chapter seventeen , suzie, do you copy?

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"Jimmy! Where did you put the eggs!?"

Diana Theroux huffed as she fiddled through the kitchen, looking for the ingredients to make the desert of the evening. She frowned in frustration.

Jim Hopper sat in his usual chair in the basement, watching the small tv. "Check the fridge!"

"I checked the fridge, asshole!"

The sound of singing caused Jim to roll his eyes. Mike Wheeler was over, hanging out with his girlfriend, Eleven, before heading off to the mall. Jim craned his neck to the basement stairs. "Did you check the top shelf?"

"I'm too short!"

Jim huffed, looking back at Elevens door. He leaned back ever so slightly. Not really a surprise, but still disturbing, he caught eyes of Eleven and Mike kissing.

"Hey!"

Eleven gasped as she swung her hand, the door closing with her mind.

"Hey!" Jim scrabbled out of his chair. "Three inch minimum! Leave the door open three inches!" He scolded as he pushed at the door. It was locked. Hopper glared at the door. "El, open this door." He hit it repeatedly, before preparing to throw himself at it. "Open the-"

The door shot open, and he stumbled inside. Eleven and Mike were on opposite ends of the bed, reading different magazines and booklets. Mike looked at him with a fake-confused look. "What's wrong?"

Hopper glared at them both. His face reddened with anger and frustration. Another figure came into the door way. Kennedy Theroux looked into the room, then back at Hopper. Her long dyed blond hair cascaded over her shoulders as she brushed her teeth. "Can you guys not be so loud? I'm trying to have an important phone call with Nancy about college applications." She said with a bitter tone. Her eyes glanced slowly in Hoppers direction. "Grandma needs help finding the eggs."

With a quick storm off, Hopper grunted and grumbled. Kennedy turned back to the bathroom, finishing up her call with Nancy. Mike and Eleven giggled like the lovesick teenagers they were. If that's what you called love. "Are we leaving?" Mike asked as he jumped to the floor.

Kennedy gripped the doorframe, nodding her head. "Unless you want to sleep in the front yard tonight." She hummed with a bittersweet smile. "Because I'm not going to sleep with the two of you making kissy sounds all night." It was Eleven and Mikes turns to turn red as Mike gathered his stuff. Kennedy smiled at Eleven, letting Mike walk past. "I'll be home tonight." And with a wink, Kennedy shut Elevens door.

It was July. Finally. Summer was going by smoothly, and the entirety of Hawkins was finally back to normal after everything that happened over six months ago.

"Alright, who am I picking up?"

Mike Wheeler sat in the passenger seat of Kennedy's car. He looked over with a raised brow. "Nobody. We're meeting everyone there."

"You're meeting everyone there. I'm going to close up at work."

"Yeah, yeah, it's all the same."

There was a new attraction in Hawkins. Starcourt Mall.

It was lit up in neon lights and filled with Hawkins residence. It was no surprise the place was a success. Tons of store, food places, a movie theater, and an arcade. What more could you need? It was exactly what Hawkins needed after the trashed called the lab.

There were brief changes in Kennedy Theroux's life. Namely, she had dyed her hair blond, she got a new job now that the boys didn't need her to babysit them, and the now seventeen-year-old was nearing her senior year of high school.

Lucas Sinclair had his arms crossed as he watched Kennedy and Mike come walking from the parking lot. "You're late."

"Sorry!"

"Again."

"We're gonna miss the opening!" Huffed Will Byers. He had loner hair and his voice had gotten deeper. He even got taller, all of them had. Max Mayfield was standing in between them, sending annoyed glared at Mike.

The Wheeler nodded, "Yeah, if you keep on whining about it. Let's go!" Lucas began to make fun of Mike, imitating him as they walked into the mall.

Lucas looked over. "Let me guess. You were busy." Lucas puckered his lips, making kissy faces as he stuck his face out:

"Oh, yeah, real mature, Lucas."

Kennedy and Max shared looks as Lucas continued on. "Oh, El, I wish we could make our forever, and never hang out with any of our friends." The Sinclair gushed.

"Lucas, stop." Max finally said, but Kennedy and Will were laughing.

"Will thinks it's funny."

"Because it is."

Mike huffed, throwing his hands in the air. "Yeah, it's so funny that I want to spend romantic time with my girlfriend."

Lucas reached back, his arm wrapping around Max's shoulders. "I'm spending romantic time with my girlfriend." Lucas pointed out.

Kennedy rolled her eyes. "Children, stop fighting!" She said as she walked toward the escalators. "I'll be free of your antics as soon as we get you to location A."

You can imagine how happy customers of Starcourt were to see a clash of teens rushing past them on the escalators. They shouted apologies, but didn't slow down to get through as dad as possible.

Lucas turned to Kennedy, his new target after Mike. "You just wanna see Steve," Lucas wiggled his brows. "Oh, Steve, I'm dreaming of the day we finally start dating instead of kissing in the back of an ice cream shop. Oh, Steve, I want to run away from Hawkins and we can become pro babysitters for the rest of our lives!" Lucas teased before getting whacked in the arm by the Theroux.

"I could kill you. You do realize that, right? I could actually kill you."

Mike stumbled into someone. "Watch it!" The girl hissed.

"Yeah! Watch it, nerd!"

Erica Sinclair glared at her brother and his friends. "Isn't it past your bedtime?" Lucas huffed.

