#jonathan byers x nancy wheeler | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

dwobbitfromtheshire · 3 months ago

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"Oh, and I guess what you did was okay?" Nancy asked.

"No, I never said that," Jonathan replied.

"He had every right to be pissed," Nancy replied.

"Listen, don't take it personally, okay?" Jonathan said. "I don't like most people. He's in the vast majority."

"You know, I was actually starting to think you were okay," she said angrily.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I was thinking, 'Jonathan Byers, he's not the pretentious creep everyone thinks he is,' " Nancy said.

"Well, I was starting to think that you were okay. I was thinking, 'Nancy Wheeler, she's not just another suburban girl who thinks she's rebelling by doing exactly what every other suburban girl does. . .until that phase passes, and they marry some boring one-time jock, who now works sales, and they live out a perfectly little boring life at the end of a cul-de-sac. Exactly like their parents, who they thought were so depressing. . .but now, hey, they get it,' " Jonathan spat.

Jonathan felt like he had just slapped himself and Nancy. His insides went cold as Nancy looked at him in annoyance. He could see the hurt flash behind her eyes as well. What the fuck did he just say to her? God, he was a pretentious creep and an asshole. That was something his father would have said. He scoffed and stepped back, turning away from her. She did the same as they continued walking through the woods. And that's when he heard it. It was so quiet, it was hard not to. It was a sniffle. Nancy was crying or trying not to.

"I'm sorry," Jonathan said.

"Whatever," Nancy said.

Her best friend was missing. It was just as hard for her as it was for him, he remembered. Jonathan gently grabbed her arm, and she yanked it out of his grasp. Nancy turned to him. She was trying not to let the tears come.

"I really am sorry. You didn't deserve that. Especially the part about your parents. I shouldn't have thrown that in your face," Jonathan said.

"No, you shouldn't have," Nancy said, crossing her arms. "You're a dick."

"Yeah, that's true," Jonathan said. "I'm not proud of what I said. That's something my dad would have said to my mom, and I always hated him. I try so hard not to be like him. He ends up coming out anyway."

"I get that," Nancy said, her features softening.

"I shouldn't have taken those pictures. I was completely wrong for that, and Steve had every right to break my camera. I would have been even more fucked if she had gone to the police and my mom was left to pay for it. . .but that doesn't matter. I had plenty of time to stop taking those pictures, and I pushed my brother to the back of my mind when I saw you in the pool. . .when I saw something that I tried not to pretend I didn't want to be a part of. I say I hate people, but really, I hate the fact that I feel so alone, and when I saw you with them. . .I was jealous. You weren't pretending to be anyone else. If anyone was pretending, it was me. Pretending I didn't want to have friends, pretending that there was anything artistic about those photos. . .the only thing they were saying was that the boy behind the camera was lonely, and there was a part of him that wanted to have fun like you were having fun. Now, I'm a crazy boy in the woods, rambling and crying," Jonathan sniffled. "I'm sorry."

Nancy stared at him, her anger completely gone now. She no longer held that furious protective stance.

"Maybe you're not a pretentious creep like I though you were," Nancy said softly.

"No, you were right about that," Jonathan said.

"Well, maybe after this, we can fix that," Nancy said. "All of it."

Jonathan wasn't sure what she meant by that, and he was afraid to find out. It got a little crazy after that. They continued to search for the faceless creature, whatever it was, in the woods until it got dark. They found a wounded deer in the woods. Nancy had assumed that it had gotten hit by a car. Jonathan decided that it would be smart not to point out that they were in the middle of the woods. He didn't have long to think about it before the deer was yanked away, and shortly after that, he lost Nancy. He ended up pulling her out of a tree, and the hole he pulled her out of had closed behind her. Jonathan had held her tightly after that and made sure she got home safely. Nancy had looked so shaken. He had to make sure that she made it into her room. It had been scary for him, but it had been even scarier for her. She could have died tonight. He put a sweater around her and then his arm. Somehow, he found himself lying next to her in her bed. If she hadn't looked at him with those eyes of hers, he would have happily taken the floor.

"I don't want to be alone," Nancy had said, and Jonathan had folded.

It was awkward, lying here next to her like he hadn't thought about it a million times over. After everything, he shouldn't feel a little bit of hope building up inside of him.

"We don't really know each other, do we?" Jonathan asked.

