Chapter Text
Lucky Star
October 30, 1983
“I look like freaking Tom Cruise.... god damn I look handsome.” Steve adjusted his sunglasses in the rearview mirror before turning to Nancy who was in the passenger seat, adjusting her own costume. “Nancy, tell me I don’t look like Tom Cruise.”
Risky Business had been out for less than three months, and Nancy had already seen it countless times. Steve was a little more than obsessed with the movie, and his costume.
Steve drummed his hands eagerly on the wheel before belting a howl from excitement and bolting out of his driver's seat. He continued to bang his hands on the hood of his car to encourage Nancy to come out and into the Halloween party with him. She bit her lip to distract from the stares they were receiving from other classmates walking into the yard.
She pulled down at her mesh shirt that had ridden up her back while riding in the car, suddenly aware of the space between the end of it and where her belt was placed just below her waist. Nancy watched Steve run into the crowd illuminated by the bonfire in the middle of the junkyard.
This was her reality now.
Dating Steve Harrington meant parties, and parties meant long nights away from her studies. After successfully passing the pop quiz from yesterday's chemistry class, she was confident going into the new material that Monday.
Plus, Barb had offered to come over Sunday evening to go over a chapter or two prior to the start of the new content.
“One night,” Nancy whispered, going closer to the heat of the fire. Spotted is just about the whole high school, and then some who have since graduated.
Steve had made his way through the crowd to hand her a red plastic cup full of red liquid that smelt stronger than the mechanic shop off Maple Drive.
“What is this?”
“It's better to not know.” Steve places two fingers under her cup, tipping it towards her mouth to encourage her first sip. “If you drink it fast enough you won’t taste as much.”
Nancy hummed when her mouth hit the liquid.
Fast.
It would need to be swallowed without breathing and straight down the back of the throat. She coughed from the after taste.... or burn, she couldn't really tell what exactly the feeling was, but she’s been told before that the sense kind of goes away after the second drink.
So, she finished the first cup.
“Slow down killer I didn’t mean down the whole thing in a gulp.” Steve laughed looking inside the cup as she held it out for him to refresh. “I’m not trying to take you home anytime soon.”
“Shut up and just get me a refill, ok?” She pushed the cup into his hand before walking into the crowd to look for Barb.
Turns out Steve wasn’t the only Tom Cruise, Risky Business fan in Hawkins. There were just about three white button-ups in view.
At least Steve had the hair in his favor.
“Do you see that shit?” Steve hands Nancy the full cup again and points to the crowd “Posers”
“From you who is also wearing the same costume.” She raises an eyebrow to challenge him before taking another drink.
“Stevie boys got those chicken legs down though.” Tommy threw an arm over his friend's shoulder and shoots Nancy a wink. “What’s up, Wheeler?”
“Tommy.” She acknowledges him with a nod and another gulp of juice.
Another downfall to dating Steve was having to be social with Tommy and his girlfriend Carol. In the month of dating Nancy had only hung out with them a handful of times but tonight was unavoidable, and if they were going to continue to date, she would have to become actual friends with them.
Find common interests with them, whatever that may be. Tonight, it was alcohol.
“Will you seriously slow down?” Steve dipped his head down, whispering into her ear. “I don’t think you really understand how powerful that can be.”
She finishes it.
“Stevie boy, let the princess drink.” Tommy finishes his own cup. “I’ll get you another one, let's see how the princess gets when she’s loosened up.”
“You’re not the one who’s going to have to explain to Mrs. Wheeler at the end of the night.”
“Maybe you don’t have to worry about that.” Nancy shrugged glancing over the group. “Maybe my mom thinks I’m sleeping over at Barbara’s tonight. I mean why would I come to a party to only leave and go home because of a curfew?”
“3.999 GPA” Steve smirked and pumped his fist. “My girl is a genius.”
“Someone’s gotta be.” Carol rolled her eyes
“So, what are we waiting for then?” Nancy asks as she steps out of the group and in near the rest of their classmates. “Get me another drink, let's get this night started!”
“Nancy?”
