Tw - homophobia, d and f slur used, talks about death, murder, and weapons, implied ED
Welcome to the Harrington house,
feel free to stay a while.
EDDIE PLACED AN OLD newspaper on Max's dining room table, his finger guiding the other's eyes to a small ad in the corner.
"Check this out. The War Zone. I've been there once. It's huge. They got everything you need for, uh... well, uh, killing things, basically."
"Do you think fake Rambo has enough guns there?" Robin asked, leaning over Eddie's shoulder and reading the as. "Is that a grenade? I mean, how is any of this legal?" She looked around the group.
Eddie sighed and gave a shrug, "Well, lucky for us it is, so... this— this place is just far enough outside of Hawkins. As long as we steer clear of the main roads, we oughta be able to avoid cops and, uh, angry hicks."
Erica crossed her arms over her chest, "if we're trying to avoid angry hicks, maybe we shouldn't go to some store called the War Zone." She stated.
Jayden nodded, "You guys are asking to just see angry, homophobic, republicans who want to kill Eddie." She said.
"And they're probably there, shopping for stuff to kill Eddie with," Vera added on, motioning to the Munson boy.
Nancy sighed, "normally, I'd agree, but we need the weapons. So I think it's worth the risk."
Lucas nodded, agreeing. "Me too."
Dustin sighed, shaking his head. "Yeah, but is it worth the time? We still need to get Jayden's Walkman, meaning it'll take all day and a half to bike to both places and back."
The group went quiet, thinking. Eddie turned to Dustin, "who said anything about bikes?"
Steve gave a confused look to Eddie, looking down at him. "What? You got some car we don't know about?"
Eddie sighed before standing up, "it's not exactly a car, Steve. And it's not exactly mine, but, uh... it'll do." He smiled, looking across the group before turning to face Max. "Hey, Red, uh, you got a ski mask or bandanna, something like that?" He questioned.
Max stayed quiet. After a moment, she shrugged.
Eddie peaked around Max's home, his face covered by an old Michael Myers mask. He and the group took off, running around different houses and trailers, stopping at an RV.
They snuck past the couple who sat outside, traveling to the back where Eddie opened a window, jumping in without hesitation.
Steve followed Eddie, helping Robin and Nancy in. Robin stayed to help Jayden who was being hoisted in by Lucas. Robin placed a gentle hand under her bandaged shoulder, hoisting her up by her armpit. Jayden hissed as she got into the Rv, moving so the next person could climb in, Vera.
"Hey, Jay." Robin said, grabbing her hand, "are you okay?" She asked in a quiet tone.
Jayden stayed quiet, not wanting to answer the question. She settled with a small, barely visible, shrug before sitting down at the small table.
Robin continued to help everyone in, Eddie began to hot-wire, trying to start the engine. Robin sat beside Jayden, putting a comforting arm around her. "I'm here for you, Jayden. You're basically a mini-me. Don't be scared to be honest... okay?" She whispered.
Jayden looked up at Robin, and nodded, before snuggling into her side. Banging on the RV door ruined the sisterly moment, Steve looked back at the group. "Everybody, hang on to something!" He yelled. Everyone quickly got situated.
"Drive, Steve! Drive!" Dustin yelled from the back, Steve quickly pushed down on the gas pedal and zoomed out of the area.
"Shit they look pissed," Dustin said, looking at them through the back window.
"I mean, it's not every day you lose your house and car in one fell swoop." Robin reasoned as the RV bounced and swerved.
Jayden felt her bad arm clash with the table, she held in a cry of pain. The brunette was truly grateful when they got onto the road, the drive becoming smooth.
"Where are we going first?" Steve asked, slightly craning his neck to look back at the kids.
"Our house." She called back to her brother, settling back into her seat.
Something in the back of her mind told her that this visit was going to be anything but quick, easy, and not filled with yelling.
•••
WHEN THE LARGE RV pulled in front of Steve's and Jayden's house. The girl gripped her sweater tightly as she stood up and walked forwards.
Max stood, "do you need someone to come with you?" She questioned.
Jayden turned back towards the redhead and nodded. "Yes. That'd be nice," she said. "Steve, could you come and wait by the front door, just in case?" She asked her brother who, without hesitation, nodded and stood to follow the two girls.
