chapter six

memories

☆

    "STEVE I SWEAR to God." Alexandra all but groaned as she listened to the Harrington drum his fingers against the wooden table in his dining room. "Carry on and I'll cut them."

"You know, you're a little psychotic, Alex, anyone ever tell you that?" Steve mumbled over to her, attitude laced his tone as he pouted like a child, dropping his palms flat against the mahogany table.

"And you're irritating as fuck, anyone ever tell you that?" She shot back, attitude dripping from her own tongue like honey as she placed her pen down beside one of the many textbooks on the table.

"Yeah, you," Steve retorted. "About fifty times a day."

"Just makin' sure you know," she shrugged harmlessly, glancing over at him.

Alexandra and Steve were working on their project yet again. It was late at night, the moon's reflection bled from the autumn night sky and into the dining room through the large windows, illuminating across his and her face.

Of course, yet again, his parents were out, a business meal that Mr. Harrington insisted he brought his wife to — leaving Steve and Alexandra all alone again. She didn't mind it though, the quiet house. The quieter it was the more she could concentrate, meaning the project would be done quicker and she could go back to pretending as though Steve Harrington didn't exist.

A little harsh, sure, but she preferred it that way.

Steve let out a huff and drummed his fingers against the table once again, Alexandra looked up and exhaled deeply in annoyance before she turned her gaze to the boy beside her, she shot him an annoyed stare.

"Seriously?"

Steve paused, a sheepish expression coating his face as he rose his hands in false surrender, "Look, I'm bored. I can't concentrate if I'm bored . . . and hungry. I'm hungry. You hungry?" Steve suddenly shot out of his seat, chair reeling back as he did so. "I'm gonna make somethin' to eat, you want anything?"

Alex started at him dumbfounded for a moment, a blank look etched across her face but a thousand thoughts were running through her head, she had forgotten how annoying Steve Harrington could be.

The Henderson sighed, rubbing her hand across her forehead in exasperation, Alexandra lifted a shoulder in answer, "Fine. Sure, whatever."

Steve nodded in response and shot out of the dining room, flitting to the kitchen hastily. Alexandra's eyes followed his body until he drifted from her sight, the redhead rolled her eyes and dropped her cheek into her palm, her free hand mindlessly reaching for her pen as she tapped it against the table, eyeing the phone strung up on the crisp, elegant wallpaper.

Steve Harrington was confusing for her to understand, she couldn't quite grasp onto what he was thinking, she couldn't read him. But the thing that confused her the most about him was his ability to act like shit didn't happen. He went on as if he didn't beat the shit out of a Demogorgon last year, pretended as though he and Alex were fine and simply ignored the hostility she held towards him.

Maybe he had just matured and pushed their differences aside for the sake of the project or he was genuinely acting like it didn't happen.

But Alexandra knew one thing for sure, the second this project was over she was done with him again.

Sayonara, Stevie!

She just wanted to go back to normal — she just wanted that normalcy back. She wished to go back to how it was before Demogorgon's and weird, creepy voices itching at the back of her mind.

Yeah! You heard that right, creepy voices . . . it started a few days ago, just after Alexandra and Dustin had found that demogorgon-slug thing. The only reason she had yet to say something to anyone was because she merely didn't know if it was important — she was high at the time, she figured she was being paranoid.

. . . Until it happened the second time.

Now, you're probably wondering: why the hell didn't she say something? Especially since it happened twice, right? Well, there was only one answer for that.

What was the point?

It wasn't like anybody could do anything about it. So, she deemed it unnecessary information.

It probably wasn't the best decision on her part, but hey-ho, what can you do?

The sound of clattering cutlery echoed through her eardrums, she turned her gaze to the direction the Harrington boy was in and with a sigh, she pushed herself out from her chair, heading towards the kitchen with a slump in her step.

Alexandra blinked as she walked over to the doorway, resting her body against the frame as she rose a brow in slight amusement.

"Can I just ask, what the actual fuck is that?" Alexandra spoke up, startling the brunette who jumped at the sound of her voice, he turned around in haste, wooden spoon held out before him in some form of protection, Alex merely rose her brows even higher at the action.

"Oh, Jesus Christ, Alex!" Steve's voice raised a hitch in exasperation. "I coulda' killed you."

Alexandra's gaze flitted from the wooden spoon and back up to his eyes, her lips uptugged, "Yeah, definitely."