"Isn't it time you died?"

Kennedy scoffed, laughing. "Psycho!" Lucas retorted.

"Butthead!"

"Mall rat!"

"Fart face!"

Lucas stuck his tongue out. "Oh, now that was mature." Max grabbed her boyfriends arm, rolling her eyes at him as she tugged him to a familiar shop.

Scoops Ahoy.

Kennedy smiled wide as she walked inside. "Your favorite customers here!" She called out.

The girl at the counter looked between the four teens behind Kennedy. "Hey, dingus, your children and their mother are here!"

The window from the back of the parlor opened up. Kennedy bit back a playful smile as Steve Harrington stood there in his absolutely ridiculous uniform. His annoyed glare quickly disappeared as he saw the blond with hazel eyes. A smile on his face widened as he leaned against the counters.

Steves feelings had only grown since those days spent trying to save the world.

After Kennedy finally accepted that her life would never go back to the boring way it was, she also became the same Kennedy everyone knew and loved. Her confidence came back alongside her power over Hawkins High School. She dyed her hair a pretty blond that Steve adored, and she was a smiling mess for the rest of the school year.

Steve almost couldn't believe how often Kennedy would surprise him. She got him a gift on her birthday, unaware of the party he was planning. She would randomly show up to school with cookies, claiming she made them for Eleven and her friends, but then went on to give Steve an extra five or six. Whenever she was at Steves house, she'd rant about how he needed to eat more.

"My grandma loves guests! She'll cook you enough meals to last a month if you ask!"

Kennedy was always the caring type. She prioritized peoples needs over her own and it only seemed to triple in the last eight months. After school ended, Kennedy's babysitting job for the boys did too. It was bittersweet, really. Sure, she would still babysit Erica Sinclair or Holly Wheeler, but no more spending movie nights at Will's and asking him about his art? No more silly string wars with Dustin? No more chasing Mike around his basement after he stole her car keys so she wouldn't leave? No more stalking every store in town for Lucas to get his next action figure?

It sucked. A lot.

That didn't stop the boys from seeing her. As soon as Starcourt Mall opened up, Kennedy got a job at Claire's, a jewelry store, while Steve got a job at Scoops Ahoy. He was on the bottom floor, Kennedy on the floor above. However, sometimes if he was sitting at the right angle and there was nobody around, he could briefly see her roaming her store. Every night at closing, he'd shut the gate to Scoops and turn to see her leaning on the balcony, smiling wide.

She loved working there. It was small and girly and filled with jewelry and other gifts that were girl-friendly. Steve poked his head in there every now and again, asking Kennedy if she'd want a silver necklace, taking it back with a "Oh, wait! You're allergic!"

Steve ended up with a coworker. Robin Buckley. She was a nice girl with a bit of an attitude; her and Steves personalities worked well for their work ethics. She was the same age as Kennedy, and she was extremely funny. The two girls got along quickly. Maybe it was because their personalities clicked, or maybe it was because they both loved to bully Steve.

Kennedy had a new coworker friend too, a girl named Yasmin Fritz. Yasmin didn't exactly fit Claires's vibes, but she wasn't exactly the girly type to begin with. She got the job because her mom forced her to. So, here she was. Yasmin was also going into senior year like Kennedy and Robin, but neither girls knew of the Fritz before the mall. The girl was apart of some club at school that played Dungeons & Dragons and some stuff of that nature. So yeah, she wasn't exactly part of the popular crowd.

Yasmin and Robin were convinced Kennedy and Steve were dating the first few weeks of work. They hadn't even questioned the assumption until Steve informed Robin that wasn't the case after she had called Kennedy his girlfriend. They were shocked, mortified even. How could Steve Harrington and Kennedy Theroux not be dating despite how they acted like a married couple all the time? Robin was then convinced something was wrong with Steve. Maybe he had bad breath, or was bad in bed, or maybe he was just a dick at one point and forever ruined his chances with the girl who had dyed blond hair.

But no, it was none of that. The two just didn't know what to make of their new dynamics. You'd think it's be easy. Just date already! But it wasn't like that. Not when the two of them had been friends for nearly seven years and had spent most of it suppressing romantic feelings out of fear. Fear that if those feelings got out, their friendship would be ruined.

Back to the smiling Steve, his smile fell as he remembered Mike and his friends. "Again? Seriously?" The Harrington asked. Mike pushed Kennedy out of his way with a hip bump, ringing the bell impatiently.

Kennedy stood in the back hallway of the mall, standing next to Steve while the group of kids walked by. "I swear, if anybody hears about this-"

"We're dead!" The four kids chorused. Kennedy snickered, looking over at Steve with a raised brow. She slowly looked over his outfit, raising a teasing brow.

"Wow, Stevie, you look like a real catch." She hummed with a raised brow.

Steve rolled his eyes. "Shut up." He said as he grabbed Kennedy by her face. Kennedy started to giggle as her lips pressed against his. The two of them stumbled back into the back room of Scoops, their hands on each other.

Kennedy tugged on his uniform, her hands all over him as their lips danced together in a way they always did. Heavy breathing filled the room and Kennedy felt like her head was spinning. Perhaps driving Mike around sometimes was worth it, especially considering she got this kind of treatment.

Steves hands reached down her back, grabbing at her through her jeans as he sighed into her mouth. "You're so lucky you don't have to wear a uniform."

