Friday, November 11th, 1983

BEA WAS TRAPPED. SHE COULDNT hear Jonathan and Nancys screams as she ran through this weird parallel universe.

In a way, it reminded her of the veil of shadows - from d&d. Bea didn't dare look back as she ran, screaming Jonathan's name at the top of her lungs, hoping that in some way he could hear her and get her out of the hell that she was stuck in.

She could hear Jonathan and Nancy calling her name so she stopped in her tracks.

"Jonathan, where are you?" She yelled, scouring the area with her eyes, wondering if he was just hiding from her. Jonathan's voice echoed in her mind and Bea heard Nancy calling her name as well from wherever they were.

Her breathing was heavy as she yelled out the duos names, crossing her fingers that someone would find her.

"I'm right here!" She yelled out as she span around, looking for some kind of exit.

"I'm right here Bea, I'm right here just follow my voice!" He called out, his voice echoing around her head and she started to feel lightheaded from all the screaming and the voices in her head.

"Follow the voice Bea, we are here" Nancy yelled out and Bea ran towards the voices, trying to find a way out. She saw the monster when she turned a corner and involuntarily let out a high pitched gasp when she saw it.

She turned and ran, letting out a scream as she bolted away from it.

Bea hid behind a tree, the weird sap thing covering her back as she leant against it.

Her breathing was heavy as she hid and even though she tried to hide it from the monster, its growls was getting louder. She froze in place, hoping it wouldn't see her, praying that she would make it back home to see Dustin and she even missed her mum which would sound crazy in a few days.

If she even lived for another few days.

"Bea, follow my voice," she heard Jonathan call out from inside a tree and she recognised it as the one that she crawled through to get into this world in the first place.

In hindsight, that was a pretty dumb thing to do but it really put her life in perspective. The monster growled and Bea heard Nancy ask what that was. Bea ran over to the tree, scurrying through as quick as she could before sticking her hand out, not being able to make it though.

She could hear a worried gasp escape the other two and they grabbed her hand, helping to pull her out.

Bea made it out, falling on top of Jonathan and coating him with the gross sticky stuff that had managed to drench her whole body when she crawled out of the whole.

She started sobbing, glad she was out. Jonathan sat up and she leaned into his grasp as he panted.

"I got you," he whispered as he held her tight against him, making sure that she was actually real. He sat up with his arms still wrapped around her.

Bea clutched the back of his shirt tightly as she buried her face into his neck, her eyes shut tight in an attempt to forget everything that was happening.

Jonathan watched as the tree closed up as he held an obviously terrified Bea. She was normally this strong and independent girl who hated crying in front of people but she had broken down like a sad little girl.

"Lets get you home," Jonathan said as he helped pull her out, Bea turned to Nancy and flashed her a half-hearted smile.

"Thanks for getting me out of there," she said and Nancy smiled at the gesture.

"It's fine," she said and Bea just stood awkwardly after that.

Jonathan drive Nancy home first and despite his protests, Bea walked the rest of the way home which allowed him to go with Nancy into her house.

Bea saw Steve's car drive past her before stopping at Nancy's which Jonathan was at.

A few minutes later she saw Steve drive past, his car empty and he stopped next to her.

"You need a ride home Bear?" He asked and she wanted to say no, every bone in her body was telling her to leave and get out as soon as possible but she nodded her head, sliding into the passengers seat of the car.

He dropped her off, offering to wait in her room whilst she took a quick shower which she agreed to happily.

She stepped in the shower, washing the dirt and the blood and the goo off her body.

But whenever she closed her eyes she saw that monster and she felt the same way she did for however long she was in there for.

Trapped.

She stepped out in her over-sized purple shirt, with shorts on of course, to see Steve sitting on her bed, looking through a photo album that was sitting on her bedside table labeled 'summer of 80'.

Bea smiled as she saw a picture of the two 14 year old versions of themselves dancing next to the water.

He stood up and smiled at his ex-best friend.

"I miss this," he said and she smiled, the first real smile since everything.

"I miss us," Bea said and Steve smiled even wider than before.

"You know I'm sorry, for everything," he said and Bea sighed.

"I'm sorry too, for how I handled it," she explained and Steve stuck his hand out. Bea tilted her head and he motioned to an open d&d book on her table.

"I drew first blood right," he said and Bea laughed at his sudden dorkiness before reaching out and shaking his hand. They held on for a second before Bea pulled away, crossing her arms against her chest.

"I should go," Steve said as he looked at his friend, the smile suddenly gone.

Bea nodded her head.

Just when Steve had one foot out the window Bea called out his name and he turned around.

"Can you stay, if you don't feel comfortable you can sleep on the couch or just run away and never come back or y-" she rambled on, her nervousness getting the best of her but Steve cut her off with his laughing.

"I'll stay," he said as he stepped back into the room. He lay down next to her in the bed, both of them lying tense as they did so.

"No hanky panky though Bear," he said and Bea laughed, relaxing slightly as she placed the pillow between the two,

"As if I would want to Steve," she said.

She couldn't sleep and Steve noticed that, sitting up next to her.