Steve fidgeted in place, clearing his throat as he placed the spoon down onto the counter side. "I coulda'," he defended weakly at a mumble.

The redhead pushed herself up from the door frame and made her way over to him, she stopped besides him, ignoring the light brush of skin as she pulled a face at the food, no, sorry, slop, in front of the pair.

"Are you trying to kill me? Is that what this is?"

"It's . . . pasta."

"What fuckin' pasta have you been eating, Harrington? That is not pasta. That's literal slop." Alexandra grabbed the wooden spoon Steve had previously used as a weapon and brought it to the, supposed, pasta. She scooped up a spoonful and dropped it back into the pot with a stern look on her features as it made a plop sound. "See? Slop. How're you not dead yet?"

Before Steve could even begin to defend himself and the monstrosity of a meal he had made against Alex, the doorbell rang, reverberating across the large house in a shrill.

"I'll get it," Alex deemed, moving away without giving Steve a chance to get a word in.

The Harrington merely huffed, leaning back against the countertop, the cold surface sent goosebumps across the bare skin of his forearms, he had rolled up the sleeves of his sweatshirt, the heat from the ( failed ) pasta had risen in the room, bringing it to a sweaty steam in the kitchen.

Alexandra soon returned, a pizza box held snugly in hand, a smug smile etched across her features as she took in the confused glare that sat on Steve's face.

"Uh?"

"You can't cook, Harrington. Obviously," Alex deadpanned, gesturing towards the mush of food as to further prove her point. "I didn't know if you had gotten any better or not, so I gave you the benefit of the doubt but clearly you won't be making a debut on a cooking show anytime soon, so I ordered as a precaution. You're welcome," she crooned.

"I can't tell if I'm offended or grateful," Steve grumbled in response, following after the Henderson as she trailed off into the dining room.

"You can always eat that shit in there, if you'd prefer." She rose a knowing brow, sending him a look. "You might die, but it's fine I guess."

"It's fine?" Steve exclaimed eccentrically. "What? If I died you'd just shrug it off?"

Alexandra stared at him for a moment, "Well, yeah . . . it's your own fault for eating something that looks like that."

"You know what?" Steve asked, though it wasn't a question. "I'll go eat it right now, and I pray to whatever God is up there that I die, just so you can feel bad."

"Except I won't feel bad because I warned you not to eat it," Alexandra gave him a pointed look, placing the pizza box atop the dining room table after moving all the textbooks.

"You'd feel bad," Steve mumbled to himself like a mad-man as he pulled a face. "I know you would."

"Don't lie to yourself, Harrington."

☆

    Somethings never changed between Alexandra and Steve — they would fall into that familiar dynamic of how it used to be without realising it. Whether it be the most simple of things like the playful bickering, Steve picking off the mushroom's on Alex's pizza to steal because he knew she didn't like them, or Alexandra giving him her crusts.

    Alexandra soon came to realisation of it, how they were acting, and she didn't like it. So, to break the 'moment' or whatever, she excused herself, making her way out the back patio doors and sauntering over to the deckchairs by the pool.

    The redhead took out a cigarette from her pack and lit it, staring into the crystal clear blue water as she did so, the moonlight reflected against the water, glimmering across her face as she was pulled into a memory.

hawkins, indiana — january, 1983
(flashback)

    Alexandra Henderson was sat in front of Steve's pool, her legs dangling over the edge, allowing her feet to relax in the cooling water.

    The Harrington boy wasn't far, he stood over near the table, grabbing two cans of beer, one for himself, one for Alex.

    "You're thinking too much, it's hurting my brain," Steve groaned in exasperation as he sauntered over to the redhead, handing her one of the beer cans he took a seat besides her, feet, too, dangling into the water.

    "Of course it's hurting your brain, you don't use it a lot, Steve, it's unnatural," Alexandra teased, nudging him.

    "Ouch," Steve mocked, hand going to his heart as he threw his shoulder back, feigning pain. "Seriously, though, Alex, what's up?"

    "My dad's a dick," she mumbled under her breath.

"No argument there." Steve responded in agreement, sneaking a glance over at her. "What'd he do now?"

"Don't wanna talk about it," Alexandra groaned in dismay, bringing her beer can up to her mouth. "You got anything stronger than this shit?"

Steve shot her a pointed glance, "You know I do, and you also know that you're cut off. You drink more than my parents combined, and you know how much my mom drinks."

Alexandra rolled her eyes, "You're being dramatic. Nothing like a nice drink to get you through the day."