Pulling away slightly, Kennedy gave a gentle hum. "I don't know. I think I'd look good in this hat." Steve watched as Kennedy took his Scoops Ahoy hat and put it on her own head. She smiled wide and did a quick spin. Steves hands trailed her hips as she did, before she stood in front of him again and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Definitely better than me." Steve said simply, leaning in and kissing her again. Kennedy giggled, giving repeated chaste kisses. "As much as I love this, I have to get back to work."

Kennedy groaned, leaning back and staring at the ceiling. "I don't wanna go." She pouted, sticking out her bottom lip. Steve took his hat before it fell off of her completely.

"Yeah, well, I'm sure Yaz needs all the help she can get up there. So go." Steve spun Kennedy on her hips and towards the door. She squealed and laughed as she walked through it.

Robin looked back with a smile. "I'll see you tonight?" She called out.

Kennedy saluted. "Always, Buckley!" She chimed before turning and walking out of Scoops.

Yasmin Fritz glared at the Claire's entrance for five whole minutes before Kennedy walked in. "You're so lucky. You have two minutes before your shift starts."

Kennedy smiled at her coworker, walking through the store as she went to the back. "How's it been today?"

"Busy. Erica Sinclair keeps coming in to buy earrings."

"Classic Erica."

Kennedy had started to work pretty much right away. She started reorganizing the jewelry and the shelves. It was an aesthetically pleasing job. She enjoyed putting things where they belonged. She loved the little girl's faces when they ran in to see jewelry, accessories, and more. She even loved helping boyfriends buy small inexpensive gifts for their girls as apologies.

Madonna began to play from a cassette Kennedy made herself. Yasmin groaned loudly, "Do you have any taste other than a blond chick?"

"Never disrespect the queen like that again," Kennedy said as she pointed her finger in Yasmin's direction. The girl with dark hair rose a brow as Kennedy began to dance, singing Like A Virgin loudly.

Yasmin laughed, yelping as Kennedy grabbed her hands and yanked her from the counter. The two of them jumped around the practically empty shop, singing the chorus. Kennedy beamed, wrapping her arms around her friend before dipping her head back, throwing her arms out as she sang. It was a miracle the two girls ever got any work done. At this point, Kennedy wondered if their boss even cared. Yasmin claimed to hate Madonna, but that was hard to believe when the two girls were singing the music loudly.

The two of them laughed as the second verse began. A couple customers came trotting in, and Yasmin made her way back to the counter. Kennedy spun to grab a box of scrunchies to be stocked, still moving her hips to the music.

And then the music stopped. The lights went out. And silence filled the mall.

Guests began to whisper and talk as darkness consumed the entirety of Starcourt. Kennedy looked back toward Yasmin, the two girls sharing equally confused expressions. "Um, okay, not horror movie weird at all," Yasmin commented as she looked around.

Kennedy slowly looked around, stepping just outside of the shop to look around the entirety of the mall. Everyone chattered and wondered what was going on, but very few people moved. Kennedy clenched the railing that outlooked the bottom floor, closing her eyes to listen in.

"What the hell?" Erica huffed as she licked her ice cream.

"Who turned out the lights?" A teenage boy dumbly called out, earning chuckles from his friends.

Kennedys grip on the banister tightened. Her knuckled turning white.

"That's not gonna work, dingus." Robin said as she stared at her coworker.

Steve Harrington rose a brow, "Oh, really?" Kennedy could hear him beginning to hit something repeatedly. Flicking the light switch on and off as if his one singular light switch was the reason the entire mall was in darkness.

Kennedy listened further, her eyes turning gold under her closed eyes as she tried to focus on anything and everything. She frowned as she listened to whining children, complaining parents, grumpy old people, and angsty teens. But what confused her the most was she could've sworn she heard something unfamiliar. A whirring like sound, or something.

The lights were suddenly back on.

Her eyes fluttered open just as they turned back to hazel. She could see Scoops Ahoy from where she stood, hearing Steve make a comment. "Let there be light."

Kennedy pursed her lips together tightly as she felt an uneasy feeling in her stomach. She felt like she was going to be sick. Maybe it was her paranoia, which seemed to worsen even after Hawkins lab was shut down, but Kennedy felt like something wasn't right. She tried to listen in again, this time expanding her hearing farther than the food court, trying to find Will in the source of chaos.

"Hey."

Kennedy just about jumped out of her skin as she turned around. Yasmin laughed, holding up her hands as she watched the frazzled Theroux. "You're about to break the banister if you keep holding it like that." Yasmin commented. Kennedy turned, letting go of the railing she had definitely been grabbing onto too harshly. "Come on, we have to help a dad pick out best friend necklaces for his daughters friends birthday."

Kennedy forced a smile, laughing at the idea as she pushed away her thoughts. She was just paranoid, as she always was. Everything was fine.

༺❀༻

"I am sick of it!"

Hopper grumbled as he sat at the breakfast table. Eleven had already left with Mike, the two of them going off with their friends for the day. Kennedy was up and ready for work, she'd only be working until lunch and then have the rest of the day off with Yasmin. Diana placed down a plate of food in front of Hopper, who instantly began cutting into it like a madman.

"Jimmy, they're teenagers who really like each other!" Diana shrugged as she grabbed Kennedy's plate, setting it down. "You should've seen Kennedy with her ex-boyfriend. Couldn't get her off of him-"

"Grandma," Kennedy scolded, shaking her head.

