Chapter Text
Chapter 1- Lucky Bastard
It was just luck. Steve was sure of it. No matter what Tommy or Carol said, Steve knew he just had a little bit of luck. For as long as Steve could remember, people just seemed to like him. It wasn’t like they all wanted to be his best friend or anything like that. He was just the kind of guy who got a free side of fries when he got a milkshake at the diner, or a few extra points on his test for “effort.” It was just a little bit of luck.
Except for his swimming. That wasn’t so much luck as it was talent . He didn’t need a referee to call anything in his favor because he was likable. He was so much better than his opponents that he typically beat them by a long shot. Sure he trained as much as he could, but it didn’t matter… he was faster even without all that. He barely even had to come up for air, he was so used to holding his breath. The other guys never even came close!
“The seniors are practically begging you to come to the party Friday,” Tommy said, a mischievous smirk on his face. “We should go. It’d be cementing us into their inner circle.”
Steve gave a noncommittal shrug at that. “I don’t know. We have a meet first thing Saturday morning. I’ve got a good chance at beating the state record. I don’t want to mess that up by partying too hard the night before. Besides, if I’m off my game and we don’t perform well, the seniors are going to blame me, not themselves. Plus, Dan Shelter’s already pissed off that I was selected for freestyle over him. If I fuck up, he’s gonna kick my ass.”
“Dan Shelter’s mad at Coach, not at you,” Tommy reassured him, leaning up against the locker next to Steve’s. “I heard him telling Hargrove that he’s more annoyed that Carver’s being considered for butterfly than he was about you getting freestyle. I mean he hasn’t placed in the top three in freestyle in the past two seasons. Getting benched for that race couldn’t have come as much of a shock to the guy. If he didn’t suck, he’d be swimming freestyle. Simple as that.”
“Is that why you’re riding the bench, Saturday morning?” Carol drawled, not looking away from her manicure.
Steve laughed at that. Leave it to Carol to not let Tommy get away with anything. She wasn’t wrong. Tommy was only being considered for one stroke this season, breaststroke, and it wasn’t likely he’d see much time off the bench.
Tommy gave a sarcastic laugh at that, sneering. “Not everyone can be a freaking prodigy like Steve, here. Some of us have to wait until we’re seniors to get time off the bench.”
Steve gave a dismissive wave at that. “Tommy’s better at basketball anyway. I’m sure he’ll have way more playing time than I will this season.”
“I thought you were a shoe-in for captain,” Carol continued, still not looking either of them in the eye.
Steve gave a shrug at that. He didn’t ask for captain. He was fine at basketball but not as talented as he was a swimmer. If it happened, it would just be luck–something that Steve wasn’t exactly running short on.
Tommy gave a dismissive wave. “Well I won’t be captain for shit’s sure. I’ll probably be a starter for that season, though. I made that free throw at the end of the final game last season.”
“You won’t be on the bench,” Steve said, hoping he sounded convincing. Tommy may have made that free throw, but his performance was hit or miss the previous season. Still, it wasn’t like there were tons of other guys to choose from. Maybe it’d work out for Tommy.
“We have Click’s test tomorrow,” Carol reminded them. “If either of you wants to swim in the meet on Monday, you need to at least get a C.”
“Steve’ll pass,” Tommy said, shit-eating grin still on his face. “I swear, Click’s got a thing for him. He always gets a few points higher than me even if I copy off him.”
“Maybe you’re just bad at copying,” Carol said, a smirk on her face this time. She gave Tommy a playful nudge as she stole a kiss from him. “Either way, it can’t hurt to study a little for this test. I for one would still like to be invited to these senior parties.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Tommy said confidently as he slung an arm around Steve’s neck. “Steve’s got it covered with his Harrington Charm–”
“That doesn’t always extend to you, dumbass,” Carol said with an eyeroll. “I don’t exactly want to be known as the girl dating Steve Harrington’s loser friend.”
Steve shook his head at her. Leave it to Carol to try and get under Tommy’s skin. It must have been some weird foreplay for them. They were thick as thieves, and yet she gave him a harder time than anyone else they knew. He just didn’t get it.
“Thanks for reminding us,” Steve said, hoping that would put an end to that part of the conversation.
“We should at least make an appearance at the party though,” Tommy said, practically pleading with Steve. “We don’t want to be the juniors who blew off a senior party do we?”
Steve shrugged. He didn’t care much about reputation–sure it was easy to say that since his was fine, but it was true. The only people he really cared about were standing right beside him. He didn’t care what the seniors thought about Steve snubbing them. He was going to outrace them on Saturday anyway. Party or not.
“At least think about it,” Carol chimed in, giving Steve a half smile. “It could be fun. When’s the last time we did something that wasn’t just hanging out by your pool while your mom was away? Isn’t doing stuff like this good for team bonding or whatever?”
Steve blinked at her. Swimming wasn’t exactly that kind of a sport. Sure the team had their own record, but it was also pretty individual except for relay. They didn’t need the same team bonding stuff as other sports did. Still, it couldn’t hurt to play nice with the seniors either. The last thing he wanted was to paint a target on his or Tommy’s back.
“We’ll go for a little while,” Steve relented.
“Yes,” Tommy clapped his hands together excitedly. “I heard Heather Holloway’s been dying to get a little one on one time with you. I bet if she hears you’re coming, she’ll show.”
Carol nudged Tommy’s shoulder, giving him a look. “Why do you care if Heather Holloway’s there?”
Tommy snorted at that, his arms outstretched as he motioned to Steve. “Not for me. For Steve .”
“You know some athletes attribute celibacy as a key component of their success.” Carol smirked. “Maybe that’s why you’re riding the bench, Tommy. I could always take matters into my own hands.”
Tommy rolled his eyes as he gave a sarcastic smile at that. For what it was worth, Steve didn’t believe her for a second. Carol and Tommy hadn’t been celibate since they were like thirteen years old. Carol could talk a good game, but he was certain they’d be hooking up in an empty bedroom come Friday night.
