Chapter Twenty-Seven: Alley Brawl

(The Monster, Pt. 5)

***

Nancy's shocked, hurt gasp alerted Rowan and Jonathan to what was wrong before they saw it.

"Nancy!" Jonathan shouted, at the same time Rowan yelled, "Nance, you okay? What's going on..."

Her words trailed off as she saw what Nancy is seeing, her own eyes widening as she read the words scrawled on the place listing the new movies showing.

"Oh my God."

"Jesus."

There, in angry red paint, underneath All The Right Moves, are the words STARRING NANCY THE SLUT WHEELER, for the entirety of Hawkins to see. Rowan gaped at it, but the longer she looked, the longer she saw the hurt and pain and betrayal on Nancy's face, her shock morphed into anger, sharp and hot and seconds from exploding.

She whirled around, seeing the crowd, staring at the words, then at Nancy, and saw red.

"Hey!" she shouted, fists balled, veins stinging and crackling, eyes burning, glowing, electric. "Hey assholes! Look somewhere else and don't fucking whisper about stuff you know shit about, okay? Go! Move your asses! Stick your nose in somebody else's fucking business or I'll fucking punch you! Go!"

Most of the crowd left, eyeing her, frowning, muttering—about her clothes, her attitude, about how being raised by a criminal made her such a disrespectful, foul-mouthed delinquent, whatever. She's heard it all before. She doesn't fucking care.

What she does care about is comforting Nancy, and destroying the assholes who did this.

"Hey, hey Nance. Nance," Rowan said, biting back her anger, looking to the other girl as she held her shoulders.

Nancy turned, eyes glossy, that hurt and betrayal still on clear display.

"Whoever did this, they have no idea what they're talking about, okay? They're just assholes who have no better time than to humiliate and degrade someone, especially a woman, and call it entertaining. I won't deny this is horrible, and I wish it wasn't happening, especially to you, but I'm here for you, okay? And even if that is true, I don't care. I don't fucking care if you're a slut or not, because you're my friend. And I don't abandon my friends," Rowan said, her eyes hard, but showing that she was here for Nancy, that she was going to stick by her side. "And when I find the douchebags who did this, I'm not just gonna punch them. I'm going to make them disappear and ensure they're never found."

Nancy stared at her, and a different emotion crossed her face—relief. Relief that Rowan was sticking by her side, that she was so obviously angry and willing to beat up anyone that dared believe it was true, especially the ones who did it, and that she wouldn't care if she was.

But that relief was swiftly replaced by anger, because Nancy knew who did this. Could hear the sound of spray cans, even now.

Before she knew it, she was marching toward it, her own anger and hurt propelling her, while at the same time her mind was desperately thinking, Please not him, please let it be anyone but him, please.

But her hopes were dashed when she heard familiar voices and saw Steve, Tommy, Carol and Nicole.

Carol noticed her first, a smirk on her face. "Aw, hey there, Princess!"

Nancy barely heard her, was marching toward Steve, as Tommy jeered, "Uh-oh! She looks upset!", and slapped Steve across the face.

"Oh!"

"Damn!"

"What is wrong with you?" Nancy hissed, her voice breaking from anger and betrayal, that Steve could do something like this.

But didn't she? Didn't Rowan talk about similar stuff he had done, that King Steve had inflicted upon those deemed losers and outcasts? That she was blinded to because she was his girlfriend, because she thought she saw something underneath that.

That she was proven wrong by, that proved Rowan right. Another victim of King Steve.

"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you?" Steve retorted, his eyes hard, but empty, anger and his own betrayal at what he'd seen still cutting deep. "I was worried about you."

He looked away, muttering, "I can't believe I was actually worried about you."

He scoffed, and like always, ignored how he'd been worried about Graveswood, that he was still somewhat worried about her, focusing on his anger at Nancy, at what he had seen, instead.

"What are you talking about?" Nancy asked, genuinely confused.

"I wouldn't lie if I were you. You don't want to be known as the lying slut now, do you?" Carol interjected.

"Call her a slut again and I'm punching your teeth down your fucking throat, Perkins."

All eyes turned to see Jonathan and Rowan standing there, Jonathan looking shocked and puzzled, while Rowan was seething with rage, fists clenched, body trembling with fury and the restraint to keep from releasing a surge and electrocuting Carol, Tommy H and Harrington from the inside out.

"Speak of the devil," Tommy sneered, looking straight at Jonathan, then eyed Rowan. "And apparently Graveswood as well."

He narrowed his eyes and added, "And watch your mouth, freak."