Diana waved her off. "I'm just saying, it's perfectly normal for El and Mike to be acting this way! They're fourteen!" Diana picked up a knife as she began digging into her own food. "A kiss here and there isn't going to kill anyone.

Hopper craned his neck. "But its not a kiss here and there. It's a long kiss that seems to never end!" Hopper stuffed his face with eggs, "He's corrupting her! Mike is corrupting El and I'm gonna-"

Kennedy waved her hand. "Okay, let's not threaten fourteen-year-old boys, okay?" She hummed as she raised a brow at Hopper. He grumbled as he sunk in his chair. Diana ate her food, waving a finger at Hopper.

"Jimmy! Why don't you ask Joyce for some advice?" Diana cheerily suggested.

Hopper frowned. "Why would I do that?" He asked the woman who seemed to treat her like a son. It was funny, to be honest. Not many people could scold Jim Hopper, get away with it, and call him Jimmy. However, that's exactly what Diana Theroux did.

"Because she has Will and Jonathan! She knows how these boys are like and can give you advice on how to go about this if it's really bothering you so bad." Diana explained with a shrug. "Plus, Kennedy and I are sick of hearing you complain about poor corrupted Eleven," Hopper scowled while Kennedy and Diana began to laugh.

"Alright, maybe I'll stop by the store," Hopper mumbled. "At least Joyce won't make fun of me." He added before glaring in Kennedy and Diana's directions.

Kennedy shrugged, "You love me." She hummed before taking a bite of her food happily

Hopper grumbled in annoyance as he took another bite of his food. "Foods good, Diana." He said to the elder Theroux. She hummed happily.

"I know."

It wasn't long until Jim Hopper had finished his plate and was rushing back to his room to change into his work uniform. Kennedy slowly turned her head, raising a suspicious brow at Diana. "You're trying to set them up, aren't you?" She asked with narrowed eyes.

Diana gasped, mouth full of eggs, putting her hand to her chest. Her painted red nails pressed against her black T-shirt. She swallowed her food, shaking her curly blond hair. "I would never." She huffed at the accusation, but there was a playful wink at the end of the sentence that caused Kennedy to roll her eyes.

Hopper came out of his room, wearing his police uniform with pursed lips. He then pointed at Kennedy harshly. "And I'll have a talk with Harrington too." He huffed.

"What? Why!?" Kennedy whipped her head around to watch Jim stalk into the kitchen, fiddling for the lunch Diana made him.

"Because I'm sick of him coming in through the basement door!"

Kennedy's eyes widened and she looked back at Diana. "He comes in through the back door cause you won't let him in the front!" Kennedy huffed.

"Because I don't want boys in your room after eight!"

"It's not like I'm sleeping with him-"

Hopper whipped around, "Oh, you better not be." Hopper pointed a finger at the blond girl, shaking his head rapidly. "I'll strangle him."

"Please don't?"

Diana sighed as she looked at her granddaughter. "I don't know why you two haven't made it official. I mean, what's the point of him trying to ask out a bunch of girls at work if he's just going to cancel any and all dates to come back here?" Diana ranted. She stood up, taking her empty plate with her to the kitchen.

Kennedy sighed. "We're not together because it's...weird."

"You don't think it's weird when you're making out." Hopper grumbled as he faced his paper bag for lunch. Something hits the back of his head, and he spins around to see a slipper. Kennedy's slipper, to be exact.

The Theroux girl huffed as she stood from the table. "Steve and I like each other, but we want to take it slow. We don't want to mess it up. Make sure it's really what we want." Kennedy softly explained as she walked into the kitchen.

Diana took Kennedys plate, instantly starting to wash it at the sink. "I feel like six months is long enough for him to at least ask you out on a date." Diana informed her granddaughter.

Hopper scoffed. "Yeah. You know what? No more kissing him."

"What!?"

"No more kissing Steve Harrington until he asks you out on a date. A real one." Hopper stood in front of Kennedy, putting his hands on her shoulders. "You deserve better, Kid."

Kennedy frowns. "But why do I have to get punished?"

"So you can realize you deserve better." He deadpanned. Kennedy scowled, letting Hopper pat her cheek before he turned away. "I'll be back tonight!"

Diana hummed, "Tell me what Joyce says!" She called. "Did you get your cut up cucumbers?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Good boy!" Diana gushed, earning a grumble from Hopper as he walked out the front door. Kennedy looked at her grandmother who had a small smile. "He just cares about you, you know. Wants what's best for you."

Kennedy sighed as she leaned against the counter. "Yeah, well, it's a little annoying." She muttered.

"You only think it's annoying cause you've never had an overprotective father."

Kennedy quirked a brow at Diana, who casually walked past. Father? Kennedy wasn't sure if she had ever saw Hopper that way. He was always Jimmy. A nickname Kennedy picked up for him from Diana. Did Kennedy see him as a father figure? She cared about what he thought of her friends, of boys (Steve). She asked for his permission to go hang out with Nancy and Jonathan, but that was because he was the other adult in the house. She listened to his advice and when he wanted her to do chores, but that's because she cared about his opinion. She loved movie nights with him, a tradition that started after they moved into the house in the woods.

Maybe he was a bit of a father figure. Just a little.

