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JUNE OF 1985 SWEPT OVER HAWKINS, bringing heat waves and the conclusion of Amara's junior year of high school. It had been a turbulent year for her, one of self-discovery that had begun with her only having one solid friend and two companions she was merely bonded with as a result of their shared experiences and ended with her surrounded by a substantial number of friends and an increased level of confidence in herself. Her final exams had gone without a hitch, even if her English test had required her to exercise a segment of her brain that wasn't as strong as other areas, and the school had celebrated the end of the year with a surprisingly well-put-together prom in the gym, complete with streamers and glittery lights positioned to give off the impression they were inside a marquee.
Robin had defied expectations by attiring herself in a suit and tie ("The dress code was either a dress or a suit and tie, they didn't say which gender had to wear which," she had pointed out) and Amara had sported a light blue chiffon dress with off-the-shoulder straps that extended long enough for her to wear her converse as opposed to heels, her hair twisted into an elegant chignon. They had spent the night drinking crappy punch and dancing together in the center of the gym to Footloose, not caring what people would think of them for dancing with someone of the same gender. And as he observed Amara with amusement in his eyes and no date at his side, Steve was forced to come to the conclusion that he was falling for her.
He hadn't even been disgruntled when Billy Hargrove, long gone with the girl who had been lucky enough to be his date, had been named prom king. Not when Amara dragged him onto the dance floor upon noticing that he had nobody to dance with.
It terrified him, and not because he didn't want to have feelings for her. Similar to how Amara believed that nobody would want to be with her if they found out about her autism, Steve was under the guise that Amara didn't deserve to be tarnished by him. A girl who fought tooth and nail against the flaws she didn't choose to have, cast aside by a world that refused to see her beyond her diagnosis, and still remained fundamentally good, in his view deserved far better than a douche with a history of crude remarks and no future ahead of him. So he repressed those newfound feelings the best he could and hoped Amara wouldn't notice anything. After all, she had informed him on numerous occasions that she had a short attention span.
Steve graduated from high school in early June, and to his surprise, the Party showed up to congratulate him. It more than made up for the fact that his father hadn't been present, too caught up on what was likely another business call while his mother looked as though she'd rather be anywhere but there. Even if he wasn't going to college in the fall, he still felt a sense of pride in receiving his diploma, just as he did when he was offered a position at Scoops Ahoy over the summer.
Steve and Robin didn't get along very well, which was a shame for Amara who wanted nothing more than for her two closest friends to form a bond the way she had with both of them. However, Robin took pleasure in watching Steve fail abysmally at winning over any girl he attempted to flirt with behind the counter, leading her to create a scoreboard keeping track of his wins and losses. Amara wouldn't be lying if she said she found it comical, even if she felt a twinge in her stomach from witnessing him flirt with other girls.
