November 12th, 1983

Hawkins, Indiana

The car ride into town was silent; the air thick with a strange sort of tension. Nancy and I had our own problems to work out later but something was off between her and Jonathan. I hadn't heard the two teens mutter a word to one another since I had gotten in the car, at first I figured I was imagining the tension but it had yet to dissapate.

Awkwardly fidgeting with my hands in the back seat, I had my head resting against the cold window as I watched Jonathan's eyes in the rearview mirror shift from between the road and back towards a silent Nancy repeatedly.

Clearing my throat, I sat up straight in my seat. "Did you two like sleep together or did I miss something?" My question wasn't completely out of left-field; I mean, I'd caught Jonathan staring at Nancy for what felt like the tenth time in the past five minutes. "What?" Nancy scoffed, her cheeks notably red as she turned around in her seat to playfully slap my knee, while Jonathan's face grew a deep shade of red. "No, Nell... Why would you even ask that?" Jonathan questioned and kept his eyes glued on the road.

Rolling my eyes at the two behaviour, I shrugged off his question. "Sorry, jeez. The silence was just getting seriously unbearable." I stated with a smirk as I watched the two smile to themselves. "So... How exactly do you expect to get all this stuff?" I asked, moving to sit forward in my seat to be closer to the two, as I stared down at the poorly written list of supplies that we needed.

"What do you mean? It's all at Harvey's Camping Supplies." Jonathan furrowed his brow at the question, earning him another shrug and smirk. "I mean, you actually think he'll sell us, and I quote, four boxes of .38s, two cans of lighter fluid along with two canisters of gas, steel rods and chains, and a box of nails? Like that's not a red flag."

Nancy turned back around in her seat as Jonathan set the car into park in front of Harvey's shop. "Don't tell me you're scared." She grinned down at me and I was quick to shoot her a tight-lipped smile as I stuffed the list in my pocket. "Far from Nance, I'd just hate for us to tarnish your good girl reputation." I mumbled the last bit to myself with a roll of my eyes as I pushed open my door.

Stepping out of the car and making our way into the shop, the three of us agreed that we would be able to finish and get out of the store faster if we split up the items and got them separately. With Jonathan getting the lighter fluid and gasoline, Nancy getting the chains and rods, that left me with the nails and hammers. Though after I got the supplies I needed, while I made my way out of the aisle to meet back up with the two, a trap sitting alone on a shelf caught my attention.

"Hey, guys?" I called out to the other two causing them to look over and stop what they were doing, "If we are already getting put on a watch list, you think we could use this?" I asked with a quirked brow before nodding towards the bear trap. The two teens shot each other a grin and quickly nodded their heads in agreement.

Making our way towards the checkout, we placed all the hunting equipment down in front of Harvey who eyed us suspiciously, "And I'll have four boxes of the .38s..." Jonathan stated, though his voice was weak as the man stared down at him.

Slowly nodding his head, Harvey took his time turning around to one of the cabinets behind him before picking up the four boxes of ammo. Placing them down in front of the other supplies, he scanned his eyes over the three of us, "What you kids doin' with all this?"

I shrugged of the question as Jonathan looked between the two of us hoping we'd answer for the man. "Monster hunting." Nancy called out suddenly with a blank face, but it was an answer that Jonathan and I were happy to nod along with in agreement.

Rather than continuing to question us, the man shrugged us off before moving to check the supplies out without another word, deciding it was best not question us any further; probably thought it was a waste of time honestly. After placing everything in a cardboard box; we had made it out of the store as if there was nothing strange about the transcation that just happened.

"Monster hunting?" Jonathan asked Nancy with a grin as he popped open the trunk and placed the supplies inside. Shrugging off the question, Nancy smiled between the two of us, "You know, last week I was shopping for a new top I thought Steve might like. It took us all weekend. It seemed like life or death, you know? And now..."

"You're shopping for bear traps with Jonathan Byers." Jonathan continued for her with a grin. "And now it is life or death." I stated as the two continued to grin at one another. "What's the weirdest part?" Jonathan's question caused Nancy to furrow her brow, "What's the weirdest? Me or the bear traps?" He asked jokingly, causing her to grin and quickly play along. "Definitely you."

Nancy moved to walk back to the passenger side of the car while Jonathan's gaze was glued to her back. "Yeah, no... Definitely wasn't a compliment, dude." I smirked up at him only for him to nudge me with his shoulder. The first peaceful moment in who knows how long was short-lived, as Nancy was stopped from getting in the car by a horn honking at us.

A boy from our school named Reed rolled down his window and slowed down in front of us, a smirk plastered on his face. "Hey, Nance! Can't wait to see your movie." He yelled from his car before speeding off, leaving the three of us confused. Though, Nancy was the first to piece together what his words meant as she quickly stepped away from the car sprinting away from the car and down the road.

"Whoa! Wait, Nance!" I called and ran after her with Jonathan calling for us to stop and wait for him. Hurrying after Nancy, she came to a sudden hult across the street from the cinema and there written in bold, red spray paint on the display board was what she had feared.

'

"Shit, Nance..." I placed a hand on her shoulder as she stared up at the board, tears welling up in her eyes. "Jesus..." Jonathan muttered from beside us once he noticed what she was so worried about.

From the alleyway next to the theatre, a spray can shaking in the distance could be heard and soon it was followed by the laughter of the obvious culprits. The noise caught Nancy's attention and enraged, she made her way towards the alley. Following right behind her, we made our way down the alley to find the spray can in the hands of Tommy H. while Steve, Carol, and Nicole laughed at what he had just written on the wall.

