"I swear, if I'm dying tonight because of you, I'm gonna haunt your ass so hard, Harrington!"
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah! I'm gonna go full Poltergeist and shit!"
"Then bring it, Graveswood."
"Challenge accepted."
***
In which after years of suppressing their...
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Chapter Thirty-Eight: First Attack
(The Upside Down, Pt. 2)
***
Nancy got up from the couch to answer while Rowan and Jonathan watched, Rowan periodically eyeing the Christmas lights, just in case; Harrington's appearance doesn't mean they should forget they're luring in a very dangerous monster here. In fact, him being here only heightens it, since he has no idea of what is coming.
Please, Nance, make him leave. Make him leave before it's too late.
Because here's a little known fact: As much as Rowan hates Steve Harrington, as much as she wants to punch him or set his massive hair on fire, she doesn't want him dead. She doesn't want him to die, knowing as much of an asshole he is, he's just a teenager like her, and a teenager with a shitty home life and asshole parents if what she'd picked up on is anything to go by. She doesn't want him to die, and much less by the hungry, tooth-adorned petals of a Demogorgon's mouth and its vicious claws, after Barb's own demise at it's mercy and Rowan's slowness to prevent it.
No, she doesn't want Steve to die.
Which means he had to leave. Now.
While he still could.
The door opened a crack, revealing Harrington's bloodied and battered face. Rowan felt a twinge of guilt at that, but it's shoved down the moment she remembered why, and would easily do it again the next time Harrington dared badmouth her family. But underneath the blood and bruises, she can see what looked to be genuine remorse in his eyes.
He should be remorseful, after what he did to Nancy and what he said about my and Jonathan's families, she thought bitterly, but that remorse made her guilt grow stronger.
"Steve, listen to me," Nancy said, pulling Rowan out of her thoughts as Harrington stared at her, obviously surprised to see her there.
"Hey, Nancy, what—"
"You need to leave," Nancy interrupted, her tone holding no room for an argument while conveying the urgency of the situation.
She went to close the door, but Harrington kept it open, stammering, "What? No, I... I'm not trying to start anything, okay?"
"I don't care about that. You need to leave," Nancy insisted, going again to close the door, and again Harrington kept it open.
"No, no, no. Listen, I-I... I messed up, okay? I messed... messed up! Okay? Really. Please. I just want to make things right, with you and Byers and Graveswood. Okay? Please."
Rowan's eyes widened. He's apologising for what he did?
That shocked her, especially when it sounded so... sincere. When and how did Steve Harrington go to the people he mocked and sneered at and apologised for the shit he did to them? Wanted to make things right with them?
