FIXATION

FIFTEEN

FIFTEEN: FORGOTTEN MEMORIES
november 6th, 1984
rose

"Thank God this is all over."

Rosalie sat on the Byers' front porch, waiting for Steve and Jonathan to finish helping Will and Eleven settle into their rooms. She needed just a moment by herself, without the chaos of the world around her,  her responsibilities, her thoughts. She wanted some peace and quiet after the night she had. That and she had just sat in the bathroom with Joyce for half an hour getting her stitches touched up - the fresh air was doing wonders for her sore side - as fingers ghost over the fresh raw skin, remembering Joyce's wise words.

"Now you need to be careful this time." Joyce had reminded Rosalie as she lowered her shirt over her newly bandaged side. Then she gave her an all-knowing sweet smile as she stroked her cheek and kissed her forehead. "No fighting boys or saving the town for the rest of the night, got it?"

She had joked with her when she replied, "I can't make any promises." Then she pulled her into a hug and sighed, "thank you for everything, Joyce."

She remembered feeling how Joyce's body tensed at the sudden embrace. Only a beat had passed before the all too familiar comfort encased her body as Joyce hugged back in return and sighed, "I am so happy all you kids are safe."

Now Rosalie sat outside, under the stars in utter shock from the passed twenty-four hours. Another world. Dart. The Junk Yard.  She still couldn't completely wrap her head around the fact that on top of everything she would have to go to school tomorrow. The mere thought of sitting in her class learning meaningless topics made her stomach turn. But that was a future problem. For now, all she had to worry about was getting to her bed. Which would be any second now, once Steve and Jonathan finally—

The front door pushed open and Rosalie finally looked away from the stars. She was expecting Steve or Jonathan. Not Nancy Wheeler, who was giving her an apologetic smile in the frame of the front door. Now Rosalie gave her a small invitation nod, Nancy agreed and joined her on the front porch. Before she sat down Rosalie sat up straighter so the two sat side by side, sharing the sudden sense of nostalgia as Nancy suddenly laughed. Her exhausted laugh made Rosalie feel like she wasn't alone, that she too had witnessed a close ending of the world tonight. "You know, I haven't been this exhausted since that time in freshman year when Mrs. Dorris gave us that awful chem final."

Now Rosalie can't help but laugh at the memory. She remembered that was the first time she had snuck out of the house, to go to Nancy's house to study. They stayed up all night and in the morning she had accidentally fallen asleep on Nancy's floor, flash cards in hand. She laughs, "oh my gosh I remember that. And when we got to school the next day we had a substitute," wrapped up in memories, she could feel her cheeks begin to ache from smiling so hard.

Nostalgia moved Nancy to her side, smiling with her friend from the past. "Ivy was so pissed." Her eyes brighten, then she turns to Rosalie, laughing lightly before she can get the words out. "Remember when she went up to the sub and demanded we all should take the test?" The image of a younger Ivy standing at her desk, hands firmly pressed to the wood. The firm expression of her face makes her laugh a little hard.

"Yeah..," She was right. She remembers the intense study session they had at Barb's the night before... Barb.. She remembers how hard she laughed when Ivy spoke so strictly to the substitute. But now when she thinks about it, the cold cloud of grief takes over. Now Rosalie sighs, laughter a distant memory, "Nance, you should've told us about Barb."

The smile on Nancy's face begins to fade not shortly after, "how could I?" Her eyes hold Rosalie's for a moment before the exhaustion becomes too much and she pinches the bridge of her nose. Nancy remembers that Rosalie isn't the type to just walk away from a rhetorical question, but she also didn't want to rehash everything tonight.  Nancy's eyes look to Rosalie's, the look of genuine wonder makes her sigh. The least she could do was try. "We were already growing apart and if I had told you the truth - that a monster killed our friend - you wouldn't believe me.. And I always knew I could never tell Ivy the truth." Rosalie laughs at the irony of the situation. As if reading her mind, Nancy asks, "do you think you're going to tell Ivy?"