"Steve! I'm here!" I yell through his house as I open the door, not bothering to knock. "I thought I'd help get everything ready before everyone arrives!"

I hear footsteps thudding down the stairs and see a frantic Steve. "Thank god, you're here, I need your help!" He states, turning around to head back up to his room. I stand still in confusion, not really sure what to say. He comes back down the stairs and ushers me up the stairs. "I said, I need your help."

"Yeah, I got that part, I just didn't get the part as to why," I explain to him and he nods his head in understanding.

"Basically, I have no clue what to wear," he finally tells me. I just look at him in disbelief before I start laughing at the boy in front of me. "It's not funny, Liz!" I continue laughing and he lets out a sharp puff. "Oh, please do enlighten me on what is so funny, Elizabeth!"

"No, it's just that, we have these things all the time, so why do you care what you wear now?" I question him. He folds his arms over his chest, readjusting his posture. I take a moment to think about everything and nod my head. "Oh, Nancy, right. I kind of forgot she was coming if I am being totally honest with you."

"Yeah, that's usually what guilt does to you," Steve shrugs his shoulders at me. "It's your dirty conscience telling you that you need to tell Carol the truth before she finds out from the wrong person."

"I can't just tell her!" I retort. "It's a big secret, Steve, and you promised you would keep it!"

"I will keep it, but I'm just saying, she'll have an easier time forgiving you if it actually comes from you, rather than someone else," Steve tries to explain to me. "Especially if it's Tommy because he will just demonize you and make you seem like the person in the wrong, even if it is technically both your fault."

"Okay, mother, I don't need one of your lectures, thank you very much," I reply, holding my hands up in surrender. "Can I use your landline a sec, I just need to call my Dad?"

"Yeah, sure, you know where it is," Steve nods his head at me. "Just make it quick because I need that help, remember."

"Don't worry, I will," I assure him, making my way into the kitchen. I lean against the wall as I dial my landline. The phone begins to ring and I wait patiently for an answer.

"Peterson residence, what do you want?" I hear a snap at the other end of the phone.

"Emily, that's no way to great your baby sister," I taunt her, smiling down the phone - despite knowing she won't be able to see it. "Can you put Dad on the phone?"

"No, Dad's not home," she deadpans as if that is the obvious answer and I am supposed to know that. "Can I leave a message?"

"Uh - yeah, tell him I'll be home for no later than two," I explain, down the phone, preparing for the snappy answerback.

Emily scoffs down the phone. "Yeah, that's if he's back by then anyway." I hear mumbling on the other side of the phone. "Chill, Lainey, it's only Lizzie."

"What do you mean, 'if he's back by then anyway'?" I question her. "Where is he?"

"He's at the bar, drinking again, he won't be home for a while so why don't you and Steve have your cheeky little fuck then you come home whenever, Dad won't know," Emily sneers down the phone.

"I've told you a million times, it's not like that, Steve and I, we're only friends," I sigh at her, getting annoyed with her constant teasing. "Look, I've got to go, just leave a note or something before you go to work." I hang up the phone and put it back on the hook.

"Are you coming or not?" Steve asks me, coming from around the corner. "We're losing time here, Liz."

"I'm sure you can put together your own outfit, Steve," I tell him, entering his bedroom. I have to push on the door a bit because something is in the way of it. I give it a hard push and the door opens, seeing clothes everywhere. "Steve!" I yell at him. "This is a bombsite! You literally can't see the floor!"

"Oh my God, you sound like such a Mom," Steve laughs at me. I hit his shoulder, playfully, before I start rummaging through the piles of clothes, trying to find something he can wear. I pick out an outfit and throw it at him.

"You get changed and sort out all the keg - I'll tidy your room," I instruct him. He nods his head and leaves to get changed. I start picking up all the stray coat hangers I can find, followed by putting his clothes back into his closet. When all the clothes are away, the messy bed underneath one of the piles is revealed. I sigh before stripping his bed of the covers, pillowcases, and sheet and carry it down into the laundry room. I find some spare sheets in his parents' room, which I grab and put on his bed. Finally, I make his bed - making sure there are no creases or crinkles in his duvet.

