laughed nodding returning to the group.
"Attention, faculty and students. At 8pm. Tonight, there will be an assembly on the football field in support of Will Byers and his family. All are encouraged to attend." The principal announced.
Steve waited until Julia was close by for them to leave the hallway, he tossed a arm over Nancy's shoulder not without passing Julia a glance as she spoke to Barb about making new flashcards.
••
Julia was seated on the couch of her home after school was over, laying with her back against the arm of the couch along with her math book laying on her lap, Steve was supposed to leave right after dropping her off but he needed to convince her to come over for his small party tonight.
"Come one, Jules, it's going to be fun. Nancy and Barb will be there so you wouldn't have to deal with Tommy or Carol, plus am going to be there I'll kick their asses if they mess with you."
Steve says softly, toying with her shoelace since her legs laid across his lap, Julia stared at the side of his face sneaking a peak into his head, hearing the violent words about Tommy if he ever messed with her. "I can handle Tommy or Carol, I just— my dad won't let me, you know this." Julia says lifting her legs from his lap down to the floor, slamming her book shut.
She stood up from the couch walking towards the house phone attached to the wall, Steve groans knowing what her dads answer was. "But I can try to convince him about—"
"Make up a lie." Steve interrupted her, pointing at her with a shrug, Julia jaw dropped immediately shaking her head. "Why not, it's not like you haven't done it before."
The girls sighed taking the phone off the wall, "fine, but if he finds out that I lied I'm blaming you." Steve hums nodding smiling, Julia huffs dialing the stations number which only took seconds before they answered the phone.
"Jim hopper speaking."
Julia exhaled closing her eyes. "Hey dad." Hopper frown but was glad to hear his daughters voice on the other line of the phone. "Honey, what's wrong, you never call me." Hopper said, which was all true, Julia never did call him at work because she didn't want to distract him from his job.
"I know, this is important, today they announced that there will be assembly for Will at the school and I was wonder if I could go, and— um Nancy will be there with me and Barb." Julia shook her head at Steve's laugh. "Can I go?"
Hopper nodded through the phone, blowing out a low smoke from his cigar. "Yeah, just be safe and please be home by 10, don't want you to stay out to late. Okay?"
"Yeah, totally. Bye." Julia slammed the phone back turning back around catching Steve's brown eyes locking with hers as he waited for her answer.
"Yeah, I can go." Julia told him crossing her arms, Steve clapped pushing off the couch smiling at the girl as she leaned back against the wall, "but I have to be home by 10." She pointed her finger, meaning she was completely serious.
He nodded fixing his jacket. "Yeah, of course." He smiled walking towards the front door but quickly turned back around walking into the kitchen taking a green apple. "See you there!" Steve grins walking out the door into his car.
Julia smiled standing by the open door way watching him drive off, her smile faded as soon as he disappeared. "God, what are you doing to me, Steve Harrington." She mumbled to herself closing the door.
••
Julia parked her car outside of Steve's home, she was still very hesitant about going in, not only was this a party but she didn't like the idea of being alone with her friends when Will was missing. Turning off the car engine she got out of the car making her way up to doorsteps.
"Julia."
The girl turned around letting out a small breath of air, clutching her chest. "I didn't hear you guys." She archer a brow at them both. "Didn't know you guys were coming."
"yeah, managed to convince my mom," Nancy said with a shrug, reaching pass Julias head ringing the door bell, while the curly redhead beside her was completely nervous about coming to the so called party that was being hosted by Steve.
"Barb chill." Nancy noticed the discomfort in her friends face. "I'm chill." Barb simply said when the wooden double doors open revealing Steve, with a cocky smile on his face.
"Hello, ladies." Steve smiled brightly, stepping aside letting them walk into the house, Julia removed her jacket tossing it down into the arm of the long couch along with her purse, patting Barbs back as she passed her. "We'll leave in an hour or two, okay?" Barb exhaled nodding.
Julia smiled reaching the back yard with Barb following closely behind her, the two girls watched as Tommy pick up Carol by her legs going to throw her into the pool teasing her, Carol screamed trying to get out of his grip, punching his chest as he placed her back down.
"One! Two! Three!" Tommy counted lifting her off the ground over his shoulder. "Stop it, Tommy, no! Don't!" Tommy laughed placing her back down, Julia reached forward taking the lighter from Steve's hands, flicking the switch on and off.
"You're such an asshole, Tommy." Carol pushed him away from her upset by her boyfriend's actions, Steve reached forward taking a can from the cooler making a hole at the very bottom, before throwing his head back drinking out of it.
