Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Present Day- August 1985

Today had to be the worst day of Robin Buckley’s life, and it had to be the worst day because it most certainly couldn’t be considered anything else.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Robin moaned from her spot on the floor, the day’s mail splayed out all around her in disarray.

“It’s not that bad, I mean you could’ve gotten someone way worse.” Steve was laid out on Robin’s bed, tossing a tennis ball up in the air and catching it. The sound of the ball hitting the palm of his hand was beginning to drive her crazy.

“It’s Prissy Wheeler! Name a worse person to be roommates with!” Robin said exasperatedly, why wasn’t he understanding just how dire this was?

“Tammy Thompson would have to be pretty bad.” Steve said, rolling onto his side to face her, “I mean, she would have to rehearse often.” He chuckled at his own joke before he could even get it out, “It would be like having your own personal muppet! Kermit the frog even.”

Robin rolled her eyes, “Other than Tammy Thompson, I mean I would probably even take a muppet over a woman who could strangle me in my sleep.”

“I mean, it’s kind of hot though isn’t it?” Eddie asked from the bean bag chair in the corner of Robin’s room, the old beaten up acoustic guitar he had gifted her for Christmas in his lap as he lazily plucked a chord here and there.

Robin could feel her ears burn at the connotations, “Nancy Wheeler is not hot.”

“Now Buckley, you can keep lying to yourself, but not to us.” Eddie fake scolded.

Steve chuckled, looking sideways at Robin where she was sitting with her knees against her chest, picking at her already chipped nail polish. “We know you don’t like her, Rob, it’s okay, but you have to admit, it’s not as bad as you're making it out to be.”

“And why is that, hmm?” Eddie asked with a brow raised, “What has gotten your panties in such a twist, little bird?”

Robin felt herself soften at the punk’s nickname for her. “I just don’t think I can live in the same space as someone who is so different from me.”

“That’s life babe, most of the people you’re going to meet are going to be different from you. Especially those who are different from us.” Eddie motioned between the three of them, “But that’s okay, because college is for experimenting. Maybe even Wheeler will let loose and try to lay one on you.” He teased her.

Robin’s eyes widened, whipping her head around for a weapon, taking the pillow Steve held out for her with a sigh and a roll of his eyes.

Robin stood to her feet and marched over to where Eddie was waving to her as if to say, ‘bring it on’. Lifting the pillow over her head, she swung down with all of the force she could muster, wailing on Eddie as he cackled. He leaned up, grabbing Robin by her elbows and pulling her down, twisting her into a tackle and attempting a headlock.

“Ow!” Eddie yelped, continuing on after Robin bit him, refusing to give in so easily as they both tipped out of the bean bag chair and onto the floor.

“Why am I always the babysitter?” Steve sighed, tossing the tennis ball up towards the ceiling once more, the soft pop of the ball landing back into the palm of his hand. “Play nice children. No ER visits this time, please.”

“Uncle, uncle!” Robin yelled after two more minutes of scuffling, her hair getting tangled in one of Eddie’s rings, causing her to wave the white flag.

“Alright, alright, you totally don’t want to stick your tongue down Wheeler’s throat. You definitely showed me.” Eddie giggled, crawling back into the bean bag chair and replacing the guitar in his lap.

“Steve, your boyfriend sucks.” Robin growled, crawling back to her original spot next to the bed to lick her sore wounds.

“Yeah, I do.” Eddie waggled his brows.

“Oh my god, do you ever shut up?” Robin whined, “I don’t have a crush on Nancy Wheeler, even the idea is revolting.”

“Whatever you say, little bird.” Eddie said with a two finger salute, “Us girl’s gotta stick together, I believe you.”

Robin knew he was bluffing, why did she care? Eddie could think whatever he wanted to think, he did that anyways.

“Anyways, did you sign up for any of your classes yet?” Steve asked, switching subjects and Robin couldn’t be more grateful.

“Yes, I’ve got Russian lit three days a week and then all of the boring requirements the rest of the week.” She shrugged, “Next semester I’ll be able to pick out more fun courses to take since I decided to take all of the must haves right at the beginning to get them out of the way.”

Steve nodded, running his thumb over the stitching in the tennis ball, “Well, that sounds exciting, I’m sure you’ll be too busy to even be paying attention to a roommate.”

“You gotta make sure you go to some parties though.” Eddie said, no longer interested in the guitar. “How else are you going to meet hot chicks to fuck?”

“Eddie!” Steve and Robin yelled at the same time as Eddie threw his hands up in defeat.

“Okay, damn.” He said, “I’ll mind my own damn business from now on.”

“You won’t.” Robin said with a laugh.

“What can I say, I love the drama.” Eddie said with a dramatic sigh and a hand on his chest.

Steve rolled his eyes, “Alright bud, time to drag you out of here before you end up in a body bag.” He stood to his feet and underhand threw the tennis bowl into Eddie’s lap.

“Oh come on, I can take little bird’s bony ass any day of the week.”

Robin watched the two boys leave, waving goodbye to a sheepish looking Steve as he rolled his eyes at something Eddie’s receding back was calling behind him. “I’ll be here tomorrow to help you pack.”

“Yeah, feel free to chain the dog up outside next time.” Robin said.

“I heard that!” Eddie yelled from the end of the hallway.

Steve and Robin laughed before saying goodbye for real, the bedroom door closing softly behind him.

Robin leaned back into her bed with a heavy sigh, looking around her room for what would be one of the last nights she would be spending in it until Thanksgiving. She’d be lying if she wasn’t nervous, nervous of starting fresh somewhere else without Steve to lean on. They weren’t always friends, but once they were, they had become inseparable. Even once Eddie came into the picture, he was more often a third wheel when they got together than anything else.

The problem wasn’t just that Nancy was going to be her roommate for all of freshman year, and it wasn’t the fact that she was going to have to make new friends, but it was the fact that she was going to be on her own for the first time in her life in a way that Steve or her mother being a phone call away wasn’t going to help her get acclimated to a new lifestyle that would inevitably begin around this time next week when Steve and Eddie dropped her off at Emerson.

To say Robin was a bit scared was an understatement, but she would get through it. She had to, if not for the pure fact that she had to get through being Nancy Wheeler’s roommate out of spite and to prove Eddie wrong, because Nancy Wheeler was not hot, of course she was pretty, Robin had eyeballs, but it didn’t take away from the fact that the girl was a total control freak and an even bigger goody two shoes. Normally Robin wouldn’t hold that against a person, but with Nancy it was different. With Nancy, it was personal.

Four Years Ago- October 1981

Robin was fine, she would be fine. That was what her father told her at least before he walked out of the front door with everything important to him crammed into one suitcase. Robin tried not to notice that he had left behind every father’s day gift she had ever given him, left to rot in the bottom drawer of his dresser.

“Your mom is just impossible, I’ve gotta do what’s best for me right now.” Peter Buckley had told his daughter, “I’ll see you in a little while, kid, don’t go changing on me while I’m gone.” While I’m gone, while I’m gone, whilei’mgone. Robin couldn’t stop focusing on that, as if he had intentions on coming back once the smoke cleared. She knew however that she probably wouldn’t see him until the next big holiday where he felt obligated to show his face.

‘Your mother’s impossible’. Robin scoffed now as she remembered it just how he had said it. As if it was her mother’s fault that he was banging his own secretary while her mom worked twelve hour shifts at the local diner. Robin spent most nights after that nuking leftover pancakes and salisbury steak in the microwave as she ate dinner alone, her mom returning to fall into her bed sometime after she had fallen asleep reading one book or another on Russia. If she could just get out of this small town of Hawkins and go somewhere as far away as Russia, Robin thought maybe things would get better. Maybe when the smoke cleared that’s where she would be.

Robin reached into her pocket for the joint Gareth had slipped her during homeroom, pulling it out now and tucking it between her teeth. She needed a release, something to numb the voices that were always thrumming inside her brain. When she was high, they slowed down at least. She lit the end of the tightly wrapped joint, taking a deep pull as she watched the end glow much like a cigarette. Thankfully the smell reminded her nothing of her father’s old Marlboro stench. It clung to everything in the house long after he was gone, it didn’t help that her mother picked up the habit where he had left it. Finding a crumpled carton in the back of his now empty underwear drawer, adding to the already yellowing wallpaper in the living room and kitchen.

“Why are you outside?”

Robin was pulled out of her thoughts as she quickly tried to hide the evidence behind her. “What are you, the police?” She found herself asking, letting the last lingering entrails of smoke sneak out of the corner of her lips.

Nancy Wheeler stood with her back straight, all 5’4 of her. She wore a bright neon yellow sash across her pastel pink cardigan, a long houndstooth skirt flirting with the white knit stockings that wrapped around her calves. “I’m on safety duty during study hall periods, my job is to make sure students stay in their respectful classes.”

Robin honestly didn’t think anyone would find her where she was crouched beneath the bleachers out on the football field. “That’s awfully noble of you, you just might be giving Superman a run for his money right there.” She mocked.

Nancy’s lip curled upwards in distaste, eyeing Robin as if trying to piece her together. “Are you out here smoking?”

Robin shrugged, figuring that if it wasn’t the smoke giving her away, it was definitely the smell. “Want a hit?” She asked instead, hoping that maybe she could convince Nancy to be cool just this once, however the girl had never been known for that in the whole six years she had already known her.

“I most certainly do not!” Nancy scoffed, damn near stomping her maryjane into the sand. “Put that out right now, and give it to me!” She demanded.

“Oh hell no, I paid good money for that!” Robin shook her head, “You know, you could just pretend to be a normal person every once in a while, it won’t hurt your reputation. It’s not like anyone’s going to see you smoke a doobie beneath the bleachers with a band geek.”

Nancy’s lips fell into a straight line, her brows knitting together into a scowl. She held out her hand, waiting.

Robin rolled her eyes, taking a deep pull off of the joint before stubbing it out and handing it over. “Fine, but you owe me twelve dollars.”

“You know, just because your parents are getting divorced, doesn’t give you a free pass to waste your life.” Nancy began to lecture, taking the joint daintily between forefinger and thumb. “Principal Coleman will say the same thing when I take you to him.”

Robin’s eyebrows flew up into her hairline, “When you take me?”

Nancy nodded, “It’s part of my job. Principal Coleman’s going to want to know that one of his students is doing pot right on school property.”

Robin could laugh at just how ridiculous this all was, “It’s none of your business what’s going on with my parents. And it’s definitely none of your business whether I waste my life or not!”

“Fine, don’t come with me. Either way I’m going to tell Principal Coleman that I found you out here.” Nancy threatened, wrinkling her nose at the smell of the snuffed out ‘Hawkins Pure Leaf’.

“God, you have such a god complex!” Robin groaned, “You think you’re so high and mighty with your perfect little cookie cutter family, and your prissy little clothes, and your almighty attitude, but you don’t know anything! It’s all bullshit!” She pointed a finger into Nancy’s chest, just a hair's breadth away from feeling the fabric of her cardigan, “You’re bullshit, Nancy Wheeler.” She quickly grabbed her backpack, slinging it onto her shoulder in one swift movement. “And as long as you think you’re so ahead of everyone else with your goody two shoes morals, you’re only going to hold yourself back.”

Nancy watched with a slightly open jaw as Robin stormed away from her, her eyes flicking down to the joint in her fingers before letting it drop into the dirt at her feet, grinding it down beneath her shoe. She couldn’t think of a single other time where someone other than her own brother talked to her like that. She wasn’t sure what to do with that, but she did know that she had to pay a visit to Principal Colman’s secretary, Margaret. Or maybe not, maybe just this once Nancy would let it slide. Maybe she would give Robin the benefit of the doubt.

Nancy couldn’t even imagine what it must be like for your parents to get divorced. Sure her parents didn’t get along most of the time, and Nancy was convinced more times than not that they didn’t even love each other, but her whole world would change if they decided to throw in the towel.

Nancy would give Robin Buckley a break just this one time she decided, it was the right thing to do.

Two Weeks Later- November 1981

“Jesus, aren’t you cold out here?” Nancy asked as she saw Robin out on the swing set after school when she was on her way to get on the bus.

“Don’t you ever get tired of trying to play Lois Lane?” Robin asked as she blew smoke out slowly into the frosty afternoon air.

Another Superman reference Nancy thought as she dug her nails into the palms of her hands. “Are you seriously smoking again?”

“Well, I never got in trouble last time like you insisted I would so I said what the hell right?” Robin shrugged, taking another hit and blowing it right in Nancy’s direction.

“Aren’t you afraid you’ll get caught?” Nancy asked, quickly looking around to see if anyone saw them, but nobody did.

Robin nodded, “You have no idea.”

Nancy’s brows furrowed, “Then why do you do it?”

“Because it calms my nerves, maybe you should try it. It might get that stick out of your ass.”

Nancy scoffed, crossing her arms tightly across her chest. It was cold out here with snow in the forecast for the night. “I never reported you last time.”

Now it was Robin’s turn to be surprised. “And what gave you a change of heart?” She asked and it drove Nancy crazy how she had a response for everything.

“I thought you deserved a break since nobody else was giving you one.”

“Thanks, but I’m not your charity case.” Robin said, more smoke slipping out past her lips.

Nancy tried to unfocus her eyes on the trail of smoke, instead planting her gaze firmly on the treeline behind them. “You really need to put that out before a teacher sees you.”

“So what if they see me? My mom’s always at work, she doesn’t have time to ground me. I don’t think anyone cares about my relationship with smoking as much as you do, Wheeler.”

Nancy could feel her face growing red but she chalked it up to her ears beginning to go numb and wishing she hadn’t left her gloves in her locker. “Just get out of this cold before you freeze to death, it’s supposed to snow tonight.” She turned on her heel and began speed walking to her bus, not wanting to have to walk home if she missed it.

“Thanks for the advice, Officer Krupke!” Robin called after her with a salute. “I’ll take it straight to heart.”

Nancy growled, “Next time I’m actually going to report you!” She yelled over her shoulder as she quickly retreated away from the girl.

“Promises, promises, Wheeler! Same time next week?”

Present Day- August 1985

The day was finally coming that Nancy had been counting down to for the better half of the last year ever since she had gotten an early acceptance into the college of her choice, Emerson. It wasn’t too far that she would get homesick and it wasn’t so expensive that Ted Wheeler would throw a fit for the rest of his life.

There was only one snag however, and it came in the form of a letter that she had received earlier that day.

“Robin Buckley.” She had said with a damn near sneer.

“The stoner girl that hangs out with Steve and that guy that was supposed to graduate like three years ago?” Barb asked from her spot on the edge of Nancy’s bed. She had been watching her best friend pace the floor of her bedroom for the last ten minutes.

“Yeah, that’s her.” Nancy ground through her teeth. She couldn’t do this, live side by side with such a freak. Nancy wasn’t one to normally judge someone else for their life choices, but everything about Robin Buckley rubbed her the wrong way.

Barb’s brow raised, intrigue in just how bothered Nancy was by her. Up until this very moment she had never even heard Nancy talk about Robin, and they had been best friends for as long as she could remember. “Why exactly don’t you like her again?” Barb asked, pretending that she had once known the answer.

Nancy waived her hand dismissively, shaking her head. “It’s not important, what is important is that I get a different roommate before moving in next week.”

“What are you going to do, call the school and demand a switch?” Barb asked with a small laugh.

Nancy’s lips were pinched into a tight line, she had a handful of run ins with Robin over the years, none of which were ever pleasant. It was as if she was purely put on this Earth to cause her annoyance. “You wouldn’t want to live with her either Barb, trust me.”

“Come on Nance, try me. I’m sure you’re right, but if it’s that bad maybe I could help if I knew what happened between you two.” Barb tried to reason.

“There is no two of us.” Nancy said vehemently, “And it’s not even because she’s gay.” She quickly said, “She just sucks as a person and it has nothing to do with who she does or doesn’t sleep with.”

Barb threw her hands up, “I wasn’t even going to suggest that.”

Nancy began pacing again, biting at her thumb nail that she had wedged between her teeth, quickly stopping herself and pulling the now slightly chipped nail from her mouth. “She just hates me and I’m not particularly fond of her either. It’s fine though, I’ll call first thing tomorrow morning and get this all sorted out, it’ll be a quick and easy switch and then I can go back to being excited for a fresh start.”

Present Day- August 1985

“I’m sorry Miss Wheeler, but all of the dorm rooms are full.” The secretary on the other end of the phone line spoke in a tinny tone. “I could put you on a waitlist for next year and you would have first choice come May for a room transfer, but unless you want to drop out of the room all together, there’s not really anything else I can do for you as of today.”

Nancy nearly growled over the phone to this poor woman, someone who was clearly just working her 9 to 5 and hoping to get home to her family by dinner time. She swiped a hand over her face, nodding her head before remembering the woman couldn’t see her. “Yes, ma’am. I understand.”

“So do you want me to put you on a waiting list?”

“Yes, that’ll be great, thank you.” Nancy wished the woman a good rest of her day before hanging up, the thought of bashing the landline through the wallpapered wall of her kitchen and screaming, a tempting fate that would surely empty her savings with a new phone replacement and a patch in the wall.

“Everything okay, Dear?” Karen Wheeler asked her daughter from where she stood at the kitchen island prepping lunch. She glanced up at Nancy, studying the young girl’s slightly flushed and frustrated face.

Nancy shook her head, faking a smile, one her mother knew all too well and had seen a hundred times before. “Just finalizing everything for next week.”

“You don’t like who your roommate is?”

That fake smile again, “It’s fine.”

“Do you want your father to call?” Karen asked.

Nancy’s face grew hotter, “They just got done telling me all of the rooms were full, what’s Dad going to do?” Before Karen could respond she continued, “What, because he’s a man he’ll just fix everything with the tone of his voice?”

Karen sighed, turning back to the salad she was prepping. “Honey, I wish you wouldn’t twist my words when you get like this.”

“Get like what, Mom?” Nancy asked, almost a dare in her voice.

Karen just bit her tongue, one week and the only way she would be able to talk to her daughter would be over the phone until Thanksgiving. She wanted to leave things on good terms with her. “Forget I said anything, Sweetheart. Help me set the table for lunch.”

Three Years Ago- September 1982

Sophomore year began tomorrow, and instead of being moisturized and in bed by 10, Nancy Wheeler found herself on her fifth room temperature beer in Steve Harrington’s quarter of a million dollar house, with what felt like the rest of the 1985 graduating class and then some.

“Nancy, over here!” Steve called to her from where he was planted against a wall talking to Tommy Hagan and Carol Perkins, two people of whom she was still getting used to being around. Nancy was still getting used to a lot of things.

Nancy began heading in that direction, finishing off her red solo cup and taking a detour for a quick refill before heading over to her boyfriend.

“Well, look who it is.” A low raspy voice called to her from over the kitchen island as Nancy looked up to match a face to the annoyingly familiar voice.

Robin Buckley sat on the kitchen counter, back pressed against the cabinets as she took a deep pull of what Nancy could only presume was a joint, the end glowing in the slightly hazy room. A form of deja vu swept over Nancy before realizing that the girl wasn’t alone this time.

Jonathan Byers took the joint from Robin’s outstretched hand and took a toke of it before passing it over to Gareth, a new kid Nancy had never paid too much attention to.

“I can’t believe Prissy Wheeler is here, living it up with the likes of us, boys!” Robin smirked with what she said next, “Better be careful, people might start considering you a human being.” And with that Nancy wanted to smack the smirk right off of her face.

Nancy moved towards the taller girl with conviction, Jonathan and Gareth quickly making themselves scarce as she reached where Robin was, trying to avoid looking anywhere but at her annoying face. When did she get so tall? Not that Nancy could really tell how tall she was due to her current seated form, but her legs were just so long now.

“Gonna have to charge you if you stare any longer.” Robin said again, making Nancy’s blood boil. It brought her back to that time she shoved Troy Walsh over for making fun of Dustin Henderson’s teeth. She’ll never forget when Mrs. Walsh called her mother and told her she needed to have Nancy apologize to her son.

“You are so irritating.” Nancy groaned.

“And yet you’re over here staring at me instead of standing next to ‘The King’ like a good little girlfriend.” Robin said, grabbing the cup that had been sitting beside her and taking a sip. She had a challenge written all over her face, it was as if just seeing Nancy set a fire within her and Nancy was just itching to put it out.

“What is your problem with me?” Nancy asked, exasperated. She truly didn’t understand it, sure she might’ve said something about her parent’s divorce, but the whole school had known about it, it wasn’t like it was a secret.

“My problem?” Robin rolled her eyes, “It’s not like I’m obsessed with you or anything, you always seem to find me.”

“I’m in my own boyfriend’s house, sue me.” Nancy said, taking a heavy swig from her cup, a small droplet escaping past her lips and dribbling down her chin. She swiped at it with the back of her hand, “Besides, if you didn’t want me to come over here, why did you say anything to me in the first place?”

“Maybe I just felt like being a dick, but considering that, you sure seem to like dicks for company considering your new crowd you’ve joined.” Robin said distastefully.

“If you hate Steve so much, why are you even here?” Nancy questioned, moving a half step closer.

Robin eyed her proximity, she swallowed. “Free beer and entertainment.” She supplied.

Nancy hummed, her head cocking to the side. “It’d have nothing to do with anything else?”

Robin’s eyebrows raised, “What are you implying, Wheeler?”

Nancy chuckled, “Maybe instead of hating Steve so much, you actually like him and you’re jealous of me.”

“You are so off base.” Robin laughed, sliding off of the counter and now being fully in Nancy’s bubble.

Nancy took the half step back to lengthen the gap between them. “I don’t think I am.” She could feel the beer really taking its toll on her. She should probably go home soon, but she was in no state to drive and Steve wasn’t going to leave in the middle of his own party.

Robin stepped in closer to refill the space and Nancy just really wished she hadn’t even gone over to her. She didn’t have any fight in her, but she was sure that would change if Robin pushed her any further. “You are, believe me. I don’t like your boyfriend as much as I don’t like you. I’m not so fond of dickheads, in fact I think I’m gonna get out of here, this is all bullshit.” A call back to before when she had told Nancy that she was bullshit.

She pushed past Nancy, dumping the rest of her cup into the sink and chucking out the cup. “Later Wheeler, don’t forget your Advil in the morning, you’re going to need it.”

Nancy could feel something bubbling up inside of her then, but she couldn’t direct it at Robin before she was out of sight. Suddenly she was feeling a hand grabbing at her elbow and her vision blurred.

“Hey, why didn't you come over?” Steve asked as he turned her to face him.

“Why did you invite her?” Nancy bit back, not even bothering to answer him. She couldn't hear his question over her anger.

“Invite who? The whole school is practically here. You know how these parties go, one person hears about it and then everyone does.”

“She likes you, you know.” Nancy continued, crossing her arms over her chest.

Steve chuckled, now he understood what was going on. “Who are we talking about?” He asked with a smirk, making Nancy want to go feral.

“Robin Buckley.” Nancy spit, her voice quickly escalating, causing Steve to look around nervously as she drew attention towards them.

He grabbed her arm and dragged her to the nearby powder room. After shutting the door, he turned to Nancy. “You know, jealousy doesn't really work on you, Babe.”

“You think I'm jealous?” Nancy scoffed.

Steve's face couldn't be more confused if he tried. “Well, yeah. I mean, that's what this is about right? Some chick has a crush on me and you're going crazy about it.”

Nancy began to laugh, not even bothering to notice Steve's fallen features.

“Nancy, I love you. I don't even know who this Robin chick is.” Steve began to explain.

“It's bullshit.” Nancy slurred, wavering ever so slightly on her feet. She leaned against the sink to try and hide it.

“What's bullshit, you think I'm bullshit?”

“It's bullshit. You're bullshit.”

“You're drunk.” Steve said, “Let me take you home.”

Nancy pulled away from him, “No, you're drunk.”

“Nancy, please.” Steve pleaded, pinching the bridge of his nose between forefinger and thumb in annoyance. “You're ruining the party. This was supposed to be fun, us hanging out. You're letting some girl I don't even know ruin our night.”

“Us hanging out?” Nancy rolled her eyes, “Steve, practically the whole school is here, like you said. How is this us hanging out?”

Steve sighed, “Let me just take you home, you should get some sleep before school tomorrow. Make sure you sleep this off.”

“Wouldn't you much prefer me in your bed then? That way you don't have to leave your precious party?” Nancy wasn't letting up at all, not even a little bit.

“Are you serious right now?”

Nancy shrugged, “It's all bullshit anyway.”

“Would you stop saying bullshit.” Steve had had enough, it was starting to get late and he didn't want to cause anymore of a scene than Nancy already did.

“We're done Steve, I don't want to be your girlfriend anymore.” Nancy said, her eyes looking to be more tired than anything. “We don't fit together like I thought we would.” She continued.

“Nancy, come on. You don't mean that. Nancy, I love you.” Steve held out a hand to rub down Nancy's arm. “Don't you love me?”