"I think because our brothers are friends, it feels like we do," Nancy said.

"Do you think - do you think that we could be friends?" Jonathan asked.

"Yeah, I think so," Nancy said.

It was the most he had ever spent with Nancy, only having watched her from afar like he's done with everyone else. It was easier to keep everyone at arm's length when he had his camera, but now he didn't. He had no excuse not to be vulnerable or honest with Nancy or try to push her away. He was definitely odd, no doubt about that, and maybe that's why he didn't try to put himself out there because people wouldn't understand him or his taste in music. Maybe pushing them away first before they could hurt him would be easier on him, right?

"I think I liked it when he broke my camera," Jonathan said, breaking the silence.

"What?" Nancy asked.

"I don't know why, but when he looked at me as he dropped it. . .that's weird, right?" Jonathan asked.

"I mean, I don't know. . .I'm not sure I'm the right person to judge on what's strange or not," Nancy said.

"It's like. . .it's like he could see through me for a moment. . .I know why he did it. . .he did it out of anger, but for a moment, it seemed like he knew I needed to let go of it," Jonathan said. "I think I'm just reading into things again."

"Well, I don't think he should have broken it to do that," Nancy said.

"Yeah, maybe, but like what I said in the woods. . .we all say and do shit we don't mean in the heat of the moment," Jonathan said.

"Well. . .we're teenagers. . .it's the most confusing times of our lives," she replied.

"I've been using it like a crutch, anyway. I've spent so long looking through that lense that I've gotten a narrow view of people. I've forgotten that there are more to people than just what I see in an image of them, a brief glimpse of their lives," Jonathan said. "I want to remember what it's like to be a photographer because sometimes it's so much more complicated, and sometimes, a picture is just a picture. . .I forgot where the line was."

"And sometimes, a girl just wants to fuck a boy," Nancy said and Jonathan burst into laughter. "Jonathan! Shh! You're going to wake my parents."

Jonathan stuffed his face into his pillow, and Nancy giggled quietly.

"We should probably get some sleep," Jonathan said.

"You're right," Nancy said. "Goodnight, Jonathan."

"Goodnight, Nancy," Jonathan paused and closed his eyes. "It was incredibly hot, too. . .him breaking my camera. Shouldn't have found it hot, but I did."

The next day, it wasn't quite so awkward with Nancy. Although, he was annoyed that his father was still loitering around. He knew it was because of some scheme of his and that he was only here to benefit himself, to squeeze whatever he could out of the situation. He tried not to show it, but Nancy could tell. It cheered him up considerably when she told the man behind the counter that they were monster hunting. The look on his face. . .it was so ridiculous. He didn't even bother asking anymore questions. Jonathan suspected he didn't really care, just glad to get customers. He was glad that Nancy didn't ask him about what he had let slip last night as he was falling asleep. If she had heard him, he couldn't tell. He was about to bring it up when some asshole in a car mentioned seeing her movie, and that's when they saw it on the Hawk. All the Right Moves starting Nancy the Slut Wheeler.

It was all a blur after that. Nancy discovered Steve, Tommy, and Carol at the scene of the crime . Steve revealed that he had witnessed them getting all cozy last night. It had been a well-deserved slap from Nancy even though Jonathan had known that it was Tommy and Carol holding the evidence. Steve hadn't stopped them. What could Nancy have said? She had been attacked by a monster, and that's why Jonathan was comforting her? Steve hadn't known, and it was easy to jump to those conclusions with the photos and everything. . .it was the only thing that made sense to a teenager. Nancy had said that they're teenagers, and it was the most confusing time of their lives. Steve had turned on him then.

"You know what, Byers? I'm actually kind of impressed. I always took you for a queer but I guess you're just a screw up like your father," Steve had said. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. That house is full of screw ups. A bunch of screw ups in your family. I'm not even surprised by what happened to your brother, I'm sorry to have to be the one to tell you this, but the Byers, their family, it's a disgrace to the entire - "

Jonathan had clenched his jaw, refusing to look at him even when he had shoved him. He tried so hard to ignore what he said, his words from the woods swimming in his ears to remind him that he was an asshole too.

Yeah, teenagers. . .they're all assholes. It was weird that he had acted just as defensively as Steve had. Steve had screwed up, and instead of apologizing, he had insulted Jonathan, like Jonathan had insulted Nancy. Maybe it was the fact that Jonathan was struggling with his own attraction to Steve, to Nancy, on top of his missing brother and strange monsters, but it was all too much for Jonathan. He whirled around and punched Steve.

