(enjoy this emotional but joyful chapter. also please comment if you want a wedding or not)

A few hours later, I was discharged from the hospital. We had no transportation because the cops had seized the RV we 'borrowed' when I was getting stitched up.

Max had to stay in the hospital until the next day so Lucas and Erica were staying with her for now.

The whole lot of us planned to walk to Hop's cabin but we knew that would be impossible before night fall.

Then Jonathan came out of the high clouds and realized they still had the pizza van. All of us piled into the van and set off to the cabin. We stopped only once by Reefer Ricks house to grab supplies.

But as we were heading back towards central Hawkins, we saw people leaving. Their cars were packed to the brim with their livelihoods.

Some people had fully abandoned their houses in the chaos, took their car and their kids and went to wait out the earthquake somewhere safer.

We got to the cabin around three in the afternoon, just as the sun was coming down from it's peak.

Eddie helped me out and we all went inside together.

The hole from last summer was slowly having the roof cave in. There was glass everywhere.

But the water still worked and we could easily get electricity back.

"Alright, let's get to work," Nancy said, smiling.

Mike, Will and Dustin began to clean the floors. Well, Dustin stood with crutches while leaning against the only stable wall in the house.

Nancy and Jonathan took care of the windows and roof. Steve, Robin and I worked on cleaning up the bathroom and kitchen area, throwing out rotted food and scraping dead bugs out of the bathtub. Eddie went off with Jonathan's long haired friend somewhere outside.

Robin was babbling away about how worried she was about Vickie. "Look, I know she has a boyfriend. She made that incredibly clear when they kissed at that army store. I just think I would feel better if I knew she didn't get crushed by a falling building during the earthquake."

"I don't see how that's my problem," Steve sighed as he adjusted his pink rubber gloves and cleaning apron.

"If anything, it should be bothering me. I caused the earthquake," I input. I was kneeling on the kitchen floor cleaning up what seemed to be the remains of a raccoon.

"Yeah, but you don't know her like I do. She's.... different."

"About as different as a wet paper towel with orange food coloring," I mumbled.

"Wet paper towel?" Steve chuckled.

"I didn't think anyone heard that."

"She's not a paper towel."

"I only meant that she's pale and ginger. Nothing else," I paused. "Well, maybe the lack of personality and ability to comprehend your romantic advances. But then again, I don't know her."

"You're wasting time on Vickie anyway. Rob, I see the way you look at Nance," Steve interjected.

"She has Jonathan," Robin sighed.

"That's not a no, is it?"

"Steve, she has Jonathan. Okay? Besides, I barely know her. She probably thinks I'm with Steve."

"But you're not. The only bad thing that could happen if you talk to her is rejection. My sister isn't going to beat you up or out you. That's just not who Nancy is."

"Hey, Charlie, twenty bucks says Robin will be too chicken to tell Nance how she feels," Steve whispered to me.

"You're on, Harrington. But I'm betting Robin can do it."

Robin was on the ground next to me sweeping up some leaves. Before she could even say anything else, Nancy walked back into the cabin.

"Char, can I talk to you?" Nancy asked.

I looked at Steve and Robin. "Sure."

I stood up and brushed some dirt off my jeans. Nancy led me outside towards the tool shed.

"Nancy, are you okay?" I asked.

She looked severely stressed but continued walking towards the little shed until we were standing inside.

"Nancy, you're freaking me out."

She heaved out a huge sigh. "Jonathan and I broke up."

I froze on the spot. "What happened?"

Nancy let out a soft chuckle. "We've been growing apart and we want different things. At the hospital, it was so sudden that I just kissed him. And we both love each other very much. We just decided to go our separate ways."

"You sound like a mom talking to her kids about divorce."

"Also he told me he likes guys," Nancy mumbled.

"Knew it. Steve owes me fifty bucks," I said.

"You were betting on my boyfriend's sexuality and didn't tell me?"

