FREAK ; steve harrington

5.7

Rose pulled into school for the first time in what felt like a month. Truly she only missed about a week of school. She hadnt been back since the day in the field with Will. Rose puffed out a breath of air, taking out her keys.

She stood up out of the car grabbing her back pack from the backseat. She slammed the door shut fixing her hair.

She grimaced when the boy walked in front of her.

"Hey sweetness."

"Hey douchebag." Rose pushed pass him, his smell of cigarettes and way too strong of a cologne took over her senses. Billy jogged back to walk beside her. "Don't you have someone else to bother?" He smirked, his tongue poking at the cheek of his mouth.

"I'd much rather bother you baby." She almost gagged. She abruptly stopped spinning to stare him in the eyes.

"You ever hurt me or my friends again I will do so much more then swing a bat at your dick. Your sister was nice enough to not hit you, I thought you understood, that's what Max said. She said that your daddy makes you understand and be a big boy. So grow the fuck up. Leave me, Steve, your sister, and her friends alone or so help me God, I will make your life miserable. Got it sweetness?" She pointed a finger at his chest staring up at him. Billy clenched his jaw, his face red from anger or embarrassment. He stayed silent. "Good talk." She sarcastically smiled then turned walking away.

She got to the front doors, Steve was waiting there. His head resting against the wall.

"Wake up sleepy head." His eye cracked open to see her. He groanstanding ng back up straight.

"I think I'd take the demodogs over this." The pair began to walk.

"You got this Stevie." They rounded the corner and where quickly stopped by the principal. Mr Lincoln.

"You two, my office, now." Rose and Steve glanced at eachother before following the balding man. Mr Lincoln tugged open his office door, two others already sat there.

Nancy and Johnathan.

"Sit." Steve and Rose took their seats beside Nancy and Johnathan. Nancy looked as pale as a ghost to be pulled into the principals office. "Its come to my attention that you four have missed the last week. Now, normally I dont care, but when it's one of my top students and two seniors on their way to graduate I get a little suspicious. So what, did someone throw a party and you got a little too drunk?" He folded his hands in front of him looking at each of the kids.

"No?" Lincoln sighed. "Well, it's your job to make up for lost work. Your teachers are not obligated for it I hope you know. Mr Harrington and Mr Byers, you both have a bright future ahead of you. Both of you are going off to college I hope next fall. Don't throw that away for some teen girls."

Nancys and Roses mouth feel wide.

"Excuse me-" Rose didn't even get a chance.

"Mrs Dunne, in your case I'll make an exception. I heard of your gaurdians passing, you have my condolences." Rose viability deflated.

"Uh-thank you sir."

"You four may go, but you four also be present in all of your classes for the rest of the year." He waved them off. The four all getting up scrambling through the door.

"Throwing it away for some teenage girls. What an ass." Nancy scoffed, Rose smirked over at the girl.

"Wow Nance, have I become a bad influence on you?" Nancy glared over at the girl. Nancy pulled on Roses hand without a word, determined to not be late for their first hour.

---

"You were right, I'd defiantly take the Upside Down over this." Rose announced letting her back pack fall into thr grass. Steve smirked over at her sitting on the picnic table Rose has been coming to since freshman year.

"You'll be fine, at least you don't have to worry about colleges." Rose gave Steve a sad smile. She heard about his struggle to write an essay and to even just be accepted.

"Still nothing?" She sat beside him on the table, their feet on the bench where you would regularly sit.

"Nope but I'm not holding my breath. This summer I'll just work and maybe apply next fall." Steve shut his notebook placing his beside him. He leaned back on his hands. "Did you hear Hawkins is getting a mall this summer?"

"No, but its about time."

"I think I might try for a job there once it opens." Rose nodded with a smile.

"Good idea." Rose leaned her hands back, Steve almost immediately taking notice of how close their hands were. If he'd move a little to the right they'd be touching. Steve cleared his throat sitting back up.

"I think after school I'm going to try and talk to Nancy, not to start anything but I wanna be friends with her." Roses eyes feel onto the ground.

"Yeah, good idea." She whispered. She didn't know why hearing him say that reminded her that hes still in love with her. Rose cleared her throat glancing over st him. His eyes fell onto her as she started to scoot off the picnic table.

"I just remembered I had to finish an art project for 5th hour. See ya Harrington."

"Oh, alright. Bye Canary." Rose turned her back to him, swinging her backpack iver her shoulder.

That was a blatant lie, she had no art project.