༺❀༻

Yasmin was leaning against the counter, wearing her black jeans, black shirt, and big black boots. Her neck covered in tons of necklaces and her raven hair was naturally poofy and curly. Kennedy was wearing a tight pink and white striped top and denim shorts. She was kneeling on the ground, talking to a little girl while her young dad was graciously looking at Kennedy's figure.

"Favorite color?"

"Pink!"

Kennedy beamed, "Good choice." Kennedy hopped to her feet, walking to grab a neon pink headband. She turned back to the girl, putting it on the brunettes head. She trailed her fingers through the little girls hair, perfecting the style before smiling wide. "You look beautiful, don't you?"

The little girl was bursting with excitement as her dad agreed to buy it. Yasmin checked them out while Kennedy pulled out a stack of earrings to put on display. Every now and again, Kennedy would walk by the doors just to look out into the food court.

Kennedy crouched to clean up a mess a toddler had made earlier in the day with the accessories. She turned her head. From low on the ground, Kennedy could see Steve and Robin from where she sat. She held a handful of items in her hands, clenching them tightly as she listened to their voices.

"Oh, Purdue. Fancy," Steve hummed as he took money from a teenage girl. Kennedy tilted her head, listening to his attempt at flirting.

"Yeah, I'm excited."

Steve didn't really like this girl, per se. She was really pretty and stuff, but he just wasn't feeling it. He was just trying to prove to Robin and Yasmin that he could get a girl. "You know, I considered it, Purdue, but then I was like, you know what? I really think I need some real-life experience, you know, you know, before I hit college, see what it feels like. Kinda like, I don't know, see what its like to earn a working mans wage, you know?" Kennedy tilted her head, biting back a laugh as she listened to this horrible rant he was going on. Steve began to stutter as he misclicks something on the cash register.

The rest of the interaction was worse. Steve stuttered over his words, and dropped money onto the counter. The girl said she was busy practically indefinitely. Kennedy chewed on her lip, smiling as she could see Steve's disappointed and embarrassed expression even from her store.

"And another one bites the dust." Chimed Robin, holding up a board. It was split down the half in marker and tally marks. YOU RULE was written at the top left, and YOU SUCK was written at the top right. "You are oh-for-six, Popeye." Robin slid the black marker down, making a sixth tally mark on the right side of the board.

"Yeah, yeah, I can count."

"You know that means you suck."

Steve leaned against the counter, arms crossed as he nodded. "Yep, I can read, too." He commented.

Robin rose a surprised brow. "Since when?" She asked playfully.

"It's this stupid hat. I'm telling you, its totally blowing off my best feature." Explained Steve as he stepped toward the window to the back Robin was standing on the other side of. Robin turned, sliding the board over.

"Yeah, company policy is a real drag." Muttered Robin as she leaned onto her elbows. "You know, it's a crazy idea, but have you considered telling the truth?" She pressed her lips together as she gave a shrug.

Steve rose a brow. "Oh, you mean, that I couldn't even get into Tech and my douchebag dads trying to teach me a lesson, I make three bucks an hour, and I have no future? That truth?" He listed off as he too leaned onto the surface.

Robin shrugged. "I was meaning the truth about yourself being emotionally unavailable to any chick other than Kennedy Theroux, but sure. That too." Steve opened his mouth to answer, or argue, but Robin pointed behind him. "Twelve o'clock."

A group of girls wandered into the ice cream shop. Steve cursed under his breath, turning, "I'm going in, and you know what?" Kennedy craned her neck lower to see Steve take off his hat, throwing it over Robin's shoulder. "Screw company policy." He huffed.

"Oh, my God, you're a whole new man." Robin chimed sarcastically.

Steve did a small shimmy with his shoulders. "Right?" He slowly turned around. "Ahoy, ladies! Didn't see you there." The girls gasped at his sudden volume. "Would you guys like to set sail across this ocean of flavor with me? I'll be your captain." His eyes fell onto the girl in front. "I'm Steve Harrington."

Kennedy couldn't listen anymore, she turned away from the painful interaction, putting things onto the racks. "You gotta stop torturing yourself, Ken." Yasmin said as she chewed on her gum obnoxiously. Kennedy turned to look at her coworker and friend in confusion.

"What?"

"Watching him flirt with other girls is extremely unhealthy and obsessive." Yasmin deadpanned as she grabbed her things. "Make him jealous all you want, but don't let him know you're jealous."

The blond scoffed, following Yasmin to the back of the store. The two of them were getting off at the same time. "I'm not jealous! He's a horrible flirter."

"Yeah, but he's still King Steve." Yasmin deadpanned as she slid her bag over her shoulder. Kennedy leaned against the employee cubbies, raising a brow. "One of these days a girl from high school is gonna walk in there, remember their big five-year crush on the Steve Harrington, and he's gonna flirt with her! Their teenage wet-dream finally coming to life because Steve Harrington is flirting with them, trying to ask them out on a date," Yasmin ranted with her hands, the two girls walking through the store and waving goodbye to their older coworker, Anne. "And then they're gonna get their socks knocked off when Steve takes them to the back of his BMW and-"

Kennedy held up a hand. "Save the porn for yourself, alright?" She huffed bluntly as they walked out into the rest of the mall. "If Steve wants to take girls out on dates, that is none of my business!" She shrugged as she played with the belt around her shorts.

"Then why don't you ask someone out?"

