𝑆𝑈𝑁𝐾𝐼𝑆𝑆𝐸𝐷 - steve harrington

𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑢𝑔𝑒

[00] - a prolougeˑ ༄ ؘ

   AS THE SPRING DAYS PASSED BY EAGERLY, Steve Harrington began to study the movements of his mailman. The man who, in his eyes, held the weight and fate of his future. He watched as letter after letter crawled its way into his life, begging and pleading to be opened. Worry and fear bubbled in Steve's stomach as he noticed that each and every envelope he had received, were small, bland, and thin. When he finally did make the horrifying decision to rip open those perfectly pristine envelopes, stamped with countless universities, he was greeted repeatedly with the following phrases.

"We regret to inform you.."

"You have been a competitive applicant, however.."

"We are unable to offer you a place.. "

"We thank you for your expressed interest in our program. Unfortunately.."

"The applicant pool this year was especially strong .. "

Rejection hit Steve Harrington flat in the stomach. It stung, and it stung hard. He had been raised on the idea that he must always be a winner. And for most of his life, he succeeded in this goal. He was popular, athletic, desired, rich, he seemed to have it all. But as Steve finally began to grow up, he found that the armor he had created, this symbol of a "winner" didn't seem to fit him anymore. He struggled to stay inside of it, the label ill-fitting for who he had become. And as he left it behind, the armor and all its glory began to deteriorate. Steve's identity as a "winner" rotting away with it.

Of course, Richard Harrington was disappointed. He had been essentially been detached from Steve's life ever since he was old enough to do his own hair. Leaving his son to raise himself on microwave dinners in a large, lonely, empty house. But despite all this, Richard was embarrassed to see his son become the one thing he despised most: a loser. He could barely live with his disappointment of a son. So weak, fragile, and lonely, a disgrace to the Harrington name. Richard could hardly survive the shame that rippled through him when he heard about the successes of his friend's children. He felt ashamed when people asked about Steve. He had no scholarships to brag, no Ivy Leagues to flaunt. Steve was impossible to show off, present, and parade around.

At a certain point, Richard became fed up. Tired of hearing about the successful lives of other children. And with a blossoming business deal, Richard took matters into his own hands. His growing resentment for his son forced him into taking action. He figured that if his son couldn't make himself a winner, then Richard would make him a winner. Richard would fix him just enough to be presentable, enough to knock the sense into his helpless son.

꒰⚘ ꒱₊

AS STEVE LOOKED IN THE MIRROR, he saw himself staring back. A young, hopeful, doe-eyed Steve Harrington looking up at him. Hair slicked back, tie much too loose, polo shirt tucked messily into his khaki pants. Even though Steve knew he wasn't a kid anymore, he felt the same as he did many years ago when he was dragged to the Hawkins Country Club regularly. The thought of that large and intimidating building used to excite him. He would leap at the chance to go golfing with his dad, but now here he was after all the years dreading the day ahead of him.