And I Tell You, You Don't Need Me (Ronance)

1

Nancy pushes the door open to her two-story home, her eyes already crying out in protest as she tries to keep them from falling shut. Her day was spent listening to the people of Hawkins whine about the 'earthquake' that shook their world, while she, knowing the things she did, kept her mouth glued shut and her hand over her heart that jumped every time a person walked by the donation center with a clock in hand.

With fingers already digging into her temples as she attempts to calm the pounding in her head, she barely gets five feet into the house before loud hollers echo from the downstairs basement. Hearing Eddie's voice ring out first, followed by multiple howls of excitement, she can only assume the group is down there playing D&D.

When her feet hit the stairs, and she makes her way towards the commotion, she's surprised to see Robin and Steve among the group sitting at the table.

"All I'm saying is that we don't need Nancy anymore," Steve chimes in. "What is she contributing to our group?"

If Nancy's frown wasn't already pulling at her features, the silence that followed Steve's question surely would have made it appear. She keeps her feet firmly planted on the stairs, not moving a muscle, and spares a glance around the group, straining to see if anyone will back her up.

Robin perks up. "Well, she's good with a gun."

"But that doesn't matter anymore," Mike snaps back, "just like Steve said."

"You're her brother," Max says, rolling her eyes. "At least try to act like you care, dumbass."

"I have to love her because she's my sister, but even I know that we should drop her. She isn't useful anymore."

Nancy looks over at Robin, hoping the girl will be the voice of reason among the people she thought were her family, but the other girl just nods solemnly.

"I guess I agree," Robin sighs. "If we have to get rid of someone from the group, it should be her."

Dustin taps the table, and all eyes turn to him. "Hey, does anyone actually have any positives to say about Nancy besides her usefulness in a monster fight? Speak now or forever hold your peace."

Slowly turning on her heels, Nancy edges up the steps, trying not to fall as the wooden stairs become blurry underneath her from unshed tears. When she's finally in the comfort of her room, she gives the door a shove and drops onto her bed, refusing to let herself cry over people who apparently don't even care enough about her to express their disinterest to her face.

She looks over to her nightstand where a picture of her, Steve, Robin, and Eddie sits propped up against her lamp and reaches over to pick up the frame.

Nancy clutches the picture tightly in her hands as her tears drip down onto the glass. "So much for not crying."

Her fingers trace Steve's face before moving on to Eddie and Robin. They're all so different in some ways. Before the upside down, Nancy could imagine never crossing paths with Robin or Eddie. Sure, she'd see them at school, but they'd be another face to her. She would end up with Steve, graduate, and never think twice about the potential friendships she could have made. But this wasn't before the upside down. This was Barb dying, and demogorgons, and interdimensional bats, and Vecna. This was their real life now, and Nancy—for some strange reason—can't kick the thought that Robin, Steve, Eddie, and her are destined to know each other. Or, at least, that's what she used to think.

"You were supposed to be my family," Nancy snarls to the smiling faces before chucking the picture against the wall and letting the satisfying sound of the glass breaking pound in her head harder than the dull pain still behind her eyes.