Nancy felt her lip quiver ever so slightly before shaking her head. “It was just a fantasy, Steve. Me thinking I could fit in with you, but that's not me. I'll never be the popular girl.”

Steve rolled his eyes, “I'm not asking you to be. I've always liked you for you, Nance. Not the person you think I want you to be.”

Nancy just shook her head, “I've got to go Steve, I'm drunk. I've got to call Barb, she'll take me home.” She brushed past him to get to the powder room door, she couldn't look at his face. Not the way she had just hurt him, it was written all over him.

“I can't believe you're letting some girl change us.” Steve whispered in disbelief. “I love you and you want to throw it all away because you're threatened that what, I'll want somebody else? All I see is you Nancy, how could I see anything else?”

“Bye Steve.” Nancy said sadly, her mind had been made up. There was no going back, Nancy didn't second guess herself often.

Present Day- August 1985

“Was that the last of it?” Steve asked as he handed the last box over to Eddie who was loading the back of his van.

“Yup, my whole life is packed into four boxes.” Robin said, her voice a bit hollow. Everything was real now, the day was here where they would take their 13 hour road trip to Boston and start what would be the next 8 months, give or take, of academic and social torture.

“Don't forget the duffle bag, can't forget that.” Eddie said with a toothy smile.

“We'll just be a phone call away.” Steve reminded her.

“Yeah, a phone call and 900 miles away.” Robin said with a pout.

Steve just smiled at her, holding out his arms and motioning with his hands for her to bring it in. Robin threw herself into his arms without a second thought, jumping into his arms and wrapping her legs around his waist. He buckled his knees to support her before wrapping his arms beneath her legs to double down. “It’ll all work out Robbie.” He soothed her, rocking her side to side.

“Aw, I want in on this!” Eddie wrapped his arms around both of them, causing Steve’s grip to loosen as Robin dropped back down onto her own feet, nearly taking him with her from her hands being clasped behind his neck.

“Did you say goodbye to your mom yet?” Steve asked.

Robin rolled her eyes, “You know, you better not sneak over here to visit my mom while I’m gone.”

Steve feigned shock, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Eddie chuckled at his antics.

“I don’t need you two talking about me while I’m not here.” Robin lectured.

“Who said they’d be talking?” Eddie leered.

Steve shrugged, “Hey, Leah is a beautiful woman, if It weren’t for Eddie I’d take care of her. I’d do right by Leah.” He held a hand over his heart to emphasize his words.

Robin shook her head, “You’re ridiculous.”

“What, your mom’s hot.” Eddie said with a shrug, heading towards the driver’s side door, the metal squeaking as it opened to its full extent.

“Thank you, Edward.” Steve said gallantly before heading towards the passenger side.

“You two are incorrigible.” Robin sighed, slipping onto the bench seat after Steve.

“And you wouldn’t want it any other way.” Eddie said, turning the key in the ignition as the engine came to life beneath them. He shifted the gear shift, turning his head over his shoulder as he began to back out of the Buckley driveway.

“To new beginnings?” Steve bumped shoulders with his best friend. “We’ll visit, I promise.”

Robin nodded silently, smiling a soft smile before leaning her head onto Steve’s shoulder. “I’m so glad you had a crush on me back at Ships Ahoy!”

“Hey, I’m glad you didn’t have a crush on me back at Ships Ahoy!” Steve chuckled, “But who knows, maybe we would just be in a throuple right now.”

“I could see it.” Robin joked, turning her attention out the passenger side window as she watched the houses on her street slowly pass them by. Things were about to change, and she wasn’t sure whether it would be for better or worse. Only time would tell.

Two Years Ago- July 1983

“Just one more free sample, come on!” Mike Wheeler whined from his side of the counter, eyeing Robin down with as much determination as he could muster.

“Hey, Dingus! Come get your child before I tell him where he can shove his free sample spoon!” Robin called over the counter behind her where Steve was on break. “Don’t worry twerp, Daddy’s coming.” Robin snarked before slipping away from the counter to trade spots with Steve.

“Come on guys, I told you you can’t just hang out here all day eating free samples. It’s not really free anymore if you try everything twice.” Steve sighed, repositioning his sailors hat atop his head, his hair needing to be bobby pinned to said hat so it wouldn’t fall off.

“Just one more!” Will Byers spoke up, “Uh, please.” He shifted his eyes awkwardly between Steve and Robin when they both turned their attention to him with brows raised in amusement.

Steve huffed, throwing his hands up in quick defeat. “Okay, fine! But after this I don’t want to see you guys here the rest of the week!” He pointed a finger at each and every one of them, lingering on Mike before grabbing five tasting spoons.

“Thought I'd find you here.” A voice called from the front entrance. “If it’s not the arcade or the movies, it’s always ice cream.”

“Yeah, we’re pretty damn predictable, huh Nancy?” Dustin agreed with a toothy grin.

Nancy rolled her eyes, waving them on. “Let’s go, I have to meet up with Jonathan.”

Robin was taken aback by Nancy’s abrupt entrance, not having bumped into her since, well, everything had changed. Now Nancy was dating Jonathan and Robin didn’t see much of her friend anymore. She took a side glance at Steve who was trying to avoid looking at the curly haired girl, his jaw tensing as he focused instead on the glass countertop.

The four boys plus Max all began their trudge back to where their ride home was waiting, not so patiently with the door to the ice cream parlor wide open for them to start passing beneath her outstretched arm. Nancy looked at Steve and then at Robin, making eye contact where she didn’t want it, if her quick look away could say anything about it. She did look like she wanted to say something, looking back to Robin one more time, between her and Steve more importantly, as her hand fidgeted on the door before quickly turning on her heel and following the kids out.

“What the hell was that about?” Robin asked as soon as her and Steve were alone.

“What, Nancy?” Steve asked, shaking his head and sliding down the counter to sit behind it. “I have no idea.”

“She looked like she wanted to say something.” Robin started, sitting down on the floor across from him, sharpied converse mirroring his beat up white sneakers next to her. “You know, it’s pretty funny. She got me in trouble for smoking weed and now she’s dating Jon Byers, I mean, he used to be a bigger stoner than me.” She said in disbelief. She noticed Steve's still drawn face, nudging his knee and she asked, “You don’t still like her do you?”

“Do you?” Steve asked back, his eyes lifting to meet Robin’s.

Robin felt her blood pressure spike, “Do I what?”

“Like Nancy, because it sure seems that you’re more bothered by her dating Jonathan Byers than I am.”

“He was my friend, that’s all.” Robin said, rubbing the back of her neck. “After everything with you and Nancy blew up before Sophomore year, Jon and I kind of stopped talking. He didn’t want to smoke anymore, which was fine. It’s not like that’s all we did, but he just left Gareth and I in the dirt.”

Steve nodded, “That’s the power of Nancy Wheeler, she’s all consuming without even trying to be.”

Robin rolled her eyes, “Oh come on, she’s just a girl.”

“Yeah well, you’ll meet someone like her some day, and then you’ll understand.” Steve said with a sigh, hearing the bell on the front door chime, alerting them to a customer. He slowly stood to his feet, holding out a hand for her to take. “”Now don’t you want to see me totally hit it off with this babe?” He jutted his chin in the direction of whoever just walked in the door.

Robin chuckled, “I’ll get the whiteboard.”

It was a couple weeks later before Robin ran into Nancy again. She was on her way in for work, riding her bike up into the bike rack, chaining it up before heading inside, when Nancy’s Mercury station wagon pulled up beside her.

“I’ll be back at 5.” Nancy’s voice called from the car, her little brother Mike slipping out from the passenger seat and slamming the door shut behind him.

“Hey, watch it!” Nancy yelled as Mike ignored her, storming past Robin and into the Starcourt Mall.

“Do you get paid to be a chauffeur now?” Robin asked her when she saw that Nancy had noticed her standing there.

Nancy sighed, her hands flexing and unflexing on the steering wheel. “Do you get paid to date other people’s ex boyfriends?”

Robin guffawed, she couldn't’ be serious. This shit again. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” She bit out through gritted teeth. Why was it always so frustrating talking to her?

“What, I was right wasn’t I?” Nancy asked.

“No princess, you weren’t right. I know that might be a new experience for you, but thinking Harrington and I are together has got to be the most hilarious thing you’ve ever said. I guess ‘the straight laced’ can be funny sometimes too.”

“You know, you have quite a lot of assumptions about me for someone who doesn’t even know me.” Nancy said, leaning over the passenger seat towards her.

“Yeah well, it seems to me that the feeling is mutual.” Robin said, crossing her arms over her chest. She couldn’t help but feel like she was under a magnifying glass yet again in front of Nancy Wheeler. “As much as I’ve always enjoyed our little chats, I’ve got to head inside. Can’t be late for the third day in a row or I just might lose my spot next to ‘The King’ for the rest of the summer.” She jutted a thumb over her shoulder, “Later, Wheeler.” She said before turning her back and beginning the trek inside.

“Be careful with him.” Nancy called out once more. “Steve puts on a whole facade for everyone else, but he is really a sweet guy.”

“Guess that didn’t quite matter in the end though, did it?” Robin asked, not waiting for an answer before heading inside.

Nancy shifted her jaw in aggravation before shifting her eyes down to her car’s clock and seeing she was going to be late to meet up with Jonathan, put the car in gear and skirted out of the parking lot before she could waste another thought on the girl who hated her guts.

Present Day- August 1985

“Okay Honey, that’s everything. You’re father’s waiting in the car with Holly.” Karen Wheeler fidgeted her hands as she often did when she didn’t know what to do with them.

“It’s okay Mom, I’ll be fine.” Nancy assured her, looking around the closet sized dorm room and the bunk bed that sat harrowing in the corner. Robin hadn’t shown up yet so she still had a bit of time to try and settle in before she was permanently annoyed for the rest of the semester.

Karen eyed her daughter, her gut telling her there was more beneath the surface that she was hiding. She didn’t want to pry however, Nancy was always upset when she did. “Okay, well I will call you when we get home tomorrow and we can set up a phone schedule for updates on your classes.” Her lip quivered ever so slightly on that last word. It was happening, her first baby out of the nest. She swore all she did was blink her eyes, next it will be Mike, and she had no idea what she would do once Holly went off to college. Being in that big house all alone with Ted made her stomach flutter with anxiety.

Nancy stepped closer to her mom, feeling the overwhelming need to wrap the older woman up in her arms and never let go. But eventually she would have to, and she’d much rather Robin’s first look at their dorm room not be with her holding on to her mom like a life preserver. Who needed it more, was undecided at that moment.

Karen quickly swiped beneath her eyes to avoid the bleeding mascara as she held her daughter's shoulders between her hands. The next time she would see Nancy so much would be different, so many experiences she will have had by Thanksgiving. She just hoped she wouldn’t miss so much of it.

“I love you Mom, I’ll call you.” Nancy said with a small smile, a brave one that told her mom that she would be okay. “I have Robin here, so I won’t be able to forget Hawkins that easily.” She reassured her once more, telling her mom that she and Robin were actually friends helped her Mom’s anxiety she thought, so she allowed the facade to float over the reality that would be coming in the door any minute now presumably. It was getting to be dinner time and classes started tomorrow.

Karen nodded her head, kissing Nancy’s cheek before lifting her purse and tucking it beneath her elbow. “I love you too, Sweetie.” She whispered wetly before turning her back and shutting the door behind her.

Nancy let out a heavy sigh as she felt all of the weight leave her chest. She was free. Free from her parent’s looming expectations and her siblings' constant noise. She was for once in her life free from being anything but herself, alone for the first real time in her life.

She began unpacking her belongings, tucking her clothes into the empty drawers of one of the two dressers, hanging some of her dresses and skirts on the left side of the small closet. She took the desk furthest from the door, already growing fond of the natural light pouring over the pine wood from the sole window in the room right above it.

She organized and put the rest of her things away, before deciding whether she wanted the top or bottom bunk. She was never a fan of the top bunk personally, thinking back to the time when she and Mike shared a room when they were much younger, the dark haired boy constantly pushing his feet up into the bottom of th e top bunk’s mattress. “First come, first serve.” She muttered to herself as she made the bed and placed her knitted blanket and pillow atop the bottom bunk. “Robin will just have to deal with it.”

Present Day- August 1985

Robin dragged her duffle bag up the two flights of stairs after insisting that she could do it on her own. Steve and Eddie didn’t say a word as they followed behind her with two boxes each so they could do it all in one trip.

“Don’t. Say. A Word.” Robin said through gritted teeth as she hit each stair to enunciate her words.

Steve shrugged as if there wasn’t anything to even say, just mindlessly following behind her like always.

Eddie took up the rear, “Say, could we, uh move it along any faster? I think I got the heavier boxes.” He said with a smirk.

Robin groaned, finishing the last couple steps up onto the second floor landing, blowing air up at her bangs to get them out of her eyes. “By all means big boy, the door’s right here.”

Eddie didn’t wait a second longer, pushing past both Steve and Robin and out into the hallway of the Emerson girls dorm. “Ladies.” He nodded towards a few passing girls giving him odd looks before giggling and walking past him.

“See? Chicks dig me.” He said, spinning towards his friends.

“Not as much as I dig you.” Steve said with a wink.

“Jealous, Stevie?” Eddie asked, his tongue poking out between his teeth.

“Alright boys, move it.” Robin pushed into Eddie, dragging the duffle bag with her out into the hall.

“What’s the rush? Are you itching to get into a fight already?” Eddie asked.

“Oh she can’t go seven seconds without jumping all over Nancy about something stupid.” Steve chimed in.

“Oh I know, it’s like just rip her clothes off and jump her already.” Eddie chuckled.

Robin gave him a warning look, quickly peering around them for nearby ears. Thankfully nobody was around at that moment. “Keep you’re fucking voice down. The whole dorm doesn’t need to know about me. And stop pushing the ‘I love Nancy Wheeler’ agenda.”

“Hey, who said anything about love?” Eddie jeered.

“I am actually going to kill you if we don’t make it to my dorm room in the next minute.”

“What number was it again?” Steve asked, helping switch subjects.

“213.”

10 Months Ago- October 1984

Robin Buckley had had her fair share of terrible afternoons, but this had to be quickly skyrocketing to third or second place.

“GIRL FAG” spray painted across her locker glared ugly back at her as she frantically tried to scrub it off before anyone else could see it. She was more than sure that most of the student body already had seen it, but maybe she was lucky enough that they didn’t know who’s locker it belonged to.

“Do you need help?” A familiar voice called over her shoulder, causing Robin to flinch.

“Just go away.” Robin bit out, scrubbing hard at the spray paint as it slowly began to smear beneath the duress.

“Nail polish remover.”

Robin whirled around to face her, “What?”

Nancy started digging in her messenger bag. “I think I have some.” She pulled out a small bottle, “It’ll help get the paint off.” She held it out as a peace offering.

Robin gingerly took it from Nancy’s outstretched hand, “Why are you being nice to me?” She asked as she unscrewed the cap and began to pour some onto the rag the janitor had given her.

“I’ve never not been nice to you.” Nancy said, pushing her bag back up her arm. “Do you want help?” She asked.

Robin hesitated, “Apparently being gay is contagious, wouldn’t want them to spray paint your locker next.”

Nancy rolled her eyes, “Which one said that, Carol or Tommy?”

Robin shrugged, “Probably both of them.”

Nancy dropped her bag onto the ground next to the lockers, rolling the sleeves up on her blazer. “Do you have an extra rag?”

Robin nodded, handed over the extra one Mr. Harris had given her before saying he would be back to check on her progress in a little bit. She had no idea why she was being punished by the school janitor for something she didn’t do, but she could totally understand him not wanting to have to do it himself.

Nancy poured some of the nail polish remover onto her own rag and began to scrub the locker, the spray paint beginning to give up its fight on the metal door.

“Maybe I’m the one who always jumps the gun.” Robin says suddenly, looking sideways at Nancy. “I always just assume the worst and beat you to it before you can even dictate what happens next.”

Nancy just listens for a while, quietly removing the homophobic slur from the locker while Robin takes care of her side “Truce?” She asks finally, holding out her hand for Robin to shake. “I heard you applied to Emerson, maybe we could be roommates.”

Robin balked, closing her mouth before she could embarrass herself any further. “You’d want to be my roommate even after my secret got out?” She asked.

“So it’s true?” Nancy asked, “I wasn’t sure if it was just a rumor or not.”

Robin could feel the nerves starting to get to her, “Yeah, well I told you you were way off base thinking Steve and I were dating.”

Nancy chuckled, “Yeah, well you two sure do a bad job at trying to beat the allegations.” She bent down and grabbed her bag, pulling it back onto her shoulder.

“It’s easier that way.” Robin shrugged, “And I do love him, just like a brother or a best friend.”

Nancy nodded, “He definitely liked you though; at least in the beginning. I saw that Steve glance once or twice when I was picking up the kids.”

Robin laughed, “Yeah well, I can’t help it if I’m just so irresistible.”

Nancy rolled her eyes, “You know, I wouldn’t have minded being your friend.”

Robin could feel something bristle within her at the words. “Who said I wanted to be friends?” She asked, “What, you think I have some big lesbian crush on you or something? Does it make you feel better knowing you helped out the local pervert when nobody else was looking?”

Nancy took a step back in shock, though she should have anticipated it at this point. Robin and her were just not destined to be friends. She had to be okay with the fact that some people just didn’t like her, and it wasn’t like Robin gave a shit whether Nancy liked her or not either. “I don’t know why I even tried.” Nancy said with a scoff, “Clearly you don’t want or need the help. I’m sorry I even came over.”

“Yeah, run back to what’s safe Wheeler. Tell Jon I said hi.” Robin bit out, shaking her head and turning back to the final curvature of the letter g, scrubbing so hard she started taking the paint of the locker off with it.

Nancy could feel her lip shake, unsure of what she did to make this girl hate her so much. It had to be more than anything she was responsible for. At the same time however, she just always seemed to say the wrong thing. She had no idea where to even begin with the right thing.

Present Day- August 1985

Nancy debated staying in the room until Robin got there, but she wasn’t so sure she was ready to face the girl yet and be ridiculed for whatever dumb thing came out of her mouth. Instead she decided to make her way down towards the school bookstore and pick up the few texts that she still needed before classes started tomorrow.

She grabbed a coffee on her way back, debating maybe grabbing something in case Robin was there, but decided against it because she had no idea what the girl liked, and besides they weren’t friends. She didn’t deserve the courtesy.

Taking a detour to the payphone outside the dorm, she called Jonathan to let him know that she was settled in and that she missed him. Of course she said this all to a message machine considering he was probably out either playing chauffeur now that she was gone, or perhaps picking up a second shift at Melvald’s if Joyce was out with Hopper.

She hung up the phone, taking the steps slowly back up to the second floor, counting down the seconds to all peace being lost for the next several months.

Unlocking the door to room ‘213’, she could already hear the shuffling of boxes inside. Opening the door slowly, as if she hadn’t already announced herself with the key in the lock, Nancy Wheeler came face to face with Robin Buckley for the first time in ten months.

“I’m so glad you took the bottom bunk, I’ve always wanted a bunk bed ever since I was a little kid but my parents didn’t see the point in buying two beds for one kid so I always had to pretend I could touch the ceiling.” Robin said before Nancy could even set down her purse.

“Well good, cause I used to have the top bunk growing up and hated it as a kid.” Nancy said with a small smile. Maybe, just maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all.

Present Day- August 1985

“Just be cool, when Nancy gets back just be cool.” Steve said as he and Eddie stood by the door getting ready to leave.

“Yeah, you want to make it through at least the first day without tearing out each other’s throats. That’s all the fun for the second date.” Eddie said.

“You really want to die today don’t you? Eddie, don't you love your boyfriend? Wouldn’t you like to live another day with him?” Robin asked, sickeningly sweet.

Steve sighed, taking his best girl by the shoulders and holding her steady. “I know you’re nervous for a fresh start, but think about it. You can be whatever you want to be here, whoever you want. You can finally actually meet someone if you want to, or you can focus on the Russian lit, whatever makes you happy. But that’s the whole point here, college can do for you what Hawkins couldn’t, which is make you happy.”

“Yeah Little Bird, you’ll finally get to spread your wings and fly, but you have to let yourself do that.” Eddie said, “All jokes aside, Wheeler is probably the best case scenario for being your roommate. She’s not a complete stranger, and she knows about you. Maybe it’s a sign to get past your differences and make nice even if it’s just for a couple months.”

Robin sighed, knowing they were right. She couldn’t keep this up for forever, she would be exhausted by this time tomorrow night. “Okay.” She said instead, letting Steve pull her into a giant bear hug that lifted her off of the ground like a rag doll. She hugged him just as hard. “Just be the Rob we know and love.” He said somewhere into her hair.

Robin nodded, staying silent as she could feel the tears threatening to spill over, her chin wobbled. “I love you guys.”

Eddie completed the group hug then, slamming his chest into Steve’s back and wrapped his arms around Robin’s shoulders. “We love you too, Little Bird.”

Present Day- August 1985

Robin went to bed that night fairly quickly, the college issued mattress not nearly as bad as she was expecting. She had finished putting her few belongings away pretty quickly and then meandered out onto campus to find dinner at the dining hall with Nancy in tow.

She wasn’t sure how long the niceties would last, but she was going to take it as it came. It wouldn’t be her that broke the calm this time.

In fact it only took all of three weeks before they were right back to where they started again.

Chapter Text

Present Day- September 1985

A couple days after settling in Robin was as busy as ever trying to fill her time outside of classes and studying with enrichment. Strolling past the bulletin board on the main stretch of campus, she looked over all of the flyers hanging up advertising different clubs and events that were coming up. She pulled multiple tabs with phone numbers and addresses and decided on joining a bowling league and a gay straight alliance group.

Next on her agenda was finding a job, because she had been working since she was fifteen years old, and frankly couldn’t go without the consistent stream of funds now. She took a trip over to the coffee shop on the edge of the Language and Arts building to apply for an early shift that she could go to before her classes started.

Basically within an afternoon Robin filled her whole schedule up so that she didn’t have much time left to spend in her shared dorm with Nancy, and more importantly less time for her to spend in her own head.

It wasn’t that her and Nancy weren’t getting along, in fact things had kind of calmed down between them and it was odd to say the least. For the first week they ate most of their meals together in the dining hall, saying goodnight before they went to bed, and even grabbing the other snacks from the convenience store on the edge of campus.

As far as Robin was concerned most people would probably consider that a blossoming friendship, and they would be right, however she still felt the need to be on her toes at almost any given moment around the other girl.

“Have you been to the coffee shop yet?” Robin has asked after returning from her trip to the library to grab one of the Russian books she needed for an assignment.

Nancy looked up from where she was curled up on her bed reading, glasses on the tip of her nose, which Robin hadn’t been aware the girl needed until the day before and it had sent her heart into a tiny panic. She must’ve been coming down with anxiety for the new job she had just acquired.

“Yeah, I went the first day we moved in.” Nancy said before looking back down at her book.

“Cool.” Robin nodded, dropping her bag and keys onto her desk. “I just got a job there so I’ll probably not be around much in the mornings so you’ve got the room to yourself for whatever.”

Nancy didn’t say anything at first, seemingly lost in her book before her brow furrowed and she looked up again to see Robin rifling through her bag. “What do you mean by that?”

“By what?” Robin asked, finding the half eaten donut from earlier and stuffing it into her mouth.

“That I can have the room for whatever.” Nancy repeated.

“Uh,” Robin shrugged, mouth still chewing. “Just you know, everyone needs alone time sometimes so yeah, i don’t know.” She flopped down into her desk chair. “Why are you interrogating me?”

Nancy felt the ugly head of something wanting to rise up out of her throat, but she swallowed it down. There was just something about Robin that made her want to scream. It was ridiculous and frankly a bit odd, but Nancy chose to ignore it. “Never mind.” Nancy said instead, going back to her book and hoping that would be the end of it.

“Okayyy.” Robin drawled out, finishing her donut before opening her notebook and beginning to work on her essay. She could never understand why Nancy wanted to always jump at her throat, but on the other hand, she couldn’t really explain why she did it either.

It was the first Friday of the semester and everyone on campus was murmuring about the parties that all of the different frats and sororities would be hosting. Robin had already been handed numerous flyers advertising the different parties and which ones offered free jello shots, when she was reminded that she needed to call Steve to let him know how the first week went.

“So how is everything?” Steve’s eager voice echoed through the shitty payphone. “I see you’re still alive, does the same go for Nancy?” She could hear the smile in his voice and her chest ached with how much she missed him already.

“Yes, the princess is still alive and well, trying her best not to rip my head off I should say.” Robin chuckled, “I’m proud of my own strength, you know you have a very strong best friend, Harrington.”

“Oh yes, I know.” Steve laughed, “She’s also her own worst enemy.”

Robin rolled her eyes, fingering the cord of the phone as she waited for him to ask something, anything to change subjects.

“So come on, tell me everything! How’s college, or more importantly how hot are the girls?”

