Chapter Text
NANCY
Three months after the acclaimed "earthquake" that dominated the news across the country, life seemed to be slowly returning to normal.
The government was responsible for constructing a huge metal plate over the four cracks surrounding Hawkins, after ensuring that approaching them posed no health risks to the public.
There were also concerns about the "snow" or "ash" that had swept over Hawkins two days after the massive earthquake, regarding its potential harmful effects on the health of the residents. As a precaution, the military subjected the entire population to regular medical check-ups. Initially, these were weekly, and people had to carry their medical check-up cards everywhere to gain access to the various shelters around the city.
Robin and Steve spent a lot of time helping at the shelter set up in the school gym. I helped out a few times as well, but Jonathan and his family were living there, which made things a bit strange and awkward because every time I showed up at the shelter, it seemed like Jonathan and Steve were just finding ways to catch my attention and impress me.
When I did go, I usually tried to stick with Robin to avoid these awkward moments, but Robin had started making new friends there, like this girl Vickie, whom she was always attentive to.
The government was working on relocating people who had lost their homes due to the so-called "earthquake," but in reality, many people were already leaving Hawkins. The entire country was beginning to refer to us as "the cursed town," which wasn't exactly appealing to tourists.
We returned to school a month after the tragedy. The gym wasn't in use because it was still a shelter, but everything else was functional. There were only three months left until graduation, though due to the one-month delay, we were graduating in mid-July—today.
"Do you have everything, Nance?" My mother hurried us so we could leave on time for the ceremony at school.
"I'm coming!" I stopped looking at myself in the mirror after finishing my makeup and went downstairs. My mother was shouting at Mike to come up—Mike always took too long.
"You look pretty," Holly greeted me at the bottom of the stairs, and I smiled.
"Thanks," I replied tenderly, noticing how fast she was growing up.
"Michael, let's go already!" my mom shouted.
"Coming!" Mike yelled from the basement. He was probably writing something for Eleven—I knew that whenever they managed to see each other, he'd leave her letters to read until they could meet again.
He came up in a rush, dressed formally, but our dad rolled his eyes disapprovingly when he saw Mike still couldn't tie his tie. My mom helped him out.
"Is everyone ready?" My mom looked around once she was done. "Perfect, let's go before it gets any later."
We left and got into the car, heading to school. There, I met Jonathan and the Byers family. After greeting them, I saw Robin in the distance, so I approached her. She was with an older woman, also blonde, resembling her, dressed formally as the occasion required, but she seemed focused on something with Robin's hair.
"Mom, please," I heard Robin complain.
"Almost done, hold on," I smiled, amused by Robin's quiet protests, while her mom concentrated on fixing every strand of hair to look perfect.
"Finally," Robin sighed in relief when the woman was done. That's when she noticed me approaching. "Nancy, hi," she smiled. "You look great."
"Thanks, you too," I did my best to hide my amusement from the earlier scene. She seemed to realize her mom and I hadn't been introduced.
"Oh, shoot, right," her mom gave her a disapproving look for the slip. "Sorry," she smiled apologetically. "Mom, this is Nancy, a friend. Nancy, this is my mom."
"Pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Buckley," I shook her hand. Robin hadn't mentioned her name.
"The pleasure's mine—call me June, please, since Robin forgot to mention it." Robin pressed her lips together, and I just smiled and nodded. "Have you two been friends for long?" We both glanced at each other.
"Um, just a few months," I replied. It hadn't been very long, really.
"You know what they say, tragedies bring people together," Robin tried to sound enthusiastic, but it felt a bit odd.
"Don't be sarcastic, Robin," Mrs. Buckley complained.
"I wasn't being sarcastic—I meant it." I remembered what Robin had said the first day we exchanged more than a few words, about how her mom reminded her daily of her lack of a filter.
"It's fine, it's true—we bonded through student tragedies," I said, feeling a bit uncomfortable. It wasn't an easy topic. "Well, are you coming, Robin? We need to join the other students," I added, sensing she might need an escape.
"Sure. See you later, Mom," she quickly said goodbye and started following me.
"Your mom seems nice," I looked at her with a half-smile.
"She is, really," she quickly assured me. "I think she just worries my tone might be misunderstood—she knows I'm kind of clumsy with that," she shrugged. "I thought you'd be with your boyfriend," she glanced at Jonathan in the distance with Mike and Will.
"I already greeted him," I mentioned, quickly changing the subject. "Is Steve coming?" Not that I cared if Steve was coming, but I needed to gauge how awkward and weird this might get.
"Supposedly, he shouldn't take long," she shrugged again. "How long do you think it'll take them to act like circus monkeys to get your attention?" She grinned playfully, and I rolled my eyes.
"I hope they behave prudently."
"You have too much faith," Robin shrugged.
In the end, we had to join the other students before entering the official ceremony venue. The family members went in first, Jonathan came over, and Robin left with her new friend Vickie, who showed up at the perfect moment.
