Armani's eyes shined bright, her lips never seemed to stop smiling as she finished plating lunch on the table.

Her dad looked up from where he was toying with a camera, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Armani turned and leaned on the counter, "for our road trip. Remember, we planned this?" Her smile slightly faltered, then Bob nodded.

"Oh, yeah! Sorry my mind went blank. I was thinking we could head over to Joyce's place?"

Armani's smile diminished completely, "what?" She asked, unsure if she had heard her dad clearly.

"Yeah, I was going to go over later after our trip, but Will is sick and I think it would be nice to surprise him" he smiled innocently.

"You want us to go to the Byer's house?" She repeated, to which Bob nodded hesitantly.

"Yeah, is there something wrong with that?" He asked, Armani shook her head as she turned back around to face the window.

"No. No. Absolutely not." She paused and took a deep breath. "I, actually uh, I'll just stay here. Tidy up a bit, you can head over."

Bob sighed, "come on, it'll be fun. You can help me pick out a puzzle for him!"

As her father kept speaking, Armani felt her temper shorten.

"Then you can help him and Jonathan solve it. They'll be just like your brothers."

The last word sent Armani's stomach tumbling, she turned around and spoke with a sharpness that silenced Bob. "Brothers? They're not my brothers! Joyce is not mom! A-And that house is not my home, dad!" She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down as Bob stood up slowly.

"Right, yeah. I know. I'm sorry, sweetie." He felt a sharp pang in his heart. "I-I'll start up the car, we can go somewhere else. Wherever you'd like"

Armani wished that what her father had said would be enough, but it wasn't. Not now. "No. Just go. I'll find something else to do." She walked and grabbed a puzzle cube from the coffee table. "Here." She placed it on the table with a loud slam before leaving her lunch on the table and isolating herself in her room.

Armani had spent no less than ten minutes alone in her room when she heard a knock on the door.

"Mani? Sweetie, I'm sorry. Are you sure you don't want to go anywhere?" Bob asked through the door, to which Armani responded,

"No. Just go to Joyce's"

Bob sighed and rubbed his temple. "I'll be back soon, Mani. Maybe try to go somewhere? Call the Brown's maybe Sage wants to go grab something to eat with you?" He waited for a minute but was met with only silence.

"Okay, I'll see you soon, I promise. I love you." He leaned on the door.

Armani waited until she heard his steps retreating. She got up and murmured. "I love you too, dad"

—

Armani held the phone in shaky hands, she wound the swirled cord around her fingers. "No, no. It's fine. Don't worry"

She assured the boy, who's younger brother had picked up the house phone and proceeded to tell Steve that his girlfriend was on the line.

"I was just wondering. Are you, like, busy today?" The girl asked, desperate to get out and get her mind off of the argument she had with her father earlier.

"No, not at all. I was about to head to the florist, I think I'm going to apologize to Nancy" he spoke, Armani leaned against the wall, listening to Steve some how calmed her nerves.

"That's..good." She nodded, despite the fact Steve couldn't see her.

"so I'll head over and pick you up, we could go together?"

"Yeah. Okay. See you soon" the two said their goodbyes and hung up the phones.

"Girls like roses, right?" Steve asked once they had parked infront of the only florist shop in Hawkins.

"I think so. I don't know alot about flowers but I think roses are pretty" Armani chimed.

The two got out and went inside the aromatic shop.

"Oh! Hello dears!" A small lady greeted the pair with joy.

They gave greetings and proceeded to spend too much time in choosing a bouquet.

"I will say, couples don't often come in together. It's usually just the man who comes in after an argument" she whispered once the two stood at the counter.

"Oh, we're not a thing, I'm just helping him out" Armani corrected.

"You're just helping him out, dear? Oh that can't be true!" The woman said once she handed Steve his change.

Armani said a quick goodbye and began walking back to the car before she realized Steve wasn't following. When she looked back, Steve had his lips pursed in thought.

"I'll be out in a second, Armani, you can go ahead."

Armani nodded and left the shop, staying inside Steve's car. Her thoughts wandered to the argument with her dad, and how she would have to make it up somehow tonight.

"I knew it," the lady in the shop murmured as Steve avoided eye contact with her. "Sweetheart, why are you letting her hang like that? A good girl like her will walk away soon if you don't do something about it."

Steve shook his head, "we're not dating. I don't like her like that" he assured the lady, but she gave him a look of doubt.

"Oh, sure, that's why you're buying her these, huh?" She handed him the flowers he paid for.

"It's just a thank you. She's had a hard time lately" he muttered, shaking his head and leaving the shop, but not before the lady let out a chuckle.

"That's love, dear."

"Two bouquets? You must be serious about Nancy." Armani said once Steve stepped in the car.

"Actually, these are for you." He handed the bouquet of yellow flowers to Armani. "Thank you, for helping me forget" He took a breath before continuing. "You, you know, helped me. I don't think I could've lasted this long without losing my mind after what Nancy said. If I can give flowers to my ex-girlfriend, I should be able to give flowers to my closest friend."

Armani took the flowers, she gave Steve a smile, one that made his stomach do somersaults. "Thanks, Harrington." She said with a light laugh.

The two seemed to get closer, their faces near one another so their noses nearly touched. Gravity seemed to pull them together.

"Alright, uh, lets go before the shop owner comes out and talks to us about love and stuff again" Armani said as she leaned closer to the window.

Steve knocked out of whatever trance he was in, started the car and they made their way to the Wheelers.

"I'm sorry, Nancy." The brunette boy repeat under his breath.

"Just go, Steve. I'll be right here for moral support!" Armani nodded towards the house.

Steve finally took a deep breath, stepping out of the car with the roses, he repeated the apology. "Im sorry. I'm sorry? What the hell am I sorry for." He muttered, only stopping once he spotted Dustin, one of Nancy's brother's friends, walking towards him.

"Steve!" The curly haired boy approached the teen.

Armani had lowered the window of the car, she noticed Dustin, a friend of Will's, stop Steve and decided to get out of the car to make sure Dustin wouldn't do something stupid that would make Steve not want to go in and apologize anymore.

"Are those for mr. or mrs. Wheeler?" Dustin asked.

"No"

"good" Dustin grabbed the roses from Steves hand and began towards Steve's car.

"Hey, what the hell. Hey!"

"Nancy isn't home" Dustin said as he approached the car, eyeing Armani.

"Nancy's not home?" She tilted her head to the side.

"Where is she?" Steve asked.

"What are you doing here, Dustin?" Armani squinted at the boy.

"Doesn't matter! We have bigger problems than your love life, and I'll explain later" he handed Armani the roses, opening the door to the back seat before turning around to Steve.

"Do you still have the bat?"

"Bat? What bat?" Armani and Steve spoke simultaneously.

"The one with the nails" Dustin swirled his hand around, annoyance in his tone.

"Why?" Steve asked, Armani's eyes went wide.

"Bat with nails?" She asked.

"I'll explain on the way" Dustin said, ignoring Armani and climbing into the back seat.

"Now?" Steve asked, beginning to run towards the car.

"Now!" Dustin spoke impatiently, closing the door to the car as Armani climbed in.

"A bat with nails?" She muttered.