When Friendship Becomes Forever

Chapter 29

Robin

A week later the four of us stood together inside of the crowded Indianapolis International Airport.

Nancy's flight to Boston, Massachusetts was due to leave in four hours and we were all a mess.

Tears fell down my face as I reached into my bag to give Nancy the gift I had bought for her weeks ago.

"For you," I choked.

She smiled through tears of her own and took the box I handed her.

It was a silver necklace with a little pentacle hanging off it.

"In case you end up going to Salem," I explained and she laughed, pulling me into a kiss.

"Thank you," she murmured.

I smiled sadly back, nodding in response.

Max was next, handing Nancy another small box.

"Its not much but I hope you like it anyway," she told her.

Nancy opened it and fresh tears brimmed in her eyes.

It was a stack of pictures of the four of us from last year to this summer.

A record of our friendship.

"Thank you," she whispered, dragging Max into a hug.

El was last and reached forward to hand Nancy her gift.

We all knew what it was; having spent the last week putting it together.

"It's from all of us really. So you remember Hawkins even when you aren't here,"

Nancy frowned and opened up the gift to reveal a poster.

Her eyes widened and she began to sob.

The poster was of everywhere in Hawkins; and everyone.

There was us; the four of us in the centre and around our picture was our town.

The schools, our roof spot, Nancy's print room, El and Max's new house, my house, Nancy's house- everything.

"Thank you. All of you," she whispered, her voice hoarse.

"We're gonna miss you," I told her, tears brimming in my eyes.

"I'm going to miss you all too,"

And I reached for her hand, kissing her one last time for who knew how long.

Her lips melted against mine and I felt our tears mix.

I loved her.

And when we pulled apart, El and Max joined in hugging Nancy as tight as possible.

Memories flooded us; a sad beauty in the nostalgia.

It was an end of something, but a start of something new.

An announcement over the loud speaker forced us apart and Nancy dusted herself off, sliding her gifts into one of her suitcases.

"I guess this is goodbye," she murmured.

We nodded sadly.

"I love you," I whispered.

"I love you too,"

Max sighed.

"We all do. It's not going to be the same without you here Nance," she said.

Nancy nodded, having heard this before, and wiped away tears.

"I'll come back. I'm not leaving forever. And once college is over, I'm coming right back here. Hawkins is where I belong," she told us.

I smiled.

"Goodbye,"

Nancy smiled too.

"Goodbye."

And she turned to leave; the whole world stretched out in front of her.

She would take it by storm, we all knew it.

Of course she would.

She was Nancy.

My girl.

Always.

(A/N: Awwwwww- I'm crying rn 😭 There's only one chapter left of this I cant believe it ahhhhhh. Stay safe and totally tubular and I'll see you in the next one xx)