Robin grinned, “You have no idea Stevie, you just keep watching those movies Keith lets you borrow without renting.” She looked around to see if anyone was nearby, but thankfully it was still the morning time when most were in class so the walkway was clear of lingering bodies and she was able to give the full details. “I actually joined a gay straight alliance club and got a job at the coffee shop, oh and I joined the bowling league too.”

“Wow, you’ve been busy.” Steve said in admiration.

“Yeah, well you’re not here.” Robin shrugged, knowing that Steve could imagine her in that very moment doing just that. He could probably imagine the look on her face as well. “It’s not like Nancy is much for conversation.” And she hadn’t been, though they have been friendly as of late, they didn’t really talk about much outside of the basic 'how are yous’ and ‘the weather is nice today’.

“Yeah, well maybe it’s because you haven’t really gotten to know her yet. Believe me, the Nancy Wheeler I know is a chatterbox.” Steve tried to ensure her.

“Yeah, but she’s not really the Nancy you knew, is she?” Robin asked.

“Well, no. No, I guess not.” Steve said solemnly, all these years and a boyfriend later and Steve still could get sore about the subject. He cleared his throat as she could hear Eddie yelling at him to stop bumming her out. “Anyways, have you been to any parties yet?”

“I’m thinking of going to one tonight actually.” Robin looked down at her small pile of neon colored flyers, “There’s a couple different ones going on tonight, so the world is my oyster.”

“Are they frat parties?” Steve asked, and Robin could detect the excitement in his voice even from 900 miles away. She chuckled, “Sororities too.”

“Oh well then it’s a no brainer.” Steve said, “You’ve gotta go with a sorority!”

“Well obviously.” Robin smiled, turning away from the walkway for some privacy, “How else am I supposed to get laid?” She whispered into the phone.

“That’s my birdie!” Eddie yelled from the background.

“How the hell did he hear that?”

“He had his ear pressed up against the other side of the phone.”

“Of course.” Robin smiled even harder, she missed her boys already. “I miss you guys.”
“We’ll be there to visit soon.” Steve said, “Probably the end of the month after I get my paycheck.”

“So are you really going to try and ride the magic carpet tonight?” Eddie asked and she could hear a struggle on the other end. “No Steve, it’s my turn! You’re hogging the phone.” Robin held the phone away from her ear as she heard a bunch of rough housing before Eddie came back in clear as day. “Sorry Birdie, Stevie here just misses you dearly, but I’ve just got to give you some advice.” He cleared his throat, “Don’t be stupid, okay maybe a little stupid, be clean, safe, and don’t forget a rubber. They make lady ones of those right?”

Robin laughed, “Yes.”

“Okay good, then yeah don’t forget a rubber.” A beat, “And thus concludes practice safe gay sex with Edward Munson.” A laugh, “Alright big boy, here’s your girl back.”

“I would apologize for him, but I think we’re beyond that.” Steve chuckled.

“Yeah well, what would we do without him, right?”

Steve hummed in agreement. “Seriously though, are you good for tonight? You’re gonna have fun, I can feel it.”

Six Months Ago- March 1985

“‘Body Double’ is not a better movie than ‘Hardbodies’!” Steve exclaimed from his seat behind the counter at Hawkins Family Video.

“Yes it is!” Robin sing-songed, balancing a tower of vhs tapes in her arms as she carried them to the return cart. “Your boy brain can’t comprehend how creepy a bunch of old dudes preying on younger women is.”

“Oh, and spying on a girl in her own bedroom isn’t creepy?” Steve threw his hands up.

“No it definitely is.” Robin agreed, “But you gotta admit, the boobs are better in ‘Body Double’.”

“There’s no such thing as a bad boob.” Steve said with a laugh.

“Well, you got me there, Dingus.” Robin said, pushing the cart towards the first aisle she had to return tapes to. She was just about to add her next movie suggestion to induct into the ‘hall of boobies’, when the bell over the front door chimed announcing a customer.

“Welcome to Family Video!” Steve greeted the newcomer.

“Hey, Robin.” A familiar voice greeted her as Robin spun on her heel and nearly dropped the tapes she was holding.

“Oh Vickie, hey, hi!” She swallowed, “What are you doing here?” Stupid, stupid, stupid she scolded herself.

The cute redhead smiled, “Checking out a movie.”

“Right, right, right. Totally, of course.” Robin tried and failed to lean against her cart in a cool way. It looked more like she was in pain.

Steve cleared his throat, trying to save her. “Do you have any returns today?” He asked her.

Vickie nodded, sidling up to the counter. “Yeah, my boyfriend Dan rented ‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High’ while he was home for the weekend.”

Robin rolled her eyes at the quick look Steve gave her over Vickie’s ducked head as she pulled the tape from her bag. She mouthed to him to ‘shut up’ before trying to focus on putting some of the movies she had back on their respective shelves.

“How’d you like it?” Steve asked Vickie as she handed him back the tape and began the process of scanning the case and returning it back into the system.

Vickie tucked a strand of hair back behind her ear, “It was okay I guess.” She said awkwardly.

Steve nodded, “I loved it personally.”

“Yeah, that doesn’t surprise me.” Vickie said with a small smile.

Robin choked down a laugh, causing herself to cough so much that Vickie turned to face her.

“Hey, Robin? Do you have any new recommendations to watch?” She asked her.

Robin felt her mouth go dry as she saw Steve over Vickie’s shoulder mouthing ‘oh my god’ and imitating his head exploding with his hands. “Uh yeah, yeah, sure.” She nodded.

Vickie looked at her expectantly, a small smirk showing off a dimple and Robin felt her stomach flutter.

“Can you show me?” Vickie asked.

Robin nodded dumbly, running a hand through her hair awkwardly. “Of course!” Her voice squeaked as she waved the girl over. “You’re just in luck actually, Mondays are the best time to stop in. That’s when everyone returns their weekend rentals so everything is fully stocked up.”

“Lucky me then.” Vickie said with another smile and Robin could feel her hands growing sweaty as she nearly fumbled a tape she was reaching for. Vickie reached out to steady the movie on the shelf, their hands brushing against one another before Robin quickly pulled her hand back, nervous.

“‘The Breakfast Club’ just came out last month, have you seen it yet?” Robin asked.

Vickie shook her head, “Is it about breakfast?”

Robin giggled, “Uh, no. It’s about a group of teenagers who spend a Saturday in detention. It’s better than it sounds, I promise.” She said at Vickie’s questioning look. Robin remembered watching the movie with Steve the weekend before and she couldn’t help but think about Vickie the whole time while watching Molly Ringwald. Steve had made fun of her endlessly for it.

“I’ll trust you.” Vickie said with a wink, taking the movie from Robin’s hand, and Robin could’ve sworn she went out of her way for their fingers to touch again. “Check me out?”

Radio silence. Absolutely nothing but static was going on inside Robin's brain, as she tried to compute that request. She looked over Vickie's shoulder yet again towards Steve who quickly ducked behind the counter as if to prove that he wasn't spying at all.

“What do you keep looking at?” Vickie asked with a giggle, turning to follow Robin's gaze.

Steve popped back up with his Family Video vest off. “Hey Rob, I'm gonna go out for a smoke break. Think you can hold down the fort while I'm gone?”

Robin wanted to say that Steve didn't smoke and what the hell was he talking about holding a fort down that neither one of them particularly cared about, when it hit her. “Right, yeah sure. Enjoy your Uh, cigarette.” She immediately cringed at her words as Steve gave her a ‘what the fuck’ look. Clearly he was going to have to brush her up on her flirting skills.

A moment later they were alone, Robin watching Steve's fleeting back slip through the back door.

“So, do you wanna check me out?” Vickie asked again and Robin nodded dumbly.

“Yeah, sure. Just right up front here is where the magic happens.”

“The magic?” Vickie giggled once more and Robin wasn't sure she had ever made someone let alone a girl laugh so much in such a short period of time.

As she rounded the counter and ducked down into one of the many alphabetized drawers for the vhs tape that matched the case Vickie was holding, she tried desperately to come up with something smooth to say. “So uh, have you ever watched Sixteen Candles? It came out last year.”

Vickie shook her head, “Is it on the Robin recommended list?”

Robin smiled, “Uh, yeah. Yeah, it's pretty good. I don't like it as much as ‘The Breakfast Club’.” She held up the tape, “But uh, they both have this actress Molly Ringwald in them and she kind of looks like you. Which, I don't know if that sounds weird but uh, yeah I just thought you might find that uh cool.” Cool? Jesus, Robin really needed to catch a grip.

Vickie nodded her head, “Is she pretty, this Molly Ringwald?” She leaned onto the counter a bit, sliding the movie case across.

Robin tried to keep her cool, and more importantly tried not to stutter. “Uh, yeah she's pretty.” Not as pretty as you, she thought to herself. No wait, should she say it? Robin wasn't too sure, but everything about this interaction with Vickie was so different from all the ones before. It felt almost like she was flirting with her, and more importantly wanted Robin to flirt back. She took a chance, “Not as pretty as you, I mean if that's okay for me to say.” God how could she still sound so stupid while trying her best to not be?

Vickie's eyes fluttered down to Robin's lips and back up to her eyes once, twice, before finally looking away. “Do you need my phone number?”

“What?” Robin quickly closed her mouth so she didn't look like a gaping fish.

Vickie's cheeks flushed red, “To look me up in your system.”

“Maybe you should write it down so I remember it.” Robin said, and she couldn't believe she was doing it. She was doing it! Steve would be so proud of her when he came back from that imaginary smoke break.

“Okay.” Vickie said, biting her lower lip nervously, “Do you have a pen?”

Oh boy does she, Robin thought looking down at all of the pens scattered across the counter down by the keyboard. Steve and Robin often played pen football, trying to flick pens between the other person's hands imitating a goal post. She quickly picked one up and handed it over with a blank post it note.

Vickie whispered a small thanks before scribbling her name and number down and sliding it back over the counter, her fingers brushing Robin’s yet again as she took back the pen and paper. Their eyes met and Robin blushed profusely as she typed the phone number into the computer and checked out ‘The Breakfast Club’ for her.

“So can I expect a phone call later, maybe?” Vickie asked, hopeful as she took the vhs tape from Robin’s outstretched hand.

“You just might.” Robin said with a grin before saying goodbye and watching Vickie leave out the front door with a tiny wave over her shoulder.

Not even a moment passed where Robin could fully soak in what had just happened, when Steve came barreling through the back door. “Did she just leave?”

“Not even out of the parking lot yet you Dingus.” Robin said with a roll of her eyes as she turned to face Steve who was looking at her expectantly.

“Well?” He asked.

“Well, what?” Robin played stupid, wanting the victory to be only hers for another moment.

“She was totally flirting with you!” Steve said as if it was obvious, and it had been. “Please tell me that you noticed.” He took a step towards her, “Please tell me you didn’t chicken out.”

Robin could feel a grin crack across her face, holding up the post it note with Vickie’s phone number on it. “I’m not quite sure what you’re talking about.”

Steve’s eyes lit up, jaw dropping open as he jumped at Robin, damn near tackling her into the bar stool behind her. He laughed, “So how’d you do it? Did you take my advice?” He asked.

Robin chuckled, “I did what you just did, I took a chance and jumped.”

Present Day- September 1985

Robin shortly thereafter got off the phone so Steve could get to work and she could take a nap and a shower before going out later that night. She debated asking Nancy if she wanted to go, remembering only having seen Nancy drunk one time and that ended not so well for any party involved. When she got back to the dorm room however, Robin found it empty. She shrugged to herself as she shucked her backpack onto her desk and climbed up to the top bunk, flopping down and rolled to face the ceiling.

Her eyes traced over the constellations she had hung up with the tacky plastic glow in the dark stars she had always wanted as a kid, hoping her nap would come sooner rather than later. She debated if she would actually try and talk to any girls tonight that she might meet and felt the waves of nerves crash over her. It wasn’t like she was a virgin to girls, in fact the only thing she was a virgin to was the actual kissing itself. Maybe she should have taken Eddie’s offer to kiss him just to get it over with, because kissing Steve would’ve been too weird, but she didn’t want it to be like that. She didn’t want her first kiss to be something she wanted to get over as quickly as possible. Robin wanted her first kiss to be with a girl and a girl she liked for that matter, or at least found pretty.

Robin thought back to her literal spring fling with Vickie and nausea crept up the back of her throat as she swallowed it back down. It wasn’t awful, in fact parts of it were great, but that had been the problem from the start. Only parts of it she was allowed to get lost in, and even then Vickie constantly reminded her of the rope she had to balance on.

She tried to stop thinking about it, but couldn’t think of anything else in that moment that could take over the panic that was starting to fill her lungs. Robin wouldn’t end up alone, she wasn’t a freak. She tried to repeat the mantra over and over to herself, but the insecurities were winning over. Maybe Vickie was right, maybe she was unnatural, that the feelings she had weren’t normal.

Robin curled up on her side, pulling her knees into her chest and tried to focus on her breathing. It would be okay, the panic would work its way over her and leave just like Vickie had. Robin would be okay, she just had to remind herself that what happened is in the past now, and she didn’t deserve it. Nobody deserves that. Robin would be okay, she had to be. She had to make herself proud, make Steve and Eddie proud. She had to get over this wrought iron railroad tie in her stomach that began to burn up every time she tried to think of a future worth living in. Any future that involved her being with someone she loved. That person was out there. Robin would be okay, she deserved love, she would find love.

But first she had to practice, and that’s what these parties were for. If she could drown herself in random girls kind enough to show her the way, she would take it. Robin Buckley would be okay, she just had to allow herself the chance to thrive.

Six Months Ago- March 1985

Easter came early this year so spring break began the final week of March, and Robin was thrumming with excitement and nerves for her plans.

“I would ask if you’re excited, but maybe that’s an understatement.” Steve laughed from where he sat on Eddie’s futon, socked feet up on the coffee table.

“Yeah, you’re going for ice cream right?” Eddie asked around the pick in his mouth, tuning the guitar on his lap.

“Yeah, Vickie’s going to pick me up at seven.” Robin nodded, biting her nail and trying not to chip the nail polish too badly.

“Well if you’re lucky and on your best behavior, maybe it’s not the only cream you’re getting.” Eddie said with a waggle as he removed the pick from his mouth and strummed the guitar to hear how it sounded.

“Gross.” Steve and Robin both said in unison and Eddie chuckled.

“You two are so easy.” The punk said with another laugh.

Vickie picked Robin up promptly at seven, but she didn’t get out of the car, which was fine. Robin had been waiting by her bedroom window so she knew when she got there. She took the stairs down to the front door two at a time and yelled over her shoulder that she would be back at eleven to her parents. Shutting the door behind her, she tried to make it look like she wasn’t too excited as she walked across the front lawn to where Vickie was idling on the front curb.

“Hey.” Robin said as she opened the passenger door.

“Hi.” Vickie greeted as she gripped onto the steering wheel with both hands. Robin tried not to notice how white the other girl’s knuckles were. “Uh, you look nice.” Robin said as she buckled her seat belt, trying to fill the empty silence that wasn’t being permeated by anything on the radio.

“So ice cream, yeah?” Robin continued, “Where did you want to go?”

“I didn’t really want ice cream.” Vickie said so softly Robin almost didn’t hear her over her own voice.

“Oh, well that’s okay. We can do whatever you want, I can be down for anything.”

Vickie looked over at Robin for the first time since getting into her car. The look was unsettling to say the least, it looked almost as if she was going to cry. “Robin, I have something I need to say to you before we leave.”

“Sure, of course. Is everything okay?” Robin asked, feeling the heaviness emanating from the other girl. “Is it Dan?” She asked, thinking maybe something had happened with her boyfriend, considering she never mentioned breaking up with him.

“I asked you out tonight because I want something from you.” Vickie chose her words carefully, though they looked like they gave the girl pain to say them.

Robin waited for Vickie to say something else, unsure of where this was going or what to say with the very little the other girl was giving her.

Vickie looked her over, her eyes following the curve of Robin’s jaw, down her neck and over her chest. “I’ve been wanting to try something, and I know you like girls. You’re the only one that I know that is that way.”

That way. Robin hung on to that choice of words, almost not hearing what Vickie said next.

“If you want to leave, that's fine, but I think you like me, or at least that’s what I’ve been picking up.”

“I do.” Robin said quickly, “I mean yeah, I like you.”

“Right, cool.” Vickie said, unsure as another giant pause fell over the car. She tapped the steering wheel, trying to ground herself. “I can’t stop thinking about what it’s like.”

“What's like?” Robin asked, breath getting caught in her throat. She needed her to say it, she wouldn’t read into things if it wasn’t what she thought it was, and it might not be. She did still have a boyfriend as far as she knew.

“What it’s like to be with a girl.” Vickie said slowly, her face paling at her words. Like she couldn’t believe that she was actually saying it.

It was a lot for Robin to say the least. For starters, she could understand how scary the concept was to be different, but she couldn’t relate to just how scared Vickie seemed. “What about Dan?” She asked, wanting the full picture.

“He went away with his family to Hawaii for spring break. He’s not coming back until the summer.” Vickie said.

“But you two are still together?” Robin clarified.

“Yes.” Vickie answered her, “But it’s okay because I know I’m not the only girl he’s been talking to since he’s been away.”

“You want to cheat on your boyfriend with me?” Robin asked, confused. “Why?”

“Because, I want to know what it’s like, and you like me right?” Vickie asked.

Robin felt taken aback, but at the same time there were parts of her that wanted to know what it was like too. After all she didn’t know exactly, because there had never been anyone else like her. Until now maybe. “Okay.” She said, barely getting it out.

“Okay?” Vickie asked, making sure.

Robin nodded, “Yeah.” She drummed on her knee awkwardly, “Did you want to right now?”

“Is that okay?” Vickie asked.

Robin swallowed, her mouth feeling like it was filled with cotton. “Are your parents home right now?”

“Well I was thinking we could actually take a drive somewhere quiet. The backseat is pretty roomy.” Vickie bit her lip as she looked at Robin to give the final call.

“Oh.” Robin thought, because that’s all she could think. “Okay.”

“Are you sure?” Vickie asked, “I’m not scaring you off already am I?”

Robin shook her head quickly, waving off such a silly idea. She wanted this, has wanted this for quite some time. As of late Vickie was all she could think about when she closed her eyes at night.

Vickie shifted gears, pulling away from the curb. “Okay, cool.”

“Cool.”

Present Day- September 1985

Robin woke from her nap, the anxiety knocking her out faster than cold medicine. She blinked a few times, her eyesight fuzzy at first. She could hear the soft sounds of a typewriter clicking, a warm breeze coming through the open window.

Robin rolled onto her side, peeking out into the room to see Nancy was sitting at her desk, a styrofoam cup beside her with the string from a tea bag hanging out of it. The girl wasn’t aware that she was awake yet, copying over something she had written down into her notebook. Robin watched her for a moment as Nancy tucked a curl behind her ear, glasses beginning to slip down her nose. She quickly snapped her attention away from her roommate, clearing her throat and making noise to let Nancy know she was awake.

“Have a good nap?” Nancy asked her, pulling her eyes away from her paper and leaning back in her chair, turning to face Robin as she held her tea up to her lips.

Robin faked a yawn, “Yeah, how long have you been back?”

Nancy looked at her watch, “Probably a half hour or so.”

“Was I snoring?” Robin asked.

“You always snore.” Nancy said, turning back to her paper and setting her cup down.

“I do not!” Robin scoffed. Steve had never told her she snored, maybe that was because he did too.

Nancy just smirked, “Okay.”

“I don’t.” Robin insisted.

“I said okay.” Nancy rolled her eyes.

“But you don’t believe me.”

“That’s because I know the real answer.”

Now it was Robin’s turn to roll her eyes as she looked back at the girl as she continued to type. “So there’s a party tonight at one of the frat houses.” She started, “I’m thinking about going.”

“And why are you telling me this?” Nancy asked.

“I thought maybe you’d want to go too, meet some new people?” Robin asked.

Nancy shook her head, “I’m not much for parties.”

“Oh come on, you’ve partied once or twice in your life.” Robin said, trying to egg the girl on. “I know Jon isn’t the party type, you know unless he’s already high as a kite, but you are definitely the party type. You forgot I saw you that night before we got in that fight.”

Nancy’s jaw tightened, clearly not a fan of that particular memory being brought up.

“You were dancing your ass off all alone on the middle of the floor.” Robin chuckled, “Nobody else was even really dancing, but you were.” Robin remembered that part very clearly. Nancy must’ve already been four or five beers in when she saw her put her hands above her head and close her eyes, swaying to the music bleeding through the Harrington’s stereo. Robin hadn’t been able to look away from her spot on the kitchen counter. That was until Steve had called Nancy over and broke the moment, causing the other girl to get another beer, and they both knew what happened from there.

“I don’t party anymore.” Nancy said curtly, trying to keep her hands from faltering as she continued copying down sentences.

“You’re a freshman in college, I feel like that is cause to hit the refresh button.” Robin insisted, pulling herself towards the ladder to get down. “I’m going to get a shower, why don’t you just think about it while I’m gone.”

“If it gets you to go away, fine.” Nancy said, keeping her back facing Robin.

“Fine.” Robin grabbed her shower caddy and a change of clothes, heading out into the hallway and closing the door behind her.

Nancy sighed from her spot at the desk, thinking about that night that Robin was so kind to bring up. Nancy was having fun that night until it all went to shit. But why did it go to shit? Oh right, it was because Robin was there, and if Nancy remembered it correctly, had started that fight.

She debated the idea of going with Robin to whatever party it was she was talking about, forgetting the rest of her assignment for the night and having a couple drinks. It would be nice to forget, and they would be together so they would be safe. It wasn’t a half bad idea she had decided by the time Robin came back.

“So what did you decide?” Robin asked as she came back into the dorm room, still drying her wet hair with a towel, shower caddy and dirty clothes shoved into the crook of her elbow.

Nancy couldn’t think of what to say at first as she took the other girl in. Robin was wearing a black jean jacket, a few pins and patches adorning the front pockets, with a band tee poking out from underneath. Nancy cleared her throat as she turned away to put all of her papers into a neat pile. “I’ll go with you on one condition.”

“And what’s that, princess?” Robin asked, putting her shower caddy away and hanging up her wet towel to dry.

Nancy felt a fire burning in the pit of her stomach every time Robin called her that. “I get to leave whenever I want to. No guilting me into staying just because you’re having fun and I’m not.”

“That seems fair enough.” Robin agreed.

“Okay, so with that in mind.” Nancy ran her hands over her skirt to flatten out the creases from sitting. “What time do we leave?”

Six Months Ago- March 1985

Robin and Vickie didn’t do much talking as Vickie found them a place to park in private. “There’s a couple things I’d like for you to keep in mind if that’s okay.” Vickie started as she rolled the car to a stop somewhere out in the woods where no one would find them. “Just some boundaries I have before anything happens.”

Robin felt kind of awkward, surely this wasn’t normally how things went, but she did have to consider the circumstances. This wasn’t romance, just an experiment. Robin was okay with that, she had to start somewhere and if this was all Vickie was willing to give her, she figured she would take what she could get.

“No kissing on the lips.” Vickie said right off the bat and Robin paused there.

“No kissing?” She asked.

Vickie shook her head, her voice a bit shaken, “I’m not comfortable with that.”

“Okay.” Robin felt hurt by that but nodded her head anyways.

“The other thing is you can’t tell anyone about us. Not even Steve.” Vickie was very serious with this one, making full eye contact as she said it.

“Well I already told him you gave me your number.” Robin said sheepishly.

Vickie frowned, “You’ll have to tell him it was a misunderstanding. Nobody can find out about this.”

“Because of Dan.” Robin supplied.

“Well, yes.” Vickie said, looking away and down at her hands in her lap. “But because I don’t want anyone to think I’m gay.”

“Oh.” Robin looked out the window at the vast expanse of dark woods. Vickie had really made sure that no one would come across them out here, not even the cops. She felt Vickie’s hand on her thigh then, her hand almost touching Robin’s.

“I’m sorry, I can take you home if you want. I’m sure this isn’t what you had pictured when I asked you out tonight.” Vickie did look sad then, almost as if she was rethinking the whole thing.

“No, no it’s okay. I understand.” Robin said, and she did. She wouldn’t choose to be gay if she had the choice.

“I just think that if I can get it out of my system, I could be a better girlfriend for Dan.” Vickie said, searching Robin’s face. “I know that probably doesn’t make any sense, but I just couldn’t stop thinking about kissing you. Even when he was kissing me.”

“So why not kiss me then?” Robin asked.

“Because it would change everything.” Vickie said, “I just want to feel you, want you to feel me. Is that okay?” Her hand inched up Robin’s thigh then, brushing her hand aside to run her fingers along the inseam of her jeans.

Robin’s breath caught in her throat at the gesture. As fucked up as it was, Robin wanted this. Wanted to touch and be touched in return. She was a horny teenager after all and the universe was giving her an opportunity that she wasn’t stupid enough to throw away. She nodded her head eagerly, “Okay.”