He kept on punching him, and Steve fought back, throwing him to the ground, pressing his body against his. Jonathan flipped him, throwing another punch as he straddled his thigh. He could vaguely hear Tommy and Nancy screaming at him. Jonathan felt his stomach get warm. Can you still be attracted to someone and also hate him? No, Jonathan had nothing in common with Steve Harrington, and it was stupid of him to think that he did. When did Steve stop fighting back? Jonathan paused and looked into his eyes. Steve wanted Jonathanto hit him. Before Jonathan could question it further, someone was touching him. He reacted on instinct and swung. Fuck, it was a goddamn cop.

"You act like you're all alone in this world, Jonathan, but you're not," Joyce reminded him. "You're not."

His mom had been right. He had risked his life and Nancy's. He just wanted to save Will so badly, and he was so used to doing everything on his own. It wasn't his mother's fault. It was just the situation they were in. They had no one else to help them out. Lonnie only ever "helped" when it benefited him, and it usually never did. There was nothing like a scolding from his mother to remind him that he was still just a teenager trying to act like he was an adult. His mom did the same thing, though, didn't she? Act like she was all alone in this world? Maybe he was more like his mother and less like his father than he thought. He had been just as determined to save Will as she had been, and maybe that's why she was so worried. There's nothing like watching a piece of yourself running around in your jeans to scare the hell out of you. As he hugged his mother, he couldn't help but smile into her shoulder.

"I want to finish what we started," Nancy said. "I want to kill it."

And suddenly, they were in his house, preparing to kill the monster, the demogorgon, so Hopper and Joyce could go into the Upside Down to rescue Will. Jonathan hated leaving the kids, but he hated the idea that Nancy would be facing the monster alone. So, they left them. Of course, he didn't factor in Steve Harrington showing up to apologize and then to help. He wasn't surprised when Steve left, a little disappointed, but not surprised, and then he just had to come back in. . .he had to be gallant and brave. . .like a fucking prince out of a storybook. He had the hair for it. Just like that, he felt a wave of affection for the man, which he tried to deny over and over again since Steve picked up the bat.

"This is stupid," Jonathan muttered.

He was standing outside of Steve’s house. After spending two days by Will's side, Jonathan decided that he should really check on Steve after beating the shit out of him, especially since Steve risked it all to save his life. He wanted to check in on Nancy, too, but after what happened with Mike and the "agents" showing up to her house, she was on lockdown with her family. He couldn't get the look in Steve's eyes out of his head. . .when Jonathan had him on the ground and Steve had stopped fighting back. Steve had wanted him to hit him because he had realized what he had said. . .what he had done. Much like Jonathan had come to the realization that he had been a dick to Nancy as soon as those words had come out of his mouth. Jonathan liked to pretend that he was better than other people, but was he really? Who was Jonathan really punching in that alleyway? Steve or himself? He was tired of all the introspection. Jonathan had turned around to leave when the door opened.

"Jonathan?!" Steve yelled.

He turned around to find Steve looking frazzled. He was holding the bat in his hands. His hair was wild, his clothes were in a state of disarray, and it looked like he hadn't slept.

"Uh, hey," Jonathan said.

"Is something wrong?" Steve asked. "Is it Nancy? Oh god, it's back."

"What?! No, man, relax," Jonathan said. "I just wanted to check on you."

"I'm fine," Steve said.

"Clearly," Jonathan said dryly, and Steve snorted. "I just felt bad about, you know, hitting you."

"I deserved it," Steve said.

"You deserved one but not me nearly killing you," Jonathan said. "You look like shit."

He really did. His bruised face was definitely worse than it had been before. One of his eyes was swollen shut and his other eye had been fucked up by the rings that Jonathan had forgotten he had worn. His lip was split.

"Thanks, man," he said. "Look, I'm really sorry for the shit that I said. None of it was true, and it was really shitty of me to say all that, especially with everything that had been going on."

"Yeah, it was really shitty of you but it's not like you're the only one that's fucked up. I wasn't particularly nice to Nancy when she cornered me about the photos," Jonathan shrugged.

"So, we're both assholes," Steve scoffed.

