V A N I S H E D
⇾bury a friend by billie eilish
step on the glass, staple your tongue. bury a friend, try to wake up
⸺TIFFANY was sitting on her counter with the phone up to her ear as Steve was making lunch for the two of them. It was the day after the grave visit and Tiffany had sort of recovered. She wasn't crying anymore, but she kept the note she found with her at all times. Even now it was sitting in her work bag that was right next to her. Tiffany was trying to get a hold of the Byers before she had to go to work. Finally, someone had picked up and it was exactly who she was hoping for. "Hello?"
"Will?" Tiffany asked excitedly and he matched her energy. "Tiffany! Hi!"
"Hey, Will! I'm sorry I haven't called you in a few days, but work's been piling up. How have you been?"
"I've been okay. I'm almost finished my painting. And school hasn't been...terrible."
"I'm sorry about school, but you have to mail me a picture of your painting when you're done."
"I will. How's work been going?" Tiffany got a job at the police station after Starcourt, well...you know. She had a small in with them since she knew Hopper, which Callahan and Powell knew, but she's been working as a sketch artist and she actually really likes her job. "It's been going good. I'm getting paid to draw and help people, so not trying to brag, but I hit the jackpot."
"That's really great, Tiff. How's everything else been going? Like with your nightmares..." Only Steve and Will knew about the reoccurring nightmares. They had started coming back, which wasn't ideal, but she trusted Steve and Will with her life. Tiffany took a deep breath before answering. "I actually went to see them yesterday. Well, I never got around to see Cory, but I stopped by Billy's grave. It was painful."
Tiffany felt Steve put a comforting hand on the small of her back and she looked behind her and sent him a thankful smile. "I'm really sorry. But at least you're facing your fears."
"That's true." Suddenly, Tiffany was tapped on the shoulder by Steve. When she looked behind her once again, Steve tapped his watch signifying that they had to go. "Oh, Will, I'm sorry, but I have to head out for work."
"That's fine. Have a good day, Tiff. Call me later!"
"I will. Bye!" Tiffany hung up the phone and Steve handed her her lunch in a container. She put it in her work bag and the two headed out of their home. They got out to their car and Steve was about to get into the driver's seat, but he stopped himself and looked over at his girlfriend. "Hey, would you feel up for driving today?"
Tiffany had to consider that offer for a second. Steve and Tiffany had come up with some half ass excuse a long time ago when they hated each other to get out of trouble with the cops, that Steve was helping Tiffany get better at driving. They actually thought that it may work, so slowly, Tiffany's been driving them to work some days in stead of Steve. It was still a difficult time for her, but maybe stressing over another fear would help her forget about this fear. "Yeah, I think I could do it."
Steve smiled and tossed her the keys, to which she caught. They switched seats and hopped in the car. Steve let Tiffany take her time as she took a deep breath and started the car. "Just take your time."
A small smile crept onto Tiffany's lips at her boyfriend's caring nature. Steve's been really patient and caring these past few months with everything that happened. Tiffany felt really guilty about it, but Steve loved helping her. Steve just loved her.
⁕ ⁕
After work, Robin had a pep rally thing she was doing at the school and she wanted Steve and Tiffany to be there. They were happy to go, it was just a little odd for Tiffany specifically. She wouldn't tell either of them, but she didn't want to go back to that school. There were too many memories. Memories of Jonathan, memories of Barb, memories of Billy. All memories that would just bring her mood down even more. But Tiffany knew that she had to hide that so that she didn't ruin this for Robin, so she was going to try and act as Tiffany Henderson-like as possible.
Steve was currently driving all three of them to the school with Robin in the passenger seat since she had to use the mirror to do her makeup. Tiffany was sitting in the back, fiddling with a promise ring on her finger that Steve had given her a few months ago. Tiffany was currently ranting about some lady that came into her work today. "And she kept describing him differently every time I asked her. Like lady, his hair cannot go from blonde to brown in a matter of ten seconds, like I can only do so much."
Tiffany noticed that Robin wasn't really paying attention and Steve had already heard this story. "Robin, are you listening?"
