Archive of Our Own ^beta

He likes Robin, no scratch that, he definitely loves her. Just not in this moment.

“Oh my god!!! Your parents have this art book too!” She screeches and he covers his ears.

“What?” It’s The end of September, she still won’t talk to any girl that comes into the video store, and he’s perpetually dateless. So they’ve started going through his moms never ending circulation of table top books, drinking a bit, and definitely judging. She opened a box he wished he burned while he still could.

“My mom bought this one forever ago, I don’t even know how old I was.” He’s staring at it, wishing they could go back ten minutes. He knows where they’re standing. He’s in that book, the box below it has to be his old modeling portfolio books.

“I don’t think I’ve ever even seen that one.” He laughs some, hoping she drops it.

“Oh my god it’s so hippy. Like so many flowers.” California poppies. That’s what they are, but he isn’t going to correct her and he can remember a couple other flowers.

“Weird.” He comments.

“Okay okay new drinking game!”

“What?” She standing upright, throwing her hand down for him.

“We’re going upstairs and every time an image looks trippy we take a drink.”

“You don’t have any other fun game ideas?”

“Come on, we’re bored. Bored, Steven. It’ll be fun.” She’s dragging him towards the steps and he wishes she would fall over so they wouldn’t open the book. She could knock herself out and they’d have to go to the emergency room.

“Fine.” He caves, knowing if he pushes back anymore it’ll look real weird. They trudge up the steps and Steve wants to push her maybe? Hit her on the head with the book? Stage a demogorgan attack? Fake pass out? Say they’re out of alcohol? Yeah that one, that’s probably less mentally scarring, right?

“I’m making margaritas!” Robin yelled before he could get up the steps, already holding tequila. Shit. He looked at the book on the coffee table.

“Make mine a strawberry!” Steve yelled, hoping he developed powers suddenly and could light it on fire. He grabs it quickly and starts pulling out bookmarks his mom left once upon a time ago; shit he is in here a lot.

“Here you, what are you doing?” Robin looked seriously.

“Flipping.”

“No you aren’t.”

“Yes I am.”

“No you aren’t.” She set a glass of what smelt like straight tequila in front of him.

“I was!”

“Why do you have paper?” Play dumb.

“No I don’t.”

“Steve you have four pieces of paper in your hand.” He looks down, shit he did, he dropped them.

“No I don’t.” She looks weird at him.

“Okay, ugh why are you being weird?” She asks, trying to think of a thing to say, nothing comes.

“No I’m not.” And that was the wrong answer. She has a face of determination.

“Why are there papers in the book?” They immediately begin fighting for the book, a struggle ensues. Steve has decided to save himself from embarrassment he might kill Robin with this table top book.

“There just are!” The struggle continues and he’s winning until she kicks his skins, hard.

“Steve.” She reads the piece of paper, unsure.

“Give it back Robin!” He’s going for it again from the ground. She has flipped it to one of the pages with his name and her eyes go wide. She has to dies now, great. He finally had a best friend who wasn’t like twelve years old and he has to kill her.

“No.” She looks up, terrified.

“What?” He’s sitting up and she’s sitting down.

“This isn’t fair!” She nearly shouts.

“What isn’t fair!” She’s furiously looking up and down, back and forth between him and the book.

“No, fuck.” She throws her head back.

“Gotta elaborate.” He finally sits up with her.

“You and your fucking dumbass hair and your dopey smile.”

“Thank you? How do I take that?”

“That’s you.” She shoves her finger right at him in the book. He’s sitting in overalls, giggling, a flower crown on, and the longer hair before his dad got it cut for more serious gigs. Flowers all around him, California poppies.

“Yeah?”

“Fuck you.” She says it again, eyeing him.

“Yeah figured that one out.”

“That was my sexual awaking you asshole.” He looks down and then at her, then down again.

“That’s me.”

“Well I know that NOW!” She shouts at the end.

“Why’d you think I was a girl?” She shoves her finger to the bottom on the page.

“Eve, age ten.” He pauses.

“My mom always have them put Eve. That’s where Evie came from.”

“Why?” She doesn’t seem to understand that’s normal to him.

