006 – Steve, the Unexpected Sole School Kingpin
About forty-five minutes later, the badly-shaken bully Tommy was loaded into an ambulance; if his parents hadn't arrived in time to help the medics pry him loose, the boy would probably still be glued to Richard's reassuring back, refusing to let go.
Just then Chief Hopper and his colleagues reached Richard's front gate. Spotting Richard staring in dismay at the rear wheel of his new bike, Hopper recognized the kid who'd ridden in his cruiser only hours earlier. He stopped Officer Powell, who was heading over to take the statement, and took the notepad and pen himself—he'd do the interview personally.
"Hey, kid, can you tell me what happened?" Hopper asked, keeping his tone as gentle as he could.
"Chief Hopper—small world," Richard sighed, and slowly recounted the whole story.
"A monster? That's what Tommy said?" Hopper blinked. It was September, the season when wild animals foraged frantically to fatten up for winter, so he added, "You think he meant a bear?"
"No idea. It was pitch-black, and Tommy sounded so urgent and sincere that I believed him and rode straight home without looking," Richard replied.
Truth be told, he wasn't sure what Tommy had seen. Maybe he'd check it out in daylight; those flashing lights on Tommy's van left him uneasy.
And it wasn't even November—when the real story was supposed to begin.
"Thanks for your help, son. Get some rest," Hopper said, dismissing it as an ordinary wildlife incident—nothing worth investigating tonight; he'd send someone tomorrow.
As he passed Officer Powell, Hopper tossed the still-closed notebook back.
Powell opened it, rolled his eyes and called, "Sir, you didn't write a thing!"
In fact, Chief Hopper had no idea how to take a proper statement...
The next day Tommy didn't show. According to Ms. Mary he'd come down with something nasty and was hospitalized in Indianapolis; he wouldn't be back in town anytime soon.
When the news spread, the whole campus turned festive.
In Richard's head a celebration song started playing on loop; if he ever got the chance, he'd gladly share some good vibes...
Hearing that Tommy was in the hospital, Steve—now the accidental sole school kingpin—felt a weight lift.
He'd never really enjoyed hanging out with Tommy; it was just that Steve, aware he was mediocre aside from being rich, only felt a shallow sense of accomplishment when seen beside someone the rest of the school feared.
But Tommy was no saint, and sometimes even Steve was disgusted by his behavior. Yet he rarely intervened, because without Tommy's backing he'd revert to merely being a wealthy kid—easy pickings, or so he feared.
Put bluntly, they used each other: Steve had money but no clout; Tommy gave him the muscle to be feared, while Tommy himself was a broke thug who needed Steve's wallet to bankroll his fun.
Keeping up that act exhausted Steve; with Tommy gone he felt like he'd been handed a vacation.
During gym class a buoyant Steve played like a pro, sinking jump-shot after jump-shot, unbeatable and dazzling, while the watching girls swooned. Even Nancy, the girl he'd lately set his sights on, couldn't take her eyes off him.
Jonathan, photographing highlights in the gym, captured Nancy entranced by Steve's game and felt a stab of jealousy, his finger freezing above the shutter.
"Wooh!"
After the game Steve headed for the locker room, peeling off his sweat-soaked shirt. Having the girl he liked admire him felt fantastic, and he let out an involuntary whoop.
Just outside the locker room he spotted Richard disappearing into the restroom at the end of the hall, followed by several bruised, hulking guys who usually hung around Tommy.
Steve frowned; he had no strong feelings about Richard but didn't want trouble today, so he quietly followed.
Before he could push the door open, apologies drifted out—voices timid, almost terrified of Richard.
"Sorry, Richard, we... we were forced by Tommy yesterday."
"He said if we didn't help he'd come after us."
"Yeah, yeah, we're innocent!"
"..."
Steve was stunned. Had Tommy gone after Richard yesterday? And was Tommy's absence today Richard's doing?
Not just Steve—everyone inside was thinking the same.
