It was a hot, sticky summer day.

Melissa had promised the kids that she would accompany them to the new Starcourt mall. Correction, she promised the parents that she would accompany them. The kids were vouching to their parents that they could go on their own. It wasn’t successful. Besides, it was Eleven’s first time visiting the mall, and Melissa promised that she would be there with her.

It was packed. School had been out for only a few weeks and everyone was eager to visit the new stores. Melissa and the kids fought their way through the crowds, visiting stores that caught their eye. And she took a mental note of things they were interested in. Things she could get them for birthdays or Christmas.

They ventured towards the food court where she spotted Scoops Ahoy!, a new ice cream shop where Steve managed to snag a part-time summer job. She felt around in her pocket, finding the money she had stashed in there. “Hey, you guys want some ice cream?” The kids paused to glance back at her with wide eyes. In response, she pulled out the money to show them. “My treat.”

The kids were ecstatic as they made their way over to the small shop. Immediately, she spotted Steve at the counter, looking bored as hell. However, the moment he saw Melissa and the kids, his mood changed. The kids were rather excited to see him, all of them throwing questions at him, their voices mingling together.

“You know I can’t understand anything when all of you talk at the same time, right?” The kids went quiet, each of them murmuring an apology. Steve could only shake his head in response. “Hey, Mel.”

‘Hey,” she smiled. “Alright guys, go ahead and choose what you want.”

The kids each took turns with telling Steve what they wanted and when their orders were complete, the kids turned to sit at one of the booths. Melissa stayed behind to pay for the treats. “How’s your day been so far?” She asked, handing him the cash.

Steve raised his brows, typing in the amount that was being paid. “Busy, tiring and boring at the same time.” He handed over her change. “How long are you guys hanging around here for?”

Melissa shrugged as she stashed the change in her pockets. “Maybe another hour or so. The kids love being here.”

“Well, I’m actually about to go on break, so if you want to hang for a bit.”

“Sure, I’ll save you a spot at one of the booths.”

Melissa snagged a booth just behind the one the kids were occupying. In no time, Steve appeared from the back room and pulled off his hat, running his hand through his messy hair, as he took a seat across from her.

“You’ve been having a good summer so far?” He asked.

“Yeah, I guess so. Been hanging out with the kids a lot and with Troy.”

Steve had to bite his tongue to prevent himself from saying anything but he did roll his eyes. Troy. Melissa’s new boyfriend, well not according to her. Melissa always said that they weren’t officially dating. But Steve knew better. Pretty much everyone at school knew that they were because Troy could never keep his mouth shut. The boy had a real braggadocio attitude about himself and he was a real playboy. The two mixed perfectly to create problems. And it was no secret to Melissa that Steve couldn’t stand Troy. He reminded Steve of himself not too long ago, which is also why Steve tried not to say anything to her.

Melissa nodded to herself when she saw the reaction on Steve’s face. “Yeah, I know you can’t stand Troy.”

Steve leaned forward and sucked in a breath. “I don’t want to make you feel a certain way or to upset you.”

“You’re my friend, the only thing I want from you is the truth.”

The kids moved from the booth and Mike approached Melissa. “Hey, so, would it be alright if we went to check out the arcade?”

“The arcade?” She repeated.

“Yeah, it’s literally right across from the food court,” Mike said, trying to reason with her.

Melissa stared at her cousin, then noticed all the eager looks from the other kids. She relented. “Okay, fine. You guys can go but you stick together and I’ll meet you over there. Got it?”

“Yes!” Mike and the others said their goodbyes to Steve as they made their way over to the arcade.

The two teenagers were now alone. “You know he’s not worth it, right?” Steve didn’t waste any time. “I don’t know how you manage to deal with him.”

Melissa cleared her throat, her lips curling at the sides. “I don’t know. He just makes me laugh, he can be fun, most of the time.” She leaned closer to him. “I’m not actually that seriously into him. It’s not like I imagine marrying and having kids with him.”

“Yeah, but why waste your time with him? You know how he is with other girls, right?” Steve’s question made Melissa go silent. “He hasn’t stopped either.”

“Reminds me of how you were a few years ago.”

Steve hesitated, feeling the way her words made his stomach sink. “Except, I never cheated on Nancy.”

She immediately regretted what she had said. “I know, I’m sorry.”

Steve simply waved it off, he knew that she didn’t mean it. “He’s a fuckboy and he’s never going to treat you better than this.”

“Wow, you really don’t like this guy.”

