"What's up, Liv?!"

Olivia jumped at the loud tone of Steve's roused voice. She turned her head torwards the boy to see him leaning up against the wall of lockers, bouncing his brows with a chipper smile. "You seem excited."

"A matter of fact, you are correct. Bien, chica." Steve was normally happy around her, but his level of energy was clearly through the roof, amd she wanted to figure out why.

"Care to elaborate, Harrington?" Olivia questioned him with a small glance before turning back to her locker.

"I'm throwing a small party tonight at my house while my parents are away for some buisness trip of my dad's." He informed her chipperly. "I want you to come."

"You sure about that?" Olivia didn't mean to be snarky, but she was still hurting, and she knew a party wasn't going to heal her open wounds that easily, which were wounds Steve had no idea he inflicted.

"Yes? You're my best friend." His brows were drawn together in confusion, but he eventually pushed it to the back of his mind before standing up straight and looking directly in her eyes. "Please come." He noticed her continuous head shake, causing him to sigh. "Oh, come on, Liv. Tommy H. and Carol are gonna be there, and Nancy. Well, I'm gonna ask her and she will most likely agree to it."

His words caused the hazel-eyed girl to quickly turn her head, her jaw clenched and her hand slamming her locker shut aggrivatedly. Her head started becoming warm and her heart was beating rapidly. "Forget it, Steve. I'm not going." The girl tried to turn around and saunter off, but her best friend leaped in front of her, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"Hey, come on. Please just come, for me." Steve gave her a long innocent stare, which only made it harder for her to say no to him. The girl was nervous of his height difference, so his hovering only made her more nervous. After a while of staring at his puppy dog eyes, the shorter girl sighed.

"Fine. Fine, I'll go." Her words caused Steve to sigh excitedly, a smile growing wide on his lips. The brunette boy let out a cute chuckle before he threw his arm around her shoulder and turned them both around in the opposite direction and began walking off. Although she still felt hurt and betrayed, she couldn't help but smile because she was finally in his arms again. She finally had his attention back. Even if she promised herself to let the jealousy go, she knew she would break her own promise.

Olivia and Steve sauntered over to Tommy H., Carol , Nancy and Barb. They both wore large smiles as they approached the group, but as soon as Olivia laid eyes on the group, her smile slowly fell.

The red head girl gave Olivia a harsh glare, which she only tried her best to ignore. By doing so, she only ended up encountering another harsh glare from Nancy.

As soon as Steve got to Nancy, he removed his arm from around Olivia's shoulder, and going to take the cards which Barbara held. The hazel-eyed girl looked at Steve in nervousness. Was he avoiding her contact because Nancy was around?

"I don't know, I think you've studied enough, Nance." He stated as his eyes studied the note cards, shuffling through them briefly.

"Steve-"

"I'm telling you, you know, you got this." He gave Nancy a reassuring glance before straightening the cards back into a neat deck and keeping a hold of them. "Don't worry. Now, on to more important matters."

Olivia watched as Nancy gave the taller boy a slightly eye roll, which only annoyed her from the group more. It didn't help that Tommy and Carol were stuffing her ears with annoying gossip that she had absolutely no interest in. She sighed before moving closer to Steve, hoping the couples play time would grow quieter.

"My dad has left town on a conference and my mom's gone with him, 'cause, you know, she doesn't trust him." Steve spoke with a mischievous smile, signaling that he was up to something and Nancy could clearly tell.

"So, are you in?" Steve questioned Nancy with a small smirk. Olivia observed how he looked at her, and it only reminded her that she wasn't needed and that he didn't love her how she loved him.

"In for what?" Nancy asked obliviously.

While the popular group continued to discuss the party Steve was recklessly throwing, the hazel-eyed girl trailed off to a different direction. She spotted the oldest brother of the Byers family, which caught her attention when she noticed him nailing "missing" posters to the bulletin board in the school's entrance. Her expression softened by the look that haunted his face. She could tell he was hurting and needed to talk to someone, and then she remembered that she was a friend of his.

"Oh, God. Look." Carol chimed in with a disgusted tone, which only annoyed Olivia more.

They all turned their attention behind them to see Jonathan hanging the posters. Olivia's eyes were still glued to him, and she felt the need to do something.

"Oh, God, that's depressing-" Steve's words confused Olivia because she never saw him act so careless, and it only reminded her of how much she wanted to avoid him at the moment. She quickly sauntered off torwards the boy, careless of what the group would think. "Wait, Liv. Where are you going?"

The brunette girl ignored him as she continued to walk in Jonathan's direction. She didn't know what to feel since she was witnessing Jonathan"s hurt and because she was hearing how Steve talked of him. The truth was, Olivia was more relying on the Byers boy than her best friend, and it scared her.

She tried drowning out Steve's voice which was calling out to her, but then, when she finally spoke, she didn't have to hear her best friend's disappointed scoff.

"Hey, Jonathan." Her greeting slightly made the taller boy jump, but when he saw who it was, his expression came to ease. "How are you and your mom holding up?"

