CHAPTER 6
THE ONE WITH THE NAILS

STEVE Harrington turned on the shower in an angry manner. He washed off all the sweat clinging to his body from basketball practice, as well as his frustration. Billy Hargrove completely threw him off during the play, showing himself as the most dominant player on the team. Steve already disliked him for what he did to Veronica Moreda – though Billy didn't realize that Steve knew of this – but today made him loathe the new kid even more.

He felt a presence near him as he scrubbed shampoo through his thick hair. The other boy turned on the shower and blew a few boogers from his nostrils. "Don't sweat it, Harrington," Billy's deep voice rang through the locker room. "Today's just not your day, man."

"Yeah, it's not your week," Tommy Hellos laughed from the shower beside Steve's. "You and the princess break up for one day, and she's already running off with the freak's brother."

Steve glanced to Tommy in confusion.

"Oh, shit," Tommy grinned big. "You don't know. Jonathan and the princess skipped yesterday. Still haven't shown. But that might be just a coincidence, right?" He chuckled loudly before turning off his shower and leaving.

Billy leaned against the shower nozzle. "Don't take it too hard, man. Pretty boy like you has nothing to worry about. Plenty of bitches in the sea, am I right?" He smirked slightly. "You know that Veronica Moreda, right? She's easy enough."

Steve looked up to send Billy a glare, but the other boy was already switching his shower off and slapping Steve on the back. Billy ignored Steve's hateful expression, and instead, smiled wide as he walked away to change.

Hiding his anger towards Billy Hargrove was the hardest thing he had to do in that moment.

•••

Veronica had enough of the stares by Wednesday. She was so tired of the whispers, and knew she needed to end the issue between her and Billy once and for all. This new kid had fucked up her nonexistent life even before she wanted it to start again.

She wanted a night of fun again; she wanted to forget what happened on Halloween two years ago. Instead, she got stupidly drunk and fucked the new kid, only to boost his ego and ruin hers. They were both at fault, but she needed an apology for him just leaving her at the party, naked and vulnerable.

When classes were released for lunch, Veronica lingered by her classroom and waited to see Billy Hargrove venture outside the school to eat. After a few minutes, the crowds of kids in the hallway slowly dispersed to allow him through. He threw some winks to random girls, including Carol, but all Veronica could focus on was her flinching to the sound of his large boots. He walked right past her, not even noticing her presence.

Veronica's teeth grit and she adjusted the straps of her backpack. She stepped out into the crowded hall, elbowing people out of her way. Just as Billy neared the entrance of the school, Veronica shouted, "HEY, NEW KID!"

Billy stopped in his tracks. His jaw clenched at the sound of her voice. He cracked his knuckles as he turned around, and he then realized how close she was.

Veronica stared at him with hate in her eyes. Everyone in the hall was looking at them, and it reeked of silence. The blue-haired girl swallowed hard. Billy lifted his hand just a bit, and though Veronica didn't know what he was going to do, she smacked his hand away. "Who the fuck do you think you are?" She spat.

"You're still on this," he said with a roll of his eyes.

"You left me at a party while I was drunk and naked in a stranger's room!" Her loud voice peaked off the ceiling above them. "What the fuck is wrong with you?!"

Billy leaned in close, his hands forming into fists. "You can bitch all you want about that night," he muttered, "but don't act like it wasn't the best fuck of your life. Who do you think you are, Veronica Moreda? I made your life at that party."

"No," she seethed, leaning closer, "I made you. You weren't shit until we went to that party. I may be a nobody, but people still know my name, and they only now know yours because of me."

Billy stood up straight, glaring coldly at Veronica. His eyes moved down the hall, where Steve Harrington was pushing through the crowd of high school students watching the drama unfold. Steve's heart was still mending from Nancy, but he still hadn't seen Veronica for three days. He assumed she had been avoiding him, but truthfully, she had been avoiding everyone due to embarrassment.

Veronica folded her arms across her chest. Her narrowed gaze never left Billy's. "Apologize."

Billy furrowed his brow. "For what?"

"For leaving me naked at that stupid, fucking party after we had sex."

He chuckled darkly, and ended up covering his mouth with the back of his hand. "What did you think we would do after?" He asked, watching Steve approach the two cautiously. "Cuddle? Hold hands? Seriously?"

"I don't want to cuddle you. I don't want to hold your hand. I don't even want to fuck you again." She pointed her finger into his chest, her lip curling up in anger. "What I want is an apology."

Steve was behind Veronica then, and he slowly placed his hand on her shoulder. "Ronnie, maybe you should –"

She shrugged off his hand immediately, sending him a glare over her shoulder. "Apologize!" She shouted louder.

