{Nancy!...Nancy!..} Barbara's voice rang through the line, loud enough that it almost felt like the phone had a built-in speaker, even though it was just a regular house phone. Nancy, who had just returned to her bed after watching Chris's back disappear and closing her bedroom door, picked up the receiver again.
"Hey… yeah, sorry." Nancy said, letting out a breath as she rubbed her forehead, as if a dull headache had suddenly settled in. {What? I was just about to hang up, what is it?} Barbara replied from the other end, making Nancy hesitate, wondering whether she should say it or not.
Barbara was her best friend, and she knew Chris too, especially since Chris had always been nice to her. But Barbara also knew that Nancy had just started dating Steve.
"...Nothing." Nancy said, shaking her head slightly, trying to brush it off. But Barbara could tell something was wrong, of course she could. As her best friend, she knew when something was bothering Nancy.
{What's wrong, Nance? You can't keep secrets from your best friend!} Barbara huffed, the sound clearly reaching Nancy through the line.
Nancy grumbled softly under her breath, but Barbara, catching that small sound, stayed quiet this time and waiting, giving Nancy space to finally say it.
"...Fine!" Nancy said, a little sharper than before. Still, Barbara waited, clearly expecting more than just that single word.
"...Chris stopped by to pick up his brother." Nancy added, and immediately Barbara's voice burst through the receiver again, loud enough that Nancy winced, pulling the phone slightly away from her ear.
{Wait,...Chris? He was there? Like, just now?!}
Nancy shut her eyes tightly, pressing her fingers against her temple as if that could somehow quiet both the noise and the thoughts running through her head. "Yes, Barb… just now," she muttered, her voice quieter now, almost reluctant.
{And you're telling me nothing happened?} Barbara shot back without hesitation. {Nance, I know you. That tone? That is not a 'nothing happened' tone.}
Nancy let out another breath, longer this time, her shoulders dropping as she sat on the edge of her bed. The room suddenly felt still… heavier, like the silence itself was waiting for her to admit something she wasn't ready to say.
"It's not a big deal," she insisted, though even to her own ears it sounded unconvincing. Her fingers absentmindedly twisted the edge of her bedsheet. "He just… came, picked up his brother, and left. That's it."
A pause followed.
Barbara didn't respond immediately and somehow, that silence made Nancy even more uneasy than the shouting.
{...And?} Barbara finally asked, her voice softer now, but much more pointed.
Nancy swallowed, her eyes drifting toward the closed door of her room, as if she could still see Chris standing there, like a memory that refused to fade.
"...And nothing," she repeated, more quietly this time.
But even she didn't believe it.
{Hahaha, what a coincidence, right?! You just started going out with Steve, and now Chris is 'stopping by.' What? Did you lose your way or something, huh?! You said you wanted to move on!} Barbara said in one breath, barely pausing, making Nancy grumble as she listened.
"Barb! Calm down, alright!" Nancy said quickly, lowering her voice so it wouldn't carry outside her room. "He was just saying hi to me…" she added in a whisper.
{Saying hi to you? Yeah right, I totally believe you.} Barbara replied, her tone dripping with sarcasm before she continued in a teasing voice, {'Hi, Nance, do you miss me?' 'Hi, Nance, I just came to say hi to you.' 'Hi, Nance, do you want to see my big–...!'}
"Barb! Stop it! Jesus!" Nancy snapped, her face flushing red, her voice rising despite her earlier effort to keep it down. "I'm serious, he just said hi to me and went downstairs again!"
{Yeah, yeah, fine. Did he say anything else to you?} Barbara asked, clearly wanting to know just how much of a "hi" that really was.
"No… although he was wearing an eye patch," Nancy said, lying back on her bed, idly wrapping the phone cord around her fingers as a small giggle slipped out at the memory.
{You do know pirates like to steal the most valuable treasure someone has, right?} Barbara said in a mock-serious tone, though Nancy knew every word was pure sarcasm. {Be careful Nance, pirates are the most romantic and dangerous people!}
"....What are you talking about?!" Nancy shouted again, hugging her pillow tightly. "He's not a pirate!...He's way more handsome than a pirate…" she added in a softer voice.
{Shit, he already has your heart, Nance!} Barbara said in exaggerated shock, teasing her again, {although, he's had your heart for a long time.}
Hearing that only made Nancy even more flustered. "Are you supporting my relationship with Steve or with Chris?!" she shot back immediately only to regret it the second the words left her mouth.
{You and Chris? Come on, let's be real now, I'm pretty sure he looks at you like a sister.}
Barbara's words made Nancy's expression tighten, a deeper frown forming as she threw her pillow aside. She wasn't mad at Barbara, but those words had just hit something raw inside her. She was mad at Chris for treating her like that!.
"Don't remind me of that…" Nancy muttered with a quiet grumble.
