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031. 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗲.
“𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐈! 𝐖𝐄 𝐃𝐎𝐍’𝐓 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓!” Dustin yelled from the end of the hall.
She drowned out the sound of his voice as she rose the wet cloth, focusing hard on the blood around his lips. It was cold in the Byers’ house now, a product of leaving the front door wide open for running between the car and the house as the kids prepared for the tunnels— her arms tingling with tiny goosebumps. It smelled of gasoline, partly from the blue Camaro that was still running in the driveway, and partly from the open tins of gasoline sitting by the door, ready to be brought out. The house was a mess, there was blood on the floor and the drawings of the tunnels were out of order from the fight, there were shards of plates in the kitchen and broken dishes on the linoleum. The tension in the air had dissipated, but the aggression still lingered in the air— the images of Steve getting beaten were still playing over in her mind as she wiped the blood from his lip.
While drawers were pulled and closets were raided for any sort of materials, Lori sat cross-legged on the couch beside Steve’s unconscious body— that they’d pulled up onto the cushions as common decency— trying to clean off the blood from around his mouth and his hands. Of course she’d only been a few minutes in when the kids were ready to go, because they were fast and on a strict time schedule. But nevertheless, she still sat with her hand latched to Steve’s limp palm as she wiped the blood from his forehead.
Her mind was racing uncontrollably now, but one thing stuck out to her among the cacophony of worries— and that was the panic she felt when Steve’s body fell over onto the ground, and his eyes shut. The only times she’d ever felt that kind of worried were when she’d been in the shed with Dustin, and when Steve had been attacked outside the bus, back in the junkyard. Her chest ached when she thought of these three occurrences, these three times where her body had practically gone numb with panic and pain. As she rose her hand and lightly patted an open gash beside Steve’s eyebrow, her mind switched to the realization that she’d never been worried about other people before. She’d never really been worried about herself, let alone another person.
And then she settled on the idea that, maybe, possibly, these people meant something to her. That maybe, just maybe, Steve and Dustin meant the world to her. And that was a damn near impossible thing for Lori Philbin to accomplish. And it terrified her more than ever.
“Lori!” Dustin urged, interrupting her thoughts.
“Will you buzz off, Hagar?” Lori snapped her head in his direction, seeing him standing there in the hallway, backpack and equipment all ready to go. “Just give me a damn minute!” she shouted, her voice angry.
“Dustin, I got the towels!” Mike called from down the hall, as a closet door shut. “Max and Lucas got the car ready! I think?”
“Put em’ in the trunk!” Dustin called back. Then he turned back to his cousin. “Lori, I’m serious, we have to go.”
Lori let out a groan and delicately patted the gash under Steve’s eye. “If you tell me to hurry up one more time, you won’t have a goddamn curl left on your head when this is over. Got it, shortstack?” she spat. “I said just give me a fucking minute. He’s full of blood.”
She let the wet cloth fall beside her on the couch, and she grabbed Steve’s shoulders with both hands. She leaned back and trailed her eyes over his appearance, as if evaluating him.
Mike came around the corner of the hall right then, ready to rush out the front door, but stopped when he saw Lori and Steve. He watched them for a moment, at how Lori was evaluating Steve’s state— as if she were trying to decide if he was alright to bring with.
“Wait,” Mike’s voice dropped. “Wait, wait, wait, hold on.” his voice neared as he walked into the living room, his steps quick. Dustin followed him. “You’re not seriously thinking of bringing him, are you?”
Lori shut her eyes tight, feeling her veins sizzle with annoyance. “Get the car ready.”
“He’s gonna lose his mind!” Mike then blew up, exaggerating with a strong point. “When he sees that Max is driving— when he sees what’s going on— he’s gonna blow—”
“He’ll be cool,” Dustin assured Mike. “I promise. Right, Lor?”
“He’ll be anything but cool,” Lori said honestly, still keeping her eyes on Steve’s sleeping face. She wasn’t going to lie.
“Then why are we gonna bring him!” Mike shouted. “That is such a bad ide—”
“You wanna leave him here? Okay, Mike, let’s leave him here with that son of a bitch.” Dustin stepped to the side and pointed to Billy, who was still there, unconscious on the floor.