“Barbara!” Nancy throws her arm around her best friend. “I'm so glad you’re here, do you want a drink? I’m going to get Steve to grab you a drink.”
“Steve!” Nancy yells, pointing at Barbara, jumping a bit in place. “Barbs here, grab her a drink!”
The chance of him hearing her is slim to none but he seems to understand when he gives her the thumbs up.
“The drinks here are so bad.” Nancy goes on to tell Barbara “So bad but you just must get past the first one, I was told two, but I only had to get past the first one and it’s all better now. So delicious.”
"What are you doing?" Nancy was confused by her question
"What do you mean, I'm drinking?"
"Yeah, I can see that you've been drinking." Barbara steps closer. "This isn't you Nancy, are you drunk?"
Nancy covered her mouth to keep her giggle in, but it didn't work too well. Barbara rolls her eyes.
"This is so lame." Nancy grabs her friend's hand. "You're so drunk right now Nance."
"Ok so drink with me! Come on.... it can be so much fun!" Nancy jumps a little in hopes to get her friend excited.
“Stop.” Barbara takes Nancy’s hand off her “I don’t want to.”
“Just one drink, Barb please it can be so much fun!”
“Yeah Barb.” Tommy mocks Nancy when he hands them both their drinks. “Join the party, let loose. It can be so much fun.”
Nancy nods enthusiastically.
“Come on, just one night.”
“One night.” Barbara agrees while smelling the drink.
“I promise you won’t regret it!” Nancy runs over to hug her friend. “We’re going to have so much fun!”
--------
“I don’t feel so good Nance.” Barb mumbles an hour later
“Do you think you’re going to vomit?” Nancy manages to slur quietly enough for the rest to hear.
“I don’t know.... maybe, yeah.” Her hands go to her head to hold it up.
“It might help you feel better.” Nancy points behind a trash barrel. “Nobody would see you if you went over there and did it.”
“Will you go with me?” Barb asks but just before her words were out of her mouth Steve had come back from taking care of his own business and scooped Nancy onto his lap.
“She isn't going nowhere.” Nancy giggled into his neck, biting her lip to fight back anymore that might come out. Because she didn’t want Barbara to feel bad.
“Whatever.” The red head got up from the group, placing her cup next to Nancy to watch.
“So, Nancy, is tonight the night?” Tommy smirks, pulling his seat closer to the two. “My boy tells me you two haven’t... you know”
“Steve?” Nancy questions quietly, “What is he talking about?”
“Not now.” Steve glares at his friend “Shut up.”
“I'm just trying to look out for my friend is all. I mean I just want to make sure my dude’s needs are being met by his lady.”
“Is he being serious right now?” Nancy pulls away from Steve
“Ah come on don’t whisper, share with the class.” Tommy laughs, “I want to know everything.”
“Is she a screamer? No let me guess, you haven’t even given her an orgasm yet.”
“Screw you.” Nancy pushes herself off him, stumbling to find her footing in the process. The ground feels like it’s shaking before she finds her place.
“Come on Nance come back he was only joking.”
“Bullshit.” She glares at him. “I’m going to find Barbara, you can continue to be an asshole with yours.”
“Don’t worry Nance while you’re gone, I’ll give him some pointers. Carol likes it when I do this thing with my tongue...”
She stops listening and focuses on trying to see where the can was that she pointed Barb in the direction of. Costumes passed her and masks blurred quickly as she moved through the crowd.
“Barb?” She mumbles looking in each direction, continuing to repeat her name.
She turns people around from time to time looking for her face, but each face continues to become less clear.
There’s a flash of light she had walked into that caused her to see stars, losing her balance to the point of her falling onto what she could grasp.
“Whoa, be careful.” A soft male voice spoke pulling her from the direction she had fallen onto, which felt like a barrel.
“Barb?” Nancy wiped at her eyes that were still recovering from seeing stars.
“No.”
“I’m looking... I’m looking for my friend Barbara.” Nancy wiped her eyes as the stars continued to get less and less.
“I haven’t seen her.... are you okay?” The hands that had saved her from the barrels grasped lightly at her shoulders.
