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CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN ; THE SKY AND HIS STAR
also known as;
( the spy; part three )

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STELLA COLLINS FELT LIKE A FAILURE. Disregarding the fact that she was in her idea of a living nightmare, the fact that she had a broken arm and what felt like a dysfunctional brain weren't much help in that moment. Her eyes were locked on the figure creeping outside the gigantic bus she stood in, her arms protectively locked around Dustin and Max, who were either side of her. As soon as Steve had decided to offer himself to the carnivorous beasts lurking in the fog, she had gathered all of the kids so that she could keep them safe. 

It was dead silent in the vehicle they were cooped up in, the only sounds being the nervous breathing of each of them. Stella inhaled sharply when she heard Steve whistle softly, and she could only think about how much of a fucking idiot he was. Part of her was still in a state of shock from what happened only moments ago, but she could barely think about that when he was literally about to get himself killed. 

 The group watched from a distance as Steve raised his spiked baseball bat in the air, planting his feet firmly into the ground next to the chopped up cow meat. Stella could see from his posture that he was clearly scared, and though she managed to identify his clear bravery, she was still wishing it was her out there so he would be safe. 

"He's insane," Max whispered as she leaned closer to the grated window, shaking her head in disbelief. 

Dustin grinned. "He's awesome."

Stella tensed slightly as she saw Steve freeze, his hands tightening around the handle of the weapon. Her eyes latched onto the dark figure emerging from the night before him, and she felt her heart stop.  

"Steve, watch out!" Lucas screamed from his position on the roof, and Stella's jaw slacked slightly with the realisation that the boy wasn't downstairs and safe. 

"I'm a little busy here!" Steve yelled back, his vision focused on the single demogorgon before him. 

"Three o'clock, three o'clock!" Lucas called out, and everyone both in side the bus and outside looked in that direction to see another slimy animal crawling towards Steve.  

Dustin ripped from Stella's grasp and over to the door, pulling it open hastily. "Steve!  Steve! Abort, abort!"

Stella yelped in shock as Steve dove out of the way as one of the demonic creatures launched itself at him, skidding across one of the car skeletons and falling into the floor. He quickly pulled himself up and swung the bat, hitting one of the animals back. Lucas pushed past Stella and began yelling along with everyone else in desperation. "Steve, run!"

Steve actually managed to listen this time, breaking into a sprint towards the open door of the bus. Stella's heart was pounding as he ran as fast as he could, the numerous beasts on his tail. He had to make it, she needed him to make it. 

And he did. 

He leapt into the bus and as soon as his foot left the grass outside, Dustin slammed the door shut just in time to stop the Demogorgon. Steve collapsed onto Stella as everyone backed away from the door, and she reached over his shoulder, throwing an extra piece of sheet metal in front of the rattling entrance. Over everyone's screaming, she heard Lucas yell. "They can't get in! They can't!"

Steve used his feet to hold the sheet in place as the bus began shaking, and Stella grabbed onto his upper arms to stop him from sliding down the floor. Stella glanced back to the kids, her eyes wide. "Get to the back of the bus!"

Everyone listened, and in good timing too, as a slimy, sharp hand reached through the door to swipe at them. Steve jumped up and swatted it away with his bat, and Stella stood up and grabbed her mallet, trying to ignore the great pain in her hand as she gripped it as tight as she could. 

"Is anyone there? Mike, Will? God! Anyone!?" Dustin screamed into his headset, his voice incredibly strained and anxious. The children all screamed as a set of claws impaled the metal beside them. "We're at the old junkyard, and we're gonna die!" 

A sudden thud caught Stella's attention, and she looked up from where Steve had finished fighting the demon arm. Her breath hitched in her throat and she followed whatever was denting the roof as it walked, holding her weapon high up in defence. She came up behind Max, her eyes widening at the sight of a Demogorgon staring down at them, growling deeply. Max screamed loudly, and Stella moved her out of the way, Steve running up beside her. "Out of the way!"

Steve yelled threats at the monster, who opened up its frightening mouth to show them the familiar rows and rows of sharp teeth. Steve pushed his bat upwards, but the monster paused, pulling back and howling deafeningly. It then leapt off the bus, causing it to shake again, and Stella fell back against the side of the vehicle. Everyone perked up when they heard several of the creatures growling in the distance, before everything went silent again. 

"Where did they go?" Stella asked softly, her voice not capable to create enough strength to speak in anything above a whisper. Her wrist was throbbing and felt worse than it did when she broke it, but the pain in her head seemed to match it perfectly. 

"I don't know," Steve muttered in response, slowly backing away from the ladder and moving back towards the door. He hesitantly pushed it open, flinching when it banged against the side of the bus. "Jeez."

