Eleven. Jen and Violet, part 1
Will Byers is officially declared missing the next morning. Jen hears Alex cry in her room during breakfast.
Jen sits alone, staring at cold bacon that she no longer wants to eat. She's nauseated. Hearing her sister cry doesn't make things better. Alex isn't one for the theatrics of emotions.
Jen pushes the plate away.
Jen sits in silence for a while trying not to gag as she listens to the cries from her sister fade. And Alex eventually comes out. And when she does, Jen sits up a little more. She clears her throat as her eyes meet Jen's, "I'm, uh, skipping out on school today. Jonathan called when you were in the shower. Will's.. Yeah. Anyway, we're going looking for him today, so, I probably won't be home."
Jen breathes. "That's fine with me."
Alex pauses over the cold bacon, her eyes are all red and cheeks blotchy. "Yeah?"
Jen hums, fingering at the frayed edge of her jean overalls pocket. "Uh, yeah. I have plans tonight."
"You do?"
"With a baby."
Alex suddenly glares at the younger girl of the two and Jen had almost felt bad for going against her oddsâThe Byers mean a lot to her older sister, apparently. "Steve's baby. He's busy tonight."
Alex scoffs, "you are fucking something else."
Jen's chest gets tight. "Don't act like you care, Alex. We stopped being sisters months before mom died. Move on. I shouldn't be taking care of you, I'm the younger sister, not older."
They don't talk after that. They don't ever really talk.
Jonathan picks up Alex. Jen decides to stay home from school today too. (Oddly enough.)
She stays home till Steve comes knocking on her door. She can hear little baby babbles with him. Jen panics for a moment, just a moment. "Jesus.. Shit, okay."
When Jen opens the door, her stomach quite literally plummets. Steve Harrington is really pretty, and he stills looks really pretty with a baby bag and kid attached to him. "Hi, okay, I, uh, wrote a note of her routine.. It isn't too great yet. We're still getting there. My hand writing is also shit, so I really tried to make it good for you.." He laughs gently, bouncing Violet, who is looking at Jen with glitter in her eyes. "My house number is there to, incase you need anything. And if I don't answer, just keep calling. But, yeah, that's about itâ Oh! Her bear, with one ear, I know it's hideous but she can't get rid of it. But, she can't sleep without it.. So, yeah, I'm not sure when I'll be backâ So, if you have any.."
"Steve?"
His frantic eyes finally meet hers and she laughs gently. How does she go to school with this guy? "It's okay. We're gonna be good." Jen leans forward a little, nodding towards Violet. Steve gets the hint and carefully passes her off. The second Violet's in Jen's arms she beams, her fingertips gently swaying Jen's hair. The girl beams at Steve as he gently places down Violet's bag. "Have fun tonight, okay? I'll call you if anything."
Steve smiles and he surprises them both when he squeezes Jen's elbow. "Thank you so much, Jen, really."
He kisses Violet's head and disappears with the night.
Jen expects Violet to cry and she doesn't, she really likes Jen's hair.
"Okay, Violet, so, I'm not really sure what I'm doing.. but I have cartoon tapes and cut up apples."
Violet does an uncoordinated clap and Jen snickers a soft laugh. "Cartoons it is.. and cut up apples."
Jen almost slices her fingers off a thousand times trying to cut the apples so small so Violet won't choke. And after the apple slices, Violet finds herself in front of Jen's old TVâ cartoons of a few soft kitten characters moving around. It's some cheap shit her mother got ages ago. (Knock offs too.)
Jen finds herself just watching Violet. She's a pretty content baby all considered. Though, Jen's moment of utter peace is slammed down at the knocking on her doorâ it's heavy. Jen panics for a second, will Violet cry? But the little girl just pauses her own attention and looks over at the door.
Jen scoops her up gently before opening up the door. "Y'know when your sister told me you were doing this, I thought no way, it's a joke."
Jen physically groans.