Yasmin rose a brow as she watched Kennedy look at her. "Why would I do that?" Kennedy asked.

"Cause you're hot, you're funny, you're popular, and Steve Harrington is too much of a pussy to do it himself, but he'll ask out every other girl in town," Yasmin explained as they reached the escalator. Kennedy didn't say anything, because Yasmin was right. "So, play the game! He gets to ask girls out, you get to ask guys out! Or get asked out."

Kennedy shook her head, "I don't know. I'm not even interested in a relationship with anyone. I haven't been in almost two years." She explained easily.

The two girls ended up in the food court, looking around as they decided what they'd get for dinner. Kennedy hadn't noticed Steve's eyes on her as soon as she came into view. She was too busy debating on Burger King or Tepanyaki Japanese. She also hadn't noticed a familiar short redhead walking past.

"Kennedy! Hey!"

The blond turned around, her happy gaze falling at the sight of Carol Perkins. There was no sight of Tommy Hagan, as Tommy was already off to Illinois for school and visiting family. So Carol was with a group of people from school. Some of them Kennedy recognized, some she didn't.

Kennedy looked over at Yasmin for a second, frowning. "Hi, Carol," Kennedy said slowly as she looked at her ex-best friend.

Carol and Kennedy had barely spoken since November. It was like there was an unspoken competition that Carol started, but no matter what Kennedy won without trying. The Theroux was nicer, more likable. She won every sports thing with her werewolf abilities. Carol was jealous, but couldn't win no matter what she did.

"I heard you were working here!" Carol chimed with her fake-grin that Kennedy recognized.

Kennedy nodded, straightening her back. "Yeah, the Claires up there," The blond gestured with a pointed finger. Robin and Steve looked at each other, now seeing the same thing.

Robin tilted her head, "I thought they weren't friends anymore." She said quietly.

"They're not."

Carol stepped closer. "So, what else are you up to?" Her eyes trailed to Yasmin, who had been silent the entire time. "Is this your next victim? Careful, she'll steal with your boyfriend."

Kennedy rolled her eyes, "He dumped you because you slept with Billy," The blond reminded Carol with a snippy tone in her voice.

"I don't think I asked you," Hummed Carol as she tilted her head.

"I'm gonna go," Yasmin muttered softly, making her way to the Burger King. She never had to deal with Carol and her goons, and she didn't want to start now.

The redheaded Perkins huffed, crossing her arms. "Love the hair, Ken. Blond really suits you." Kennedy was stiff, unmoving as Carol came closer. "What does Steve think?"

Carol will never get over her obsession with Kennedy and Steve, will she?

Kennedy shrugged with a straight face. "Don't know." She answered. Carol pouted her lips, clicking her tongue.

"Oh, that's not true, now, is it?" Carol hummed as she walked over. "I mean, come on, he's been asking out every girl that walks into that stupid ice cream shop, and yet he won't even bat an eye at you." She retorted with a mocking grin. Of course, nobody knew that Kennedy and Steve had their thing going. They didn't know. They weren't supposed to know.

The blond inhaled deeply as she felt annoyance, anger, and frustration in her bones. It bubbled up her skin as she looked at the redhead girls eyes. "Okay? Good for him." She muttered, moving to turn away.

"It must suck, knowing nobody's willing to pick you." By now other bystanders had quieted, whispering and muttering. Steve and Robin had gotten closer to the doors, watching the interaction. Steve's eyes were wide. What the hell was Carol saying? He could see the Theroux facing away from Carol, clenching her fist. Kennedy slowly turned back. The redhead kept going. "I mean, I get it. Kennedy Theroux, Hawkins's slut who can't get a guy to take her out on a date." Kennedy shouldn't be upset. Why would she be? "Not even Steve Harrington, who's desperate to ask out the biggest nerds he sees." For a minute, Steve could've sworn he saw something in Kennedy's eyes change. "Alas, all Kennedy can get is a guy desperate enough for a bitch to use." Kennedy drew her hand back, slapping Carol across the face. Everyone gasped and went quiet.

Steve and Robin stood at the entrance. "Oh, god," Steve muttered softly.

Carol turned back, her mouth hung open in shock. Kennedy, in attempt to control herself, had turned away from Carol and began walking in Yasmin's direction. Carol took three quick strides, grabbing Kennedy by the hair and yanking her back. Everyone gasped as Kennedy stumbled backward. Steve cursed under his breath as he saw a flash of gold.

"What are you doing?" Called out Robin.

What was Carol expecting? Nothing? No consequences? She had gotten away with so much with Kennedy in all the years of their friendship, maybe she thought this was just another thing. But no. Kennedy whipped around so fast, her hand colliding with Carol's jaw. Everyone shouted in surprise. Carol tried to quickly grab a napkin container off a table, swinging it into Kennedy's head. Steve ran through the crowd as fast as he could, but he froze at the scene. Kennedy's head snapped to the side and she stumbled. Her head throbbed, but only for a fleeting moment. Carol had no time to react when Kennedy grabbed her hair, slinging her back and throwing her face-first into a pillar. Carol screamed in pain, her face gushing blood and her nose making a crunching noise. Kennedy let out a low snarl, though nobody but Carol herself had heard it. The Theroux flung Carol back, the redhead sliding across the floor. Kennedy's side of her temple was bleeding profusely and her cheek was cut up. Her fist collided with Carol's face repeatedly.

