6. The Other Girl

☾.˚˖⁺✦ The Other Girl ✦˙⊹˚☽

TW // Horror

Song Guide: Everywhere by Fleetwood Mac

Hearing the car doors slam, Victoria finally deemed it appropriate to peek her head back up. "Well, who died?"

Being met face to face with Nancy Wheeler they both yelped in response to each other. Dustin jumping up, pushing Victoria's head back down as she groaned. She was curious to know why Nancy had joined them, the girl never seemed to be the type to get involved with things that could potentially have everyone end up in jail.

Steve spoke loudly, "What did I say about our number one rule, Vic-- I mean Henderson!"

Had he just called her Vic. She was so sure of it. They must have all heard it as well. A small smile crept onto her face until she shook her head out of it.

What are you doing, she thought to herself, it's Steve, bad Steve, You. Hate. Steve.

Her smile vanished trying to stay focused on anything else besides what she was feeling inside. She spoke to the other girl in complete ignorance to the brunette boy, "Hi, Nancy."

The other girl responded, "Oh...uh, hello Victoria."

Steve said with an annoyed tone now, "That doesn't sound like what we agreed with!"

"Maybe, if you drive faster, away from the cops, I don't have to break any deals."

The car fell silent. Victoria hated this. She wanted to see the facial expressions being exchanged because she knew this group way too well then to stay quiet. Waiting for someone to speak as the car finally came to a stop. Everyone exited the car as she was left waiting with her arms crossed over her chest, irritated.

The trunk finally popped open to Steve frowning down at her. "What?"

"You really can't follow rules can you?"

She rolled her eyes as she watched him extend a hand to assist her in getting out. Ignoring it, she stepped past him. "I can help myself."

He let out an agitated breath as he looked for something in the trunk.  Was she being too harsh? Why was she being so harsh all of a sudden? She stepped a few steps closer to see what the boy was doing. His hands grabbed onto a hooded sweatshirt as he threw it into her face. "Put that on."

"Excuse me?"

"Listen, Vickie, can you just put that on?"

Vickie.

"I'm not Vickie...", was her only response offended by being called someone else's name.

She knew Vickie, the red-headed girl in her class. She was beautiful, and played band alongside Robin. She knew who she was. Avoiding his gaze, as she threw the hooded sweatshirt on, pulling the hood up over her head. Her eyes rested on the group settling on a picnic table up ahead.

"Vic, I didn't mean it like tha--", Steve began, but she had already begun walking away from him.

Victoria took the seat to the right of Dustin as Steve took the other empty spot on the left of him.

Nancy had been speaking, "You're saying that this thing that killed Fred and Chrissy, it's from the Upside Down?"

Fred had been the next victim. He was apart of the Newspaper club with Nancy at Hawkins. The brunette girl remembered him slightly. He had big glasses that practically took up half his face, and was quite hilarious. Why would this monster want to kill him? He seemed as innocent as Chrissy did. Unless it was some satanic sacrifice?

Victoria didn't want to think about that. She would not be able to cope if her friend had been selected as a sacrifice because then that meant it could have easily been her as well... if she's not on their list already. Whoever they were.

Steve responded, "If the shoe fits."

If the shoe fits. The many possibilities of what this could be had begun running through Victoria's mind. None making any sense. She still couldn't quite grasp the idea of their being an 'upside down'. How could there be this other side underneath Hawkins that not even scientist knew of. Unless they did.

"Our working theory is that he attacks with a spell.. or a curse.", Dustin began to explain.

If there was one thing, the brunette girl did not believe was whatever being this was had powers. There was no such thing as powers. She was willing to believe ghosts and demons, but a dark wizard? That seemed a bit too fantasy for her.

"Now, whether or not he's doing the bidding of the Mind Flayer or just loves killing teens, we don't know."

"Or he's just the mastermind behind it all...", Victoria spoke softly.

It would make sense if there was something bigger than the so called Mind Flayer that they had attempted to explain to her earlier. Why would a big creature want to attack Hawkins? There is always a mastermind somewhere.

"All we know is this is something different. Something new.", Max added.

"Doesn't make sense.", Nancy responded.

"Thank you! I thought I was the only one who thinks this whole thing sounds absurd.", Victoria added.

"That's not what I meant..."

"Oh.."

"Listen, it's only a theory.", Dustin began.

"No, Fred and Chrissy don't make sense. I mean, why them?"

Finally, a person who was thinking logical for Victoria to get behind on. This had been the same thought that was crossing her mind. Why were they the ones to die? There had to be a link between all of them. And it wasn't being a virgin, because one thing was for sure is that Chrissy was not a virgin which kind of rules out the idea of being a sacrifice of some sort.

"Maybe they were just in the wrong place. Were both at the game."

