'Okay kid, now go.' Frankie adjusted the bed sheet on El's head and turned the girl around. Frankie hid behind a corner, camera ready, watching in amusement as her dad turned away from the Eggos he was cooking to find El behind him with a bedsheet covering her from head to toe, with holes for eyes.

'Oh, Jesus!' Frankie took the picture at the perfect moment, capturing the pure terror in her father's eyes. She busted out laughing as he glared at her.

'Ghost.' Frankie bit her lip to stop herself from smiling too big as Hopper looked down at the food.

'Yeah, I see that.' He turned off the stove as Frankie leaned on the fridge.

'Halloween.' Hopper placed two waffled on each of their plates, adding bacon.

'Sure is' he said in a singsong voice. 'But now it's breakfast, okay. Let's eat.' he finished and handed Frankie a mug of coffee. The girl opened the fridge and poured a little bit of milk, admiring how the drink lightened and stopped steaming as much.

'They wouldn't see me.' Frankie bit her lip. She knew Hopper would shut down the idea as soon as it was out.

'Who wouldn't see you?' he asked. Frankie sipped the warm liquid and sat down at the table.

'The bad men.' Hopper placed the plates in front of their respective chairs.

'What are you talking about?' he asked not looking at Eleven.

'Trick or Treat.' Finally he looked at her bed sheet covered face, only her eyes visible.

'You want to go treat-or-treating?' Eleven nodded and Frankie stood up straighter in her chair.

'I can go with her, dad. We'd be safe. I promise.' Hopper glared at his oldest daughter and shook his head.

'You guys know the rules.' He sat up and held El by the upper arms, walking her to her chair.

'Yes.' the girls said at the same time.

'Yes, so you know the answer.'

'But, dad-'

'No, but they wouldn't see me.'

'Hey, I don't care.'

'But they wouldn't see me.'

'But they wouldn't see her!'

'I don't care, alright?' Hopper turned Frankie's chair to face him and bent down to be at her and Eleven's levels.

'You go out there, mask or not, it's a risk.' He brought his eyes to Frankie 'we don't take risks, alright? They're stupid, and...'

'We're not stupid!' said the girls together, Frankie's tone more bored then determined, like El's. Hopper looked between his daughters.

'Exactly.' His eyes focused on El. 'Now you take that off, sit down, and eat. Your food's getting cold.' he said and then turned to Frankie. 'And you. Stop turning her into a mini version of you.' Frankie smiled innocently. 'It was her idea. I just supplied her with the bed sheet.'

Eleven turned towards Frankie and the teen helped her out of the 'costume', smiling comfortingly as Eleven's face became visible.

'Sorry, kid. I tried.' El slumped down in her seat as Hopper poured maple syrup on their waffles.

Hopper, noticing the look on El's face, sighed.

'All right, look' he started and put the syrup down,' how about I get off early tonight, and I buy us a bunch of candy, and we can sit around, get fat, and watch a scary movie together? How's that for a compromise?' El's face twisted on confusion at the unfamiliar word.

''Compromise''? Frankie finished chewing and looked at the young girl.

'Yeah, C-O-M-promise. Compromise. How about that's your word for today? Yeah?' El looked at Frankie as she explained.

'It's something that's kinda in-between. Like halfway happy' continued Hopper.

'By 5-1-5?' asked El.

'5:15. Yeah. Sure.' said Hopper.

'Promise?'

'Yes.'

Frankie cleared her throat.

'Dad, I told you I'm going to a party tonight. With Nancy and Steve. And then I'm sleeping at Nancy's.'

'Stefano? You didn't tell me Stefano was coming.' Frankie closed her eyes and sighed.

'Will you ever get his name right?' Hopper shook his head. 'Well, Steve is coming too because him and Nancy are together and his parents are out of town and we don't want him to be alone.'

'No drinking, no drugs, no staying out too late. And no funny business with Stevarino.' Frankie rolled her eyes and stood up.

'Steve's dating Nancy and relationships aren't my top priority right now. Gotta go.' She finished her coffee and pecked her father on the cheek and Eleven's head. She wrapped a scarf around her neck and put on her leather jacket, grabbing her keys and bag containing her Halloween costume. She bid her family goodbye and 5 minutes later, she was in her jeep, driving to school.

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'Come on, at least give me a clue!' Frankie threw her head back, groaning.

'Fine... it's a movie that came out a few years ago.' Steve pulled a face.

'Frankieee' he whined. The brunette rolled her eyes.

'1977' Steve's hair bounced as he snapped his fingers, ideas flooding in his brain.

'Something from Star Wars! You're obsessed with that movie! We were in that thrift store and you found a poster and your face lit up like a lightbulb!' Frankie pretend to lock her lips and throw away the key. Steve groaned and dropped his head on the table. People shushed them, as they were being too loud for the library.