"Uh, yes." Robin lied through her teeth. Tiffany decided to challenge her. "What did I just say?"
"Something about Steve dying his hair." Robin guessed and the only thing she got right was the fact that Tiffany was talking about hair. "No, I'm talking about the crazy old lady who came in today."
"Cut me some slack, please. Your fancy new police job is so hard to keep up with. It's a labyrinthine complexity. It's seven in the morning, we have the stupid pep rally, and I woke up looking like a corpse." Robin complained, but neither Tiffany or Steve were buying that she actually cared about this pep rally since it wasn't in character for her. "You're worried about a pep rally? You expect us to believe that?"
"I mean, we both know what this is about. It's clearly about Vickie." Tiffany added on. Vickie was a new girl that Robin was crushing on and Steve and Tiffany were trying to get her more confident, but understandably, Robin didn't want to ask out the wrong girl.
"Absolutely not." Robin shut them down, but Steve fought back. "It is. You know what else?"
"I don't care-" Robin began, but Steve cut her off. "You gotta stop pretending to be someone else when you're around her. You just gotta be yourself."
Tiffany couldn't help but recognize that phrase. It seemed very familiar to her and it did not help her and Steve's case when she decided to point that out. "Aren't you literally quoting her to her?"
"Who's side are you on?" Steve rhetorically asked, hinting that Tiffany's comment was not helpful, but that was alright because he was able to bring the conversation back. "Robin, maybe you need to listen to yourself. Ever think about that? I mean, I listened and look at me. Boom. I got the hottest girlfriend in the world." Steve complimented as he held out his hand for Tiffany to high five.
"Fuck yeah, he does!" Tiffany exclaimed as she high fived Steve. Robin rolled her eyes at her two best friends and proceeded to make a pretty solid point. "It's not the same thing, okay? If either of you were to ask out the opposite gender and they say no, big deal. Nothing happens. Maybe your ego's a little bruised. I ask out the wrong girl, and bam, I'm a town pariah."
"You have a point, except Vickie is definitely not the wrong girl. She's almost exactly like you and plus, you're so damn hot that she'd make an exception either way." Tiffany tried to be comforting as she put a hand on Robin's shoulder. Robin tapped her hand saying a silent thank you as Steve proceeded to emphasize their point even more. "And she returned Fast Times paused at fifty three minutes and five seconds. Know who pauses Fast Times at fifty three minutes, five seconds. People who like boobies, Robin!"
Robin grimaced as soon as that word left his mouth. "Gross, don't say boobies."
"I'm actually on her side for this, please never say that again." Tiffany switched sides, but Steve stuck to his weird point. "Not a big deal, okay? I like boobies, you like boobies, Vickie likes boobies, definitely. It's boobies!"
Tiffany shook her head and sighed as she hid her face in her hands. It was clear that even though Steve had grown up, he had not matured.
⁕ ⁕
After the day was done, and it was nearing the evening, the championship game was happening and Steve and Tiffany had come back to the school. For Steve, he was there to show Robin support, but also his former team. Tiffany was only there for Lucas, who was on the basketball team, and Robin.
They were walking up to the stands as the band was playing next to them and Tiffany felt like having a little fun with Steve. "Does it bug you that they might actually win a championship right after you graduate?"
"Yeah, that's an interesting point."
"I mean, it's almost embarrassing."
"Yup, thank you so much for bringing that up." Steve replied with a sarcastic smile which just caused Tiffany to laugh. They found a spot in the stands right at the edge and Robin was just about a seat away from them. The basketball team was just running a few drills, warming up before the game, but here came something that Tiffany didn't want. A memory.
Tiffany could almost see Billy dribbling a basketball on the court. She could almost hear his heavy breathing. She could almost sense his heart beating faster. She could swear that this sort of vision of Billy was looking right at her. It was all so real...
Thankfully, she was snapped out of her trance when the voice of the principal blasted through a microphone. "Everyone now please rise for our national anthem. Singing for us tonight, we have a very special guest. All the way from Nashville, our very own Tammy Thompson!"