“It doesn’t even matter if Heather shows, Steve’s never been to a party without getting lucky,” Tommy said proudly, squeezing Steve’s shoulders.
Steve gave a shrug at that. It wasn’t like he was actively trying to get laid. He really wasn’t. He went to the parties for Tommy and Carol more than anyone else. People just gravitated to him, and one thing would lead to the next. He wasn’t trying to get more notches in his belt or anything like that, but the girls almost always initiated and Steve never had any objections of his own.
Steve made a face at that. “It’s not like it’s a goal I set out for each party. Things just happen. I bet it’d be the same for you two if you weren’t practically married at this point.”
Carol and Tommy exchanged a look but didn’t say anything. He hated it when they did that. For as close as they all were, Steve knew that Tommy and Carol were even closer. Maybe it was due to the fact that they’d been dating since they were ten years old, but they were able to communicate with each other without saying a fucking word. It drove him absolutely insane.
“What?” Steve said, crossing his arms. “We don’t have to go to this stupid party–”
“No, no,” Tommy said hastily. “It’s just… not everyone has to keep girls away with a stick.”
Carol groaned as she shoved Tommy’s shoulder again. “Steve, you’re probably the only guy who doesn’t have to do anything to get a girl’s attention. They just come to you. I promise it’s not like that for anyone else.”
Steve wasn’t convinced. Maybe it was just Tommy and Carol. They were so obviously taken that no one would even think about approaching either of them. On top of that, Tommy and Carol made it very clear that they didn’t want to deal with anyone outside of each other… and Steve. Sure they liked hanging out with seniors at parties, but they’d never hang out with them outside of that. Why would anyone want to approach them with that attitude?
“All I said was let’s go to the party. I didn’t even bring up Heather Holloway, or anyone else in fact,” Steve said honestly. He tapped Tommy’s shoulder lightly. “I’m gonna get a few laps in before I head home. You coming?”
Tommy threw his head back and nodded. “I’ll meet you there. I’m sure you’ll get a dozen laps in by the time I catch up.”
Steve gave a laugh at that as he jogged down the hall. He didn’t exactly need the extra training, but… he just thought better in the water. He could solve all his problems by just floating around in a pool. Unfortunately, the solutions disappeared from his head the second he stepped back on solid ground.
He threw his clothes in one of the gym lockers and changed into his trunks. He didn’t waste any time getting into the pool and swimming the length of it. He wasn’t pushing himself. This was just to keep himself on routine, and keep his brain on track. Everything just felt so much easier in the water.
He’d only been to the ocean once, when his mother took him on vacation when he was nine. Steve was an excellent swimmer, even then. He played in the water his entire day, and his mother had to drag him out when the sun went down. It rained the rest of the trip and Steve had to settle for the hotel pool.
He’d have to ask if they could go to some place by the ocean for the summer. His mother was talking about doing something once Steve was done with school for the year. Usually she took him to some city or theme park where the ocean was close, but not something they’d actually go and visit. She hated the beach, but Steve was sure he’d be able to convince her. Maybe she’d just give him the money to go himself. He could probably bring Tommy and Carol along if he asked.
“Coming in!”
Steve was brought back to reality by the sound of Tommy slipping into the pool. Steve grinned at that, pushing himself just a little bit. He couldn’t let Tommy get the best of him, even if they were just doing a glorified warm up. If Tommy got the better of him, he’d never let Steve hear the end of it.
After they swam a few laps, they dried off by the edge of the pool. Neither of them was exactly in a hurry to head home for the day, although Tommy might have had Carol waiting on him.
“I heard if you do well this next meet the school paper’s going to give you this huge piece. It might as well be the Harrington edition of the paper,” Tommy grinned at Steve. “I’m sure your mom will frame it and hang it with the rest of the Harrington trophies.”
Steve splashed some water at him, shaking his head. “Yeah right. The school paper never focuses too much on sports, especially not swimming–”
“I’m telling you, I heard that Nancy Wheeler chick saying something about it in the hall,” Tommy said, shaking his head. “It’s not every day a junior is expected to beat the state record. I’m telling you, I think you’ve already beaten it in training. You just have to do it during a meet–”
“I don’t care about some record,” Steve said honestly. “I just want to win.”
Tommy let out a disbelieving laugh. “Well, if you get in the pool Saturday, we’re probably going to win– you’re probably going to win.”
Steve gave a shrug at that. “Maybe, but we don’t know . I could get a cramp midway through, or they could have some secret weapon super swimmer that we don’t know about. It’s not a done deal.”
Tommy gave him a look. He rubbed the back of his neck, confused. “I guess. I don’t know why you care. It’s not like this really matters. Your grandfather owns half the town, it’s not like you need a swim scholarship for college. Does it really make a difference if you break this record or not?”
It didn’t. Not really. Tommy was right. Nothing would change much for him if he came in dead last at this meet. Still. It mattered to him. He wasn’t even sure why. Nothing in his life would change significantly if he won. He could already go to any school he wanted to with his grandparents footing the bill. Besides, it wasn’t like his mother cared much about his swimming record. He’d come home with some trophy and certificate, she’d put on her best smile and gush over him for about fifteen minutes and pay someone to frame the certificate and place the trophy in her display area, but she wouldn’t really care . She didn’t know what half those awards were for, and this wouldn’t be any different.
Still, it did mean something to Steve. Maybe it was the one thing he couldn’t blame on luck, or having more money than anyone in school. The stop clock couldn’t shave off a few milliseconds to sway the results in his favor. The other swimmers wouldn’t let him win because he was just a likable guy. Steve won in the pool because he was the best swimmer. That was something he knew for certain, and he didn’t want to let that go without a fight.