Just in time, the doorbell rings. I hear Steve groan, audibly loud from the kitchen. "Liz! Can you get the door?" He calls upstairs. I laugh to myself before doing just that. I answer the door to Tommy, Carol and some other guy they decided to bring along. "You know, Steve won't appreciate you bringing along a plus one."

"Plus one? What plus one?" Steve panics, coming to the door. He stops at the door to see the random guy I had only seen around school. "Travis! How are you doing man?"

"Yeah, I'm doing good, dude," he replies, going in for a bro hug.

"Seems like he appreciates it to me," Tommy retorts, making me want to slap him, uber hard. He pushes past me, holding hands with Carol, bringing her into the house. "Where's the keg?"

"Outside by the pool," Steve calls back to him. Travis follows Tommy to the pool and I watch them leave into the backyard. "You okay?" Steve asks me, closing the front door behind him. I sat down on the front step, Steve doing the same.

"I'm fine, I just feel like these parties are being taken over," I explain to him. "It used to be basically just us two because Tommy and Carol would always do their thing, and I miss that. It hasn't been the same since you and Nancy."

"Yeah, I admit, I've been ditching you a bit for Nancy recently," Steve nods his head. "Look, I'll make a promise with you," he begins, holding his pinky up. "I can't promise you that I'm not going to talk to Nancy or be romantically involved with her, but if you want to hang out - just the two of us - at any point in the night, I'll ditch Nancy for you."

"Promise?" I ask him, just like when we were kids.

"I promise," Steve nods his head, a second time. I sigh, wrapping my pinky around his, finally giving in to a little smile. "Right come on, let's start drinking." My smile grows across my face as he stands up, offering me his hand. He helps me up and we head out into the back garden.

"Here they are!" Tommy cheers as he cracks open a beer. Travis throws me one, which I barely catch. I try to pretend it didn't happen but everyone saw it. I shrug it off and crack it open, chugging it all down. "Don't stop on our account," Tommy remarks. I give him a death stare before grabbing another one and sitting down on one of the sun loungers.

Raise A Little Hell by Trooper comes on and everyone - bar me - gets up and begins dancing. I continue drinking my beer and pretend I'm in my own little world. I hated this. It was only supposed to be me, Carol, Steve, Tommy, Nancy, and Barb. Inviting Nancy and Barb was a push as it is - now this random Travis guy. He's just too rowdy. Cute - but too rowdy.

The doorbell rings and I put my drink on the side, getting ready to answer the door. "I got it," Steve tells me, handing me my drink again. As he leans down to pick my drink back up, I grab his sunglasses off the top of his head and place them on my face - even though it is pitch black. "I'm getting those back," he says, pointing at me, as he's heading to the door.

Travis sits down in the sun lounger next to mine and sighs, quietly to himself. "So, you and Steve," he begins. I prop the sunglasses further towards the end of my nose, so I can just see over the top of them. "How long have you been together?"

Tommy and Carol begin laughing. I push the sunglasses back up to the bridge of my nose and sigh. "We're not together," I tell him, looking out into the woods, behind Steve's house. "We're just friends."

"Oh," is all Travis can say. Tommy and Carol continue snickering until I take my shoe off and throw it at them. The couple dodges the shoe and stops laughing, muttering something under their breath. Travis stands up, to leave, I presume. How wrong can I get? He bends down to pick up my shoe and pass it back to me. I reluctantly take the shoe back and put it back on my foot.

Nancy and Barb enter the backyard and I greet them with a simple smile. "Why don't you like me?" I hear an annoying voice ask me. I turn to Travis and frown.

"What?" I question him, wanting him to elaborate.

