𝟬𝟬𝟲. 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗿-𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄

Toni Henderson was perched on the edge of the front porch, the crisp morning air biting at her cheeks. The sky was a pale wash of light blue, the sun barely peeking over the horizon. She sat there, leaning against the wooden post, fingers fiddling restlessly with the rings on her hands, twisting and untwisting them in rhythm with her growing impatience. The old leather jacket she'd thrown on barely did anything to keep the cold away, but it wasn't like she was planning on staying outside for long.

If only Steve Harrington would hurry up.

Across the yard, the Henderson house sat silent, the curtains drawn and the windows reflecting the first light of day. Inside, Dustin was scrambling around like a headless chicken, trying to stuff his science project into his overstuffed backpack. Toni rolled her eyes just thinking about it. The kid could never get his act together in the mornings, which was why she always refused to give him a ride to school. But today, things were different.

Today, she was stranded.

Without her beloved car keys—thanks to whatever shit had unfolded at Tina's party last night—she was at the mercy of Steve Harrington, of all people. The guy who'd somehow ended up with her keys and now owed her a ride to school. He was late, of course. Typical Harrington.

Just as she was about to storm back inside to yell at Dustin to get his ass in gear, she heard the familiar roar of Steve's car approaching. The glossy BMW rolled up to the curb with that annoying confidence only Steve's car seemed to exude. He pulled to a stop, the engine rumbling low like it was laughing at her predicament. She pushed herself off the porch, her boots crunching against the frosty ground as she walked over.

Before she could even open her mouth to throw a snarky comment his way, Dustin burst through the front door, tripping over his untied shoelaces as he barreled down the steps. "Hey, Steve!" Dustin yelled, waving with one hand while clutching his half-zipped backpack with the other.

"Morning, dipshit," Toni greeted her younger brother, her voice tinged with that familiar edge. She couldn't resist it, not when Dustin looked so frazzled, his curls bouncing wildly as he tried to keep up.

"D'you check the lost and found yet?" Dustin quipped, passing by Toni

"Zip your bag," Toni almost snapped, sliding into the passenger seat and slamming the door behind her. The scent of Steve's cologne filled her nose—something clean with an edge of musk that she'd never admit she liked. She settled into the worn leather seat, adjusting her rings absentmindedly as she tried not to let the confined space get to her.

Steve didn't even bother with a greeting, just gave her a sideways glance that screamed, I don't want to deal with your attitude this early. He pulled away from the curb, the tires skidding a little on the cold pavement. The morning was slowly waking up around them—bicycles creaking past, dogs barking at fences, and the occasional commuter already speeding towards whatever miserable job awaited them.

"You're late," Toni said, breaking the silence, her eyes fixed on the road ahead.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Steve replied, not bothering to hide the sarcasm. "Didn't realize I was supposed to be your chauffeur. I thought I was just doing you a favor since, you know, you lost your keys."

"Correction," she shot back, turning to face him, "someone stole my keys, and last I checked, you were the one holding them."

"Which I told you—I got from some random drunk dude at the party." Steve's jaw clenched as he turned the corner a little too sharply, Dustin nearly sliding across the backseat with the sudden movement. "I didn't even know they were yours until you went psycho on me last night."

"Maybe I wouldn't have to go psycho if you weren't such an ass," Toni muttered, crossing her arms tighter around her chest. She could feel her frustration bubbling just beneath the surface, but she bit her tongue, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of knowing how much he'd gotten under her skin.

From the backseat, Dustin groaned. "Can you two just, like, not kill each other for five minutes? I'm already late because of you guys."

"Oh, shut up, dipshit," Toni and Steve said in unison, causing both of them to glare at each other for a split second before Steve returned his focus to the road. The tension in the car was almost palpable, like the air was electrified with all the words they hadn't yet thrown at each other.

"You're calling him dipshit now?" Toni murmured while looking in the rear-view.

Steve adjusted it to face her more, sighing, "Hey, it's growing on me."

Steve's grip on the steering wheel tightened, his knuckles going white. He was used to the back-and-forth with Toni by now, but today, there was something different. Maybe it was the fact that he was exhausted from last night's party, or maybe it was the way she kept looking at him with those eyes that were all fire and no forgiveness. Whatever it was, it was wearing him down.

They pulled into the school parking lot, and Steve barely had time to park before Dustin bolted out of the car. "Later, losers!" Dustin called out, slamming the door behind him as he ran off toward the building, leaving Toni and Steve alone in the car.

Toni turned to Steve, her eyes narrowing as if she were about to unload on him again, but he cut her off before she could start.

"Look, I don't know what else you want me to say," Steve said, his voice low and tired. "I'm not trying to screw you over, alright? I didn't steal your keys, Toni."

She opened her mouth to argue, but something in his voice made her pause. He sounded...genuine. For once, the usual cockiness was gone, replaced with something softer, something almost like regret.

"I believe you," she muttered finally, reaching for the door handle. "I just need time, Harrington." She stepped out of the car without looking back, slamming the door shut with a finality that echoed through the cold morning air.

As she stalked off towards the school building, Steve watched her go, a mix of frustration and something else gnawing at him. He couldn't figure her out, and maybe that's what drove him crazy. She was like a puzzle with too many missing pieces, and he wasn't sure why he even cared enough to try solving it.

With a sigh, he ran a hand through his hair, the weight of everything pressing down on him as he put the car in park. This mess with Toni Henderson was becoming more than he'd bargained for, but somehow, he couldn't bring himself to walk away.

Not yet, anyway.

IRIS

LMAOAO you guys love me