I walk to Steve's basketball practice thinking about last night. Are him and Nancy still together? If so, why didn't we pick her up this morning? I push the thoughts away when I get inside the gym. I climb up the bleachers and take a seat.

The basketball practices are always fun to go to because the players usually do Shirts vs. Skins, and let's be honest, who doesn't want to see that?

Sometime towards the end Nancy shows up and her and Steve go out to talk and I take Billy's advice and stay out of it.

Steve runs back inside and I can tell by the look on his face that the conversation didn't go well.

They finish up practice with Steve's team, Shirts, losing by ten to Billy's team, Skins.

I call home from Steve's house and tell Dustin to tell our mom I'm staying over at Steve's tonight. She's okay with it everytime I tell her because she's always busy with Mews, but Mews has kept her happy since mine and Dustin's father left.

I put on my pajamas and grab a couple beers for me and Steve, because tonight we are going to get shit-faced again. I think him and Nancy broke up, but he won't talk about it.

I walk downstairs and see him sitting on the couch his hand over his face and his body racking with sobs. I walk over to him and wrap my arms around him just like the night before.

"Steve, I got us some beers from the fridge, you want to drink til we forget?" I ask softly. He pulls away and takes two from my hands leaving me with two more.

We quickly chug those and I end up going back for four more. Steve drinks three and I drink one and he still ends up more sober than me.

I stand up to go to the kitchen to get him some more when he grabs my wrist. He stands up and puts his hand on my cheek and leaning down. He kisses me passionately and I hesitantly pull away.

"Steve, you aren't thinking--"

"Please, Y/N," He pleads, "Please,"

I nod and capture his lips with mine. We start walking up the stairs to his bedroom when my feet are removed from the ground and I feel him carrying me bridal style up the stairs.

We get to his room and he lays me down on the bed before closing the door behind him. I take this short time I have to remove my shirt and basketball shorts. I look down at the scar on my thigh from the Demogorgan and start to feel very self conscious.

I move my hand over my legs and Steve lifts up my chin, forcing me to look into his eyes.

"You're beautiful," He breathes before leaning down and kissing the scar.

(Next Morning)

I feel arms wrapped tightly around my bare waist and what I can remember from last night fills my mind. I look over at the trash bin in Steve's room and see a used condom draped over the side.

I remain as quiet as possible and remove Steve's hand from my waist slowly, trying not to wake him. How did we get here? Why did I take advantage of him? He was hurting and I still slept with him! I climb out if the bed and start gathering all of my things.

"Y/N? Where are you going?" Steve asks groggily.

"I..." I think of a lie as quickly as I can, "I have to take Dustin to Mike's to play D&D."

Steve looks at the clock on his nightstand, "At 5 AM?"

"Uh...Yeah! Yeah. They have to start early if they want to finish the campaign before dark," I nod.

"Okay... You are going to be here tonight though, right?" He asks climbing out of bed.

"I--I--I don't know, Steve. I should sleep at my house more often, you're not gonna be around to protect me forev--"

"Don't go, Y/N," Steve interrupts, "I could probably wait for a more romantic time, but this is the best I got. I love you."

My heart drops, where is this coming from? Did he just pull it out of his ass or something?

"Steve, you don't love me. You love the idea of me, okay? You love feeling loved." I avoid his gaze, "We need to forget last night ever happened. Our arrangement works, spend time with your girlfriend during the day, and I lay in your bed asleep feeling safe at night. You're just sad about Nancy. You'll find someone else, you'll be fine, Steve."

"I didn't love Nancy, she was a distraction from you," He sighs.

"Ste--"

"Do you not love me back?" He questions, voice cracking.

"Steve, I love you so much that it physically hurts, but I can't be a rebound, I'm sorry," I start to jog downstairs, holding back the tears threatening to spill from my eyes.

"Y/N, please. If you love me, we can make this work! Okay? I-If you just try-"

"No, Steve!" I cut him off, "I can't! We can't. God, can't you just drop it?!"

"No. I can't 'just drop it'! If you can be brave for Will in the Upside Down, you can love me!"

"LOVING YOU ISN'T THE FUCKING PROBLEM, STEVE" I snap. I wipe a tear from my eye and go to the door.

"Losing you is," I whisper.

I shut the door and start running down the road to my house.

I get home and run upstairs. I slam my bedroom door and collapse to the floor, sobbing.

Dustin walks in and sees me crying on the floor. He rushes forward and wraps his arms around me, "Are you okay?"

"No, Dusty, I'm not." I sniffle, "Don't know if I ever will be."

"You will be. Is it about the Upside Down?" He asks, pulling away.

"No," I sigh, "For once it's about normal teenage girl things."

"Harrington?" He questions knowingly. I furrow my eyebrows in confusion.

How could he know that?

"The way you guys look at each other makes me literally want to vomit." He chuckles.

"Dustin, I don't look at him any different then I do anyone else." I scoff.

"Bullshit! You love him and he loves you, It's obvious! Why else would he let you sleep in his bed every night even though he has a girlfriend?"

"Because it's what friends do!" I exaggerate each word to get my point across.

"God, whatever! You're delusional." Dustin laughs, "I don't just sleep with my friends, Y/N. Actually, I don't think anybody just sleeps with their friend. Especially if that friend is in a relationship."

"Whatever," I mumble. We sit in silence until Dustin speaks up again.

"I have something to show you."

We walk down the hall to his room and he turns on his bedroom light and walks to his tank where he keeps Yertle. He lifts the lid off and pulls a 3 Musketeers out of his pocket. An ugly little lizard looking thing comes from under a rock and I let out a small yelp.

"Dustin, What the actual fuck is that?!

"It's Dart! He's my new discovery, Now go get dressed before we're late for school." Dustin says putting the lid back on the tank.

"I'm not going today," I reply walking out of his room.

I spend the day listening to records and watching Grease on repeat. Around the third time rewatching my eyes get heavy and I fall asleep.

I wake up to the sound of screaming and jump up and run to Dustin's room to check on him.

I see him panting and staring at behind the chair in his room. I walk up beside him and see 'Dart' eating our cat. I wrap my arms around Dustin's shoulder's too afraid to move.

The thing turns around and it's face opens up and I instantly recognize what it is, a Demogorgan.