Eddie's eyes linger on Violet. "Why are you watching a baby? We could be out tonight, if you wanted."
Jen's eyes find his. "It's just a favor. He practically lives here now. It's not a big deal, she's sweet."
"Jen, you do know how stupid this is, right? How hypocritical?"
"It's hypocritical to you. I never said anything bad about him. I'm doing it for Violet anyways. She's a good baby, Eddie."
He grimaces gently. "That's Lowen Odette's kid."
Jen huffs. "No. It's Steve Harrington's baby."
There's always two types of people in the world.
Eddie sighs and pushes back his bangs. "I feel like you're doing this to get yourself somewhere? This isn't how life works for people like us, you know that, Jen. We don't get good things. This is going to fuck you over."
"Why do you care so much.. You're not my boyfriend."
Eddie scoffs out a laugh, "Jesus Christ, J. This is Steve Harrington.. and Nancy Wheeler! You know that! They're rich, popular people! Nancy is it for him, can't you see that?"
"I told you. I am not doing this for Steve."
Jen tries not to fall asleep after Eddie leaves in a laughing story of cursesâbecause this isn't her kid, but it's almost five am and Steve's not back yet. She doesn't blame him, reallyâ It's Nancy Wheeler, like Eddie said, she's really pretty.
Jen's got Violet swarm up on the couch like a little soft bumble bee with rosy cherry cheeks softer than silk. I don't know, Steve wrote on the note a pillow swarming bed? Jen wasn't exactly sure what that was, but she tried it and Violet really likes it so, guess it works.
She's playing her mother's stereo gently in hopes to keep herself awake. It's not really working. The girl yawns, face shoved in the fridge as she stares at milkâ it's definitely rotten.
The girl groans, gently closing the fridge. Though, Jen pauses at the screeching of rich tires on dirt and blaring lights behind her closed blinds. Her heart picks up a little, and then her eyes slam down to the oversized band shirt and no pants. "Jesus Christ.." The girl mumbles, but moves to the door regardless. Never wearing pants she is! She doesn't want Steve to knock so he won't wake up Violet.
The door opens as he reaches the first stone steps. Jen nearly struggles a breath. Steve's hair is the messiest she's ever seen. He's got a black long sleeve on and dark grey shortsâ in this November cold? Crazy.
To be fair, she's got no pants on. But she's also home.
"Fuck, Jen. I'm so sorry, I know it's so lateâ We'll, early.. But, shit, I'm so sorry.. I didn't mean to be gone for so long. I fell asleep andâ"
"It's okay, swear. You have a really sweet kid, Steve." She's too kind. It's five in the morning.
His quick ramble pauses and he gapes at the girl a littleâ She's not wearing pants. "She was good? All okay?"
Jen beams, as he rubs sleep from his eyes. "Perfect." Jen looks back past her shoulder at the sleeping baby. "She's totally knocked out in the pillow fort thing.. Do you wanna come inside and get her or..?" Steve smiles small, he then yawns behind his hand. "Yeah.. If that's alright."
Jen doesn't make eye contact with the dark spot on his neck and under his jaw by his ear.
(Eddie's right, she knows he is.)
"M'course. Lemme grab her bag." Steve moves into the girls home slowly, taking in her life in between these four walls. It's very Earthy in the trailer. Plants everywhere. Cheap twinkling lights. Funky rugs. Colorful pillows. Lots of dying out candles. Gentle music. This might be a 70's chicks dream. He claims he likes it, in his head.
Jen slowly packs up Violet's bag, more organized than Steve's ever had it.
He sighs gently with a small smile as he looks down at his sleeping baby. "Hey, Jen?" She hums, zipping up the black bag. "You did this better than I ever could. Thanks."
She smiles small. I did not do it for you. "Of course, you have a pretty neat baby, Steve." I did not do it for you.
For Violet. For her. For what Lowen should've been. For what Jen's own Mother should've been.