"We're struggling." He let out a small sigh while pushing one last thumb tack into the poster. "My mom is much worse than me."

Olivia looked at him with a soft expression as she slightly pursed her lips. She raised her hand up to his shoulder, and laying her hand softly. "Everything is going to be okay. I believe that he's alive and that you'll find him."

The light haired boy gave her a soft smile while looking into her eyes. For some reason, which he couldn't explain, he felt safe with her. She was one of the first people in the school who wanted to know him. Who understood him. So over time, he felt naturally safe with her presence.

"Look, if you guys need anything at all, I'm here for you. All you have to do is call. Okay?"

Jonathan kept his eyes on her softly before shockingly accepting the hug she quickly gave him. The hazel-eyed girl didn't care at all that Steve or his friends or his 'girlfriend' we're looking at her, because she was the only person who wasnt shy to be near him, and she cared for the boy.

He gave her a small nod before Olivia turned around, walking back over to Steve with uncertainty. She didn't know why she was going back to him after all the ways he unknowingly hurt her, but she loved him. Of course, she couldn't tell him, but she couldn't help but always want to be around him.

.

Olivia was shocked to enter her house and immediately see her mother and father sitting together on the living room sofa. She widened her eyes with a big smile, seeing her father for the first time in two weeks.

"When did you get back?" She asked with a raised tone as she wandered around the coffee table to give her father a warm hug. He openly hugged her back and laid a kiss on the top of her head.

"Just this morning. Rick is letting me stay home for the week, so you'll be seeing a lot more of me." The two both let out relieved laughs before she sat down in the lounge chair next to her father.

"Your father really missed you, babe." It was weird for her mother to be this conscious on a week day, but it made her smile because it was a nice feeling to have her family back in once piece, for now.

"I missed you too, of course." The younger girl sat quiet for a while before turning back to her father. "Is it okay if I go to Steve's house?"

Her parents both turned their heads to their daughter in worry. "Honey, you know it's too dangerous for that. Will is missing and it's not safe."

"I know, it's sad and I feel bad for the Byers, but I'll stay safe. Plus, Steve won't let anything happen. He's my best friend, dad, please?" She gave her father a small smile while he considered it, knowing her innocent smile would make it harder for him to say no, it always was.

Eventually, her father let out a stressed sigh. "Okay, okay. You may go, however, I want you back by eleven. Got it?"

Olivia quickly sat up in her chair and gave her father a chipper smile before standing up and giving both of her parents soft kisses on the head then quickly running out the door.

.

When Olivia got to the house, she was pleased to find out that Nancy and Barb weren't at her best friend's house yet. She knocked on the door three times, which was their usual knock to know that whoever it was, it was each other.

The door opened not long after, revealing Steve in a greenish blue sweater, and his hair done so nicely Olivia fell more in love.

"Look who it is, my favorite girl in the world!" He yelled loudly before they both let out excited laughs. She waited for her friend to let her in, but instead, he wrapped his arms around her figure and spun her in circles before they walked off together in the house, which eventually led to the back yard.

They entered the back yard to where Olivia saw the dark haired boy wrapping his arms around his girlfriend's waist and threatening to throw her in the pool with the count of three. However, he spared her and put her down so she would stop screeching.

Steve lead his best friend to one of the lawn chairs, then gave her a can of beer, which she glady accepted.

She was waiting for her friend to come and sit across from her and start talking, but instead he went inside at the summoning of the doorbell. She sighed before taking a small chug of her beer, already knowing who it was on the other side of the front door.

Now, Olivia was left near the pool alone with the irrational couple who seemed to enjoy picking at everyone they didn't like. She was surprised they weren't picking at her considering she was sure of their disliking of her, but she didn't complain because it was the first of peace she's gotten from the two in days.

Eventually, the brunette came back with Nancy and Barbara. When Olivia looked up to greet them, she immediately saw the small brunette Wheeler glaring at her in confusion, but Olivia also saw a slight glance of harshness.

Steve dragged his hand past Olivia's shoulder, grabbing her attention before he used his pocket knife to poke a small hole into the bottom side of his can, then flicking the top open. He then began chugging down the liquid quickly, the sound of him gulping slightly grabbing Nancy's attention too.

"Is that supposed to impress me?" The smaller girl questioned with a wide smirk.

Steve looked at the girl as if she was simply joking with him, but when he realized she was not, he blinking rapidly before saying, "You're not?"

"You are a cliche, you do realize that?"

The hazel-eyed girl quickly noticed their longing eye contact, causing her to bring her eyes down to her lap, and the two quickly changing her mood. Obviously, she was jealous and she was sick of constantly being hurt and having no confidence to stand up for herself or confess her feelings. But, she also knew she could never say how she felt without risking their perfect friendship just for a romantic relationship. She truly didn't know whst to do, but she did know that she couldn't hurt her best friend of thirteen years.

"Okay, party girl. Why don't you just, uh, show us how it's done, then?" His words brought Olivia's attention back to the couple, where she see Nancy beginning to stand up, the pocket knife and beer can in hand.