Dustin and Stella were close behind him as he stepped out, their eyes falling on the Demogorgons running away in a group. Stella pursed her lips, feeling her heart thudding in her chest. Lucas seemed to be just as shocked, his eyes wide and terrified. "What happened?"

"Steve scared 'em off?" Dustin asked unsurely, furrowing his eyebrows. 

"No, no way," Steve shook his head as Stella stepped onto the grass beside him, lowering her mallet so that the end sat lightly on the ground. "They're going somewhere."

"So what do we do?" Max asked, and Stella swallowed, glancing up at Steve, who was clearly the leader of the situation. 

"We need to find our way back to the main part of town," he said, resting the bat on his shoulder. "Everyone needs to keep a lookout for where they've gone, but we have to warn Chief Hopper about all of this."

Stella sighed softly, looking over all of the kids, making sure none of them were hurt. "Sounds like a plan. Everyone ready to go?"

★☆

  "Listen, Star," Steve muttered as they walked side by side back up the train-tracks. It had been mostly silent between the two teenagers since they left the junkyard, neither of them knowing what to say after all the events that had happened not long ago. "About what I did in the bus-"

"It's okay, Steve," Stella cut him off, glancing up at him and smiling a little. He exhaled in relief and even let out a soft chuckle, clearly glad he didn't make a fool out of himself. Stella bit the inside of her cheek as she looked back down at the ground, kicking a few stones with her sneakers. "I kinda...liked it."

"Oh, good," Steve responded, and they fell into an awkward silence. They couldn't see too well in the night, the only lights coming from the flashlights both Steve and the kids behind her held out to search for the creatures. Steve cleared his throat, quickly looking over his shoulder before speaking again. "I liked it too."

"So, why'd you do it?" She asked, her curiosity getting the best of her. Their voices were relatively quiet, as they were only a couple of metres in front of the kids and didn't need to be listened in on. There was a slim chance they would though, as Dustin was busy catching them up with everything that had happened. 

Steve sighed softly, gripping the handle of his bat a little tighter as he grew nervous. It was unlike him to be like this, but there was something about the girl beside him that set him on edge. "Well, I guess I finally managed to pluck up the courage, you know, just in case we never saw each other again."

"I didn't realise you, uh, felt that way," Stella whispered, and Steve smiled a little. 

"I think there's always been something there when it came to you, Star," he replied, a little more sure of himself. Stella scoffed, and he nudged her slightly with his elbow. "I mean, come on. We've known each other since we were kids. Besides the times we said we hated each other, you've always been there for me, and made me smile when I feel the need to punch something. Hell, you convinced me to not punch Billy, that asshole..."

"What about Nancy?" Stella asked reluctantly, and Steve faltered, his face falling. Stella noticed this, but she had to be sure. "I don't want to be a rebound, I hope you know that."

"I could never think of you that way, okay?" he assured her after a second, and she sighed softly through her nose. "I'm not gonna deny that Nancy wasn't special to me -- she was. But that's over, I promise. I'm not saying we have to turn this into anything, but I just needed you to know that I care about you, even if you don't feel the same."

"Of course I care about you," Stella rolled her eyes, a small smile reappearing on her face as she looked back up at him to find him staring at her with soft eyes. The moonlight reflected in his hazel irises and made a small piece of Stella feel somewhat calm amidst the period of chaos she had caught herself in. "You're...amazing. And the way you took care of all of us back there? You're like Superman."

Steve grinned. "I think that's the best thing you've ever said to me."

"Can you believe how far we've come?" Stella chuckled lightly, and he joined her, nodding in agreement. "Who'd've thunk I'd be out on a Sunday night, monster hunting and babysitting a bunch of kids with Steve Harrington, of all people. This is all too familiar."

"At least this time we sorta know what we're doing," Steve responded, to which Stella scoffed. 

"So, when's he gonna moult again?" Max's inquisitive voice caught the two teenagers' attention, causing them to glance back at Dustin curiously. 

"It's gotta be soon," he shrugged, turning his torch to his other side, checking for any signs of movement. "When he does he'll be fully grown, or close to it. And so will his friends."

"Yeah, and he's gonna eat a lot more than just cats," Steve piped up, and almost instantaneously, Lucas stepped forward and grabbed Dustin by the shoulder, turning him around. Everyone slowed to a stop, and Stella turned around fully with her eyebrows knitted together. 

"Wait, a cat?" Lucas asked Dustin, who took a step back, his jaw open and eyes wide. "Dart ate a cat?"

"No, w-what?" Dustin stammered, shaking his head quickly. "No!"

"What're you talking about? He ate Mews," Steve said matter-of-factly, and Stella grimaced slightly at his obliviousness.  

Max looked up at Steve, puzzled. "Mews? Who's Mews?"

"It's Dustin's cat," Steve shrugged, and Stella sighed softly, her eyes trailing back to Dustin, who was clearly exasperated. 