"Pretty much, but you know, what teenager isn't?" Jonathan asked. "It's hard enough, but to add all this on top of it. You can't really know how you're going to react in the moment. . .in any moment. I think we all surprise ourselves."

"Yeah," Steve said softly.

"I think we both know that Nancy deserves better than that," Jonathan said. "And I think we both deserve better than to act like that."

"I don't want to be like my father," Steve said.

"I don't want to be like mine, either," Jonathan replied. "I'm sorry about the photos."

Steve smiled a sort of crooked smile, his hazel eye lightning up genuinely. He still looked dead tired, though.

"You want to hang out?" Steve asked.

Jonathan had another realization. Steve looked tired because he hadn't slept because no one was here, and Steve didn't want to be alone.

"Uh, where are your parents?" Jonathan asked.

"Oh, they extended their trip, which means that Dad fooled around again, and he has to make it up to Mum," Steve said.

"You call her 'mum'?" Jonathan asked.

"Well, she's British, so. . .," Steve said.

"I didn't know that," Jonathan said.

"Most people don't. She moved here when she was young," Steve said.

"So, you're alone?" Jonathan asked.

"Yeah, it's nothing that I'm not used to," Steve said. "So, do you want to hang out?"

It hit Jonathan to the core. He had convinced himself of that so many times that he was used to feeling alone and that it wasn't a big deal. His mother had no choice, not really, but Steve’s mother did, and she chose his father over over him. Jonathan was so grateful to Joyce then for choosing him and Will over Lonnie. Jonathan hoped she'd come to the realization that both her and Steve deserved better than that. Maybe there was still time for that, and Jonathan wanted that for Steve.

"I mean, I wish I could, but I wasn't planning on leaving my brother and mother home alone for long," Jonathan said, and then he had a thought. "You want to hang out at my house?"

"Yeah! Yes!" Steve exclaimed.

There was a huge sigh of relief as Steve’s shoulders relaxed. It must have been terrifying all by himself over here with no one to call, not even Tommy and Carol anymore. How paranoid did he get? Did he feel like something or someone was watching him? Did he jump at every shadow? It probably hadn't helped that Jonathan had lurked in the bushes, taking intimate photos of Nancy in Steve's bedroom. While Jonathan had nightmares, he also had his mother and brother. Nancy and Mike couldn't tell their parents what happened, but they knew enough to be there for their kids. Steve didn't have anyone.

"Goddamnit," Jonathan cursed.

"What? Did you change your mind?" Steve asked.

Jonathan shook his head. He didn't try very hard to deny his attraction to Steve, but he could feel stirrings in his chest. He was developing feelings for Steve Harrington. God, he was such a hypocrite. Although he had apologized now, he was the suburban girl who thought she was rebelling.

"No, I just remembered something. You ever not like something because everyone else likes it, and then suddenly, you tried it now you're starting to like it," Jonathan said. "I was just thinking about that."

"Hm, yeah, totally. Everyone I knew liked pineapple on pizza, but I thought it was, like, I don't know. . .blasphemy?" Steve asked. "But then I tried it, and I realized it wasn't as bad as I thought it was. What were you thinking of?"

"Mushrooms," Jonathan blurted out, blushing.

"Oh, I love mushrooms!" Steve exclaimed. "Alright, I'm ready, let's go!"

"You don't have shoes, man," Jonathan laughed. "Or pants."

"Right," Steve said.

"You should probably pack a bag, too. I don't think my mom's going to let you leave when she finds out that your parents are gone," Jonathan said.

Jonathan expected to see cartoon dust clouds in Steve's wake as he had taken off so fast. He came back just as quick with the nailbat still in his hands along with a bag. He was flipping his keys in his hands. Jonathan noted that he was quite eager to leave the house. Maybe it was the mixture of bad memories: his parents leaving, the monster that prowled in the woods, Barb dying in his pool. . .Jonathan understood why he wanted to leave. His house wasn't much better, but at least there were more people there. Jesus, he looked exhausted. Jonathan grabbed his keys.

"Hey!"

"You are not driving in your condition," Jonathan said.

"I'm fine," Steve said.

"We're taking my car," Jonathan said.

He helped Steve into the passenger seat and threw his stuff into the back. Jonathan slid into the driver's seat and found Steve smiling at him. God, this is not what he came over for.

"Thanks for doing this," Steve said. "I didn't want to be alone."

"None of us did," Jonathan said, and he took Steve’s hand as he drove off.