“I want my friend Barbara.... I don’t know where she is.”
“I’m going to take you to Steve, did you come with Steve?”
Nancy steps back swatting away at the guy in front of her.
“No, leave me alone.” She starts to walk as the stars no longer surround her, her steps faster so the boy wouldn’t catch up to her and take her back to Steve. She didn’t want to deal with him right now.
After looking at what felt to be, every trash barrel around the junkyard Nancy had to pee. There were certainly no bathrooms in sight to use but the bus in front of her seemed like a good hiding spot for a makeshift toilet.
“I knew he was going to be an asshole.” Nancy mumbles to herself while turning the corner of the bus where there was just enough light from the bonfire to see what was in front of her but not enough for anyone to know what she was doing.
“The second I saw his little jerk face I knew he was going to be an asshole and cause trouble.” She fumbles with belt to come off, stumbling back a bit. “And this god damn belt, why the hell can’t it get it off?”
“And who are you supposed to be?” A laugh came from beside Nancy.
Keeping one hand on the belt and the other on the bus, Nancy tried squinting to see where the voice had come from. The light from the fire lit up the figure enough to see that he was wearing a mask.
He stepped closer into view to where she could feel his hands brush against the bottom of her skirt.
Nancy didn’t answer him, she could see his fingers crawl closer to the front of her skirt until they stopped at an uncomfortable position. The figure stepped forward again, his black sneakers touching her black boots.
She felt her whole-body tense up, trying to sense of any more movement being made on her. His breath was on her face when he laughed out of his mask.
“Black cat got your tongue?” His fingers danced along the front of her skirt until she felt his fingers dance along the front of her shorts under her skirt.
The air left around her, her hands and legs went numb, and they started to tingle. The hair on her arms raised, her feet were frozen cold.
Nancy felt sober.
Fearful.
“I asked you a question.” He pressed into her further, her back hitting the bus. His finger played at the top of her shorts, his finger curling around the waist band pulling her closer. His masked face comes forward reaching her ear. “Didn’t your mother ever teach you manners, Wheeler?”
The chin of his mask brushes against her own collar bone.
“You’re shaking Wheeler.” His other hand grips the holes of her shirt pulling her closer to him. “I can find ways to help warm you up.”
Nancy let out a sob.
She wasn’t even aware she had been crying.
“Get off” Her voice was trembling “Get off me now.”
“Manners.” He shushed her with the palm of his hand
“Get the hell off of me.” She screamed through his fingers, muffled by his palm gripping over her mouth tighter. He pushed her closer into the bus until she couldn’t move.
A piercing scream bounced from the side of the bus and for a moment Nancy believed it was her that had found her voice but when the scream rolled off the bus again the hands fell from her mouth and waist.
Without another word he was gone.
The screaming continued.
Where was it coming from? Did they see the man?
“Were they even trying to help me?” Nancy’s legs felt like jello coming out from beside the bus to see who had saved her.
Cars lights were coming on lighting up the area, some cars were high tailing it out of the lot while others were coming back out of their running cars to form a circle.
“Nancy!” She hears Steve yelling over the others, “Nancy!”
She wipes her face, wrapping her arms around her midsection waiting for him to reach her. When he gets there, he wraps his arms around her shoulders, but she just stands there.
“I’m so sorry.” He whispers into her hair “I’m so sorry.”
She didn’t know how to explain or respond to her feelings. How does she respond to “I’m sorry” about what had just happened.
“Are you ok?” He pulls back to look at her, she gives him a puzzled look. “I’m so sorry, Nance.”
“Stop saying that.” She wipes her nose again, “I just want to go home. Where is Barbara? I want to find her, and I want you to take us to my house.”
Now he gives her a puzzled look but it’s also sympathetic.
“Why are you looking at me like that, stop it.” She shoves his shoulder.
“Nancy, it’s Barbara.”
“What’s Barbara?” She feels him turn her towards the circled crowd, she hears them start to quiet down. She listens closer and hears others vomiting, she listens even closer and hears sobs, even closer and there are sirens in the distance.
“The body, it’s Barbara’s”