Three Months Ago- June 1985

Robin slammed her bedroom door shut as she fell onto her bed in one quick motion. Her chest hurt, her head hurt, everything hurt.

“Robin, are you okay?” Her mom called through the bedroom door.

“I’m fine.” Robin choked out, muffling her voice in her pillow. Her phone started ringing a moment later.

“Robin, it’s Steve.” Her mom called through the door again. “He asked to talk to you.”

“Not right now!” She called, “Tell him I’m asleep.” She rolled to face the wall, hugging her pillow close to her chest. She couldn’t believe how stupid she had been. She knew it was never going to last, but somehow she let herself forget. She let herself forget the fact that there was a ticking clock from the beginning.

Vickie only wanted her while Dan was away, and once he came back she threw Robin to the curb like trash. She couldn’t really even be mad at her for it, Vickie had been honest with her from the beginning, but Robin just wanted any opportunity she could get and chose to ignore all the warning signs.

“Dan comes back tonight.” Vickie had told her as soon as Robin started buttoning up her shirt.

Robin had felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. “Oh yeah?”

“So this has to stop.” Vickie said, pulling the blanket up over her bare chest. “We have to go back to just being friends.”

Friends. Robin had scoffed, they had never really been friends, acquaintances sure, but then they became lovers, and now they just had to pretend it never happened? Robin wasn’t so sure she could do that.

“I’m sorry Robin, but I told you this from the start.” Vickie sighed, running a hand through her hair. “This was all just for fun.”

Fun. Robin felt her lip tremble as she nodded her head. “Fine.” She said, buckling her belt. “That’s just fine.”

“Robin-”

“Can you just take me home now?” Robin had asked, fighting back a sob.

Vickie sat up, pulling her sweatshirt over her head. “Okay.”

Okay, okay, okay. Robin sobbed now that she was alone in her room. It was never okay, and somehow she let herself believe that for two months it was. The phone rang again.

“Robin.” Her mom called.

Robin rolled over and picked up her landline, “Steve.”

“Rob-” Steve paused, “Robin, what’s wrong?”

Robin’s voice broke, “Just get over here, please.”

Ten minutes and three ran red lights later, Steve was bursting through her bedroom door as Robin threw herself into his chest sobbing. He didn’t say anything for a while, just holding her and rubbing her back. He had a feeling he knew what was going on from the beginning, but Robin never told him.

She still never told him simply because she was embarrassed by how stupid she had been. Steve loved her anyway, and held her through one of the worst heart breaks she had ever had.

Present Day- September 1985

They could hear the music from the street as Robin and Nancy walked up to the Alpha Epsilon Phi sorority house. Students and young adults alike were everywhere as they walked up the pathway to the front door.

“This is a really big party.” Nancy said skeptically.

“Ladies!” A guy about 6’3” stood at the front door, a tray of jello shots in hand. “Care for a jello shot?” He asked with a cheeky grin.

Robin took two, handing one to Nancy who waved it off. Robin shrugged before taking down one after the other.

“Hell yeah, that’s what I’m talking about!” The guy said with a fist pump, holding out his hand for Robin to fist bump.

Robin bumped fists with a chuckle, looking at Nancy like ‘what we’re at a party, let’s make the most of it!’ before heading inside where the music was pouring out, holding her hand out for Nancy to take so they didn't get separated in the throng of people in the doorway.

Nancy slipped her hand into Robin’s without a second thought, not wanting to lose her in the crowd of strangers. She had to keep them both safe if Robin was going to keep up with the jello shots. The smooth and cool palm of Robin’s hand against Nancy’s was quickly lost as Robin found the rest of the jello shots in the kitchen. “Score!” She giggled, tossing back another shot before looking around at their prospects. “So what do you think?” She asked her roommate, turning to look at her with a smile.

“We’ve been in here for about 30 seconds and you’ve already taken three shots.” Nancy said in disbelief.

Robin waved her off like it was nothing, “It’s jello!”

“Oh don’t worry, it’ll kick in fast!” A girl said as she sidled up to them at the kitchen island.

Robin’s jaw slightly dropped at the sight of her, “Hi.” She said stupidly as Nancy rolled her eyes.

“Hi, I’m Stacy.” The girl said with a smirk, holding out her hand for Robin to shake. She was beautiful to say the least. The type of girl that caused heads to turn when she walked into a room. Robin looked over her wavy blonde hair and short miniskirt. She had legs for days, Robin thought as she nearly missed what she said next. “I was expecting cute girls here, but I wasn’t expecting you.” Stacy said with a wink and Nancy watched as Robin turned into putty.

Robin’s brows raised, “Uh, thank you?”

Stacy smiled, not even giving Nancy the time of day. “So, are you a freshman? You must be because I don’t recognize you.”

“And you know every person on campus?” Nancy asked with a scoff.

Stacy looked over at Nancy then with a blank look, as if she just noticed her standing there. “I’m sorry?”

“Nothing.” Nancy said, shaking her head. She leaned over and grabbed a shot, shooting it back without a second thought. If this was how the night was going to go she could have a few before she needed to worry about getting them back to their dorm.

“Right.” She turned back to Robin, placing a hand on her wrist, “Find me later if you want. This is my sorority so my room is right upstairs.” Stacy said to Robin before disappearing back into the room.

“Well that was fast.” Nancy said once Stacy was gone, looking at Robin who watched the blonde leave. “And she was barely wearing anything.” It was certainly more skin than Nancy was used to seeing, it wasn’t propper.

“I know.” Robin said with a blush, looking over at where Nancy was staring at her. “Are you okay?”

Nancy shrugged, “I’m fine. Just wasn’t expecting to watch you get hit on in the first twenty seconds of us being here.”

“Is that jealousy, Wheeler?” Robin asked with a smirk.

Nancy could feel that anger spike in her again. “You wish.”

Maybe I do. Robin thought to herself before realizing it, shaking her head as she looked away. “Sorority girls are known for experimenting.”

“This isn’t one of those smut movies you and Steve watch in the back of Family Video.” Nancy laughed.

Robin’s face grew even more red as she looked back at Nancy. “You could get any frat boy in here if you wanted to. I can count five different meatheads looking at you right now.”

Nancy felt gross all of sudden as she was made aware of how many eyes were on her. “I’m with Jonathan.” She reminded her.

“Right, good ol’ Jon.” Robin said before pausing. She looked out at the crowd of people before looking back at her roommate, “What’s so wrong with a girl hitting on me anyways?” She asked.

“Nothing.” Nancy said.

“Does it make you uncomfortable or something, because if it does, just let me know.” Robin said, “I’ll be sure to keep my dirty lifestyle away from you.”

“What the fuck is going on?” Nancy asked, surprised by the turn of events. “I came to this party because you asked me to and I made one comment and suddenly you’re up in arms and making me look like the bad guy.”

“Whatever.” Robin pushed off of the kitchen counter. “I’m going to go find Stacy, maybe I’ll see you later.”

“Fine.” Nancy said, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Fine.” Robin called over her shoulder before disappearing into the crowd.

Nancy growled to herself as she dug her nails into her forearms. She didn’t get Robin at all, the girl was so far on the defense all of the time. She would have to have a talk with Steve at some point about it if she was going to keep living with the other girl. The idea of talking to Steve though made her stomach roil with anxiety. The two of them hadn’t talked since sophomore year.

She took another jello shot to ease her nerves, looking out at the room of people and debated just going home. Robin would find her way back, and if she needed help maybe Stacy would walk her home.

“I’ve never seen you here before.” A voice said from behind her.

Is this some kind of pick up line? Nancy thought as she turned around to face a guy about 6’ smiling at her from across the kitchen island. He had a smattering of freckles across his cheeks and brown eyes. Nancy would even consider him cute if she was at the liberty of considering it, which she wasn’t.

“Hi, I’m Nancy Wheeler.” She said, holding out her hand for the guy to shake.

“Todd Caraway.” He took her hand and shook it.

Nancy quickly slipped her hand back out of the much larger warm hand and tried not to think about how nice it was to feel that contact. She missed Jonathan, but she had to admit to herself at some point that they were on shaky ground when she left.

“So what brings you to the Alpha Epsilon Phi house, Nancy Wheeler?” Todd asked and he was cute, really cute.

“My roommate wanted to come.” Nancy said.

“And where is this roommate?” Todd asked, looking around.

“Oh, she just went to say hi to a friend.” Nancy lied, not really sure what else she could have said.

“Well, do you mind if I keep you company until she gets back?” Todd asked politely. “I can grab you a drink if you want that you can actually sip on.”

Nancy laughed, “That sounds good, thanks.”

Present Day- September 1985

Robin’s back was shoved into the bedroom door as it closed behind them. “So, did you want to talk or?” Robin asked nervously as she felt Stacy’s hands run up her back beneath her jacket.

“You’re cute.” Stacy said with a chuckle, lips kissing down Robin’s neck.

“How did you know I liked girls?” Robin asked, not knowing where to put her hands as she kept them down by her sides.

Robin could feel Stacy smile into her neck, “I just knew.” The blonde grabbed Robin’s hands and placed them on her hips. “You can touch me.” She said, and Robin didn’t need a second invitation. She allowed her hands to run up her sides, sighing at the feeling of her pressed up against her.

Stacy pushed Robin’s jacket off of her, the sound of the denim hitting the ground as she pulled Robin’s shirt up to follow its descent to the ground.

Robin pushed them off of the wall, walking Stacy back towards the bed and falling on top of her and kissing her. Stacy pulled back before sliding up the bed and pulling her spaghetti top up over her head. “Sorry baby, but I don’t kiss just anybody.” She said, inviting Robin in with the curl of her finger. “Hope that’s okay?” She asked with a knowing smile.

Robin nodded, crawling up the bed and grabbing the waistband of her miniskirt, pulling it slowly down her legs and trailing kisses down her legs as she followed it down. “Fine by me.” She said as she threw the miniskirt off to the side and went back in for more.

Present Day- September 1985

“You know where to find me if you ever want to turn your brain off for an afternoon.” Stacy said from behind her bedroom door, looking at Robin's disheveled appearance standing in her hallway.

“I’ll see you around.” Robin said with a wave before heading back down the stairs in hopes to find Nancy and apologize. She had lost her cool earlier, and Nancy hadn’t deserved that. For once she felt like she needed to apologize to her and was planning to do so when she saw what she should’ve expected might’ve happened if she left Nancy alone at a college party.

Nancy Wheeler was pressed against the kitchen counter, not far from where Robin had left her, except now she was being surrounded by not one, not two, but three guys, and she looked very uncomfortable.

“Hey, Nance!” She shouted, quickly coming to her roommates rescue, her buzz quickly leaving her body.

Nancy looked over to her, eyes half lidded as she smiled goofily back at her roommate, “Robin, hi!”

All three guys looked at her with clear annoyance. “Who are you?” The tallest one asked.

“I could say the same about you fuckwad, what are you doing cornering my friend?”

The guy’s brows raised in surprise, “Nancy said she didn’t have any friends here with her.”

“Oh I’m sure she did.” Robin said with a roll of her eyes, “But she must’ve forgot that I was upstairs for a while. I’m going to take her home now, it looks like she hit the bottle too hard again.” Robin faked a laugh.

The guys backed off seeing that this wasn’t going to go smoothly anymore, bailing quicker than Robin could leave the room with Nancy hanging off her shoulder.

Robin got her out of the house and across the front lawn before Nancy collapsed, Robin holding onto her being the only reason she didn’t fall on her face. “What did they give you?” Robin asked worriedly, hauling her up onto her feet once more.

“Beer.” Nancy said with a giggle as Robin repositioned her so that she was carrying most of the drunken girl’s weight.

“Are you sure there was nothing else in that beer?” Robin asked, “How many did you have?”

“What are you, the police?” Nancy asked before giggling, “Remember when you asked me that when I caught you smoking pot?”

Robin sighed, “Yes, I remember.”

“There was nothing in the beer Rob-” a hiccup, “I made him open the bottle in front of me the first time and I got my own every other time after that.”

Robin looked at her sideways, “You do look like you did the last time you were drunk.”

Nancy grinned, her head lolling towards Robin’s face. “I wish you hadn’t fought with me that night.”

Robin felt something twist in her stomach, “Me too.”

“Why do you get mad at me?” Nancy asked, slurring her question as she teetered down the walkway with Robin holding on tightly to her shirt.

“Why do you get mad at me?” Robin asked her.

Nancy was quiet for a moment as they walked back towards their dorm. “Because you just make me so mad. I don’t know why.”

“Me too.” Robin said quietly.

“Robin, I’m sorry for earlier.” Nancy began to tear up and Robin wasn’t sure she had ever seen the girl cry before. “I don’t care that you like girls. I think it’s cool.”

Robin chuckled, “You think it’s cool?”

“Yeah.” Nancy nodded her head, stumbling a bit as she did it. Robin pulled her back closer to her. “What’s it like?”

“What’s what like?” Robin asked, feeling deja vu from a few months back. She was hoping she was mistaken.

“To kiss a girl.” Nancy slurred.

“I’ll let you know when it happens.” Robin said with a sigh as they reached their dorm, and before Nancy could ask what she meant by that she pressed on, “Now let’s get you up stairs before you fall down them.”

Robin helped Nancy into their dorm room before letting her loose, turning to shut the door and locking it for the night.

“So that was fun, I don’t know if we need to go to another party for a while though.” Robin said with an awkward laugh as she ran a hand through her hair and turned back around to face the room to find Nancy in the middle of stripping.

Robin panicked, quickly grabbing Nancy’s robe and trying to wrap it around the girl’s shoulders. “Whoa, Nance.”

Nancy just rolled her eyes, “We’re literally roommates, don’t be a weirdo.”

Except Robin wasn’t trying to be a weirdo, respectfully she was trying not to be anything as she tried not to look at the lacy white bra that Nancy was currently wearing, the naked expanse of her stomach trailing down to her skirt that was thankfully still on her.

Robin cleared her throat. Nancy was technically right, it wasn’t like she hadn’t seen glimpses of Nancy trying to get dressed in the early morning when she thought the other girl was still asleep. Robin had opened her eyes once or twice to Nancy in different states of undress before, quickly looking away and making a bunch of noise to alert the girl that she was in fact awake. She never wanted Nancy to feel uncomfortable around her, so she was always the gentleman, never ogling for too long, not that she wanted to, and announcing herself always.

Robin turned around to face the wall while Nancy did the rest of her changing, not allowing her eyes to wander at all in the mirror that was on the closet door.

“I’m decent.” Nancy said, stumbling over to her bed.

Robin got her a bottle of water and some Advil, setting them both onto her nightstand. “Sweet dreams you boozer.” Robin said with a laugh before slipping into her own pajamas and climbing up into bed. Hopefully in the morning Nancy wouldn't remember most of their conversation.

Chapter Text

Present Day- September 1985

Nancy wakes the following morning with a headache that could knock out an elephant. She grumbled to herself as she rolled over to face the room, cracking open an eye to see the water and Advil on her nightstand. Her face softened as she slowly sat up, trying to keep the room in focus as she poured three pills out into the palm of her hand, throwing them back with a large swig of water.

Her mind raced over the events from the night before, not hovering over any one thing as she tried to think back to all that had happened. She remembered Robin finding her surrounded by those guys in the kitchen of the sorority and panicked. She remembered Robin pulling her out of there faster than she would have been able to on her own. She remembered trying not to focus on Robin’s hair and clothes, the way it looked obvious if only to her, something had happened while she was gone.

Nancy shook her head to forget the image of Robin freshly fucked and instead tried to focus on the fact that she had to finish her assignment for her journalism class. She slipped out from beneath the bed sheets and onto her desk chair, wrapping a blanket around her to stay cozy as she flipped open her notebook and began reading over her notes from the previous day.

A few hours went by of Nancy sitting there, the water glass now empty and her headache just starting to subside as she heard the door to her room unlock.

“Hey, how’re you feeling?” Robin asked as she entered the room, shutting the door softly behind her.

Nancy turned to face her, taking in the coffee shop apron tossed over the taller girl’s shoulder, a coffee in hand.

“I brought you a coffee, in case you might like some.” Robin said awkwardly, pulling her apron down off of her shoulder and tossing it onto her dresser. She crossed the room and placed the coffee cup down in front of Nancy, taking a step back and clearing her throat. “I just stopped by to make sure you were okay before heading back out. I’m meeting up with Stacy before the GSA meeting.” She ran a hand through her hair, fidgeting.

Nancy nodded, looking down at the coffee. “Thank you for taking care of me last night.”

“You remember.” Robin said, her cheeks turning the slightest shade of pink. Nancy didn’t know what to think of it, she assumed it had to do with Stacy.

“I remember enough.” Nancy said, opening the top of the coffee lid to let the steam start filtering out. She took a sniff, “Smells good.”

“I ground the beans this morning myself.” Robin said with a bit of pride, “Austin, my uh boss, showed me how to do it.”

“How’d you know how I liked my coffee?” Nancy asked, taking a sip. It was damn near perfect.

“I just took a shot in the dark.” Robin said, twisting one of the rings on her finger. “Is it okay?”

Nancy smiled warmly, nodding her head. “It’s perfect.”

Robin broke out into a grin, “Cool.”

A moment passed between them as Robin dropped her bag on her desk and started rifling through it. Nancy just watched her, “So Stacy, huh?” She asked teasingly, only to get more information from her roommate.

Robin’s blush deepened, “We’re just friends. She said she could introduce me to more people.”

“Some more one night stands?” Nancy asked, knowingly.

“I’m not going to bring them back here if that’s what you’re worried about.” Robin bristled, she wasn’t so sure why Nancy bringing up her sex life made her uncomfortable, but it did.

Nancy was a bit surprised by the bite in Robin’s tone. “You could if you wanted to, just let me know beforehand and I can make myself scarce. I can go to the library.” She continued to study Robin’s face for a change but she didn’t get one.

“No, it's fine.” Robin said, her tone tense. “I’ve gotta go meet Stacy now, I’ll see you later.” She all but tucked tail and ran from the room, leaving Nancy stumped as to why. She had no issue having sex last night when she and Nancy were supposed to stay together, so why was she getting all weird talking about it now?

Nancy just shrugged her shoulders and sipped her coffee, going back to her assignment and clearing her head of anything that had to do with her roommate.

Present Day- September 1985

Nancy walked to her journalism class on Monday morning with a sense of dread unlike anything she’d had since getting to Emerson. She was going on her second week on campus and unlike Robin, hadn’t made any friends or joined any clubs. She debated trying to join the school newspaper, but then briefly remembered her time at ‘The Hawkins Post’ and wasn’t so sure she was ready to be humiliated again.

She decided she would go and check it out and then decide, if it wasn’t for her, it wasn’t for her. She needed to know for sure though, she wouldn’t let her timidness get the best of her so she put her name in for the next meeting and made it the rest of the way to her class before she could be considered late.

“Miss. Wheeler, what did you think of the assignment?” Professor Andrews asked as Nancy handed in her paper.

“It was challenging, but in a good way.” Nancy answered her as she awkwardly fiddled with the strap of her messenger bag.

The professor looked her over before putting the paper into the pile with all the others. “Well if the work is too easy, it’s time to find another career path.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Nancy nodded, watching as Professor Andrews grabbed her bag and left the room, slipping past Nancy without a second glance. Nancy couldn’t help but feel like the professor didn’t like her very much, and it wasn’t something she was used to. Nancy Wheeler was used to being the teacher’s pet wherever she went.

“Don’t let Andrews get to you.” A warm voice spoke from behind her.

Nancy turned to face them, “I just wish I knew what I did to get on her bad side.”

A youngman not much older than Nancy stood in front of her, the sleeves of his dress shirt rolled up past his forearms, the top button of the shirt open to reveal a white undershirt beneath it. “Believe me, if Andrews likes you right away, that’s definitely more concerning.” He said with a light chuckle as he held out a hand. “We haven’t met yet, my name’s Jack, I’m Professor Andrews’ TA for this class.”

“Nancy Wheeler.” Nancy took his hand to shake, feeling the warmth of his hand envelop hers completely. She tried not to quickly pull her hand away so as not to draw attention.

“I know who you are.” Jack says with a smile, green eyes crinkling as he did so. “I read your paper from last week, it was pretty good.”

“Professor Andrews said it wouldn’t make it into a gossip rag.” Nancy said with a sigh.

Jack chuckled, “Yeah, well she certainly does make you earn the grade that’s for sure.”

“She gave me D!” Nancy said indignantly, “I’ve never gotten a D in my life.” She crossed her arms over her chest.

“Hey, I tried to tell her it was worth a B.” Jack said, his smile turning sheepish.

Nancy rolled her eyes, “Gee, thanks.”

“So I was wondering if you were free to grab a coffee.” Jack said, looking at his watch. “I don’t have anywhere to be for the next couple of hours if you want to sit and chat. Maybe I could give you a few pointers for the next assignment?”

Nancy could feel her eyebrows raise in surprise, not expecting to be asked on what most might consider a date.

“It’s not a date.” Jack said with an awkward chuckle when he saw her face, “I’d ask you out for dinner if that were the case.”

“Sure.” Nancy said with a small smile, what the hell right? She could use an ally to get through this seemingly difficult class. It didn’t hurt that the ally was also attractive and wanted to buy her a coffee.

“Awesome.” Jack said, grabbing his bag and the stack of papers the professor had left for him to look over. “You want to head over there now?”

“Okay.” Nancy nodded her head, “Lead the way.”

Robin was just finishing up her shift at the coffee shop when she heard the bell chime over the front door. “I’ll be with you in just a moment.” She called from where she was knelt behind the counter restocking some of the pastry bags.

“How do you take your coffee?” She heard a guy ask assumedly the person with him as she slowly stood to her feet.

“Just a splash of cream and two sugars.” A familiar voice answered him.

“Nancy.” Robin uttered, surprised to see her roommate with whoever this guy was.

“Hi, Robin.” Greeted her, a faint pink flushing her cheeks as she looked between Jack and Robin.

“You two know each other?” Jack asked.

“Roommates.” They said in unison.

“What can I get you two?” Robin asked after a beat, looking behind them to where the clock on the wall said that her shift was just about over.

“Two coffees would be great.” Jack said, “Both with a splash of cream and two sugars.” He winked at Nancy as he said the order.

Robin felt her chest tighten as she grabbed a cup and wrote the order, “Your name?” She asked.

“It’s Jack.”

Robin wrote Jason on the cup before grabbing the coffee pot and pouring out the order. She sees Nancy notice the name change on the cup, biting her lip to not chuckle. Robin fights the urge to smile, slipping the cups across the counter to them. “That’ll be 5.82.”

Jack hands her seven and tells her to keep the change as he directs Nancy to a spot in the corner by the front window.

Robin crumples the dollar bill into her pocket, tossing the remaining change into the jar as she unties the apron from around her waist. She tries not to stare as she cleans up the counter, waiting to be relieved by the afternoon girl, Sam. She tries not to grind her teeth as Nancy laughs at something Jack says, placing her hand on his wrist before quickly going back to her coffee. Who was this guy and how did they meet? She wonders to herself as she says hi to Sam before leaving, slipping out the door before she draws Nancy’s attention away from her company. Maybe she would ask her later, but figured it was probably none of her business anyways.

Three Years Ago- February 1982

It was Valentine's Day and Nancy received a carnation in every class period she was in. First it made her blush, but by the third or fourth time it was just becoming embarrassing. She knew it was Steve behind all of it, the freshman giving out carnations getting more and more annoyed every time he had to track her down.

“How many more do you have?” Nancy asked after he showed up with another flower in her fifth period science class.

“There’s one for every class period of the day.” He said with a sigh and a roll of his eyes.

“Do you just want to give me the rest of them now?” Nancy awkwardly tried to whisper.

“No, he paid me good money to make sure I stretched it out for him. Said he wants the whole school to know you’re his.” The kid looked like he was going to barf. “Girlfriends are so overrated.” He said, shaking his head as he walked away from her and back out into the hallway.

“Anyways, back to the subject at hand.” Mr. Jameson tried to steer the attention back upfront towards the chalkboard.

Nancy stared at the white carnation that laid across her desk. It really was sweet what Steve was doing, hell a month ago before they started dating Nancy would’ve been telling Barb this is exactly the kind of grand gesture she’d love for a guy to do for her. Now it was just downright overkill.

“Did you get all of your flowers?” Steve asked as he leaned against the locker next to his girlfriend’s at the end of the day.

Nancy pulled the small bouquet that she had been slowly accruing throughout the day from her locker. “I just need to put them in some water.” She looked at his sweet waiting face, “Thank you Steve, this was really sweet of you.”

“Oh, that’s just the beginning.” Steve said with a smirk, leaning into Nancy as he faced her fully towards him. “I have our whole night planned out.” He kissed her cheek, “I’ve got to give my girl a valentine’s day to remember.”

Nancy smiled tightly, quickly looking around to see if anyone had been looking at them.

