Chapter 20, Enzo's and Double Dates
(Ep. 1: Suzie, Do You Copy?)

Between everything that happened these past two years with fighting alternate dimensional creatures, dealing with a whole lot of drama from two asshole classmates, and falling in love with Steve Harrington, becoming the official babysitter for the party was not something she signed up for.

Just as soon as work had ended, Scoops Ahoy's phone started ringing profusely. You would think when receiving no answer, the caller would choose to give up, but that was not the case since this caller happened to be Hopper calling one of the few people he trusted to babysit his daughter and annoying boyfriend.

Which brings Gwen here. Just searching in his pantry for anything decent to make for the kids. Not that they were hungry for anything except themselves.

She searched in every cabinet, but found nothing except for expired goods and lots of syrup for El's infamous Eggos. She never understood why El adored them so much when it was just plain waffles, but knowing it was probably one of the first things she had after escaping the lab, she figured that was why she grew attached to them.

Gwen was about to just accept defeat and settle on serving some Eggos, but it was then when she noticed two cans of Campbell's chicken soup. It wasn't much, but seeing as Hopper didn't have a lot, this would have to make do.

Minutes later, she placed the soup into bowls and set the table. She took a quick glimpse at El's room, which happened to be closed. (Something Hopper warned her about.)

"Hey, idiots! Come eat!"

As expected, the teens didn't listen and remained in their room. Gwen frowned as she started heading over to the door, knocking once more without any luck. She gave them a few minutes since she has a habit of doing the same whenever her mom calls her over, so she figured she'd be patient and give them the benefit of the doubt.

But it was now reaching the 10 minute mark.

Shaking her head, she dropped everything and tried opening the door, but was shocked to find it had been locked.

"I get you're in love and want to swap spit all the time, but there's no need to lock the door so open it right now," she heard nothing but muffled laughs that were getting incredibly annoying. She once again tried to enter, but they still refused to follow her orders, "Okay. You asked for it."

She took a step back and slammed her foot against the door, swinging it open as they stared at her in complete astonishment.

"Are you crazy?! Why the hell did you do that?!" Mike exclaimed as he left the room to yell at her even closer.

She did nothing but stare at him with a blank expression and arms folded. After all these years of knowing each other, this kid still doesn't know any better.

Calmly, she took a few steps forward, making him shut up and walk back and hold El's hand tightly.

"As surprising as it is that you..." she pointed at Mike, "... managed to get a girl to like you-"

"That's-"

"I'm still talking, so you listen," she interrupted him and he nodded while still holding tightly onto El. "I get that maybe you're too afraid El will dump you because she's cooler than you, and El, he's your first boyfriend and you feel as if your heart is about to explode whenever you see him, but I just have to say one thing." Gwen took another step forward, slightly leaning down to match their heights, "Regardless of how excited you are to be in this relationship, whenever I call you or ask you to do something, you do it!"

"Okay," both of them said in unison, choosing not to argue back since they know better than to respond back to her.

"I don't care if the door is closed, just don't lock it," she walked over to the small dining table and waved her arms over the now cold soup. "Now come sit down to eat."

With haste, El and Mike sat across each other and began dining their soup. Every few minutes, they'd glance behind their shoulders as if to check if their babysitter was still present. To their dismay, there she was having her own plate as well.

"This soup is cold," Mike commented, frowning.

Gwen shot him a glare, "Well, it was warm 10 minutes ago, but since you didn't listen to me when I called, cold soup is what you get."

Mike was about to offer one of his typical remarks, but it was then when the door burst open and Hopper came barging in.

An odd beat of silence.

"Well, looks like that's my cue," Gwen quickly washed her dish and went to gather her belongings. She then walked back to the table and ruffled both El and Mike's hair, "I'll see you later, losers. Don't have too much fun."

Mike slapped her hand off.

And El gave her a smile.

She looked down at her watch and was a bit relieved that there was still time to make it to the double date she and Steve were having with Nancy and Jonathan.

To many, it may seem strange that due to their past they would willingly gather, but having fought against the supernatural together definitely helped turn the page over.

Hopper observed her as she headed to the door, "And just where are you off to?"

She halted under the doorframe, "I have an important date to get ready for. If I hurry now, I can still make it on time."

"You and Harrington are still together?"

"Obviously," Gwen said, slightly offended at how surprised he sounded. "Well, good night!"

Ignoring everything she said, he pulled her aside and took out the same piece of paper he folded. "I'm about to have a long conversation with my daughter and demon spawn and I need a pep talk. So give it to me."