He couldn’t exactly tell Tommy all this though. He was sure he’d never let him live it down. “I don’t know. I don’t want to give them any excuse to put me on the bench instead of Dan Shelter.”
Tommy laughed obnoxiously at that. “Please, there is no way in hell that coach would trade you for Dan Shelter… even if you had one bad meet.”
“Yeah, I guess,” Steve said, standing up and stretching a bit. “I’m gonna hit the showers and then go home. You need a lift?”
Tommy waved dismissively at that. “Nah, I got my car. Besides, I promised Carol I’d pick her up right after and we’d grab a bite at Benny’s. Want to join us?”
It was a tempting offer. Benny’s burgers with his two favorite people, it was almost impossible to pass up. Unfortunately, he promised his mother he’d be home for their biweekly family dinner. He was sure she’d have lots to fill him in about her old high school friends and their husbands, and she’d pretend to take a great interest in his swimming and ask about Tommy and Carol. It was an annoying ritual. However, it was the only thing she asked of him, and in turn she’d give him a hefty allowance and leave him alone for the following two weeks. It wasn’t a bad deal.
“I can’t,” Steve said, hanging his head back. “It’s Mom’s dinner–”
Tommy made a face. “Oh shit, that’s tonight.”
Steve nodded as he started walking back to the locker room. “Yup. Tonight. We can grab a bite tomorrow? Before the party?”
Tommy nodded. “Yeah, okay. Tomorrow.”
“See you,” Steve called back as he entered the locker room. He threw his towel in the hamper and grabbed a fresh one to shower off. He took a quick shower, and fixed up his hair before walking out of the locker room.
“Steve?” He heard someone call out as he made his way down the hall.
He turned around to see Nancy Wheeler standing behind him. “Hey, Nancy right?”
“Hi.” She smiled politely. “I didn’t realize you were still here but I’m glad I caught you–”
“Oh, yeah, I was just getting a few laps in,” Steve explained. “Why are you still here?”
“Oh, I was just finishing up some last minute stuff for the paper,” she said with a dismissive wave as she walked with him.
Steve nodded. Right, that made sense. The paper came out every Friday, so they had a new edition coming out in the morning. “Oh yeah, right. Why else would you be here?”
“Well, I was wondering. Since you’re set to break the record any week now, the editor thought it might be a good idea to do a profile on you. One of us would interview you, and someone would take some photos, and you’d have a few pages dedicated to you and the hard work you’ve put in,” she continued. “Does that sound like something you’d be interested in?”
Steve shrugged. It really wasn’t . There was nothing wrong with the idea, but it was far from something he was considering. That said, this was a big deal, and it wouldn’t kill him to get some recognition for it. Maybe his mom would even read it.
“Are you sure that’s something people would even care about?” Steve asked as they stopped by the lobby.
“I think so,” Nancy said. “You’re the school’s golden boy, everyone likes you. I think people would read it.”
Steve paused at that. He never considered himself to be the ‘golden boy.’ Sure he was well liked enough, but he wasn’t the most popular guy in school… was he? Either way, he was convinced. He’d talk to Nancy and pose for some pictures. He was sure his mother would brag to all her friends about it, and that was enough for him.
“Yeah, okay. I have to run, can we do all this later or–” Steve began.
“Yes,” Nancy said hurriedly, shaking her head at herself. “Sorry, yes. Of course. I can go over the details with you tomorrow?”
Steve nodded as he took a few steps towards the door. “I’m looking forward to it.”
He walked into the parking lot, and made his way to his car. He turned the radio on and pulled out of the parking lot. He drove home, trying his best not to think about how much he’d rather be grabbing burgers with Tommy and Carol.
Steve pulled into the driveway and took a deep breath. Dinner with mom. He got out of the car and walked through the front door. Maybe he’d be able to sneak up to his bedroom undetected and just come down once dinner was ready. He was sure she’d have riveting tales of what her friends from high school were up to with their kids. She was great, she was… but Steve was usually held hostage hearing long winded stories about people he didn’t know. There was only so much of it he could take.
He walked through the door and was immediately greeted by the scent of burning cigarettes and floral perfume– the undeniable fragrance of mom. She met his eye, grinning as he walked into the house.
His mother wasn’t a particularly tall woman, but her presence more than made up for it. She was larger than life, dramatic, and loud . Her dark brown curls were always just so, and her hazel eyes were as expressive as her wild gestures. Her heels clicked as she crossed the room and pulled him in for a brief one armed hug. She kissed the air next to his cheeks before bringing her cigarette to her lips to take another drag.
“Oh, darling. I’m so glad you’re home. I was starting to worry. Doesn’t class let out around 4?” She said, as she locked her arm with his as she walked him deeper into the house.
Steve couldn’t even be annoyed by her properly. She should know when school let out. He was a junior, it wasn’t like this was a new schedule. He was sure that she’d greet him the same way two weeks from then. Still, there was something about the way she could make him feel like the center of the universe by just giving him some of her attention that made it impossible to be miffed by her complete lack of awareness of his schedule.
“Tommy and I did a few laps in the pool,” Steve explained. “I thought you’d still be on the phone with gramps.”
She rolled her eyes at that as she halted their walk. She gave him a look. “ Please . Your grandfather is getting on my last everliving nerve. Steven, you have no idea how exhausting it was listening to him go on and on the other day. Be thankful you’re still young enough to get out of these ‘Harrington Conference Calls.’ Believe me… it’s abysmal .”
“Anything interesting come up?” Steve asked, knowing she likely wouldn’t share much other than petty gossip about his uncles.
“ Oh darling , you have no idea. Uncle Pete and your grandfather are on the outs again,” she said predictably.
“I didn’t realize they were talking again to begin with,” he humored her. He couldn’t care less about Uncle Pete and his grandfather fighting. He was sure it wasn’t anything actually serious– not if this was the way his mother was discussing it.
