"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 Eighty-Eight: Graduation Highs (And Lows)
(pre-Suzie, Do You Copy?, Pt. 7)
***
Rowan shifted her weight on the seat, the plastic remaining uncomfortable. Her face twisted up in discomfort, but she forced herself to look back at the stage.
To where in a minute, Steve would be up there, along with the other seniors of the graduating class of 1985.
Beside her was Nancy, not looking like the seat was uncomfortable at all, and Alistair and Aunt Aco, and Dustin and Mrs. Henderson. All showing support for Steve.
His parents, Rowan noticed with a scowl and a spark of anger, were nowhere to be seen.
A cough came from one of the parents around her and Rowan looked back to the stage, where the principal droned about the graduates' names and the graduates were handed their diplomas, people clapping to show their support and pride. And as they got closer to the Hs, Rowan couldn't help but feel bad for Eddie—her best friend had been right, he'd failed senior year again despite his best efforts to graduate and her best efforts to help him, and had to repeat next year. He'd smiled and said, "Guess we can be seniors together after all, Graveswood," but he couldn't hide the disappointment in himself from her, that Rowan could see Eddie blamed himself for not trying harder this year even though she didn't blame him, and that Wayne certainly didn't. That instead of failing for a second time, he should be graduating instead.
But Rowan didn't say anything, instead offered silent support and that she and him would study together and suffer together in finals and graduate together—that they would make '86 their year.
And yet, even though her best friend wouldn't be graduating, Rowan was still here, for Steve. Only for Steve.
Rowan glared at Tommy H, then Hargrove, as they got their diplomas first amid the others who went first alphabetically, looking for the moment Steve would come on up, and—
"Steve Harrington!"
Rowan's glare melted away and she smiled broadly as Steve got onto the stage, shaking the principal's hand and taking his diploma, a smile on his face that held some surprise like he still didn't believe he actually graduated. Around her, Alistair and Dustin yelled out their support while Nancy and Mrs. Henderson clapped and smiled, and Aunt Aco grinned and shouted, "Good on ya, rich boy!" and Rowan was on her feet, her hands going numb from clapping and her cheeks hurting from smiling, happiness for Steve making her feel delirious, making her feel like she'd just smoked a joint and was floating on a high.
And Steve must have seen her in the crowd, because Rowan saw him looking at her and smiling without any surprise.
The rest of the graduation proceeded after that—along with the valedictorian making a speech Rowan tuned out of—but Rowan could only focus on Steve, and the happiness she felt for him. So when it was marked over, Rowan shoved and pushed past people to get to Steve and tackled him with a hug when she reached him.