It wasn't the first time he's asked for this. In fact, it had become a regular occurrence that he would call her for advice on what to do with a teenage daughter, who only ever seemed to want to be around her boyfriend now.

Gwen didn't understand why he believed she would have any idea on how to handle a teen. Sure, she did have to deal with her brother, but it was an entirely different thing. Still, she offered him as much help as she could and hoped it would be enough.

She would never say no to helping him.

But tonight, she was in quite a hurry.

She internally cursed, "Seriously?"

"Do I not look serious?" Hopper asked, staring at her with a grim expression.

"Okay, fine. You have to remember that you're the adult and they're just hormonal teenagers. Mike is all talk and no bite and El... well," Gwen paused, wondering how he'd be able to handle El considering she had superpowers. "You have every right to be afraid of her, so... good luck."

Now walking out the door, she hears Hopper yell out, "That was the worst pep talk I have ever received!"

Holding a thumbs up in the air, she yelled back, "You can do it!"

He rolled his eyes and slammed the door shut, making her laugh as she quickly got into her car and headed out to the road.

Driving at night was never her favorite. Mainly from how dark it would get and having to keep watch over the dimly lit roads. It sure didn't help that her headlights didn't provide enough light, which made her drive with even more precaution.

She only ever went on night drives with Steve since he claimed it was the best time to drive around and have a long conversation. He wasn't wrong of course, which was why she grew to enjoy them only when she was with him.

Speaking of Steve, Gwen looked down at her wrist to check her watch. It was 7:55 and he would be arriving at her house at 8:00, which made her accelerate even more and make a sharp turn past the curves.

But it was then when a car honked at her from the opposite lane.

She was certain of not having done anything wrong, so she chose to ignore it and continue driving, but as she looked through the rearview mirror, she then realized the car had made a U-turn and was now following her.

Gwen accelerated even more and tried losing the vehicle, but that's when she recognized the driver to be none other than Billy Hargrove. He continued honking at her and flashed his lights incessantly. She pressed on the gas even harder, but he mirrored her actions and continued honking with no means to stop.

"What the hell do you want?" Gwen cursed under her breath, knowing he wouldn't stop until she pulled over. She was reluctant to do so, but she didn't want him anywhere near Steve. After what he did to him last year, she would rather die than allow Billy to get close to him.

She parked to the side of the road and reached over to her glove compartment for her can of pepper spray.

(Better be safe than sorry.)

She hopped out of the car and leaned against the driver's door with her arms crossed. This was definitely not the way she wanted to start the night.

Once Billy pulled over, he walked out with his usual toothpick that never left his side. The smell of his cologne was incredibly overwhelming that it was tempting to cover her nose, but of course, she wasn't that bitchy.

"My beloved Gwen Henderson, what brings you out on this fine night?" Billy questioned with that cocky smile of his that irked her every time.

"Heading over to meet with my boyfriend," Gwen noticed her response had bothered him by the way his gaze hardened and smirk had faded. "Just tell me, what the hell do you want?"

Billy walked closer to her, "You're not even going to ask what I'm doing out here?"

"Don't care."

He laughed lightly, "You should, 'cause I'm heading over to meet with my girl."

She nonchalantly shrugged, "Okay? Good for you, I guess."

Billy's jaw clenched. He was visibly growing more frustrated at her lack of reaction, as if she truly didn't care.

"I could cancel on her and then we could go somewhere," he blurted out, taking her by surprise.

Gwen laughed in disbelief and immediately headed back to her car, "I'm with Steve, you complete idiot."

Billy hurried over to the driver's side and knocked on her window.

Reluctantly, she lowered her window halfway.

He leaned down, continuing to offer that arrogant smirk, "Come on, beautiful. One last conversation and you will never hear from me again."

"One can never be so lucky," she remarked, causing him to chuckle.

"There's a motel nearby. Just follow me and after this, I'll leave you alone for good."

Gwen knew him well enough to know he wouldn't keep his word. He would keep insisting over and over again and it was not like she could avoid him from how small this town was. Getting him off her back wouldn't be that easy, which was why she got the idea to pretend to agree and let him lead the way and just as they lose distance, she would ditch him and turn in the opposite direction to make it on time for her double date.

She forced a smile and gave a slight nod to his suggestion, "Fine. Lead the way, Hargrove."

"That's more like it," Billy winked at her and proceeded to get back into his Camaro. He hastily got back into the road, almost too desperately and extremely eager.

That's right. Just drive off even farther, she thought.

Just when he turned the corner, Gwen immediately drove off in the opposite direction, laughing at how surprising it was that Billy had fallen for her trick. She checked her watch again, now 7:58, which made her accelerate even more as Steve must probably be waiting for her already.

