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CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE ; A SLOW DANCE
also known as;
( the gate ; part five )

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"HEY! I KNEW IT'D FIT!" STELLA GRINNED AS SHE LEANED AGAINST THE DOORWAY LEADING TO MAX'S BEDROOM. The redhead nervously smiled as she turned around to face the older girl, tugging at different parts of her outfit. She was getting ready for the Snow Ball at the middle school, and was absolutely terrified. As Stella was the only person she really adored besides Lucas (though she wouldn't admit that to him just yet), she had asked her to come over to help her get ready. 

"Are you sure it looks okay?" The younger girl inquired, her eyes wide as she awaited the judgements of the person she saw as her mentor. Stella crossed her arms and chuckled softly stepping forward and shaking her head softly. 

"You look great, kid," the teen assured her easily, no hesitance in her voice whatsoever. Max didn't want to wear a dress, and Stella completely understood why. There was no need to feel pressured into dressing up like someone she wasn't, so a smart jumper and corduroy pants were a perfect alternative. "I never used to like wearing all that fancy stuff when I was your age, and besides, you can dance a whole lot better in pants."

Max grinned in response, tucking her ginger hair behind her ear. Her mother had braided the top for her so that it stayed out of her face but still hung past her shoulders. She looked a picture, and Stella was grateful to be a part of it. 

It had been a month since the eventful week they had spent together, and no one had fully recovered. Stella had to return home to two worried parents, concussed and beaten. Needless to say, they weren't too excited to see her cracked plaster cast and the blood dried around various parts of her body. 

There seemed to be a new element of peace within Hawkins, seeing as the laboratory had finally been shut down and locked up after a report had been released regarding the state of the place, conveniently leaving out the supernatural details. Even the death of Barbara Holland, Nancy's former best friend had been 'solved'. An empty casket was buried, but at least the young teen's parents had some closure. 

Not a lot had really happened since the shit hit the fan; everything seemed to calm down a little between Max and Mike now that Eleven was back in the picture, and regarding the relationships with the older kids...it was complicated. Nancy and Jonathan were now public and clearly a lot happier together (to the surprise of the entire high school student body), Leilani and Richie were just as sweet and gushy as they had been the week they started dating, and Kevin had even met someone at the arcade. 

"You ready to hit the road?" Stella asked Max, who nodded quickly and grabbed her jacket from where it hung on the doorknob. She ran through the house and towards the front door, yelling her goodbyes to her mother and step-father. Stella hung back a little to properly speak to them. "The dance finishes around nine, and then the kids were hoping to go the arcade for half and hour if that was alright?" 

"Of course," Susan, Max's mother responded with a warm smile. She was an anxious woman, though she had been nothing but kind to one of the only positive role models her daughter had. Compared to the exhausting nature of Billy, Stella was kind and went out of her way to look out for Max like an older sister would. "Thank you for being such a good friend to Max, Stella. It's nice to know she has someone like you to look up to."

Stella chuckled bashfully, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. "Oh, it's fine, Mrs Hargrove. She's a good kid, it's a delight to have her around town."

"Maybe Billy could learn a thing or two from you," Mr Hargrove piped up, and Stella unconsciously straightened up a little. "Huh, son?"

Stella's eyes travelled over the middle-aged man's shoulders to see Billy himself, the bully holding a drink in his hand. He hadn't spoken a word to her since the events at the Byers home, and she was thankful for it. He was cruel and abusive, and there wasn't a lot he could do to redeem himself. In response to his father's jibe, the boy made a small 'hmph'. "Uh huh."

"Well," Stella chose not to converse with the boy her age, instead grasping the keys to her mother's car tight in her hands. "I'll see you all later tonight, bye!"

"Bye, Stella," Susan called as the raven-haired teen spun on her heel and walked to the front door, making a swift but polite exit. Max was waiting somewhat impatiently by the passenger door, clearly itching to get to the dance to hang out with her friends. Stella's usual grin appeared on her face as she escaped the slightly tense atmosphere of the Hargrove home, ready to see her honorary little sister off to her first dance. 

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"Do you need me to walk you in?" Stella asked as she pulled into a parking space, turning the engine off. Max had grown considerably uneasy on the drive over, and it was clear she wasn't sure if she wanted to go inside. 

"Would that be okay?" the redhead asked softly, and Stella smiled, nodding quickly. The two girls stepped out of the car and began walking side by side towards the gymnasium. Muffled music poured out of the doors, and Stella's head nodded to and fro as she heard the familiar voice of Ric Ocasek. Max stayed glued to her side as they entered the building, seeing the science teacher, Mr Clark, at the ticket table. 

The moustached man smile up at the two once they entered, and Max handed over her ticket slightly awkwardly. "Thank you, Max! Ah, Stella, are you supervising tonight?"

"No, actually," Stella shook her head. "Apparently I'm not cool enough to be chaperoning, which kinda sucks for the kids, since they won't get to see my killer dance moves."

"What a bummer," Max muttered, and Stella jokingly nudged her as she began walking towards the doors. "I'll see you later, Star."

