Chapter Text
Everyone fell silent as the older version of Eleven placed her hand on Steve’s head and the scenery behind them changed. They were in a huge house, but seeing everything from the outside, as if it were a movie screen.
“Ah,” murmured the younger version of Steve. “That’s my house.”
“So is it going to work like this? Are we going to see Steve’s memories?” Nancy asked.
“Mine and Eleven’s too,” the older Hopper replied. “Harrington here probably won’t be able to say anything while this is happening, but you can ask me or El if you have any questions.”
“Which memories are going to show?” the younger Steve asked, worried.
“Honestly? We don’t really know how this works. We didn’t test it before. End-of-the-world situation, kid.”
“Right.”
Everyone stopped to watch El continue with the memories.
The balcony door opened and a younger version of Steve walked through it, followed by two more teenagers, Tommy H and Carol.
“Come on, man, you’re totally crushing on Wheeler,” Tommy said as he threw himself into one of the chairs next to Carol.
Steve shrugged. “And why do you care?” he asked as he pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lit one.
“Gross,” Robin muttered.
“Yeah, yeah, I know. You and Nancy made my last packs disappear,” Steve said. The two exchanged a quick look and laughed at Steve’s grimace.
“Should I be asking where a 16-year-old gets cigarettes?” Hopper asked beside them.
“Didn’t you smoke when you were in school?” Steve raised an eyebrow.
Joyce coughed, giving Hopper a light pat on the back to hide her laugh.
“She’s such a prude,” Carol said, rolling her eyes.
'And you’re a bitch,' Steve thought as he leaned back in the chair.
The younger kids’ eyes widened while Robin burst out laughing behind them.
“HEY, SHOWING MY THOUGHTS IS A LITTLE INVASIVE, DON’T YOU THINK?” Steve protested.
“Dude, this is gonna be fun,” Max commented.
The redhead didn’t know anyone in that group, but apparently she’d be involved in whatever mess came next, so she might as well be part of it.
“She’s gonna show up here and want to change you, man,” Tommy said. “Change our whole group with all that princess crap of hers.”
Steve looked at him and kept smoking his cigarette. *Maybe I really do need to change,* he thought, glancing toward the forest behind his house.
Nancy froze for a moment when she saw the pool there—the last place Barbara had been before… It wasn’t the moment for that. She didn’t want to shut down in front of everyone, and Steve squeezing her hand helped calm her down.
The younger kids seemed oblivious to everything. Mike didn’t have a good opinion of Steve, Will barely knew him, Dustin and Lucas had seen him in the hospital after everything happened and thought he was badass when they found out he beat the Demogorgon with a baseball bat, but they hadn’t really talked much since.
The scene changed. Daylight had faded and Steve was still sitting in one of the chairs in his backyard. Tommy and Carol had already left.
Steve let out a long sigh and stood up, walking through the house toward his car.
At that moment, the younger Steve realized which memory it was and quickly stood up, looking at Hopper.
“Chief, I need to ask you not to take what comes next seriously, please,” Steve begged as the other teenagers looked at him, trying to figure it out.
“Harrington, what the hell are you about to pull?” Hopper asked, trying to keep his patience.
“Nothing, seriously, nothing. I just needed to think a little… Maybe I bought some things I shouldn’t have,” Steve said, starting to look away toward a dark corner of the void as everyone stared at him.
“Ohhh, now I’m curious,” Robin teased as everyone turned their attention back to the memory.
Steve was standing at a convenience store checkout line, holding a case of beer.
Hopper stared at him over his shoulder as Steve shrank between Nancy and Robin.
After leaving the store, Steve drove to the Forest Hill trailers and parked next to a green van with a white stripe along the bottom.
Steve walked up to a trailer and knocked twice. After a minute, the door opened and another guy, who looked a bit older, raised an eyebrow when he saw Steve.
“King Steve, to what do I owe the honor of a royal visit?”
“Not in the mood today, Munson,” Steve replied as he walked into the trailer.
“You and Munson are friends?” Jonathan asked. It seemed unexpected.
“Wouldn’t say friends…” Steve muttered, already anticipating the disappointed looks.
“So…” Munson continued.
“I need 30 grams,” Steve said as he opened his wallet and pulled out two twenty-dollar bills.
Everyone without exception turned to stare at Steve. Max laughed when she saw the wide-eyed teen. Mike seemed more interested in his sister’s reaction. Dustin, Lucas, Will and Eleven whispered among themselves; Steve could’ve sworn he heard the little one asking Dustin what he was buying.
“You use drugs?” Nancy asked, clear disappointment in her voice.
“I’m not addicted or anything, but sometimes it helps to relax,” Steve argued, but Nancy didn’t look convinced.
“Harrington,” Hopper’s voice dropped. “You know I can’t arrest you for this, right?”
“Hop, come on, it’s just weed, it’s not a big deal.”
“You do realize you’re talking to the chief of police?” Robin muttered beside him.
“Give him a break, Hop,” Joyce interrupted. “We used it at that age too,” she whispered the last part just to Hopper.