She gave a dismissive wave at that. “They never patched it up but Pete’s family so your grandfather let it go until this…. They’re exhausting, Steven .”
“Well Gramps has always been stubborn,” Steve said honestly. “Uncle Pete should pick and choose his battles better.”
“How is school, darling? Anything fun and exciting happening,” she asked, clearly disinterested in Uncle Pete.
Steve shrugged. “I might break some swimming record.”
“Of course you’ll break it,” she said confidently, her posture somehow getting even straighter. “You’ve always been an excellent swimmer. I remember when you took your first class down at the health club. Do you remember? You were a natural. The instructor said she’d never had a student learn so quickly. After that it was impossible to get you out of the pool. If you don’t beat that record it will be an absolute conspiracy.”
Steve snorted at that. She’d never been to a meet, and she wouldn’t start now. The humidity at the pool didn’t do her hair any favors, and it wasn’t as though she’d pay much attention anyway. He wasn’t even upset about it. He couldn’t even picture it. Meredith Harrington being at the Hawkins pool would be like Steve being at the White House… it didn’t belong.
“We’ll see,” Steve said, a little less confident than she was. “It’s just cool that I’m getting close. It’s been unbeaten for like over a decade.”
She waved him off at that, taking another puff of her cigarette. “ Darling , records are made to be broken. If that trophy case upstairs is any indication, you stand as good a chance as anyone at breaking it.
“Oh, I meant to tell you. I spoke with Sheila the other day and you will not believe what she found about Deirdre’s husband,” she completely changed gears. It was only a matter of time really. She went on and on about her friends from high school, and their children, or their husbands or their exes . It’d be much more interesting if he knew who any of these people were.
Dinner was catered from some Italian Cafe in Indianapolis. She never spared any expense for these biweekly dinners. She was trying. He loved his mom but… mostly he just felt… guilty when it came to her. She was barely out of high school when she got knocked up and became the town pariah. Most of her friends kept their distance, and his gramps wasn’t thrilled about everything. So now her life consisted of helping his grandfather with clerical work, chatting with the few people from high school who still took her calls, and dinners with Steve.
That said, if his mother felt any shame or regret, she didn’t show it. She had unwavering confidence that bordered on delusion. She never left the house without being dressed to the nines, with a full face of makeup, her hair perfectly styled, and a set of pearls. It was impressive. She really never let anyone see her sweat.
“The school newspaper is doing this article on me,” Steve said once they’d sat down to eat. He wasn’t sure why he thought to bring it up. He was positive she wouldn’t actually read it.
She glanced up at him from her plate. “Of course they are, darling. They’d be fools not to.”
“I think it’s because of the record,” Steve added. “It’s kind of a big deal.”
“Steven, of course it’s a big deal,” his mother said, her expression unchanging. “It’s about time you got some recognition for everything you’ve contributed to that team– actually all of those teams. Hawkins never had a horse in the race until you got there. They should have an article about you every week.”
Steve gave an uncomfortable smile at that. They really shouldn’t have an article about him every week. The athletics at Hawkins were… mediocre at best. With the exception of the swim team, there really wasn’t much to report on… even with Steve. He may have been consistently one of the better athletes on each team but he wasn’t the best . Except for swimming.
“Be sure to bring me a copy when it’s out,” she continued, cutting into her veal. “We’ll have to get it framed.”
Steve nodded as he took a bite of his chicken. “Okay.”
She made a disgruntled tut as she distorted her face in disgust. “ Steven, really ? Must I still remind you not to talk with your mouth full?”
Steve gave an apologetic grimace as he took a sip of his water. “Sorry.”
“We should start thinking about where we should summer,” she changed the subject, stirring her martini with her toothpick, olives clinging to it. “Europe could be nice… though really if we’re going to do that we should wait until you’re eighteen and can properly enjoy it.”
“Can we go to California or… Hawaii… or I don’t know, some place with a beach?” Steve asked, not quite sure how she’d feel about it. She wasn't exactly the biggest fan of that. Leisure was not how she relaxed.
She hummed at that. “Really? A beach? Steven, beaches are… lovely , of course, but they’re messy, the sand gets all over and the salt water scent lingers. I like the thought though. Maybe we could charter a yacht or something. This way we get to be out on the water without having to be… immersed in the experience.”
“Would we still be able to go in the ocean?” Steve asked. That was sort of the entire point.
She gave a shrug. “I don’t see why not. I don’t understand why you’d want to . There are sharks and whales and… all types of creatures out there.”
“I’m pretty sure shark attacks are super rare,” Steve said, he didn’t want to push it though. “I mean… we could always do something that has other stuff. I know you like a good art museum or to go to the theater. We could still do that but… also have a beach day or two.”
She grimaced at that, taking a sip of her martini. “I’ll think about it, darling, but maybe you should come up with a few other ideas, just in case.”
“Well maybe… I could go away with my friends for the beach stuff,” Steve countered, not really sure how this ask was going to go over. “And you and Sheila can go to Europe or something.”
She stiffened at that. “Steven,” she said, her voice even yet venomous, “You have your whole life to go away without your mother. I’m not sending a bunch of seventeen year olds away without an adult present.”
“It’d just be Carol and Tommy–”
“And I’m still not hearing anything about a proper chaperone–”
“Tommy will be eighteen before the summer–” Steve started.
She laughed harshly at that. “Darling, Tommy Hagan could be thirty-five and I wouldn’t consider him a suitable chaperone.”
Steve let out a disgruntled sigh. “Mom, I love our trips, but… it could be fun to snorkel or learn how to surf or jet ski . I don’t think it’s asking too much for us to go someplace near the ocean.”
“Steven, I already told you that I’d consider it. I merely asked you to have a backup .” She pursed her lips, waiting for him to counter.