"Have fun, kid," Stella chuckled, before waving goodbye to Mr Clark and sauntering out the exit again. The smile remained on her face when she saw Dustin climbing out of Steve's car, which was hanging directly outside the gym. Her eyes immediately fell on the boy's hair, which had somehow been styled to appear taller and bushier, though he worked it. "Dustin! You look great!"

"Thanks, Star," Dustin grinned, clicking his fingers in her direction, before confidently strolling towards the establishment. 

Stella couldn't stop smiling as she appeared in Steve's window, her eyebrows raised. "He looks pretty dapper, don't you think?"

"Yeah, he's a real lady killer," he chuckled in response, watching as the girl climbed into his passenger seat before starting the car. "So, what're we supposed to do for two hours?"

"I have no idea," Stella shrugged, leaning forward and playing with the radio until she found a station she liked. I Ran (So Far Away) began blasting through the small space as Steve took off down the road, his face screwed up as he tried to think of ways to pass the time. Stella clicked her fingers after a moment. "The roller rink!"

"No way, I nearly broke a bone last time we did that," Steve shook his head, though his lips were slightly upturned. Stella huffed, falling back in defeat. "We could go to Indigo? They're open late on Fridays."

"Yeah, sure," Stella hummed, tapping her hands on the dashboard to the beat of the song. She didn't notice how Steve looked over at her every few seconds; she didn't notice how even when she was wearing a dinosaur sweatshirt and a pair of sweatpants, he thought she was the most beautiful girl in the world. 

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Stella and Steve had managed to plow through three milkshakes and two bowls of fries in an hour, and they were both beginning to tire from the lack of things to do. Stella had facepalmed at the realisation that they could've gone to see a movie, but by the time she had come up with the idea, they had realised that they didn't have enough time to last through half of one. 

"Do you have a quarter?" Steve muttered to her as the music in the diner began to die. Stella nodded and reached into her pocket, pulling out a few coins and handing him a couple so that he could choose a few songs. He thanked her softly and pushed himself up from the booth, sauntering over to the jukebox at the end of the establishment, where he pushed a few buttons. 

Seconds later, the diner was filled with the melodic voice of Billy Joel, and Steve stepped back over to Stella, holding his hand out towards her. A smile was on his lips as he stared down at her, finally not humiliated to show his childish side in public. "Can I have this dance?"

She raised an eyebrow at his request, though she didn't hesitate in taking his hand and allowing him to pull her up. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close, allowing her to place her hands by his neck. They both made eye contact and laughed like bashful kids, though neither let go. They began to sway to the beat of This Night, a song that somehow managed to perfectly represent how their story happened to play out. 

"So, how've you been holding up?" Steve asked softly as he stared down at Stella. Her face fell a little, though her mood didn't completely ruin. She shrugged a little, not really knowing what to say. Steve didn't really need her to reply though, he knew it'd take a while for things to truly go back to normal. Instead, he held her tight as the song continued, pressing his lips to her forehead. 

"Tomorrow, is such a long time away," Stella sung along softly, her eyes closed as she rocked back and forth to the mesmerising beat. "But this night can last forever."

"You know how a while back I said that you gotta be there for the people you love?" Steve mumbled, and Stella nodded softly, opening her eyes and staring up at him. She watched as the popular boy she once had a slight hatred towards swallow nervously. "Well, I want you to know that I'm always gonna be there for you. Cause I, I love you, Star."

Stella felt her heart skip a beat, her insides turning mushy. No one had ever said that to her before, not under these circumstances at least. She couldn't believe that someone felt that way towards her, seeing as she was so eccentric, so strange. But then again, maybe it was time, maybe she finally deserved it. 

So, in the neon lights of Indigo Diner in the centre of the town she was born and raised in, she looked into the eyes of Steve Harrington and pushed herself onto her tiptoes, gently pressing her lips against his for the briefest of seconds. 

As she pulled away, she couldn't help herself but respond with the words that had been on the tip of her tongue for a lot longer than she'd bargained for. 

"I love you too."

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YAY WE LOVE HAPPY ENDINGS!!

DEDICATED TO ME FOR FINISHING !!!!

so ,,, that's the end of season two, and sadly i won't be seeing you fellas again until season three :(((( 

thank you all so much for coming on this wild journey with me, i've had such a good time writing about stella and her dumb ass antics, and her growing relationship with steve-o 

tell me what you thought of the ending!! i feel like they all deserved a lil happiness let's be real, stranger things is a sad emo show and all those assholes need a smile

also!! this is the song steve and stella were dancing to, it's soft as fucK and i've been meaning to use it for one of my ocs, and stella and steve's relationship is so perfect for it!! 

https://youtu.be/wNOXu_yoDYI

MY HEART.

so, i guess i won't see you guys later?? ouch my feelings are hurting

once again, thanks for everything y'all have done for me, from the constant support you've given, to the jokes and comments i adore reading, as well as the awards you've nominated this book for?? i appreciate you guys sO much it's unreal

love you all, ivy xo