"You've been off with me ever since I got here," Travis explains, putting his beer on the floor, beside his sun lounger. I shrug my shoulders, getting out a cigarette. I put it in my mouth, reaching for my lighter when I realized it isn't there. I sigh, taking the cigarette out of my mouth, putting it back into the packet. A lighter lands in my lap and I look up at Travis. He nods his head for me to use the lighter, and I do just that - inhaling the fumes.

"Thanks," I reply, throwing him back the lighter. Out of nowhere, Carol begins screaming and shrieking. I look over to her, and she's in Tommy's arms, by the edge of the pool.

"One, two, three!" Tommy counts down, rocking her back and forth, about to throw her in.

"Stop it, Tommy, no, don't!" She pleads, trying to squirm out of his grasp. He puts her down, laughing hard. "You're such an asshole, Tommy!"

Steve gets out a fishing knife and a can of beer, making a hole in the bottom of the can. He begins chugging it. "Chug! Chug! Chug!" Everyone chants - excluding Barb and Nancy. I finish off the cigarette before reaching into my pocket for another. I rest it on the top of Steve's ear, as a mini reward for the chugging.

He sits down, exhaling sharply. He gets the cigarette from the top of his ear, putting it in his mouth. "Is that supposed to impress me?" Nancy questions Steve, referring to the chugging. Steve lights the cigarette before scoffing. "You're not?" He asks her, making me want to throw up.

"You are both a cliche, you know that right?" I call them out, putting the sunglasses back on. "Jock going for the girl with perfect grades and band practice."

"I'm not in the band," Nancy replies, shaking her head at me.

"Okay, party girl, why don't you show us how it's done?" I challenge her, picking up the knife and a fresh can of beer. I hand them over to her and she stands up, showing everyone 'how it's done'.

"You gotta make a little hole in the bo-" Steve begins before Nancy interrupts him. "I got it!"

"Yeah, she's smart you douche!" Tommy comments, putting his arm around Carol. Nancy makes a hole in the bottom of the can and begins chugging the beer. Everyone begins chanting chug - excluding Barb and me this time. When she's done, she drops the can on the floor and I scoff - taking a flask from Steve's hand. I take a big gulp of the unknown liquor and grimace when it starts to burn my throat. I let out an exhale and feel the liquor warming up my body like a jacket.

"Barb, you wanna try?" Nancy asks her. She is sitting in a chair, looking very uncomfortable.

"What?" She questions in reply. "No. No, I don't want to, thanks."

"Come on," Nancy encourages her.

"Nance, I don't want to," Barb shakes her head.

"It's fun, just give it a try," Nancy argues.

"Nancy!" I yell her name. "She said she doesn't want to." I turn to Barb and offer her a shadow of a smile. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to do, Barb."

"No," Nancy shakes her head at me. She turns back to Barb. "Just give it a shot, it's fine." Barb sighs in defeat, taking the can and knife. She stands up and shakes her head. "Okay," Barb begins. She begins struggling with the knife on the side of the can. "So you just-" She pauses before her hand, holding the knife, slips and she slices her thumb open.

Tommy starts laughing again, making me throw an empty can of beer at him. "Gnarly," he says, looking at Barbs cut as blood oozes out of the wound.

"Are you okay?" Nancy and I ask her in unison.

"Yeah," Barb nods her head, her voice sounding calm but her face telling a different story.

"Barb, you're bleeding," Nancy points out as if it isn't already obvious.

"I'm fine," Barb replies another time. "Where's your bathroom?" She asks Steve.

"It's down past the kitchen, to the left," Steve describes to her - but not very well. "Lizzie, will you be able to take her?" I sigh and nod my head. I stand up, guiding Barb inside. "Way to go, Wheeler," I hiss, walking past her.

I take Barb to the bathroom, but she rushes inside, locking the door behind her. "Barb, let me in, I'll help you clean it up."

"No, just-" She pauses, between winces. "I'll meet you outside, I'm fine I can sort it out." I hesitate at the door for a moment before sighing, heading back outside. Travis stops at the door, about to come inside. I move aside for him to come past, but he does the same. I sigh, shaking off the cliche and walk past him.

