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CHAPTER FORTY-NINE ; FOR STELLA
also known as;
( the battle of starcourt; part one )
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"CAN YOU WALK?" Hopper asked, watching as Stella opened the car door. She shrugged and then proceeded to wince, as if she had momentarily forgotten about the fact that she'd been shot in the shoulder. She was using a necktie they'd found in the trunk of the car as a sling, so that she didn't irritate her injury as much. Hopper sighed softly and wrapped an arm around her waist, his other hand gripping his gun. "Okay, let's go. Keep an eye out for guards blocking the entrance."
"There's no one there," Murray called over his shoulder, running up to the front of the mall. He peered through the windows and then looked back, shaking his head. "Jim, no one's guarding anything in the mall."
"Are you serious?" Joyce asked as she, Hopper and Stella joined the balding man. He was right; no guards were in sight, there was no one guarding any entrance like they'd let on over the radio. "What does that mean-"
The mother was cut off by a piercing scream from inside the mall. Stella's ears perked, instantly recognising it. She'd heard that scream plenty of times over the past couple of years, and she knew exactly who it was. It appeared Hopper did too, as he didn't hesitate in kicking open the door and storming into the mall with his gun held high. Murray took over in helping Stella, though now that she had stopped bleeding she was a little more conscious.
The screeching only increased in volume as they moved throughout the mall, stepping over bodies of men in uniforms with blood seeping out of various places. Hopper picked up one of the machine guns and slung it across his body, also tossing one to Joyce (who didn't really know how to use it, but appreciated the gesture anyway).
"The food court," Stella muttered as the wailing continued to grow louder, so much so that the neon lights in the mall were blinking angrily. She pushed away from Murray and forced herself into the fastest walk she could manage, knowing that Eleven and undoubtedly the rest of her friends were in danger.
"Stella," Hopper warned as she passed him, a look of complete concentration on her face. Her forest green band shirt was soaked in red where she'd been shot, but it seemed when her self-proclaimed family was involved, there was nothing more important.
Stella heard them before she saw them. She rushed forward, only to be pulled back by Hopper, who had seen the disgusting fleshy creature crawling across the linoleum floor before anyone else. The teenager gasped as he stepped on it, blood splashing everywhere. She felt bile rise in her throat once more, but she had nothing left in her system to actually do anything. "Ew."
"Stella?"
Stella looked up once more at the familiar voice, and she searched the group of people to see him. Steve. He was in his ugly Scoops Ahoy uniform, only covered in dried blood. She could have died right then and there. "Oh my God."
"Stella, holy shit," Steve wormed his way through the group, breaking into a run so that he could embrace his girlfriend. Stella inhaled sharply and moved as quickly as she could, meeting him in the middle. "Holy shit."
"Steve," Tears streamed down Stella's face as she took Steve by the hand, staring up at his face. Her eyes widened at the sight of blood and bruises covering every inch of skin. "What happened to you? Are you okay? Where were you? I tried to call, but you weren't there. I had a feeling you'd be in the underground base in the mall, but I had no idea if that even existed, and-"
"He got his ass kicked by Russians," Dustin piped up from behind her boyfriend, and Stella felt the need to deeply sigh. She looked over Steve's shoulder and saw the curly haired boy, who thankfully wasn't covered head to toe in blood as well. He rushed forward and embraced Stella, grateful to see her again. "Jesus, what happened to you?"
"That's my line," Steve pushed him aside, staring down at Stella's elevated arm. "So what happened? Are you okay?"
"She got shot," Murray answered for her, and Steve spluttered, his jaw dropping considerably.
"Badass," Robin whispered softly, though only Erica Sinclair heard (she elbowed the older girl softly in response).
"Are you kidding me?" there were tears in Steve's eyes. "Listen, Stella, I'm so sorry. A-About everything."
"Me too," Stella instantly replied, gripping his hand tight. "I love you so much, Steve."
"I love you too," he sniffled, staring down at her as if she were the only person in the world. In truth, she was in that moment. "I'd follow you anywhere. I don't want to lose you again, I take back everything I said. I'll come to Rhode Island with you, I'll follow you to the ends of the earth if it meant I could always be by your side."
Stella rested her head on his shoulder, trying to contain herself (she wasn't doing a great job). "We'll talk about it later, okay?"
Steve nodded a few times, before grabbing the sides of her face and pressing a kiss to her lips. He was wary of her shoulder, though Stella still winced at the movement. She pulled away briefly, kissing him once more and smiling softly.
"So this is Steve?" Murray stepped up from behind Stella, reaching his hand out for the teen to shake. Steve quirked an eyebrow and greeted Stella's new friend, who grinned broadly. "You had her so worried."
"Did I?" Steve smirked a little, nudging Stella softly, causing her to roll her eyes. "So what happened to you?"
Stella's face fell, and she glanced over at Murray through her eyelashes. His smile had dropped too, and he cleared his throat before excusing himself, walking towards the rest of the group who were having their own little reunions.