“I just don’t want to see you continuously get hurt.”

Melissa reached over and covered his hand with her own. “You don’t have to worry, this isn’t going last long with him.” She went to move her hand away when Steve took hold of it.

“I mean it, Mel.”

“Come on, you need to drink this.” Amy set down a cup of coffee in front of Melissa.

Melissa jumped back, eyeing the mug then stared up at her friend. “I don’t want coffee.” Her voice slurred as she pushed the mug away from her.

“Yes, you do.” Amy pushed the mug back towards her and held it there. “You drank way too much, Mel. I didn’t intend for you to get drunk off your ass.”

“I needed it.” Melissa groaned. She leaned forward and pulled the mug close to her, wincing when the scent hit her nose.

“Well, you’re lucky that my parents are working late tonight. The last thing I want is for them to find out we’re drinking underage.”

“Oh, screw the age limit.” Melissa waved off her friend’s concern.

A persistent knock appeared at the door. Amy jumped up and ran over to the door. “I think that’s him.” When she opened it, she found Steve on the other side, his face adorned with worry. “Thank god you’re here.” She pulled him in by the arm. “She’s an absolute wreck right now.”

“What happened?” Steve turned to her, wanting to know the full details pertaining to getting a call from her at almost midnight.

“We were just hanging out and drinking,” her voice tapered off at the end. “And she got way too drunk and I’m genuinely concerned for her.”

“Who’s at the door?” Melissa called out.

“Where is she?”

“Kitchen.”

Steve and Amy stepped into the kitchen only to find Melissa with her head resting against the table. They would have thought she was sleeping if it weren’t for her tapping her fingers against the table.

“Mel,” Steve tried coaxing her to the present. It seemed to work.

Melissa opened her eyes but her face remained neutral when she saw him standing there. She slowly leaned up and eyed him for a brief moment. “Why is he here?”

“I called Steve because I’m worried about you Melissa.”

“What do you mean?” Melissa stood up from the chair and stretched. “I’m fine.” She tried taking a few steps but stumbled, nearly falling, but Steve was able to catch her.

“Yeah, you’re not fine, Hughes.” He wrapped his arms around her and could smell the alcohol on her breath. It almost made him sick. He thought back to the Halloween party a few days prior and how Nancy had gotten stupid drunk...and then the whole fight. He shook the memory away. “Let me help you.”

“No.” Melissa pushed herself out of Steve’s arms, the motion almost made her vomit right then and there. “I don’t need your help.” She shoved Steve out of her way and trudged into the living room. “I don’t need anyone to help me because drinking away all my problems is what I need!”

Steve turned back to Amy, silently asking for some privacy. Amy nodded, then headed upstairs. Steve took in a deep breath, then followed after Melissa. “This isn’t good for you, Hughes.”

Melissa stumbled as she eyed Steve with an almost murderous stare. “How the hell do you know what I need, Harrington? It’s what I deserve.”

“What are you talking about?”

“What am I talking about?” She gestured to herself, a sloppy grin appeared. “I killed Barb.”

Steve hesitated, his throat going dry upon hearing those words. “Mel, no you didn’t.”

“Yes, I did!” Melissa shouted, her smile was gone and her eyes were brimming with tears. “Barb asked me to go with her that night, to your house… and I said no.” Her voice broke at the end of that sentence. “She asked me too, practically begged...and I turned her down and because of that Barb is gone!”

“Mel, you couldn’t have known--”

“If I had been there,” she interrupted and slowly inched closer to Steve. “If I had been there, she wouldn’t have been sitting on that diving board. She wouldn’t have been all alone.” The tears finally escaped and cascaded down her cheeks. “No, if I had been there, she would’ve left. I would’ve made sure that she out of there. But I wasn't.”

Those last three words were mixed in with an agonizing cry that made Steve’s heartbreak. He knew that what happened last fall had been hard for her. He could see it with how she interacted with everyone, the way she distanced herself from Nancy. Steve wanted to help her, he just didn’t know how to.

“And then there’s El.” That was something that hit a particular nerve with Melissa. “That little girl, who spent her entire life being tormented. I promised her that I wouldn’t let anything happen to her...that I would keep her safe. And I couldn’t do it.” Her entire body deflated and her gaze fell to the ground. “I couldn’t do it. That’s two people I failed.”

