#also i googled it and babysitter's club doesn't come out until 86 but oh well!

[dadkingsteve-blog]

Back to the Future

“Holy shit, that was the best goddamn movie I’ve ever seen in my life.”

Dustin burst through the doors of The Hawk movie theater, his excitement preceding him.

“Hey man,” Steve lowered his voice, “what’d we say about language in public? There’s little kids here. Littler than you.” Steve walked closely behind Dustin, followed by an equally-ecstatic Lucas, Max, Will, Mike, and El. 

“You know what, Steve. I’m not sorry. Back to the Future is hands-down, one hundred percent, absolutely the best goddamn movie I’ve ever seen.”

“You said that about Ghostbusters last year,” Lucas retorted, now leading the group as they started down the street. 

“Are you saying you didn’t like Back to the Future? Is that what you’re saying right now? Lucas, is that what you-”

“No, that is not what I’m saying. I’m saying that when we went to see Ghostbusters last year, and as we left this very movie theater, you said ‘Holy shit, that was the best goddamn movie I’ve ever seen in my life.”

“Language!” Steve interjected, wearing a small grin.

Ignoring Steve, Lucas went on, “It’s just the facts!”

“How do you know that’s exactly what I said, Lucas? Did you have a tape recorder, huh?”

“I did not. But it’s wha-”

“Alright, alright. Enough, guys!” Max shouted playfully, “You two argue like an old married couple.” Max threw the board under her arm down on the ground and skated leisurely ahead of the rest.

Mike, El, and Will strolled behind the others, smiling in quiet amusement at their bickering friends. 

The sun was setting on another July evening in downtown Hawkins, casting the peaceful streets in a warm orange glow. El relished in the feeling of sunshine on her face, the light breeze that played through her hair, Mike’s hand in her own. 

She had gone too long without all of these lovely, simple things. 

El had begged Hopper for weeks to let her see Back to the Future with her friends. “It’s not safe yet,” he would say. “A few more months,” he would explain, "You already got the Snow Ball.” Every day she would ask, and every day he would say no.

But finally, Hopper broke down. Maybe El had just beaten him down enough with her incessant pleas, or maybe it was because, ultimately, all he wanted was for her to be happy. All he really wanted was for her to have a normal life,  be a normal teenager. And so he had one simple condition: “Just no using your powers, okay?”

El took no issue with Hopper’s request. Why would she need to use her powers on a day like this? 

_______________

As El walked, she took in all of the casual wonders of life outside of her little cabin. Windows lined with bright flower boxes, the way the sunlight made the cars glisten, the smell of buttery popcorn wafting from the theater. As she savored her surroundings, she noticed something peculiar amongst it all. Something disruptive. Across the street was a group of six or so older teenagers, gathered around a parked car in an otherwise empty lot. They spoke loudly and blared music from a radio, while clouds of smoke plumed around them.

“Mike, what are they doing?” El asked quietly. 

Mike turned to examine the rowdy group. Something about them looked familiar, but he couldn’t place it. “I don’t know. Hanging out I guess.” He paused and thought for a moment before asking, “Steve, do you know those idiots?” 

The grin faded quickly from Steve’s face as he looked towards the commotion. Steve did know those idiots. They were Tommy and Carol and all of his other ex-friends. Doing things he used to do. 

Steve hesitated, “N-no. No, I don’t know them. Just some assholes. Assholes I don’t know,” Steve averted his gaze, lowering his head as he increased his speed. “Let’s go home, guys. It’s getting late.”

“Aw, Steve, you said we’d get ice cream,” Will spoke, his tone reflecting his disappointment.

“Yeah, El hasn’t had any ice cream yet this summer!” Mike added. 

Steve fumbled with his words, “D-Dustin you’ve got ice cream at your house, right? We can go there. Let’s just...Let’s just get outta here.” He hurried ahead, walking quickly now in the direction of his car.

El noticed Tommy and Carol walking towards the group, smirking menacingly. “I think Steve does know those assholes,” she muttered.

It was too late for Steve to try to escape. Tommy and Carol had spotted him. “Well, well, well, if it isn’t the Babysitter’s Club?” Tommy mocked.

“Are these your friends now, Stevie?” Carol chirped.

Steve ignored them, grumbling a small “Come on guys, let’s go,” to the group. 

“Excuse you, my girlfriend asked a question. She wanted to know if these little nerds are your friends now.” Tommy’s tone was even more vicious than before. 