Victoria had been at the game as well....

"And near the trailer park.", Max said with realization staring right at the brunette girl who had now went pale in fear.

She had also been at the trailer park. Were her and Eddie in danger? Wait, Eddie wasn't at the game. Only she was. An eerie sensation came over the girl sending chills through every inch of her body. She had a bad sensation that she could feel in the pit of her stomach.

Steve looked all around them, "We're at the trailer park..."

Victoria could feel her heart begin banging against her chest. Was her heart racing that loudly? Could everyone hear it? Her hands were now damp in sweat as she rubbed them against her jeans repeatedly until Dustin grabbed ahold of her hands. She looked up at her brother as he sighed knowing what she had been thinking.

Steve clueless to what was going on continued, "Uh, should we maybe not be here?"

"Yeah, you think dipshit?", Victoria had spoke without realization.

Steve was caught aback, yet again by the brunette girl. If this had been a couple weeks ago, this attitude would seem normal for them too. It wasn't anymore. Instead of apologizing, she just brought her gaze down back to her hand now being met by the loud ringing in her ears.

"There is something about this place.", Nancy finally spoke breaking the silence.

"Yeah, I think that's our cue to leave...", Victoria said softly hoping someone heard her.

"Fred started acting weird the second we got here."

It had seemed that in that moment everyone turned their eyes to look at Victoria. "What? I-I'm not acting weird.. To be fair, I am as scared as any human being can be and I really think we should leave now---"

"Fred was scared, on edge, and upset...", Nancy started, but then trailed off as she saw the panicked look take place in Victoria's eyes.

"Max said Chrissy was upset too.", Dustin realized still holding on tightly to his sister's hands.

"Yeah, but not here. She was crying in the bathroom at school."

"Chrissy?", Victoria spoke, "She was crying?"

Max nodded her head. A pang of guilt struck the young brunette girl. Had she failed in being there for her friend? Victoria had gotten up from where she was sitting feeling overwhelmed by the news. Trying to take in deep breaths instead of short panicked ones, everyone looked at her now with a concern. "I'm fine, just continue."

Robin shrugged her shoulders bringing her attention back to Nancy, "Serial killers stalk their prey before they strike, right? So, maybe Fred and Chrissy saw this Vecman--"

"Vecna.", Dustin corrected.

Well, at least there was that going for. She hadn't seen this Vecna monster or being or whatever it was, maybe Chrissy had.

"Dunno about you guys, but if I saw some freaky wizard monster, I would mention it to someone.", Steve pointed out.

"Maybe they did.", Max thought.

Victoria shook her head, "I would think Chrissy would tell me if she did... she always told me everything or at least I thought."

"Maybe, she didn't tell you, but I saw Chrissy leaving Ms. Kelley's office... If you saw a monster, would you have gone to tell her?"

Victoria thought to herself for a quick second, but shook her head in response.

"Well, you wouldn't go to the police either. They'd never believe you, but you might go to your--"

"Your shrink.", Robin realized.

Chrissy had been going to Ms. Kelley's office a lot more frequently than what Victoria had realized. She had known her friend had decided to seek help for some things that had been going on in her personal life, she never was told what it was. Now looking back at it, she wondered if she had continued prying into Chrissy's issues maybe she could have stopped her from being killed.

She felt Dustin tugging on her arm to walk as she now rejoined her current reality and realized everyone had been walking back to the car now. She followed behind as Dustin whispered to her, "Are you okay?"

"A bit freaked out, but I think I'm taking it.. pretty well."

"Yeah..."

"Yeah..."

Her hand rested on the doorknob as so did Steve's. His hand on top of hers as she looked up to his warm brown eyes feeling a shock thrill throughout her body. "Oh, uh-- I was just going to."

She released her hand from underneath expecting him to open the door, but only to find his eyes wander onto someone else. That someone being, Nancy Wheeler. "Whoa, whoa, Nance. Nance! Where you going?", he spoke now leaving the brunette girl by the car door alone with the others.

A part of her felt betrayed by this act even though she shouldn't, Steve was just Steve. The guy she once hated with a great despise, but now he was the guy that protected her brother when she couldn't. He was Steve. Steve. Steve. Steve.

She watched as he walked after his ex who was walking past his car now. "Oh, there's just something I wanna check on first.", she had replied to him.

Victoria had leaned against Steve's car with her arms crossed over her chest watching the two interact carefully. She was not jealous, but she was curious why he all of a sudden had an interest on the girl's where abouts.

Okay, maybe I am jealous, she thought to herself.

Dustin waived his arms up confused at Nancy, "Something you wanna share with all of us?"

"I don't wanna waste your time. It's a real shot in the dark."

"Yeah, okay. Are you out of your mind? Flying solo with this Vecna creep on the loose? No, it's too dangerous,", Steve began on his rant.