"Excuse me! Sorry!" Steve shouted as he finally ran through the food court, Robin and Yasmin close behind.

Kennedy was hitting her over and over. Her furious eyes glazed over. She felt arms wrapping around her waist, and she attempted to shove them back in frustration. A familiar scent filled her nose and Kennedy whipped around to see Steve lifting her off the ground. Kennedy glared, turning to try and get back to Carol.

"Go! Go! Go!" Steve shouted to Yasmin and Robin. The three of them, and a flailing Kennedy, ran through the mall, back to Scoops Ahoy, and right to the back.

Yasmin held the back door open with wide eyes. "Holy shit! You totally kicked Carol's ass!" She shouted in amazement as Steve placed Kennedy in a chair.

"Yaz, where are her car keys?" Steve asked as he looked over. The Fritz stuttered in thought, moving to Kennedy's purse hiding in Yasmin's bag. She shuffled for her purse, handing it over to the Harrington. Steve took it, placing it on the table and began to look through it. Kennedy was seething, her furious eyes looking back to the door as she thought about going back out there and tearing Carol Perkins apart.

Robin's eyes were wide. "Finally got a taste of her own medicine," Robin chimed in thought as she looked back.

Steve stood up straight, putting Kennedy's bag on her shoulder as he held her keys in his hands. "I'm gonna take her home. Robin, can you cover the rest of my shift?" The brunette boy glanced at his coworker.

"What? But I'm off in two hours!"

"I know, but I really need to get Kennedy home." His eyes flickered to the blond whos hands were burrowed into fists. Steve sent a pleading gaze back to Robin. "Please?"

Robin scowled. "You're lucky I like Kennedy," She huffed as she turned to the door. "Don't crash her car."

"Thank you! Thank you!" Steve turned back to Kennedy, grabbing her hand and pulling her out of her chair. He didn't give anyone time to say goodbye to Kennedy, or see the claws coming from her fingertips and digging into her palms.

༺❀༻

Kennedy sat in her bedroom with Steve Harrington. Her eyes glared at him as he wiped a cloth over her bloody hands. "I'm already healed, Steve." She mumbled. Her room at this house was different than the old one. It was smaller but big enough to hold a queen bed, a dresser, a small closet, and her desk. Her walls painted a pale grey, and there were less decorations in this room compared to her old one. She had a corkboard by her door, covered in some of her favorite photos. Many of them her and Eleven, her and Will, her and Nancy, or her and the entire D&D party. There were even some of her and Jonathan from when they were younger, and plenty of Kennedy and Steve growing up.

Steve was kneeled down on the floor, resting between her legs as he whipped the gray cloth down her hand again. "Okay, but you looked like you killed someone." He said softly. Kennedy tilted her head slightly. "Your grandmother would not be happy if I let you come home like this."

"Good thing she's not home," Kennedy bit back a smile as she looked back at her hands. Steve wiped the last bit of the blood, pulling away. "But Hopper is."

Kennedy and Steve slowly looked out into the hallway. Her door was cracked due to the three inches rule. Hopper came hobbling down the stairs, his eyes landing on the door to see the pair. Kennedy sucked in a breath as Hopper came walking in. His disapproving eyes landed on Steve, who slowly stood up.

"Harrington," Hopper grunted out.

"Hi, Chief." Steve nodded, moving to excuse himself. "I brought her home. But I'll be going,"

"Sit."

Kennedy's hazel eyes widened. She looked over at Steve, who seemed just as confused as she was. First of all, Kennedy didn't even know how Steve would get home at this point. Second, Hopper barely spoke to Steve, so the fact he was having the Harrington sit made her uneasy. Hopper grabbed Kennedy's chair, turning it so he could sit in front of the two of them.

Hopper grunted to himself, running a hand over his face. "I can't believe I'm having this conversation twice today," He mumbled today, knowing he had already had it with Mike and Eleven earlier.

The Theroux turned pale. "Jim, seriously? Can we seriously not do this right now?" She sat up straight as she tried to find a way to get Steve out of her house now.

"What conversation?" Steve asked, clueless.

Hopper held up a finger in Kennedy's direction, telling her to stop. Kennedy sunk back, knowing there was no stopping him now. Hopper ran his hands over his knees, slowly looking in the Harrington's direction. "Steve, I'd like to think I can talk to you when I need too, especially if it's about Kennedy."

He was talking about her like she wasn't even there! Steve looked over at Kennedy questioningly, nodding his head slowly. "Yeah. Yeah, totally." The brunette boy nodded quickly, not sure what direction this was going. Hopper clenched his jaw tightly, knowing this was already going much better than his talk with Mike Wheeler.

"Then you'll understand I'm having concerns about this...thing you two have going on."

It was Steve's turn to turn pale.

"I guess what I'm saying is," Hopper clasped his fingers together as he thought. "Kennedy is an amazing girl who is more loyal to the people she cares about more than anyone else. Her loyalty to you? Incomparable." Kennedy turned pink with embarrassment. "But, I'm not seeing the loyalty match up."

Steve's eyes went wide. He swallowed the anxiety in his throat. "What?" He managed to say.