“Can we ignore the fact that I’m buying drugs and move on?”
“You’re so screwed,” Mike commented, still watching his sister’s reaction.
“Hey, aren’t we even gonna chat a little? You know I give discounts when I get stories.”
“I don’t wanna talk today, Eddie, so just grab it,” Steve said, holding out the money. Eddie took it and left the room, coming back with the case where he kept the drugs, opening it in front of Steve and handing him a small bag.
“Man, I know we’re not friends or anything, but as part of customer service policy, I gotta ask—are you okay?”
“At least he’s a good dealer,” Dustin commented.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Steve replied. *Nothing is fine,* he thought.
“What was going on?” Nancy asked. She was still disappointed but chose not to dwell on it for now.
“It’ll probably show,” Steve grumbled, thinking about how invasive all of this was.
Steve left Eddie’s trailer, got back in his car, and drove through Hawkins until he reached the quarry and parked.
“Kid?” Hopper looked at him, worried.
“It’s not what you’re thinking,” Steve replied immediately, though everyone still looked concerned.
Steve got out of the car carrying the case of beer and sat on the hood, staring at the quarry. He took out the bag of weed and rolled a joint.
While smoking, Steve pulled a letter he had kept in his pocket.
> “Steven, I’m sorry. Your father and I had to travel for his work. I don’t know when we’ll be back and we might not be here for your birthday. I left my card in your father’s office—feel free to use it for whatever you need. I’m sorry I’m not there.
> Signed: Elisabeth Harrington”
“Steve?” Nancy called him.
“I don’t want to talk about it. I honestly don’t even know why this is being shown.”
Robin, Nancy, Joyce and Hopper exchanged worried looks before turning their attention back to the screen.
“Great parents,” Steve commented as he kept drinking and smoking. After a while, he got off the car and walked toward the edge of the quarry.
Robin’s eyes widened and she looked at him. “Dingus, what the hell is this?”
“I’m right here, Buckley. I didn’t jump or anything.”
Steve reached the edge and sat down with his legs hanging over, opening another beer and tossing the rest of the joint away. He stayed there for a few more minutes, and when he stood up, he threw the letter away too.
Steve went back to the car and collapsed into the seat, putting the rest of the weed in the glove compartment and opening another beer.
“I hope you’re not driving like this,” Hopper warned.
“Relax about that.”
After finishing his beer, Steve leaned the seat back and fell asleep right there.
“Why didn’t you go back home?” Nancy asked.
“That big empty house belongs to my parents, not me. My car is something that’s actually mine.”
“You could’ve frozen out there,” Robin warned.
“You’ve been in my car, you know I have a heater.”
“That’s not the point, Dingus. You can’t just disappear and leave yourself lying around in the middle of nowhere.”
“Noted for future occasions.”
When he woke up, Steve drove home and got ready for school, stopping at a diner on the way to buy a bagel.
Robin rolled her eyes. "That damn bagel," she thought.
When he arrived at school, the halls were already empty. Steve hurried to his classroom, and as soon as he opened the door, his expression completely changed. His trademark smile appeared and he quickly turned to the teacher.
“Sorry I’m late, Mrs. C.”
The teacher smiled at him and shook her head. “It’s fine, Steve. You can sit down.”
“Dude…” Dustin muttered. “You literally became a different person just by opening the door.”
“I gotta agree with the gremlin. That’s creepy even for you, dumbass,” Robin commented.
“What? I don’t like giving people reasons to talk badly about me.”
“Wow, how shallow,” Mike grumbled.
“I have a reputation to maintain.”
The video sped up. Steve met Nancy in the hallway after class; they talked about trivial things while Steve flirted with her. At the end of the day, Steve went back home and lay alone on the couch for hours.
When he woke up the next day, Steve made his breakfast and muttered a discouraged, “Happy birthday to me.”
“Kid, your parents—”
“They’re bad parents, yeah, I know,” Steve interrupted as Robin patted his arm.
The kids felt strange watching that. Despite a family issue here or there, they all had at least one person who would always be there on their birthday. Parents not even wishing their kid a happy birthday? That was cruel.
When Steve arrived at school, he had already put on his King Steve expression again. Before he even reached his locker, he was lifted up by Tommy H.
“Another year for royalty,” Tommy commented.
“Happy birthday, Stevie,” Carol said.
“They seem so fake,” Joyce commented, not realizing she was the only one speaking.
“That’s because they are,” Steve replied, not giving it much thought.
“So how’s the party gonna be tonight?” Tommy asked.
“Party?”
“Come on, Harrington, you don’t turn 17 every year.”
“Riiiight.”
“I’ll spread the word,” Carol said as she walked away, going down the hallway telling everyone, “Steve’s birthday—come to Loch Nora tonight.”
Steve sighed and walked to a locker, slipped a note inside it, and then headed to class.
“I’m sorry I didn’t go,” Nancy commented, recognizing the locker.
“It wasn’t your obligation—we were just starting to date.”
Later that same day, Steve’s house was packed with people. Loud music and lots of alcohol could be seen through the memory.
