FAMILIAR ↳ STEVE HARRINGTON

sixty-seven.

Steve sped all the way back to the mall, Christine gripping the handle on the dome for dear life as they drove. Robin was shouting at Steve for most of the ride, the boy gripping the wheel until his knuckles were white, his eyes wide as he concentrated on not wrecking. The drifted into the parking lot, Steve seeing Billy's car, the one that was revving it's engine very loudly at Nancy's car.

"Christine do you have your seatbelt on?" Steve asked, the boy holding his foot on the brake as he looked over at her.

"No I-"

"Put it on." He said seriously, the boy about to lift his foot off the break before hearing her speak again.

"But I-"

"Put the goddamn seatbelt on Christine! I'm crashing the car!" Steve yelled, Christines eyes widening at his serious tone and his plan. She quickly grabbed the seatbelt, pushing it across her body and into the buckle. Steve looked back at Robin for only a moment, giving her a nod before letting go of the brake, the boy pressing all the way down on the gas.

Christine held onto the handle as hard as she possibly could, Steve feeling like there was definitely no goin back now. The Wheeler girls hair was whipping around her, the wind feeling nice on her wounded face for a moment. Steve slammed into the side of Billy Hargroves car, Christine letting out a yell as Steve continued to grip the wheel. The car spun out, stopping a few moments later in a very dramatic fashion. He let out a few shallow breaths, the boy looking over at Christine who was panting beside him, her hand on her heart as she tried to calm her post crash nerves. When she met Steve's eyes she was stunned by the emotion in them, her eyebrows furrowing as he opened his mouth.

"I love you." The words dropped out of his mouth like bombs, blowing up everything around them and uprooting the world. Christine felt extreme confusion, it was almost like time stopped for a moment, her heart skipping a few beats at the words that came out of his mouth. She couldn't believe he had said that, and she had no idea what had possessed him to do so. Steve felt extremely relieved about finally telling her, a humongous weight lifting from his shoulders and his body seeming to relax. He didn't expect her to say it back or to even say anything at all, instead he looked back at Nancy and the kids who were in the car in front of them.

"What?" She asked in pure shock, Steves mouth opening to speak but the boy being cut off by loud pounding footsteps. They all stood from their seats, Christine staying in her seat for only a moment, her eyes glued to where Steve had been sitting, wondering how he could just move on after dropping such a relationship altering confession. She slowly unbuckled her seatbelt, the girl looking at the very large and equally terrifying melted body Mind Flayer, something that could only be seen in somebody's nightmares. Christine felt a bolt of fear run down her spine, a car horn making them all turn and look. Nancy yelled for them to get in, Christine halfway in before she became aware of  a noticeably missing few kids.

"Where's Mike? Where's El? Where is Max?!" Christine yelled in pure terror, Steve's words still sticking to her skin like glue but being momentarily pushed aside. 

"We don't have time! Christine get in the car!"  Nancy yelled from the drivers seat, Christine looking at her like she was insane. She turned her head towards the mall, the wind whipping through her hair as the creature crawled down from the top of it. She looked back at the car full of people who were screaming for her to get inside, Christine shaking her head and starting to close the trunk, without her in it.