Christines idea of a Saturday was not sitting on the couch, so bored she was reading one of her aunts romance novels, but here she was doing exactly that. She had thought about calling Steve but was in the unfortunate predicament that she had no idea what his number was. And then she considered Billy but also had no idea what his number was so eventually she just gave up thinking of ways to get out of the house and instead how to not die of boredom in the house.

A few chapters into her novel the doorbell rang, the girl hoping it was someone interesting to talk to instead fo listening to her aunt talk for hours on the phone. The older woman yelled for her uncle to get the door, the man groaning as he got up to open it. It was a few moments of unintelligible conversation before there was a few shouts and then finally one that concerned her.

"Christine?!" She was up as soon as she heard the first syllable, the girl running to the foyer and looking at who was at the door. She was surprised when she saw Dustin Henderson there, her eyebrows raising in confusion as to what he wanted from her.

"Here you go. The next best thing." Uncle Ted said, pushing Christine out the door and then closing it on the two. Christine was confused as to why she was being beckoned by Dustin Henderson, so she simply asked.

"What?"

"I need your help." Dustin said, his eyes closing as he let out a sigh. He realized that getting her help would include having to explain a lot of things to her, and he wasn't quite sure he was allowed to do that.

"With?"

"Just come on." Dustin started off, grabbing the girl by the shirt sleeve and pulling her away. He went to pick up his bike, the girl starting to ask where they were going before a familar red car pulled up. Dustin dropped the bike, looking at Steve Harrington as he got out of his car. Christine crossed her arms over her chest as she watched him walk through the yard with a bouquet of roses, her eyebrows raising as she realized he was taking her advice.

"Steve. Are those for Mr. or Mrs. Wheeler?" Dustin said, leading the way towards Steve.

"No." He answered , looking between the roses and Dustin and then to Christine and then back to Dustin.

"Good." Dustin said, ripping the flowers from his hands. He started off towards the car, as Steve yelled after him.

"Hey what the hell?!" He said, shaking his head in Christines direction.

"Nancy's not home."

"Where is she?" He asked, following after Dustin as he grabbed the door handle.

"Doesn't matter. We have bigger problems than your love life. Do you still have that bat?" Dustin said, Steve watching as Christine started towards the car as well.

"Bat? What bat?" Steve asked, confused as to why he was being bossed around by this child.

"The one with the nails."

"Why?"

"I'll explain on the way."

"Yeah you better." Christine said, finally speaking for the first time in awhile. Dustin sighed as he realized there was no way out of this, she was already getting in the car.

"Now?"

"Now!"

:::

"Wait a sec. How big?" Steve asked, his eyes going to look in the mirror. After a rushed and botched explanation along the way from Dustin and Steve, Christine was left having to believe terrible half truths and insane stories about monsters. She had been silent for awhile, and Steve had been checking on her every few minutes to make sure she was okay. However she wasn't entirely sure she believed any of it, she was more of an evidence kind of person.

"First it was like that. Now he's like this." Dustin put his hands up wide, Christine shaking her head as she let out a groan.

"I swear to God man, it's just some little lizard, okay?" Steve said, shaking his head.

"It's not a lizard!" Dustin defended.

"How do you know?"

"How do I know if it's not?"

"How do you know it's not just a lizard?" Steve raised his voice slightly, looking over at Dustin.

"Because his face opened up and he ate my cat."

"Your cat?" Christine interjected, her heart dropping as she thought of the dreadful sight.

"Yes. Mews." Dustin confirmed, the girl now looking to Steve.

"Steve are we almost there?" She said, reaching forwards and dropping a hand on his shoulder. Dustin took a look at that, his eyes narrowing as he spoke.

"Oh you guys know each other? You comfy?"

"I mean we're not comfy we just han-" Christine started, the girl getting cut off by Steve.

"Dustin, Nancy was my girlfriend, I'm around the house. Of course we know each other." The assertiveness of how he said it irritated Christine but she pushed it away, not knowing why Dustin couldn't know that they were friends.

Steve pulled into Dustins driveway, the three of them getting out and Steve opening his trunk. He tossed the keys to Dustin as Christine looked at him as he pulled the bat with nails out of the trunk, his eyes going to her as he held it. He thought for a moment before grabbing a hammer out of the back and pushing it into the girls hands, his hand quickly going up to close the trunk.

The three of them walked towards a storm cellar door, Steve shining a flashlight on it as they all stopped. There was complete silence as they all tried to listen for something.

"I don't hear shit." Steve said, looking to the other two.

"He's in there." Dustin confirmed, shrugging slightly as he looked at the red doors. Christine took a step forwards, bending down beside the doors and listening a little closer. Steve stared down at her as he hit the door with the bat the tiniest bit, just to see if there was any noise. Steve licked his lips as he hit it again, this time the impact making Christine jump a little bit. She stood up, her and Steve sharing a look before he turned the flashlight on Dustin.

"All right, listen, kid. I swear, if this is some sort of Halloween prank, you're dead." Steve said, looking at him seriously as he spoke.

"It's not." Dustin said, closing his eyes as the light shone into them.

"Steve." Christine said, shaking her head at his words. He ignored her, instead continuing on.

"Alright?"

"It's not a prank. Get it out of my face." Dustin said.

"You got a key for this thing?" Steve asked, Dustin nodding and going and grabbing it. Steve and Christine were left alone for only a few minutes, the girl seizing this opportunity to get a word in.

"How legit do you think this is?" Christine asked, still not comprehending much of whats going on.

"Pretty legit. I don't think he has any reason to lie to us. Especially you, because you're not even a part of this."  Steve backed Dustin, Christine nodding her head as he spoke. She felt a little sting as he told her she had no part in this but Steve meant it as a means to the truth, she really did have no idea what all of this was about. They stood in silence for a moment before she spoke again.

"Are you alright?" She asked, knowing that he was going to apologize to Nancy but that she still was gone. He looked over at her when she asked, wondering why someone he barely knew kept asking him if he was okay and actually being concerned with the answer.

"I'm alright." He paused for a moment, an appreciative smile crossing his lips as he spoke again. "Thank you for asking."

Christine gave him a nod as Dustin approached, the girl laying a hand on his arm and returning his smile. Once again Dustin did not take this gesture lightly, his mind already spinning with thoughts of Steve stealing another one of his girls.

"Alright here." He said, walking between the two of them and holding the key up to Steve. He rolled his eyes, watching as the girl snatched the key from his hand, bending over to open the lock. Dustin watched with his arms crossed as she did so, looking to Steve with raised eyebrows as she bent over in front of them. Steve shook his head, his lip curling up as he pushed Dustins hat a little lower at his gesture. He looked back at the girl though, his eyes slightly wandering as well, making Dustin hold in a laugh as she finally pulled the chain off.

"All you Steve."