Chapter Three: I Like Girls
"I want love, but it's impossible."
•
The next morning was a nice one. The two girls woke up after cuddling all night, smiles on their faces as they lay in Eve's bed, neither wanting to move. They were laying close together, talking about pointless things and about their friends.
"You think Suzie is real?" Eve asked Max, who shook her head, "no?"
"I mean..." Max started, "no offence to Dustin or anything but I can't imagine him bagging the brainiest yet hottest girl out there."
"Really?" Eve asked with furrowed eyebrows. "I think she's real."
"No way," Max giggled as she stared at Eve's face with a lazy smile.
"Yeah!" Eve laughed herself. Staring up at her ceiling, "I mean, anyone can find love, right?"
"I guess so." Max mumbled. Eve looked over at Max, the two still smiling fondly at each other, before leaning in. The girls shared a quick peck, before kissing again.
The kiss was longer and more passionate. The two were so in love it would make anyone feel sick. Eve cupped Max's jaw as they kissed, happy as could be.
That was all ruined when Eve's dad walked in, his face turning from a bored look to one full of anger and disgust. Eve and Max jumped away from each other as her dad stared at the two.
He looked into Eve's eyes with such an intensity that Eve felt like going into a hole and not coming out for a hundred years. She was expecting or her dad to blow up right then and there, but instead he walked out and slammed the door behind him.
"Eve I'm so-" Max started to say, but Eve just stood out of the bed.
"You need to leave," Eve says to Max, "please. I'll call you later."
"Of course." Max nodded, getting up and grabbing her small backpack. She walked around and gave Eve a quick hug before leaving the room and awkwardly walking past Eve's dad before leaving the house.
Eve stayed in her room for a moment, trying to calm herself as she worried for what was to come. She had to face the music eventually, no matter how scary and bad it could go.
She walked out of her room to see her dad not there, so she walked downstairs to see him standing in the kitchen.
"Dad, it's not what you think-" she starts to say, tears already beginning to form as she felt her heart in her mouth. Not even the mind flayer scared her this much.
"How long?" He cuts her off, not believing any of her bullshit. He was disgusted, knowing it was just a phase.
"How long?" Eve repeated his question, confused at what the man meant. She didn't want to anger him further, but she didn't know how to answer him.
"How long have you liked girls?" He screams, throwing a plate at her out of pure anger. Eve dodged it quickly, looking at the man like he was mad. To her in that moment he was. His actions were so violent and his voice was so loud. Eve had never heard him with so much emotion before. Years of barely talking and secrets had built up to this. To say she was petrified was an under statement.
"Uh," Eve gulps, "I don't know-"
"How long Evangeline." He repeats. His voice wasn't shouting this time, which in a way worried her more. His tone was like a low growl, like a lion getting ready to pounce on its prey.
"Uh, a year maybe? I don't know." She mumbles, messing with her hands.
There was a silence after her sentence where neither her or her father made a sound. It was the last calm before the storm.
"I cannot believe you would do this." He finally spoke, his voice oddly calm. He didn't sound angry, he sounded upset and disappointed. The fact he sounded like that made Eve angry. She'd never done anything to let him down before.
"It's not a choice-" She argued with him. Finally standing up for herself against him when before she would just sit silently. At that moment her mother walked in, and Eve couldn't tell if that was for better or for worse.
"There's always a choice!" He shouted so loud the neighbours most definitely heard. "How dare you think it is acceptable to live under my house and kiss another girl!"
"Honey calm down," her mother cuts in, putting a hand on her husbands shoulder
"Stay out of this, Melissa!" He shouts at his wife, who quickly retracts her hand, "pack a bag and get out of my sight."
Melissa and Eve share a look as her dad starts to leave. Eve's heart had dropped. He couldn't mean that. He couldn't actually be kicking her out.
"Dad... what?" Eve cries, tears starting to slip from her eyes as her world began to crash around her, "you're not serious."
"Get a bag and fuck off!" He screams, "do not come back until you know what you have done is wrong. Break up with that girl - and realise you like boys!" He says lowly in her face.
"But dad-"
"Do not talk back." He shouts at her face. She looks down, not making a sound - scared to speak. He grabs her shoulders and pushes her back, "go!"
"Brad, stop!" Eve's mom says, not liking the physical attack or verbal attack on Eve. Eve may of done something disgusting in her eyes, but she was still her daughter.
"Dad-" Eve cries.
"Go!" He shouts again, pushing her more and more, she falls backwards before scrambling up and rushing up the stairs to grab a bag. Her dad watching in disgust.
