The Mind Flayer: Pt. 2

                                    

                                          
I quietly stood next to Nancy and Steve and watched as Hopper threw items out of the shed, duck tape and a stapler in my hand. I carefully listened for the Demogorgon's low growl over the metal, but nothing sounded out of place. That didn't stop me from almost biting through my cheek with anxiety.
"It's all out," he finally announced, stepping back to allow us inside. I didn't waste a second and scurried in.
Nancy and Steve held up tarps and blankets as I stapled and taped them to the worn-down walls. Through the corner of my vision, I could catch Nancy glance at Steve every once in a while, a weird feeling gnawing at my stomach.
"Hey," Nancy randomly blurted out, disrupting the sound of tape and wood. We all paused, but her attention was entirely on Steve. "What you did, um, helping the kids... that was... really cool."
Ok, it was getting too awkward. Either Nancy and Steve would just stutter around and leave me in an awkward spot, or they would start making out, leaving me in an even worse position. I hopped down from the chair I was standing on and shoved the tools into Steve's chest, quickly exiting the shed.
"She's only gonna break your heart again," I muttered.
***
"Oh, um, yeah," Steve replied, watching Y/n's figure cross the Byers' yard and go into their house. He grabbed the staples and chuckled, "Those little shits are real trouble, you know?"
"Believe me, I know," Nancy smiled.
Steve could feel her eyes on him as he stapled the tarp, regret starting to eat away inside.
You're bullshit.
What?
You're pretending like- like everything's ok. Y'know, like... like... like we didn't- like we didn't kill Barb! Like, it's great, like we're in love-
He will admit, he didn't catch anything else she said after that. What did she mean 'like we're in love'?
His initial thought was that she meant it as an example. But after a second of studying the way her eyebrows were scrunched together, and the tone of her voice, and her body language, it became obvious that wasn't the case.
-it's- it's bullshit.
Like we're in love? He put a hand on her cheek, just to see if his theory was right or wrong.
It's bullshit.
Now was time for the question he already knew the answer to. You don't love me?
It's bullshit.
"Steve? Are you listening to me?"
He quickly broke out of his trance and focused back on Nancy, a stabbing feeling irritating his gut. "No, sorry, what's up?"
"Y/n. Are you and Y/n-"
"No, no, no, absolutely not," he interrupted, feeling the heat run to his face. "No, we're nothing like that. Y/n's great and everything, but I don't see her that way."
"What were you two doing in the woods?"
"Long story, she and Dustin were doing something and came to me for help. That's all."
Nancy didn't say much after that, leaving Steve to silently wonder why she even cared.
***
Everyone was gathered in the shed now, working together to make the place unrecognizable. Anything from cardboard boxes to newspaper to sticks found in the yard were used. When I took a step back, everything was unrecognizable.