Mike glanced to Billy, and then slowly turned back, “Oh-kay, wel—”
Dustin interrupted him. “Let’s leave Steve with that certifiable psychopath, Mike! He nearly killed him five minutes ago!” he defended. “What? You wanna stay here til’ they wake up, maybe watch a rematch? How abou—”
“We’re not leaving him in this house.” Lori cut in, speaking seriously. “I’m not leaving him when he’s like this and you’re gonna have to understand that.” she turned to Mike. “If we leave him here, when we come back they’ll both be dead.”
“You’re the one who insisted on coming with us!” Mike rebutted, “Why don’t you stay with him, then!?”
“Right, so you clearly don’t understand the enormity of the situation.” Lori said, and turned towards both of them. “You kids are on my last nerve.”
The tone in her voice was angry, like any second she was about to blow up on them.
“You shitheads aren’t leaving this house without someone looking after you, with your lack of common sense— and with Steve out cold, I’m in charge now!” she said, strongly. “And as much as I hate kids and this stupid responsibility— you’re under my watch and it’d be real fuckin’ wise if you’d listen because you are on thin ice right now!” she shouted. “Do you understand that?”
She stared at Mike, burning her eyes into his. She was serious, and they could tell. And when Lori was serious about something, there was no changing her mind— quite frankly, they were too scared to even try. They’d seen her punch Billy across the face, and how she’d pushed him to stumble away.
“Are you deaf, Wheeler? I said do you understand that!” She rose her voice.
He swallowed. He stared at her stern expression and absolutely terrifying aura in that moment, then rolled his eyes, and nodded subtly.
“Better not make me raise my voice again.” she said, quieter now that her voice was scratched. “My throat is killing me.” She let out a huff, looked back to Steve and squeezed his hand. “Now come help me lug this son of a bitch to the car.”
The tires of the blue Camaro screeched on the road as it veered around the corner of Glendale and Thompson street. The screeching of the wheels was loud and ear-wrenching, echoing on the road and streaking dark lines on the pavement as the car turned abruptly— the engine revving. It was driving at very illegal speed, and if it weren’t past midnight or if the chief of police wasn’t breaking into Hawkins’ Lab right then, they’d surely get a ticket— or definite arrestation. The headlights blared in the absolute darkness, enlightening the long and empty road in front of them just enough to see that it was an empty road except for sleeping houses, and to see the glare of the street posts and stop signs.
The engine roared through the trees as the wheel turned, sliding the car across the street. Everything inside the vehicle jostled from the abrupt impact, limbs colliding with one another and hands gripping on the car doors or overhead grab handles for safety. Nobody in the car had ever felt such reckless driving, but it didn’t matter because the clock was ticking. They sped past mailboxes, nearly hitting some of them from how fast they were going, and zoomed through neighborhoods upon neighborhoods, leaving them billowing with smoke from the exhaust.
Lori winced as her shoulder collided with the back of the passenger seat, feeling her butt ache from the hard floor. She was sitting on the ground right behind the front seats, her knees folded up. She had an ice pack held to her wrist and her knuckles.
She truly didn’t know why she’d agreed to this. Mike was sitting there, with a jug of gasoline in his lap, Dustin was holding an ice pack to unconscious-Steve’s head, the trunk was filled with all sorts of protection gadgets— and Max was driving. A thirteen year old child was driving. Lori knew she, herself, couldn’t drive because she’d drank enough alcohol to make her prohibited to, and really, Lori driving tipsy was still the same level of recklessness of a thirteen year old. It was either Lori drove while semi-under-the-influence, or the thirteen year old kid who’s experienced rounded down to a single parking lot. Either way, they were fucked. Lori just didn’t want to be in the blame.