Tommy had fled last; they had no idea what happened after, but assumed Richard must have beaten him so badly that he was now hospitalized.
And since the battered Tommy hadn't dared expose Richard's "actions," Richard must have terrified him into silence.
They couldn't imagine what methods Richard had used to make the fearless Tommy back down.
If Richard applied the same tactics to them, could they take it?
No way!!
Best apologize right now.
Hence the dramatic scene unfolding inside.
Richard was speechless—he couldn't even finish a trip to the bathroom without someone interrupting him. He rolled his eyes and waved them off. "Fine, I accept your apology. Tommy already got what he deserved. As long as you claim you're innocent, I won't hold it against you."
At those words the hulking guys couldn't hide their joy. They bowed gratefully, thanked him again, and happily filed out of the restroom.
At last Richard could relieve himself in peace. After washing his hands he stepped out—only to find Steve waiting by the door.
"Uh... hey," Steve stammered, stopping Richard, but the memory that this guy was tougher than Tommy made him hesitate.
"Something on your mind?"
"Nah." Steve decided to let it go.
Richard grinned. "You've got a nice shot on the court."
Steve scratched his head and gave an awkward chuckle. "Thanks. We should play sometime."
"Sure," Richard answered casually, leaving Steve standing there dumbstruck.
[Relationship established with core character Steve Harrington. Plot Points +10.]
Outside the gym, Robin—who'd been waiting—caught the "friendly" exchange. She shot him a strange look. "Chade, lately you've been acting weird."
"Have I?" Richard asked as they started back toward the building side by side.
"Mm-hmm." Robin's eyes narrowed. "It's like you're a new transfer dying to meet everyone—Steve, Jonathan, Nancy, Barbara, Carol, teachers... even the janitors. You jump at any chance to chat them up."
"So what?" Richard winked. "Of all those people, you were the first friend I made."
Robin was momentarily speechless, then muttered, lips curling, "Sounds like it should be my honor."
Richard straightened with exaggerated confidence. "Naturally. Someone like me is one in a million."
Robin: "...Bet you five bucks you're full of it."
That afternoon Richard told Robin he had something to take care of and couldn't join her at band practice, then slipped away early.
He pedaled to the stretch of Mirkwood where he'd met Tommy. Police tape now ringed the woods, a sign reading "Wild Animals—Keep Out," and the wrecked van had been towed. The tree Tommy hit still leaned, half-dead, down the slope.
He pulled a compass from his pack, praying the needle hadn't shifted. It had: the pull was strong, pointing to the "wrong" north.
The Upside Down's gateway emits a powerful magnetic field that warps anything metallic nearby; a compass swings toward the portal, making it both guide and warning that the other world is bleeding through.
"A tiny gate here? Guess my butterfly effect really did tweak the timeline," Richard muttered, swallowing hard.
He locked his bike under the slope, pocketed a flashlight, lighter, high-proof alcohol, and a collapsible baton, then followed the compass into the trees.
Elsewhere in Indiana, Chief Hopper and officers Powell and Callahan finished questioning Tommy at his bedside.
"So, upset about school, you borrowed your buddy's van, bought beer, went racing through the woods, drank, and lost track of time. When something attacked, you fled, crashed, and Richard happened by and saved you. That the whole story?" Powell read aloud.
Tommy nodded silently, eyes down, fingers twisting the sheet.
"Sir," Powell said. Hopper's gaze lingered on fresh bruises peeking from Tommy's hospital gown—clearly a recent beating.
"Those marks?" Hopper asked.
"My... my dad. You know, school trouble, parents called, he was mad," Tommy managed.
Hopper let the lie pass. "All right, we're done. Rest up, kid."
"Hope you feel better," the officers chorused, filing out.
In the corridor Hopper paused. "Hold up, I need the restroom." As he turned back, he spotted several men in dark suits entering Tommy's room.
Hopper's brow furrowed. "Who the hell are those guys?"