Steve tilted his head in confusion, looking over his shoulder momentarily before ushering her to a secluded area of the food court so that they could talk. He helped Stella sit down on one of the plastic chairs outside the orange juice stall, his hand on her knee as he sat beside her. "Do you wanna talk about it?"
Stella dipped her head, already feeling the tears rising once more. She was sick of crying; it seemed to be all she had done that day. "Joyce found me outside Hawkins Lab and brought me to Hopper's, where we went looking for answers to all the weird shit happening in town. We found this Russian scientist called Alexei..."
She trailed off and sniffled quietly, lifting her good hand to wipe her eyes. Her skin was soaking wet within seconds, and she could feel her stomach clenching as she heaved in breaths. She grimaced as her shoulders began to shake, pain shooting across her body.
"Alexei died," she whimpered, choking out a thick sob. Steve leaned forward and pressed his lips to her forehead. "I should've seen the man coming; I should have done something, but he got me too. Alexei died right in front of me, and there was nothing I could do about it. I--"
Her voice broke and she cried hoarsely, drawing the attention of the others in the food court. Hopper and Joyce shared a solemn expression, knowing the trauma the young girl had dealt with in the last twenty-four hours. Murray stared with a sullen frown on his lips, realising how much he cared for the girl he had known for only a couple of days. There was something about her; something that drew others in and gave them a sense of hope. She was special, that was for sure.
"Star?" a gentle voice interrupted Stella and Steve's moment. Stella lifted her head slowly, trying to focus through her blurred vision to see Mike standing before her. He'd had another growth spurt over summer, which made him appear disproportionate and lanky, but he was still Mike. He was still the Wheeler boy who lived next door and gave her a hard time. Behind him was Will, Lucas and Dustin, with Eleven and Max a little further away.
Stella violently rubbed at her eyes, only making her skin more irritated. It had gotten a little old, her trying to make herself seem strong in front of the children she'd devoted so much of her life to. "Hey, you guys alright?"
"Hell no," Lucas joked, before stepping forward. "But that's not why we're here. We're here for you."
"Mike said you're going to college after summer finishes," Eleven continued, her arm looped across Max's shoulders. She'd been injured too, though before Stella could ask, she held her hand up. "I'm fine. But we wanted you to know that it's okay for you to go."
"We'd planned a farewell party for the end of summer with all these speeches and shit, but we figured it would be better to tell you now how much we love you, since you've been shot and life is short and all that bullshit," Dustin said, clasping his hands together in front of him. "So, uh, Stella. I wasn't born here, I moved here a little later on, so I wasn't as close as the other guys were. You introduced me to the party and since then we've all been best friends. You're the glue of the group, and I want you to know how thankful I am for everything you've ever done for me."
"You walked me to school on my first day at Hawkins Middle," Lucas smiled lopsidedly, scratching the back of his head. "I would've ridden my bike with the others but I was way too nervous. You asked me if I wanted to hold your hand, and even though I said no cause it would've been embarrassing, I love you for it. You've driven me to the arcade more times than I can count, and sat through a shit-load of sci-fi movies that you've hated but pretended to enjoy for the sake of all of us. You're amazing."
"You made me feel like I was ordinary when I felt anything but," Will continued, tucking his hands into his short pockets. "You've never given up on me, and you make sure I'm happy and safe without being controlling or overbearing. You bake us cookies when we're sick and learn the rules of D&D to make sure no one gets left out of anything. Usually when people say everything's gonna be okay, I don't believe them, but when you say it, I do."
"You're my sister," Max piped up, a widespread grin on her face. "You were the first person to talk to me when I came here, and you never once thought I was weird, or made me feel like this wasn't my home. I can come to you with literally any problem and you're there to help me, no matter what. You never hesitate when someone's in trouble, and you've taken care of us as if we're your own kids."
"You always believed in me," El noted, wincing a little as she shifted on her feet. "You made me feel like I belong. You never judge me for anything bad that I do, you just find a way to help or make me feel better. Thank you, Star."
Mike was the last to say something. "You're my best friend. You've dealt with my shit longer than anyone. You know every single thing about me and you've never once made me feel stupid or bad about myself. You're honest, and kind, and you care about everyone no matter what they've done. You give everyone a chance, and that means the world to kids like us, kids like me. You're literally the greatest person ever to exist. You're like...superman, or Princess Leia. You've given up so much time to be a good friend to all of us, and without you we'd probably all be dead or dumbasses. I love you, Star. And I know you're probably thinking that you can't leave us, but it's okay. You've taken care of us this long, now it's time to take care of yourself."
Steve rubbed circles with his thumb on Stella knee, his own tears welling up in his eyes. He knew she was an important figure to the party, but he never truly realised the impact she'd had on their lives. She was a constant, someone who never shied away from giving help or advice. She truly was a good person.
She was Stella Collins.
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