CHAPTER 11
WHAT FRIENDS DON'T DO

VERONICA came to know the new kids as Lucas and Max, also formally known as MADMAX and Billy Hargrove's step sister. How unfortunate for her. These kids had quite an extensive knowledge on the subject of this other dimension bullshit, and Veronica soon found out that, besides Max, they had all been involved in the search for Will Byers last year. They were lucky to find him, luckier than her younger brother.

While Lucas climbed up the ladder to the roof, the rest of the group stayed huddled in the bus. Veronica sat in one of the beanbags beside Steve, trying to rest her eyes, but to no avail. It was difficult to find sleep during this hour. The wind howled outside. Steve flicked a lighter on and off, and when Veronica eventually placed a cigarette between her lips, he lit it for her. She gave him an awkward look, but thanked him with a soft smile.

"So," Max cleared her throat, tugging the ends of her green sweatshirt over her hands, "you've really fought one of these things before?"

Veronica glanced up as she took a drag from the cigarette. She nudged Steve for the question, and he eventually nodded.

"And you're, like, totally one hundred percent sure it wasn't a bear?"

Dustin, who had been pacing, shook his head. "Shit, don't be an idiot."

"Hey, hey, give her a break, kid." Veronica said with her hand out. "I was skeptical too. Still am."

Max raised a brow. "Have you seen one of them?"

"No," Veronica admitted with a cigarette near her mouth, the nicotine wafting from it. "But I did see a mighty big, never-ending hole with slime around it. Don't know any bear that could possibly do that."

Dustin rolled his eyes, turning to Max. "It wasn't a bear. Why are you even here if you don't believe us? Just go home."

Veronica blinked at Dustin's attitude, and for a split second, his personality almost reminded her of Louie. Max leaned back in her seat when she heard his response, and with a heavy sigh, she got up from her seat. "Jeez, someone's cranky." She began to climb up the ladder. "Past your bedtime?"

Veronica coughed out smoke and rubbed the end of her nose. "Hey," she whispered to Dustin, "what was up with that, kid? You can't just say that to the girl you like."

"What are you talking about? That was good." Steve replied, sarcasm seeping from his tone. "Just show her you don't care."

"I don't," Dustin seethed.

Veronica rolled her eyes, smoke bellowing from her mouth. Steve was staring at Dustin, winking at him with both eyes as he slowly snaked his arm across Veronica's shoulders. "Why are you winking, Steve?" Dustin asked. "Just kiss your blue girlfriend already."

Veronica turned to Steve with a furrowed brow, and he immediately retracted his arm. Steve sent her a nervous smile and continue flicking his lighter on and off. Dustin slowly strode away to pace again, leaving Veronica and Steve in their usual silence. She took a drag from her cigarette, glancing back and forth to Steve.

"You know, Harrington," she smiled a bit at a memory, "two years ago, I had, like, the biggest crush on you."

Steve's eyes bugged out of his skull, but he tried to hide the expression. He choked on air just a bit. Veronica smacked his back to help him breathe, but he eventually held up his hands. "Really?" He finally huffed out. "That's – uh – really?"

Veronica chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, of course. You were, like ..." She tried to think of the best word. "You were the perfect guy for every girl. But I was dating Tommy so ..."

"What about now?"

Veronica noticed he was staring at her with interest. A smirk graced his lips, and she looked away to ignore it. "Well," she blinked, "we've both changed drastically, right?"

Steve flicked his lighter on again, watching the flame swirl in the cold air. Veronica thought over her response, and began to regret it. She squished her cigarette on the metal floor of the bus and shook her head, turning in her bean bag to fully face Steve.

"That was stupid. I shouldn't have said that." Veronica continued, and Steve cautiously met her eyes. "I don't how obvious it is, but I don't, like, normally talk about my feelings. My dad says I'm too 'emotionally detached.' Therapy didn't help much."

Steve shook his head. "You don't have to apologize –"

"But I do," she added. Her voice was adamant. "I treated you like shit after everything with my brother. Granted, you were a dickhead back then, Harrington, but it was wrong of me to just stop talking to you and your friends and become a totally different person. I also didn't acknowledge you after you saved me from that god awful party weeks ago. I'm just not ... good with people anymore, but that's no excuse." It took her a long moment, and Steve's mouth was falling open in surprise when she grabbed his hand. Their fingers entwined together. "You're a good person now, Steve. More people should be like you."

His brow went up, causing her to laugh. "You're gonna make me blush."

Veronica elbowed him in the side, but it barely hurt due to his thick sweater and jacket. Her hand was still in his, and the skin was turning a flush pink from holding his fingers tightly. It made all the hairs stand on the back of Steve's neck. Her head fell on his left shoulder, and she whispered, "I guess ... I'm kinda glad we're friends again."

Steve looked down at their conjoined hands, and while his were becoming sweaty, he noticed how completely at ease Veronica was at the moment. In a time where they were hunted by inter-dimensional monsters and kids were being kidnapped, she found the time to sit here and hold a boy's hand, who thought she deserved someone so much better. What he didn't realize was that she felt the same way for him, but she could never say it out loud.

Steve pursed his lips. "Friends don't normally hold hands, Moreda."

Veronica lifted her head and it slowly turned to Steve's. She finally realized the small amount of space between them, and it terrified her. She swallowed hard, staring into the same eyes that matched her own: dark and reflective. Her hand didn't leave his, not even when he began to lean forward.

And that was when they heard it.

A loud, overbearing screech filled the air outside. Veronica and Steve immediately stood up, completely forgetting the tender scene they were engrossed in. They ran to one of the fenced in windows with Dustin right beside them, whom they didn't know was watching their whole conversation with a toothy grin. Veronica peered through the fencing, seeing nothing but the fog swirling over the dead grass of the junkyard. Her hand carefully laid itself on Steve's shoulder for balance, and Steve's knees almost buckled. He shook off the reaction quickly.

"You see them?" Dustin asked.

The two teenagers shook their heads. "No," Steve answered.

Dustin called up to the roof, "Lucas! What's going on?" A shuffling occurred on the ceiling, and Veronica felt her breath catch in her throat.

"I'VE GOT EYES! TEN O'CLOCK! TEN O'CLOCK!"

( made by JustSav )