As she went into her room she grabbed some clothes and her purse, which had about fifty dollars in it. She quickly ran into her parents room, pulling out the slab by the door and opening the safe. She knew the safes lock was her dads birthday so quickly unlocked it and grabbed a wad of cash before closing it and putting the wooden slab back in place. She went to her room again, throwing in the money, her key and her toiletries.
She looked around her room quickly, seeing if she'd missed anything and grabbed her bag, putting it on her shoulders before running down the stairs. She tried to walk out the door but before she could her dad stopped her.
"You're no kid of mine," he growls in her face, slapping her so her head goes to the side. She freezes, her eyes closed as her cheek stung, "now get out."
-
Eve ran through the mall, gaining attention from those around her from the tears running down her face and the red left cheek. She was unaware of Mike, Lucas and Will staring at her in concern as she ran into Scoops Ahoy.
She paid no attention to Robin who was serving Erica and her little group as she walked through and to the back. Steve and Dustin jumped from the abrupt entry. But as soon as Steve saw her face and dishevelled appearance, he stood up and walked over to her. She intsantly hugged him as she started to cry.
"Eve? Eve what happened?" Steve asked her as she continued to sob. Steve and Dustin shared a look of confusion and concern as Eve continued to cry. Steve sighed as he held his sister closer, "Do you want to go out back?"
"Yeah," Eve hiccuped. Steve put his hand on her back and led her out the door into the dimly lit corridor. Eve turned towards him, trying to stop herself from crying as he waited for her to calm down a little bit.
"Dad found out," She told him, watching his face carefully to see his reaction, "And it didn't go well."
"Shit, Eve," Steve mumbled as he rubbed his temple, "What did he say?"
Just thinking about his soul crushing words caused Eve to break down again as she looked at the floor, "He hates me."
"I'm sure he doesn't," Steve comforted her, "He's just shocked."
"So shocked he kicked me out, slapped me and said I was no child of his?" She sarcastically laughs as more tears fall, "I don't think so."
"He what?" Steve asked, anger bubbling inside of him at what his father had done, "I can't believe he would do that."
"I don't know what do do," Eve said hopelessly as she let out a large cry she couldn't keep in anymore, "I don't have a home, I don't have a dad. He said I had to break up with Max. But I love her, Steve. I love her."
And with that she broke down into more tears, Steve held her close as she cried, realising no amount of words could heal the emotional pain his sister was going through. She wanted comfort from him, so he would give it.
"How long are you guys gonna take, Robin-" Dustin starts to say as he comes out into the hall, only to freeze when he sees the two Harrington's embraced in a hug. The two look over to him, "Uh, is everything okay?"
"Yeah," Eve nods with a fake smile, "we'll be back in a second."
"Okay," He nodded, walking back inside. Steve sighed as he turned to his sister.
"I have to go and work, but you can sit with Dustin?" He says to her and she nods, He kisses her forehead, messing up her hair which makes her chuckle softy, before heading back inside.
-
"So let me get this straight..." Eve mumbled as she sat in front of Dustin, "You're trying to translate a russian spy communication."
"Yes!" Dustin says as Robin replays the tape, trying to figure out what any of the words could mean, "Will you help?"
"Of course," Eve says, "I know a little russian from lessons in school."
"You know Russian?" Dustin exclaims, Eve nodding slowly, "Oh my god why didn't you say before!"
"Dunno," She shrugs, "C'mon, lets hear it."
-
"Hey steve," Eve says, opening the hatchet between them and him, "we've got our first sentence."
"Oh, seriously?" Steve asks, turning towards her with two ice creams in hand.
"The week is long," Eve says to him in a Russian accent. Steve's face drops a little bit.
"Well, that's thrilling," He mumbles.
"I'm aware. But hey, it's progress," Eve says to Steve with a smile before catching eyes of the two girls he was serving. Max and El.
She closed the hatchet and quickly walked around and out the door to the front as Steve handed Max and El their ice creams.
"Max? El?" Eve called, the two girls looked over at her, El smiling widely at the sight of her best friend and Max smiling a worried smile. She could already just tell something was wrong. She needed to ask about what had happened that morning.
"Eve!" El smiled as Eve walked out from behind the counter and embraced El in a hug before doing the same with Max.
"Why are you here El?" Eve asks as they sit down in a booth in the back corner of scoops in order to avoid wandering eyes, "You know it's dangerous and against Hopper's rules."
"We needed a girls day," Max explained, "Mike lied to El."
Eve's eyes widened in shock, everyone knew not to lie to her. It was something she really hated, so Mike definitely fucked up big time.
