( Steve is ready to take it back and apologize when he sees how Eddie reacts to the suggestion. Not that he can blame him. Steve rarely participated in bullying himself but he can't count the number of times he was passive bystander as Tommy and Carol did their best to make high school hell for any number of other kids. Sometimes he even laughed, as if it was all a big joke everyone was in on and they weren't, like, actively ruining people's teenage lives.

Before he can so much as begin to backpedal, though, Eddie's agreeing to go. Steve blinks in surprise, then relaxes and offers an easy smile in return. )

Cool.

( As they make their way outside and head across the parking lot towards the infamous woods with the Picnic Table of Class Skippage and Various Drug Deals, Steve considers that maybe he ought to be encouraging Eddie to go to class, not skip it. If Eddie manages to graduate this year then with luck he won't even be around when Vecna rears his ugly head.

Still weird as hell to even think about it like that. Steve's still not entirely sure this isn't a really, really detailed hallucination. )

You're a senior this year, right? I guess it's kind of a douchebag move to talk you into cutting class, huh? ( Why did he bring this up? It's stupid. It's not like he can go full-on Schoolhouse Rock or something. It's great to learn, 'cause knowledge is power? Yeah. No. ) You should probably be, like. I don't know. Studying.

( He finishes the sentence lamely and stuffs his hands in his pockets. Whatever. Let Eddie think he's a total weirdo. )