CHAPTER FORTY
ACCUSATIONS

Unfortunately for Aaron, he had been given the worst task. In his eyes.

Aaron was sat with Dustin and Lucas outside as the three prepared to go through the trash cans in search for newspapers that could be taped to the shed windows. Much to Aaron's dismay.

Mike had set out a plan for the group, they were to try communicate with Will without the boy ever actually knowing where he was. The group had decided that the Byers' shed was the best place for this. Only, it required having to disguise the small shed, meaning that everything that could be related to the Byers' household had to be hidden.

Aaron winced, stuffing his hands in his pockets and almost vomiting as Dustin emptied the trash onto the ground.

Dustin and Lucas ignored him, instantly rummaging through the garbage, only looking up when Aaron stood.

"I think I'm gonna go help out inside." Aaron muttered, trying to keep the look of disgust on his face to a minimum. "See if Kimmy needs any help or something since she's the only one herself-"

Dustin snorted, shaking his head as he went back to rummaging through the trash. "No surprises there."

Aaron stilled, momentarily forgetting about the trash in front of him as he looked to Dustin with a panicked expression.

Aaron didn't know what Dustin was referring to. But it could only be one of two things, and Aaron didn't view either as a positive.

Option one; the curly haired boy was making a dig at Kimmy being herself, but Aaron doubted this very much. Dustin and Kimmy seemed to get on quite well, the boy had never bad mouthed her before, he didn't know why he'd start now.

The second option - and most likely one - being that Dustin was making a dig at Aaron, not Kimmy.

"What?" Aaron stammered, feeling his face heat up as the two boys laughed between the two of them.

"Oh nothing." Lucas teased, snickering as he looked to Dustin.

Aaron began to seriously panic, feeling self conscious as he looked between the two laughing boys. His brows furrowed, suddenly scared the two had some sort of inside joke about him.

"Seriously, guys." Aaron spoke, deadly serious as his heart rate picked up purely from worry. "What?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary," Dustin shrugged, a faux look of seriousness coating his features as he teased the blond. "Just you running off to your girlfriend. What's new?"

"She's not my girlfriend!" Aaron shot down instantly, his face practically burning as he stuttered over what to say.

Lucas and Dustin broke out into a fit of giggles, Aaron taking a frustrated breath as he clenched his jaw in a mix of frustration and embarrassment.

"Seriously!" Aaron repeated, at a loss of what to say. "Where the hell is this coming from?"

The two boys only laughed harder, Lucas hitting Dustin on the shoulder as he snorted. "I can't believe it." Lucas spoke quietly through laughs.

Aaron crossed his arms over his chest, scowling as he rolled his eyes.

Sure enough, Aaron did actually like the girl in that way. But that didn't mean he wanted anyone but his brother to know. He wouldn't have even told Steve about it if it hadn't been because he wanted some help on the matter.

Aaron scrambled his brain as he did his best to think on how he could shut down his friends claims.

Aaron didn't want Kimmy to hear about his feelings towards her because one of those two idiots he had the pleasure to call his friends blurted it out while in her presence.

In fact, Aaron didn't want Kimmy to hear about his feelings toward her anyway. When he wanted to tell her, he would tell her - if that day ever came. All he knew was that he didn't plan on telling her anytime soon, and he didn't want the two boys in front of him ruining that for him.

Aaron didn't want to tell her for two reasons. One, he didn't want the girl to freak out and stop hanging out with him all together. And two, he didn't want to finally tell her all for the girl not to feel the same way.

Until he was sure she liked him back, or that the two could laugh it off if it went wrong - he wasn't telling her. It was as simple as that.

"Shut up." Aaron snapped at the two, regaining his composure as he caught a grip on his emotions. Deciding the only way he could get out of the situation he was in was to downright deny it all. "Neither of you are funny. What, I can't be friends with a girl without suddenly wanting her to be my girlfriend?"

"No, we aren't saying that." Lucas rolled his eyes, sounding fed up with Aaron's excuses already. "But seriously, Aaron, it's like you don't even try to hide it. Look at how you act around Kimmy and how you act around Max, the difference is crazy-"

"It doesn't mean I like her like that!" Aaron lied, glad he was outside in the dark so the two boys couldn't see how red his face was turning.

"Yes it does!" Dustin laughed shaking his head at the boy. "Who else would you have been talking about in the woods with Steve? You only ever talk to Kimmy and Max - don't even try pretending you meant Max-"

"Shut up, Dustin." Aaron scoffed, not finding the situation funny at all. In fact he was actually growing really annoyed with the two boys. "Or do you want me to tell everyone what you were talking about in the woods?"

Dustin instantly shut his mouth, looking back down to the piles of trash as he pretended he hadn't even been part of the conversation.

Aaron was quite literally furious. Not once had the blond ever repeated something one of his friends had said to him or even around him. If Dustin didn't want what he had said repeated, he shouldn't be repeating what Aaron had said.