"Steve!" the curly haired boy exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air. 

"I knew it!" Lucas lightly pushed Dustin's shoulder. "You kept him!" 

"No!" Dustin argued, though his voice clearly said otherwise. He hesitated, shifted awkwardly in front of the group. "No. No, I..no, I--he missed me. He wanted to come home."

"Bullshit!" Lucas snapped, unimpressed by his friend's attempt of an excuse. 

"I didn't know he was a Demogorgon, okay?" Dustin shrugged, trying to cover for himself. 

"Oh, so now you admit it?" Lucas retorted, growing more irritated by the second. Stella was confused, then she remembered Dustin mentioned he had shown his pet demon to the party at school when it was just a baby. 

"Guys, who cares?" Max finally interrupted, managing to force them into silence.  "We have to go."

"I care!" Lucas replied roughly, returning his glare to Dustin. "You put the party in jeopardy! You broke the rule of law!"

"So did you!" Dustin raised his voice, and Stella shared an annoyed look with Steve, as if they were deciding who was going to break the fight up. 

"What?"

"You told a stranger the truth!" Dustin shone his torch in Max's face, who flinched at the bright light, before recovering quickly with an displeased expression. 

"A stranger?" She scoffed, taking a step forward to become part of the quarrel. Stella groaned softly, her faith in the redhead ending the disagreement slowly depleting. 

"You wanted to tell her, too!" Lucas stated, gesturing to the girl beside them.  

"Yeah, but I didn't, Lucas!" Dustin yelled, before a distant screeching caught Stella's attention. She nudged Steve with her elbow as the sound appeared again, and the two took a step away from the kids to look in the direction it was coming from. "We both broke the rule of law, okay? So we're even. We're even."

 "Where did it come from?" Stella muttered as Steve shone his light in front of them, though they only saw trees and the dark night sky above. 

"I don't know," he responded unsurely, the sound of Lucas and Dustin screaming at each other in the background of their conversation. "Guys?"

"Oh, so he was just crawling to come and say hello-"

"Guys!" Stella yelled, cutting them off instantly. They stared at her wide-eyed, but the screeching sounded again, which drew their attention away. Steve dropped his bat on his shoulder and glanced down at the raven-haired girl, who nervously nodded. They cut off from the train-tracks and began walking down the muddy hill, moving closer to the noise. 

"No, no, no. Hey, guys!" Max called after them. Stella stopped and looked back to see Max hesitating by the tracks. "Why are you headed towards the sound?"

"And sometimes I think I'm the only one with some sense around here," Stella smiled softly, before waving her along. "It's more dangerous by yourself than in a group, Max. I know it's shitty, but you'll be fine. You've got the boys, Steve and me to help you out."

"You say that like it's a good thing," Max mumbled with a fearful expression, though she listened and reluctantly trailed down the hill and fell into step with Stella, who was just as terrified. 

After almost five minutes of following the howling noise, the group found a clearing and stopped, looking over the town of Hawkins. If it weren't for the sounds that made Stella want to be sick, it would have been almost peaceful. The trees were moving with the wind and there were distant lights of the streets, as well as visible cars driving down the winding roads. 

Lucas pulled his binoculars up to his eyes, scanning the area quickly. He paused after a second and swallowed nervously. "It's the lab. They were going back home."

Stella's eyes squeezed shut and she inhaled sharply, realising that they had to do something about this before the town found out about what was happening. "Shit."

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sorry for the long ass wait i didn't have any motivation to write lmao!!!

dedicated to AngelOfTheOpera1800 

tell me what you thought of the chapter!! i'm not sure how to feel about it but i really needed to update so LolOlOlOl

ALSO!! this book is sO close to 100k  (thank you so much holy shit) and i was wondering what you'd like to see?? i'm not really sure if i should do like a contest or anything cause idk how to do those, but if i can i might make an edit of stella and steve or something?? let me know!!

AND I WAS BORED EARLIER IN THE WEEK SO I DECIDED TO ASSIGN SONGS TO MY FAVES:

songs for all the cute pairs out there (pretty much just star and steve + leilani and richie):

https://youtu.be/2m4SPCf7yyA

STELLA AND STEVE : we belong together by randy newman

yeah it's from toy story who cares fight me if you don't think this isn't the cutest song for the couple of the year

https://youtu.be/WuX6VuPyfZc

LEILANI AND RICHIE : got my mind set on you by george harrison

i associate this song with literally aLL my oc couples but leilani and richie just fit it,, ya know?? also this songs my fave its a fucking bOP

AND I MADE THESE THEY'RE UGLY BUT THE QUOTE IS LITERALLY MY FAVOURITE QUOTE FOR THEM EVER IT'S SO PERFECT FUCK

 okay well bye lol