𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞 | 𝐬.𝐡

029. Sounds Very Cheerful

LATER AT LUNCH, MAVIS FOUND HERSELF IN THE ALLEY. Nancy and Jonathan were nowhere to be found and despite her memories being vague from the night before, she remembered enough to know she did not want to sit with Carol and Tommy. She sat, knees up, with her book resting on her legs.

A few minutes later her peace was disrupted when Steve entered the alley. He was quieter than he thought, Mavis hadn't realized he was there. He leaned against the wall, tapping on it to get her attention.

Of course, his fingertips didn't generate nearly enough noise. So he opted for a fake cough.

She quickly looked up, the surprise in her eyes softening when she realized it was just Steve. "Oh hey."

He sat down next to her, "so I think it's over with Nance."

"Wow, I'm sorry," she said.

"No, it's definitely for the best," he said putting his hand up.

Mavis bit her gum, she hoped he was right. She just wanted them to be happy after everything.

He suddenly looked at her looking upset, scrunching his face. "She couldn't even tell me she loved me," he said. She frowned looking at him. She scooted closer to him, allowing their arms and legs to rest against each other. She remembered him doing this for her once, she remembers it helping more than anything he could've said.

"She's been dealing with a lot recently. Plus it's not like her parents are the epitome of perfect love, she doesn't have much to go off of Steve. You're her first boyfriend," she said lowly. Being around the Wheeler family had taught her a few things growing up, and one of them was that marriage was a facade.

"No no. We're all dealing with a lot. Doesn't mean you get to go around and call your supposed boyfriend bullshit. Not like my parents are great either. And please don't give me the she was drunk spiel cause that's not an excuse either. You were drunk last night and you didn't sit there and call me bullshit, if anything you did the opposite," he said.

Her eyes danced around for a few moments. "You're right, sorry," she said softly.

The juxtaposition Nancy and Steve offered was interesting. Both had come from parents in loveless marriages, yet ended up on opposite sides of the spectrum. Nancy was too scared to love. Steve was not scared enough of love.

Desperate to change the subject he rested his head on her shoulder, directing his gaze to her book. "What are you reading?"

"Great Expectations."

"What's it about?"

"This one guy, he's poor, but then gets a bunch of money, and he just spends the book trying to reinvent himself as a rich man, only for him to lose it all at the end... really great stuff," she said shrugging.

"Sounds very cheerful," he mumbled.

She laughed, "I guess not."

He lifted his head back up, "So how did you manage to piss Billy Hargrove off?" After seeing the two in the gym earlier he couldn't withhold his curiosity.

"Oh you don't wanna know it's really embarrassing," she said laughing to herself.

"Tell me," he began repeating, now pushing on her shoulder trying to force it out of her.

"Okay fine... but it's your funeral. Basically, when I was at the party I guess at some point after I left you guys and went outside I...." she paused squinting her eyes and scrunching her nose in disgust, "I made out with him."

"What?" he said shocked. The thought of her and him made him jealous. But he was determined to act cool.

"It gets worse,"