Why the hell did he take Steve’s hand? Jonathan focused on the road. He didn't want to let go, and neither did Steve. At the next stop light, he looked over at Steve and found that he was fast asleep. His entire body had finally relaxed when he felt safe. He felt safe enough with Jonathan to finally fall asleep. Jonathan squeezed his hand and drove to his house. He hated to wake Steve, but he couldn't carry him inside. He gently woke him up and Steve smiled softly at him, blinking sleepily. He rubbed his eye and yelped. Jonathan tried not to laugh and helped him out of the car. With Steve's bag in hand, he pushed Steve gently into the house.

"Hey, mom! I brought home a stray!" Jonathan called out to Joyce.

"Asshole," Steve said affectionately and Jonathan laughed.

"Again?!" Joyce asked from the hallway. "You haven't done that since you were four and you thought that baby opossum was very ugly kitten. . .Oh, hey, Steve."

"I made a friend," Jonathan shrugged as if it was no big deal.

"Okay, you brought home an opossum, and you thought it was kitten? That's adorable," Steve said.

"Shut up, I was four," Jonathan replied. "Mom, you don't mind if Steve stays here for a little bit, do you? His parents still aren't home, and I'm pretty sure he hasn't slept in a couple of days."

"Of course," Joyce said. "Where are your parents?"

"I don't know, they were in Boston for a conference, but my mom walked in on him with another prostitute again so he's making it up to her," Steve shrugged. "They extended the trip, I don't know for how long this time, they usually tell me."

"How often does this happen?" Joyce asked, looking at him in concern.

"I'm used to it," Steve shrugged and Joyce's frown deepened.

"Well, if Jonathan wants to, you can sleep in his room," Joyce said.

"Are you sure? I don't want to be a bother," Steve said.

"You saved my boy, you can stay as long as you want," she replied, touching his arm softly.

Jonathan watched as Steve's eyebrows furrowed and he could almost tell what he was thinking. Joyce could too. Is what a present mom is supposed to be like? Joyce squeezed his arm, looking at him in sympathy. Suddenly, there came a loud bark, and Chester came barreling into the living room. He nearly knocked Steve over.

"Chester!" Jonathan exclaimed.

"Puppy!" Steve laughed and collapsed onto the floor. "Oh, my dad never let me have a dog as a kid. I've always wanted one or a cat. I'm not picky. Oh, he's so cute."

"Chester, calm down a little bit," Jonathan laughed as his dog licked Steve’s face.

"Oh, he's just trying to make my owies feel better," Steve giggled as Chester licked his face.

"Yeah, we thought for sure that the Demogorgon had gotten him, but he ended up finding his way home," Jonathan said.

"He's smart, he knows how good he has it," Steve grinned.

"Well, why don't we get you to bed, I'll wake you up when food's here," Joyce said.

Jonathan made sure that Steve got into his bed and threw the blanket over him. Chester had immediately jumped up on the bed and snuggled into Steve's side. It didn't take long for Steve to finally fall asleep. He walked out of the bedroom and went to check on Will, who was also taking a nap. He stared at him for a moment, thankful that Will was alive and safe. Jonathan found his mother in the kitchen, and he hugged her tightly.

"Have I ever thanked you for always fighting like hell to be here for us?" Jonathan asked.

"No," she replied.

"Thank you," Jonathan whispered. "I'm glad we have you."

Jonathan couldn't bear the thought of not having Will or Joyce in his life or Nancy and Steve now. He always thought that he wanted to be alone, but maybe what he was afraid of was making an actual connection with people. Now, he was afraid of losing it all, especially Hopper.

"I love you, honey," Joyce said.

"I love you, too," Jonathan said.

Steve had settled in pretty quickly. Jonathan could tell that he had loved it here and that everyone else loved having him there. It was eventually time for them all to go back to school, and Steve was still staying with them as his parents were still not back. Jonathan had been right; Joyce hadn't wanted him to stay on his own. She refused to let him leave, and Steve was determined to help out. As they sat around the breakfast table, Will had to speak up.

"Mom! If we keep Steve, does that mean he'll be our brother?" Will asked.

"Oh God, no!" Steve and Jonathan exclaimed.

"I mean, maybe you as a brother but I definitely wouldn't want to call Jonathan that," Steve said.

"Why?" Will asked.

"No reason," Steve said blushing.