I grinned, "Hey, Steve and I bet on a lot of things."

"Oh yeah, like what?"

I felt my face getting hot. "Well, Steve and I have to keep each other entertained at Family Video somehow. But if you must know, we also bet on you and your seemingly flaccid love life."

Now it was Nancy's turn to blush. "I never bet on you at all."

"Good. You would have lost a lot of money that way."

We both quieted down, looking at each other in the dimly lit shed.

"Would you be okay with me telling you something personal?" Nancy asked me, fidgeting with her hands.

"Sure. But I feel like we know everything about each other anyway."

"Charlie, do you remember the other night when we were confessing things? And I said I kissed Jenny Cunningham?"

"Yeah?" I said.

I knew where this was going. I knew what Nancy was going to say. But I had to play it cool so I could win the bet and get Steve's money.

"Well, I really liked it. And I know everyone says it's wrong but I can't help it," Nancy was beginning to cry. "I don't know what's wrong with me, Charlie. I had Steve and Jonathan and that was really great but you shouldn't like both, right? I mean, we already are royally screwed up, might as well add some sort of mind game to the mix."

I had tears in my eyes but I refused to let them fall. "Nancy, you do realize Barb and I used to make out right?"

That wasn't entirely true. Barb and I kissed twice, then vowed to never kiss again. But Nancy needed to know that I had the same thoughts and it wasn't wrong.

Nancy froze. "What? What do you mean?"

"I mean that I, Charlie Wheeler, have kissed girls before," I replied.

"What do you mean 'girls'? There was more than one person?"

I blushed. "Well, there was Chrissy Cunningham. We kissed once but it was completely by accident. Then Robin and I did a little peck on the lips because Steve bet me fifty bucks that I wouldn't do it. And there was also Tammy Tompson, but she was drunk and thought I was Steve. Don't know how she mixed us up. Anyway, there were a few others, but those are the major ones."

Nancy was still staring at me.

"You're not worried that there's something wrong with you?" She asked me.

"No," I responded. "It's a real thing. It's called being bisexual. I'm cool with it. And I don't really care what other people think about who I love because it's my damn life. They don't get a say in what makes me happy."

"Do you think mom and dad would be okay with it?" Nancy questioned again.

"Do you want me to be honest?" I asked. Nancy nodded a yes at me. I continued, "I think they would hate it if they knew. We wouldn't fit in the mold of being the perfect christian cul-de-sac family. But mom has clearly done worse things, hence our being here. And dad clearly doesn't care, only about his food and his chair. It would only really come down to what we think about ourselves."

"Can I ask you one more question?" Nancy looked at me.

"It would help speed along the process of standing in this musty tool shed," I grinned lazily.

"It's about...." Nancy heaved an extremely long sigh. "It's about Robin."

I smiled, then focused back to Nancy.

"Go on."

"I really want to be with her, Charlie. I just don't think she'll accept me."

"Well, if it helps, I can bring her out here for you two to talk," I offered. "The shed heals all apparently." I muttered that last part.

"You'd really do that?" Nancy asked me.

"Of course I would. I care about you Nance. And seeing you like this, all worked up, it's better to just get it over with and talk to her than to prolong saying how you feel."

I dusted myself off.

"Should I just wait in here?" She asked, fidgeting with her hair.

"Yes. I'll have her out in two minutes," I gave her a reassuring smile and opened the shed door.

I walked back into the cabin where Steve and Robin were now working in the bathroom sweeping leaves.

"Hey Rob, Nancy asked if you could help her in the shed really quickly. She needs your opinion on something," I said, trying to keep a straight face.

"Why can't she ask Steve? He's clearly stronger than I am with my weak arms," Robin grinned.

"Robin Buckley, please, for the love of Cyndi Lauper, go and help Nance."

Steve nodded, "I need to talk with Charlie about something anyway."

Robin sighed and stood up, looking like a dusty and tired rag doll. She walked out of the bathroom humming a Beatles song.