Dray POV
By the time the talk at the Byers' place wound down, Dustin was already pacing in front of the coffee table like a miniature general planning a siege. His hands moved just as fast as his mouth.
"Okay, so for the bath—" he began, eyes glued to a notebook crammed with numbers and messy diagrams. "We need a sensory deprivation tank big enough for El. And that means—" he slapped the page for emphasis, "—a lot of salt."
Jim squinted at him like Dustin had just asked for the moon. "Define 'a lot.'"
"Fifteen hundred pounds," Dustin shot back without missing a beat.
The room went still except for the slow tick of the clock.
Steve raised a hand. "Whoa, whoa—where in the hell are we supposed to find that much?"
Dustin just shrugged like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I don't know… a salt mine?"
Jim's expression shifted into that I-know-a-guy look. "I know a place," he said.
And just like that, the plan became: load up and move out.
On the road to Hawkins School
We split into three cars. Jim took his police SUV with Joyce, Mike, Lucas, and El—who looked pale but determined. Jonathan, naturally, opted to drive alone. No surprise there; the guy looked allergic to sharing a vehicle with Steve.
That left me riding in Steve's car with Nancy and Dustin. Steve was behind the wheel, Dustin sat shotgun seat, and Nancy and I took the back.
It was quiet for about thirty seconds before Nancy broke it.
"So," she started, her voice cool, eyes fixed on Steve's profile, "why did you bring Steve here?"
Technically, she was asking me—her gaze flicked to me for half a second—but it was obvious her words were aimed at him. I could practically see the air pressure in the car change.
I stayed silent, just giving a small, knowing smile. No way was I stepping into that minefield. Even Steve's grip on the wheel tightened; he knew she was talking to him.
"I'm sorry, Nancy," he said finally, his voice quieter than I'd expected. "I was a jerk. I didn't trust you enough."
Nancy didn't answer.
Beside him, Dustin side-eyed her, then leaned toward Steve and whispered just loud enough for me to hear, "What did you do, man?"
I chuckled and leaned forward slightly. "Hey, kid—"
"Dustin," he corrected automatically.
"—we don't get between lovers' quarrels, or it'll backfire on us," I said with a grin.
"Shut up," Nancy and Steve said in perfect unison.
I leaned back, hands up in mock surrender. "Damn, now you're both coming at me. That's a good sign."
Dustin laughed. "You deserve it. And don't call me 'kid.' My name's Dustin Henderson."
"Sure thing, smart kid," I shot back.
He rolled his eyes but didn't argue. For a minute, the car settled into an uneasy silence.
Then Steve spoke again, his voice lower this time, almost uncertain. "Nancy… I really am sorry. And I don't just mean to you—Jonathan too. I should've never said those things. I was angry, but that's no excuse. I've been feeling awful about Will… and Barb. I keep replaying it in my head, wishing I'd done something different."
He glanced at her, then away, like holding her gaze was harder than he wanted to admit. "And when I saw you with Jonathan, I—" He stopped, jaw tightening as if the words were heavy. "I thought I was losing you." His voice softened, cracking just a little. "I love you, Nancy. I really do."
That one landed hard. Even I blinked, and Dustin let out a low whistle.
"Wow," I said, smirking. "Didn't know you had the emotional depth, man."
Dustin nodded. "Yeah, me neither. King of Hawkins, high school bully, and… closet romantic?"
Steve gave us both a mock glare. "Why does everyone think I'm a bad guy?"
Nancy's reply was instant, sharp enough to cut glass. "Because you act like one."
For a heartbeat, the tension hung there—then Steve cracked a small smile, and Nancy's mouth twitched. The laugh broke out of all of us at once, even her.
Just like that, I could tell she'd forgiven him—at least for now. Steve's shoulders eased, like he'd been carrying a backpack full of bricks and finally set it down. The rest of the ride felt lighter—small talk, a few jokes, even Dustin tossing in his usual wisecracks.
Hawkins School – Salt Central
We pulled into the lot just behind Jim's SUV. Hawkins Middle loomed against the cloudy sky, its windows dark except for a few glowing from the emergency lights inside.
As soon as we stepped out, Hopper switched to full commander mode, doling out tasks.
Jim pointed as he spoke, dividing us up. "Nancy, Mike—you're on pipe duty. Get what we need and get back fast." He turned to the others. "Lucas, Dustin—get the gym cleared and set up the kiddie pool. Steve, you keep watch outside."
His gaze shifted to Jonathan. "You're with me for the salt run. Joyce, stay with El."
Then he turned to me. "And you—" his eyes narrowed slightly. "You look fine, but I can tell you're hurt. Stay with El. She needs your support."
I didn't argue. If anything, I was already moving toward her.
We headed inside together, our footsteps echoing through the empty halls like the calm before a storm.
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