"What did he lie about?" Eve asked them as she stole some of Max's ice cream, landing her a smack on the arm.
"He said his nana was sick so he couldn't hang out," Max says as El licks her ice cream.
"He lies," El mumbled as she stared at the table.
"That son of a bitch," Eve shook her head, "Have you ignored him? Cause if not you should. Give him a taste of his own medicine."
"Then dump his ass," Max adds and Eve shakes her head.
"No, if he lies to you again then dump his ass, but not straight away. He deserves a second chance at least," Eve explains to El. Max nods, agreeing with her girlfriend before deciding to bring up this morning.
"What did you dad say when I left?" Max asked Eve, who instantly froze before looking overat Steve who was scooping some teen girls some ice cream.
"Uh, not much," Eve lies, "It's nothing you need to worry about, I'm over it."
"You lie too?" El asked with furrowed brows, Eve shook her head.
"No. My dad lashed out, but I don't want to talk about it right now," She says to the two who nod their heads in understanding, going back to eating their ice creams.
-
The three girls headed outside of the mall once their ice creams were finished, Eve had Max on one arm and El on the other, the two girls determined to cheer El up.
"Want a sleepover?" Max asked the girls, the two nodding while giggling slightly. Max smiled at the two before her eyes caught on the three boys behind them, and then her smile dropped.
"Max? What's wrong?" Eve asked her girlfriend as she shared a worried look with El.
"Oh you've gotta be shitting me..." Max muttered to herself as Eve and El both turned to see what she was looking at. Mike, Lucas and Will taking their bikes out of the bike rack.
"Come on," Eve mumbled, grabbing both girls hands and walking forward. She was angry at Mike for hurting her best friend.
"Isn't this a nice surprise!" Eve says sarcastically as the three boys freeze, realising they've been caught. Mike drops his bike as he stares at Eleven.
"What are you doing here?" He asks Eleven while pointing at her. Eleven stares him down as Eve rolls her eyes. Is that all he cared about?
"Shopping," El replied simply, a glare on her face as she stared at Mike.
"This is her new style," Max says, looking at El's outfit which consisted of every colour under the sun, "what do you think?"
"What is wrong with you?" Mike snapped at Max, making Eve angry that he thought he could talk to her that way, "and you!" Mike says looking at Eve, "you know more than anyone the dangers of her being here. She's not allowed here."
"Mike..." Eve tries to say that she didn't bring her here, because it was true, she knew it was a risk her being here.
"What is she?" Max cuts Eve off, "your little pet?"
"Yeah," El agrees with Max as Eve rubs her temple. No offence to her girls. But they were being a little weird about it. Mike was trying to keep El safe, "am I your pet?"
"What? No!" Mike exclaims to the two.
"Then why do you treat me like garbage?" El asked, repeating what Max had said in the booth. Eve sighed at the argument that was going on.
"El..." Eve tries to calm it down.
"Eve-" Max puts her hand on Eve's arm, basically telling her to shut up and let the couple fight.
"You said nana was sick," El says to Mike.
"She is," Mike tells her, his voice going higher in pitch, "she is. She is sick." He repeats. Looking over to Lucas for help.
"Yeah, sick, she's sick," Lucas agrees as mike keeps repeating that she is indeed sick.
"We get it! She's sick," Eve cuts them both off.
"You don't get it Eve," Lucas says to the girl who sends him a pointed look with a raised eyebrow, "she's super sick. That's why we're here actually."
"Yeah, yeah," Mike adds on to the lie, "we're shopping. Not for us, but for her, for nana."
"For nana!" Lucas adds loudly. Max and Eve share a look, glad they're not like that.
"Also, we're here to get a gift for you," Mike adds sincerely. "Just, we couldn't find anything that suited you and I only have like $3.50 so it's hard."
"Super hard," Lucas exaggerates, "it's expensive."
"You lie." El says to Mike, "Why do you lie?"
Mike stayed silent, he couldn't tell her about Hopper because she wouldn't believe him, or she'd have a go at hopper and hopper would have a go at him.
Before anyone could say anything to derail the situation, the bus turned up. El looked over at it for a moment as Eve started to pull max by her hand.
"We have to go," Eve says to the girls. El nodded at Eve as she turned back to Mike. She walked closer to him so she was only centimetres in front of him.
"I dump your ass," she says to him, making his face turn sour as Max and Eve's faces drop. Max covered her mouth her her free hand as Eve stared at Mike. Yes, he lied, but he didn't deserve to be dumped.
As with that, El started to walk to the bus, Eve and Max following shortly behind.
A/N
y'all not gonna like where this book going👺