Steve sighed as he took another bite of his chicken. He didn’t exactly have a good counter argument. He couldn’t even really explain why he wanted to go to the beach so bad. There was nothing wrong with going somewhere else but… usually it meant he’d be held hostage while they went to museums, the opera, and historical sights. It was fine, but he wished he could get to do something a little more up his alley for a change.
“Speaking of age… have you given any thoughts to college or… what you might want to do after high school?” She asked, looking over her martini glass at him.
Steve gave a shrug. “I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about it.”
“Well start thinking about it, darling. You know you’ll always have a place with your grandfather, but no one would be offended if you chose something different,” she said, all the ice seemingly gone from her tone. “I don’t want you to… feel like he’s your only option. If you really want, we could hire you a proper trainer… you could swim in the Olympics if you wanted to.”
Steve paused. He hadn’t really given any thought to that. It wasn’t a bad idea but… he was pretty sure Olympic swimmers weren’t exactly raking in tons of money. “Maybe.”
“You don’t need a decision right away, but… just start thinking about it,” she said, cutting into her veal again.
“I will,” Steve said honestly. He couldn’t believe that this was the first time he really thought about this. He just couldn’t really imagine not being in school and seeing Tommy and Carol everyday. “You ever think about going back to school?”
She made a face at that. “ Darling , I was a rotten student. Always was.”
Well that was where he got that from. “My grades aren’t….”
“Steven, it’s fine,” she said, giving him a sympathetic smile. “Harringtons don’t test well. If you want to do something specific, we’ll get you a tutor and you’ll apply to one of the schools your grandfather has connections at. Or if you want to join the family business, your grandfather would be thrilled. Just make sure that’s what you want. Your grandfather would have a conniption if you changed your mind after he started training.”
“Okay,” Steve said, playing with his food. “I’ll think about it.”
“That’s all I ask,” she said before taking a bite of her food.
He wanted to ask her if there was something else she wanted to do, before her only option was Gramps. He didn’t, though. His mother wasn’t shy. If she wanted to tell him more then she would have.
“How long are you in town for this week?” Steve asked instead. It was a safe question, she wouldn’t be there long. She never was.
She eyed him suspiciously. “I catch a flight tomorrow evening but I’ll be back Tuesday. Why? Did you need something? I could always move my schedule around–”
“No, I was just curious. I’ve got a party after school tomorrow, so I didn’t want you waiting around for me,” Steve said.
She let out a sigh at that. “Be safe, Steven. I don’t want to get a call from the police department… or any disgruntled parents. I expect you to be on your best behavior.”
Steve rolled his eyes. He’d never done anything that warranted her to say that. He left people alone, and only ever got pulled over for speeding once– he even got let off with a light warning! She didn’t even know about that. Still, he guessed it was something she knew she was supposed to say.
“We’re just gonna stop by,” Steve said honestly. He really didn’t want to stay too late if he could help it. He was going because Tommy and Carol wanted to. He’d be happy with a night in just the three of them.
She nodded looking over her newspaper, clearly no longer interested in the topic. He should have seen that coming. She never lingered on anything for too long… never stayed one place too long either. He wasn’t surprised she’d be gone for a few days. She’d already been there for a little short of a week, she must have been getting antsy.
“Where are you traveling to?” Steve asked, drinking his coke.
She looked up from her newspaper, eyes lighting up. “Just to Napa Valley for a few days. Scotty has a new bottle that he’s been raving about. I’m going for a tasting. If it goes well maybe I can convince your grandfather to start selling it in some of the nicer restaurants around town. We’ll see. Scotty’s been hit or miss the past few years.”
Steve snorted at that. “The past three times you went over there, he tried to sell you shit . I’m surprised you haven’t dropped him yet.”
She gave an amused chuckle at that, her eyes a million miles away. She looked down at her feet, a coy smile on her face. “Scotty’s an old friend, darling. A few bad batches isn’t enough to toss him aside… yet.”
Steve fought the urge to gag. ‘An old friend.’ He didn’t want any elaboration on what that meant. He didn’t need to know about that side of his mother’s life– the same way she didn’t need to know about that side of his.
“I’m gonna head upstairs,” Steve said, wiping his mouth with the cloth napkin. He tossed it on his plate as he rose from his chair. “I’ve got homework.”
She hummed at that indifferently. “There’s some dessert on the counter if you want later. I’ll probably head up soon too. I need to get packed.”
It didn’t require a response so Steve didn’t give one. He had to study for that stupid test. Tommy may have been confident that Steve would pass, but Steve was less convinced. It was history, so it should have just been memorization, but he really had a hard time following. It felt all over the place.
He opened his notes and was tempted to call it quits within the first few minutes. His notes were garbage… they added no context to the words in the textbook. This test was going to be a disaster. There was no way he was going to pass.
‘Harringtons don’t test well.’ His mother’s words echoed in his head. If only it were as simple as she made it seem. If he didn’t pass, he couldn’t swim. If he didn’t get to swim, then he wouldn’t have the chance to even try to break the record.
Unfortunately, their talk had really highlighted the fact that he didn’t have very much else going on outside of the state record. He really never gave much thought to life after high school. He couldn’t envision it– him out in the world. He’d be content to spend the rest of his life hanging around with Tommy and Carol all day. Too bad there wasn’t a profession for that.
He tried not to think too much about it. He had time. His mother was right, there was always the safety net of working with his grandfather. His gramps prided himself on having a family business. He’d been hinting at getting Steve a job there for as long as Steve could remember. It was Steve’s mother who always dismissed this. She wanted him to have his own path, which would be great if Steve felt drawn to any particular path.
He groaned as he closed his notebook and looked out his window at the pool. Maybe Click would go easy on him. He just needed a passing grade to swim. He could scrape by. He had to. There were only a few meets left in the season and then Steve would only have his final season left the following year. He wanted that to be a victory lap–having finished everything important during the current season. He wasn’t sure he’d get to have that if he couldn’t pass this test.