While Lori had been trying to clean Steve off, the kids wasted no time in rummaging through old boxes Joyce kept in the back storage closet, looking for anything they could use. They’d found the box that held summer things, like goggles and snorkels, and didn’t waste a second more before chucking it in the trunk of the Camaro. Quicker than ever, they’d gathered enough materials— goggles, bandannas and kitchen towels for masks, knee-pads, flashlights and cover-ups— and hopped in the car with a small, shitty map of the tunnels. After she’d put Mike in his place, Lori and the kids lugged Steve’s body into the Camaro. The kids were too scared of what Lori would say if they expressed their doubts about bringing Steve, so the only chatter in the car was Lucas giving directions.
Lori didn’t know, once again, what she was getting herself into. She had a vague idea of what the tunnels looked like inside, but that was purely constructed from her imagination. As of now, she was still trying to decide if she was to assist the kids down there, or if she was to keep watch by the car with Steve— if he even woke up within the next few minutes.
As if on cue, Lori’s attention was grabbed when she felt Steve’s knee nudge her shoulder, as he shifted.
“Hey, hey, he’s awake,” Lori spoke out, “He’s awake— his eyes are opening,”
Her body overflowed with relief, and she couldn’t help but smile a little bit as she stared at his hooded eyes.
“Guys, he’s awake,” she repeated, looking to Dustin.
His breaths were heavy, and his eyes were puffy as he slowly looked around, trying to get a grip on what happened. Lori watched him carefully, and remembered when she had passed out at Dustin’s— how heavy her head felt and how confused she’d been at first wake. She remembered the way the world looked, a bunch of double images and echoing sentences.
The gasoline sloshed in the tin can Mike was holding. Steve slowly trailed his eyes from the can, up to Mike, his eyes narrowing confusedly.
“Nancy?” he said, his voice groggy.
So he really got hit in the head, Lori thought.
Mike’s eyebrows narrowed at him, confused.
Steve shut his eyes, and let out a groan as he rose his arm up— aiming to pinch his eyes. He groaned out of pain, wincing hard.
“No, don’t touch it,” Dustin carefully pushed Steve’s arm back down, speaking delicately.
Painfully, Steve turned his head towards Dustin, and something flashed on his face as he remembered. “Where’s Lori,” he asked with a constricted voice, “Where’s…” his eyes narrowed as he searched for words, “Where is Lori,” he said again, this time more urgently. As if he was worried.
Lori placed her hand on his knee, “I’m right here, Steve,” she said, calmly.
Delayed, he finally looked down to her sitting in front of him. When his puffy eyes locked onto her’s, a small, tight smile pulled on her lips. His hand rose, and he placed it on hers absentmindedly as he let out a short breath of relief. He tapped it.
“Jesus, you look like shit,” she said, with a grimace as she looked around at his face. She wasn’t joking.
Steve flickered his eyes to Dustin, narrowing them.
“Hey buddy,” Dustin said with a small smile, “Shh, shh…”
Steve’s eyes fluttered closed.
“It’s okay, you put up a good fight,” Dustin told him, “He kicked your ass but you put up a good fight, buddy. You’re okay, you’re okay,”
“He really kicked your ass,” Lori winced, biting on the inside of her cheek.
Dustin kicked her back with his foot, scolding her for not using a reassuring tone like he was. She glared at him with a grimace, and he made a face back.
Steve’s arms rose up and he blinked repeatedly, his hand coming off Lori’s. Slowly, he pushed the ice pack off his head as he looked into the front of the car.
“Okay…” Lucas said from the passenger seat, “You’re gonna keep straight for half a mile, then… make a left on Mount Sinai.” he told Max.
Steve looked to the driver’s seat. “What’s going on…?” he drowned out.
Max turned her head, looking at Steve worriedly for a moment.
Steve’s eyes went wide when he realized she was driving. “Oh, my god,” he said through a laugh of disbelief, “Oh, oh my god!”
“Here it goes.” Lori rubbed her forehead.
“Steve, just relax, she’s driven before,” Dustin said, calmly.
Mike sat forward, “Yeah, in a parking lot!”
Lucas turned his head. “That counts!”
“It doesn’t,” Lori added.
“Oh my god,” Steve gasped, and squirmed in the seat.
“They were gonna leave you behind, but Lori and I insisted,” Dustin told him, still calm, “And I promised you’d be cool, okay?”