A locker slammed further down the hallway, a familiar short haired brunette walking in the other direction. Nancy sighed before turning back to Steve, “Do I get to know any of these plans?”

Steve winked, “Oh don’t you worry babe, it’s going to be a night to remember.”

Present Day- September 1985

“I’m going to head out in a little bit to a party Stacy invited me to.” Robin said as she tussled her hair in the mirror on the back of their door. “You can come if you want to.” She said, looking back at Nancy through the mirror, seeing the other girl sitting at her desk yet again buried in a pile of textbooks and a very frustratingly empty notebook page.

“I’ve gotta work on this tonight.” Nancy sighed, chewing on the end of the pen that was tucked between her lips.

“You’ve been working on that paper all afternoon.” Robin said, “Take a break, have a drink, maybe it’ll clear your head of the roadblock you’ve got going on.”

Nancy shook her head, looking at the post-it note that was stuck to her desk lamp. “I think I might call Jack and see if he wants to grab a coffee. I need some advice on this whole thing before Andrews gives me another D.”

“Maybe Jack will give you a D instead.” Robin said with a smirk as Nancy whipped her head to see Robin looking at her in the mirror.

“You have such a punchable face you know that?” Nancy quipped.

Robin chuckled, “All bark and no bite, Wheeler. When are you actually going to be a woman of your word?”

Nancy gritted her teeth, feeling the paper beneath her hand balling up in her fist. Before she could say anything else however, Robin shook her head. “I’ll catch you later, don’t wait up.”

Nancy hurled the balled up notebook paper at Robin as she opened the door and slipped out, the soft close of the door clicking behind her. She took a deep breath, turning back to her text book before allowing her eyes to creep towards Jack’s scrawled phone number, the ink smudged from a droplet of coffee that had spilled onto it.

It wouldn’t be a date, she reminded herself. She wasn’t asking him to dinner, just a coffee. A coffee and academic advice, Jonathan wouldn’t think there was anything wrong with that. She comforted herself with the assurance as she slipped off of her desk chair and into her tennis shoes. She grabbed her keys and turned off the desk lamp, locking the door behind her as she headed down the hall towards the payphone.

One Year Ago- October 1984

“I can’t believe this view.” Jonathan said as he trailed behind Nancy, his camera hanging loosely around his neck. He watched as Nancy pushed further up the trail, the trees hinting at an opening just ahead of them.

“Just you wait.” Nancy smiled over her shoulder, the late afternoon sunlight highlighting all of the tiny curls coming loose from her ponytail, a slight sheen of sweat causing her skin to glow.

Jonathan quickly lifted his camera, capturing the moment. “You look beautiful.” He said, the smallest smile just threatening to curl the corners of his lips.

“I’d say take a picture, it'll last longer, but you beat me to it.” Nancy giggled, backtracking so she could wrap her arms around her boyfriend's neck, pulling him down towards her for a quick kiss. “Keep up though or we’ll miss the sunset.” She said against his lips before pulling away and dragging him by his hand.

Jonathan chuckled, looking at his watch. “We’ve got time.”

“Jonathan, if we were going by your schedule you still wouldn’t have kissed me yet.” Nancy poked fun.

Jonathan rolled his eyes, “Well not everybody is in such a rush for the future, Nancy. Maybe we can live in the moment every once in a while.” His eyebrows raised, curious of what her answer would be to that.

Nancy’s cheek twitched as she tried and failed to smile. “It’s not a crime to look forward to the future.”

Jonathan scoffed as he shook his head, “It’s not so terrible to be in the now either.”

Present Day- September 1985

Before calling Jack, Nancy tried to phone Jonathan again after not hearing from him earlier in the week.

“Hi, Jonathan.” She was a bit surprised when she heard his gruff voice on the other end of the line.

“Nancy, hi.”

“How are you?” She asked, twirling her finger around the phone cord, unsure of where to go from here.

“I’m okay, I mean I’ve been better.” Jonathan said, sounding a bit tired. “I’ve been working a lot lately, sorry I didn’t return your call. I got your message, my mom saved it for me.”

“I miss you.” Nancy said, trying to think of something to say. She wanted to catch him up on everything, but she could only think about just how far away he was. “Do you think you’ll be able to visit soon?” She asked instead.

“Yeah, yeah I should be able to come next weekend.” Jonathan said, “I’ve been picking up more shifts at Melvald’s so I can pay for gas.”

Nancy could hear just how tired he was over the phone. It kept her from smiling even though that’s all she wanted to do after finally getting ahold of him. She debated telling him about Jack, ensuring to him that he was just a friend. She didn’t want to start keeping secrets from him now, but she wasn’t doing anything wrong either. “I can’t wait to see you.” She said instead.

“Yeah, me too.” Jonathan said, static on the other end telling her he was shifting on his feet. She could picture him pressed up against the kitchen wall, curled towards the phone. “I’ll try and leave early Friday so that way I get there by dinner time and that’ll give us two whole nights together before I have to head home.”

“Sounds perfect.” Nancy said, and it did. She really did miss him, she needed to feel like someone was in her court during this big change in her life.

“Well I’ve gotta go Nance, mom’s calling me for dinner.” Jonathan said, already trying to get off the phone.

Nancy ignored the fact that Jonathan was in the kitchen and that she hadn’t heard Joyce at all. “Okay yeah, sure thing. I’ll talk to you later then.”

“Bye, Nance.” Jonathan said, not allowing her to say goodnight before he hung up the phone. The ‘I love you’ was a ghost on her lips before she could even say it.

“Bye Jonathan.” She said to the dial tone. She waited a beat, hanging up the phone before digging in her pocket for the post-it note with Jack’s number on it. She popped another quarter into the payphone before punching in the number.

“I was wondering if you were going to call.” Jack’s voice was warm as he answered the phone.

Nancy was taken aback, “How’d you know it was me?”

“Lucky guess?” Jack chuckled, “I try not to make it a habit of giving my phone number out to every pretty girl I meet.”

Pretty girl. Nancy bit her lip as she second guessed the whole thing. Maybe it wasn’t just studying and tutoring that Jack was after, but it wouldn’t turn into anything if she didn’t let it, and she really needed the help with the course. “I was going to go grab a coffee and thought you might like to join me.”

“Having trouble with your report already?” Jack asked knowingly.

“Just meet me for coffee in ten.” Nancy said with a roll of her eyes before hanging up.

“So do you do this often?” Robin asked jokingly as she followed Stacy into the party.

“Come on, I’ve got someone for you to meet.” Stacy called over her shoulder, grabbing Robin by her wrist and pulling her over the threshold.

“You’re like the gay fairy godmother, but much hotter obviously.” Robin giggled.

Stacy rolled her eyes, “I’m just trying to educate you on the all american college girl.”

“And I appreciate you greatly.” Robin grinned.

“Of course, my padawan.” Stacy turned to face her with just as big a smile.

“Ugh, hot and a nerd.” Robin fake swooned.

Stacy flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder, “And that’s a treat just for you. Don’t go around saying that I like Star Wars.”

“Scout’s honor.” Robin mimicked zipping her lips and throwing away the key.

“Now listen, I’m going to introduce you to my friend Lindsey. She’s on the girl’s soccer team and has a mean right hook so don’t be fresh.” Stacy winked as she said that last part.

“I’m listening.” Robin said, brows raised in interest.

“Just follow my rules and you’ll be golden.” Stacy pulled Robin over to the keg and grabbed the tap to start pouring beer into a red solo cup. “Here, go take her a drink. She’s right over there in the corner.”

Robin followed her friend’s pointer finger over to the room she was directing her to. A tall mediumly built redhead was leaning against the wall, talking to what looked like at least half of the soccer team. “That’s a lot of attention that’ll be on me.” She said nervously, scratching at the nape of her neck.

Stacy chuckled, “Just remember what we practiced, you’ve got to start somewhere, and always waiting to single a girl out is creepy and shows lack of confidence.” At Robin’s nod she continued, “Girl’s love confidence, especially when it’s well earned. Once you get her alone she’ll know that you weren’t full of shit.”

Robin blushed at Stacy’s insinuation of just a few short weeks ago when she had dragged her up to her room and opened her world to sleeping with college girls. Robin obviously wasn’t a virgin, but certainly and understandably lacked the confidence that Stacy was now breathing into her. She only had to follow two simple rules though, which were never to kiss someone unless you truly liked them, and never get a girl’s phone number unless they asked first. At first Robin found that odd and a bit shallow, but after already having slept with a few more girls, she realized that most were in the closet or still believed that they were just ‘experimenting’. Robin wasn’t going to be the one to point out their denial.

“So you think you’re ready?” Stacy asked, holding out the beer once more, the amber liquid spilling ever so slightly over the side at the jostling.

Robin took the cup, making a point not to have her fingers brush Stacy’s. She swallowed hard, the dryness of her throat scratching the whole way down.

“Here’s for your nerves.” Stacy said, pouring out a shot of vodka and passing it over. “Cheers.” The blonde said, clinking her shot glass against Robin’s. “Now go see if Lindsey wants to play ball.” She said with a waggle of her brows.

“I think that’s softball.” Robin said with a chuckle.

“Oh I know some of those girl’s too.” Stacy grinned, “You’ll be meeting them soon.”

Robin could feel herself blushing, still trying to grasp just why Stacy had taken her under her wing and took it upon herself to be her own lesbian guru. “Thanks, Stace.” She said before saluting her, “Wish me luck.”

“Play your cards right Buckley, and you won’t need luck.” Stacy waved her goodbye, “Let me know how things go if I don’t see you again tonight.” And with that, the blonde waltzed away in the opposite direction, immediately finding a cluster of people in the front hallway to talk to.

Robin took a deep breath as she looked down at the cup in her hand. She could do this, granted she had only talked to girls that weren’t surrounded by a large group of people, but she could do this. Stacy had faith in her, which meant she had faith in herself too. She took one more deep breath before straightening her raglan tee, making sure there weren’t any crumbs from her dinner earlier still hanging on, and headed in the direction Lindsey stood leaning against the wall in the living room.

Five Years Ago- November 1980

Nancy was spending Thanksgiving weekend at The Holland’s house, a feat that didn’t happen often and was super exciting when it did. Three straight nights of sleepovers were awaiting them as Mrs. Holland picked Nancy up from her house after Thanksgiving dinner.

“Thanks Mrs. Holland for picking me up.” Nancy said with a big bright smile.

“Of course dear.” Mrs. Holland said as she watched Nancy slide into the backseat next to her daughter.

“I’m so excited, I can’t believe you’re going to be sleeping over all the way till Sunday.” Barb said with glee, looking to her best friend to match her energy.

Ten minutes later they were rolling into the Holland’s driveway. Barb and Nancy burst from the car like it was on fire, racing each other to Barb’s bedroom on the second floor.

“Don’t stay up too late girls!” Mrs. Holland called from the foot of the stairs, the girls already giggling inside the room.

“So what do you want to do first, paint each other’s nails?” Barb asked giddily as she pulled her teal and blue caboodles case from underneath her bed. “Mom just bought me two new colors from Malvard’s last week.”

Nancy nodded her head vigorously, “What colors did you get?”

Barb held up a new sparkly purple bottle and a midnight blue one. “Which one do you think?”

“Definitely purple.” Nancy said, pointing to it.

Barb nodded her head, setting up her throw pillow in her lap so Nancy could rest her hand on it. She gave the nail polish a good shake before unscrewing the top and dabbing off a bit of the excess on the rim of the small bottle. “So did you hear what Tommy H said during study hall Wednesday?”

Nancy rolled her eyes, “What, that Tammy and Steve were seconds away from doing it in the janitor's closet?” She giggled as she felt a pinkening in her cheeks.

Barb chuckled, “I believe him too, have you seen how she looks at him in math class?” She shook her head, “He’s just a dumb jock, she could do so much better.”

Nancy caught that last bit with a tinge of what she thought was jealousy. “Do you have a crush on Steve?” She asked, not being able to think over the question before she asked it.

“Ew, no.” Barb pulled a face. “Even if I could stomach being around boys our age, I certainly would never pick Steve Harrington.”

Nancy rolled her eyes, feeling something stir inside her. Steve was so handsome and charming, she never understood why Barb hated him so much. “I think he’s kind of sweet.” She said with a shrug.

Barb sighed, patting Nancy’s hand to have her switch hands. “Sure, if you think sticking gum in Robin Buckley’s hair is sweet.”

Nancy’s brows raised, “Is that why she cut her hair so short?”

The redhead looked her over, “It’s not that short.”

“Well, it doesn’t help the rumors.” Nancy said a bit snotty if she could admit it. She wasn’t even sure why she had said it in the first place.

“My hair’s short.” Barb said, pausing her nail painting. “Does that make me like Robin Buckley?”

“What? No, you’re just too smart to like any guys right now. But I’m sure you’ll find someone you like.”

“I think I already have.” Barb said just above a whisper, mumbling it beneath her breath in hopes to not have been heard at all. She went back to painting Nancy’s nails and for a moment thought she was getting off scot free. She should’ve known that that wouldn’t be the case however with Nancy’s hound-like hearing.

Nancy pulled her hand away as soon as Barb finished her pinky nail. She began to bounce on the bed excitedly. “Really? Do you have a crush on someone?” She was so giddy it made Barb’s stomach hurt. Is that what it was supposed to feel like?

“Well, who is it?” Nancy asked impatiently.

“Oh, you wouldn’t know them. It’s someone who I met at the ymca camp over the summer.” Barb deflected, hoping the questions would end there.

“What’s his name? Maybe I know him from around town.” Nancy insisted, making Barb begin to lose patience.

“You don’t know them okay?” Barb said exasperatedly. “Just forget I said anything, their family was moving at the end of the summer anyways. I don’t know where they went.”

If Nancy picked up on the lack of pronouns she didn’t say anything. “He didn’t tell you where he was moving to?”

“No, I thought it would be weird to ask.”

“So he doesn’t even know you have a crush on him?” Nancy asked, dumbfounded.

Barb scanned her face, wondering just that. “Evidently not.” She said with a sigh. “Now give me your right hand again, it should be dry enough for a second coat.”

Present Day- September 1985

There was a heatwave in the forecast for the weekend, and Nancy was at her wits end with her latest journalism paper. “October is tomorrow, how the hell are we going through the devil’s asscrack again like it’s the beginning of August?” She grumbled as she tried not to move too much in her, already feeling the back of her thighs sticking to the chair.

Robin was splayed out on the top bunk, tank top rolled up to reveal her stomach. Nancy pointedly stayed focused on her notebook so as to not look at the long expanse of Robin’s legs. She had never seen the other girl in short shorts before, in fact she was pretty sure they were just boxers but she didn’t focus too hard on the fact because it was her room too and as long as she had clothes on, it shouldn’t matter what those clothes were.

“I feel like I can’t breathe up here.” Robin whined, rolling onto her side to look down at Nancy who was folded in half over her raised knees. She was just as skimpily dressed, a spaghetti strap undershirt and short elastic shorts the only things covering her body. Robin looked away before her eyes could linger.

“So get down then.” Nancy said, scribbling in the median of her assignment. She wasn’t so sure why they were beginning to fall back into their old ways, but she did know that she was about one more incident away from jumping down Robin’s throat again. She hadn’t gotten much sleep as of late, her roommate being out damn near every night and only coming home in the early hours of the morning keeping her awake.

“I’m going to go out, get some fresh air.” Robin said, slipping off of her bed and hitting the floor with a thump. “I think there’s another party at Stacy’s sorority if you want to come and take a break from your paper.”

Nancy knew she was extending an olive branch towards her, but it only set her teeth on edge even more. “No I’m good, but if you come home in the middle of the night and wake me up for the fourth time this week, I’m going to put my head through the wall.” Nancy said frustrated. She was just trying to get through the rest of the week before she drowned herself in self pity for just how much she was struggling academically. She never in a million years would’ve thought things would be so different from the classes in high school.

“Okay.” Robin bit her lip so as not to chuckle, “You just need to get your mind off of things for a night.” Robin said.

“That’s what you said last time and it didn’t work.” Nancy pointed out, not looking up from her paper.

“Yeah, well. You got trashed and went home with me, so I mean, it’s not like you really blew off any steam there at all.” Robin shrugged, combing her fingers through her hair to make it look a little less like bed head.

“You’re forgetting the fact that I have a boyfriend who is 900 miles away.” Nancy reminded her roommate. “I’m always going to be going home alone at the end of the night.”

Robin rolled her eyes, “Who said anything about you going home with anyone, you pervert!”

“You literally just did.” Nancy said, trying to fight the irritation the other girl was surely trying to cause.

“Oh well, I guess I forgot about Jon.” Robin said dismissively.

No you didn’t, Nancy thought. Instead she said nothing as she began proofreading her report in the following silence, hoping Robin had dropped the topic for the time being. Surely she would go out whether or not Nancy went with her, she had the last three times after Nancy got bored and said she didn’t want to go to anymore frat parties.

“You know it’s okay to be perceived even if you have a boyfriend.” Robin broke the silence after a couple minutes making Nancy’s hands tense. She really just wanted to get this paper finished before the weekend so she didn’t have to think about it anymore.

“Is it?” Nancy asked.

“Well yeah, I mean how can it be considered cheating if guys are just looking at you? Even if you were just looking, I mean unless you’re doing something about it I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. You are a human, as much as you pretend that you are beyond all of it.” Robin peaked in the mirror on the back of the door over her shoulder at the curly haired girl, waiting to see how mad that last part made her. When there was no obvious tell of anger on Nancy’s face, she steamed ahead seeing how far she could push her luck. “When was the last time Jon called you anyways? You haven’t mentioned him much.”

Nancy rolled her pencil back and forth over her notebook, pausing at that last part. “If I’m not constantly talking about my boyfriend does that mean he doesn’t exist?”

“No, obviously not. I just, I don’t know I just feel like maybe you hadn’t heard from him is all.”

“And what makes you say that?” Nancy asked, her jaw tensing.

“Well you moved his photo from your nightstand to your dresser, and you never do something without a reason so I thought maybe something had happened. Plus you’ve been seeing a whole lot of Jack lately.” The tone of her voice as she said the TA’s name was not lost on Nancy.

“Jonathan and I are perfectly fine, I talked to him at the beginning of the week. He’s been working a lot so I haven’t talked to him much, but he said he’s coming next weekend to visit.” Nancy looked to Robin to see if that bothered her. Robin stared blankly back at her. “And for the last time, Jack is just being a nice guy and helping me with my journalism course.”

“Right.” Robin said with a chuckle, crossing her arms over her chest. “Well since Jon’s coming, do you want me to be scarce for the weekend?” Robin quickly asked, “I’m sure I could room with someone else for a night or two.” She said with a waggle of her brows.

Nancy knew that Robin hadn’t struggled much at all in the last week or so to go home with any girl that batted their lashes the taller girl’s way, and Nancy wasn’t sure what to think of it. Surely Robin would have to run out of queer girls to go home with, wouldn’t she? It didn’t bother her, she just hoped that Robin was being safe, that was all.

“Maybe.” Nancy said, trying to play it cool, “Jonathan said he’s going to try to leave early Friday and stay over until Sunday.”

“That’s great, that’ll give you time to spend alone with him and work things out.”

Nancy’s jaw tightened, “We don’t need to work anything out. We’re perfectly fine.” Not, Nancy thought to herself as she faked a smile.

Robin didn’t seem to buy it however, looking to where the sticky note with Jack’s number on it still laid front and center on Nancy’s desk. “I’ll catch you later, Wheeler. I’m going to clear my mind of this heat.” She pulled on a pair of cargo shorts, tucking her undershirt into them before slipping her wallet and keys into her pocket. It burned Nancy up inside that her roommate could just walk around like that like nobody would notice.

“Have fun.” She bit out, turning away from the taller girl, listening to the door click shut before she bawled her hands into fists and fought the urge to scream into the now empty room. She really did need to get laid, but that's none of Robin’s business, or anyone’s for that matter. The weekend just needed to get here and fast.

One Year Ago- June 1984

“How did you know you liked girls?” Nancy asked Barb from the throw rug at the foot of her bed. She was staring at the popcorned ceiling, contemplating.

“Why do you ask that?” Barb asked, startled at the sudden words. They had been sitting in amicable silence for the last hour as they hid out from the heatwave that was currently burning its way through Hawkins.

“Just wondering.” Nancy said with a shrug. “We’ve got to talk about something right?”

“Well we’ve been fine with the quiet for a while now, but sure. What the hell, right?” Nancy never did find out more about that crush of hers from years ago. Perhaps more days than not that crush was still ripping its way through her chest.

“Like, did you just wake up one day and want to kiss girls? Did you ever like boys?” Nancy kept rattling off questions like she had been thinking about it for some time.

“No and no.” Barb answered as she focused hard on her poster of Blondie and trying to look anywhere but at her best friend who was notably wearing her bikini top and a very short pair of frayed jean shorts. “I think I’ve known since like the third grade that I was different than most.”

Nancy giggled, “That’s when we met.”

Oh she was well aware of that, Barb thought. She remembered meeting Nancy like it was yesterday and she always saw the world a bit differently after that. “Crazy coincidence.” She said instead, hoping that was pointing out the obvious, however just like before, Nancy didn’t seem to catch on.

“Well, have you ever done it though? Kiss a girl that is? I feel like you would tell me if it did, but you’ve kept this secret for so long. Maybe you didn’t tell me and I missed it.” Nancy said that last bit with a touch of sadness, like she was disappointed in the fact that she might’ve missed one of the most important moments in her best friend’s life.

Barb felt her chest tighten, “Not yet.” She said, staring at the ceiling.

“Would you ever kiss Robin Buckley?” Nancy asked next and Barb felt everything crashing down around her.

“What?”

“Well, the rumors are true aren’t they?” Nancy asked, “I mean she would’ve told you right? You’ve been hanging out with her more since I’ve been dating Jonathan.”

Barb just shook her head in disbelief, “Just because we both like girls doesn’t mean we have to like each other like that.”

“But you like her right, Robin?” Nancy pressed some more.

“Do you like Robin?” Barb countered, hearing Nancy choke on her water that she had just sat up to sip.

“Are you serious?” Nancy spluttered, “She hates me.”

“That’s not an answer to my question.” Barb asked with a raise of her brow. “You seem awfully obsessed with her sexuality.”

“I am not obsessed.” Nancy scoffed, “Besides I’m not like that. I’m dating Jonathan, remember.”

Like that. Barb was saddened at her best friend’s choice of words to describe her lifestyle. “I was only joking.”

“Yeah, well it’s not funny.” Nancy bit out, taking another sip of her water. It really was hot in this room.

Present Day- October 1985

Jonathan was due in at any moment as Nancy sat on the curb in the visitor’s parking lot. She had been sitting there for the better half of an hour, too excited to wait any longer. She really did miss him.

She watched as Jonathan's green Ford LTD pulled into the parking lot, trying to keep herself from all but running to his car as she slowly got to her feet and made her way over to where he was currently backing into a parking spot.

“Hey, Nance.” Jonathan greeted as he rolled up his window and killed the ignition. She listened for the squeaking of the door hinges as his long legs popped out of the driver's door, of course wearing jeans even in the sweltering heat.

“Hi, Jonathan.” She leaned in to give him a much awaited kiss. Something that she admittedly started thinking about less and less. She was just too focused on her classes, something she kept convincing herself was the full truth.

Jonathan pulled away first, reaching into the passenger seat for his overnight bag and slinging it over his shoulder. “How have you been?” He asked as he shut the door behind him.

“I've been good.” Nancy lied, because in truth she really didn't know how she was doing. It had been quite the adjustment period moving 900 miles from home and the amount of assignment work she was all but nearly drowning in.

Jonathan scanned her face for further information that his girlfriend didn't delve into. It was just the beginning though, hopefully after getting used to being around each other for a few hours the conversation would come easier for both of them.

“Well, that's good.” He said awkwardly, scratching at the back of his neck and feeling the dampness of his hair. “Could we get out of this heat though, maybe you could show me your dorm?”

Nancy felt her stomach twist into a knot. She wasn't so sure she was ready to be in her room with Jonathan alone just yet. Baby steps she told herself. “Why don't be grab an ice coffee first? I can show you the campus and the bookstore.”

Jonathan smiled a small smile, his eyes barely crinkling at the corners. “Sure, that sounds good.” A word in which they keep passing back and forth like it's going to go out of style.

Nancy nodded her head, letting out a deep breath. The hardest part was over, now she just needed to stifle her nerves and act like a normal girlfriend would be seeing her boyfriend after a month apart. She looped her arm in his, pulling him in the direction of the coffee shop. She hoped Robin was already done her shift for the day, but she had this sneaking suspicion that she would be too lucky for that to happen.

Nancy held open the door for Jonathan as he stepped into the small coffee shop first, looking around at the handful of students on their breaks in-between classes grabbing an afternoon boost or something to tide them over until dinner.

“This is nice.” Jonathan said as he began to look at the menu hanging over the counter. He quickly took notice to the worker behind the counter, mustering a smile as he greeted them. “Hey Robin, long time no see.”