"We'll be back." He told everyone in the car before leaving and shutting the door behind him.
Jayden grabbed the spare key from under the pot nearest to the door and unlocked it. She stepped in, looking back and putting a finger to her lips, trying to hear if anyone was home.
The faint sound of papers rustling and a chair scratching the floor made her sigh out of frustration. The anger only increased when Steve accidentally let the door behind him slam closed, alerting the parents someone had entered their home. Jayden turned back to look at her brother.
"Steve!" She whisper yelled. "Steve?" Their mom called from the dining room.
The women rounded the corner, seeing the three. She smiled seeing her children, the small smile slightly fell when making eye contact with Max. "Jayden? Steve? I feel like I haven't seen you guys in forever!" It was the usual, fake, cheerful voice.
Jayden ignored her and walked past her, making her way up the stairs. Max quickly followed behind her, steering clear of Mrs. Harrington.
Steve stayed still by the door. "What is wrong with her?" Their mom asked. Steve stayed quiet, knowing there was more to the sentence. "And why is she with that little redhead dyke?" She whispered. Steve cringed, looking down at the floor. Their mother looked at him weirdly, not expecting this type of behavior from the golden child.
Jayden quickly threw her door open. She instantly went towards her closet and opened it, getting on her knees and looking through her backpack which sat beside her dirty clothes hamper.
She sighed, not seeing it. "It's not here." She whispered, trying to hold it together.
Max stood behind her in the doorway, looking at Jayden worriedly. "Jayden, we'll be fine." She said.
Jayden shook her head, crouching to look under her bed. Nothing. She sighed, standing again and making her way to the bathroom. This time Max followed when hearing footsteps, or heel clacks, coming up the stairs.
The young Harrington fished through her drawers and cupboards, which held makeup and hair stuff, there was no reason for it to be in there, but she still checked. As she exited the bathroom, Max behind her, her mom entered the bedroom with a scowl.
"Jayden, don't ignore me." She demanded. Jayden didn't say anything as she began to look through her drawers. "I'm starting to think I need to stay home more, you seem to have lost your manners," she casted a glance at Max. "And your mind."
Jay continued to ignore her as she got to her pajama drawer, finding the Walkman and letting out a quiet sigh of relief.
"Jayden, look at me."
The brunette stood tall and turned to her mom, "yes, Mom?" She asked calmly.
Her mom's scowl increased if that was even possible. "I'm your Mother." She sneered, looking her daughter up and down, "looks like you've been listening to me a little, though. You seem skinnier."
Max gave Jayden a worried glance. Jayden saw this and shook her head at the teen, as a way of saying to not worry about her mom's words.
"But, you still chose to hang out with... her." Her mom had no sense of remorse for anything she had to say. She would talk shit about the person she was right in front of, to their face, and did not care.
"I told you to stop hanging around people like that. You're not like that." Mrs. Harrington spoke in a whisper tone.
"Max, go down with Steve," Jayden whispered.
"Jayden—"
"Please, Love."
She whispered the nickname without thinking. It had been the first time Jayden called Max that since the breakup. Max nodded, glaring at Mrs. Harrington before walking past her and out of the room.
"Jayden. I have told you time and time again that you are just confused. Nothing we've done has worked for you, so please tell me, what will." She asked.
Jayden flinched at those words. The brunette had erased that from her mind. She didn't want to remember those days when she lied saying the therapy worked, and she had almost totally removed the memories, but her mom just couldn't let her live in peace, could she?
"Shut up," Jayden whispered, tears streaming down her face.
Her mom looked at her with anger, "excuse me?" She asked.
"I said shut up! I am not weird, different, crazy, or insane. I'm sorry that I don't like guys. Trust me, I hate myself for it too, but I can do jack shit about it. I've tried, I tried so hard for you. I lied to make you happy. I started being a totally different person, for you!" She yelled, angered. "Nothing has worked! I can't make you happy, Mother, I can't. So I gave up. You can call me a dyke, a fag, a disappointment. I don't care anymore." Jayden sneered before pushing past the woman.
