Weird bit o fic I’m slowly working on - imagined scene after the winter dance
Steve rapped his knuckles on the window. Billy rolled it down a fraction of an inch.
“To what do I owe the pleasure Harringrove?” Steve couldn’t believe him. He was wearing a half-unbuttoned t-shirt. Steve was freezing in his sweater.
“Hoping to bum a smoke.” Steve brought his two fingers to his lips, miming smoking.
“Don’t have any smokes.” Billy took another drag of his cigarette, blowing the smoke out the window at Steve.
“Fine.” Steve turned to go, but Billy’s words stopped him.
“I suppose I could spare one,” Billy was grinning, his eyes and teeth unusually bright in the dark, “What will you give me for it?”
Steve stood, a few feet away from the car. Unconsciously, he touched his fingers to the raised scar in his hairline, the remnants of the plate.
“I’ve got to wait around for Dustin, I’m picking him up.”
“Why exactly do I care pretty boy?”
“You’re waiting for Max.” It wasn’t a question but Billy nodded anyway. Steve nodded back, definitive.
“Give me a smoke and then we’ll get burgers.” He watched, and in the dark he could see Billy’s eyes widen slightly.
“I’m paying.” Steve added
“What a gentleman,” Billy reached across and opened the passenger door to the Camaro,
Steve shrugged, holding his hand out for a cigarette. Billy passed him the one he’d already lit. Steve considered for a second, then took a drag.
They drove in silence. Steve rolled his window down to smoke, shivering in the December air.
The diner was bright and warm, the smell of grease and bacon billowing out when Steve opened the door.
“This is fucking wholesome,” Billy gestured at the diner. Steve shrugged. Why had he thought this was a good idea?
“I would’ve suggested getting blind drunk and smashing things, I know that’s more your speed, but I didn’t want the rugrats walking home or having weird middle school dance sex,” Steve flagged down a waitress, ignoring how red Billy’s face went.
“Max is the only girl those freaks know, they better not be doing anything.”
“You better be,” Billy glared murderously at his burger.
“Or what, you’ll rearrange my face for me.”
Billy just looked at him.
“Water under the bridge man, seriously.” Steve grabbed a fry from Billy’s plate, waving it at him. “Like, I really hope you don’t do it again, but, say la vee.”
“C’est la vie,” muttered Billy.
“Exactly,” Steve took another fry.
“Alright Harrington, why the sudden desire to be friends?” Billy asked, pinning Steve with a hard stare.
“Honestly, I’m not sure I want to be friends.”
“I don’t expect us to start braiding each other's hair, I just think life would be easier if we were cool with each other, like, neutral.”
Billy seemed to consider this. Then, he spoke, softly this time, looking down at his own plate “Why the fuck were you out there with the kids?” He looked up, making eye contact with Steve, “You have to admit it was weird.”
Steve sat in silence, considering. No to Steve it hadn’t seemed weird, but, he thought back to the school parking lot, a million years ago, when he’d smashed Jonathan’s camera. Sure, Jonathan had seemed like the biggest perv in the world, and maybe he was a little bit of a perv, but, he’d been looking for Will, and he’d been right. The demogorgon had struck that night. Steve tried to imagine pulling up, looking for Max, and finding only Steve and the other kids.
“Yeah,” Steve looked down at his plate, “yeah, I can see how it might’ve seemed weird.”
“Max swears you’ve never touched her or anything.”
Steve looked up sharply, Billy was staring at him, his eyes narrowed.
“Fuck man, no I’d never.”
“Yeah, I got that.” Billy looked back at his plate, “still fucking weird.”
“Yep,” Steve took another fry.
“Harrington, eat your own french fries you perv,” Billy was looking at him again, but not as harshly.
Steve remembered at the end of the meal he’d paid, pulling his jacket on as he slide out of the booth. Billy had reached across the table and grabbed the little plastic marker with the number 7, their order number.
“Dude, are you seriously stealing that?” Steve had whispered.
Billy nodded, “adding it to my collection pretty boy.”