Billy shook his head, turning on his heel to walk away. Veronica's hands lashed out as she reached for Billy's arm in a violent manner, but she was suddenly being dragged away. She felt Steve Harrington's lanky arms hold her back tightly. "NO!" She shrieked. Her voice pierced the walls and caused a few students to cover their ears. "HE HAS TO FUCKING APOLOGIZE!"

"Good luck with that, sweetheart!" Billy waved his hand before exiting the high school.

Veronica fought against Steve's arms, allowing a few tears to slip down her cheeks. "APOLOGIZE, YOU DUMB FUCK!" She tried wiggling out of Steve's hold, but she eventually gave up. Students in the hall began to talk and move away again. Veronica then held Steve's arm tighter, curling her head against her former friend's chest. "I just ... I wanted an apology."

Steve didn't know exactly what to do as the girl he used to know so well was now close. He awkwardly patted her back and loosened his hold on her arm. "You weren't going to get that from him," he replied.

Veronica sucked in the rest of her tears, suddenly feeling vulnerable again, which she hated. "I don't even know why I'm crying," she laughed nervously, "especially on you. I'll get out of your hair." She grabbed ahold of her backpack's straps and began to walk away.

Before he could stop himself, Steve was grabbing her hand to stop her stride. He quickly let go of her long fingers as she turned to face him with a confused expression. "Why did you just grab my hand?" She asked, dragging out the first word.

"I just –" Steve bit his lip hesitantly. "Wanna get out of here?"

"You mean, ditch?"

Steve nodded. "Yeah, you look like you need a break."

A grin slowly slid onto Veronica's face. "Say no more, Harrington."

•••

Steve Harrington and Veronica Moreda were now inseparable. He was happy to have her back as a friend again. Veronica had always been a good friend to have, even when he was a dickhead in the past. She was funny; she was entertaining, not to mention that everyone looked scared of her, which gave him satisfaction to walk around school with her. She almost filled a void of Nancy, but she was nothing like her.

Nancy, a name he wished to speak of. He missed her, yet he also felt betrayed to realize that she's been away this whole time with Jonathan Byers. Maybe he needed to be the one to apologize, even though she was the one to get mad at him and call their relationship "bullshit." When asked for Veronica's opinion, the blue-haired girl told him there's nothing he could do about it. "If you and Nancy aren't meant to be ..." She had trailed off. "You can't mess with fate."

Steve raised a brow. "You believe in fate?"

"No," she said matter-of-factly, "but you can't mess with it, Harrington. Whatever it is."

Regardless of what she said, Steve was driving to the Wheeler abode after school. He asked Veronica to come with him for support, though she made clear that she did not support this whatsoever. "It's a waste of your time," she said in a sing-song tone, but Steve pretended he didn't hear. He made her hold a small bouquet of roses for Nancy, but ending up taking the flowers away when Veronica kept trying to prick her finger on the roses to "see what it felt like."

Steve parked the car and got out with the roses. Veronica stayed in the passenger seat and smoked a cigarette. She watched him outside her window, walking to the house of his ex like an idiot. She glanced to the side of the Wheelers' house, spotting a kid with curly hair try to hop on his bike. Her brow furrowed at the headset he wore, but even more when he approached Steve. Veronica rolled down her window as the kid called out Steve's name.

"Are those for Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler?" The kid asked, pointing towards the bouquet.

Steve shook his head. "No –"

"Good," the younger boy said, snatching the roses and stalking towards his car. Steve tried to yell for him to come back, but the kid interrupted, "Nancy isn't home."

"Where is she?"

The kid shrugged. "Doesn't matter. We have bigger problems than your love life." He began to open the back seat of Steve's car.

Veronica turned to the unknown child. "Uh, excuse me –" She was at a loss for words as she looked to Steve. She suddenly didn't feel the urge to smoke her cigarette anymore. "Who is this kid, Harrington?"

"Dustin," the boy smiled big, revealing a wide set of teeth. "You already have yourself a rebound, Steve?"

"NO!" Both teenagers exclaimed in unison, looking to each other with embarrassment.

Dustin glanced from one to the other. "Anyways," he said carefully, "you still have that bat?"

Steve wrinkled his nose. "Bat? What bat?"

"The one with the nails?"

"The one with the nails?!" Veronica's eyes went wide. Her brain felt crazed. "What is going on? How do you know this kid?"

Dustin placed a small finger to the strange girl's lips, and he smiled in amusement. "Don't talk, lady." He said as Steve ran for the driver's seat. "We'll explain on the way."

•••

A/N: HERE WE GO KIDS

( made by JustSav )