"Is that supposed to impress me." Nancy said in a teasing matter, when she watched as he drank out from the now empty can, Steve raised a brow sitting back down onto the chair.
"You're not?" Steve questioned taking the cigar that sat behind his ear, placing it between his parted lips. "You are a cliche, you do realize that?" Nancy grins as she tells him.
"You are a cliche. What with your... your grades and your band practice." Steve names off from the top of his head, letting out a scoff as he snatched the lighter out from Julia's hands using it to light the cigar.
Nancy scoffed shaking her head. "I'm so not in band."
"Okay, party girl. Why don't you just, uh, show us how it's done, then?" Steve blew smoke from his lips, holding out his pocketknife for her to take, Nancy hums taking it with pride. "Okay."
Standing up from the white chair she grabbed a cold beer off the cooler bin, Julia raised her eyebrows at the girl while leaning forward on her knees, Steve grins saying. "You gotta make a little hole right in—"
"I got it." Nancy cut him off, making a small cut into the can, as small layers of the liquid dripped down the side of her arm. "Yeah, she's smart, you douche!" Tommy mentions finishing off his beer before cracking the can on his head tossing it away.
Nancy brought the can up to her lips tossing her head back letting the liquid pour down her throat as some slid down the side of her mouth. "Chug, chug, chug." they all chanted at once watching Nancy finish off the beer until she threw it down, wiping her lips with the back of her hand turning to Barb with a sigh.
"Barb, you wanna try?" She asked her holding out the knife, Julia turned away from the group pushing herself off the chair walking back into the house reaching the kitchen cabinet grabbing a glass filling it up with cold water, just as she sat there at the island table Barb had ran inside cradling her hand.
"Are you okay?" Julia asked moving out the kitchen into the living room. "Yeah, just going to the bathroom." Barb brushed away her worries rushing away up the stairs.
"Yo, Julia what's up with you?" Steve came through the house his eye brows furrowed staring at her waiting for the girl to answer. Julia raised her eyebrows turning around to face him. "like— I don't know, being weird."
Julia cocked her head letting out a soft chuckle. "Thanks." Steve closed his eyes regretting his choice of words, following her into the kitchen flicking the lights out. "Not like that, I just mean that— you're so quiet you're never like this, I am starting get worried about you." Steve loved his best friend more then anything, if he had to he would even kill to protect her, but now things were changing she was keeping secrets from him and he didn't like it.
Julia tucked her lips, searching for the right words to use just as her lips parted a loud scream came out from the backyard, she turned her head staring out the door finding Carol in the pool completely drenched as Tommy jump in, joining her.
"Come on, lay it out on me." Steve never once moved his eyes from her face, even when she wasn't looking at him. "Forget them for a second."
Julia nods twirling the blue hairtie on her wrist "It just, uh, I have known Will since he was very young and I just can't accept that he is missing, knowing that's he's somewhere out there all alone, and I hate that there nothing I can do to help find him," Julia breaths out.
"Yeah, I'm sorry I can't say anything to calm your nerves but what I do know is that they have officers looking for him at this moment, he will be found completely fine and will be home in no time." Steve reassured her, cradling her arm.
Julia smiled nodding her head, her dad was the sheriff she trusted his word, "I think am going to head back home, I'll see you at school." Julia moved away from him walking into the living room for her coat and purse. Steve shook off the feeling nodding his head following after her, she hooked her jacket on her arm with her bag sitting on her shoulder making her way towards the door.
"Bye Steve." Julia softy spoke walking down the front porch, Steve smiled waving her off once watching her get into her car until she drove off, "fuck." he cursed closing the door, his feelings were coming back but he had Nancy, he knew he had to fix it before it got worse, he turned back going into the house towards the pool.
But before Julia left Jonathan stood outside hiding behind some bushes snapping a couple pictures of Julia as she got inside her car, just before she drove off the road.
••
Once the girl reached home, not finding her fathers car yet there, meaning he wasn't home just yet, her head was pounding like crazy, walking into the bathroom grabbing a blue bottle of advill popping two into her mouth when she head her walkie-talkie go off from her bedroom.
Julia closed the cabinet walking into her bedroom, snatching the walkie off her bed, pulling the bar up, it was Mike. "Julia, this is Mike, do you copy?"
"This is Julia, I copy."
"Can you come by the house tomorrow?" The boy glanced back at his two friends nervously chewing on his bottom lip, Julia frowned but nodded forgetting that he couldn't see her.
"Yeah, of course. I'll be there. Over and out."
Julia shut off the walkie before making her way out her room into the living room.
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