He brought his attention back to the textbook. Maybe he could make enough sense of it to get by. There was no way in hell he was going to let Dan Shelter steal his spot because of a stupid history test.
He did fine. Tommy too. Neither of them passed with flying colors or anything, but it was good enough to swim. That was all Steve cared about.
“Nancy Wheeler mentioned that thing about the school paper,” Steve said as he sat down next to Tommy at lunch.
“See, I told you!” Tommy said, patting Steve’s shoulder. “It’s about time. Didn’t you break a few state records last season?”
Steve nodded. “Yeah, but they weren’t as big as this one. Those were records set within the last decade. This one hasn’t been beaten in like twenty-five years or something. It’s different.”
Carol let out a low whistle. “You’re gonna break the guy’s heart when you actually break it.”
“Ah- no,” Steve said, shaking his head, and waving his arms around. “Don’t jinx it. If it happens… it will be a very big deal.”
Tommy snickered at that. “Then in twenty-five years some kid’s going to be trying to break Steve’s record.”
“ If there’s a record to break,” Steve corrected him. He didn’t want to get too cocky. If he took it too easy in the pool, he could blow it. “We’ll have to see what happens.”
Carol nudged Steve’s leg lightly under the table as she leaned over it, closer to Steve who was across from her. “Stop selling yourself short, Steve. You’ve got this. Even Hargrove said so in English last period.”
Steve’s eyes widened at that. Billy Hargrove notoriously disliked Steve. He was probably the only one who had an actual vendetta against him. It was mostly a competitive thing, but the guy was a first class asshole. He was miserable, and angry, and just the worst . If he was paying him a compliment, hell must have frozen over.
“Yeah right,” Steve snorted as he played with the food on his plate. He should have just brought in leftovers from what his mom catered the night before. Anything would be better than the cafeteria slop.
She shook her head. “That’s what he said. Swear to god. He was angry about it, but he thinks you’re going to beat it. I think the whole town is going to turn up for the meet.”
Steve rolled his eyes. “This is just one shot at it. I could break it later in the season–”
“I’m just saying, people are talking about it,” Carol said, putting her hands up in defense.
Tommy nodded, leaning over into Steve’s space. “She’s right, it’s all anyone’s talking about. Besides, don’t look now, Nancy Wheeler’s about to drag you away for her article.”
Steve glanced in the direction Tommy was looking in to see Nancy Wheeler, headed straight for them. He shouldn’t have been shocked. There wasn’t much else for the school paper to report on. There were only so many different ways for the paper to report on specials down at the burger joint, or the mayor’s office having some event that no one cared about. A small town like Hawkins… it made sense she’d want to get a jump on it. Even if he didn’t wind up beating the record in the first place.
“Hey,” Steve said, giving her a smile as he got up from his seat at the table.
“Hi,” she said, smiling brightly at him.
They found an empty table to sit at and discuss the details of the article she wanted to run. “How does this work exactly?” Steve asked. “I’ve never done anything like this before.”
“I just have a few questions, and I’ll probably ask some of your friends, teachers, and coaches about you– maybe your mom too–”
“She’s out of town,” Steve said hastily. It wasn’t untrue. He was sure if she was asked a single question about him it would become about her and how strenuous labor was or something. It was better if no one met with his mother.
“Okay, that’s fine,” Nancy said, waving at that. “Still, we’ll interview you and a few people close to you. I’ll draft something up for you to approve and then we’ll run it in a few weeks.”
Steve nodded. “Cool. Sounds simple enough.”
“And then Jonathan–our photographer will get some shots of you to accompany the article,” she continued.
“Okay,” Steve said, he was pretty sure there wasn’t anything too wild in that list. He could make those things work. “When do I have to pose for that… or is he gonna take pictures at the meet?”
She gave him a tight smile at that. “That’s the thing. He’s… he’s going to… he’s really into candids. That’s his whole thing. He’ll probably follow you around a bit after school, snapping some pictures for a week or so. If that’s okay with you– we could do something more… posed if you’d prefer.”
He shrugged. “I don’t mind.” He didn’t. There wasn’t much to see, and he didn’t care if the photographer got a few shots of him at work or during training or even at Benny’s with Tommy and Carol.
“Great,” Nancy said enthusiastically. “What day works best for us to sit down and have an actual interview?”
“Monday? Between class and training?” Steve suggested. He didn’t want to talk about anything before the actual meet took place. It was bad luck.
She nodded, writing it down in her planner. “Sounds like a plan.”
After school he went back home. His mother was already gone. He went up the steps to shower and get ready for the party. He made sure to look his best for these things. He may not have cared much what others thought of him, but he didn’t need them making stuff up in their heads either. If Steve looked disheveled or his hair was askew, people would assume he was stressed about the meet or just coming to get shit faced. If he looked presentable, then he gave off the impression that he wanted to be there. He wasn’t preoccupied about the meet the following day, or just there to drink– he was there to socialize with his friends… and anyone else who might be there.
He spritzed himself with some expensive cologne his mother picked up for him on one of her more recent excursions. It smelled fine . His mother swore up and down that it was all anyone was wearing right now. Whatever that meant. He grabbed his wallet and keys before heading down the steps.
He drove over to Tommy’s place first. He was sure that Carol would be there already. He could count on one hand the number of times he had to make separate trips to pick them up– and it was because Carol’s mom was on her ass about her geometry test.
Steve pulled up to Tommy’s house and gave a brief honk of the horn. That should have been enough to get their attention. It wasn’t like Tommy’s parents really wanted Steve to come to the door or anything. Besides, that would delay them. Tommy’s dad would probably ask about the record, but it would only be a way to get in a few jabs at Tommy. Tommy’s mom would ask about Steve’s mother, which seemed harmless enough. That said, Steve couldn’t help but feel like there was subtext, like she was really asking him something else, or trying to dig up dirt. He tried to avoid that as much as possible.
