The babysitters club|| Steve Harrington

10

"Yo, Dustin" Matteo blew a bubblegum bubble, "Target acquired"

"What? Where?" Both Dustin and Steve shifted closer to him, Steve practically leaning all his weight on him. Matteo's back burned from the touch.

"Ten o'clock" Matteo jutted his chin out in the direction, "Sam Goody's"

It wasn't much to go on, but it was something. A tall man with shoulder length blond hair and dark sunglasses dressed in all black with a duffel bag. That was as suspicious as it got.

"Gimme that" Steve wrestled the binoculars from him, staring at the man Matteo had singled out, he seemed to agree with Matteo's suspicions because he breathed out a soft, "Shit"

Dustin took his turn with the binoculars as well, "Duffel bag!"

"Evil Russian" Steve and Matteo said in unison.

Shit, so maybe this whole thing wasn't a joke.

They followed him up the escalator, not standing around, but racing past the lazy people. They followed the man past the multicolored shops and through the thick crowds.

Matteo could feel his heart beat quicken. What if this guy really was an evil Russian? What did the duffel bag have? Guns? Bombs? A nuclear missile? Okay maybe he was going a little crazy.

But he couldn't ignore the panic building inside him. Why were Steve and Dustin acting like this was completely normal? At least one of them should be freaking out right now. Then, Matteo would feel comfortable about freaking out too. But they kept quiet so Matteo did too.

Would he die here? If so, he was thankful for getting to meet his mom one last time. Had he told her he loved her? When was the last time he talked to his dad? This morning? No- last night? No. Shit.

"Slow down" Dustin whispered to Steve as they pushed past people.

Their suspect wasn't much farther. But he looked even more menacing up close. He was taller than both Matteo and Steve, with broad shoulders and muscled arms and an expression that warned them to stay away.

"We're losing him"

"You're getting too close" Dustin, thankfully, sounded panicked too. And Matteo realized for the hundredth time that day, that Dustin was just fourteen. If it came down to it, Matteo and Steve had to protect him at all costs.

"Watch it dickwad" Yelled a guy Steve had bumped into.

Unfortunately, their suspect seemed to have heard the commotion, because he paused, before starting to turn around.

Matteo, Steve and Dustin scattered, doing their best to not look suspicious.

Dustin picked up a phone, Steve walked into a plant and Matteo bumped into a girl.

"Hey" He said breathlessly, "Sorry, I just couldn't believe someone as beautiful as you could exist, I thought you were a figment of my imagination"

She giggled, "Charmer"

And Matteo tried not to throw up. Even Steve flashed him a look that said, what the fuck was that?

Matteo just shrugged and took two steps back from the girl, looking for their suspect again who had started walking.

Steve grabbed him by his arm and all three of them started following the guy again, trailing behind, but not too close.

Matteo's heart was beating so fast he thought it would fall from his chest. What the fuck had he gotten himself into?

They hid behind an advertisement board, watching the man continue to walk. Matteo was squished between Dustin and Steve, which he really didn't appreciate. The most annoying thing of all, wasn't the possibility of death, but rather the fact that Steve Harrington was taller than him.