"You ok?" He asked and she sighed, starting to cry.

"Its been a long day," Bea said as she leaned her head on Steve's shoulder, just like they used to do when they were younger.

He leaned his head on top of hers and she sighed. Bea fell asleep quickly against Steve, her light snoring making Steve chuckle to himself quietly, as not to wake her up. He fell asleep shortly after her, his head still resting atop hers.

☆☆☆

Saturday, November 12th, 1983

DUSTIN WALKED INTO BEAS ROOM  and saw her fast asleep with Steve still asleep with her.

Dustin smiled, grabbing his sisters camera off her messy table and snapping a quick pick of the two before rummaging around her drawers for post it notes. He grabbed one, writing a quick note on it before closing the door again.

As soon as he slammed the door the duo woke up and smiled at each other before checking the time.

"Shit, I should go," Steve said before turning to look at Bea who was rubbing sleep from her eyes.

"Be careful okay Bear, don't want you dying on me," he said smiling before climbing out the window. Bea was left sitting on her bed with a permanent feeling smiling on her face.

It dropped when she realised two things.

Not only was Steve dating Nancy so she knew she shouldn't feel that way but also she remembered everything that had happened the night before.

Bea was walking - the fresh air was helping to clear her mind - when she saw a very confused looking Jonathan and Nancy staring at an empty street.

That's when Bea followed Nancy who was running down a street.

"What's going on?" Bea asked Jonathan as they chased Nancy down the street, he didn't even understand what was going on.

They stopped outside of the movie theater where the sign read 'All the Right Moves, starring Nancy The Slut Wheeler,' and Bea gasped at it, wondering who wrote it.

Nancy looked like she was going to cry and everyone was watching her.

They turned the corner and saw Tommy, Steve and Carol spray painting something onto a wall. Jonathan and Bea saw the three and looked at a distraught Nancy.

Steve looked up, making eye contact with Bea for a second before looking back at Nancy. This must have been what he wanted to talk to her about last night.

"Look, I dont know what you think you saw but it wasn't like that," Nancy explained and Steve sighed, he honestly looked heartbroken.

"What, you just let him in your room to study?" Steve asked and Bea wanted to say something, quip back about how he slept round hers but she knew it would do more harm than good.

"Come on Nancy lets just leave," Jonathan said after Nancy and Steve's conversation. Steve scoffed and turned around ready to leave before Jonathan grabbed Nancys arm.

"I'm pretty impressed Byers, I always took you for a queer but I guess you're just as screwed up as your dad " he said and Bea walked inbetween the boys.

"Steve," she said with a stern tone in her voice.

He looked down at her and sighed.

"This doesn't involve you Bea," he said and she was taken back in shock when he didn't call her by his nickname, even when they hated each other he did.

Steve averted his gaze from her before starting to shout insults at Jonathan before Jonathan turned around, pushing Bea out the way and into the wall before punching Steve flat in the face. Steve grunted, looking at Bea who had cut her eyebrow on the metal railing before he felt a huge wave of anger crash over him at the sight of her.

Steve jumped up, knocking Jonathan to the ground.

Bea stood up, luckily not dizzy so she most likely didn't have a concussion.

"Steve get off of him!" Nancy yelled out and Tommy egged the two on in their fight. Steve pushed Jonathan down, taking one last look at the blood trickling down Bea's face before leaping down and punching Jonathan square in the face.

"Jonathan stop!" Bea said and he didn't even look at her before punching Steve again.

They were fighting in the alleyway and before anyone noticed, the police came in and saw Jonathan on top of Steve, punching the living daylights out of him.

Bea and Nancy stood helplessly as Jonathan was handcuffed and pushed into the police car. Powell turned to look at the girls as Callahan chased the boys down.

"You okay Henderson?" He asked and Bea nodded, wiping the blood from her face.

"You two should come to the station with me and Rocky here to give some statement," he said before driving the three to the station.

☆☆☆

WHEN THEY GOT THERE, FLORENCE  walked up to Bea and asked how she was. They knew each other slightly and Florence helped clean Bea up.

"Hey Flo, you think we'll be out soon," Bea asked and she nodded her head.

"You girls yes, him not so much," she said and Nancy sighed and Florence turned to look at Nancy.

"He assaulted a police officer, sorry if you and your boyfriend have big plans," she said to Nancy and Bea held in a laugh. She knew Florence from the small internship she did the previous summer at the station.

"He's not my boyfriend," Nancy said and Florence sighed.

"I think you better tell him that, only love makes you that crazy sweetheart and that damn stupid" she said, handing some ice to Nancy who walked in to see Jonathan.

Bea didn't want to see him, she was angry at what he had done and in all honesty just wanted to go home and spend some time with her little brother.

"But Bea sweetie, that boy that took those punches for you, well I think you should thank him because as I said to Wheeler, only love makes you that stupid," Florence said and Bea scoffed, sitting down and allowing Florence to put some antiseptic on the cut.

She sat there thinking, maybe she did have some pent up feeling for Steve that she had been holding in all these years, but Steve was in love with Nancy - wasn't he?

2186 words