I wondered if they really had as much in common as it seemed. They always seemed to be laughing together and never ran out of things to talk about, although Robin rarely spoke about her friendship with her. But they seemed to understand each other well, sharing many interests.
Robin and I didn't have much in common. In fact, now that I see her from afar with Vickie, I realize there's a lot about Robin that I don't know. We became friends when all this happened, and we started talking more between classes when school resumed. She was the one I could complain to about the situation with Steve and Jonathan, even if she didn't say much—just one look was enough. But we hadn't talked like real friends do.
We hadn't shared our future plans, maybe because we were too busy figuring out what to do when Vecna shows up again, because we know that bastard is still alive somewhere. I have no idea what her plans are or if she even planned to go to college before all this happened, and I decided that had to change.
When the ceremony ended, after receiving a hug from Jonathan's mom and congratulations from Will, plus my own family's, and overhearing Mike telling my mom that maybe the Byers could live with us now that they had no home and the government was relocating all the families to close the shelters and return places to their usual functions, I went to look for Robin.
I walked through the hallways and the corridor after telling my mom I'd be home a bit late and not giving Jonathan many explanations as he started bickering with Steve for my attention. Robin was nowhere to be found, but I heard laughter in the audiovisual club room.
"Robin?" I called out, feeling strange, as I was a bit far from the room. What was she doing here?
"Nance, hi," she came out somewhat hastily, her friend following behind her.
"Hi, Nancy," Vickie said kindly with a smile. I smiled softly and gave a slight wave.
"Am I interrupting something?" They were acting weird. Both shook their heads.
"No, we just came here to... chat," Robin smiled, shrugging. "There were too many people over there; it was overwhelming," she explained. I nodded, though still a bit puzzled. "Did you need something?"
"No, I just wanted to see if you wanted to hang out or something, grab a bite, I don't know." I felt awkward.
"Oh, yeah, sounds great," she smiled, then looked at her companion. "Want to come, Vickie?" That wasn't exactly my plan, but I couldn't be rude to Robin's friend.
"Oh, no, it's fine. Go ahead," the redhead smiled. "I have to meet my mom, and afterward, I might volunteer at the hospital." Robin nodded "It was nice seeing you, Nancy," Vickie said. I nodded back, and watched her walk away.
"So, what do you have in mind?" I smiled slightly.
"I don't know... maybe we could go somewhere quiet... to celebrate?" I suddenly felt unsure of what I was saying.
"We could go to my place," she suggested. "My mom went to work right after the ceremony, so no one's there." I nodded.
"Great, let's go then."
"We should get something to drink first, don't you think? Or some food, to celebrate." I thought for a moment while she talked.
"I have an idea where we could get something. We just need to stop by my house quickly before my family gets back." Robin nodded without protest.
We quickly got to my car, and I told Robin to wait inside; I wouldn't take long. I went to find my dad's stash, found only a six-pack and a bottle of an unfamiliar brand, but it would surely do the trick. I went back to the car, placing it on the back seat.
"Wow, better than a convenience store," Robin joked, and I laughed.
"Now, let's head to your place; my parents won't be long."
I started driving again. Robin's house wasn't very big, but it was nice, decorated with lots of ornaments and bookshelves.
We went to her room first. The walls were covered with movie posters, and there were some scattered cassettes within reach—I guess it was a habit we all picked up even after burning Vecna.
"David Bowie," I read aloud. I knew the name but hadn't really listened to him, or at least I thought so. Not that I'd looked him up—probably just heard him on the radio or something.
"I like his music," she shrugged.
There were also a few boxes with movie covers. I wasn't much of a movie person, not like Robin seemed to be. I've always had the feeling she knows a lot about films.
"Do you really like movies?" I inspected the boxes.
"I love them," she grinned, grabbing one of the boxes. "This is one of my favorites."
'Children of Paradise,' I read the title and smiled softly "I don't know it," I admitted, looking at her.
"You don't?" I shook my head. "You have to watch it; it's amazing." She handed me the box. "Here, keep it. Just return it after you've seen it." I nodded, tucking the case into my bag.
Entering Robin's room felt like stepping into her mind—a perfectly organized chaos, her essence imprinted all over the place.
"Should we drink here?" She thought for a moment, then shook her head.
"No, I have a better spot. But first, let's get some cups." I nodded, and we went to grab some plastic cups from a cupboard in her kitchen.
We took a pack of cups, and I followed Robin upstairs. We ended up on her rooftop, with a nice view of Hawkins at sunset, and a nearby metal plate in sight.
"We were lucky it didn't cross my house," she pointed with her gaze. "One thing Vecna couldn't destroy." It sounded like a joke, but she said it without any humor.
"The view's nice," I smiled, looking around. "Except for the giant metal plate at the end of the street, of course," I joked softly. She smiled.
"Alright, let's get started," she said, more cheerfully, opening the bottle I brought to pour into the cups. She brought some chairs from a corner so we could sit, using a box as a table. "Congrats, Grad," she looked at me, and I smiled amused.