There was a pregnant pause that followed soon after. Steve was at a loss. He didn’t know what to say or how to approach this. Melissa had never opened up like this to him. She preferred to keep everything hidden away from everyone and suffer in silence. She didn’t want to burden anyone with her problems. But Steve always made sure that she knew he was there if she needed to talk. It was always in a way that never made her feel crowded. Or that he was expecting something from her. Now, she’s finally let it all out. Of course, the alcohol had a big part in that.

“It’s okay, Mel.”

She shook her head, vigorously. “No, it’s not.”

“Mel,” Steve stepped forward, hand reaching out for her. She immediately stepped back and pushed his hand away.

“Don’t.” She wiped at her cheeks before a new round of tears appeared. “Steve just leave. You should just leave before something happens to you. Because everyone I care about always ends up screwed somehow, so you better run before something happens to you.”

“Is that what you want, Hughes?”

Melissa didn’t say anything. She was stuck in thought. The alcohol and her thoughts were fighting against each other. One part wanted him to leave, the other wanted him to stay. She wanted him to hold her...she just needed someone to hold her and tell her that everything was going to be alright. This whole experience has felt like a never-ending nightmare, and there’s no way for her to wake up.

She finally looked up at him, determined to stand her ground. “Yes.”

Steve nodded, then said, “you say that’s what you want, but your eyes are telling me a different story.”

And that broke her. The way he said it: soft and low, the worry he had for her was evident and he looked to be on the verge of tears. Melissa couldn’t hold it back anymore. She exhaled and closed her eyes. Total defeat washed over her and Steve saw it. He quickly had his arms around her, keeping her close to him.

“It’s going to be alright, Mel.”

She couldn’t sleep.

Only an hour ago, she and Steve returned from the hospital after Hopper insisted they get checked out. From Steve’s bloodied face to the gash in Melissa’s side and her battered face, the two teenagers gave Hopper a lot to be concerned about. It took a lot of convincing. Steve gave in, mostly because of his mild concussion. Melissa only caved after Mike pleaded with her to get checked.

After a 45 minute wait, an uncomfortable examination, and picking up their prescription, Melissa and Steve were back at the Byers’ home. Everyone was exhausted. Joyce, Jonathan, and Will were hunkered down in her room. Eleven was passed out in Will’s room, Nancy took up her residence in Jonathan’s room. Dustin, Lucas, and Max were sprawled out on the living room floor, having made a nest with various blankets and pillows and Hopper was on the porch smoking.

Melissa was sat on the couch with Mike curled up next to her, luckily he fell asleep on her uninjured side. She was beyond exhausted, yet she couldn’t manage to fall asleep.

“You’re still awake?”

She glanced over at Steve and he looked a complete mess. Hair was disheveled, face bruised, and his face was almost drained of color. “Are you alright?”

“I just got done throwing up.”

She cringed. Then, patted the empty space next to her. “Then come sit down.”

Steve did just that, making sure not to wake up Mike.

“I’m just so glad that it’s all over.” Melissa quietly admitted. Although, the numbing fear that she felt in the tunnels, thinking she was about to get killed by a swarm of demidogs, was still running through her mind. She though she was dead…a goner. And the last thing she would have seen was Mike’s panic-stricken face. Melissa tugged him closer.

Steve peered over at her, spotting the bruises that decorated her face, immediately. He felt that surge of anger rush through him. “Why didn’t you stay out of it?”

The question took her mind for a spin. Melissa craned her neck to look at him. “Stay out of what?”

“Billy.“ His voice was deadpanned and his eyes were glossed over. “Why did you put yourself in the middle of that?”

“He would’ve hurt the kids if I didn’t, and he probably would have killed you if I didn’t intervene and I wasn’t about to just stand by and watch my friend get his ass kicked.”

Steve shook his head, feeling immense guilt over what Billy did to Melissa. He should have been able to prevent it…he should have been able to stop him. “He touched you…I’m sorry.”

Melissa reached over and took hold of Steve’s hand. “Don’t be sorry, it wasn’t your fault.”

“I should’ve stopped him.”

With the way his head leaned back, she knew he was exhausted. She moved her hand to his forehead, then brushed his hair back. “Steve…you need sleep.”

He hummed with content as she brushed his hair back. “So do you.”

She pulled her hand away and leaned her head back. “Then we should go to sleep.”

When Hopper walked back in, only fifteen minutes later, everyone was asleep. Dustin, Lucas, and Max on their makeshift nest, Mike curled up next to Melissa who was now resting her head against Steve’s shoulder, both of them sound asleep.