"Yeah, a drink, not a shit-ton!"

"Dramaticcc," Alexandra crooned mockingly, placing her beer down besides her on the floor.

"Dramatic my ass," Steve muttered. "I'm sorry if I don't want my best friend dying from alcohol poisoning. Super selfish if you ask me."

"Oh, yeah," Alexandra nodded sarcastically. "Super selfish of me, I'm sorry."

"It's alright," Steve continued on. "I guess I can forgive you."

"You guess?" Alex gasped dramatically.

"It was a tough decision, what can I say?" Steve held his hands up in a shrugging manner.

Alexandra rolled her eyes at his words. "So . . . how'd it go with Chelsea?" She casually asked, steering the conversation in another direction.

"Horrible. Here I thought you were the most conceited girl in the world, but after spending an hour with her, I've bunked you to second place."

Alex narrowed her eyes at him, "I'm not conceited, ass-hat."

"Yeah, o-kay," Steve mumbled with wide eyes.

"Choke," Alexandra muttered, moving to shove him in the pool.

"Ah, ah," Steve scooted away from her. "Try it and I'll drown you."

"And you wonder why your date went to shit. You're just a ray of sunshine, aren't you, Stevie?" Alex retorted, gaze flitting from the side of the Harrington's face to the glistening water in front of her.

Steve scoffed and took her distraction as a chance to shove her into the pool, the Henderson let out a noise of surprise as her body hit the cold water, plummeting under. She reached surface and hastily brushed the wet strands of hair that stuck to her face away.

"Asshole!"

Steve, on the other hand, was beside himself in amusement. He laughed at the sight of his scowling best friend holding herself up in the pool.

"Something the matter, Alex?"

"I really hope you choke right now." The girl muttered under her breath.

Steve merely lifted his shoulders into a shrug, "It was an accident."

"Yeah — I'm sure it was, Steve," Alexandra nodded in a sarcastic note, watching warily as the Harrington boy took a cautious step back. "Steve, what the fuck? No, we're not doing this shi-."

But before she could even begin her ramble of complaints and grumbles, Steve shot forward. A loud splash accompanying him as he did so, Alexandra looked away on instinct as a large wave of water splashed over her, drenching her even further than she already was.

Steve huffed a laugh at his own actions and Alex's reaction, the glare on her face blazing in his direction only largened his amusement.

"This is why no girl wants to date you, you're annoying as fuck," Alex snapped bluntly, a deadpanned expression falling across her face.

Steve placed his hand on his heart, "Excuse me, plenty of girls wanna date me!"

"Chelsea doesn't." His best friend pointed out.

"That's on her, got nothing to do with me," Steve brushed it off, shaking his head in dismissal.

Alexandra nodded falsely, pulling a face, "You want me to drown her in your pool? Light her hair on fire 'cause she hurt your feelings?"

Steve pulled his own face at that. "Jesus, Alex. Why is it always your first instinct to get violent?"

"Why isn't it yours?"

Steve rolled his eyes at her words. "Besides, I don't care," he told her at which she pulled a face of disagreement. "Dude, seriously, I don't."

"You so do. I can tell your little ego is wounded."

"This guy on the team, you know? Tommy? He told me-"

"Tommy this, Tommy that," Alexandra mumbled with an eccentric sigh, throwing her head back to further the dramatics. "I swear all you talk about is this Tommy dude who you met, like, five minutes ago. Geez."

"He's cool, alright? I met his girlfriend, uh, Carol I think her name was-"

"Perkins?" Alexandra questioned, gaze flitting to his with haste, at the nod Steve sent her, Alex spluttered. "Seriously? She's a fuckin' bitch."

"She might be! But, you can't say shit, you can be a bitch too."

"But there's a difference," Alexandra pointed her finger towards him, raising her brows.

Steve sent her an unamused look, "And what's that, huh?"

"I'm likeable."

"You have like five friends," Steve sent her a deadpanned look.

"Yeah, four more than you," Alexandra smiled teasingly.

"You're a bitch," Steve muttered under his breath before shooting underwater, swimming towards her at a fast haste he grabbed her by the hips and threw her over his shoulder as he arose.

The Henderson fumbled, eyes widening as she kicked against him in irritation. Her hands grasped at the luscious brunette locks and she tugged hard, earning a yelp of pain from the Harrington and a series of 'ow's' to leave his lips before he dropped her.

As Alexandra arose from the water, using both hands to push her own red locks from her face, she sent him a smirk as he cradled his scalp.

