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Steve stood by Robin so he could see the stage better, she kept pulling him back down.
“They’re going to be embarrassed you!” She hissed through her teeth.
“I don’t care.” He hissed back.
“William Byers.” Is announced and Steve’s been too loud. He can hear Joyce and Jonathan over him though, so he’s not the loudest. He could laugh when he sees Will’s somewhat scared wave at the group of people cheering him on. The little boy he met in the basement of the Wheeler house is pretty much gone. A small part of him is happy about that, but the larger part does miss him.
“I can’t believe he graduate.” Joyce says, sliding next to him.
“Really? He’s wicked smart.”
“Just, after everything.” He unfortunately did understand that.
“He did it. Third in the class too.”
“What did you do for your graduation?” It was questioned Hopper, Sue Sinclair, and now Joyce had asked him.
“Vacation. Then I started at scoops.”
“Same place you and the kids are going right?” Steve continues to politely clap for the names that aren’t his kids.
“Yeah, they’re really excited.”
“I could imagine. What time are you all leaving again?” She’s asked him about one hundred times in the last month and a half alone.
“Four am.” He reminds her.
“You’ll call?”
“You know I will.” He saw Henderson get ready.
“Here he comes.” Robin is now standing next to him, smiling ear to ear.
“Dustin Henderson.” He doesn’t think he’s ever been louder in his life. Claudia can barely be heard by Steve because he’s just as loud. Dustin has his old smile, reminding Steve of when he was young. When he first met the kid in a hospital waiting room and he got a toothless grin. He looks the same, maybe taller, but that’s Dustin. That’s his little brother.
“Wooo!” Is heard from Robin who has delved into making random noises of excitement instead of words.
“Jane Elenor Hopper.” Steve goes crazy again, shocked she had the middle name announced. He has to guess it’s because everyone got used to hearing the word El so often. Hopper looks beyond proud, tears evidently in the corner of his eyes. She looks scared and Steve wonders if this was the right thing to put her through, but she tries to smile and wave none the less.
“She barely spoke four years ago.” Robin reminisces as they sit back down.
“She could talk your ear off too. Give you a run for your money.” He can hear Robin laugh in his ear as he says it.
“Maxine Mayfield.” Is called soon after and once again Steve is as loud as possible. He questions why for so many moments with Max, but seeing her smile with her friends was worth every single late night. Every single homework break down. Was worth every single fight with the school district to ensure she graduated with her friends.
“She’s practically glowing.” Robin whispers as he sits back down, leaning his head on her shoulder.
“It’s worth all the fights we had about school.” He tells her.
“Yeah? Even when she held a baseball bat and threatened to kill you?”
“That happened one time.”
“Usually that number is zero in someone’s life.”
“Well, Max has done it twice.” Robin snorts at the response.
“Lucas Sinclair.” He’s on his feet again and Erica laughs and points at him from a couple rows down. He wands to flip her off, but he decides against it. Lucas has always had the same wave as he does now, a little too energetic. It’s always made Steve smile because it felt so real.
“Michael Wheeler.” He’s screaming again. The once somewhat sworn enemy has become one of his closest friends. He’s huge compared to the little boy he met years ago. He still looks annoyed for the camera though, as if nothing ever changes.
Maybe that’s why Steve is tearing up as they exit the stands. As of today he isn’t needed really, not anymore. Everyone besides El has gotten their drivers license, they always pick her up though. After today Steve worries they close the chapter of the book they’re written together. He isn’t sure if trauma bonds close though, Robin has said it herself: those who are tortured together stay together.
He pauses when he sees the group. He swears he can see them just as he remembers, smaller, bigger smiles, more innocent. It’s like his head is fuzzy when he sees them, his mind altering them to the images he holds dear.
“Steve!” Henderson shouts, tackling him some. He holds him, he can tell his feet are off the group, but Dustin laughs loudly in his ear.
“I am so proud of you.” He says before putting him down. The signature baseball cap had been replaced with the gradation cap.
“Thanks. Can we get milkshakes?”
“What?” Steve feels puzzled as Max runs at him full force too. He can actually hold her over his head, but chooses not to. They spin together.
“We did it.” She whispers, a moment for just the two of them.
“You did amazing.”
“Hey, can we go get milkshakes?” She asks and Steve tilts his head at her. He walks over to the rest of the group, somewhat confused.
“Steve!” Will seems somewhat excited to see him, which isn’t weird, but with everything going on it does he feel weird. They hug one another anyway.
“Proud of you.” He’s the same height as Will, he doesn’t even know when that happened. He thinks between their sophomore and junior year.
“Steve.” Lucas gets hugged next, he feels Lucas’ head in the crook of his neck.
“Great job man. Proud of you.” He tells him as they separate.
“Erica told me I look like a loser.”
“I’d sat you look like me.”
“Ha!” He hears Erica laugh from a few feet back, clearly also having some tears dried on her face.
“Steve.” Mike walks up to him and smiles ever so slightly.
“Hey, kid, proud of you.” He feels Mike latch on and he can’t help but laugh a little.
“Thanks.”
“Anytime.” Steve informs him.
“Hey, can we go get ice cream?” Mike asks.
“Okay! What’s the deal with ice cream?” He finally asks the group.
“Well, you used to take us all the time.” Will smiles.
“And it’s not like we drove ourselves.” Dustin points out.
“You need a ride?” Steve rolls his eyes.
“And for you to pay.” Lucas smiles with all his teeth.
“I can shot gun!” Max declares.
“No fair!” El looks annoyed at her.
“Ask your parents.” Steve says, Max sliding up next to Steve already.
“Hey, father figure, ice cream?” She smiles causing Steve to roll his eyes.
“Had I known you’d always make that joke I wouldn’t have signed the guardianship papers.” He says to her, both knowing it’s a lie.
“Won’t Robin want shot fun?” He asks her.
“Robin, is going home with Claudia.” Robin makes him jump when she speaks, she must have known about this plan.
“Everyone said yes! Let’s go!” Dustin pulls on his arm and they all drag to Steve’s newer car. The kids piling in, too many in the seats. When he looks in the rear view mirror he doesn’t see high school graduates. No he sees Dustin going to snowball. He sees Mike after falling asleep at the drive inn, pretending to stay asleep so Steve carries him in. He sees Lucas with a basketball, talking excitedly about try outs maybe. He sees Will begging to stop for McDonald’s and begging everyone else to also get a happy meal for the collectible toy. He sees El trying to learn how to do makeup on the way to school, Steve repeatedly telling her she’s going to poke her eye out. He sees Max learning how to drive, swearing it would kill him.
Polaroids of moments sit in his head for him to view, but hearing the slight chaos makes him wonder. He wonders if they also miss the chaos. If they will miss heading to the drive inn or for ice cream. He can’t bare to speak though, he doesn’t trust his eyes nor his voice. Instead he takes photos in his mind, hoping no matter how old the kids get this version of them will stay with him.