Without realization Victoria had interrupted, "I'll go with her."

She pushed herself off the car making her way towards Nancy as Steve grabbed ahold of her arm. "Did you not hear me.. It's too dangerous."

"Yeah, you made that very clear which is why girl's travel in pairs anyways."

"No, you need...", she raised a brow at him, "You-- You both need someone to..."

He nervously exchanged a look between her and Nancy as they both had the same look on their faces waited to be offended by a masculine boy claiming girls cannot defend themselves. "No offense, Harrington, but pretty sure two girls can handle themselves a lot better than you could."

His jaw fell open as Dustin was the one to interject now, "No, Vic. You just gave me a whole tantrum to how you needed to stick by me and now you're just going to leave?"

Her brother did have a point, and if she was being honest with herself the least she wanted was to be alone with Steve's ex. Not that she had feelings for him or anything, just simply because she would think it would be oddly weird. What would they even talk about? Steve? She didn't want that, and for some odd reason she knew Nancy wouldn't either.

Steve had declared he would go with Nancy as he threw his car keys at Robin, "Here, I'll stick with Nance, alright?"

Nance.

Nance. Nance. Nance.

Victoria was disgusted by the nickname he had for her. She rolled her eyes in response avoiding his gaze.

"Take the car, and check out the shrink.", he ordered for the rest of them to do.

Was he really about to spend alone time with his ex? Why had this been bothering Victoria so much? She. Did. Not. Like. Him. AT ALL!

Robin laughed, "Don't think you want me driving your car."

"Why?"

"I don't have a license."

A small smile was finding it's way onto the brunette girl's mouth. She knew she liked Robin for a reason.

"Why don't you have a license?"

"I'm poor.", was Robin's response.

Max perked up, "I can drive!"

"No, never again. Please. Anybody, but you. No.", he glanced at Victoria for assistance, but she was too busy trying to not laugh.

Now glancing over to her brother who had a smirk on his face as he tilted his head towards Steve. She knew he would for a fact say no to Dustin. She wouldn't even trust him driving her own car if she had one. Not even their own mom trusted him to be responsible enough to drive her car.

Steve responded, "No chance."

"Come on."

"No. Vic? Please.", he was now looking a the brunette girl with pleading eyes.

She was not going to fall for it. First, because it was him and she never does anything nice for Steve. Second, she didn't want to. Third... That was it.

Robin interjected, "Alright, okay. This is stupid. Us ladies will stick together. Unless you think we need you to protect us."

Victoria finally caved as she found herself slamming her hands over her mouth to keep her from laughing too hard. Robin shot a wink towards the brunette girl as she spun around heading towards Nancy's car. Nancy shrugged her shoulders at Steve as she was off with the auburn haired girl.

"Be careful!", he shouted after them.

Victoria was pleased by the outcome as she proceeded in hopping in the back with Max. The two boys had begun to banter at each other as Steve was yelling at Dustin to wipe his feet before entering which meant her little brother did quite the opposite as usual.

The brunette girl couldn't help, but let herself smile at Steve's frustration. This felt like an odd victory.

He groaned to himself, "Always the babysitter. Always the goddamn babysitter!"

Victoria sat up in between him and Dustin, "Excuse me, I am not a child."

"You might as will be considering you had no response about driving my car."

"Yeah, well maybe if you weren't busy making googly-eyeing to your ex we might have already solved the murder mystery."

"I-I WAS NOT MAKING GOOGLY EYES--"

"I-I-I, just drive, Steve."

He slammed his foot on the ignition causing Victoria to smash back into the seat. "HEY!"

Dustin and Max glanced at each other unsure what to do or say. This was about to be the longest drive they had ever been on.

☾.˚˖⁺✦˙⊹˚☽

Steve's Pov

Steve watched as the two girls got out of the car and approached the therapist's home. His eyes lingering too long on the brunette girl. Max had rung the doorbell as they got a quick response to. Then the both of them walked in.

"Okay, they're in.", he spoke to Dustin.

"I'm missing collarbones, not eyes.", was his quick remark as he always seems to have.

The silence remained in the car as Steve couldn't find the capability of peering his eyes away from the door Victoria had step through. He had been cautious to how nervous and scared she had felt when they all were at the trailer park. She was off, and he hated being unable to help her. Was he starting to care for her?

"So...", Dustin broke the silence, "Are we gonna talk about... it?"

Steve had still been in his trail of thought as he finally focused on his friend, "Huh? Sorry, talk about what?"

"Your temporary insanity earlier today?"

Steve squinted his eyes, "Come again?"

"Dude, I know you like my sister, but you also have unresolved feelings for Nance. You practically threw yourself at both of them!"