Nancy poked a small hole in the bottom just like Steve had done before, then quickly began chugging the beer out of the bottom of the can. It was then when the girl realized what Steve had seen in her. She was much more pretty and had such a slim body. Her figure was so elegant and perfect. She was perfect. Well, Olivia was self confident for sure, but she understood the view she provided her best friend, and now she wondered if she would be enough for him.

While the group all cheered for the girl, the hazel-eyed girl cleared her throat before taking a much larger swig of her drink. Her knees were brought up leveled to her eyes, and their was a few inches of space between her chest and her knees.

"Barb, you wanna try?" Nancy asked the short-haired girl sitting quietly on the lawn chair next to Olivia's.

Barb quickly raised her brows before giving her friend a very faint head shake. Olivia could so clearly tell that the girl wasn't comfortable with being at the party, but Nancy was demanding on it and the scared girl didn't want to say no. Olivia observed Barb, Olivia's knees still brought up. "What? No. No, I don't want to. Thanks."

Nancy went around the lounge chair that Barbara was occupying. Nancy wore a wide smile while approaching her friend mischievously. "Come on."

"Nance, I don't want to." The girl chuckled softly, but truly she was scared, and clearly put under pressure. Olivia wondered if Nancy was really her true friend, if she was, would she be forcing her?

"It's fun! Just give it a-"

"Nance..." The red head has a pleading look on her face as she looked up at her friend, begging her to stop.

"Just... Just give it a shot." Nancy's words caused the hazel-eyed girl to turn to Steve with a worried glance, which he caught a glimpse of. It caused Steve to nod at Olivia in reassurance that it was okay, but there hasn't been much that she could trust her best friend with in the past few days.

Barbara stood up reluctantly, trying to stab a small hold in the bottom of the can. Tommy and Carol were both staring at the scared girl as if she was an idiot, or as if she had no idea what she was doing. But it was the truth. Barb was clueless, and Olivia felt bad for her.

In the process of cutting a hole in the can, she cut her hand on the knife. She quickly dropped the can, which caught everyone's attention. That was when she hunched over, trying to cover her hand from everyone's view.

Olivia watched as Barb grew more embarrassed, and watched as Tommy let out a small chuckle before it took everything in him to hold back the rest of his evil laugh. Barb quickly asked for the bathroom, which Steve pointed her in the direction of.

The hazel-eyed girl now was standing from her seat, her beer can in hand. She followed Steve over to the door where he led Barb to.

"Is she okay?" Olivia questioned Steve, her hand resting barely on his bicep.

He gave her a reassuring nod before letting out a breathy exhale. He noticed her worry, so he pursed his lips at her before putting his arm on her back and leading her to the group with him next to her.

Suddenly, they watched as Tommy shoved his girlfriend into the pool, the fear of it causing Carol to scream. Tommy and Nancy began to laugh while Carol let out aggravated words to Tommy.

Olivia smiled sligjtly to Steve, which he returned while they walked back to the pool. He then jumped in after his girlfriend, Tommy diving in only inches beside Carol. Steve then pushed Nancy into the with a light shove, causing him and his best friend to laugh. Olivia had no idea that next, Steve picked up his best friend by her torso, then threw her in as he jumped right after she had splashed at the bottom of the pool. She had to admit it did anger her definitely, but when she resurfaced, she could only help but smile when Steve laughed at her as she wiped the water past her face.

She let out a truly happy laugh as her best friend began messing with her. In that moment, together with these people, she didn't know how, but she was happy with them. She didn't know how Nancy, Tommy nor Carol could bring her happiness, but they did.

.

Olivia entered the house, a grey towel wrapped around her, which Steve gave her. She was slightly shivering from the cold water, but sooner or later, it got better.

Tommy and Carol made their way into Steve's parents' bedroom, although the brunette boy was disgusted by it, already knowing what they were going to do. After, her best friend brought the two girls upstairs where he offered Olivia a T-shirt, sweatpants and a zip up sweater that was way too big for her.

She sauntered over to Steve's bathroom to change. She already knew where it was, so she quickly made her way down the hall, to where she closed the bathroom door behind her. She quickly took of her wet clothes and replaced them with the dry ones before she looked in the mirror, noticing her slightly snarled hair. She combed through it with her fingers just enough to fix it.

She then picked up her shoes from the group and put each one on quickly before she moved her hands to the doorknob. She twisted the lock before opening the door to where she started from Steve's room. But before she made it, she stopped in her tracks, noises of soft moans and whispering coming from his closed bedroom. She let out a shaky breath, tears already freshly forming in her eyes.

The brunette angrily tossed her clothes back on the floor before speed walking downstairs, tears pouring out of her eyes like a flood. She was obviously hurt but she couldn't help but be angered by the fact thst they slept together while she was just rooms away. She figured Steve and herself had something, but she was clearly proven wrong.

She got to her car, tears falling down her rosey cheeks. She opened the car door with force before quickly sliding in and driving off. The worst part about her pain was that it was gone then constantly brought back time and time again, all because her best friend was in love, and it wasn't with her.