OUT OF TIME ☁️ ─── II.
SOMETHING'S GOING ON

otherwise known as
THE VECNA'S CURSE

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Emily's gaze was fixed on the void, her face drawn into an expression of pure dismay. The news she had heard on TV just a few hours earlier had left her deeply shaken: knowing that a student from the school she had graduated from only a year ago had been found dead filled her with a feeling she couldn't quite put into words—a mix of shock and unease.

Not that it was the first strange event to happen in Hawkins, of course.

Over the past few years, this seemingly sleepy and uneventful little town—where everyone knew each other like the back of their hand, and life moved in a predictable, monotonous rhythm—had become a hotspot for bizarre occurrences. Still, among missing kids and mall explosions, the event that had rattled her the most was, without a doubt, the disappearance of Barb Holland back in the fall of 1983, later declared a death by the authorities. Emily and Barb had shared a few classes during sophomore year, and every now and then they had exchanged quips about how boring some of their teachers were while walking the school halls. To be honest, Emily's first impression of Barb had been that she was a bit of a nerd, introverted and completely detached from anything that didn't involve books or studying. But after Barb's death, Emily had cursed herself countless times for not at least trying to build something even remotely resembling a friendship with that girl who had always seemed so lonely and without true friends.

"Emily? You okay?" Steve's concerned voice startled her, nearly making her drop the stack of videotapes she was supposed to shelve. The brunette had placed a hand on her right shoulder, sending a shiver through her at the unexpected touch.

"...Yeah, I'm fine! I was just, uh...thinking. You can't even catch a break in this town, can you? It's almost like it's cursed, you know? But forget it, it's a dumb thought," she quickly recovered, smiling brightly as if to wave away the absurdity of what she had just said. A childish thought, really.

"Yeah... Believe me, I get it. It's not...it's not dumb," Steve replied, his tone unexpectedly serious, his gaze fixed intently on her face. Emily immediately felt ridiculous for saying something so nonsensical. What kind of impression would Steve get of a girl who couldn't stop blurting out random, disconnected ideas?

"Seriously, Em." He added softly, his warm, genuine smile disarming her completely. Steve rarely showed such a natural kindness toward anyone. The truth was, Emily's simplicity captivated him. She never tried to put on an act or pretend to be someone she wasn't—something many of the girls in Hawkins, particularly the ones he usually hung out with, seemed to do constantly, either to grab attention or to feel better about themselves. With Emily, it wasn't necessary. Her determined, stubborn, yet carefree personality made her someone you couldn't help but like.

Emily held her breath, utterly lost in the depths of his gaze. What exactly was stopping her from asking him out one of these days? She knew Steve would say yes, even if just as friends, and for now, that was all she really wanted.

"Steve, I—"

"Hey, Steve!"

The sharp voice of a curly-haired boy broke the idyllic atmosphere that had been forming, shattering any chance of Emily finishing her thought. She glared at the boy, narrowing her eyes to slits. Interrupting her mid-sentence? That was either brave or foolish.

"Hey guys, did you see? Someone got killed," Robin announced, addressing the boy and his red-haired friend, who stood nearby with her arms crossed and headphones on, her expression unbothered. Emily assumed they knew each other well.

"How many phones do you have?" the boy asked, ignoring Robin entirely.

"Two. Why?" Steve replied, sounding as irritated as Emily felt, though she noticed a flicker of affection in his eyes, barely concealed.

"Three, counting Keith's," Robin added.

"Three should be enough."

"Did I miss something? Who's this kid?" Emily asked Steve, genuinely curious. He turned his head to answer her, realizing just how close their faces were. Without thinking, his eyes drifted to her lips—full and glossy, likely cherry- or strawberry-flavored judging by the faint reddish tint. He felt his cheeks burn as though he were a teenager again, grappling with the complexities of attraction. He swallowed hard, trying not to let any emotion show, though he had to admit, even to himself, that Emily was objectively stunning.

"An idiot," Steve finally replied with a sarcastic grin. "But seriously, his name's Dustin. He's a friend of mine. The redhead next to him is Max."

"I didn't know you liked hanging out with kids," Emily teased, a playful smirk lighting up her face. Her laughter was contagious, and Steve found himself smiling despite himself.

"I know, it seems weird, but the kid's not that bad. Honestly, he gets more dates than I do, that's for sure," Steve quipped, glancing at Dustin, who was now fiddling with a stack of tapes Emily had left on the counter, clearly intending to clear space for a phone.

"Hands off, Chunk*—those are my tapes! What the hell are you even doing?" Emily snapped, snatching the VHS tapes away. If there was one thing she couldn't stand, it was teenagers, especially younger ones. Maybe it was the side effect of having a younger brother, but she found them universally annoying and irksome.

"We're looking for Eddie's friends, not that you care. I don't even know who you are!" Dustin shot back, exasperated.

"Dustin! Don't be a jerk!" Steve scolded him for his tone. "And wait—Eddie? Eddie Munson? Your new nerd friend who you think is cooler than me?"

The disdainful eye-rolls from both Robin and Max made Emily instantly warm to the redhead.