Steve's jaw dropped as he stared at Dustin unsure what to say. Was it really that obvious the way his feelings had changed towards Victoria? He still want sure what he had felt for Nance, but what he did know is that he would rather not have her killed by this Vecna monster.

"That's not what happened... I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Pretty sure that's what happened.... It was pretty public. There were a lot of witnesses."

The kid did have a point, Robin and Max had been there, Nance must have noticed as well. "Are you implying that I still have a thing for Nance while now having feelings for your sister? Which by the way I do not!"

Dustin shook his head, "No, I'm not implying. I'm stating. And, as it relates to your steadfast refusal to date Robin, it's pretty much the only logical explanation to why you would even either go back to Nance or like my sister."

"That's not the only one...", Steve stopped himself before exposing Robin's secret which wasn'this to tell.

Attempting to trail the conversation away from that he drew attention to the matter at hand. "And as for Nance, I was just trying to protect a friend. A friend, Henderson. Okay?"

"Okay..."

"I don't wanna find her with her eyes sucked out of her skull by this Vecna creep."

"Okay? And my sister?"

Steve paused in his tracks of trying to convince Dustin he no longer saw Nance as more than a friend.

Victoria.

Victoria Henderson.

God, I love the way her name sounds, he thought to himself.

Maybe, he was growing to have feelings for the girl who absolutely hated him. Sometimes life works out that way, brings you together with people you least expect to fall for.

Was this is it? Was he finally admitting to himself the feelings he had began to grow for the cheerleader?

He had accepted that he found her appealing, pretty, gorgeous, entrancing... Okay, yeah he liked her. Liked her more than a friend would.

"You're like bright red in the face right now.", Dustin began to laugh with a wide smile onto his face.

"No, I'm not. I don't wanna talk about it. I'll punch you so hard your teeth will fall back out.", he regretted the last bit he said as soon as they came out of his mouth.

He had known how sensitive that topic was with Dustin, especially the many years he had spent having to put up with people bullying him for a condition he had no control over.

"Whoa. Too far.", Dustin said with no smile in sight anymore.

"Not cool. Sorry.", Steve panicked.

The least he needed was to get on a bad foot with Victoria's brother now that he knew something had changed in his mind about her.

"Not cool. It's okay."

They both nodded at each other as Steve offered for a fist bump which he had accepted.

The two boys jumped, frightened by the noise of someone slamming their hands onto the car window. Both turning to find it had been Victoria with a cheesy grin. She hopped into the car alongside Max.

Dustin looked back, "So, what'd she say?"

Max and Victoria exchanged a look for only Max to reply, "Nothing, just drive."

"Nothing?", Steve questioned now looking at Victoria's memorizing eyes.

Max yelled at him snapping him out of his stare, "STEVE, DRIVE!"

And there he was stepping on the peddle, sending the two girls backwards.

Victoria complained, "God, a little heads up would be nice!"

Steve smiled a bit as he looked through the mirror to see her rubbing her head. He liked seeing her wear his hooded sweatshirt. It made him feel almost as if he the two had been dating, and they were in the phase where she would steal his clothes.

He cleared his throat. "So, out of curiosity did she not have a clue the cops are looking for you?", he questioned Victoria.

She shook her head, "Nope, to be fair though my names probably not out to the public either, so I should be in the clear for now."

He nodded his head catching Dustin's gleaming face of excitement out of the corner of his eyes.

"Why are you so smiley all of a sudden?", Victoria questioned her brother.

She laid her elbows onto the armrest between him and Dustin. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel, feeling nervous all of a sudden. Steve could feel her eyes suddenly on him for what felt like the longest couple of seconds. Her attention was then brought back to her brother. "What were you two losers up to while we were gone?"

Steve hadn't realized how white his knuckles had been prominent from how tightly he was gripping on the steer wheel. Did she know? She must have. Victoria was a smart girl, it wouldn't take her long to figure out.

Dustin smiled at his sister, "Counting down the seconds till the cops would arrive to take you in... You know having the bigger room at home all too myself doesn't sound too bad to me."

She rolled her eyes as she ruffled her brother's hair, "In your dreams, Rug-Rat."

He glanced over to the brunette girl, she seemed to be in a better mood than before. She was smiling again. Her eyes were bright and full unlike what they were earlier shallow and scared. She was full of life.

Max and Victoria had been filling them in on what they had managed to get, the keys to Ms. Kelley's office.

Steve apparently had found himself staring too long at Victoria as she quickly swept in to grab the steering wheel before he could accidentally drive them off the road. "What are you doing?? Tryna kill us?", she said with pure concern in her face.

He wished he didn't have to be driving just to look at her for a few more seconds. The moment was quickly ruined by the static noise of a call coming through to Dustin's walkie-talkie.