Friday I'm In Love - Phoebe Bridgers (Cover)
❝You can never get enough
Enough of this stuff
It's Friday, I'm in love❞
╔═══*.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.*═══╗
CRAWLING FORWARD
╚═══*.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.*═══╝
(Important AN at the end)
Gwen stands next to Nancy in the RV while the others sit in front of them. It's dark now and they're parked outside of Eddie's trailer.
"Okay, I wanna run through it one more time," Nancy says. "Phase one."
"We meet Erica at the playground," Robin says. "She'll signal Max and Lucas when we're ready."
"Phase two."
"Max baits Vecna," Steve answers. "He'll go after her, which will put him in his trance."
"Phase three?"
"Me and Eddie draw the bats away," Dustin says, pointing at Eddie behind him who pats his head with a small smile.
"Four."
"We head into Vecna's hopefully newly bat-free lair, then... operation flambé and brain boom," Robin says while shaking a molotov cocktail.
"Nobody moves on to the next phase until we've all copied," Gwen tells them. "Nobody deviates from the plan no matter what. Got it?"
"Got it," they all repeat before standing up and heading out of the RV.
With their supplies and weapons in hand, they make their way into Eddie's trailer. Steve pulls off his backpack and sets it aside before grabbing onto the makeshift rope that leads through the gate.
"Be careful," Dustin says.
"Thanks, buddy," Steve responds, patting his shoulder. "Here goes nothin'," he says before climbing the rope. Getting to the other side, he flips around and lands on his feet before looking up through the gate and shrugging.
"Woah," Robin mumbles sarcastically. "What does he want us to do, applaud?" she asks, causing Nancy and Gwen to smile in amusement from beside her.
Steve drags over Eddie's mattress and lays it down on the other side. "Alright. Let's go."
Gwen takes off her bag and takes a deep breath, grabbing onto the rope. Robin kneels down and clasps her fingers together on her knee, allowing Gwen to use them as a boost. Getting to the other side, she thankfully falls onto the mattress with a grunt.
Steve holds out a hand and she gratefully accepts it. "Gotcha," Steve says as he pulls her up.
When she stands up, her face is mere inches apart from Steve's. Gwen smiles. "Thanks."
The others soon follow, falling onto the mattress and getting out of the way for the rest to throw the gear through. Once they're all in the Upside Down, they file out of the trailer. Before leaving Eddie and Dustin, Gwen and Steve turn to them.
"Hey, guys, listen," Steve starts. "If things here start to go south, I mean, at all, you abort. Okay? Draw the attention of the bats. Keep 'em busy for a minute or two. We'll take care of Vecna. Don't try to be cute or be a hero or something. Okay? You guys are just-"
"Decoys," Dustin nods. "Don't worry. You can be the hero, Steve."
"Absolutely. I mean, look at us," Eddie says, glancing at Dustin. "We are not heroes."
"Being here, helping us finish this... yes you are," Gwen tells him and brings him in for a hug.
"Thank you," Eddie says into the hug.
"Please keep him safe," Gwen says back, referring to her brother. When she feels him nod, she pulls away with a smile before turning to Dustin and holding him close. "Be careful," she whispers.
"You too," he whispers back.
Gwen pulls away and smiles at both of them before walking with Steve, Nancy, and Robin.
"Hey, Steve," Eddie calls, making them turn again. "Make him pay."
The two boys nod at each other before they set off into the dark thunder that is the Upside Down.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
"Uh, I don't mean to freak anyone out, but I swear we've seen this tree before," Robin says, pointing her flashlight at a vine covered tree. They've been walking for a good 20 minutes now, and the fear is definitely starting to catch up to Robin.
"That's impossible," Nancy responds.
"That would suck, right? If Vecna destroyed the world because we got lost in the woods?"
"Robin, we're not lost," Gwen says and Robin only chuckles nervously before walking ahead.
"Robin, hey. Watch out for the vines! Hive mind!" Nancy calls, running to catch up to her and leaving Gwen and Steve behind.
"Eh, don't worry about her. She's just stressed. You know, scared," Steve says.
"Yeah, me too. It's just... she not the most stable person."
