❁

they sat him up in the backseat. "can't we just leave him here?" max asked, confused.

"what if billy wakes up and actually kills him?" meadow countered. "i'm not leaving him here, so you can just forget it." she climbed into the front seat, turning on the car before speeding off down the road. lucas sat in the seat next to her, giving her directions to the tunnels' opening. the car was filled beyond capacity, and she was going much too fast, but no one had time to worry about it.

steve began to groan as he woke up, and meadow fought the urge to look over her shoulder at him. "meadow?" he mumbled, looking up at dustin, who sent him a confused look. he moved to touch his face.

"no, don't touch it." dustin warned. "hey, buddy." he shushed him. "you put up a good fight. he kicked your ass, but you put up a fight. you're okay."

lucas turned to meadow. "you're gonna keep straight for half a mile, and then make a left on mount sinai." she nodded, pressing the gas harder.

".. meadow?" steve asked at the mention of her name, his eyes widening at the realization that the car was going really fast. "what's going on?" he asked.

dustin attempted to calm him down. "they were gonna leave you behind, but meadow and i promised you'd be cool."

steve began to panic, not liking how fast the car was going. meadow pressed the gas even harder, speeding the car down the street. "whoa!" he mumbled. "stop the car. slow down."

"i told you he'd freak out!" mike yelled.

"stop the car!" steve shouted.

meadow turned a little in her seat. "everybody shut up! i can't hear the directions." she looked up, seeing a sign for mount sinai and taking a harsh left. the car was going extra fast on the corner, and steve hugged onto dustin, crying out. the car stopped abruptly, and all the kids quickly got out.

steve, trying to get out of the car, immediately fell to the ground. "guys, this isn't safe!" he mumbled, standing up. "we are not going down there, i made myself clear!" meadow passed out goggles and bandanas to the kids, ignoring steve's yelling. "there's no chance we're going to that hole, alright? this ends right now!" he threw a piece of fabric onto the floor.

"steve!" meadow said loudly, making him shut up. "look, i understand you're upset, but we have to go down there to kill as many of them as we can." steve leaned against the car, mumbling to himself.

dustin handed a pair of goggles to his sister. "bottom line is, a party member requires assistance and it is our duty to provide that assistance. now, i know you promised to keep us safe." he handed him his bat. "so keep us safe."

steve looked down at him, frustrated, before taking the bag. "you two are exactly alike, you know that?" he pointed to meadow and dustin, sighing.

steve was the last of the group to go down the rope and into the tunnels, shining his flashlight around. meadow, who had been the first down, held a canister of gasoline in one hand, a flashlight in the other as she looked around. "i'm pretty sure it's this way!" mike called.

"you're pretty sure, or you're certain?" dustin replied.

"i'm 100 percent sure!" mike insisted. "just follow me and you'll know."

meadow frowned. "something a cult leader would say!"

steve pulled mike back. "woah, woah, woah, hey, hey, hey. i don't think so." he moved in front of him. "any of you little shits die down here, i'm getting the blame. got it, dipshit?"

meadow moved up to stand next to him. "always the gentleman." she replied sarcastically, shining her flashlight in his face before moving further into the tunnels.

"hey!" steve yelled, moving to be in front of her. "the adult's first."

the girl rolled her eyes. "steve, you realize we're the same age, right?" steve ignored her and began to lead the way, moving through the dark tunnels.

the sound of dustin screaming made meadow turn, pushing her way through the kids to get to her brother. "shit! shit! shit!" he screamed, falling to the ground.

"dustin, what happened, are you hurt?" meadow asked, kneeling on the floor next to him.

dustin continued screaming. "it's in my mouth! some got in my mouth! shit!" he lowered his bandana, coughing. steve moved next to meadow, worry clouding his eyes. after coughing for a minute, dustin looked up. "i'm okay." he said, looking up at them. the whole group turned to walk away.

"you serious?"

"very funny, man."

"nice. very nice."

"jesus, what an idiot."

meadow held out a hand to help him up, deciding to stay near the back to be with him, letting steve take the lead. "alright, wheeler." steve said. "i think we found your hub." meadow moved to the front, looking around her at the endless amounts of tunnels that spread from their current position.

"let's drench this thing." meadow said, grabbing her gasoline and beginning to pour it. the kids joined her, spreading gasoline at every tunnel opening and every surface, including the ceiling.

once they'd finished, they all stood by the tunnel they'd come from. "light her up." dustin said to steve.

steve held up his lighter, panting. "i am in such deep shit." he opened it, dropping the flame into the center of the expanse. meadow held a hand up to shield her face from the sudden explosion, motioning for the kids to go. they all began to run as the tunnel caught fire faster than they had expected.

"help!" mike yelled as a vine reached out for him. steve hit the vine repeatedly with his bat until it finally left him alone. before the group could continue their escape, a demodog screeched, catching the everyone's attention as meadow helped mike stand up.

"dart." dustin said as he turned to face it. he screeched, looking up at him.

meadow pulled on his arm. "dustin, get back!" she whispered, scared.

"trust me!" he held up a hand. dart moved closer. "hey," dustin lowered his bandana and removed his goggles. "it's me, it's your friend. it's dustin, alright?" dart moved even closer. "will you let us pass?" dart's face opened up, meadow cursing in fear, steve holding her back. "okay, okay, i'm sorry. i'm sorry about the storm cellar." dustin said. "that was a pretty douchey thing to do. you hungry?" dustin reached into his bag, pulling out a 3 musketeers. "i've got our favorite." dustin said. "see? nougat!" he held it out for dart to inspect. the creature grunted as dustin opened it. he ate it up, dustin motioning for the group to move.

meadow waited for her brother, following steve as soon as dustin was with them in the tunnel. more demogorgons screeched, and the group all turned at the sound. "they're coming." meadow said, looking to the others. "quick, run!"

they all ran, finally seeing the rope in the distance. steve held out his hand as a foot rest while meadow helped the kids climb up the rope, max getting out first. they had just helped dustin out when a screech sounded, undeniably closer than the others. the demodogs were just around the corner, and steve and meadow were going to die.

everything around her stopped as meadow looked up. she was going to die. it was almost funny, she thought, that this would be the way she died. she looked to steve, and it dawned on her. she was going to die. she was going to die, and all she could think about was steve. he had become the most important person in her life in the matter of a week, but she wondered if he had always been important to her. if her hatred towards him all those years had merely been a fragment of her imagination; a trick of denial to convince her against what she'd known all along.

they were going to die, and meadow couldn't even think straight. but in those split seconds, there was one thing that was for certain.

steve moved to protect himself with his bat, stopping when meadow pulled on his arm. "steve!" she exclaimed. "steve, i need to tell you something!" he turned, confused, lifting his goggles as she did the same. "i love you, too."

meadow pulled him down by the front of his shirt, pulling down both of their masks before pressing her lips to his. she could feel fireworks going off inside of her, as if she had finally been complete. steve smiled against her lips, pulling her closer by her waist while her fingers moved to run though his hair.

they could have stayed like that forever if they hadn't felt the demodogs running past them. "eleven." meadow mumbled, looking up at steve.