"I won't need to watch it if Queen Bitch Carol doesn't shut up and doesn't say things she knows fuck ton about," Rowan hissed, glaring at Tommy like she was trying to melt his brain out of his ears.

Carol's face purpled, Tommy spluttered, and Steve looked at her with anger, but deep, deep down, he was relieved to see she was okay—and her bitchy, furious self, like always. Even though he would never admit it.

Nancy looked back to Steve, and said, "You came by last night."

"Ding, ding, ding! Does she get a prize?" Carol asked, laughing. 

Rowan's gaze snapped to Carol, her teeth grinding together. "Shut up, before you lose those pearly whites."

Carol scowled and made to go at her, but the other girl held her back, while Rowan gave a sardonic smile and made a "Bring it" gesture, before Nancy talking made her look back at Nancy and the douchebag who dared say such a thing about her, his girlfriend.

It sickened Rowan, as much as it enraged her.

"Look, I don't know what you think you saw, but it wasn't like that," Nancy insisted, glowering at Harrington.

"What, you just let him into your room to... study?" Harrington asked, giving Nancy a look that Rowan didn't get exactly, but she got the gist of it.

"Or for another pervy photo session?" Tommy H said, and he and Carol laughed.

"We were just—" Nancy tried again, but Steve cut in, "You were just what? Finish the sentence."

Nancy stared at him, as Harrington moved in closer, glaring at her, muttering, "Finish the sentence."

Nancy just stared at him, unable to answer. And that seemed to be enough.

Harrington scoffed, and looked away. "Go to hell, Nancy."

Rowan glared at Steve and shouldered her way in, saying in a tone that barely restrained her anger, "Okay, just for your information, Harrington, I was there. I was there the whole fucking time! The only time I wasn't there, that you didn't see me there when you saw Nancy and Jonathan, was because I had a goddamn shower, but I was there and I assure you, nothing happened. So I hope that gets through your thick, over-gelled skull Harrington, because I am literally seconds away from tearing you apart for what you fucking did to Nancy."

"Oh, Graveswood, you were there? Byers must have wanted a threesome or something!" Tommy H jeered and Carol laughed, her laugh grating and shrill like a hyena.

"Guess I was wrong! The freak likes sex if it's freaky shit!" Carol sneered, grinning.

Rage erupted inside Rowan and she was marching toward Carol, and punched her.

Carol stumbled back, howling as blood poured down from her nose, as the other teens stared in shock, while Rowan glowered at Carol, her hand still fisted, knuckles bloody.

"Say one more word. I dare you. I fucking dare you."

Carol looked at her, her shock and pain morphing into rage.

"You fucking bitch!" Carol screamed, lunging for Rowan, but Tommy held her back. Rowan had lunged for her, too, but Jonathan held her back, both parties telling the angry girls that the other wasn't worth it. Rowan backed down first, agreeing with Jonathan.

Trash like Carol Perkins wasn't worth more than a single punch, anyway.

Jonathan then turned to Nancy, muttering, "Come on, Nancy, Rowan, let's just leave before things get more out of control."

He looked pointedly at Rowan as he said that, and they turned to leave, Rowan glaring and flipping both middle fingers while spitting on the cracked tarmac beneath them before she turned around, but it seemed like Harrington wasn't done with either her or Jonathan.

"You know what, Byers? I'm actually kind of impressed."

He strode up to Jonathan, shoving him as he said, "I always took you for a queer, but I guess you're just a screw-up like your father."

Jonathan stopped, as did Rowan and Nancy as Harrington went on.

"Oh yeah. Yeah, that house is full of screw-ups, just like that trailer is full of screw-ups, huh Graveswood?"

"Shut up Harrington, or I'll make what I did to Perkins' nose seem like nothing," Rowan hissed, clenching her fist, fury simmering inside her, ready to explode again.

"You know, I guess shouldn't really be surprised. A bunch of screw-ups in both your families."

"Jonathan, Rowan, leave it," Nancy muttered, grabbing both their arms, trying to get them away, but they ignored her as Harrington kept talking, anger boiling hotter and hotter, a time bomb seconds away from detonating. "Jonathan, Rowan, leave it."

"I mean, Byers, your mom. I'm not even surprised what happened to your brother. And Graveswood, your aunt, I don't even have to talk about your aunt. And your parents freaking driving off a cliff because they're rather die than have a bunch of criminals, that are trailer park trash, to call family."

"Steve, shut up!" Nancy yelled, because she could sense that time bomb ticking down, could feel the explosion coming, but Harrington just. Wouldn't. Shut up.

"I'm sorry I have to be the one to tell you, Nancy, but the Byers and the Graveswoods, their families, are a disgrace to the entire—"

And the bomb exploded.