Within just a couple of seconds, Tommy and Carol were at Steve’s car. Tommy slid into the passenger seat, while Carol took her spot in the back.
“Mom says hi,” Tommy said as he shut the door behind him.
Carol let out a groan at that. “She would not shut up about you today.”
Steve gave an amused laugh at that. He was pretty sure Tommy’s mom didn’t like him much. He wasn’t sure what she could have possibly been saying about him. “Oh yeah?” Steve teased Tommy, nudging him in the ribs with his elbow. “What she say?”
“Mostly it was about how everyone is talking about you swimming for the record tomorrow,” Carol said, rubbing her temple with her fingers. “I think she’s mad because it means no one is talking about her new shrubbery.”
Tommy rolled his eyes. “As if anyone would give a shit about her new plants. Even if you weren’t swimming for the record… people have gotta have better stuff to talk about.”
Steve hummed in agreement at that. He didn’t even notice that they had anything new in front of the house. He was sure if he wasn’t swimming, the town would probably be talking about something else like how the Colts had better do a lot of work in the off season.
“Hey,” Tommy said, shoving Steve lightly. “Heather was asking about you in class this afternoon.”
“Oh?” Steve asked. Heather was nice enough, and she swam for the girls’ team but they weren’t exactly friends. He wasn’t sure if they ever really talked outside of passing smiles in the hall– or that one semester they were lab partners. He wasn’t sure what she could possibly want from him. “What did she want?”
“ You , doofus,” Carol said as she flicked the back of Steve’s ear. “She probably wants to have your little Harrington babies–”
“Don’t say that,” Steve and Tommy both said in unison. Tommy seemed much more… disgusted by the idea, whereas Steve was just embarrassed. Carol probably didn’t mean anything by it, but he was sure that was the one thing he could do that would disappoint Meredith Harrington. If she had to deal with Steve following in her footsteps, he’d never be able to look her in the eyes again.
Carol let out a dramatic sigh. “You know what I meant. She wants to jump you.”
Steve shrugged. “She’s got a funny way of showing it. She barely even acknowledges me at school.”
Tommy gave a shrug. “Well, she’s gonna be there tonight. I wouldn’t be surprised if you two get very close before the night’s over.”
Steve gave a dismissive wave at that. “Heather Holloway hasn’t been interested in anyone since she got the cold shoulder from Hargrove. I’m probably not even her type. Hargrove and I don’t exactly look alike.”
Carol snorted at that. “Maybe she likes a range.”
Steve didn’t really care. Heather was nice, and if she approached him, he probably wouldn’t say no, but he wasn’t going to go out of his way to get her into bed either. He didn’t like to make assumptions on that kind of stuff.
“I’m telling you, man. She’s been asking about you!” Tommy continued.
Steve raised his eyebrows disbelievingly at him. “I doubt it. Whatever you say, man. I won’t be surprised if I get there and she doesn’t give me a second look.”
They got to the party and Steve parked the house. He wasn’t exactly looking forward to this. He’d have a drink, chit-chat with a few people and then probably drag Tommy out kicking and screaming. They did have a meet the next morning. The last thing they needed was to get carried away with themselves.
Almost the absolute second they walked through the door, someone was thrusting a drink in his hand. All eyes were on him, and everyone was trying to talk to him. It wasn’t anything too crazy. He knew the record was a big deal. If he won, the town would probably get a lot of attention. It’d make it harder for the state to continue to ignore them. It felt like everyone was invested in him breaking this record.
It wasn’t shocking that Tommy and Carol broke away from him early on. The only reason they liked doing these things was because it gave them more freedom to screw without their parents knowing about it. He was at least relieved that they didn't fool around when they were all at Steve’s. His mother was never around, and they easily could have abused this. Instead, they hung around with him in the pool or watching a movie. He didn’t know what he’d do without them. He’d probably go crazy all alone in that house.
Eventually, people left him alone. It was like they all got the questions and hounding out of their system and Steve was able to just leisurely sip his god awful beer and chat with a few people about nothing in particular.
He did run into Heather Holloway.
“Steve!” She said excitedly, pulling him for a hug. “I wasn’t sure if I’d see you here… with the big meet in the morning.”
Steve gave a dismissive wave at that. “I probably won’t be here too long. I wasn’t sure I was going to come either, to be honest. The only other option was sitting around and obsessing over it though…so this won.”
She gave a laugh as she took a sip of her own drink. “I bet. I’m looking forward to watching tomorrow. No pressure though.”
They talked like that for a while, laughing and talking about swimming mostly. Steve was surprised that she led him into one of the bedrooms. Not that he was complaining! He just really thought Tommy was wrong about her. Sure enough, one second they were talking about lifeguarding and the next they were fooling around in some dimly lit bedroom.
He looked over to where she was fixing her face in the mirror. He started getting himself together too. It was getting late and it wasn’t like she wanted to hang out with him now that they slept together.
She looked over her shoulder at him once she finished fixing her makeup. She gave him a coy smile before kissing his lips tenderly. “That was fun. Don’t be a stranger. We can do this again sometime?”
Steve gave her a polite smile back and nodded. As far as sex went, sex with Heather was nice–better than nice. He had a lot of fun–more fun than he had with most. He wouldn’t be against screwing around with her again but… he was surprised she wanted to do anything the first time around. He couldn’t read her signals. If she wanted to do it again, he’d gladly let her lead the way again.
“See you tomorrow?” He asked as he pulled his shirt back over his head.
She was already out the door. Steve shook his head and waited a few minutes before heading out the door after her. He had to find Tommy and Carol. He wanted to get home and get some sleep before he had to go in for the meet.
He did two laps around the party before he found Tommy and Carol, making out behind some tree.
“Ready to go?” Steve asked as he tapped Tommy’s shoulder. Tommy glanced at his watch and gave a nod.