“S-Steve who are these peop-” Will stammered.

“Let’s just go, I-I’ll explain later.” Steve tried without success to move the kids ahead.

“Explain what, Harrington? That you’re a loser who hangs out with second graders now?” Tommy pushed Steve’s back teasingly.

“Hey, for your information, we’re teenagers, okay?” Dustin stopped and turned towards Tommy and Carol. The others stopped too, no longer able to ignore the pair.

“Yeah, most of us are fourteen now!” Lucas added.

“We’re gonna be Freshmen this year, so you better back off.” Max stepped toward them, her skateboard held up to her body like a shield. 

Tommy’s eyes narrowed. “Shut up, nerds, nobody asked you,” he spat viciously. 

“Hey!” Steve stepped forward, his posture tensed. He pointed a finger threateningly at Tommy, his voice lowering, “Don’t you dare speak to them like that, you hear me?”

“Or else what, Harrington? You gonna bludgeon me to death with your diaper bag?” Tommy laughed and shuffled toward Steve. Carol stood close behind him, grinning wildly between loud pops of her bubble gum. 

Behind the rest stood El, her fists balled partly in rage and partly in frustration, her gaze turned down slightly. Hopper’s words circled through her head: Just no using your powers, okay? Suddenly, his simple request became a challenge to obey. 

Steve stepped even closer to Tommy, “I said. Stop.” 

“What are you gonna do, Harrington?”

Behind Steve, the group stood frozen. The threat of an imminent fight loomed, the peace of a perfect afternoon ruined. Steve turned towards the kids quickly, “You guys get out of here. I’ll handle this.” 

Taking only a small step backwards, the group exchanged silent, knowing glances with each other. No, they wouldn’t be going anywhere. 

Steve rolled up his sleeves and raised his fists slowly, while Tommy placed his right foot back and lifted his arms. They paused, poised like this for more than a moment, waiting for the other to throw the first punch. El’s fists balled tighter as Hopper’s words raced through her mind. Steve’s driving heartbeat pounded in his ears. All was quiet except the now-eerie, distant sound of music playing from the lot across the street. 

That, and a sudden, roaring battle cry from Dustin. 

Dustin lurched forward from the group towards Tommy. Using all the force he could muster, he slammed his body into Tommy’s, attempting to push him away from Steve. After a brief moment, Max, Mike, and Lucas joined in the effort, followed by a hesitant but ultimately ungrudging Will and Eleven.  

Exclamations of “Step off, douchebag!” and “Son-of-a-bitch!” and “You don’t mess with us!” were heard from an otherwise indistinguishable cacophony of yells and curses. 

“Guys! Guys! Stop it!” Steve shouted as he tried, but ultimately failed, to pull the kids away. 

“What the hell!” Carol shrieked as she watched from the side. 

Tommy writhed and grunted, attempting to push the kids away. Eventually, after much effort, he was able to pull himself out. He side-stepped and shuffled away, wearing an expression of confusion. 

“Bunch of freaks,” Tommy muttered, glancing backward at the group briefly before jogging down the street, Carol close behind him. 

“Now you can go back to your friends and tell them you got beat up by a bunch of second graders!” Max yelled in the direction of Tommy. Her words were echoed by a round of shouts in agreement from the group, who watched as Tommy and Carol retreated. 

When the couple was out of sight, Steve turned to the kids. “What the hell was that?” 

“You clearly didn’t want to kick his ass. So we did it for you.” Dustin shrugged his shoulders as he spoke matter-of-factly. The others nodded slowly, agreeing to Dustin’s account. 

“I-I, told you guys to let me handle it.” 

Lucas gave a friendly pat on Steve’s back as he began to walk down the street again as if nothing had just happened, “It’s alright, Steve. We won’t tell anyone that you need a bunch of kids to protect you.” The others giggled and joined Lucas. 

As the group walked ahead, Steve stayed still for a moment, shaking his head in disbelief. Protect me? Protect me? Psh, I don’t need them to protect me. I can protect myself. I just didn’t want to throw the first pun-

“Steve! Can we get ice cream now?” Mike shouted from halfway down the block, interrupting Steve’s internal dialogue. 

No, he didn’t need them to protect him. Or at least that’s what he told himself. But it was good to have a group who always had his back. And, whether he could admit it to himself or not, that was something Steve’s never really had before. 

Steve resigned any effort to argue this further. He relaxed his shoulders with a sigh and smiled, “Alright, alright. We’ll get ice cream.”