Aaron clenched his jaw as he watched the two, pissed off at the apparent double standard between the three.

The blond hadn't mentioned any names while he had been talking to Steve on purpose - for that exact reason. Aaron didn't even want to imagine what Dustin and Lucas would have done if they actually had proof it was Kimmy he was taking about.

"What happened in the woods?" Lucas laughed, looking to Dustin curiously.

"Nothing." Aaron shut down before Dustin could say anything. The frustrated tone of his voice taking both Lucas and Dustin by surprise. "Just because you two both like the same girl who probably doesn't even like either of you back doesn't mean you need to drag me into it too!"

With that, the boy left. Leaving his two friends stunned as he did so.

Aaron was well aware that the last comment was most likely way too far. But the twos teasing pissed him off more than he could ever recall feeling in his life.

The boy knew he wouldn't have cared if there wasn't actually any truth to their words, but the teasing had struck something inside him that caused him to snap in embarrassment.

Aaron didn't need the constant reminder that the girl didn't and most likely wouldn't like him back. That along with the fear of the two running off and telling the girl how he felt about her.

That interaction with his two friends was exactly why he didn't tell anyone but his brother. Aaron was scared the party could use it against him in some light hearted 'teasing' that made both him and Kimmy uncomfortable which would probably lead to a fracture in his and Kimmy's friendship. Obviously, the boy had the right to be suspicious.

Just as Aaron was about to storm back into the Byers' house, he ran into Steve. The older boy rolling his eyes at his younger brother.

"What's got you so riled up?" Steve joked, any other time and Aaron would have been glad that the two were getting along and joking. But for the first time ever, it was Aaron that cut the peaceful interaction short.

"Did you tell them?" Aaron snapped quietly so no one else could hear despite the fact no one was around in that moment.

Aaron knew Steve probably didn't care enough to tell the two boys, but the younger of the two still felt the need to completely shut down the claim so it wasn't tormenting him in the back of his mind.

"Tell who what?" Steve scoffed, looking to his brother with a look of perplexity.

"Tell anyone about what I specifically told you not to talk about." Aaron elaborated, the fear, embarrassment and anger still rushing through him. "About what I needed advice on-"

"Oh," Steve gasped, having only caught on. "No I didn't tell anyone."

"Not even Dustin?" Aaron asked suspiciously. Knowing the two had surprisingly grown quite close over that day.

"Why would I tell Dustin?" Steve retorted, rolling his eyes again.

"Because now, all of a sudden, he knows I like her. Lucas too!" Aaron stressed, his rising emotions getting the better of him. "I didn't want anyone to know."

"I swear, Aaron, I didn't say anything." Steve said instantly, looking scarily sincere as he spoke. "But if your friends already know, then what's wrong with her finding out?"

"What?" Aaron gasped in disbelief, pausing as he thought frantically on how he could explain his thoughts to his brother. "I just- I'm just not like you. Girls thinking I like them isn't a compliment. I haven't ever liked a girl in that way and now that I do I don't want it to be ruined because she thinks I'm weird or she finds out from someone who isn't me and gets freaked out."

Steve frowned slightly as he listened to Aaron talk.

"They're going to ruin it for me." Aaron panicked as he spoke, his voice quiet and he looked defeated. "They won't realise, they'll think it's funny. But it's not funny to me, okay? They don't get it, they can't just tease her about it thinking she'll like me back because she won't, I know she won't-"

"Aaron calm down." Steve scoffed, presuming his brothers reaction was far too over the top for the situation at hand. "You're probably overthinking it, what if she does like you back? You'll never know because you never made a move on her-"

"I'm not going to make a move on her if that's what you're getting at." Aaron retorted instantly, shaking his head as he spoke. "She's not like that. I'd have to... I don't know. I'd have to do it subtly, or something. She wouldn't want to go out with me or anything right now-"

"She probably likes you more than you think." Steve shrugged his shoulders calmly as he spoke.

"No, she's got a lot going on and-" Aaron cut himself off, having spoken those words accidentally. He didn't want to tell anyone the kind of struggles she very obviously was faced with regarding her clear want or need to end her life. "She just doesn't need that right now. So don't tell her."

Kimmy hadn't ever told Aaron directly that she wanted her life to end, or that she had tried to end it herself, but he had stopped her from doing so a year prior. He had learned to pick out the times when she was acting strangely, knowing when she was most likely going through it again.

Aaron never brought up the matter to the girl, strongly believing she didn't want anyone too - and he was right.

It was like Kimmy believed that she was putting up a good front, that it would be stupid for anyone to think something was wrong. And Aaron would admit that for the rest of the party, her lies were covered quite well, none of them ever suspected a thing.

But with Aaron, he could see straight through her.

"I already told you I won't." Steve huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "If you don't want to tell her, don't tell her."