“So they didn’t know my regular name.”

“You were my sexual awakening. I liked girls because I liked fucking Eve, age ten!” She shoves him.

“In my defense I’m multiple people’s awakenings.” He wiggles his eyebrows and she smacks his arm, he deserves it.

“Does anyone know about this!”

“Tommy and Carol knew I modeled when I was little because I’d be pulled from school.”

“You did this when people could find it!”

“No? Who the hell in the middle of no where Indiana would look at this book?”

“Me, apparently!”

“Well you’re weird!”

“Modeled…” she says then, thinking out loud.

“What?”

“Multiple times.” Oh.

“Maybe.”

“Okay, let me find the other girl I liked.” She’s flipping through and he drinks the entire glass in front of him, staring at her

“There were pretty much all girls.”

“Well apparently Eve was not.” She hisses through her teeth.

“Literally you have heard my mother call me Evie.”

“Yes and your father called your Steven but it sounded like Stephen, like with a ph, and it still pisses me off and like if your father doesn’t even know to spell your name maybe all nicknames your parents give you are bullshit.”

“That was… passionate?” He looks confused at her.

“It irritated me.”

“Tell me how you really feel.”

“Her! Her! Her name is, Jan?” He looks down.

“Oh! Jamie!”

“Do you all have stage names!”

“Yes?”

“It’s a girl this time right?”

“Yeah, she’s super chill. She was my date to homecoming one year.” Her jaw is open, it reminds him of a snake who unhinges its jaw.

“What? Photos! Photos!” She’s yelling.

“What?” He says alarmed back.

“I need the see the photos Steven!”

“Okay!”

“Now! Now! Come on hustle!” She’s clapping her hands as he’s rushing up the steps to grab his sophomore scrapbook. “Hustle Harrington, move it, move it, move it!”

“Dear God! It’s just Jamie.” He tosses the book at her. She looks up again.

“Do you scrapbook?”

“Is this attack Steve day?”

“You know what you’re right. Let me look.” She’s flipping through the pages and stopped, mouth dropped open.

“What?”

“She’s magnificent. She’s… holy shit Steve.”

“She’s cute.” He concurs, she is, she still models. They laughed all night that night, looking at photos of them.

“Do you have her number?” She looks hopeful.

“You can’t even say hi to Vickie without spitting on the counter.”

“So you do!” She’s up and jumping a little.

“Settle down there killer.”

“What’s she like? What does she like?” He laughs, pushing her some.

“She’s, fun you know?”

“No wonder Nancy was so scared to talk to you. Look at the bombshell you took to sophomore homecoming.” He scrunched his nose.

“Don’t call Jamie that.”

“Number?”

“Can I ask her first?”

“I guess, but go call now. Or I will tell the kids.” She’s dead serious.

“You’re serious?”

“As serious as a heart attack. Move Harrington, or else I’ll walkie Dustin right now.” They both dive for the walkie talkie sitting on the coffee table, she wins.

“You wouldn’t.”

“Try me Harrington.” They make tense eye contact. He squints his eyes at her, she pushes the button, “dusty bun? Are you there? Over.” He pales, physically pales.

“I’ll call.” She smiles.

“Yes Robin? Over.”

“Never mind Dusty. We couldn’t find where you put the ice cream. Over.” He’s walking towards the phone flipping her off the entire time.

The second time he sees the book he’s at Hopper’s cabin.

He steps out of the car confused, the kids are sitting in the flower field.

Jonathan has a camera around his neck and there’s a calm moment surrounding everyone, except Jonathan who looks like he wants to rip out his own hair.

“Okay Max and El, you two kind of throw your hair back. No Max, stop moving the flower crown.”

“What’s going on?” Steve asks as him and Robin step out of the car.

“Steve! Robin! We’re models!” El shouts happily and Robin is immediately taking notes, shit eating grin already formed.

“I see that!” Steve says.

“Look, we look fabulous!” All the kids are dressed a certain way, but most distinct? El has a flower crown and overalls on, worn and a California poppy flower crown made.

“Where did you guys find California poppies?” Steve asks. Eddie has an odd face, everyone turns to look at them.