"Guys, you can cause all the chaos you want on a Monday, but it's Saturday, the busiest day of the week!" Robin exclaimed, trying to reason with Dustin, who ignored her completely, still messing with the phone.

"It's an emergency. It can't wait until Monday," Dustin replied curtly.

"Am I strangling him, or are you?" Emily asked Steve, who sighed dramatically.

"Max, just explain it already!" Dustin huffed impatiently.

"Explain what?" Emily asked, her curiosity mounting.

It was then that Emily learned about the murder they had heard about on the news earlier that morning—the captain of the cheerleading squad, Chrissy Cunningham. Eddie Munson, Dustin's friend, was the prime suspect and had since gone missing. And that was just the beginning.

Max explained, in a jumbled and initially incoherent ramble, that all the bizarre and inexplicable events that had occurred in Hawkins over the past few years were connected to an alternate dimension—the Upside Down. Steve, Robin, Dustin, and Max apparently knew all about it. And, as wild as it sounded, Max claimed it could explain Chrissy's death.

Emily had to reassure herself repeatedly that she wasn't hallucinating. As insane as it all seemed, everything finally clicked into place. The strange occurrences, the escalating chaos—they all made sense now, like a puzzle falling perfectly into place.

And to think she'd felt silly for suggesting the town might be cursed.

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The afternoon at the video rental store had turned out to be more monotonous than expected, giving the group enough downtime to make the much-needed and long-awaited calls in their quest to locate Eddie. They had contacted various friends and acquaintances of his, almost convinced they'd hit a dead end until a lead surfaced—almost by accident: a certain Reeter Rick, who turned out to be Eddie's dealer. Emily even found herself reconsidering her opinion of Dustin—though she would never admit it, not even under torture. He had proven to be a sharp and clever young man, a true little trickster.

"I brought you your favorite lemonade." Steve's melodic voice pulled her out of her thoughts. The two had decided to take a break and escape the commotion for a moment, stepping outside into the fresh air at the back of the store.

"Thanks. I couldn't stand being in there anymore. Five people behind the counter gives me claustrophobia."

"I get it. Good thing Keith isn't on duty today, or we'd all be fired on the spot," Steve commented, handing Emily her much-needed, refreshing lemonade. And just like in the best romantic comedies, their hands brushed—a fleeting, delicate contact that seemed to resonate deeply, judging by the smiles it sparked on both their faces.

There was a brief moment of silence, punctuated by a few soft sighs, before Steve cleared his throat, trying to shake off the trance-like state he'd fallen into.

Man, he was really getting soft.

"So... Does what Max told you still feel weird? I imagine it takes time to process."

"Honestly? It makes more sense now. I mean, not what you guys told me—that's still a huge, chaotic mess in my mind—but... everything that's happened over the past few years finally has some logical explanation, you know? But yeah, it's still hard to fully believe, and I won't be convinced until I see it with my own eyes," Emily admitted, her honesty disarming and her tone clear as day. Steve listened intently, his head tilted slightly to one side as he sipped his lemonade. "Maybe you're all just a bunch of lunatics trying to rope me into some crime spree or something," she added, chuckling at her own words.

"Well, could be. Never say never. Don't I have the look of a criminal?" Steve joked, narrowing his eyes in a clumsy attempt to mimic the classic bad boy archetype. To Emily, it made him look like an endearing idiot—in the best way, of course.

"Oh, definitely. You could star in The Godfather Part II."

The two burst into laughter, a whirl of pure joy that suddenly breathed life into the drab, bare backyard. It took them several minutes to settle down, though their smiles lingered.

Emily liked Steve—a lot. Steve liked Emily—a lot.

Emily wanted to make her move and try asking Steve out again—um, asking him to hang out—but he beat her to it, decisively.

"You know, I was thinking... maybe you and I could go out sometime. Assuming some faceless monster doesn't kill us first, of course. There's this place just outside Hawkins that makes incredible lemonade," Steve suggested, fighting with every fiber of his being not to sound like a complete idiot. He puffed out his chest, his heart pounding wildly as he waited for Emily's answer. She gave him a warm smile, and he was certain he'd drop dead from cardiac arrest if his heart didn't calm down.

"That sounds like a great idea, Steve. I can't wait to try this amazing lemonade," Emily replied, just as the store door suddenly swung open. Standing there was Robin, followed by Dustin and Max, both practically bursting with energy.

"Guys, we found Reefer Rick's hideout, and Eddie might be there!" Dustin announced.

Steve quickly pulled his car keys from his pocket and extended a hand to Emily to help her up. They hurried back inside. Once everyone was loaded into the car—and not before locking up the store—Steve floored the accelerator. They were going to find Eddie.

* Lawrence Cohen, also known as "Chunk", is a member of the Goonies. He lives in the Goon Docks in Astoria, Oregon with his family. He is a chronic liar and has a penchant for eating.

━━━━━ author's note !
long time no seen (better late than never)
BUT i'm back with the second chapter of the story !!!
i'm totally head over heels for steve and emily,
and i absolutely want to know what you think !!! 💗