Mrs. Harrington followed after her daughter, even angrier now. "First off, you don't speak to me like that. Second, you didn't try. You're still gay, you're still cubby. Why can't you just listen?"
Jayden whipped around, "I listened. I starved myself for two weeks straight, or longer! I lived off of oranges, gum, ice, and water. I haven't eaten a whole meal since the beginning of school. I have thrown up purposely, for you. I have not eaten purposely, for you. I have fainted in the school bathrooms, multiple times, for you. I lie to my counselor, my principal, my doctors, my friends, my brother, Max. I lied to all of them, for you!" She said without thinking, forgetting Steve and Max were just down the stairs. Her mom stayed quiet, "I have been through hell and back because of you, and yet every time you need me to risk my life, lie to myself, and lie to others, I do it." She said, beginning to cry. "I get that I'm not the daughter you wanted, I get that you're just trying to have a perfect image and perfect family, but I am not you. You want me to be, but I'm not!"
The brunette wiped the tears from under her eyes. "I try so hard to please you, Mother. I've been to multiple different people, trying to see if one would make you happy. None of them have. I never can make you happy, I can never please you... can I?" Jayden's face has dark stains from mascara tears.
Her mom shook her head, crossing her arms. "God, now you're being dramatic. What's next, are you gonna say you want to kill yourself?" She asked, again, no remorse was shown for her words.
Jayden's mouth slightly dropped open saying the first three words that came to mind, "go fuck yourself." She turned around and made her way down the stairs, her mom yelled and followed after her. Steve quickly opened the door and let the teens walk out, he followed. The three made their way towards the RV, the door opened by Robin.
Steve and Max pilled in, Jayden climbing up the stairs when, "go ahead, run off with your friends and never come back! We don't want a dyke living in this house anyways! Don't you dare even think about setting a foot into this house ever again, Jayden!" Her mom yelled before she could close the RV door.
She stood in the aisle of the large car, looking at all her friends' scared and shocked faces. She sighed, placing her Walkman in her pocket and her headphones around her head. "Welcome to the Harrington house, feel free to stay a while." She said in a cheery tone before walking past all of them and sitting on the couch in the back of the car.
Steve glanced back at the girl who was setting the Smiths cassette tape in the cassette player. "Jayden—"
"Just drive." She interrupted Steve, placing the headphones over her head and letting her song fill her ears, forgetting about everything else in her mind.
•••
THE BRUNETTES KNEES WERE to her chest, being held by her arms. She quietly let tears fall down her face as she stared out the back window, watching as cars drove beside them and behind them.
She wasn't mad about what her mom said, or sad. Going into that house with Max, she had expected it. She was more upset over the fact that the group had heard what it's like in her house, how horrible it could be and that wasn't even half of it. She wanted to crawl into a hole and hide because of how embarrassed she was.
Jayden kept her home life a secret for a reason, never answering anyone about why she would eat at the Byers, go grocery shopping with them, or never want to go home. She had done her best to separate her home life from her school life.
And after all of it, she failed.
At least her mom kicked her out, she hadn't been planning on coming back anyways. She had a gut feeling that the group wouldn't be as successful this time.
The bench Jayden sat on moved making her eyes turn from the window to the person across from her, Max. "I'm sorry about the whole—"
Jayden shook her head, waving her hand for Max to stop. "I don't... I don't need you to apologize for how my mom is. We shouldn't have gone, we should've just boughten a new one." She mumbled, looking back out the window and resting her head on her knuckle.
She felt too emotional, embarrassed, and ashamed to even look at Max.
Max sighed, staring at the girl with a bad feeling. She reached forwards and turned Jayden's face towards her. "Hey, look at me... please." She whispered. Jayden obliged.
Max's hand left Jayden's chin, and trailed down her bad arm, feeling the bandages that held the arm together tight. She stopped at Jayden's hand, connecting it tightly with her own.
"You know Vecna only picks out worst memories." Jay spoke up, "like when he got me he said something that made me realize we have control. He's taking over our minds, they aren't his." Max nodded, slightly confused but followed along, "we need to think about the good ones. Happy ones. He's trying to trap us in darkness, but we can turn to the light." She advised, her eyes going to Max's hand which was tangled in hers. "Turn to the light. Maybe he won't be able to find us there."