"She's a super klutz," Steve nods in agreement.
Gwen scoffs with a smile. "She did say the other day that it took her longer to walk than most babies."
"I really shouldn't laugh," Steve says through a chuckle. "When I was a baby, I actually crawled backwards."
Gwen raises her eyebrows. "Crawled backwards?"
"You know, I'd push with my hands like this. Beep. Beep," Steve uses his hands to demonstrate. "Always in reverse, you know? I mean, come on, it makes sense. You push to move, right?"
"That doesn't make sense at all, but I have to admit, crawling backwards?" Gwen shrugs. "Kind of impressive for a baby."
"It was impressive until my little Harrington brain reversed my baby butt down a flight of stairs and thumped my head really good."
"That explains... so much," Gwen smiles teasingly.
"Yeah," Steve chuckles. "I think it kinda does. I think, like, right out of the gate I'm super confident. But I'm also, like, an idiot. Which is just... I mean, it's a brutal combination. But the good news is, I get a big enough thump on my head, I can change, you know? I can learn. I can crawl forward," Steve says, causing Gwen's eyebrows to slightly pull together. "Listen, I guess what I'm trying to say in a really stupid, roundabout way is, um..." Steve stops in his place to stand in front of Gwen. "...is thank you."
"Thank me?" Gwen asks in confusion.
"Yeah."
"For what?"
"For giving my head the biggest thump of its life these past two years. I've needed it," Steve says. "I was a major douche bag before I met you, and then you came and changed my life. And now I'm crawling forward. I guess I've just... I've never thanked you for that."
"You don't need thank me," Gwen replies quietly.
Steve smiles and glances at his feet. "Remember the dream I told you about? About the Winnebago? Seeing the country with our six lil' nuggets?" he asks and Gwen smiles. "It's all true. Every last word... But I don't want it to just be a dream."
Gwen's breathing gets deeper and her heart begins to tap against her chest as she glances between Steve's eyes. "...Earlier, you said, 'us Harringtons'... You really want that?"
"I know we're only 19... but yeah. And I don't wanna wait another day because with everything we've been through... I mean, who knows how long we have," Steve tells her, becoming nervous. "Do you want that?"
A soft smile breaks its way into Gwen's face. "Ask me again once we're out of here, but... You already know my answer."
Steve grins at the girl in front of him, knowing full well that she is the love of his life. There's nobody he'd rather have in her place, and he thanks his lucky stars everyday that he has the brightest of them all by his side.
"Hey, guys!"
Steve and Gwen look away from each other to see Robin stumbling her way over to them.
"You guys! Nancy sent me back to tell you guys the awesome news! Looks like we weren't going the wrong way after all," she smiles. "Come on!"
Gwen and Steve look at each other once more before chuckling at their friend and following after her.
— an
IMPORTANT (tw//mass shooting):
Last night at 8:15 pm, Michigan State University had an active shooter on campus. I had a friend there and luckily she's safe, but it was one of the scariest things everyone involved has ever been through. Living only two hours away from the college made the tragedy hit closer to home.
Personally and fortunately, I've never been in a situation that MSU had been put through last night, but there have been threats, and I don't know a single one of my peers that haven't been afraid to go to school at one point or another. So far, there have been 67 mass shootings in the United States this year, and it's only February. Every day in America, 12 students die from gun violence and another 32 are injured.
These aren't isolated incidents.
I know me writing this on a wattpad fan fiction is not only kinda cringe but also unimportant in the grand scheme of things, but it's something I feel extremely strongly about.
America needs to do better. We shouldn't be afraid to go to school, and parents shouldn't fear sending their kids to a place that's supposed to be safe. Guns are the leading cause of death among American children and teens, and if you don't believe me, do your own damn research.
Fuck the NRA, fuck republicans.
We need gun control, and anyone who disagrees, disrespectfully fuck you.
Arielle Anderson, Junior, Grosse Pointe
Brian Fraser, Sophomore, Grosse Pointe
Alexandria Verner, Junior, Clawson
5 more students are currently in the hospital in critical condition.
Keep the victims, their families, and the survivors in your hearts, but fuck your thoughts and prayers.
Word Count: 1576