Everyone outside is silent until Tommy pushes Carol into the pool. She lets out a shriek, only for it to be muffled when she goes under the surface of the water. "Oh my God! What the hell, Tommy!" She yells when she reaches the surface again. He takes one last, big puff of his cigarette before throwing it to the side and jumping in the pool.

I stand on the edge of the pool, laughing at Carol's face when Steve pushes me from behind. I begin to lose balance and I try to grab onto anything to keep me from falling in. I grab Travis but he didn't expect it, so we both ended up in the pool. "Steve Harrington!" I screech. "You suck!"

He lets out a cheer before doing a front flip into the pool. I feel my head go slightly dizzy and I realize the alcohol is starting to catch up to me and I am getting a little drunk. We all begin dancing in the pool, singing along to all of the songs that come on. I feel one of my shoes float off my foot and reach the surface of the water. I go to grab it, but Steve holds it too high up, so I can't reach it. I try to jump up, but I just end up slipping.

"Liz!" Travis shouts. I look back to see him tapping his shoulders and I nod my head. He swims under the water and when he resurfaces, I end up on his shoulders - nearly falling off - but still on his shoulders, nonetheless. I go to grab my shoe again, but Travis dunks me under the water. I let out a girlish shriek and let myself fall back off his shoulders. "Chicken fight!"

Nancy and Steve pair up, Carol and Tommy pair up, and Travis and I pair up. Each girl gets on their partner's shoulders. We all begin to start pushing one another off our partner's shoulders so they fall back into the water. I give Carol a sharp push and she falls off Tommy's shoulders, pulling him under the water with her.

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"I'm freezing," Carol complains, wrapping a towel around her, tightly.

"Hmm, well I hear his Mom's room has a fireplace," Tommy tells her, wiggling his eyebrows up and down.

"Are you kidding?" Steve questions, but the two ignore him. "Okay, well, you know, you are cleaning the sheets."

"Steve, am I okay to go up to your room and grab some clothes?" I ask him, already heading up the stairs.

"Yeah, sure thing," he nods his head. "Just make sure I get them back!" He calls up the stairs. I don't know why he does though because he knows I'm not going to give them back. I strip out of all my wet clothes, getting out a sweatshirt and sweatpants, sliding them on to my cold exterior. I grab my clothes off the floor and head down to the laundry room. I put the clothes into the washing machine and pull Steve aside. "Everything okay?"

"How am I getting home?" I ask him, knowing we've all had multiple drinks - and none of us are fit to drive. "I can't walk home and I can't exactly get a ride home by anyone."

"Travis could have given you a ride but he's already gone," Steve says, racking his brain.

"Travis is driving!" I practically yell. "He's going to get himself killed."

"No!" Steve calms me down. "His brother came for him." Steve pauses for a moment. "What about Elaine or Emily? Won't they give you a ride home?"

"No," I sigh, scratching my forehead. "My Dad is going to kill me."

"Just crash in the pool house if you want," he tells me. "It should be okay with your Dad, right?"

"Probably," I shrug my shoulders, heading into the kitchen. "Steve, why have you moved your cereal?"

"The second cupboard to the left," Steve directs me. I lean to the cupboard and begin to open it. "Your other left." I nod my head and grab the cereal, a bowl, a spoon, and a carton of milk. I eye up Steve's Walkman on the kitchen top and drag the headphones along the floor behind me. "Don't break it!"

"Whatever, Harrington!" I call back, closing the sliding door behind me and heading into the pool house. I open the door to the pool house and set up camp. I pull out the sofabeds and put them together to make a big bed. I head over to the closet and grab a duvet and pillows, throwing them down on the pullout bed.

I lay down, getting under the duvet and putting the headphones on, pressing play on Steve's Walkman. Led Zeppelinn begins blasting through the headphones so loud it starts to hurt my ears, but I just ignore it and I eventually fall asleep to the music blasting in my ears.