"Don't be such a pussy, I barely pulled it."

present day
( flashback over )

"Can I?" Steve's voice cut her out of her memory, bringing her back to reality with a slump. It took her a moment to realise what it was he was talking about, he was gesturing towards the cigarette in her hand.

She rose a brow in surprise and huffed after a second of contemplation. "Be grateful, I don't like sharing." She told him as she hesitantly passed it over to him.

"I am. I am," Steve mumbled through the cigarette in his mouth, hands raised in surrender as he took a seat in the deck chair besides her own, though he sat facing her.

"I don't remember you smoking," Alexandra spoke as she watched his lips wrap around the filter before she flitted her gaze to the much-less-exciting trees behind him. "Thought it'd ruin that 'perfect, golden-boy but secretly an asshole' vibe thing you have going on."

Steve shook his head lightly, passing the cigarette back over to her, "Tommy, uh, got me into it. I'm tryna' cut down."

Alexandra merely hummed in response, lifting the cigarette back up to her own lips, uninterested in listening to him talk about the Hagan boy.

At the silence from the girl, Steve took this as an opportunity to speak up, "Isn't it weird . . . us being okay again?"

Alexandra side-eyed him, "We're not okay, Harrington, we're doing a school project, I have to tolerate you. It's not like we're braiding each other's hair and talking about our love lives."

Steve looked over at her in exasperation, "What? No, c'mon, it's just like old times. You pre-ordering food 'cause you know whatever I'd make would turn to shit, me pissing you off. I'd even say we're nearly friends again."

Alex fidgeted uncomfortably in place, shying away from his gaze as her own flitted over to the pool, "No, Harrington, we're not."

"Alex . . . "

"I'm not having this conversation with you right now," she dismissed, catching his eye for just a moment.

"What conversation?" Steve's brows pulled together into a frown.

"The conversation about everything. About this shit," she gestured between them. "I'm not doing it. I hate that shit, you know I do."

"Well, you don't have to say anything, I promise. Just listen-"

"Steve . . . "

"Look, I don't know why I did what I did. I was an asshole, I know and I lost you because of it. If I could go back, Alex, I would, but I can't change what happened. I just need you to let me in, please."

"I don't know, alright? You're right, you were an asshole. God, do you know what it was like watching you slowly drift away? Or seeing you in the halls at school and you acted like you didn't know me — Jesus, it was embarrassing!" Alexandra turned to face him fully, a nonchalant look coaxing her face, but her voice held irritation. "I mean, Tommy and Carol were dicks to me and you didn't say shit, just laughed along with them. I didn't need you 'defending my honour' or some shit," she mocked, "But it would've been nice for my 'best friend' to have my back, but you didn't."

"Alex . . . "

"Look, we're nearly done with the project. It can go back to how it was, you with your little asshole friends and me and Deena. I'm a big girl, Steve, I can deal with asshole boys and their fuckin' mood swings. It's fine."

At her dismissive tone Steve rolled his eyes, rubbing his hand across his forehead in exasperation, "You're being ridiculous."

"Oh? I'm being ridiculous?" Alexandra scowled, turning to face him fully.

"Yeah, goddamn ridiculous," Steve nodded, voice raising a hitch as he dropped the softer tone.

"Why are you pushing this? What's in it for you, huh?" Alexandra questioned, slowly growing more and more agitated as the minutes flew by. "Tommy, Carol and Nancy fucked you off so you thought you'd come running back?"

"Oh. So now I need a motive to wanna be friends again?" Steve scoffed, nodding along to his words in disbelief. "I see, I see."

"You tell me, Harrington. I'm not the one who dropped me all of a sudden."

Steve blew out a puff of air with a 'pft' noise. "You need therapy, Alex. You know that? Has anyone ever told you that?"

"God, you're insufferable!" Alexandra groaned and rose from her seat. "I'm leaving before you piss me off any more than you already have."

Steve shot up all of a sudden, one hand rested on his waist as he looked towards her with a sigh whilst his free hand pulled out in front of him.

"Wait, Alex, don't go. Shit. Look, I'm sorry, okay? I know you're pissed at me, but at least let me drive you home, you can't walk-"

But his calls were merely ignored as the Henderson teen sauntered out of his house with a mere slam of a door.

AUTHOR'S NOTE !
when in hawkins
never walk in the
woods alone high
asf

hit,,, it doesn't end
well for alex