Frankie continued to copy down the chemistry notes, as Steve stood up and approached Nancy, who was sharpening her pencil in a daze. Frankie watched them leave together, Nancy looking shaken up.

She propped her head on her fist and kept writing, stopping when a body sat in the seat across from hers.

'Hi.' She looked up and saw Billy.

'Hi. Uh, that seat's actually taken.' she said but Billy ignored her and kept twirling a yellow pencil between his fingers while obnoxiously chewing a piece of gum.

'So, you're going to the party tonight?' Frankie gave him her attention, a bored look on her face.

'I am.' Billy smirked as he leaned over the table, his minty breath hitting Frankie's face.

'You got a date?' The girl scoffed and started writing something on a small piece of paper.

'I don't want a date, and I don't need a date. I'm going with my friends.' Billy nodded

'Ahh, the king and the princess. Don't you get tired of third wheeling?' Frankie sat up and grabbed her books.

'Nope. Bye, Billy.' She strutted away, ponytail swinging behind her. Billy watched her go, until a body blocked his view.

'That seat is taken.' Anger was clear in Steve's voice. Billy rose his hands in mock surrender.

'Sorry, man. Just trying to score a hot date for the party. Know anyone available?' Steve shook his head.

'All right. See you tonight.' Steve watched Billy go, rolling his eyes as he started flirting with a girl.

Nancy grabbed the small piece of paper and read it out loud for Steve to hear.

'left because mullet boy is bleh. luv you guys, i'm outside. xoxo, your fav person in the world.' The couple laughed at the girl and Nancy handed Steve the paper, the boy smiling softly at the hearts surrounding the message. He pocketed the paper and grabbed his bag and books, following Nancy outside.

'Favorite person in the world?' Frankie smiled innocently and wrapped an arm around Nancy's shoulders, dragging her away.

'Stop kidnapping my girlfriend!' Steve watched in amusement as Frankie turned around and smirked, throwing a wink his way. 


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'Steve's gonna do his happy dance. Just wait.' Frankie laughed and adjusted the bun on the left side of her head, blowing a baby hair out of her eyes.

'Ta-da!' Nancy clapped and motioned Frankie to twirl.

'Princess Leia has never looked hotter.' Frankie pulled out her camera and pointed it at Nancy, the girl striking a pose.

'Neither has Lana.' Frankie snapped the shot, and the girls laughed at Nancy's pose.

'Okay, your turn.' Nancy grabbed the device from Frankie and pointed it her way. Frankie's face remained neutral, her left hand at about her chest level, middle finger up, a blaster pistol in her right hand, pointed at the camera. The girls smiled at the photo after it developed, before Karen's voice came from downstairs.

'Girls! Steve's here!' Frankie reached in her backpack and touched the walkie talkie button, sending El and her father a message.

S-A-F-E

The girls ran downstairs, saving Steve from an awkward photoshoot with Karen. His jaw dropped as the girls came in his view.

'Ha! I knew it!' He pointed at Frankie and the girl twirled, then curtsied. Karen awed at her daughter and Steve's matching outfits, and demanded photos.

The three posed only about 100 times, before Karen let them go.

'Oh, you guys look incredible! Joel, Lana and Princess Leia. So cute.' Karen snapped 10 more shots before the three teenagers finally left.

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The music could be heard from down the street. How the hell Tina's neighbours didn't call the cops yet, Frankie didn't know. It dawned to her what was happening about 5 minutes into the drive, and almost begged Steve to drive her back to Nancy's so she could go home and be with her dad and El. But she didn't want to be a pussy.

So she settled on pulling the small Jack Daniels bottle from her bra and drinking it, her only mission for that night being to find more.

The trio got out of the car, and looked at everybody's costumes.

'Ah, Halloween. The one night a year when a girl can dress like a total slut, and no other girls can say anything about it.' Nancy snorted at Frankie's words and looked up at Steve. He placed his sunglasses on his nose, and grabbed his girlfriend by the waist. Frankie trailed behind the couple, but stopped when they got in front of the door.

'Nope. I can't. I'm leaving.' She spun around but Steve gently grabbed her arm.

'Hey, stop. Listen to me. If after one hour, you still want to leave, you tell us, and we go. We go to Nancy's, or my place, or yours, and we watch scary movies. Okay?' His head bent down lightly to be able to look at Frankie's eyes. The girl nodded and Steve wrapped an arm around her shoulders, his other grabbing Nancy's hand.

As soon as they walked in, the smell of sweat, alcohol and cigarettes became almost unbearable. Steve felt Frankie tense up under his arm, and he gently squeezed her shoulder.

'You got this. Just, be a stupid teenager.' he leaned down and said in her ear. His breath sent shivers down her spine. The trio lingered by the door, until a name was chanted first from outside, then inside the house.