“Shit yeah. If I stay out any later my dad is gonna skin me alive,” he said, much to Steve’s surprise. He was expecting it to be a big fight to get Tommy to leave the party. He’d been looking forward to this all week.
Carol let out a sigh as she put out her cigarette and motioned to the exit. “Let’s go then.”
They left the party and walked back up the block to where Steve parked the car. Tommy threw his arm around Steve’s shoulders hanging on him as they walked. “So… did you run into Heather at all?”
Steve felt his face burn red at that. He gave a laugh. “Yeah. I saw Heather.”
“And?”
“I don’t kiss and tell,” Steve teased. He really didn’t. Tommy knew that. Steve didn’t like to go into details, because Steve wouldn’t want to ask him about his sex life with Carol. Plus for some reason, it just made him think of his mom. Did his dad tell the whole world all the dirty details about how he screwed her? He probably neglected to tell them about how he left her with a kid to raise on her own.
“Well that means there’s something to tell,” Carol called to them. She came over separating them briefly. She took Tommy’s hand in one of her’s and Steve’s in the other. “You boys have a big day tomorrow. We should probably get you both home.”
“You guys should stay over,” Steve mused, playing with his keys in his free hand. He hated how empty the house felt with Mom gone. She was such a big presence that even her absence was impossible to ignore.
“I wish,” Tommy groaned. “My dad’s been on my ass about curfew. I barely passed Click’s test so he’ll murder me if I’m not home soon.”
Carol nodded. “I’m surprised he let you go out tonight.”
Steve squeezed Carol’s hand a little tighter. Shit. Hopefully, he’d get some sleep. He always got weird before a big meet. Sometimes he could sleep like a baby, other nights he’d be up, stuck in his own head. It was easier if there was someone else around to keep him distracted enough before he got to sleep.
“You’ll be fine,” Carol said, practically reading his mind. “Play the stereo in the living room. It’ll sound like people are around.”
Steve cocked his head to the side at that. That could actually work. “Thanks. I’ll try it.”
“We should do something tomorrow though,” Tommy said. “After the meet. You’re gonna want to see us no matter how it goes.”
Steve let out a sigh at that. He would. If he broke the record, he’d want to celebrate. He could probably get away with drinking some of his mom’s liquor as long as he stayed away from the good stuff. If he didn’t break the record, then he’d need his two best friends to keep him busy.
“Please come over after. Just us,” Steve said, as they got to the car. He took his keys out and unlocked it, taking his seat inside.
“You know we’ll be there,” Tommy said, squeezing Steve’s shoulder as he got comfortable in the passenger seat. “My dad won’t care after the meet. So long as we do well, and I don’t come in dead last, we’ll be fine.”
“I think your dad will be happy if you come off the bench,” Carol teased. “I think Carver’s going too hard tonight, so I’m sure you’ll be in for him.”
Tommy raised an eyebrow at that. “We’re fine. Riley’s out of town this weekend so I’ll be in for him. Apparently, he had some family emergency out of state.”
Steve hummed at that. It was bad for Riley but he wasn’t exactly the strongest on the team. Tommy probably should have been swimming in his spot anyway, but he was a senior. Coach liked to give the seniors some priority. It wasn’t exactly fair, but they put the work in, and until Steve showed up, the teams weren’t exactly excelling.
“You’ll be in the water tomorrow,” Steve said confidently. He pulled out of his spot and began driving down the road. He glanced back at Carol. “You staying over at Tommy’s?”
She shook her head in disdain. “No, his mom caught us last week so we have to be on our best behavior. Drop me off?”
Steve nodded. Carol’s house was actually on the way to Tommy’s, so it wasn’t too much for him to drop her off first. It was rare that he had to. Usually, Tommy was able to sneak her into his bedroom without anyone noticing. He was surprised that Tommy’s mom would have caught on, they’d gotten so good at it that Steve thought they’d already had her fooled.
He pulled up to Carol’s house, and she got out of the car, kissing Tommy good night and messing with Steve’s hair as she left. There were some days Steve was jealous of them. Not because he wanted to be with Tommy or Carol, but because they already found their person. They were best friends, who became more. He used to joke that the two of them were dysfunctional soulmates. Steve on the other hand didn’t have any trouble taking someone to bed, but he rarely met someone who wanted anything more than that. It wasn’t so bad. He didn’t mind getting laid and then spending time with his favorite people. Sometimes he just wished that person could be one in the same.
He drove a few streets over to Tommy’s place. Tommy didn’t waste any time getting out of the car. Apparently he and his dad were in the middle of a thing. It was one of those weeks or months where the two were at each other’s throats. It happened from time to time, ever since they were like twelve. Tommy’s dad was an asshole, but Tommy didn’t help himself–he liked to see just how far he could push him.
Steve couldn’t really relate whenever Tommy talked about it. It was one thing that he didn’t have the slightest idea who his father even was, but it wasn’t like his mother was a big disciplinarian. So long as he passed his classes and didn’t get into trouble, she let him be. Even when he was younger, she let him get away with a lot.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Tommy said to Steve. He was leaning through the open car window, staring at him. “You got this. Don’t freak yourself out. You are King Steve Harrington. This is your fucking birthright, dude. You should sleep like a baby tonight.”
Steve hated the stupid nickname, but the sentiment was nice. Still, Tommy had knocked some calmness into him. He was the best fucking swimmer on the team–no the county– maybe the state. He shouldn’t be stressing over one of these meets. If he wanted to break the record, this was not his only chance to do it. All he needed to do was win. He always won. He could do that in his sleep.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said.
Tommy grinned, tapping his hands against where the window met the car door. “I’ll meet you there in the morning. You got this!”
Steve grinned to himself as he drove back home. He almost didn’t even mind how quiet the house was. He turned the stereo on low and laid down on the bed. He was going to come in first in all his races tomorrow. Maybe he’d even beat the state record–if he was lucky. That said, luck wasn’t exactly something he was running low on.