“Oh my god,” he exclaimed, eyes growing wider. “Woah, woah, woah, woah, what’s goin’ on!” he shouted.
“Steve, relax!” Lori patted his knee. “We’ve got it under control!”
Max pressed hard on the pedal, driving even faster, sending them into a whoosh. Steve let out a loud scream and reached in every direction to keep steady.
“Oh my god, woah,” he shouted. “Stop the car, slow down!”
“I told you he’d freak out!” Mike yelled to Dustin.
“What the hell’d we talk about, Mike!” Lori shouted back.
“Stop the car!” Steve yelled. He screamed, eyes panicked.
“EVERYBODY SHUT UP!” Max screeched from the wheel. “I’m trying to focus!”
Lucas suddenly looked up, “Oh wait! That’s Mount Sinai!” he yelled. “Make a left!” he pointed at the window.
“What?” Max breathed.
“What,” Lori said too, her eyes going wide.
“Make a le— TURN LEFT!” Lucas squealed.
The car erupted in screams as the car collided with a mailbox— sending pieces of it flying everywhere. The car nearly veered off the road as Max gripped the wheel and turned on the corner, the wheels screeching on the pavement.
Lori dropped the ice pack and gripped the seats at her sides, shutting her eyes as a yell escaped her throat. Steve was squirming in every direction, yelling at the top of his lungs, hugging his knee in fear. Lucas let out a high-pitched squeal.
When the car was on a straight axis again, Steve placed his hand right on top of Lori’s head.
“Why is the kid driving!” he yelled, his facial expression frantic. “Why aren’t — aren’t you driving! Lori! Why aren’t you—” he shook her head.
“Get your hand off my head!” she pushed his arm away, but he put it right back absentmindedly as he looked into the driver’s seat, yelling some more. “Listen to me, Steve! Steve— listen to me!”
His eyes panicked, he stared at her, not able to sit straight in his seat. She pressed on his knee to grab his attention, that was pressed up against her chest.
“They were gonna leave you there, alright!” she shouted, over the raging engine. “It was either they go by themselves with no chaperone, and leave us together,” she stared right at him, “I go with them and leave you unconscious in a fuckin’ stranger’s house with Billy Hargrove,” she pointed at him, “Or we drag you along with us, alright? I wasn’t going to leave you there!”
“And besides, she couldn’t drive anyways because she was drinking! Remember?” Dustin shouted into his ear. “I knew that was a bad idea, Lor, didn’t I tell you tha—”
She glared at him, “Shut up, Hagar!”
“We’d still be safer with an intoxicated driver than with this hell-ride!” Mike yelled over to them, referring to Max’s driving.
“When there’s a will, there’s a way, alright!” Lori shouted back. “Now everybody shut up!”
Steve’s hand was still on the top of Lori’s head as his support, and he didn’t reply to her explanation because he was too busy screaming at the top of his lungs.
“We’re here!” Lucas announced, “We’re at the pumpkin patch!”
Lori’s heart jumped at the announcement, and she desperately tried to look out the windows to see, but she was on the floor of the car. The speed surged, at an ultimate high as they ran over the fallen pumpkin patch sign at the entrance— speeding onto the grass and running over all the decaying pumpkins. They reached the entrance to the tunnels within a mere second, and Max pressed on the brakes so hard that they all fell forward and slung right back.
Steve let out a strong yell. “Hello!” he screamed out loud.
With the car finally stopped, they could all catch their breath. All that could be heard was heavy breathing and sighs of relief.
“Incredible,” Mike breathed out, in awe.
“Whoa,” Dustin sighed. “Oh my god,”
“Holy shit,” Lori heaved. She swallowed, “Goddamn one-way ticket to hell,”
She reached up as she sighed and shut her eyes, placing a hand on Max’s shoulder to pat once approvingly. Lori leant her head on the back of the passenger seat, relieved that the drive ended better than she expected, that they were all in one piece.
“Told you,” Max said, as she pulled out the keys. “Zoomer.”
