And all of this, of course, is what Steve is thinking about during the post season 3 fic where he's moping around feeling sorry for himself and in stressing about life in general. He used to think he was a big fish in a small pond, but now he's *nobody* and pretty much his entire graduating class has moved on, moved out, and forgotten about him. And sure maybe he doesn't miss them with hindsight, but it still hurts to get left behind.
In general reflecting on how different his friendship with Tommy was from his current friendship with Dustin, even if he ends up on a spiraling crashout where he lists off all the things that Dustin DOES use him for. (Mock crashout- he wouldn't trade Dustin demanding rides around town, eating all his food, and showing up to play HIS Nintendo for anything. Especially not when it gained him his own home away for home full of all the love he lacked from his parents.)