Robin turned to look over her shoulder at the familiar voice that she was hoping to avoid this weekend. It still hurt to look at him sometimes, remembering how quickly he had dropped her like a bad habit after he started dating Nancy.

“Hey, Jon.” She said with the lack of enthusiasm she knew would falter his smile, which it did.

“You didn't say Robin worked here.” He whispered to Nancy as Robin turned back around and pressed the steamer button to clean it and drown them both out.

“I figured she would be done for the day, sorry. I'll order for us, it's okay.” Nancy said l, looking back and forth between her boyfriend and roommate.

Jonathan nodded his head, clearing his throat before stepping to the side to stare at the store front window while she placed their order.

Coward, Robin thought as she turned back around and wiped her hands on the rag tucked into her apron. She looked Nancy over with a smirk as she watched the curly girl step up to the counter. “Getting your daily fix?” She asked.

Nancy shrugged, “Just two medium iced coffees, please.”

“One black and one with cream extra sweet, right?” Robin asked, already grabbing for the cups.

Nancy felt a bitterness creep up her throat. She hated just how well Robin knew her coffee order. “Two blacks actually, I've got to cut back on the sugar.”

Robin raised a brow before shrugging and writing down the order on the two cups. “Alright, then. Just a minute.”

Nancy waited at the counter knowing it wouldn't take the other girl long to pour two iced coffees. She tried to focus her attention on the sweets case, anything to keep from looking at her roommate. She didn't want to notice how her hair was tied back in a messy bun, or the fact that she had a new piercing in her right earlobe. She definitely didn't want to take note of just how tightly her apron was tied around her and certainly not the fact that she had on her red lipstick today.

Nancy didn't want to notice any of these things about Robin because Jonathan was standing there after driving all day just to see her. It didn't mean anything anyway, she was bound to notice those things with someone she lived in close proximity to, right?

“Here you go.” Robin slid the two cups across the counter to the shorter girl. “Enjoy your stay at the Buckley/Wheeler residence.” She called over Nancy where Jonathan was still avoiding eye contact.

Jonathan nodded, waving to her in thanks, before grabbing his drink from Nancy as she weaved her arm into his again. Robin chuckled to herself as she watched Nancy take a sip of her drink and nearly gag. They strolled out the door after that, the bell chiming once more before the metal clang of the door announced their departure.

Robin watched them walk past the big window, picking at the chipping paint on the edge of the counter. She was always a bit sore when it came to Jonathan Byers and their history together. It hurt even more that he could barely look at her when all she wanted to do was go back to how they used to be. That was in the past now however, she could see just how much time and a girlfriend had changed him. She's not so sure he's the guy she used to know anymore either.

“So Robin said she was going to sleep at a friend's place for the weekend so we can have some time alone.” Nancy said as she shut the door behind them once they finally made it back to the dorm room. The two of them dragged it out longer than needed as they went to the bookstore and then the library, swinging by the dining hall after that for dinner.

“Cool.” Jonathan said, dropping his bag on the floor next to Nancy’s desk. “I think I’m going to lie down if that’s okay, I’m just really tired from the long drive and it’s all hitting me now.”

“Oh, okay. Yeah, sure of course that’s fine.” Nancy chewed on her lip as Jonathan started pulling things out of his bag, an old ratty pair of gym shorts and teeshirt being tossed onto her bed.

“Where’s the bathroom so I can get changed?” He asked.

“You can change in front of me, you know, it’s not like I haven’t seen it before.” Nancy said with a chuckle, eyeing him closely to see if his facial features changed at the insinuation.

Jonathan’s face remained blank. “Well I have to brush my teeth too so I’m just killing two birds with one stone.” He said with a shrug.

“Okay, yeah that makes sense.” Nancy said, “The bathroom is down the hall to the left.”

Jonathan nodded his head before grabbing his clothes and a ziplock bag with a toothbrush and toothpaste inside it.

Nancy watched him leave before allowing herself to frown. What changed between them in the month that she had been gone? And how could she fix it? She waited silently at her desk, tapping her pencil on the opened page of her notebook. If Jonathan was going to go to bed early, she might as well stay up and work on her paper.

She heard the click of the door opening and shutting a few moments later, turning to watch Jonathan walk across the room and drop the ziplock bag back into his bag. “This bottom bunk if you, right?” He asked to be sure, noticing her stuffed pink bunny right away which was perched on top of her neatly made bed.

“Yup.” She said, the p popping audibly on her lips. She watched as he gently moved her bunny and pulled the duvet down to slip beneath the sheets.

“Is it okay that I’m crashing early?” Jonathan asked sitting upright in the bed, his head brushing the bottom of the top bunk.

“Yeah, you’re tired. It’s okay.” She said softly, taking in his half lidded eyes and soft features. “I should work on this paper for a little bit more so I’ll climb into bed in a little while.”

Jonathan smiled a soft smile before curling up into the bed and facing the wall away from her. A few moments later she could hear his quiet breaths, telling her he had already dozed off.

Nancy sighed to herself, tucking her knees into her chest as she worked on a few more paragraphs before looking at her alarm clock a little while later, noticing that it was nearly midnight. She uncurled herself from her desk chair, peering over at Jonathan’s sleeping body to see he had completely sprawled out in her bed, his legs and arms touching either side of the mattress. She didn’t want to disturb him, seeing how tired he had been before falling asleep.

She didn’t want to sleep on the floor however, which only left one option. It wasn’t like Robin was using her bed tonight anyways, she wouldn’t even have to know if Nancy didn’t want to admit it to her. Robin would surely have a field day knowing that she and Jonathan didn’t tear each other’s clothes off the minute they were alone together. It burned Nancy up inside, sure that Robin was hardly getting a goodnight’s sleep, something that was becoming truly unfair seeing as she herself hasn’t gotten laid in a month and a half at this point.

She rolled her eyes, trying to clear her mind of her irritating roommate, flipping off her desk light and climbing up the side of the bunk bed and crawling onto the top bunk. Robin’s bed of course wasn’t made, her duvet bunched up at the foot of the bed, her plaid sheets wrinkled from that morning when the taller girl woke up late for her shift at the coffee shop. She ignored the knotting in her stomach as she tried yet again to wipe her mind of anything that would get her worked up, wanting to try and get as good of a sleep as she could in someone else’s bed.

She flipped the pillow before placing her head down on it, feeling the hot air that had clung to the top half of the room. She laid there for quite some time before sleep overtook her. The smell of Robin's shampoo was strong on the pillowcase whether she flipped it or not. Something like lavender and rain she thought to herself, breathing it in. It smelled really good, she thought she might ask her where she got it from. Though then that would give away the fact that she slept in Robin's bed and she wasn't so sure she wanted her to know that little detail about her weekend with her boyfriend.

She could hear Jonathan roll over beneath her, his deep breathing confirming that he was still dead to the world as she laid there thinking about what Robin smelled like. It was ridiculous, she really needed to get some sleep. Tomorrow was a new day and dammit if she wasn't going to try to fix things with the sleeping boy beneath her.

Chapter Text

Present Day- October 1985

Nancy stirred the next morning to the sound of shuffling and the smell of freshly roasted coffee. She murmured to herself, her lashes fluttering open for her bleary vision to take in Jonathan sitting at her desk, looking over the notebook she left open from the night before.

“Hey, you're awake.” He said when he heard her stir. “I must've left no room for you last night, huh? Sorry about that.” He said sheepishly as he held up a coffee cup in gesture. “I thought I'd grab a coffee to surprise you with. I know it's hot out, but nothing wakes you up better than a hot coffee.”

She sat up, rubbing at her eyes before feeling a patch of drool dried on her chin. She slept like a rock once she finally fell asleep. Her hair was doing its crazy rendition of bed head as she raked her hands through it to try and tame it. “Thank you.”

“Yeah, it was weird though. I tried to order it the way you like it, but Robin insisted that you started drinking it black. Said you were cutting down on sugar.” He shrugged, “I didn't think you liked it straight up black though. She even said that you like dark roast now.

Nancy felt her jaw tighten as her teeth ground together. Fucking Robin was playing with her even without being in the same room as her. Why was she able to get under her skin so easily? She decided to play along instead of trying to explain her and her roommate’s current standoff. “Uh, yeah I've changed some things since moving here.”

Jonathan nodded, taking a sip from his own cup. “Yeah, I've noticed.” And what the hell was that supposed to mean? They barely even talked yesterday, how could he make such an assumption off of so little?

Nancy stretched her arms over her head to loosen some of the stiffness in her shoulders before climbing down for her coffee. She brushed a chaste kiss to Jonathan's forehead before grabbing the cup and taking a sip from it. She fought the grimace she could feel herself pulling, faking instead a delighted sound. “Yeah, Robin's getting to know me quite well.” What was that supposed to mean? She thought to herself. She said it before she could even think it over. Stupid, stupid, she mentally slapped herself in the head.

Jonathan nodded once more, “So what did you want to do today?”

Nancy could think of a few things she's been wanting to do since the second week of classes. She was beginning to get frustrated with herself by just how horny she had been lately. She wanted to lay him out and devour him. She shrugged instead, “I thought maybe we could catch a movie? There's a cinema a couple blocks from here and the new Nightmare on Elm Street just came out.”

“Sounds good.” Jonathan said with a nod, “Did you want to head out now or did you want breakfast first?”

Nancy looked at her clock, it was only 8:30. She sidled up to him, placing her coffee cup down next to his and brushed her fingertips along his wrist. “Do you want to work up an appetite first?”

Jonathan instantly stood up straighter. “I'm actually pretty hungry now.” He cleared his throat and looked away from her towards the door. As if he was in a cage with a lion and desperately wanted to leave. “Besides I'm still pretty tired from yesterday, I didn't sleep well.”

Could've fooled her, she thought to herself. “Okay yeah, maybe later then.” She said with a wink when he looked back at her.

Jonathan mustered a measly smile before sitting down on her bed and sipping his coffee once more while he waited for Nancy to get dressed.

She tried to make a show of it, slowly getting dressed and hoping to catch him looking out of the corner of her eye, but he never looked up.

“I'm just going to brush my teeth really quick.” She said, trying to hide the bite in her tone. Of course it would be fine if Jonathan really was tired and not in the mood, but she couldn't help but feel him pushing her away.

She made it to the bathroom down the hall and headed in to brush her teeth and do her makeup in the mirror. Normally at this hour on a Saturday it was pretty deserted after everyone went out partying the night before. There were a few showers running when she walked in as she walked over to the sink and started prepping her toothbrush.

“Didn't think I'd see you in here so early after your sleepover.” A voice came from behind her.

Nancy looked up from the sink, seeing none other than Robin in just a sportsbra and underwear, drying her hair off with a towel. Nancy quickly looked away, feeling her cheeks heat up. Her eyes flicked back up to see Robin smirking that stupid infuriating smirk at her, her collarbone and chest pockmarked with hickies assumedly from the night before.

“Jonathan was hungry so I'm just getting ready so we can head out.” She explained as Robin began slipping on a pair of shorts that ended about mid-thigh, blonde peach fuzz adorned her legs as Nancy went back to brushing her teeth trying not to notice anymore about the other girl.

“Did you sleep well?” Robin asked, her eyes flicking up from where she had been fastening her jean shorts and began pulling a tank top over her head.

Nancy rinsed off her tooth brush before setting it down on the edge of the sink, unzipping her makeup bag to begin rifling through it. She could feel her pulse quicken at exactly where she slept last night. “I slept really well actually.” She knew what that would sound like and she was fine with that.

“Good for you.” Robin nodded, sidling up beside the curly haired girl and hopped up onto the counter, dangling her feet in her flip flops. “What are the plans for today, after Jonny gets his breakfast of course.” She said with her hands up and a knowing look.

Nancy lined her eyes first before applying eyeshadow and mascara. “We're going to go to the movies and watch the new Elm Street.” She could see Robin out of the corner of her eye watching her makeup routine and it was making her nervous. “I see you had a good time last night.” She said to distract her.

Robin chuckled, not a blush in sight. “Those are from a couple nights ago. Apparently softball players can be pretty aggressive.” She said with a wink.

Nancy could feel another flush coming on as she tucked her chin into her chest and searched for her lip liner and lipstick. “So what did you do last night?” She asked, trying to distract Robin from asking anymore questions.

“Oh, Stacy and I just had a night in, watched some movies and ate junk food.” Robin shrugged, “It was actually really nice.”

Was Stacy slowly becoming Robin's girlfriend? Nancy thought, unsure why that would bother her.

Nancy looked up in the mirror, her eyes flicking over to Robin who was staring at her applying her lipstick. She could feel something stir inside her at the attention before clearing her throat to snap Robin out of it. She zipped her bag, “Well I should head back and grab Jon.”

“Right, right.” Robin swallowed, sliding off of the counter. “Well have fun, enjoy the movie. I hear it's pretty gorey.”

“After the last one? I find that hard to believe.” Nancy chuckled, collecting her belongings and heading out of the bathroom. “I'll see you later.” She said over her shoulder before disappearing around the corner.

Four Years Ago- September 1981

There was a new foreign exchange program that Hawkins High was rolling out this year, and families that wanted to, signed up for them at the beginning of the summer. Nancy begged her parents for a week straight before her father finally gave in, if only to get back to his silent tv time. The only hitch was that she had to share a room with whoever this mystery girl was when she arrived, which was no big deal for Nancy. She always wished she had a sister she could actually relate to, and not a much younger one that still needed to wear a diaper at night.

“Are you nervous to see who you get?” Barb asked as she stood beside the much shorter girl as they waited in the gym for the new students to arrive, luggage in hand. The first day of school was tomorrow, giving them only one night to settle in before a slew of school work was thrown onto them, along with a whole different country that they would be staying in for the next nine months.

“All I know so far is that her name is Clara and she’s from France.” Nancy said, biting at her nail. “I guess I’m a bit nervous.”

“Well of course, that makes sense.” Barb said with a nod, looking back to the door that the students would all be coming through with the superintendent. “She’s going to be living with you all year, sleeping in your room even.” If Nancy would’ve been paying more attention, she might’ve picked up on the frown Barb was sporting.

Nancy shrugged, “This is her picture.” She held it up for her best friend to see.

Barb looked the picture over, her glasses slipping down the tip of her nose. “She doesn’t look like she’ll be a problem.”

“Why would she be a problem?” Nancy asked, turning to Barb curiously.

“Well you can never be too careful with everything going on right now in the world.” Barb said, and she got lucky because right as she was going to try and come up with a further excuse, the door to the gymnasium opened up, a line of kids pouring into the room one after the other.

“I think that’s her there.” Nancy said, grabbing Barb’s arm. “It’s a shame your parents didn’t let you join the program since your siblings already moved out.” She said flippantly as she began to drag her across the basketball court.

Barb sighed, “Yeah, too bad.”

Present Day- October 1985

“So what did you think?” Nancy asked as she ducked under Jonathan’s arm as he held the door to the movie theater out for her, the hot air assaulting her after being in the cool air conditioning for so long.

“Hmm?” Jonathan responded, looking at her as he let the door shut behind them.

“The movie, what did you think?” Nancy asked, trying to hide the sigh that nearly slipped out after it.

“It was fine.” He said, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “I think I still like the first one the best.” He followed with a shrug.

Nancy looked him over, taking in his long brown hair curtaining his forehead and half of his eyes, making him have to flip it out of his face from time to time. “I don’t know, I liked this one.”

“That’s fine.”

Nancy could feel her jaw tighten, “Is everything just fine Jonathan, is it?”

“What?” He turned to look at her, his brow furrowed in confusion.

“You just seem to not have much to say at all since you’ve gotten here.” Nancy said, stopping on the sidewalk so that the group of people behind them had to go around them.

“Nancy, you’re causing a scene.”

“They’ll be fine Jonathan, focus on me right now. Something you have yet to do since you got here yesterday.”

Jonathan rolled his eyes, “I’m just tired Nancy, I’ve been working a lot so that I could make the long drive to see you.” He scoffed, throwing his hand up. “Apparently I did all of that just to get interrogated over not being so excited to be here.”

“And why aren’t you excited to see me?” Nancy asked, crossing her arms over her chest. “Did you even miss me?” This conversation was moving fast, and they could both see how easily it could turn ugly from here.

“You’re impossible, you know that?” Jonathan asked, beginning to walk away.
“Where are you going?” Nancy called after him.

“I need a break, I’m going to walk around for a little bit.” He said, continuing to walk away.

Before Nancy could come up with anything else to say, he disappeared around a corner away from her. Something she had a feeling he wanted to do ever since he got there.

Nancy made her way back to her dorm, trying to blow off some of the steam she had built up with Jonathan being so closed off. She was feeling him slip away and she didn’t know how to get him to want to stay.

She stuck the key in the lock, before realizing it was open. She opened the door to find Robin up on her bed, a Russian literature book in her lap hiding her chest, but Nancy could tell very well from the expanse of skin she could see that the other girl was topless.

“Shit.” Robin said, startled as she quickly grabbed for her shirt that was hanging off the side of the top bunk.

Nancy turned away, staring at the wall. “What are you doing here?”

“I thought you’d be gone for a while.” Robin said, mufflied from behind the fabric of her shirt Nancy assumed. “I didn’t hear you in the hallway, it’s hot in here.”

“That’s because the door was unlocked.” Nancy peeked over her shoulder before turning around to face her roommate.

“Where’s Jon?” Robin asked, sliding to the edge of the bed, book dog-eared and tossed to the side. She rested her chin in her hand as she looked down at Nancy, a brow raised in interest.

Nancy rolled her eyes, “Does he have to be with me every waking minute of this weekend?”

Robin’s head cocked to the side, a ghost of mirth on her face. “No, but he is here to see you from 900 miles away. You’d think he’d want to spend most of his time with you.”

Nancy could feel a growl growing in her chest. “Yeah, I know he drove a long way to see me, but that doesn’t make any sense to then act like he doesn’t want to be here at all.”

Robin hopped down from her place on the bed, studying Nancy’s face as she took a step towards her. “Are you okay?” She asks her.

“I just want to be alone.” Nancy said through her teeth, “I don’t expect for you to understand any of this.”
Robin narrowed her eyes at her, “You’re right, I wouldn’t understand having a boyfriend that wants nothing to do with me.” She took a step back, grabbing her book off of the edge of her bed and her bag hanging from the post.

“Yeah, well how could you when you don’t even spend the night with the same fucking girl twice!” Nancy yelled, she was mad and now she was taking it out on the wrong person. “You wouldn’t even know intimacy if it hit you in the face.” She finished, crossing her arms over her chest. She was so worked up she couldn’t see past her anger.

Robin gritted her teeth, ripping open the door to the room so hard the cooler air from the hallway blew past her and stirred Nancy’s curls. “Yeah, because it’s really working for you. Let me know when you get that stick pulled out of your ass and Jonathan finally fucks the bitch out of you.”

Nancy watched, jaw dropped as Robin slammed the door in her face, the door rattling in its frame. One step forward, two steps back.

Four Years Ago- September 1981

“So this is my room.” Nancy called over her shoulder as she showed Clara to where she would be staying. “My mom got a trundle bed since my room isn't big enough for a second bed. I hope that’s okay.”

Clara followed behind her, a girl damn near the same height as her, but built completely different. Nancy swore she could be a model regardless of her height. She wore her hair short, a bob just above her shoulders, and curves that even she had to notice. It was amazing to Nancy how much more mature she looked unlike herself. Afterall, Nancy did only just get her braces removed the month prior.

“A trundle bed?” Clara asked in confusion, looking around the pink striped walls of the tiny bedroom.

Nancy nodded, gesturing towards her bed that had a matching one pulled out from beneath it. Thankfully this one wasn’t attached to the main frame so it could be rolled across the room to give the girls some space from each other, even if it was very little.

“Ah.” Clara said, looking at the bed that was now hers. She dropped her bag down onto the neatly ironed and tucked blankets, before returning her attention to the rest of the room. She eyed the dresser and Nancy’s desk, her eyes dancing over the different posters taped to the walls. “It’s nice.” She said in her thick French accent.

“Thanks.” Nancy smiled brightly, pride warming her chest just thinking how much effort she had been putting into her room for the last few weeks. She tucked away all of her belongings that she felt seemed too childish, the older photographs of her and Barb tucked away for safekeeping along with the ballerina jewelry box her grandmother had given her at a young age.

“You like Blondie?” Clara asked as stood closer to the poster to look it over.

“They’re my favorite.” Nancy answered, her voice wavering slightly at the question. Was that the right answer?

“I like Joan Jett. Have you heard of her?” Clara asked, turning to face her new roommate.

“Oh yeah, love her.” She had certainly heard of her at least, Nancy thought as she cleared her throat. “So uh, did you pick any clubs to join after school?” She asked, changing subjects. “I’m going to be joining the yearbook club and school newspaper, so I won’t be getting home until four everyday.”

Clara shrugged, plopping down onto her bed. “I like football.”

“You want to join the soccer team?” Nancy asked.

“Already did.” Clara said, looking down at her painted nails before looking back to Nancy, studying her face. “You are very pretty.” She said simply, like it was nothing. Maybe girls complemented each other more often over in France,Nancy thought to herself.

“Thanks.” She said nervously, “So are you.”

Present Day- October 1985

It was nearing dinner time when Jonathan finally made his way back to the dorm room. Nancy was damn near getting ready to go look for him if he had taken any longer, she was relieved to see his face behind the door when it opened. She couldn’t have another conversation with Robin today.

“Hey.” He said as he shut the door behind him, the light from the hallway slipping out of the room as quickly as it had crept in. The sun, hidden behind the clouds, was beginning its descent down for the night as Nancy sat at her desk, scribbling out the final parts of her assignment.

She turned towards him, setting her pencil down as she looked him over. He looked small in his thin frame, his height having nothing to do with how small he always made himself. This was a man she loved, she reminded herself. She loved him, but she wasn’t so sure he loved her.

“Did you enjoy your walk?” She asked.

Jonathan sighed, wiping his hand across his face. “I don’t want to fight.”

“Who says we’re fighting?” Nancy asked, “You never stick around long enough to fight.”

Jonathan sat in Robin’s desk chair, turning it to face her, but staring at his sneakers. “I’m sorry for how distant I have been.”

Nancy leaned back in her chair, looking around the room to ground herself, afterall she didn’t want to fight either. “I feel like you’re pulling away.”

“It’s just been so hard, with the distance. I can’t help but be reminded everyday of how different we are.”

“We’re not that different.” Nancy said.

“Yes we are, Nancy.” Jonathan sounded frustrated, like he had been thinking about this for awhile. Like he’s had this conversation in his head on repeat. “I would’ve killed to go to college, to have been able to experience all of this with you.”

“So why didn’t you?” Nancy asked. She knew he had gotten accepted into Emerson even after he told her he didn’t. It wasn’t her fault that his acceptance letter was sitting on the top of the trash when she was over visiting, and boy was that a fight when she had ripped it out of the trash and shoved it in his face. Why did he lie to her? Why did he continue to?

“Oh, and be in debt for the rest of my life? I have a mother and brother to take care of.”

“They are not solely yours to shoulder.” Nancy said exasperated. Now this conversation she was used to, it was on constant replay in their relationship. A cassette tape that was growing nearer and nearer to tearing.

“I can’t let you take that responsibility.” Jonathan shook his head, his mind made up on the subject. “We are not taking your money. We can earn our own way, not all of us are so privileged to realize that it’s hard work.”

“But it doesn’t have to be!” Nancy could feel herself growing more and more upset. She was tired of Jonathan playing the victim. It wasn’t her fault how his father was an asshole who left them, while she had an asshole of a father who stayed. They both had to deal with the same coin, just opposite sides of it.

“You don’t get it, you never have.” Jonathan bit his lip, stifling whatever tears were threatening to spill over. “It would be best for both of us to stop pretending that we could be more than we already are to each other.”

“Which is what, Jon?” Nancy asked, she was tired and was being faced with the fact that the man she loved was a coward. “You can’t even look at me let alone fuck me. It’s been months, even before I moved out here.”

Jonathan scoffed, “Is that all this is to you? Sex?”

“Some of it, yes.” Nancy couldn’t believe what he was saying, how he was twisting things. “I’m sorry that I’m such a slut because I want my boyfriend to touch me.”

“Nancy stop, that’s not what I’m saying.” Jonathan sighed, he was looking at her like he was giving up. Maybe she already had.

“You can spend the night so you don’t have to drive overnight.” Nancy said, turning her back to him. “But I don’t see the point in you having to spend the whole day here tomorrow if you don’t have to.”

Nancy laid awake that night, finding it hard to sleep as she found herself yet again in Robin’s bed. It would’ve been weirder if she made Jonathan sleep up here, and so she had insisted on him taking her bed one more time as she pulled herself up onto the top bunk.

At first she was convinced that something was wrong with her, at the fact that she didn’t fight to keep Jonathan in her life, because after all that is what just happened right? The second reason she blamed herself for not caring about him was the fact that she wasn’t crying. The guy she loved was sleeping in the same room as her and they couldn’t be farther apart if they tried.