“You know flowers?” Jonathan asks and Robin smiles.

“Yeah Steve how do you know flowers.”

“Fuck off Bobin. Some of us have hobbies.”

“Yeah, but you don’t.” Dustin says.

“What photo are you guys doing anyway?”

“He got this stupid book in California and he’s convinced he can make the photos again.” Will tells them, annoyance in his voice.

“And I can!” Jonathan shoots at them all.

“Sure you can big guy.” Nancy has a smile, Robin is looking at the book, shit eating grin.

“Can I see what page?” Robin asks and Nancy hands her the book. Steve is faced at himself and Jamie, holding hands laughing the flowers, flower crown on his head.

“They look pretty close.” Steve comments, Robin stares at it and then the scene in front of her.

“Why not two boys?”

“What?” Eddie asks.

“Jon! Jon!” Robin is running towards Jonathan holding the book. The two speak quietly and Robin looks back and is pointing.

“I wish I understood her brain.” Nancy mutters.

“Makes two of us.” Steve mutters. They both half ass jog back over to the group.

“Robin has a good point. Why not two boys?” Jonathan states.

“Excuse me?” Lucas states.

“Robin is right. The two kids are Eve and Jan, but what the hell do we know. Eve’s nose is sharper. Jan’s jaw is a bit bigger. We should shoot both ways. Mike go fix your hair. Max fix his hair. Will change with El.” The eyes look like a goldfish’s.

“Jonathan, that will not fit me.” Will is laughing some.

“Robin pointed out Eve’s overalls are cuffed. They were too big or too small. Go,” he snapped his fingers, “change.”

“You two will look great. Steve, you should fix Mike’s hair.” Robin smiled more.

“Robin’s right, Steve.” Jonathan looked at angles.

“Excuse me?” Steve now looked like the goldfish.

“Oh come on, don’t joke. How long does that mop take you?”

“How long does yours take you?” Jon shot back and fair.

“I always thought Eve was pretty.” Eddie tells Lucas and Mike. Okay, Steve, Steve can die now.

“You had that book?” Robin asks, grin evident as Steve tried working with Mike’s limp hair.

“Don’t laugh. My mom got it when I was little, used to love looking at the flowers.” Eddie admits.

“Are you sweating?” Mike asks Steve.

“It’s hot.”

“It’s June, at sundown, and like sixty.”

“Mike, shove it.”

“Eve looks like a boy.” Max comments.

“No she doesn’t.” Dustin said then.

“Look at his nose.”

“Her nose. Her. Eve.” Lucas said.

“Looks like Steve’s nose.” Max says, looking up and cocking her head, “it looks a lot like Steve’s nose actually.”

“No it doesn’t.”

“You didn’t even look.” Lucas comments.

“Yes, I did earlier and besides my nose is crooked.”

“Didn’t use to be.” Nancy comments.

“Okay, okay whatever. Mike your hair sucks, it’s too long.”

“It’s longer than Eve’s.” Robin comments, like the traitor she is, the little lying traitor who he knows called Jamie twice and was so fucking awkward with her.

“Not longer than Jame’s.” Steve shoots back.

“It’s Jan, Steve. Not Jame.” Dustin corrects.

“Yeah Stevie. It’s Jan.” Robin says. Max has this knowing look, Eddie is shooting back and forth, back and forth, back and forth from the book to him.

"Yeah well, can't read worth shit. Isn't it always what you guys are saying?"

“Jan’s hair is tucked.” Eddie says.

“No it’s not. It’s limp in that photo, the wind has it pushed.” Steve says.

“How would you know that?” Jonathan says, standing back up.

“It’s obvious.”

“No, it’s not.” Lucas says.

“What’s your mom call you again?” Max asks as Will and El come back to the group.

“Evie. His mom calls him Evie.” El informs them.

“Not helpful.” Steve mutters.

“How do you know that?” Mike asks.

“Why Evie?” Eddie asks as Steve turns his attention to rolling Will’s overalls.

“She always did.”

“Okay, we don’t have a ton of light, move it.” Jonathan is directing.

“Will looks wrong.” Steve mutters and Robin looks up.