"Congrats, Grad," I replied to her, and she smiled pleased. We clinked our plastic cups as if it was some kind of intimate toast, and she took a sip of the liquor first.
"Ugh, it's bitter," I let out an uncontrollable laugh; her expression was funny. "Next time, I'd prefer something that doesn't burn my throat." I shrugged, still laughing.
"My dad's stash had strange and pretty limited options, sorry." I laughed and took a sip myself. It was bitter. Now Robin laughed at me.
"See?" I nodded, unable to help myself.
"Yeah, I get it now," I complained, but still took another sip. The sensation wasn't as strong this time. "I think it lessens as you keep drinking."
"I hope so." I smiled, amused by her comment, then looked out at the view with a sigh.
"What are you going to do now that we've graduated?"
"Well, there doesn't seem to be much to do in this town surrounded by the military. I guess the next thing on my list is another medical check-up," she joked, and I smiled. "You're going to Emerson, right?" She looked at me.
"Yes... well... yeah, but not now," I pressed my lips together. "I can't go to college knowing Vecna might still be out there somewhere." Robin nodded. "So I'll enroll next semester, or next year... I don't know." I drank more of the bitter liquor. "And you? What did you plan to do before all this happened?"
"Well... I wanted to get out of this cursed town and move to Paris." I looked at her, surprised. I had no idea.
"Paris?" She nodded. "Why Paris?"
"Because of my dad. He lived there when he was young, in a cheap room, living a bohemian life, I think... so it's something I want to experience." She shrugged and took another sip of the liquor, making a funny face again.
"Your dad?" Robin never talked about her dad. I thought he wasn't around.
"He died a long time ago. I don't actually remember him; I was like two years old or something." She made a face. "But my mom talks about him, and when she told me about Paris... I don't know, I've wanted to go ever since." I nodded. "Although I wouldn't want to do it alone. Maybe I'll find someone to come with me."
I couldn't help but imagine for a second what it would be like to go to Paris with Robin, until I realized it wasn't a hint. Robin probably meant some partner, some cool guy she'd meet after all this Vecna and Upside Down madness was over.
"Also for Barb." I turned to look at her, somewhat surprised by the mention of Barb. "As kids, when I told her about this dream... we'd say we'd leave here together."
"You were friends," I recalled, something my mind had blurred. She nodded.
"Why did you stop being friends?" A pang of guilt was inevitable. Maybe it had been because of me.
"I guess that's life... sometimes in high school, you drift apart from your friends and meet new ones." She made a face. "You know... at first, I didn't get it." I looked at her, confused. "That Barb could be your friend." I awkwardly stared at my drink. What did that mean? "I thought you were just someone arrogant, and I didn't understand what you could possibly have in common with her. But now I see I was wrong." Relief washed over me, releasing a knot that had formed in my stomach.
"Maybe... if Barb were still here, the three of us could've been friends." She nodded.
"Maybe." I smiled sideways, a smile she returned.
"And college? Don't you plan on going?"
"I'll probably attend some local college if I do," she said calmly, free from the nostalgia of the previous topic. "I've got good grades, but that's only enough for that. I couldn't afford one of those big, fancy universities."
"And what would you like to study? If you go, I mean."
"Uh... I don't know. Communications? Film? There are lots of options."
"Communications?" I looked at her, somewhat surprised. It wasn't exactly journalism, but it wasn't that different either. Maybe we had more in common than I'd thought before.
"I like radio," she smiled. "I think it'd be cool to be in a booth or something like that at some point in my life. And I could try all sorts of things with that degree, I think." I nodded in understanding.
"You could've applied to Emerson." I looked at her, thinking maybe it wouldn't be so bad to see a familiar face when I went to college.
"I don't know if they would've accepted me. They didn't accept Jonathan, did they?" I shook my head. His letter never arrived, apparently. "Or maybe his letter got lost in the rubble when the military attacked Lenora." I tilted my head at the possibility, but I felt like Jonathan wasn't telling me something. It didn't feel the same as before.
"Still, you could try. You've got good grades. Maybe you could apply for a scholarship." I shrugged.
"When all this is over... I'll consider it." She smiled at me, and I smiled back.
"And your friend?" She immediately looked at me. "Vickie?" I mentioned, a bit unsure. I don't know if it was just my impression, but she seemed startled by the topic for a second.
"What about her?" She asked, seeming a bit nervous, or maybe it was just my impression.
"What will she do now?" I think she seemed relieved now.
"Well, she's bouncing between shelters and places that need support. Right now, she's helping at the hospital since they're dismantling the shelters, and I think she plans to get a job there. They're going to train her as a nurse's aide, and at the same time, she'll take one of the government courses to become a real nurse." I nodded.
"She likes to help." She nodded now.
"Yeah, a lot." I smiled softly, not knowing what else to say.
She sounded like a nice girl and had always been kind to me, even though we'd only exchanged greetings. But I don't know, her friendship gave me a weird feeling in my stomach that I didn't really know how to explain. And I'd never tell Robin, obviously, but I don't know what's happening.