Steve was in the locker room when a very cocky Tommy H and Billy Hargrove entered the place, talking about their latest skim. They both greeted Steve, but kept talking to themselves as they were changing into their uniform for basketball practice. They had seemed to have done something to someone, Steve wasn’t paying much attention.
In the past, he would be all over this. He would be Tommy’s partner in crime as they picked on the weaker man. Steve used to live for those moments when he could go on a power trip of being the king of the school. Now it was all so different, Tommy’s new partner in crime was more vile than whatever Steve could be.
He was still not paying much attention to the situation, not until they brought up Jonathan’s name. They were talking about how they had caught him and pushed him down before calling him names and beating ‘the fag out of him’. Steve’s skin went cold and his heart dropped to the floor. They had hurt Jonathan, enough to brag about bashing his face and him needing at least two weeks to fully recover. Steve felt sick. They were calling him a fag left and right. Did they know? Then again, Jonathan had always been called such. Steve had called him that before.
Steve just ran out, but not before being stopped by the coach who asked him where was he going. “I feel sick, coach. I think I ate something bad at lunch.” He lied easily as he ran again and went to his car.
Jonathan was hurt and this time by Billy who joined Tommy. He knew Jonathan could put up a fight but Billy and his possy were too much for one boy. He drove, he just drove to Jonathan’s house, his heart in his throat. “Fuck.” Steve whispered under his breath.
As he drove to the Byers’ household, he spotted the familiar bodyframe. He looked bad even from the distance. Steve sped up until he was close enough and stopped hard on his brakes. “Jonathan!” He yelled and got out of the car, going to the other boy. “Jonathan..” He took one good look at him. “Fuck. Fuck.” Steve put an arm around him to hold him up. “Jo… Those assholes.. Oh my god.”
HE HADN’T BEEN THINKING ABOUT STEVE. or actually he might have been, because one of the biggest words that always came up was fag. he wondered if it was true, if he was ––- or if they knew. if everything had been some kind of joke that they had done to see if he really liked boys. though the idea of it didn’t seem right, because the older boy had said things, told him things and been with him. not like someone who didn’t mean it.
it wasn’t until he actually heard the car come he started to really think. he hoped it was NANCY, or even his mother even if that would be very bad. because if it was STEVE ––– well he wasn’t really sure what he’d say or do. not that he was really able to do anything. everything hurt and when he also heard the voice outside; he closed his eyes for a moment.
sure it had to be the older male he didn’t want to come. it took him a while to really understand it, but he didn’t want it to be STEVE because he didn’t want STEVE to know; or have to see him like this. know what happened or anything –– he cared. too much actually. over the past minutes where he had walked, trying to get to his house he had really though about it. did JONATHAN really have a crush on the older boy?
“ STEVE ––– “ he started, wanting to tell him to leave; to go away or to just leave him alone. it just ended up becoming trouble. and yet, when he felt the other boy beside him he could not help but feel what he did. he sort of felt happy, even though everything hurt – felt like maybe things would be okay. “ I just ––– need to change” he said, needing to get out of these clothes before his mother came home.