“You gonna help Jon and share your secret?” She whispers, this isn’t teasing, she knows this is big if he admits something.

“You guys look wrong!” Steve jogs out to Jon.

“What?” Jonathan asks.

“Trust me. Boys! Boys!” Steve is jumping on one foot, taking one shoe off.

“What are you doing?” Jonathan sounds bewildered.

“Take the shot, trust me.”

“Okay?” Jonathan sounds so confused.

“You see this shoe? You see it? Will lick Mikes ear!” Steve throws his shoe up, both boys burst out laughing at the order and their eyes follow the shoe. Will does it, kicking Mike quickly and they begin laughing again. “Fall back, Jonathan go towards them!” Steve is directing again, taking his other shoe off.

“What are you doing?”

“You got your shot, get this one. Page 172, same kids, different angle.” Jonathan’s eyes are beyond confused.

“We are living in a material world and I am a material girl.” Steve screams, throwing the other shoe hearing the boys laugh again and eyes following the shoe. “There’s the money shot.” Steve smirks, Jonathan stares at him.

“Evie?” He questions, eyebrows raised.

“Sometimes you gotta be unconventional to get your shot. Boys go find my shoes!” Jonathan continues to snap pictures as Will and Mike push each other still laughing, all to similar to what he once was with Jamie. What he was last year with Jamie when she came to town and they recreated photos. He begins jogging over to the small group, seeing Joyce’s car pull up. Hopper and Joyce exiting.

“What are you kids doing?”

“Taking pictures mom!” Jonathan yells.

“Steve, did you bring your book?” Joyce asks.

“No Ms Byers.”

“God I hated that book.” Hopper rolls his eyes.

“Hop don’t mock him.”

“The first one was better.”

“The first one was better.” Joyce concurs.

“This is Jonathan’s book.” Nancy states.

“No it’s not. That’s Steve’s.” Joyce insists.

“His mom collects coffee table books.” Robin says. Hopper looks at the cover.

“Aren’t you in that one Harrington?”

“How the hell would you know that?” Steve asks.

“Your mom was scared of you being kidnapped, bit ironic now.” Every single set of eyes is on Steve now.

“What?” Dustin asks.

“His mom was worried he’d be kidnapped being published so often.” Hopper explains, confusion evident

“Published?” Lucas asks.

“Yeah… like in the books, magazines, even some tv.” Hopper looks at Steve. Regret is shown clearly on Hopper’s face.

“Mom I gotta get these developed. Steve got the perfect way to get the boys to laugh.” Jonathan is walking past his mom, towards the dark room Hopper built for him. Joyce and Hopper take this moment to rush into the house realizing what they have done.

“Shoes.” Will says throwing them at Steve.

“Why is everyone looking at Steve? What did you do?” Mike asks.

“Steve’s in the book apparently.” Nancy says, her eyes hard.

“What page?” Eddie asks.

“What?” Steve asks back.

“What page!” Max shouts, ripping the book from Dustin and Lucas.

“Well kiddos, you’re looking at the one and only Eve.” Robin smiles, Steve regrets not hitting her with the damn book initially.

“Robin totally can’t talk to anyone even Jamie.” Steve shoots, knowing no one else knows her secret, but it is a joke she can't talk with someone new worth a damn.

“Jamie?” Mike asks.

“Jan.” Robin fills in.

“Jamie… Jamie… didn’t you take a Jamie to homecoming?” Nancy asks.

“Yeah.” Steve mutters.

“Wasn’t she in town again recently?” Eddie asks then.

“Considering you say conformity kills you seem to know a lot about my homecoming date.” Steve shoots at him, kind of regretting it.

“Wait… wait. Me and El have figured something out.” Max announces.

“Joyce said books. Dad said more.” El smiles.

“Meaning: more than one.”

“Ah fuck.” Steve mutters.

“How many!” Eddie nearly falls over coming down the steps so fast. Hopper owed him beer, Hopper owed him so fucking much right now.

“Twelve books like that.” Robin says, smile on her face.

“I hope you fall down the steps.” Steve hisses at her as the kids erupt into chaos.