'Billy! Billy! Billy!'

The boy in question approached them, Tommy and Josh behind him.

'We got ourselves a new keg king, Harrington.' Frankie rolled her eyes at the amount of testosterone she was around.

'Yeah, eat it, Harrington.' Steve took his sunglasses off, glaring at Billy. Nancy scoffed and walked away, leaving Frankie to deal with it.

'Steve, hey.' the boy broke the staring contest to look down at Frankie. 'It's not worth starting a fight. Just, go after Nancy.' she said and pushed him away, then looking at Billy, eyes traveling down to his exposed chest and stomach.

'What are you supposed to be? Michael Jackson, but make him a stripper?' Tommy and Josh laughed at Frankie's perception of the costume. Billy glared at them, then turning back to her.

'Actually, I'm every girl's dream.' Frankie couldn't control the snort she let out, or the ones that followed as she laughed. She looked up to see Billy with a glare on his face.

'Oh, shit. You're serious.' said Frankie after she calmed down. 'Well,' she cleared her throat, beginning to walk backwards. 'I'm gonna leave you boys to it.' she turned around fully and laughed again, apologizing when she almost hit someone with her blaster pistol.

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20 minutes and 4 drinks later, Steve twirled Frankie and then brought her in his chest, as Nancy jumped around next to them to the beat of 'Girls On Film'. Frankie laughed at Steve's dance moves, until her eyes met Jonathan's. 'I'll be right back.' she said to Steve and the boy nodded, continuing to move ridiculously to the music.

Frankie stumbled slightly through the crowd, finally reaching Jonathan and a girl wearing a KISS costume.

'Hey, what are you doing here?' asked Frankie as her and Jonathan hugged. 'Thought I'd check the party out. I see you're having fun.' Frankie shrugged, a bunch of gasps from behind cutting her off. She stood on her tippy toes, trying to find the source of the drama, but failed.

'If you call having to watch Steve do the worst dance moves mankind has ever seen 'fun', then yeah, I'm having a blast.' she said and pointed the blaster at him.

'Get it? Blast?' Jonathan and the girl shared looks. 'No? Okay.' Frankie cleared her throat, the awkwardness she caused killing her.

'Well, it's been lovely, I'll leave you two to-' she was cut off by a hand wrapping around arm and her body being dragged outside.

'Whoa, buddy, hold your horses. I-Steve?' finally, Frankie got a good look at her kidnapper. 'What-

The boy sniffled and opened the car door for her. Frankie looked behind her in confusion, not seeing Nancy.

'She's not coming. Get in.' Frankie listened and climbed in the car, confused by Steve's behaviour. As soon as he got in, he started the car and drove until he got off Tina's street. He pulled over and dropped his head on the wheel, confusing Frankie even more.

'Steve, hey, talk to me. What's wrong?' Steve sniffled and looked up, Frankie's eyes widening at the sight of his tear stained cheeks.

Immediately, she pulled him in a hug, letting him cry on her shoulder. She ran her fingers through his hair, trying to think of what could have him so upset.

Steve sniffled, voice cracking as he spoke. 'Do you think I'm bullshit?' Frankie's brows pulled together.

'What? Jesus, Steve, of course not. Why would you ask me that?' Steve pulled away from the hug, leaning back in his seat.

'Nancy...she said some stuff.' he said and Frankie sighed. 'Steve, Nancy's so drunk she probably doesn't know what her own name is.' The boy chuckled humorlessly.

'She told me that our entire relationship is bullshit, that I'm bullshit, and when I asked her if she loves me, all she said was bullshit.' Frankie looked down, feeling bad for the boy.

'Steve, look at me.' when he refused, she grabbed him by the shoulders. 'Look at me.' and he did. 'You are not bullshit. Yeah, maybe you were an asshole last year, and from the stories I've heard, I just know I would've punched you at least twice a day.'

Steve chuckled, knowing she was right. 'You, Steve Harrington, are my best friend. You're one of the most important people in my life, and to be honest I don't know if I could survive high school without your little jokes, awful jumpscares after 3rd period, or your tutoring when I don't understand something you already studied.'

The boy snorted. 'So I'm just your personal comedian and tutor?' Frankie sighed and slapped his chest. 'You suck.' Steve chuckled, patting her knee. 'Let's get you home.' Frankie tensed up.

'Actually, can you drop me off at the Wheelers? I left Roscoe there.' Steve began driving, his attention on the road. 'If you think I'm letting you drunk drive, you're delusional. Just, spend the night at my place, and I'll drive you there in the morning. My parents aren't home, again, so we can crash in the living room.'

Frankie nodded. 'I like that plan.' The two shared smiles, both unaware of the flips their stomachs did.

A/N

i don't have anything else to say other than steve harrington deserves the world.

till the next one

peace <3