Lucas pushed open the door and stepped out, and immediately Dustin followed behind him— pushing the seat down to exit. He stepped over Lori, as Mike left by the other side.
Steve’s hand was still on Lori’s head, and he shook her once to grab her attention.
“We’re at the pumpkin patch, Steve,” She told him, with wide eyes. “The pumpkin patch,”
She knew he wasn’t in the mindset to understand the enormity of that, but she truly could not contain herself. She had to express her feelings about it somehow.
Lori pushed herself up to a crouch, and his hand fell from her as she stepped over the front seats and out of the car.
“How could you, let this,” Steve was dragging out, as he struggled to get up, “Let this happen,”
Lori rubbed off the back of her legs as she stood up straight, stretching her back out. Standing at the door, she glanced over as the kids suited up with their goggles and face guards, tossing items to each other.
“We’re supposed to be a team, Philbs,” he slurred, and groaned as he pushed himself out of the vehicle. He lost balance and grabbed onto the door to keep steady, holding himself up with his arms perched on top of them. “We’re supposed to be…” he paused to catch his breath, “A team,”
“Lor!” Dustin called, from the trunk.
She turned towards him as he tossed her a pair of goggles and a mask, and she caught them in her hands.
“Guys,” Steve caught up to what they were doing. “Oh no, guys, hey guys— Philbs,”
Mike grabbed the can of gasoline off the ground and walked past Lori and Steve, carrying their escape rope.
“Hey, where d’you think you’re goin’?” Steve grumbled to him. “Philbs, back me up,”
Mike didn’t answer. Neither did Lori.
“What are you, deaf? HELLO!?” he shouted to him.
Lori wrapped the face covering around her neck, tying it at the back.
“Lori, no, what are you doing?” he tried to keep up with the pace of things. “LORI!”
She stretched the goggles out. Max walked past them, all ready to go, carrying another can of gasoline.
“Hey— we are not goin’ down there right now! I made myself clear!” he yelled, stumbling on the car, trying to get Max’s attention. “Hey, there is no chance we are going down that hole, alright?”
“Steve.” Lori took a step towards him. “Listen to me.”
“What the hell are you doin’, Philbs,” he tried to hold himself up. His face twisted in despair.
“You can stay here, by the car, okay? Just stay here in the car,” she grabbed his shoulders, speaking sternly. “You’re fucked up right now. I can do this, I’ll help em’.”
“Oh, absolutely not!” he pulled her back, “Did you not hear me? We’re in this shit together, you and me— okay? Neither of us are going!” then he turned to everyone else, “NONE OF US ARE GOING IN THAT HOLE!”
“Clearly he doesn’t get it.” Lori turned to Dustin.
Steve followed her line of vision, and looked to Dustin. Seeing Dustin rummage through the trunk, fixing his goggles— Steve was over the edge. He quickly stumbled over to the trunk, Lori following.
“This ends, RIGHT NOW!” Steve yelled, and knocked whatever Dustin was holding out of his hands.
“Steve!” Dustin shouted, and turned him back around. “You’re upset, I get it. But the bottom line is, a party member requires assistance— and it is our duty to provide that assistance,”
Lori glanced back to the kids who were stepping down the hole. Her heart rate was starting to pick up.
“Look, this is a really, really bad idea, Hagar,” she winced. “We don’t even know what’s down there. And I know it’s too late to be saying this, but maybe Steve’s right—”
“It is too late to be saying this,” Dustin interrupted her, shutting that down instantly. “Were you not just on board?”
“I was never on board.” Lori shot back. “I just couldn’t let you guys go alone. And now that we’re here, now that I’m seeing all this… I just,” she paused, “This is a really bad idea.”
Dustin scoffed. “This is no time to back out, Lorraine. Now, I know you guys promised that you would keep us safe, so,” he backed up, reaching into the trunk and pulling out Steve’s backpack with the bat hanging out. “So, keep, us, safe.”
𝙅𝙐𝙇𝙄
lori protective girlfriend asf
lori being the boss asf
the car scene is one of my favorite scenes of the show i was so excited to write this!!!!
loristeve being in loveism <33333
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