The babysitters club|| Steve Harrington

3

Hawkins was the type of town where nothing really happened.

Aside from two years ago when wanna be he-man— Will Byers had supposedly died and then come back to life. A string of unusual and downright weird things started from then.

1983. Matteo definitely remembered that year.

Because that's the year he really started hating Steve Harrington.

But 1983 had long since went by. And the weirdest thing that had happened so far that year was Matteo's mom wanting to protest against the new mall.

Weirdest thing that had happened yet. Clearly, Matteo's future held weirder things.

The weirder things in question turned out to be Steve Harrington again. It was almost as if no matter how much he tried, Matteo could never really escape Steve. As if Steve was a black hole, some celestial body with too much gravity, pulling Matteo in since day one.

Only now, they were in such close quarters, Matteo couldn't deny his true feelings of hatred for the other boy.

So no, the weirdest thing that year wasn't his mom protesting, but rather Steve not getting any girls.

"Alright, one scoop of chocolate, that's a buck-twenty-five" Steve handed over the cone to the girl with dark curly hair who pulled out the money, "Ooh, Purdue" Steve said, glancing at her t-shirt. Matteo just scowled, "Fancy"

If his signature smile was anything to go by, Steve was trying to flirt. Key word being "trying" because he was failing miserably.

"Yeah, I'm excited," The girl said politely. Her friend just licked her ice cream and stared at Steve as if he was an alien.

"Yeah, you know, I considered it" Steve chuckled, trying to look nonchalant. "Purdue, but then I was like, you know what?"

Matteo wanted to tell him to shut up. The poor girls clearly wanted nothing to do with him, just looking for the first chance to escape.

"I really think I need some real life experience, you know?"

The girls exchanged a look.

Matteo rolled his eyes.

"—Before I hit college, see what it feels like" Steve kept on going, seemingly oblivious to the way the girls eyed him (and not in a good way). "Kinda like, I don't know, see what it's like to earn a working-man's wage, you know? Uh—"

The register beeped in warning. Oh god, had he still not returned their change?

"Oh, I'm sorry"

"Move, man" Matteo pushed him to the side, taking over the beeping register. For some reason, the stupid machine seemed to work perfectly fine for him, but it took only one wrong button pressed from Robin or Steve to have a mechanical breakdown. "Here"

He handed over the girls' change and flashed them a smile. The one with the dark curly hair and golden hoop earrings smiled back, and not in just a polite way. Anna Jacobi, he remembered her from school.

"Yeah, anyway" Steve pushed Matteo back, "This was like, so fun. We should, like, you know, i don't know, hang out this weekend or—"

"Sure" Anna said, but she wasn't looking at Steve. "Is your friend going to be there?"

"Matteo" He offered his hand, had she really forgotten him so fast? They'd only been out of highschool for a month, "And I'm sorry about my rambling co-worker here. Hope you two had a great Scoops Ahoy experience"

The girl took his hand, shaking it for a second too long.

If looks could murder, Matteo was well aware he would have been six feet under already. The way Steve glowered was actually hilarious. His eyebrows drew together and his jaw clenched in a very preppy-jock kind of way.