"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 Seventy-Five: Fighting Billy
(The Gate, Pt. 2)
***
*trigger warning: ableist slur*
"Get back from the windows!" Rowan hissed the moment the loud rev of the engine turned off as Steve walked outside, shutting the door behind him. The kids obeyed, ducking down as Rowan crept up to the door, peering out through the frosted glass, spying on what she hoped was Steve getting Hargrove to leave.
He'd assured her he could, but Rowan didn't have that much faith. Still, she watched as she worried her lip between her teeth through the murky glass of the window pane.
"Am I dreaming, or is that you, Harrington?" she heard the slimy voice of Hargrove ask through the door. Her injuries tingled and her rage burned, knuckles aching to break his nose again.
"Yeah it's me, don't cream your pants," Steve responded back in a deadpan tone.
Footsteps shuffled behind her and Rowan turned to see Max there as she asked, "Is he leaving?"
Rowan turned to the younger girl and shook her head. "I don't know. But until he does, you and the other gremlins stay low and stay quiet, okay?"
Max nodded, and Rowan added, "Hey. I'm not gonna let him hurt you, or Lucas and Cami. I kicked his ass once, I can kick it again."
That earned the ghost of a smile from Max as she headed back to join the other kids, pressing close to Lucas and Cami. Once she did, Rowan turned back, spying through the glass.
She could see them still talking, maybe Steve threatening Hargrove to leave. Rowan didn't know, and the ambiguity of the silhouettes in front of her did nothing to ease the tension knotted inside her. Electricity fizzed nervously in her veins, crackling across her knuckles, as she kept her gaze trained on the interaction, on Hargrove looking right at her—wait, what?!
Rowan's spine stiffened, and everything in her froze when she saw he wasn't looking at her... but at the window where Lucas, Max, Dustin, Mike and Cami were obviously looking out from.
"Shit!" she hissed as she whirled to the kids and exclaimed, "Get down! Are you gremlins insane?! Get the fuck down!"
They did so without complaint, except for a muttered, "Shit! Did he see us?" from Dustin that had Rowan look incredulously at Dustin and snap, "Yeah, he fucking saw you!" before a thump had her whirl back to the door. Rowan's eyes widened and her heart lurched at seeing Steve on the ground, Hargrove looming over him before he marched up to the door.
SHIT!
Immediately Rowan slammed all her body weight against it just as Hargrove slammed on it, obviously to try and bang it open. Gritting her teeth, Rowan planted her feet and focused all her telekinesis on keeping it shut, hearing Hargrove grunt in surprise before redoubling his efforts.