Hopper grumbled irritably, “Does every teenager in this town have access to alcohol?”
“Basically, yes,” Steve agreed.
“No,” Jonathan, Nancy, and Robin replied at the same time.
“They’re the exception,” Steve said with a shrug.
Steve was talking to a redheaded girl while holding a drink.
“Seriously, Chrissy, I’m really glad you joined the cheerleaders.”
“Yeah, I’m happy too. I’ll be able to follow your games even more now.”
Nancy raised an eyebrow, glancing between the screen and Steve out of the corner of her eye.
“Look… Chrissy, you were one of the best girls I’ve ever been with, so I need to be honest with you. I’m seeing another girl now—but we can still be friends, right?”
Chrissy took a few seconds to process the information, but soon she smiled again.
“Of course, Steve. I’m glad you’re happy. Friends, then.”
They shared a quick hug and smiled.
“You dated CHRISSY CUNNINGHAM?” Robin asked, thrilled by the gossip.
“It was my last year before high school. We broke up because I was changing schools.”
“How many girlfriends have you had?” Nancy asked, trying to hide the sting of jealousy.
“Linda, Chrissy, Heather, and you,” Steve replied casually.
“Ugh, Heather Holloway is the worst.”
“Yeah, that wasn’t my best breakup either.”
Nancy watched the easy conversation between the two and felt a twinge of discomfort, but she chose not to dwell on it. This wasn’t the moment.
The party went on. Steve talked with a few basketball team freshmen—Jason Carver, Patrick McKinney, Andy, and Chance—who were asking him about the team. The video sped up until, later that night, the music suddenly stopped and Tommy pushed his way through the party to reach Steve, who was swaying a little.
“The chief wants to see you, Stevie,” Tommy slurred.
Both Hoppers scoffed as they watched the Steve in the video cleaning up the mess near the door.
“Good evening, Chief. To what do I owe the honor?” Steve asked, opening the door just a crack, revealing everything spotless.
“Is Daniel here?” Hopper asked, clearly lacking patience.
Steve’s face twisted into a grimace at the sound of his father’s name.
“No, sir. New York or Chicago—I don’t remember. Why?”
Hopper sighed. “Look, kid, I’m not having a great day, so here’s how this is gonna go. You turn the music down, kick the teenagers out before I have to call their parents, and you take responsibility if any of them screw something up,” Hopper said, already turning his back and heading toward the patrol car.
“Wow, great approach, Chief,” Dustin commented sarcastically.
“You’re angry,” El said.
“You’re seeing the light version of Hop,” Steve joked.
“Jesus, there’s way too much Harrington here for my taste,” Hopper complained.
Once the party was over and Steve was cleaning up the mess left behind in his house, his expression fell again and he quietly hummed 'Happy Birthday' to himself.
“Seriously, what’s the point of this shit?” Steve complained. “To show that I’m lonely or some crap like that? Why don’t we just get to that upside-down shit already?”
“Steve, honey, we can help you if you need it,” Joyce offered.
Steve let out an ironic laugh.
“Mrs. Byers, if there’s anyone who won’t want to help me by the end of my memories, it’s probably you.”
Joyce frowned, confused by the comment, her gaze drifting to her oldest son, who turned his face away to avoid looking at her.
When the video resumed, some time seemed to have passed since Steve’s birthday. He was coming home from school and tensed when he saw his father’s car parked in the driveway.
Steve entered the house and tried to go straight upstairs to his room, but his father called him from inside the office.
“You wanted to talk to me?” Steve asked.
“Your principal called,” Daniel went straight to the point, his expression severe. “Your grades are trash.”
*Tell me something I don’t know,* Steve thought. “Sorry, sir.”
“When are you going to learn to fix things instead of failing and apologizing, boy?”
“I’ll take care of it, sir,” Steve replied, turning to leave. 'Asshole,' he thought.
“I’ve never seen him before,” Nancy commented, trying to hide the disgust she felt upon seeing her boyfriend’s father.
“It’s not like he’s a constant presence.”
“He made a terrible face when he saw me there once,” Robin commented absentmindedly.
“Wait,” Nancy interrupted. “What were you doing at Steve’s house?”
“Huh? We’re friends,” Steve replied, stepping in as Robin choked a little at Nancy’s accusatory tone.
“So she knows your dad and I don’t?” Nancy pointed out, hurt.
“If it were up to me, neither of you would know him—but unfortunately, it happened.”
“That’s enough. This isn’t important right now,” the future Hopper interrupted.
“Sorry,” Robin murmured beside him, keeping her eyes on the screen, feeling guilty for starting an argument between her friend and his girlfriend.
As soon as Steve reached his room, he picked up the phone and quickly dialed a number. Nancy answered on the other end, and the two talked about trivial things and planned to meet in the hallway t
he next morning.
Steve opened his notebook and scribbled a note he planned to leave in Nancy’s locker, but before closing it, he wrote down the date: 'November 6, 1983'.
Everyone who knew what that date meant grew tense.
That was the day Will Byers would be taken by the Upside Down.