“Jonathan?” She called out, not having heard his quiet breathing to tell her he had fallen asleep.

A moment passed where she thought maybe she had been wrong when she heard him, “Yes?” He asked.

“Did we just break up?” She asked, her throat thick with emotion.

“I think so.” He said sadly, and yet the tears never came.

Nancy awoke the next day to an empty room, her bed neatly made and a note tucked in beside her pink bunny. Jonathan was gone and if she ever needed him she could call. That was all it said, and as Nancy sat with the quickly scrawled note in her hands, all she could do was feel a fire brewing in her stomach.

She crumpled the scrap of paper in her hands, tossing it into the wastebasket and pulled on her shoes. She needed to just get out of the room, though there hadn’t been a single sign left to show that Jonathan had even been there at all.

She slipped down the hallway, all the rooms she passed quiet as the morning sun peeked in through the common room’s blinds. Nancy rounded the corner, taking notice of a lump on the couch in the corner. The person’s head was facing away from her, but she would recognize that hair anywhere.

Robin was asleep, snoring beneath a blanket that was bunched up around her ankles, her arm thrown over her eyes, assumedly keeping the encroaching sunlight away.

Nancy was surprised to see her roommate here, pausing for a moment, hand on the door that led to the stairwell. She wondered if she had been sleeping there because of what she had said to her last, or perhaps what was more likely in her imagination was that the girl Robin was with last night couldn't stand her either and kicked her out after the evening's plans were over.

Nancy snapped out of her stare, turning and heading down the stairs to grab a coffee and try and clear her head. For the first time since she had started at Emerson, she had finished her weekend assignment early and had a Sunday all to herself. She had no idea what to do with that.

Four Years Ago- October 1981

“I still don't understand why Clara can't stay down here. It totally doesn't seem fair that your parents made you give up half of your room for the whole school year.” Barb said with a sigh.

Nancy shrugged, “Mike and the boys play down here, besides, it was one of the conditions I agreed to for them to even let her stay here.” She really didn't understand why this was all bothering Barb so much. It wasn't like Clara had done anything to her, or Nancy either for that matter.

“Well, at least she's upstairs so it can just be the two of us tonight.” Barb said, snuggling now into her side of the couch, the blanket they shared draped over their legs.

Nancy looked sheepish all of a sudden as the stairs to the kitchen began to creak, alerting them to someone coming downstairs.

“Karen gave me popcorn and sodas to bring down.” Clara's accent trailed down the stairs before she did.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Barb growled under her breath.

Nancy bit her lip as she turned her attention towards the girl coming down the stairs. “Hi Clara, we were just picking out a movie.”

“We already picked ‘Grease’.” Barb whispered to Nancy, trying not to draw attention to herself.

Clara looked between the two of them before moving towards the couch and handed each of them a coke before popping a piece of popcorn into her mouth and plopping down between the two girls. “We can watch ‘Grease’.” She said with a shrug, “Next time we watch my pick though.” She said, “Karen was just saying we could go to the video rental next weekend.”

“It’s Mrs. Wheeler.” Barb corrected her.

“It’s okay Barb, my mom said she could call her by her first name.” Nancy said before getting up to put the movie into the VCR.

Barb balked, mouth slightly agape as she busied herself with opening her can of coke.

“Karen says that you two have been friends for long time.” Clara says, trying to make conversation as she glances at Nancy fidgeting with the television before turning to Barb beside her.

“We met in the third grade.” Barb said, “I shared my colored pencils with her because Nancy left hers at home that day.”

“Cute.” Clara said with a smile, “That is what you call kismet.”

“What’s that?” Nancy asked, hopping up from the floor and wandering back over to her seat beside Clara and tucking the blanket back over her.

“It means fate.” Barb said with a dry throat, swallowing hard before taking a drink of her soda.

Nancy nodded, “I guess you could say that, yeah. I got a best friend out of it anyways.”

Barb flicked the top of her can before burying her hand into the popcorn bowl, nearly toppling it out of Clara’s lap.

Clara looked between the two of them before chuckling, “Is ‘Grease’ your favorite movie?”

“It’s Nancy’s favorite.” Barb said, “She’s in love with John Travolta.”

Nancy blushed, “He’s just really pretty.”

Clara chuckled, “I’m more of a Kenickie girl.”

“Who do you like, Barb?” Nancy asked with a giggle.

“Oh, you know I like Tom.” Barb said kind of awkwardly, and way too quickly.

“Oh yeah, that’s right.” Nancy smiled, grabbing a handful of popcorn from the bowl before getting back up out of her seat to turn the volume up on the tv as the opening number began to play.

Clara leaned back into the couch, pulling her legs up and crossing them beneath the bowl in her lap. “Could’ve fooled me.” She said just low enough for Barb to hear.

Four Years Ago- November 1981

Clara had been living with the Wheelers for two whole months now, and Nancy was spending most of her down time with her.

After school, clubs, and soccer, the two girls would dump their homework across the bedroom floor and work on their assignments together. Nancy would help Clara where she could, but ultimately they were both doing pretty well in their courses. Nancy was very impressed with the fact that other than a few translations here and there for their English class, Clara didn’t need help at all with her studies.

“So I was thinking of going to the library after school tomorrow if you want to meet up after you get done with practice.” Nancy said tentatively as she continued to stare down at the math equation she had been working on for the last five minutes. She peaked up at the girl through the curtain of hair that was hiding her face.

Clara chuckled, “You want to spend a Friday night in the library? You really are a nerd.”

Nancy bit her lip, searching for a pillow to throw at the other girl but came up empty handed. “I just want to get a headstart on my history project.”

“I heard there’s going to be a party at Steve Harrington’s house tomorrow night, I thought we might go to that.” Clara said casually, as if it was the most normal thing to suggest they should go do.

Nancy felt her stomach swoop, “Steve Harrington? He’s going to have all the older students there though.”

“Isn’t that the point?” Clara asked, “Older boys are cuter.”

Nancy suddenly was nervous, “Barb would never agree to go.”

“She doesn’t have to. She’s a wet blanket anyways.” Clara said with a shrug.

“That’s not true.” Nancy tried to argue, but at a raise of Clara’s brow she could only agree, at least a little bit. Barb had grown more and more irritated by Clara’s presence at lunch and movie nights, even going as far as asking why the girl couldn’t find her own friends. Nancy of course scolded her, giving her the whole speech of it only being a month and living in a new country etc, etc. Nancy was growing tired of the constant negativity.

“Well, how will we get there?” Nancy asked, her parents would never agree to them going to a party, especially one that would most likely have alcohol present.

“I’ve been talking to Jason Carver, he said he would meet us at the library and pick us up.” Clara said simply, she had clearly put some thought into it already.

“Jason Carver? Isn’t he dating Chrissy Cunningham?” Nancy asked, unsure.

Clara waved her off, “Not right now he isn’t.” She winked and it made something in Nancy’s stomach stir. Clara continued to look at her, studying her as if beneath a microscope. Nancy wanted nothing more than to know what the other girl thought of her. She hoped it was all good things.

“Do you have a crush on anyone?” She asked Nancy suddenly, leaning back against the wall behind her bed.

Nancy could feel her cheeks pinken, the warmth washing over her face. She had never even kissed a boy let alone thought much about crushes. She did however like Steve Harrington, or at least the idea of him. She told Clara as much, including the kissing part.

“You’ve never kissed anyone?” Clara asked, a little dumb founded. “I had my first kiss when I was ten. I suppose things are different here in the states.” She giggled.

Nancy was embarrassed, she wasn’t sure why she told Clara that bit of information about herself without being at least asked first. It wasn’t like it was something to brag about, she felt so behind her peers in nearly every category. Perhaps if she didn’t constantly have her head buried in a book, she might just lose her v card before she was twenty one.

Clara closed her book, inching towards the edge of her bed. “Steve Harrington has much practice kissing girls, I’m sure.” She pursed her lips in thought, “You should practice too, so you are ready to kiss him tomorrow night.”

Nancy laughed, “And who am I going to practice with, Fred?” She briefly thought of the nerdy boy that was in the newspaper club with her. He was shorter than her, glasses big enough to frame his entire face. His lips were always bright red from being cracked and sore, she couldn’t even humor the idea. She grimaced.

Clara shook her head, sheer entertainment dancing behind her eyes. “You can practice on me.”

Nancy felt herself suck in, a gasp light enough that she hoped the other girl missed whilst being too busy giggling at her face. She could feel her hands sweating all of a sudden, her throat as dry as the Sahara. Kiss a girl? Nancy couldn’t believe what she was hearing, yet why did it make her heart race at the thought?

Clara looked at her knowingly, as if she could see right through her. Nancy hoped she was reading into it, nervous at what the other girl was suggesting.

“You want to kiss me?” Nancy asked in a near whisper, afraid to say it too loud in case someone could hear them in the hallway. She quickly stood to her feet and walked over to her cassette player, pushing the Pat Benatar tape back in and pressing play.

“Kissing girls is like kissing boys.” Clara said, “The only difference is girls are softer.”

Nancy tried to act disinterested, staring down at the math problem she had cast aside in panic. She felt Clara get up and move across the room to sit beside her. “It'd just be practice.” She said, trying to ease the girl's nerves.

“I don't know.” Nancy said, looking down at her chipped nail polish. She'd have to fix that before the party. What if she liked it? Kissing Clara. Would that mean she liked girls or that she just liked her roommate? Can it work like that? What if she changed her mind later? Did she even like boys at all? Did boys like her?

All of these questions were flooding through Nancy's brain as she tried to take a deep breath. She looked up at Clara and felt like she could feel every nerve ending in her fingertips. She bawled her hands into fists against the comforter.

“Are you okay?” Clara asked her.

Nancy bit her lip, she wasn't sure how to answer that question. Nothing had happened so far that she could say made her not okay, in fact she was too afraid that what might happen would do the exact opposite. “Are you going to kiss me?” She whispered.

Clara smirked, her eyes flicking down to Nancy's glittery pink lip gloss that was beginning to fade from a day of wearing it. “Do you want me to kiss you?” She asked.

“Well, it's just practice, right?” Nancy asked nervously.

Clara nodded, “Yes, practice.”

Nancy felt herself leaning in to mirror Clara who was doing the same. “Will you tell me if I'm any good?”

She could feel Clara's breath against her lips as she chuckled, “Sure.”

Nancy swallowed hard, her mouth suddenly so wet as she tried desperately in the final moments before having her first kiss wishing she could go back to having dry mouth. Why was she so nervous? It was ridiculous really, it was just practice between friends. A small kiss, that was all. When she looked back at this moment years from now, would she even remember it? Clara was so close, she could almost feel her lips against hers, feel her exhale right before the next moment where their mouths would be touching. She ignored all of the fears and worries in her brain and jumped.

“Girls, dinner!” Karen Wheeler’s voice broke through the music, the doorknob jiggling right before opening. Nancy threw herself off of her bed, knocking her homework down with her as she could hear Clara stand to her feet to turn the music off.

“Mom, you’re supposed to knock!” Nancy whined, flushing profusely.

“I know, but you two couldn’t hear me over the music.” Karen said with a dishtowel in one hand whilst the other was on her hip. She looked between her daughter who was clearly going through it and the much calmer girl who was casually standing next to the stereo. “What were the two of you listening to music so loud for anyways, aren’t you doing homework?”

Nancy pushed all of her papers and folders into a pile before putting them back on her bed. “Yeah, we were just getting tired of all of the math problems so we took a break to listen to some music.”

“Yes, I was just about to redo Nancy’s nail polish.” Clara said with a clearing of her throat. “It’s all chipped and needs a touch up.”

Nancy nodded her head in agreement, pulling her box of polishes out from beneath her bed. “I was just going to show Clara all the different colors to see if she wanted her nails done too.”

Karen, seemingly satisfied with the answer, turned on her heel and back out into the hallway. “Okay, well why don’t you take a real break and come have some dinner. I made meatloaf.” She said over her shoulder, heading back down the hallway to descend the stairs.

Nancy let out a huge sigh of relief, wiping at her brow before standing back up onto her feet. She turned to look at Clara, but she was already heading out of the bedroom before anything else could be said.

That was close, Nancy thought to herself. Too close.

Present Day- October 1985

On Monday morning Nancy woke up bright and early before her alarm clock, rolling over in her bed to face the first few rays of sun peeking in through the blinds that were warming the edge of her pillow. She was about to stretch and sit up when she noticed that she wasn’t the only one awake.

Robin stood in front of their shared closet, rifling through the different hangers seemingly looking for something specific. The weather was beginning to cool off as she stood in a pair of high waisted jeans and no bra, her bare back facing Nancy as she continued to stare into the small void that was their closet. Robin’s walkman was clipped to her jeans, her headphones snug over both ears so that she didn’t hear Nancy wake up, something that Nancy just assumed was a part of the other girl’s routine as she got ready for work in the morning with the safe assurance that Nancy’s alarm didn’t go off for another half an hour.

Nancy sat very still, deciding between making a loud noise to let the girl know she was awake or rolling back over and pretending to be asleep. Instead of doing either of those more respectful actions however, she continued to stare at the bare expanse of Robin’s back, the muscles moving in tandem with her arms. She finally landed on a shirt, taking it off of its hanger and throwing it over her shoulders, a motion that left little to the imagination as Nancy quickly looked away to give the girl some privacy. In doing so however, she knocked the book that she had fallen asleep reading onto the floor, causing Robin to spin on her heel to face her. The shirt just managed to be buttoned at the top, the soft skin of her stomach still on display beneath the opening.

Robin pulled her headphones down to rest around her neck as she looked at Nancy, a confused look on her face. She noticed Nancy’s eyes trying to look anywhere but at her, face flushed. “Did you just wake up?” She asked.

Nancy nodded, tucking her bottom lip between her teeth as she squinting her eyes shut. “Yes! Yes.” She faked a yawn and a stretch of her arms over her head. “Guess I beat the alarm this morning.” She said awkwardly.

Robin cocked her head at her before buttoning the rest of her shirt. “Didn’t know I was putting on a show this morning, but just give me the word and I’ll consider not charging you.” She said with a wink pulling her lanyard with her keys over her head, letting it fall squarely into the middle of her chest. A chest Nancy couldn’t tear her eyes away from a moment ago.

Nancy rolled her eyes, “You wish, Buckley.”

Robin scoffed, “I wouldn’t be too sure of yourself, Princess. Some things aren’t worth all the effort.”

Nancy could feel her blood boil at that last part. She threw her pillow at her, Robin dodging it at the last moment with a full out laugh.

“What’s the matter Wheeler, not satisfied after your weekend with your boyfriend?”

Nancy’s teeth ground together, her nails digging into the mattress. “Don’t you ever get tired of thinking about sex?” She asked.

Robin looked her over before turning on her heel, “Not in the slightest.”

Nancy sat in the back of her Journalism 101 class, chin in her hand as she tried to focus on the assignment being discussed. Professor Andrews was standing at the front of the class, arms clasped together in front of her as she leaned back against her desk going over different scenarios you might have to go through trying to interview someone who isn’t a reliable source.

“So now, with that being said. This is what your big project is going to be until you come back from your holiday breaks. We’re going to focus on everything that goes into an interview and what causes a person who’s reading it to lean towards one way more than the other.” Professor Andrews pushed off of the desk, beginning to pace the floor. “We’ll talk about how you can pull emotion from other individuals, both the good and the ugly.” She clasped her hands behind her back, “And we’ll discuss what questions are the right questions and which ones shouldn’t even be bothered to be written.” She looked out across the room of faces staring back at her, when she noticed Nancy’s slouched posture towards the back of the room.

“Miss Wheeler.” The professor cleared her throat, “Am I keeping you awake today?”

Nancy had at some point tuned out the lecture, staring more so at Jack who was seated at his desk beside the professor’s. She jumped at Professor Andrews addressing her, blinking a few times and shaking her head. “No, of course not professor.”

Professor Andrews narrowed her eyes at Nancy, looking between her and her TA who was currently taking notes on the lecture so that she could look back at them later if need be. “Right, because although I’m sure Jack can give you notes on today’s topic, I don’t think he could explain it as well as I currently am. I suggest you pay attention and save the puppy dog eyes for after my class.”

Nancy could feel her face heating up, absolutely miffed at the fact that the professor had just called her out specifically in front of the whole class. A few chuckles broke out across the rows of students, a whisper here and there as Jack looked up from his note taking and immediately found Nancy’s eyes begging him to do something.

Jack cleared his throat, closing his notebook and looking to Professor Andrews. He pushed his reading glasses further up his nose where they were beginning to droop as he spoke, looking at his watch as he did so. “I believe that’s all we have for our time today, Professor.”

Professor Andrews sighed, turning towards him with her hand outstretched for the notes he took. “Yes, well we will certainly leave it at that for today.” She waved a hand dismissively towards the rest of the class, “That’s all for today. I will see you all on Wednesday for what will hopefully be a less distracting lesson.”

Nancy waited in her seat until the professor left the room, watching as she stood and talked to Jack for a few moments more before grabbing her bag and sliding the notes into it. She nodded her head at Jack as she took her leave, not even turning so much as an eye in Nancy’s direction as she went.

Nancy waited a moment before slowly getting to her feet and putting her notebook away. “God, she hates me.” She said as she made her way towards where Jack now leaned against his own desk, his arms crossed over his chest. He looked particularly extra good today, Nancy thought to herself as she looked him over in his dress pants and sweater vest. He dressed very similarly to how Steve used to dress when they were going out, and it made the hair on the back of her neck stand up at the thought. It was weird to say the least.

Did Nancy have a type? She thought to herself, but then how could she explain Jonathan? Or well, she supposes she shouldn’t consider the other person a part of it.

“Oh come on, you were asking for it today.” Jack said a bit cheeky, looking Nancy over as she approached him. “I like your skirt.” He said casually. And how short it was, she imagined to herself as she looked down at how her stockings disappeared beneath it. She didn’t necessarily like Jack in the ways she was familiar with, but he liked her, or she was pretty sure at least, and she needed to get laid desperately. She was just setting the groundwork with the outfit she was currently wearing, something she had pieced together after Robin did her a favor and left the room this morning before Nancy could get arrested for assault.

“I thought you might.” Nancy said, giving him a small smirk as she fingered the strap of her messenger bag. “Want to grab a coffee?” She asked.

“You know, there’s a party tonight for a friend of mine.” Jack said instead, “It’s his birthday and he just got hired at the firm he’s been interning at for the last couple of years, so we’re kind of doing a two in one special for him.” He grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder, tipping his empty coffee cup into the wastebin beside the desk. “Would you like to go with me?” He asked.

Nancy smiled, “I’d like that.” A party for a bunch of pre-law students? She could handle that, besides it definitely wouldn’t be Robin’s scene and she liked that even more.

“Great, how ‘bout I pick you up at 6?” Jack asked as they left the room and began heading down the hallway, their shoes echoing on the linoleum flooring as they were some of the last students still meandering between class periods.

Nancy liked how it felt to walk beside him, much shorter just how she liked it. She could trust him, he wasn’t just some stranger who’s name she would forget in the morning. She wasn’t sure how Robin could do that nearly every night, she didn’t envy her in the slightest. She pinched the inside of her arm as she looked up at Jack with a nod, “Sounds perfect.”

Jack bid her goodbye for now, saying that there were a few things he had to help get ready for the party and that he would see her later on. Nancy waved goodbye, watching him leave around the corner of the building before turning on her heel and heading the other way. She had to stop comparing herself to Robin and just enjoy her time tonight. Nancy just needed to get out of her headspace for a while and hopefully get lucky after this party she just agreed to. Now she just needed to figure out what she was wearing to said party.

Four Years Ago- November 1981

Nancy sat in the back of Jason Carver’s cherry red sports car, a hand me down from his father when he got a newer model. She stared out the window at all of the passing houses as they made their way to the Harrington house at the end of Corning Street and tried to ignore Jason’s hand resting on Clara’s stockinged thigh.

“So who’s all going to be there?” Nancy asked after a moment, trying to break the tension that was currently building up in the front seat.

Jason looked at Nancy in the rearview mirror, “The question should really be who isn’t going to be there.”

“Right.” Nancy said with a bit of a bite. She never liked Jason to begin with, and never thought in a million years that she would be third wheeling it in the backseat of his car.

“Are you nervous?” Clara asked her, looking over her shoulder at the curly haired girl with a wry smile.

Nancy couldn’t directly look at her for too long unless she wanted to think about the previous night and just how close she had gotten to kissing her. She briefly wondered what the lip gloss she had put on tonight tasted like before batting the thought away completely. She wouldn’t entertain these thoughts anymore, it didn’t happen and it was for the better. If Nancy never kissed a girl she wouldn’t have to face the feelings of wanting to.

Clara turned back to Jason, not bothering to wait for a response from Nancy before closing her out. “Will there be beer?” She asked him with a giggle.

“Oh, there’s always beer for pretty girls like you, babe.” Jason said with a chuckle as he pulled up to the curb in front of the party house.

Nancy wanted to wretch at the pet name, getting out of the car as soon as it came to a stop. She didn’t even wait for Jason to make a big deal out of opening the car door so that Clara could get out, wrapping his arm around her waist as he led her inside and assumedly right towards the keg she so desperately wanted to see, and go “It’s just like Animal House!”

Two days ago she would’ve found that endearing, but now with that shit head wrapped around her like a snake she couldn't even think straight. She just wanted to get drunk and find Steve and forget. Forget what exactly she hadn’t decided on yet, but the first course of action was getting drunk, which is exactly what she does. She makes a beeline right for the kitchen, grabbing an empty cup and allowing one of the older boys to pour her a beer.

“This fucking sucks.” She hears to her left, looking over to see a girl sitting up on the counter, a hoodie tied around her waist, a t-shirt with ‘The Cure’ scrawled across the front.

“I like your shirt.” Nancy says, pointing to it as she steps over to the other girl, her eyes scanning the freckles decorating her face. “I didn’t think this was your scene.”

Robin Buckley rolled her eyes, “Oh good, it’s you.” She said with distaste, taking a sip of her beer and trying to not grimace.

Nancy felt her stomach coil, “I’m not here under official business tonight, not to worry.”

Robin chuckled, “I can’t believe I’m seeing Nancy Wheeler of all people standing before me at a party with a beer in her hand.” She gripped at her chest before holding out her wrist, “Here, check my pulse. Am I breathing?”

Nancy scowled at her, if this was how she was going to be, Nancy would just find someone else to talk to. Maybe she should just go find Steve now.

“No, wait.” Robin grabbed at her arm as Nancy turned away. “I’m sorry.” She watched as Nancy turned back to face her, a brow raised in interest at what she would say next to try and fix what she had already started. “I’m being stupid. I’m sorry.” She apologized again as she tried not to focus her eyes anywhere too specific on the shorter girl’s face. She didn’t want to be accused of staring, not after the last time. She sighed at the memory of Carol Perkins calling her a dyke in front of their entire health class, saying she didn’t want to be partners with someone who looked at her like ‘that’.

Nancy smiled a warm smile then, resting her hand on top of where Robin’s was still gripping at her jean jacket. “It’s okay. It can’t be easy what you’re going through.”

“I don’t want to talk about it, not right now anyways.” Robin said, taking her hand back and placing it back into her lap. “I know it’s probably a lost cause asking you this, but do you want to smoke? I brought some in case my friend Jon showed up, but it doesn’t look like he’s going to make it.”

Nancy shook her head, “I’m just having my first beer, baby steps.” She laughed and it made the bridge of her nose wrinkle and Robin stared harder at her hands to ignore it. “Besides, doesn’t the smell bother you?” Nancy asked.

Robin felt something settle in her, an ease maybe. She didn’t mind talking to Nancy Wheeler at all, maybe she shouldn’t have made her mind up so quickly about her. “You get used to it.” She said with a shrug.

Nancy leaned against the counter, turning to look out at the room of people milling about and the clusters of people talking. She felt like a fish out of water, out of place and currently talking to Robin Buckley of all people. Funny how things turned out, she thought as she scanned the room for the person she really wished she could be talking to.

Clara was leaning against Jason in the corner, talking to all of the other basketball players as they drank out of their own matching cups and laughed, pushing and shoving each other’s shoulders now and again throughout the conversation.

Robin looked around her and cleared her throat, “Well, I guess I’m going to head outside for a little bit, you can come if you want?” She wasn’t exactly sure why she was inviting Nancy to go with her, but there was just something about the other girl that felt sad. Like she needed company, if she wanted it.

Nancy nodded her head, seemingly unable to tear her eyes away from the corner of the room that Robin wanted to avoid the most. “I’ll come out for a little bit.”

“Not going to hang out with your friends?” Robin asked, nodding her head towards Clara.

Nancy bit her lip, her eyes tearing slightly as Robin took notice of Clara currently being on the receiving end of Jason Carver’s tongue assault. She made a face, holding out her hand for Nancy to take. “Come on, let’s get some air. This party sucks anyways.”