Billy looked through the rearview mirror and noticed her turning away to the opposite end of the road. His hands tightened against the steering wheel, but a part of him was humored at her deceit that he couldn't help but laugh.

"Damn it, beautiful. Some nerve you-"

It was then when something crashed into his windshield.

Billy lost control of his vehicle and swerved violently in circles into a desolate lot. Blood ran down his forehead as his limbs ached from the impact, but he did not care for his wellbeing. All he cared for were any possible damages his car could have obtained.

He tried turning the ignition on, receiving nothing but failed attempts.

"Piece of shit! Damn it!" Billy slammed his hands against the steering wheel before walking out. He stumbled his way toward the passenger side, noticing a large dent against the door that would take a whole lot to fix.

Steam emitted from the motor, but it was not the smoke that caught Billy's attention. There was an unknown substance glued to his windshield right where the glass had cracked. He grew confused as to what thing had impacted him, but before he could think of anything, a loud rustling sound was heard from the forest.

He looked around, finding nothing.

"Who's there?" Billy asked.

The rustling continued, but nothing emerged.

He stepped forward, looking around once more, "I said, who's there?!"

It all happened incredibly fast. The feeling of something dragging him by the leg was all he felt as he struggled in trying to hold on to anything, but nothing worked as whatever it was that wanted him was determined to keep him for its own benefit.

__________________

As expected, Gwen and Steve arrived about 20 minutes late for their dinner reservation at Enzo's. If it wasn't for the punctuality of Nancy and Jonathan, their table would've for sure been lost.

"It's about time," Jonathan complained, standing up to hug his best friend to then awkwardly offer a handshake to Steve. Clearly, their history was not forgotten, but since his best friend was now dating him, Jonathan didn't want this to be an issue between them, which was why he agreed on being amicable for her sake.

"I have lots to tell you," Nancy addressed Gwen while Steve called over the waiter to order. She's been looking forward to this from wanting to tell Gwen the whole mystery of the crazed rats and the possibility that reporting on this story could be her big break at work.

Knowing where she's headed, Jonathan frowned as he leaned back against his chair, "Let's not speak of that here."

"Okay, now I'm even more interested," Gwen remarked, turning to Nancy who began telling her everything. From how her boss and coworkers don't take her seriously, to being called 'Nancy Drew,' and how this story will show that she has what it takes to become an incredible journalist.

Steve and Gwen listened attentively, trying to understand why she would even want to prove herself to those assholes instead of working on her own stuff individually.

"You know what I'd do," Gwen began, finishing up her bite of fettuccine alfredo. "I'd tell them to fuck off and just quit right then and there."

Steve agreed, "Make their day a living hell and just leave with your head held high."

Nancy pressed her lips together to refrain from saying anything. Of course Gwen would say that. She quit within the first week of working there and made a grand scene that involved lots of swearing and broken things. To which resulted in getting the police called on her, but like expected, Hopper covered for her and managed to blackmail the post with something that made them keep their mouths shut.

"If you need help, I'll gladly do it."

"I'll even fight some guys if you need me to," Steve added, causing the entire table to turn silent at his suggestion.

Gwen turned to him with a raised brow, remembering both times he got his ass kicked. And one of the people who beat him was sitting right in front of him.

"Steve, I love you and all, but you're the worst when it comes to fights."

The rest of the table agreed as they tried to hide their laughter through every sip of their drinks.

He stared in complete astonishment. Of course he knew he wasn't the best fighter, but hearing it from others was something totally uncalled for, especially by his girlfriend.

"I'm... decent," he blurted out as he tried drowning out his friends' laughs.

Only Gwen leaned closer and whispered, "You're not decent. You're more than perfect."

Steve leaned over for a kiss, earning a few complaints from the other couple as they started tossing a few napkins at them.

"Save it for tonight!" Nancy exclaimed, only she was interrupted by Jonathan leaning in to kiss her as well.

The couple smiled through their kiss before returning to their dinner in front of them. Now hungry for something else besides their plate full of Italian food.

"Why the hell were you guys so late?" Jonathan questioned as he thought of it to be strange from how much Gwen loved getting to places early and always complained whenever he arrived late to their hang out spots.

Gwen explained everything about her whole babysitting afternoon and how when driving back home, she had to trick Billy just so he'd leave her alone. He seemed to have gotten the hint since he didn't turn back around and continued to annoy her.

"Speaking of Billy, did you hear that he broke up with Natalia today? Everyone saw it happen at the pool."

Gwen wasn't even surprised that Billy had lied to her about it. Clearly, he wanted to make her jealous, which she didn't understand why he'd believe she'd care.