Max nodded. "So, we can just think about the good times?" She asked.
Jayden nodded, "think of the good times." She confirmed.
Max raised an eyebrow, "do you have a good memory in mind already?"
Jayden smiled and nodded. "What about you, you got one ready?" She repeated the question back.
Max stayed quiet, thinking before she gave a single nod, confirming she did. "It was a time when I was the happiest."
Jayden tilted her head to the side, "is it selfish to say I'll be mad if I'm not in it?" She asked.
Max giggled, looking away from Jayden and out the window before returning her gaze to the brunette and nodding, "yes, JJ, you are."
Jayden's smile grew, "but the real question is... am I in yours?" Max countered, raising her eyebrows.
"It wouldn't be a good memory without you," Jayden whispered, smiling widely.
•••
THE GROUP, MINUS DUSTIN, Eddie, and Lucas, walked into WarZone. The seven paused at the entrance and looked around the store. Jayden and Erica had been right, the people they were trying to avoid were all here.
"So much for avoiding angry hicks," Robin muttered.
Jayden glanced at the young adults. "Me and Erica did warn you." She said.
Nancy gave a look to Jayden, "let's be... fast." The Wheeler girl advised before they split up.
Jayden and Vera made their way down a random aisle, their eyes catching a ball of rope, "grab that." Jayden pointed.
Vera nodded and took it, tucking it under her arm.
The two traveled over toward Robin and Steve who were gathering gas, "how many of these do you think we need?" Robin asked the two.
"Steve said five or six, didn't he?" Vera questioned. Jayden nodded, grabbing two more cans and placing them in the basket, adding their bunched rope. placing the small bunches of rope in the cart.
That's when Steve came around the corner, "Jayden and Vera listen to my words?" Steve teased the two girls.
Vera and Jayden both made sour faces at him. The three turned their eyes back to Robin who stared off into the distance, mesmerized.
The three turned their gazes across the store where Vickie stood, looking through some pepper sprays. Steve shouldered the girl, "what are you gonna do, Robin? Stand and gawk?" Steve asked in a teasing tone.
"Shut up." She whispered, not looking away from Vickie.
Jayden laughed, cutting herself off when Vera pulled her away from the two, "is Robin... gay?" She whispered as quietly as she could.
Jayden sighed, staying quiet. How was she supposed to deny it, when Robin was clearly mesmerized by Vickie? Hell, Vickie could absolutely demolish Robin and the short-haired girl would still be in love with her.
"Can we talk about that later? Please." Jayden begged, leading Vera over toward Nancy. Vera didn't object and followed behind her. "What do we have here?" Jayden questioned as she and Vera made it beside Nancy.
Jayden felt her arm ache as it lightly bumped against the glass case that held the guns. "Shotgun," Nancy answered, eyes staying glued on the gun.
"Can I hold it?" Jay whispered. Nancy's head shot up to look at the two, beginning to laugh, but she stopped as her attention was ripped away from them, and onto the person behind them.
The girls opposite of Nancy looked at each other before turning around. Jason stood behind them, pointing a finger at a gun in the glass case, "hey, can I see this real pretty three-fifty-seven."
The three quickly looked away, trying not to be noticed by Jason.
"Nancy Wheeler, Jayden Harrington, and Vera Jones?" Jason asked. The girls all cringed before turning around to look at him, "wouldn't expect to find any of you here."
The younger girls stayed quiet as Nancy placed her hands on their shoulders, letting Jason know she was in charge of them right now, and that she wasn't in the mood for jokes.
"Yeah, well, it's just... scary times." Jason easily got the message as the man gave him the gun.
The blonde twirled it in his hand before pointing it toward Jayden's arm, "What happened there?" He asked. Jayden looked down to see her jacket sleeve had ridden up and showcased some of the bandages that covered her wound from Vecna.
The brunette quickly pulled her sleeve down and faces the blonde again. Jayden lost her words, thankfully Vera quickly stepped in, "She had a stumble. An accident..." the Jones girl trailed off.
Nancy craned her head down between the girls' ears, "go find the others and tell them we have to go. Now." She mumbled lowly. Jayden and Vera smiled at Jason before leaving and going off to find the others.
