AN: Blake's outfit is up top.

♚

"Harrington! Beat his ass so we can go already!" Blake yelled as she sat in the high school gymnasium bleachers. She had decided to ditch sixth period, which was English and she knew it wouldn't affect her grade to leave, to watch Steve so they could hang out right after which was their free period.

The boys playing were on two teams, the skins and the shirts, and Blake's least favorite person was on the skins team. The boy kept looking over at her and winking, which she was getting annoyed by, but didn't let it show.

They continued the game, Steve and Billy seemingly always neck and neck showing off to their peers. "Alright, alright, alright! King Steve everyone!"

Steve scoffed, "Jesus, do you ever stop talking?"

Billy laughed, looking over Blake who was picking her nails, "What are you afraid coach is going to bench you now that I'm here? Huh?"

The boy pushed Steve out of the way knocking him over and jumped, dunking the basket. The kid next to him gave him a high five before he went over, seemingly looking like he was going to help Steve up. He grabbed his hand, Billy pulling him in very closely and saying, "You've been moving your feet. Plant them next time. Before I charge."

He laughed, throwing him down and walked away to Blake who saw the end of the interaction and was making her way over to the pair, "Hey, Princess."

Blake clenched her jaw, not in the mood to deal with the mullet-wearing asshole and brushed past going to Steve. She stood over him, holding out a hand which he took thankful and pulled him up easily.

"You okay there, Harrington?" She smirked, wiping a hair out of his face. Steve gaped for a moment before he said, "Yeah- yeah, I'm fine."

Blake laughed at the boy and Steve just watched her in awe, never hearing a sound quite like it. She rose a brow, "Alright then, if you're fine go take a shower. No offense, but you stink."

Steve gasped playfully, "What? No, I don't stink."

Blake only laughed harder, the whole gym full of boys looking at her, "Yes, you do. Go on, I'll wait for you."

With that, she left, everyone in the gym watching her leave. The boy shook out of his thoughts, walking over to the locker room and taking a shower.

About mid-way through, Billy Hargrove went to the one next to him and started speaking, "Don't sweat it, Harrington."

Steve inwardly cringed hearing his last name from the boy, the only one being Blake who normally said it.

"Today's just not your day, man."

Tommy, Steve's ex-best friend who was across from him, laughed, "Yeah, it's not your week. You and the princess break up for one day and she's already running off with freak's brother."

Steve looked up from his hands and Tommy laughed, "Oh shit. You don't know? Jonathan and Nancy skipped yesterday and still haven't shown. That just must be a coincidence, right?"

With one final laugh, Tommy left, leaving Steve and Billy together.

"Don't take it too hard man," Billy told as Steve began to wash his hair, "Pretty boy like you got nothing to worry about. Plenty of bitches in the sea... like princess Blake. She's a real beaut, the things I'd do to-"

Steve cut him off darkly growling, "Don't talk about her like that."

"Oh yeah?" Billy asked, turning off the nozzle, "What're you going to do about it, King Steve?"

Without an answer he left, and Steve turned back on his water thinking about what Billy said. He quickly finished, realizing Blake was waiting for him and walked out to see her reading Of Mice and Men in the grass field.

"Well look who showed up," Blake sarcastically laughed, looking up from her book as Steve sat down next to her, saying, "Hargrove is really getting on my nerves."

Blake snorted, running a hand through her hair that was blowing in the wind, "He's just now getting on your nerves? He's been on mine since I first saw him."

Steve watched as she closed her book and turned to face him, sitting crisscrossed, "He keeps talking about you."

"Yeah, because he's an asshole who won't leave me alone." She told. Steve shook his head, "I-I don't know, I think he's doing it for a reason, on purpose."

Blake furrowed her brows at him, "And what purpose would that be? I've already shown I'm not interested, on multiple accounts. Hell, I've hurt him more times than I can count."

"I think he's doing it to get a rise out of me," Steve spoke before thinking. The girl next to him was completely confused, "A rise out of you?"

Steve gulped looking down, which Blake noted immediately, "Well... we're friends right? He knows that through that he can taunt me."

Blake nodded in understanding as her heart sped up, "Yeah, I guess... I think he's just being a dick who needs to get his ass beat."

The pair laughed and the boy looked over at the girl, cheeks slightly flushed, "Well, let's make a pact." Blake rose a brow as he continued, "He tries to kick one of our asses, the other one of us will step in and help the other."

"Okay, Harrington. That sounds like a deal."

♚

"Okay, what's the plan?" Blake asked as she walked up the stairs of the middle school where the pre-teens were sitting, waiting for her. "We need to talk. AV Room right now."

Everyone walked over to the double doors before Mike stopped Max, "Party members only."

Lucas and Dustin both sighed, "Come on, Mike."

"This is nonnegotiable." The boy told, looking over to Blake who nodded, "It's better if you don't get involved, Red."

Once in the small room, the Wheeler boy decided to tell the others what Will had told both him and Blake on Halloween.

"A shadow?"

"We don't know, that's how he described it. All we know, is that is scared him," Blake told Lucas.

"If Will really does have true sight, maybe that's how he saw that shadow again yesterday."

"Is that why he was frozen like that?" Mike shook his head, tilting it to the side saying, "Maybe."

"Can it hurt him? The shadow thing isn't from this world."

"I'm not sure." Dustin spoke, "If you're in another plane you can't interact with the material plane. So, theoretically, no the shadow monster can't hurt him."

Blake rose a brow, "Yeah, if that's what is even happening."

"I have a plan," Mike told, "Blake and I will go to Will's house, see what's going on. You guy's stay here and try to find Dart."

Everyone nodded besides the curly-haired boy, "Dart?"

"Yeah, Will heard him in the Upside Down. He's connected to this somehow. If we find Dart, we maybe we can solve this thing and help Will."

After that everyone disbursed, going their separate ways besides Blake and the pale boy who went to the bike racks to grab his bike. Mike, with the help of Blake, put his bike in her trunk and then got in the car.

As usual, Fleetwood Mac was playing the instant the car turned on. Blake starting singing along as she got to the main road and Mike turned and looked at her in astonishment, "You can sing?"

Blake chuckled, smirking, "I mean, I guess I can. It's not something I do in front of everyone."

The boy smiled, knowing that she trusted him and began singing lightly with her, his voice raspy but perfect. Now it was the girls turn to look at him in shock saying, "You can sing?"

Mike copied her previous actions, mocking, "It's not something I do in front of everyone."

The rest of the car ride consisted of them both singing and laughing until they got to the Byers household where Joyce's car was sitting in front. They shared a look, getting out of the vehicle and walking over to the door where Mike slammed his hand down on the door multiple times.

"Hello? Will? Mrs. Byers?" He yelled as Blake rang the doorbell calmly. Joyce opened the door, giving a slight smile seeing the two, "Is Will here?"

"Now's not really a good time guys," The older woman said cautiously.

"Is he okay?" Mike questioned as Blake crossed her arms on her chest.

"He's just not feeling good," She answered going to walk in and shut the door until Blake's voice stopped her, "It's about that shadow monster, isn't it?"

Joyce swung around, looking at the pair and sighed, "You two better get inside."