Before Nancy could say anything about the harassment, she was noticed by Carol who flashed a fake grin her way. "Hey there, princess." She greeted Nance, though she ignored the greeting as Nancy continued straight on her path towards Steve. "Uh-oh, she looks upset." Tommy laughed at Nancy but stopped once Nancy's hand sliced through the air and slapped Steve across the face.

"Damn!" Tommy laughed lightly at the action while Nancy continued to glare up at Steve. "What is wrong with you?" She asked, refusing to let her tears fall. "What's wrong with me? No, Nancy. What's wrong with you? I was worried about you, I can't believe I was actually worried about you." Steve scoffed and rolled his eyes at Nancy's question.

"What are you talking about?" Nancy tried again but only to be answered by Carol. "I wouldn't lie if I were you... You don't want to be known as the lying slut now, do you?"

Having enough of this little tag-team argument against Nancy, I quickly stepped in front of her. "And you'd know all about that, wouldn't you Carol?" I snarked back, glaring up at the girl. "Back off Byers, this doesn't involve you." Tommy H. walked towards me threateningly but stopped once he noticed something behind me.

"Don't talk to her like that." Jonathan called out to Tommy as he made his way toward us. "Oh... Well, speak of the Devil..." Tommy scoffed with a smirk as his eyes bounced between my brother and I.

"You came by last night." Nancy concluded for herself as the group continued to smirk at her, "Ding! Ding! Ding! Does she get a prize?" Carol continued to joke around but no one seemed to be listening to her. "Look, I don't know what you think you saw, but it wasn't like that." Nancy tried but Steve avoided her gaze and stared coldly in Jonathan's direction.

"What, you just let him into your room to... study?" Steve said, putting an obvious emphasis on the word. "Or for another pervy photo session?" Tommy smirked down at Nancy, making his way away from me and back to his spot next to Carol.

"No, we were just--" Nancy stumbled on her words. "Just what? Finish the sentence?" Steve stepped closer to Nancy, "Finish the sentence." He glared at her, but she stayed silent, accepting that she wouldn't win this fight. "Go to hell, Nancy." Steve rolled his eyes at the quiet girl and turned away from her. "Come on, Nancy let's just leave." Jonathan lightly grabbed her shoulder and turned her around, though they didn't make it far before Steve stopped him.

"You know what, Byers? I'm actually kind of impressed. I always took you for a queer, but I guess you're just a little screw-up like your father." Steve stepped toward Jonathan and shoved against his back hard causing him to stumble forward.

"Hey! Back off, Harrington!" I yelled and tried to get in between the two boys only for Tommy to push me out of Steve's way again, allowing for him to close in on Jonathan. "Oh, yeah. Yeah, that house is full of screw-ups. You know, I guess I shouldn't really be surprised. A bunch of screw-ups in your family." Steve continued to ridicule Jonathan as I made my way over toward him to keep him walking away. "Just leave it... He isn't worth it." I mumbled to him as Nance started to lead us out of the alley.

"I mean, with how off your Mom is... I'm not even surprised what happened to your brother. I'm sorry I have to be the one to tell you, none of us are." Steve's words caused Jonathan to slow his pace before coming to a halt in the middle of the alley. "Steve, shut up!" Nancy tried and turned around to glare at him, while Jonathan's breathing began to get heavier and heavier. "The Byers, their family, you're all a disgrace to the entire commu-"

Before Steve could finish his final insult, Jonathan ahd turned around and slammed his fist into his cheek, pushing Steve into one of the brick walls of the alley with force. Once Steve regained his balance, he tackled Jonathan down to the ground, a fight quickly breaking out between the two.

Though Steve hadn't landed a punch, he kept trying to hold Jonathan down to the ground, but this failed as Jonathan only continued to punch him again and again before flipping Steve off of him and pinning him down to the pavement. In the middle of the fight, Tommy tried to join and help Steve, though Steve refused the help and pushed Tommy away from Jonathan. "Let me handle this!" He had called out.

"Steve, walk away!" Nancy yelled as Steve landed a punch against Jonathan's cheek, though that only seemed to push Jonathan over the edge because soon he had Steve on the ground and was punching him nonstop. "Jonathan, you gotta stop!" I yelled but was afraid to get too close and pull him off, Nancy yelled from beside me, "You're hurting him! Stop!"

Sirens sounded in the distance, scaring all of us, causing Carol and Nicole to run off while Tommy tried to pry Jonathan off of Steve. "Dude, he's had enough! Seriously, back off!" Jonathan just pushed him away and went back to beating his fist against Steve's face.

With the group fleeing, the cops finally arrived and one officer tried to pull Jonathan away, only to be elbowed in the face as he went to punch Steve again.

Soon another officer had gotten out of the car to get Jonathan off of Steve, allowing the boy to run off, while the cop held him against the car and placed the cuffs on his wrists. "Please, wait... Don't! He didn't mean it!" I said from beside the cop with tears in my eyes as he started to push Jonathan into the back seat.

"All of you are coming down to the station, now!" He yelled and pointed for Nancy and me to get into the backseat as well.

Stuffed in the backseat between Jonathan and Nancy, the two cops sat down in the front and grabbed the walkie off the radio. "Hey, come in Chief. Can you come down to the station, a fight broke out." The officer who had pulled Jonathan off of Steve said into the Walkie.

"I'm a little busy, I'm sure you guys can handle it." Hopper said over the radio, not wanting to waste his time on the matter. "It's the Byers twins. You know where Joyce is?" Was his only resonse to Hopper.

Shit...

We are so screwed.