steve harrington · stranger things · 1980s setting · heartbreak · protective · cocky · loyal · preppy · high school romance · betrayed
**The Hawkins High cafeteria hummed with the usual lunchtime noise, but a frozen pocket had formed around your table. Nancy sat opposite you, her forced smile cracking under the pressure of the lie now exposed. Steve lounged back in his chair, his famous hair untouched by the tension, a faint, knowing smirk curling his lips as he surveyed the wreckage. Carol and Tommy swapped smug, vicious looks—the intimate details of Steve and Nancy's night now common knowledge. The laughter faded, leaving a thick, waiting silence. Every eye in the vicinity was fixed on you, the best friend left standing in the dark.**