Luckily, they were in line for checkout. "Let's hurry this up," Vera said. Steve turned to her, confused. Jayden pointed towards Jason who was now closer to Nancy. Steve nodded, beginning to check out faster.
"You get Erica, I'll find Max," Jayden said to Vera who nodded, and the two split up. Jayden speed walked through the store, turning around a lot due to the basketball team being scattered all over the place, before finding the long-lost redhead, fiddling with spears. The brunette grabbed Max's hand, "we gotta go." She whispered to her.
Max gave a confused look, Jayden saw this and discreetly tilted her head towards a boy with the Hawkins Tigers basketball jacket. Max's eyes widened before she nodded, taking her basket and hurrying over to the checkout where everyone was.
In the RV Dustin paced up and down the long aisle, "what the hell is taking them so long." He whispered, glancing out the slightly-uncovered RV window.
On queue, the door slammed open and the WarZone group hurried inside the car making the three boys look around, confused. "What happened?" Lucad asked.
Vera took a seat next to him, a WarZone bag in her lap, "your good old friends from the Hawkins High basketball team paid us a visit." The Jones girl answered, flashing a fake smile at her boyfriend.
Jayden maneuvered around the frantic teens, collapsing in the back and placing the WarZone bag at her feet. She felt the car jolt forwards, meaning Steve began to drive.
The brunette looked up and made eye contact with Jason, she gave a small smile before holding up her middle finger. Jason stared at her, gobsmacked. She would've never told Chrissy this, but she didn't, and never has, liked Jason.
Max sat down next to the brunette who placed her headphones on, not covering one ear just to make sure she could hear her surroundings, like she always does.
The redhead shared a smile with Jayden before putting her headphones on, and laying her head onto Jayden's lap. The two enjoyed each other's company quietly, being lost in their own musical worlds. It worked like that, somehow.
Robin saw this and smiled, she leaned over her seat and tapped Steve's shoulder, he took his eyes off the road for a second to look back at Robin who motioned to the back with her head.
Steve turned his gaze to the rearview mirror, seeing his sister and Max in the back. He smiled when looking at Jayden's figure, he saw it. The change. The spark. It was there, it always had been.
It just needed to be lit again.
•••
ROBIN LAID HER HEAD on Jayden's good shoulder as she poured the lighter fluid into an empty glass bottle
Robin told Jayden about seeing Vickie kiss some random guy at WarZone after she and Vera had left. Jayden was now comforting the girl.
"It just doesn't make sense," Steve mumbled from the opposing side of Robin.
"What doesn't make sense?" Robin asked, pulling the can away from the glass bottle that she had just finished filling up. Jayden stuffed a cloth into the top, clogging the opening before setting the bottle onto the grassy ground.
"That was Dan Shelter. He graduated, like, two years ago."
Robin shrugged, "so?" She asked confused as she began to fill another bottle.
"So he's in college. Which means he was visiting on spring break. Fast Times was returned, like, I don't know, a week ago? Right?" Steve tried to find the good in this situation. Robin rolled her eyes, passing the filled bottle to Jayden who stuffed the opening with a rag, placing it beside the last one, "unless she's got some horndog brother that we don't know about. Which... is possible." Jay cringed at her brother's words.
"Steve," Robin said, stopping the boy from continuing.
Steve looked at her confused, "what?"
"I don't care." She said simply. "And I don't understand why you do either with everything that's going on."
Jayden's eyes traveled around the field, Max with Nancy, Dustin with Eddie, Vera with Lucas, and Erica.
"Honestly, this feels like a perfect time for that little pull of the rug because... in the face of the world ending, the stakes of my love life feel spectacularly low."
Steve nodded, glancing at Nancy. "Yeah. I mean, I get you there, but... I still have hope."
Robin pulled away the fluid, taking the glass bottle from Steve and passing it to Jayden who stuffed it with a rag. She sighed, her arm stung.
"Not everything has a happy ending," Robin said.
Steve gave a small chuckle, "yeah, yeah, believe me, I know."
Jayden glanced at Nancy, knowingly. Steve was falling for her again.