"How terrible then," Steve sarcastically mumbled as he placed his arm around her.

"Wasn't Natalia in California? She kept telling everyone at graduation about the amazing beach house her cousins have."

Nancy shrugged, "She's been here all summer working as a lifeguard. She tried working at the post, but once she saw the workload, she just bailed."

Gwen was not even surprised. Ever since Natalia had demanded her to do their entire science project back in middle school, it was clear she liked taking shortcuts.

"That's to be expected," she mumbled and reached over to take a bite from Steve's plate.

"So this is why you couldn't give me a pep talk?"

All four of them froze in place when hearing the voice of Hopper, who was in an irritable mood from having failed in sharing a conversation with his daughter. Now that Mike's back at home and El's safe and sound in her room, he figured coming over for a bottle of wine was more than needed.

Gwen nodded, "I did say it was an important date."

Hopper invited himself to their table by grabbing another chair and sitting in between her and Steve, causing the others to exchange startled looks as this seemed very unexpected from him.

Before she was about to say anything, Gwen was quick to realize something had to be wrong. It was not like him to want to surround himself with a couple of teenagers, let alone crash their date.

"What happened?" she asked him as low as possible.

"Nothing I didn't expect, but don't worry. I won't be here for long," he whispered before turning to the rest. "What is it with you kids refusing to listen to your parents? Is there something fun about being disrespectful? Just give it to me straight."

Nancy took the lead in this from knowing her brother was the cause for his problems. "Don't take it personal. Teens are awful when going through changes, but it's not that they want to be disrespectful-"

"No no. Some do enjoy it," Jonathan added.

"Well, yeah but..." she trailed off, not helping Hopper as he was only getting more frustrated. Having spent over an hour practicing his speech, he was angry to say the least that his time had been wasted. Especially since it seemed his daughter was trying to listen, but Mike kept whispering things to her ear.

"How did the talk go? Was my pep talk enough?" Gwen playfully elbowed him to try and get a smile out of him, but his frown remained intact. "You didn't give it, did you?"

Hopper sarcastically laughed and leaned his head back incredulously, "Her idiot brother kept making my daughter laugh every time I tried saying something! So I had to resort to other measures that I'm not proud of."

"You didn't kill him, did you?" Steve's eyes widened as he wouldn't put it past Hopper to do so.

"Are you nuts? Of course I didn't," the chief rolled his eyes and whacked the back of his head. "I had to tell him that his grandma was sick just so he'd leave my damn house!"

Nancy gasped, "Nana is sick?! How come mom didn't tell me?!"

"I think he lied about that," Gwen assured her before addressing him again. "So you lied, it happens. Just have a conversation with El once you get home."

He simply shrugged before finishing his glass of wine all in one giant sip, "I'm done. She's clearly favored Mike over me so there's no use in saying anything."

"Are you freaking kidding me?" Gwen narrowed her eyes, frustration and disbelief coursing through her veins. "So you think wasting your night drinking your problems away will solve anything? Get off your ass and have that damn conversation with El, because despite everything, she's still a kid and you're the adult. Complaining about it to four teens won't solve anything, so enough with the self-indulgence and grow up already."

Hopper and the rest of the table turned silent as they didn't know what to say. They knew whenever she got frustrated, things would unravel for the worst, and this was just a confirmation of it.

"You couldn't have said this to me back then?" Hopper complained, wishing she had given him this pep talk earlier and maybe, he wouldn't have lost his patience that quickly.

"You need to learn how to fly on your own," Gwen told him.

"Yeah, well, it's too late now," Hopper stood up and took the bottle before calling the waiter over. "They'll be paying for this."

The table complained and tried getting Hopper to come back, but he left with his head held high and with a proud smirk on getting a free bottle. Just as he reached his car, his smile faded from knowing he wouldn't be able to have this conversation anymore. He could only hope threatening Mike would be enough as he can't imagine having to spend the rest of the summer dealing with those two.

"So I guess dessert is off the table," Nancy frowned, placing her share of the money while the others did the same.

Working at the post and at Scoops Ahoy left the four teens with little to no money, so having made a reservation at Enzo's took a lot, and now it had to be cut short.

An hour went by and they were getting ready to finally leave. Just as when they paid, the lights started flickering before shutting off. The entire restaurant exchanged a few startling looks and whispers as this was the second power outage of the day. Yet another thing the town would protest to the Mayor about.

A minute later, the power returned as if nothing happened. Everyone went back to their dinners, leaving the four of them to question this unusual event since nothing happens in Hawkins without a reason.