When Friendship Becomes Forever

Chapter 24

Nancy

(idk why i put this photo lol)

TW: Mentions of forced kissing

The roof.

None of us had mentioned it, none of us had planned it.

But that was where all four of us were headed that evening.

Maybe it was fate, maybe it was intuition or maybe it was just coincidence but that was where we all were.

I had walked the steps up there in the hope of having space to breathe after spending all day in the print room at work.

I had figured that afterwards I would go round to Robin's to surprise her.

But there was no element of surprise anymore because when I stepped out into the hazy air, Robin was already there.

They all were.

A ripple of silence passed through the four of us; taking in how each of us looked and had changed over the last week and a half.

Robin looked like she did last night, tired but still content, her eyes bright and cheerful.

Max's eyes were underlined with dark shadows but she was smiling anyway; her hair slightly damp as if she had been swimming.

El was smiling and I noticed her hand was curled around Max's.

Everyone looked...happy.

"Hi," I murmured.

The four of us just stared at each other before bursting into uncontrollable laughter.

"What are we doing?" Robin asked through a fit of giggles.

"I don't know!" I exclaimed and we laughed harder.

This was how it was meant to be; just the four of us, here, laughing.

Friends.

Eventually the laughter died down and we all collapsed into a heap, stretched out over the cement roof.

"So," I started, slightly breathless.

"I need to apologise," Robin interrupted and we all sighed.

"No," Max spoke. "I do,"

"So do I," El murmured.

"Yeah. Me too," I added.

"Should we just do like a countdown or something?" Robin joked and we all grinned.

"Three," I spoke.

"Two," El replied.

"One," Max said.

"I'm sorry."

And we were.

Every single one of us was.

We had all messed up, but I think we realised then that I wasn't just our fault.

It wasn't just my single, individual fault.

We all messed up.

We were all sorry.

And, we were all forgiven.

"So what's been happening since we were all friends last?" Max asked casually.

Robin and I laughed ironically but El sighed.

"What's wrong?" I asked her.

There was a moment of silence before she spoke again.

"Mike. He...he kissed me," she muttered.

Max sighed.

"Yeah. I know. I saw. But its not your fault. Lucas kissed me too,"

El shook her head, and slowly the three of us sat up.

"What is it?" Max asked.

"I...I didn't want it,"

I didn't speak for a moment as I let the thought run through my head properly.

"What." I spoke, my voice hard and low, more of a statement than a question.

El sighed and gripped onto Max's hand.

Robin and I exchanged a glance before looking back at El.

"Did he hurt you?" Robin asked and El shook her head.

"No. I don't think so. But it just...scared me, I guess," she said quietly.

I sighed.

Mike was my brother but El was my best friend.

"I'm so sorry," I murmured and she smiled, reaching for my hand as well.

"Its not your fault," she said and I nodded.

"I know. Its just...I'm really sorry I wasn't there to help you,"

"We all are," Max spoke.

"Of course we are," Robin added.

El smiled again.

"Thank you,"

Another beat of silence passed through us before Max spoke.

"While...all of this was happening I think I just kind of shut off from everyone and everything and I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to, I was just so angry at myself for everything I'd done. But...I think I've figured things out now," she said quietly and we all smiled.

"Does that mean you'll move into the new house?" El asked quietly and Max laughed softly.

"Yes. Definitely,"

I grinned up at the stars that had begun to dot the darkening sky.

"Where were you anyway?" I asked Max and she blushed looking away.

"At Hopper's cabin. In a sleeping bag,"

We all looked at each other and laughed.

"What a mess we are," I murmured.

"Yeah. But we figured it out," Robin replied, her voice quiet also.

"We always do," El added.

Yeah, I thought.

We do.

(A/N: Awwwwww- Theyre besties again!!!!!!! Yay lol- Stay safe, sane lol and totally tubular and I'll see you in the next one xx)