Jonathan punched Steve in the face, the other boy stumbling back into a railing. He stared at Jonathan in shock, as everyone stared at Jonathan in shock, because not only was he able to land a solid punch on Steve Harrington, they'd been expecting Rowan to land the first punch.

But Harrington recovered from his shock quickly, his features twisting into anger, and he lunged at Jonathan and shoved him into a car before tackling him to the ground, landing in a punch. But the Byers boy shoved him off and was about to punch Harrington again, but Harrington was instead sucker punched by Rowan, who's glare could have put volcanos and wildfires to shame.

Who's glare held the fury of a tempest.

"I told you to never fucking insult my family again, Harrington," Rowan seethed, and for a moment, Steve thought her raging blue eyes were glowing.

But then Jonathan's fist was connecting with his face, and then Rowan's other fist was coming in as they scuffled, fists flying, but it was mostly Rowan and Jonathan punching Steve, beating his face bloody while Nancy, Tommy H and Carol shouted from the sidelines.

"Steve! Steve, stop! Steve!"

"Knock it off, you guys!"

"Get off of him, seriously!"

"Kick their asses, man!"

"Yeah, kick the freak's ass harder, Steve!"

"Get off, stop!"

But Rowan, Jonathan and Steve barely heard, rage blinding Rowan and Jonathan, ignorant to everything except the fury and anger boiling inside them, of making Steve Harrington fucking pay.

Tommy H jumped in, at the urging of his girlfriend, pushing Jonathan back as he yelled at him and in her rage, Rowan swung blindly, clocking Tommy in the side of the face. The asshole wheeled back from pain just as Harrington got up and yelled, "Hey! Get out of here!" and resumed the brawl, aiming for Rowan.

Rowan ducked, avoiding Harrington's wild swing, and jabbed Harrington in the throat. The douchebag gave a choked gasp just as Jonathan swung into his face and he fell back to the ground and Rowan and Jonathan lunged on top of him, ignorant to Nancy's pleas, ready to keep punching.

To make Steve Harrington pay for what he had said, for what he and his friends had done to Nancy.

However, the blare of sirens could be heard over the shouting, and Harrington's friends noticed.

"Cops!" Tommy H shouted as Nancy pleaded, "Jonathan, Rowan, stop!"

Through her rage, Rowan heard and she stopped, stumbling back as Tommy kept shouting about the cops and Carol and their friend stood there, ready to bolt, Carol shooting her a dirty look as she cradled her nose. Rowan returned the dirty look with a middle finger and a snarl, but Jonathan was still punching Steve, even as Nancy kept shouting for him to stop.

"Hey, he's had enough, man! I said he's had enough!" Tommy H shouted as he pulled Jonathan off, before a cop came in, shouting, "Kids! All right, stop!"

"Arrest her, officer! The freak punched both me and him! Arrest Graveswood!" Carol shrieked, eyes burning with vindictive rage as she smiled as another officer, listening to Carol and seeing Rowan's bloody knuckles, her shaky body and the urge to jump back in and keep beating Harrington to a pulp, swooped in and shoved Rowan to the police car, and she felt rings of cold metal snap close around her wrists, could hear another officer screaming about his nose, as Jonathan was forcibly arrested, as Harrington and his friends ran away, that screaming officer following after them and shouting fruitlessly as they ran further and further away.

"Get off!" Jonathan shouted as Rowan just laid there, watching Harrington run, her face still contorted with fury.

"I got these ones!" the cop holding Jonathan shouted and the one holding Rowan nodded as the other finally stopped chasing after Harrington and his friends.

Rowan felt herself get dragged up off the car, marched to a cop car and shoved inside, Jonathan joining her, and Nancy a short time later, not looking at either of them, her face stained with tears.

The wail of sirens the perfect way to end it all.

***

Again, this is a chapter I've been VERY looking forward to writing

Rowan is the type of friend to swear and punch anyone who dares insult, spread rumours about or believe in said rumours about her friends and make the perpetrators disappear. I love my violently defensive girl

Honestly, while I had been prepping that alley fight scene, the Carol punch was actually unexpected. But it was VERY cathartic to write >:)

The alley fight scene is a scene I was VERY looking forward to writing, and I'm glad it worked out. Rowan fulfils her fantasy of punching Steve as well as Carol. But even though he deserves it, poor Steve didn't get not only punched by Jonathan this time, but this time Rowan as well as they tag-teamed on it

(Again, I am so freaking glad that Steve got character development and became a better person)

Next chapter should come soon! Also, we're VERY close to finishing episode six! Just a couple more chapters to go!

Please read, comment and vote!

GhostWriterGirl out!