{Right. I know you're a lovely girl, like an angel fallen from heaven, so why don't you come back down to earth?} Barbara continued with sarcastic words, then added, {So, let's talk about Steve now. Did he kiss you already?}
"What? Oh… why?" Nancy asked, slightly startled by the sudden shift. "...It's just a kiss, Barb," she said more quietly, even covering the receiver with her hand as if she were whispering directly into someone's ear.
{Why are you whispering like that?} Barbara asked, but she wasn't a foolish girl, she knew exactly what Nancy was doing. {Oh my God, you don't want Chris to know? Why?! Now I even suspect he's right there in your room!}
Nancy pulled the receiver away from her ear again. "Keep your voice down, Barb!" she said, glancing toward her still-closed door, listening carefully and no footsteps, no knocking or anything in her earshot.
{...Nance, tell me honestly, do you still have feelings for Chris?} Barb asked again, her voice softer and calmer now but somehow, that only made Nancy more agitated.
"...No."
{You lying bitch!} Barbara shouted again, and Nancy buried her face into the mattress, letting out a groan. {What's the matter with you?! Do you even realize he's not like you, as a woman?! Are you really going to be okay with that? We're talking circle now!}
"I told you, I'm not like him anymore!" Nancy groaned back, her face still pressed into the bed. She didn't want to admit it.
{Is this one of your tactics? Going out with Steve just to make Chris jealous?} Barbara continued, sounding like a full-on detective now.
"No! I told you, Steve is cute and all, I like him a lot too!" Nancy said desperately, trying to make Barbara believe her, even pushing herself up to sit on the bed again.
She looked at her drawer, which was still closed and locked like there's something she doesn't want the world to know about it.
{...Fine. You're my best friend, I'll support you, Nance.} Barbara said, and Nancy let out a breath of relief. {By the way, did you know Steve met with Chris before asking you out?}
"...What? No, I didn't know about that! What were they talking about?! Were they fighting?!" Nancy said, immediately standing up from her bed, as if she were about to bolt out and find Chris right then and there.
{Look at you now, how could you possibly think they were talking about you?} Barbara sneered, making Nancy flush in embarrassment. But before Nancy could respond, Barbara continued, {It's just kind of a rumor. But you know Carol and Tommy, they've got big mouths, right? This rumor isn't even confirmed whether it's true or not.} Barbara added, as if it were nothing more than casual gossip.
"Oh… so it's just a rumor then," Nancy said quietly, sitting back down on her bed. "Then? What happened?"
As Nancy and Barbara continued talking about everything, though most conversation returned to about boys, down in the basement, the nerd boys and Chris were still there.
Will, who noticed Chris standing on the steps, watching them, broke into a wide smile. "Chris! Look, Dustin slayed the Demogorgon!"
All eyes immediately turned toward Chris, who crossed his arms and walked slowly toward them. Dustin, riding high on the moment, rubbed his philtrum like it was no big deal but his expression said everything.
He was proud, practically craving some kind of praise. But just as he thought his brother would congratulate him, Mike beat him to it.
"Wait! what happened to your eye?" Mike asked, and only then did everyone realize Chris was wearing an eyepatch. Dustin, already aware, quickly explained it to the others. "He's starting a new fashion, dorky dork fashion." he said with a smug look on his face.
"Dorky dork is what you'll look like if you wear the same thing as me," Chris snorted at Dustin as he walked closer, making Dustin immediately jump up from his seat as if to avoid him. "Why are you running?" Chris asked softly, tilting his head. "I'm just grabbing a leftover slice of pizza."
Lucas, Mike, and Will burst into laughter at the scene. "Dustin is right! You do look like a dorky dork!" Lucas said, with Will nodding along. Mike only laughed, until his expression twisted in pain when Chris suddenly pinched his cheek hard.
"Why are you laughing, huh?" Chris said with a smile….not a warm one, but that familiar, slightly sadistic grin of his.
"See that!" Dustin pointed at him with an accusing look, which made Lucas stand up from his chair as well, followed quickly by Will as they both distanced themselves from Chris.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!!!" Mike tried to pull himself free, but Chris didn't let go, not until he grabbed the last slice of pizza. "Tell me I look more handsome with this eyepatch," Chris said.
"You look more handsome with that eyepatch!" Mike shouted, and only then did Chris finally release him.
"...Dork," Mike muttered under his breath, quickly standing up and avoiding Chris's gaze.
"Alright, alright. Let's go home, boys," Chris said, looking at all of them. "Your parents are gonna be worried."
"Can I ride with you?" Will asked, his eyes hopeful. Dustin hadn't brought his bike earlier, Chris had dropped him off at Mike's house on his Harley.
"Sure. Let Dustin get a little exercise," Chris said with a smirk, earning a grumble from Dustin.
"...Even though I'm the one who slayed the Demogorgon…" Dustin muttered, but he still grabbed his bag, accepting that Will would be riding home with his brother.