Aaron nodded, sending Steve an unsure smile to show he was somewhat appreciative.

...

Upon entering the house, Aaron made his way to Kimmy. Walking past Max and Mike who were having a somewhat heated discussion that would most likely lead to an argument as he did so.

Just as he had suspected, she was the only person by herself. Taping something together with duct tape.

Ignoring her slightly surprised expression, he sat down in front of her, grabbing some tape as he went to help.

Aaron didn't really know what he wanted to say, he just wanted to sit with her. He hadn't got that far with his plan.

"How are Dustin and Lucas getting on?" Kimmy asked after a moment of silence, presumably wondering what Aaron was doing with her rather than with them. "Have they worked out their issues from earlier?"

Aaron looked to the girl confused for a moment before catching on to what she was referring too - Max. "Oh, um, I think so?"

Kimmy hummed in response turning back to the cardboard in her hands. "What are you doing in here then?"

Aaron didn't know what to say. He had come to see her simply because he wanted to see her.

"Oh, um," the boy began stumbling over his words, sounding unsure of himself as he spoke. "Had to get away from Dustin and Lucas bickering. Well, that and the fact they were basically dumpster diving."

Kimmy let out a small laugh in response, the worry and panic lacing Aaron's soul washing away then as his lips tugged up slightly in response, feeling relieved.

"Why did you go with them anyway?" Kimmy continued to laugh, shaking her head as she spoke. "That's like your worst nightmare."

"I know," Aaron shrugged, smiling slightly at the girl as he spoke. "I was just did what I was told. Didn't really think about what I was actually doing."

Kimmy smiled, turning back to look at what she was taping in her hands, Aaron watching her carefully as she hesitated to open her mouth and speak again.

"I think they just have to let it go." Kimmy shrugged quietly, whispering as she spoke so no one could hear. "I mean, Max hasn't said anything to me about it, but I don't think she likes either of them like that-"

"I don't think she likes Dustin but I think she might like Lucas, just a little bit." Aaron cut her off as he added his input. "I saw them holding hands in the van."

Kimmy seemed to hesitated in her answer, looking up to glance at Aaron curiously for a moment at his words.

Aaron instantly cursed himself for speaking. Knowing Kimmy wasn't looking at him with such an expression because he had said he thought Max liked Lucas. She was looking at him that way because Aaron and Kimmy had also held hands on the van. If that was the only proof the blond was going by, then it was basically confirming Aaron's feelings for Kimmy as well.

Aaron tried to keep a calm expression, maintaining eye contact with the girl as unbothered as he could.

Aaron hadn't meant it in reference to himself and Kimmy, he had simply meant that he'd seen the two holding hands and assumed that a girl and a boy holding hands where one clearly liked the other could be taken in a romantic context. But he supposed it was also accurate enough in comparison to how he found himself feeling with the dark haired girl he was talking to.

After a moment of silence, Kimmy shrugged, looking down at her hands as she began using her duct tape once more. "I guess,"

Aaron bit the inside of his cheek, unsure what to do as an awkward silence took over the two.

"Is Steve alright?" Kimmy asked after a short pause, not raising her eyes to look at him as she spoke.

Aaron scrunched his nose in confusion at Kimmy's words, unsure why on earth Steve wouldn't be okay, or why Kimmy would care. She hardly knew him.

"What?" Aaron asked unsurely.

Kimmy raised her head to look at him, tilting her head in confusion, only puzzling Aaron further on why the hell she could possibly be confused.

"Steve?" She repeated in an obvious tone. "Is he alright? You know... after the whole Nancy thing?"

Aaron furrowed his brows, her words clarifying absolutely nothing for him. "What Nancy thing?"

"Oh, are they not together anymore?" Kimmy asked with an understanding look.

"No they are." Aaron shrugged. "I think."

"Oh, right." She muttered awkwardly. "So, then is he alright? You know he looked really upset earlier."

Aaron began to worry about his older brother, having not noticed his quick changing moods. "He did?"

"Yeah," Kimmy shrugged, shaking her head at the blond sat opposite her. "Every time Nancy or Jonathan as much as looked at each other he looked as if he could cry."

Aaron's eyes widened as he wondered how the hell she had even noticed that. The younger Harrington often found himself wondering how she could worry so much about others feelings when usually most of those said people had no regard for how she felt what so ever.

Aaron was glad that Kimmy had become friends with Max, knowing that Kimmy now had someone besides himself to back her up, knowing while she would always defend others, she wasn't so good at defending herself.

"You know for someone who claims to be so smart you really are clueless." Kimmy laughed teasingly, looking to Aaron with quite a large smile tugging on her lips.

Aaron sent her a small smile back, his eyes remaining on her as she dropped her gaze back to the board she was taping.

...

A little bit of a boring chapter but whatever, the next chapter is very interesting 🤭

I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far!!

All the support is very appreciated!!

- AJ :)