"You're asking out other girls, attempting to go on dates, flirting away in that stupid uniform," Hopper scowled at the Scoops Ahoy outfit. "And yet Kennedy is here, telling me, telling Diana, how you're this great guy that's changed so much in the last few years. And frankly, Steve, I'm not seeing it. And I don't like watching my," Hopper froze with his words, clearing his throat to cover his mistake. "I don't like watching Kennedy pine for a guy if he's not even going to ask her out to dinner once or twice."

The Harrington looked over at Kennedy, who was now hiding her face in a pillow. His eyes met Hoppers. "You want me to date Kennedy?" He asked in confusion.

"I want you two to stop playing this awful game! Hence the newest rule in the house." Hopper stood up, grabbing Kennedy's notebook and a black marker. "No more kissing, no more making out, no more cuddling, and certainly no sex," Steve choked, eyes wide. Kennedy closed her eyes, hoping the world would swallow her whole. "Until you two resolve this situation-ship." Hopper spins around the notebook.

NO DATES? NO SMOOCHES.

Hopper tosses the notebook on the bed, grumbling to himself. Steve and Kennedy were silent as Hopper walked out of her room, leaving the door open three inches. Kennedy's face was bright red, and so was Steves. The Theroux groaned, shoving her face into a pillow in embarrassment.

"He seems like a nice guy." Steve commented quietly.

Kennedy began to laugh, rubbing her face in her hands. "I'm sorry. There's something going on with Mike and El, and so now he's acting weird-"

"Hey, I get it." Steve said as he looked over at the Theroux. Kennedy rose a brow. "He cares about you."

"He's trying to torture me." Kennedy grumbled under her breath.

Steve shook his head, rubbing his hands together. "What did Carol do to piss you off so bad?" They were trying to hold off talking about the possible romance brewing between them. They knew that, Hopper knew that, and so did everyone in Hawkins.

"She was talking about you." Kennedy deadpanned, shrugging. "Talking about me. I was just over it."

"You lost control."

Kennedy looked over, confused. "I didn't kill her."

Steve tensed up. "No, but you grew claws! Your eyes turned yellow! You haven't had that happen in months." He explained as he gestured to the blond.

"I'm sorry, what are you trying to say?"

"That you need to calm down because you're gonna start eating people!"

There was a new tension in the air. Kennedy huffed, rolling her eyes at Steves words. "I'm fine."

"Then why are your eyes yellow?" Steve asked harshly. Kennedy stood up, looking at her dresser with the mirror above it. Surely enough, her eyes were shining gold. Kennedy's eyes widened. Steve stood up. "Is something wrong? Is it your medicine-"

Kennedy held up a hand. "No! My meds are fine!" Kennedy whipped around, freezing at Steves jump. Why did he do that? Was he scared of her? Kennedy bit the inside of her cheek after realizing how loud she had been. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I'll stay on top of it,"

He ran his hand over his face. "And what if you can't?" Kennedy's lips turned down as she studied his light eyes. "What if you can't control it, huh? Cause you're doing a hell of a job at it right now." Kennedys eyes flickered between gold and hazel, causing the blond to scrunch her face in discomfort as she turned away from him.

"Well, maybe, if someone wasn't such an asshole, I wouldn't wanna rip his face off all the time!"

She could hear his scoff from behind her, causing her blood to boil. "This isn't about me, Kennedy! This is about you and how you can't be around people if you're going to hurt them!" It sounded harsh, and he knew that. But it was true. He couldn't bare the thought of Kennedy losing control, hurting someone like Robin or Dustin, and then her guilty eyes afterwards. If she needed a break, all she had to do was say so.

But Kennedy hated it. She hated the idea of being too weak to be normal. She whipped around again, fighting back the werewolf tendencies and her frustrated tears. "Do you seriously think that's what's gonna happen!? That I'm going to lose control and hurt someone? Hurt you?" She stuttered over her words as she tried to convey her anger towards Steve. She was fine! She was completely fine! "I would rip Carol Perkins apart fifteen times over before I even considered coming near you,"

"And maybe that's the problem! You're going to hurt someone else and I don't want you to go through that!"

She laughed dryly. "Steve, I'm fine!" Her voice boomed, shaking photos from her cork board onto the ground as she hit the dresser harshly. Kennedy shouted in pain, yanking up her hand and spinning to see the new fist sized hole in her dressers wooden surface.

Steve clenched his jaw, "I'm gonna go." He had enough. He knew Kennedy was losing it and he didn't know why. She wasn't willing to listen to him or figure it out herself, so he wasn't gonna be here to watch her spiral.

"How are you going to get home?" Kennedy asked bitterly as she followed him into her basement. Eleven had poked her head out of her room in attempt to listen to their fight better.

"I'll ask Hopper!"

Kennedy scoffed, "Oh, yeah, cause he's in the mood to drive across town again." She snapped.

"I'll walk!"

"Oh, my God, okay!" Kennedy threw her hands in the air, spinning to her bedroom door. She was over the confrontation and the entire conversation. "Bye, Steve!"

Eleven jumped at Kennedys door slamming shut. The basement slightly shook at the impact. Eleven stood in her doorway, staring at Steve. The Harrington looks over. "Is she always like this?" He asked quietly, pointing to the Theroux's door.

Eleven tilted her head, nodding. "Sometimes." She bluntly stated. She looked up the basement stairs. "Ask Diana to drive you home. She just pulled in the driveway." Before Steve could say anything, Eleven slipped back into her room. The Harrington sighed through his nose, running his hand through his hair as he looked around the basement.

What a shit show.