"I'm not talking about failed romance. I just... I have this terrible, gnawing feeling that.." she glanced behind her at the zoned-out brunette before turning back to Steve, "it might not work out for us this time."
Steve gave a worried look, "you think we shouldn't be doing this?" He asked.
"I... think we're mad fools, the lot of us," Jayden laughed at that. "But... but if we don't stop him, who will? We have to try... right?"
Steve nodded, smiling. "Yeah."
Steve took a bottle, "to killing Vecna." He said, lifting it in the air. Jayden smiled, grabbing two she had beside her and passing one to Robin.
"Slash Henry," Robin said, raising hers in the air,
Jayden leaned into the small huddle, lifting her bottle into the air. "Slash One." The bottles lightly hit each other, making a satisfying clinking sound. The trio laughed.
That's when Jayden's arm erupted in pain, she quickly placed the glass bottle down and put her hand to it, flinching away. It hurt when she even lightly touched it.
"Uh, my arm is burning." She whispered, but that wasn't it. Her whole body burned, half of it at least. It hurt to move.
Robin lightly removed her jacket, not needing to remove the gauze or bandages because the source of the burning was noticeable. The purple, crack-like lines had spread more. Some were noticeable on Jayden's neck, and her infected arm. The brunette stood up, lifting her shirt ever so slightly, just so her stomach was shown. The purple lines were all over her torso as well. Jayden's breathing began to become quicker, and more fast-paced.
"Hey, hey." Steve moved from beside Robin to make Jayden sit, taking the empty seat beside her. "Jayden, don't panic. It's just... don't look." Steve said, trying to calm his sister down.
"Blue Jay, look at me," Robin instructed, Jayden hesitantly turned to look at her. "It'll get worse if you continue to panic like this, even your breathing, please." She whispered.
Jayden nodded, looking away from Robin and at the ground. Her hands grabbed fistfuls of her jeans. Soon she calmed herself, centering her body and taking even breaths.
"I don't like this, Steve." Jayden fell into him, like a child falling into their mom. "I don't want to feel like this." She whispered.
Steve wrapped his arms around her and cast a worried glance at Robin. Robin only mirrored his look, not knowing what to say.
In this situation, there was nothing to say. Nothing to think, believe, or hope. It was just...
dumb luck.
•••
JAYDEN TOOK A SEAT beside Robin. "Hey, Rob." She whispered, looking down at her lap. They were close to the Creel House, and Jayden had collected herself enough to say goodbye.. just in case.
"Hey, Blue Jay," Robin whispered.
At the nickname, Jayden let her tears fall. "Sorry," she laughed, quickly raising her sleeve and wiping them away. "I'm sorry."
Robin shook her head, "don't be. I— I understand why you're crying. We'll be okay, okay?" She asked.
Jayden nodded, "but what if it isn't? What if it doesn't go as planned?" Jayden whispered.
Robin shook her head, "what you put out is what you get back. Don't think about that, Blue Jay. Just.. think about kicking that mother fuckers ass." She said. Jayden laughed making Robin smile.
"If he kills you, I will never forgive myself, but I know you're not gonna die," Robin said, pulling the girl into a side hug which Jayden melted into.
"We're here," Steve called to the back. Jayden sighed as she watched Vera, Lucas, Erica, and Max stand up, making their way toward the front of the RV.
Jayden was the last one in the line, she stopped at her brother and gave him a large hug. "Don't let him get in your head, Jayden." He whispered to the girl whose head was tucked away between his shoulder and neck.
"I won't." She pulled away from her brother, a sad smile ok her face as a tear dripped from her eye.
"You wouldn't let a man take you over." He joked. Jayden chuckled, nodding as she slowly backed away,
"I'll be back, Stevie."
"You better be, Jay." He stated. "I love you."
Jayden's heart fell. "I love you."
With that Jayden turned and walked out the RV. When her feet hit the concrete ground and the door slammed shut behind her, she knew there was no going back.
Tonight Jayden would be trying really hard. Not for her mom, or her dad. But for herself, for Steve, Max, the Party, and her friends. Her real family.
Trying hard for you.
marz speaks!
one more chapter!!! ( i say with exclamation points when it's really actually heart crushing )