The infamous Tammy Thompson then walked out onto the court and over to the microphone. People were cheering for her and everything, but Robin, Steve and Tiffany all shared shocked glances. They remembered talking about her when they were high and being chased by Russians, but even Tammy Thompson going to Nashville was more unlikely then that. But they live in a crazy world.
Tammy began singing and it was nice for the first two seconds until her voice got so high that the microphone made a high pitched sound. Steve looked over at Robin and whispered, "Told you. Muppet."
"Okay, she does sound like a Muppet." Robin replied, but turns out, Vickie had heard her. A great talking point, somehow. Tammy continued singing and every so often, the microphone would screech and everyone would wince. It was starting to hurt Tiffany's head a little, but she had been much more sensitive to sound what with Him who used to talk in her head all the time. Him as in the Mind Flayer...she assumed...they all just assumed that He was the Mind Flayer...that voice in her head...
Finally Tammy shut her mouth and the game began. Tiffany was still a little upset that she never made the team because of misogyny, but that was the world right now. Tiffany was honestly trying to pay attention because she was proud of Lucas and genuinely interested in basketball, but she kept seeing flickers of something she kept hoping wouldn't resurface.
Billy.
Billy.
Billy.
Every time someone ran across the court dribbling the ball, Tiffany saw Billy. Every time someone made a shot, she saw Billy. Every time someone high fived another teammate, she saw Billy. Every time someone dunked, she saw Billy. It wasn't even flickers anymore. All Tiffany could see was that every person on the court was Billy. This vision seemed to real as if the players were really him.
Tiffany tried opening and closing her eyes, she slapped her face a few times, rubbed her eyes, anything, but all she could see was Billy. It's like her mind was playing tricks on her. Or something was playing tricks on her.
Before she even knew it, the game was over. Hawkins had won. After the team was all showered and done, everyone was outside celebrating, giving them high fives and everything. Robin was staying back with some of her school friends and Steve and Tiffany were heading out to their car when suddenly, Tiffany felt a tap on her shoulder. It was Lucas. "Tiff, you came!"
"Of course I came. You did so well." Tiffany complimented as she embraced Lucas in a small hug. When they pulled away, Steve felt as if a compliment was deserved as well. "Yeah, congrats on winning the whole thing."
"Thanks, man." They did a little guy high five thing that boys do that Tiffany has never understood. Like just high five normally. Lucas's basketball teammates called his name and he motioned to the two that he had to go. Tiffany motioned for Lucas to go ahead. He sent them one last smile before heading off with his friends.
Steve and Tiffany got in their own car and as soon as they did, Steve addressed something he had noticed at the game. "Hey, you alright? You seemed kinda spaced out for a while."
"Yeah, I'm fine. I was just focused on the game, I probably just looked zoned out." Tiffany lied through her teeth. Thankfully, Steve believed it. Tiffany hates lying to Steve more than anything, but she always feels so guilty that he's always looking after her and she doesn't want Steve to have another thing to worry about.
Tiffany just assumed that this was her mind just playing tricks on her. It must've been some kind of post traumatic thing. However, these mind tricks must have a deeper meaning. There's just no simple explanation because as Steve and Tiffany were driving home, they had to stop at a red light. Tiffany had just looked over to her side where she saw a tall guy in black dress pants, suspenders and a black button up shirt standing at the start of the crosswalk underneath a street light. His sleeves were rolled up to reveal a small tattoo on his forearm, but Tiffany couldn't make out what it said. His hair was messy, almost as if it hadn't been brushed in months. He had a cut on his cheek and three large scars across one eye, almost resembling claw marks. He had this numb look on his face and he was standing perfectly still, staring into Tiffany's soul. He almost looked like Cor-...No, it couldn't be.
Suddenly, the light turned green and cars started moving forward. Tiffany ripped her eyes away and stared right in front of her as they slowly drove forward, but on instinct, she looked behind them and right at where the man was standing, but when she looked back, he was gone. Vanished.
A/N
How much do you guys hate me?