( songs for the chapter )
⋆ band on the run // paul mccartney & wings
KATE DREADED THE FOLLOWING MORNING, and not just because of the huge migraine she was bound to have. She didn't want to face her dad, or Tommy, or even Steve. Kate needed another few days of sleep before she could even think about facing the repercussions of the night before.
On her bedside table, sat a glass of water and three pain killers, obviously left by Jim. She moved like a sloth as she got up and reached for the pills, trying her best not to trigger an even worse headache. She took them all at once before getting ready for school; Jim waited on her the entire time. He'd made french toast with a side of bacon for the two of them, because he couldn't recall the last time they'd sat down and had breakfast together.
Kate had just sat down at the table as Jim doused their food in syrup. It was silent for a few moments, as the two of them took slow bites of their breakfast. Jim finally spoke — the moment Kate had been dreading all morning.
"Do you want to tell me want happened last night?" he asked before he took a bite of bacon.
"Not really," Kate answered honestly with an awkward laugh, hoping that would be the end of that conversation. But, of course, it wasn't.
"You tell me you're going over to Steve's for the night. And then you call me at midnight, crying. I had to carry you to your room because you were too drunk to walk," Her dad explained, thinking she probably didn't remember too much from last night. "I think I deserve an explanation."
Kate toyed with the small remnants of her food, suddenly not feeling hungry anymore. "A few people were over, and they were all drinking and I wanted to try it, too. Steve and I just got into a fight, and that's when I called you."
"What'd you fight about?"
"Does it matter?"
"...Maybe," Jim shrugged before taking a rather large bite of the french toast left on his plate. Kate shook her head before getting up to put her plate in the sink.
"I'll see you tonight," was all she said to him before grabbing her bag and leaving for school.
The day by too slowly and Kate's headache hadn't gotten any better. She wasn't sure if the migraine came from the alcohol or from the lack of sleep she'd been getting – either way, it hurt like hell.
When lunch time finally rolled around, Kate settled for a bagged lunch. She couldn't be bothered to get a tray and eat with her regular crew; she was a bit scared of what was to come with that.
Kate decided on eating with her friends at Hawkins Middle, seeing as they had lunch at the same time. The four – or three –of them normally ate in the AV room with Mr. Clarke, and Kate knew she was more than welcome. Truth be told, she was one of Mr. Clarke's favourite students, even five years later.
Kate kept her eyes on the door as she walks by her friends in the cafeteria. She thought that maybe if she didn't look at them, they wouldn't see her either. But that obviously didn't work – unfortunately enough for her.
"Kate!" Carol called her name. "Where are you going?"
"I'm gonna eat in an empty classroom or something," Kate lied with a shrug. "It's too fucking loud in here."
The group laughed at her comment before Tommy asked teasingly, "The hangover wear off of yet?"
"What do you think?" she responded, sarcasm dripping from her voice. Her face reddened as she met eyes with the boy. She didn't know if he remembered what'd happened last night, but she was praying he didn't. It didn't look like Carol knew, though, so that was a plus. However, Steve's eyes barely left the food on his tray. He didn't even look at her.
She waved bye to her friends before turning to walk away. She was nearly out the door, when a hand on her elbow stopped her. Kate turned around and was face-to-face with Nancy; the one person she really didn't want to talk to.
"Did you see Barb when you left last night?" she asked, her big, doe eyes filled with hope.
"No," was all the blonde said before turning on her heel and exiting the cafeteria.
The first thing Kate saw as she exited Hawkins High, was Tommy snatching Jonathan Byers' bag away from him. As he tried to get it back, Tommy tossed it to over Steve. She raced to the group with hurried footsteps, wondering why they were bothering the poor boy.
"What the hell is going on?" she asked as she walked to the parking lot, gaining the attention of her friends.
"This creep was spying on us last night," Carol answered, chomping on her gum, before handing her a stack of black-and-white photos.
Kate began flipping through them, before coming upon a picture of her in her bra. She swallowed and clenched her jaw; she didn't want to be mad at Jonathan, but she was rather upset at the small memory from the night before.
"See, you can tell that he knows it was wrong," Steve laughed. "But that's the thing about perverts: it's hardwired into 'em..."
He reached into Jonathan's bag, pulling out his camera much to his protests. Nancy tried to stop him but Steve wasn't paying her any attention. "You know, they just can't help themselves."
"Steve, don't." But he didn't listen to Kate either.
"We'll just have to take away his toy–"
"Steve!" Kate all but yelled, surprising everyone around her. She lowered her voice slightly "Give it back."
A lull of silence fell on the group; everyone eager to see the boy's next move.
"Here you go, man," Steve held out his hand towards Jonathan, looking as though he was going to give the device back to its owner. Kate thought he had finally listened to her, but as Jonathan reached for his camera, Steve dropped it to the ground, causing it to shatter.
"C'mon, the game's about to start," Steve announced as he wrapped his arm around a rather upset looking Nancy. He was about to reach for Kate but she shoved his hand away, similarly to how she did that night before. Only this time, she was completely sober.
"What?" Steve asked in confusion, like he hadn't done anything wrong.
"You're such a douchebag," Kate rolled her eyes.
Steve watched as his best friend walked to her car and sped off from the parking lot, before ushering Nancy inside. Jonathan was left picking up the pieces of his broken camera.
The couple walked to the empty hallway, finding Carol and Tommy sitting on a bench beside each other. "Where's Kate?" the girl asked.
"She left. I think she has to babysit again, or something," Steve lied through his teeth, making Nancy shake her head lightly.
"Of course, she does," Tommy huffed before started to laugh. "You missed it, Carol. She got so shitfaced last night– started taking off her clothes and everything."
"Dude," Steve interrupted. "Shut up."
"She did!" Tommy exclaimed. The two boys had a small stare off. Steve silently challenging him to finish telling what had happened that night – that Tommy rather enjoyed that Kate had taken off her clothes.
Carol had begun to tell a story about her encounter with Mr. Mundy, as Nancy started to walk off.
"Whoa, Nance. Where you going?" Steve called after her.
"I totally forgot, I told my mom I would, um– I would do something with her," Nancy stammered before turning away again.
"What the hell is wrong with her?"
"Maybe she freaked out when you went all psycho on psycho," Tommy joked, making Steve roll his eyes.
He watched as his girlfriend exited the school, and it wasn't until then that Steve realised what he had done. He'd upset Nancy – and not only that, but he'd upset his Kate. The two women he loved most had walked out on him within mere minutes of each other.
Maybe Tommy wasn't the problem, or even Jonathan who spent his night creepily stalking them. No. The problem was him.