"Will, sweetheart, eat your breakfast," Joyce said and she smiled knowingly over at them.

Will looked suspiciously at them for a moment before dropping bacon on the floor for Chester. After breakfast, Steve walked out the door with the Byers. He was less surprised when Joyce hugged him along with her sons. It wasn't like the first time when he had frozen up for a moment.

"Are you sure about going to school?" Joyce asked.

"Mom, I can't stay home forever," Will said. "I want to go to school."

"Okay, but if you need anything, call me, okay?" Joyce asked. "Steve and Jonathan are right next door if you need them."

"Yes, mom, I know where the high school is," Will said in amusement. "I just want to get back to normal."

"Well, you can't rush these things, okay," Joyce said. "And it might not go back to the way things were after what happened."

"Mom," Will sighed. "I'll be fine."

"It's just so soon," Joyce said.

Will hugged Joyce tightly and slipped into the front seat of Jonathan's car. Steve gladly entered the back seat, waving at Joyce as he did so. Jonathan blasted the radio, the three of them singing loudly with the music. Steve sang very off-key on purpose, making them all laugh. Jonathan knew eventually that Steve would have to go home, but he hoped it wasn't anytime soon, but at the same time, he wished that Steve’s mom would come to her senses. From what he told Jonathan, there's still a part of Evie Harrington that could be a good mom. . . If she just let Richard go. Steve really loved his mother. Jonathan loved having him here, and Will loved having him here. He fit so perfectly, and maybe that was because there was a part of Steve that was like Jonathan.

"He'll be okay," Steve said.

Jonathan was leaning against his car, watching Will walk off with his friends.

"I know, I can't help but worry," Jonathan said.

"You are your mother's son, which I think is so cute," Steve said, and Jonathan blushed. "Look, you have a free period. Maybe they'll let you check on him. And I have a free period, and I'll check on him, too."

"Can't do that forever," Jonathan said.

"Well, no, but Will's smart enough to understand that it's going to be weird for a while," Steve said and nudged his shoulder. "Hey, Nancy's coming this way. . .how's my hair?"

"Perfect as usual. . .how's mine? Wait. . .I don't care," Jonathan muttered.

"Yeah, you do," Steve said in amusement. "And your hair always looks good."

Nancy approached them, looking surprised to see them together.

"Steve, did you come here with Jonathan?" Nancy asked.

"Yeah, we're friends now," Steve said with a goofy grin. "Plus, I'm staying with him and his family right now. Jonathan was worried about me."

"I showed up to his house, and he hadn't slept for two days," Jonathan said. "I had every reason to worry!"

"You didn't?" Nancy asked.

"Yeah, I got scared and paranoid. I jumped at every shadow. Jonathan took me home with him," Steve said with a smile.

"Yeah, the nightmares have been awful," Nancy said. "Your parents still aren't back?"

"Nope," Steve rolled his eyes. "It's better this way. I'm grateful to Jonathan for letting me stay with him. I made sure to show my appreciation the next morning in bed."

"You - you did?" Nancy asked, her eyes wide.

"What?"

"Steve, think about what you said," Jonathan whispered.

"Oh! Nancy Wheeler, get your mind out of the gutter," Steve grinned. "I made Jonathan breakfast in bed. I also made some for Joyce and Will."

"I wasn't - I mean - ," Nancy said, blushing.

"It's okay, Nance, I would have gone there, too," Steve said, winking at Jonathan.

Jonathan's blushed deepened as he thought about all the times he woke up in bed with Steve, curled up in his arms. Now, as he gazed at Nancy, he suddenly wished that she had been there, too.

"So, your parents finally released you?" Jonathan asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah, I didn't think they ever would," Nancy scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Especially Mike. They didn't appreciate him hiding a girl in their basement, but they're surprisingly not too hard on him. I think they've both picked up on the fact that he's upset about something."

"Can't imagine losing the first girl you ever really liked," Jonathan said and stared at Nancy.

"I'm trying to be there for him, but I don't know how," Nancy said.

There was silence between them all, as they thought about everything that occurred. They stared at each other, gazing into each other's eyes. No one knew what to say or do about any of it, but maybe they could figure it out together. They didn't have to have all the answers right now, but maybe they didn't have to be alone while they searched for them. Nancy slipped her arms through Steve and Jonathan's as they walked into the school, ready to face whatever came their way.

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