Nancy finished her beer, setting her cup down on the counter as Robin made note to not allow the girl to drink out of it again once they lost eye contact with it. She slid her hand into the taller girl’s outstretched palm, soft and warm against her own. She sniffled as she swiped at her eyes with the other hand, making sure not to smear her makeup.

“Are you okay?” Robin asked, pulling her towards the back door off of the kitchen.

Nancy just nodded, following her out into the backyard where the inground pool lit up the trees and the surrounding area. “I just thought she was my friend is all.”

“Well, she definitely got caught in Jason’s web alright.” Robin said as she sat down onto a lounge chair and pulled Nancy down with her, their knees touching. “And just from seeing what that does to a girl, Clara’s brain will probably be mush by tomorrow night.”

Nancy chuckled, leaning back against the lounge chair and tucking her knees beneath her. She looked at Robin who was sitting hunched over on the end of the chair, digging around in her pocket for the joint and lighter she suddenly procured. She watched as Robin placed the rolled up bundle between her lips and lit the end of it, the tip of the paper beginning to glow and smoke to plume out of it. She continued to watch as she took a deep inhale before pulling it out of her mouth and held it in, amazed at the smoke beginning to spill out of her nose before Robin let it all out in one deep sigh.

“Does that help you?” Nancy asked, watching as Robin’s shoulders immediately relaxed after a few puffs.

Robin nodded, letting the smoke slowly trickle out from her mouth as she allowed herself to finally look at Nancy. The girl hadn’t run away screaming for the hills, so why should she continue to treat her like she would? “It’s better than drinking. It works faster, and it doesn’t leave you with a hangover in the morning.” She stubbed it out on the concrete beside her, allowing it to cool between her fingers before securing it back into her pocket.

“Oh that reminds me, I grabbed these from my mom’s stache. I figured it’d be better than whatever shit they had here.” Robin untied her hoodie and reached into the pocket for four mini airplane bottles of rum. “You can have two of them if you want. I was going to share them with Jon, but obviously he’s not here.” She tried to play it off like it didn’t matter if Nancy wanted to drink with her or not, because it didn't, right?

Nancy looked down at the bottles in her hand before tentatively taking one. “Do we just sip it?” She asked, never having seen them before. Her parents hardly drank, except for wine with dinner on the weekends.

“You can, but you probably wouldn’t want to.” Robin chuckled, “It tastes pretty gross on its own. Normally you just shoot them back, like this.” She cracked the top of one of them and demonstrated.

Nancy followed suit with her own, twisting the top until it cracked open and tilting it back to swallow it all at once. It burned going down, causing her to wince. “That’s so gross.” She puckered her lips in disgust.

Robin giggled, “Yeah, it’s pretty nasty stuff but it gets the job done.” She leaned back, bracing herself with her hands. “So why are you here tonight?” She asked her.

Nancy suddenly remembered Steve, and how he was the one she was supposed to be talking to right about now, but she couldn’t get herself to move. She liked being here with Robin, maybe they could be friends after all.

“Do you want to drink the other one?” Nancy asked her instead, ignoring the question.

Robin gave her a curious look before shrugging, “Sure, why not?”

An hour, maybe two had passed and Nancy and Robin had long since found their way back into the party to help themselves to more beer as they people watched.

“Oh, baby I love you so much. I want you to have my babies.” Nancy mimicked a deep voice as she pretended to be one of the jocks that was leaning up against the living room wall, his arm over his girlfriend.

“Oh, Todd you’re just the dreamiest dream boat there ever was.” Robin feigned a swoon in this high pitched voice Nancy couldn’t believe she could make. Nancy’s eyes widened as she burst out laughing, nearly spraying her beer into the other girl’s face.

Robin followed suit, folding over to clutch at her belly as she laughed. “This is the most fun I’ve had in a long time.” She said when she stood back up. She lifted her glass towards Nancy to cheer with her, “Thank you for that.”

Nancy smiled a soft smile, “You’re not so bad yourself, Buckley.” She tapped her cup against Robin’s. She was unable to look away, her eyes skating down to Robin’s lips which were smiling so brightly she could see teeth. She wasn’t sure she had ever seen a smile so full of happiness. She quickly looked away, trying not to think about just how many freckles covered the taller girl’s nose. Just when she thought she was going to start having a panic attack, her chest tightening faster than she could control it, a commotion broke out in the living room as people cheered and hooted like they were watching a football game.

Nancy and Robin jumped away from one another, turning to face the noise that filled the air all around them as they took notice of what was causing such a scene.

Clara and Carol Perkins were in a full on lip locking make out session in front of everyone, Jason and Tommy H at the front of the crowd cheering them on.

It was like a trainwreck Nancy couldn’t look away from. If she thought her chest hurt before, now it felt like her heart was going to break free from said chest. She could hear Robin scoff beside her in disbelief, “Now see, because they’re hot it’s totally fine to suck face for all the guys in the room to get hard to like some weird fucking mating ritual. It’s disgusting.” She crossed her arms over her chest, “But if they actually admitted to enjoying it they would get run out of this town with fucking pitchforks.” She turned away from the crowd, filling her cup up until it was overflowing. She threw it back, gulping down the beer, the excess trickling out of the corners of her mouth and dripping down her chin and neck.

Nancy didn’t know where to look, suddenly she was very much aware of how drunk she was standing next to Robin Buckley of all people, a rumored queer that Nancy was now associating herself with. “I need to go.” She said, running her hands haphazardly through her hair and looking in all directions trying to figure out where to go.

“Wait, what? You can’t go home, you’re fucking loaded.” Robin said, “Aren’t your parents going to freak out if they see you?”

“Barb, I need Barb.”

“I’ll call her.” Robin said, moving towards the landline hanging from the wall next to the back door.

Nancy picked up her feet, feeling like she was dragging cinder blocks across the shag carpet as she made her way over to where Clara now stood, wiping her mouth on the back of her hand as she finally came free from Carol’s face.

“Clara!” Nancy slurred, walking right up to her and batting away Jason’s hands that were suddenly around Clara’s waist. “I’m leaving, Barb’s coming to get me.”

Clara blinked at her, as if she forgot Nancy had even been there to begin with. “Okay?” She asked, wondering why exactly she was supposed to care about this information.

“Are you coming?” Nancy asked expectantly.

Clara raised a brow at her, looking between Jason and Carol and the rest of the people who were suddenly all looking at them. She grabbed Nancy by her elbow and dragged her off to the side. “Why would I go with you? I’m having fun.”

Nancy felt her lip quiver, looking over Clara and her mussed up hair from where Carol had dragged her fingers through it moments ago. Her lip gloss was smeared, the bow of her lips now glittery with the misplaced gloss. She wanted to cry. “Because we are friends, and I am not having fun.”

Clara cocked her head at her, “Well I’m not coming to some orgy with you and Barb.” She tilted her head to where Robin was watching them by the phone. “And that one.”

“What?” Nancy pushed away from Clara, trying to get her arm back from the nails that were digging into her skin.

“I’m not like you.” Clara whispered harshly, “I like boys, I like Jason.” She jutted her head in a different direction, “You should do the same.”

Nancy turned to look over her shoulder to see someone who she hadn’t seen all night. Steve Harrington was standing with his hands in his pockets, talking to Tommy H, but looking at her with concern. He began to walk over when he noticed her looking at him. Nancy’s attention snapped back towards Clara though, as the girl suddenly shoved her away. Nancy stumbled, catching herself at the last minute before she landed on her ass.

She felt a sob racking her chest as she looked at Clara with so much hurt, more hurt than she had ever felt before in her life. Nancy turned on her heel, ignoring the stares and whispers as she passed back through the crowd and towards the front door.

“Nancy, hey.” Robin called to her, suddenly at her side. “I just talked to Barb, she’s on her way.”

“Whatever, I’m just going to start walking.” Nancy bit out, swiping at her nose that was beginning to run.

“Well, I’ll come with you.” Robin said, pulling her hoodie over her head and beginning to follow the shorter girl out of the house.

Nancy shook her head, turning to face her. “I don’t want you to follow me like some lost fucking puppy, Robin. I’m not your little girlfriend.” She spit out.

Robin’s face now mirrored her own, shrinking back against Nancy’s bite. “Apparently we’re not friends either.” She said, pushing past Nancy and out the door, slamming it behind her.

Nancy lay on the floor in her old sleeping bag that she kept at Barb’s for emergencies such as tonight. She groaned as she tried to cover her eyes from the overhead light, too bright in this very small room with her best friend looking at her with such disappointment. She fought off the tears for as long as she could, but she couldn’t control it anymore. She cried for herself, and for her now ruined friendship with Clara. She cried because she hurt Robin, and she cried because she had pushed Barb to the side for someone who was just using her to get what she wanted.

Barb sat behind her on the floor, stroking her hair and ignoring the ripe smell of booze Nancy currently smelled of. She would tell her she needed a shower in the morning, but not right now. “I just liked her I guess, I don’t know.” Nancy blubbered, snot now covering her pillow case as she wiped her eyes for the umpteenth time with the sleeves of her sweater. Her cheeks were turning raw from the constant rubbing. “She asked me to kiss her last night.” She let slip out.

Barb’s hand froze in her hair, “Wait, what?”

Nancy felt another sob working itself up, about to spill over and rack her small frame. “Yeah, it didn’t happen because my mom came in, but I kind of wanted it to?”

“Nancy, why are you telling me this?” Barb asked, feeling a pain in her own chest at this new found knowledge.

“Because you’re my best friend.” Nancy cried, “I trust you more than anyone I’ve ever known. I love you, Barb.”

Barb went back to running her fingers through her knotted hair, the closest she knew she would ever get to holding her. “I wish you meant that.” She whispered when Nancy finally dozed off, tired after working herself up for the better part of an hour.

The next day Nancy walked home from Barb’s, remembering very little of the night before. She remembered it in pieces, the most important part being that she and Clara weren’t friends anymore. She got home to Karen telling her that Clara asked for a new placement, that she wanted to go stay with the Perkins instead, and Nancy’s heart ripped open for a second time in twenty four hours.

It was a pretty obvious sign after that. She was called downstairs by her father, saying there was someone at the door for her, and when she saw Steve Harrington with a bouquet of flowers standing on her doorstep, wanting to know if she was alright after the night before, she knew what happened next.

Her and Steve were official by the end of the week, and Clara slipped into the background until she went back to France at the end of the school year. It was as simple as that, and Nancy was happy that she could look back on this time and say she had a normal high school crush who she gave all of her firsts to, even if he wasn’t the person she wanted it to be.

Chapter Text

Present Day- October 1985

Autumn was finally beginning to settle down in Boston as if a heatwave hadn’t taken over the first two weeks of October with a vice-grip that felt like it was never going to let go.

Robin watched the trees sway in the late evening breeze, the colors already beginning to change, as if they knew exactly how much time they had to catch up with the rest of the country. She sat sprawled across a blanket she had grabbed from her dorm to study in the cool air, enjoying the last bits of comfortable weather before it started getting colder in the coming weeks.

“There you are.” A familiar voice called to her, “Thought you might be out here.” Stacey plopped down beside the other girl, tossing her books and bag down off to the side. She leaned back on the palms of her hands and looked over at Robin who was currently hiding behind her sunglasses with a Russian novel held open on her stomach.

Robin grunted in acknowledgement, barely turning her head towards her friend.

“You seem peachy today.” Stacey said flippantly, looking Robin over with a raised brow. “What’s eating you, or more importantly who isn’t?” She said cheekily with a nudge at Robin’s shoulder.

Robin scrunched her nose, letting the book slide off of her onto the blanket, the page already dogeared to save her place. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Is it the roommate I so vaguely remember from the party?” Stacey asked, a small smirk beginning to appear on her face.

“I said don’t worry about it.” Robin groaned, turning her head away to stare out at the trees once more.

Stacey sat up, “It is!” She chuckled, “Does my Robbie have a crush on her straight roommate?”

“Sudo straight.” Robin mumbled.

Stacey clicked her tongue at that, “Should I find out for you?”

Robin rolled over then, tackling her friend down with her. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“So it is a crush then.” Stacey laughed, her face pressed into Robin’s shoulder. “And just to think I was going to come over here and tell you Lori wants to see you again.”

Robin pushed off of the blonde, sitting up and pushing her sunglasses into her hair. “It’s not a crush. I’m just trying to save you from the bitchitus that Nancy Wheeler suffers from.” Robin said with a roll of her eyes. “Chick needs to get laid badly.”

“And wouldn’t you like to be the one to do the honors.” Stacey grinned.

Robin sighed before changing the subject, “Lori was a bit clingy, and too much of a pillow princess.”

“Oh yes, because we hate those.” Stacey winked.

“I mean, it would be nice to feel wanted in a different way sometimes.” Robin shrugged, picking at the growing hole in her knee. “Like not as just an object.”

Stacey made a sympathetic face, pulling at a long thread of denim dangling from the brunette’s jeans. “You know that that’s not what you’re getting with these girls though.”

“I just think maybe it’ll be different the next time.” Robin says in a small whisper. “Maybe they’ll feel this connection with me and want more.”

The blonde sighed, “Do you feel a connection with any of those girls?”

Robin thought about it, her lips in a tight thin line, before shrugging. “I guess not.”

“Look Robin, I want you to find the girl of your dreams, I do. I don’t think it’s going to be here and now though, but who knows maybe I could be wrong.” Stacey said, her hand laying flat over Robin’s on her knee. “I love you Robin, I feel like I’ve known you forever already. You’ll get there, but it’s not going to just fall in your lap with these college girls I’ve been fielding you, believe me.” She said with a small chuckle. “They are about as textbook as it gets.”

Robin thought about it, and about the last time she had actually been fucked and it hadn’t been since Stacey. The rest of the girl’s she’s been sleeping with were only interested in their part, which Robin loved, but she was beginning to grow tired of it. She laughed audibly at imagining her telling Steve she was tired of getting pussy. The idea in itself was hilarious, because it simply wasn’t true, she just wished she could get more from it.

“Now, I told Lori that you’d be free after bowling tonight, but ultimately you’d call her if you were interested.” Stacey said, going back to the matter at hand. It always impressed Robin how the girl looked straight down the barrel at things and hardly got distracted by anything else. Stacey gave her a peck on the cheek, “And if you need me afterward to finish the job for you, I’ll be home tonight.”

Robin smiled a small smile, and though it was a tempting offer she didn’t feel up to any of it tonight. “I think I’m just going to head home after practice tonight.” She grabbed her book that had fallen off to the side, “I only have a few more chapters of this bad boy so I’d like to see how it ends.”

Stacey nodded, “A respectable choice.”

Robin stood to her feet, mirroring her friend. She grabbed the blanket, shaking it out before folding it over her arm. “Movie night tomorrow?” She asked her.

“Absolutely, you know I keep my Tuesdays open for you.” Stacey said with another wink.

“And what an angel you are for that.” Robin said before clapping her book against the side of the blonde’s arm. “I’ll catch you later then, I’ve just got enough time to go home and change before I’ve got to be knocking pins and taking names.”

“Alright lady killer, get a couple strikes for me tonight.”

“All I do is throw strikes.” Robin said with a grin before heading in the opposite direction as the other girl. She let out a heavy sigh once she knew she was alone, tucking her book tight against her chest before heading home to change.

Nancy Wheeler was convinced she had absolutely nothing to wear in the sea that was her and Robin’s closet. The tiniest closet overflowed with dress options, but none of them felt right. She stood with her hands on her hips, stripped down to her underwear and bra as she tried on dress after dress before tossing them into a pile on her desk chair with a sigh of frustration.

She grabbed at another dress before giving it a once over and tossing it into the pile. There was only one more option still hanging from a hanger, just waiting to meet its friends in the burn pile. Nancy plucked it off of the clothing rod and held it in front of her, staring at her reflection in the mirror before sighing to herself. “It’ll just have to do.” She stepped into it, shimmying the emerald satin material up her legs and pulling the straps over her shoulders. She turned left then right in the mirror, looking herself over as she held her curls up into a fist, mimicking an updo that would take her hair off of her neck to accentuate the dip in the back that showed off her shoulders.

The door opened then as she was looking in the mirror, having to dodge it before getting hit in the face.

“Sorry.” Robin apologized, closing the door behind her.

Nancy immediately felt a fire spark in her stomach at seeing her roommate, wanting to ignore her, but finding it hard not to say something. “Can you zip up the back of the dress for me?”

Robin froze in dumping her bag and book onto her desk, draping the blanket she had in her arms over her chair before turning to face her. “Sure.” She swallowed, “No problem.” She crossed the room back to the shorter girl, her fingers fumbling to grab the zipper.

Nancy continued to hold her hair up to keep it out of the way of getting snagged, looking curiously at Robin in the reflection as she did up the back of her dress. Robin looked nauseated to say the least. “Am I really that revolting to you?” Nancy asked suddenly, the venom barely kept at bay in the question.

Robin flicked her eyes up to meet Nancy’s in the mirror, her face unable to hide any of the emotions immediately coming to the surface. “What?”

“Well, you just look like you’re in pain or something to be so close to me. I mean, I know you’ve never really liked me that much, but you didn’t have to move in here if it was going to be pure torture for you.” Nancy continued to look at her, steel meeting an open ocean.

Robin shook her head, stepping away from her. “Don’t act like you’re the victim here, you’re jumping down my throat nearly every waking moment that we’re in the same space. If I didn’t agree to move in here, there would’ve been nowhere for me to go.” She turned away to start digging into her dresser, “I’m sorry that I’m not going to let you of all people ruin the chances of me getting a college education.”

Nancy ground her teeth together as she turned to face Robin. So many things were running through her mind and she just wanted them all to be quiet. She wanted to stop fighting with the girl, but every time she tried her mouth wouldn’t let her. “Well, if you didn’t always try to rile me up, maybe we wouldn’t fight so much.”

Robin laughed, “I rile you up?” She turned back to Nancy then, her bowling shirt in her hand, “Me just existing pisses you off. You hate that I’m out at all hours, you complain that I wake you up when I come home, I can feel the judgement if I don’t.” She waved her shirt around as she talked, almost as if it was a white flag, a symbol that was lost on both of them. “I mean just the other day you were mad that I was actually here when you got back. I was just reading on my bed and you were mad about it.”

Nancy briefly thought back to that moment when she had gotten back from the movies. She had just wanted to be alone and Robin was there, she was always there when Nancy wasn’t expecting her. Her mind then wandered to how skimpily dressed the other girl had been and she cleared her throat, crossing her arms. “I just wanted to be alone. Jon and I had just gotten into a fight and the fact that you were in here just pissed me off more.”

Robin shrugged, “I figured that was why, but you were such a dick about it.” She tossed her shirt onto her desk chair, pulling at the hem of the sweater she was wearing, “You’re always such a dick about it.”

Nancy quickly looked away, walking over to her own dresser and looking through her necklaces before selecting one to go with the dress. She picked up the cursive gold N and clipped it behind her neck before letting her hair fall down around it. “I’m sorry.” She said finally as she picked up her brush and began running it through her hair. “I don’t know why I get so angry.”

“Me either.” Robin said with a sigh, buttoning her bowling shirt overtop of her tank top. She looked over at Nancy as the girl began pulling up her hair and felt a swoop in her stomach. She chose to ignore it. “So where are you going tonight in such a nice dress?”

“Oh, I’m going out with Jack.” Nancy said, “I guess you were right about him.”

Robin nodded, wishing she hadn’t been. “Well, I won’t wait up for you then.” She grabbed her lanyard and pulled a baseball cap over her head.

“Are you actually going to have a night in for once?” Nancy asked, a bite in her tone that was usually there was subdued for the moment.

“Well I’m going to bowling practice now, but then I figured I’d just stay in tonight. I haven’t done that in a while.”

“Yeah, you must be really tired.” Nancy said with a roll of her eyes that Robin wasn’t so sure she was supposed to see or not.

“Yeah well hopefully you’ll lose some sleep tonight so you’ll actually know what it’s like .” The taller girl headed for the door then, turning her back to Nancy and tried to focus on literally anything else.

Nancy bit into the bobby pin that was tucked between her teeth harder as she tried to ignore the jab at her, instead flipping the other girl the bird as the door shut behind her.

“You look beautiful.” Jack said as soon as Nancy opened the door when she heard him knock. He was right on time, six o’clock sharp.

“You look pretty good yourself.” Nancy grinned, eyeing him up from head to toe. His hair was combed back, his reading glasses now gone and his sweater vest swapped out for a light blue button down and dark navy cardigan.

Jack smiled brightly, freshly shaven with the one dimple in his left cheek ever present. Nancy thought she might dip her tongue in to see how deep it went.

“Are you ready to go?” Jack asked, bringing Nancy out of her quick detour of looking him over.

“Yes, yeah.” She nodded, flipping off the light and shutting the door behind her. “Let’s have some fun.” She smiled brightly, walking along beside him as they left the dorm hall and started making it across campus. “So where’s the party going to be?” She asked, trying to make conversation.

“It’s at this bar off campus, it’s actually where all of my buddies and I met during freshman year.” Jack said, his hands tucked deep into his pockets. Nancy wondered what it would feel like to hold his hand, would it be familiar? Larger than her own, enveloping her hand in his, soft and rough at the same time.

“Oh, well that’s sweet.” Nancy said, “I guess you guys are big on sentiments then.”

“Nah, just me and my buddy Guy I think.” Jack said with a chuckle, “I think you’ll like everybody, I’m sure they’ll like you.” He looked at her with this knowing look in his eye, as if he could see right through her. It made Nancy shiver in the cool night air.

“Wait, you have a friend named Guy?” Nancy asked with a smirk, “A guy named Guy?”

“I guess you could say that.” Jack said, and there was this glint of coyness in his eye that Nancy wanted to unravel by the end of the night. She wanted to know what kept him so calm and collected, perhaps she could dig beneath the surface a little if she tried.

“So Jack, we’ve known each other for a couple months now.” Nancy started, casually sneaking looks at him as they walked towards the parking lot that faced the coffee shop. “I feel like I barely know you though, what’s something I should know before continuing on with our date tonight?”

“Oh, this is a date?” Jack asked, his brow raised.

Nancy felt something shift in her chest, nerves immediately jumping up her throat. “Well I-”

“I’m kidding.” Jack said quickly, pulling his hands from his pockets to wrap one around her forearm to turn her towards him. “I was just teasing, this is a date. I asked you out on a date tonight.” He clarified.

Nancy bit her lip, shaking her head. “You’re an ass.” She lightly chuckled.

“See, now don’t you feel like you know me a little better?” He asked with a grin.

Nancy searched his face, for what she wasn’t certain. Honesty perhaps, or genuine interest even. She felt like it was a mutual thing, but she knew hers only ran as deep as she would allow it, which wasn’t very far. She was going to enjoy her time with him, but she wasn’t ready to fall for anyone again so soon. “I just want to make it clear before we leave that I’m not looking for anything serious right now.” Nancy said, feeling like she should just come right out with it. She never liked the idea of leading someone on, of course it only reminded her of when it had been done to her.

A quick flash of dark hair and curves flipped through her mind, chocolate brown eyes that felt like pools to get lost in. Nancy blinked away the memories, looking over at the coffee shop. She knew that Robin wasn’t there, but it didn’t make her think of the girl any less. She reminded herself that she shouldn’t be thinking of her at all, let alone while on a date with a cute guy.

“Well that’s perfect, because I’m just looking to have a good time tonight.” Jack said warmly, his hand running down Nancy’s arm to brush her hand before it dropped back down to his side. “Are you up to having a bit of fun, Miss Wheeler?” He asked, and something about that question made her wish that he was still wearing his glasses and that they were in an empty classroom somewhere. He must’ve felt it too, because suddenly she felt like he was looking her over again in a very different way.

“I thought you’d never ask.” Nancy said, following him to his car. She was going to let loose tonight and prove to Robin that she could have fun too. She couldn’t wait to see the look on her roommates face when she heard about all of it. She wasn’t exactly sure why she wanted the girl to be jealous, maybe it was just simply that she wanted to prove her wrong. Afterall, what was Nancy if not constantly wanting to do just that?

Bowling practice went on just as Robin had expected. She wasn’t very good at the sport, just about average considering she was no longer a victim of the cursed gutter ball, but she enjoyed the company of the other girls on the team. They also received their first pitcher of beer free and a round of pizza for everyone once practice was over.

Robin liked feeling a part of something, a feeling she hadn’t felt since she had been in the school marching band, and left because she couldn’t face seeing Vickie after that spring break. It still broke her up inside knowing she didn’t graduate as a band geek like she always thought she would, and in a lot of ways felt like she had let the rest of her bandmates down when she didn’t join them to perform for the very last time at graduation. In fact Robin hadn’t seen much of graduation, instead grabbing her diploma and then making a run for it to the parking lot where Steve and Eddie manned the getaway van.

They had spent that night drinking until they couldn’t see straight in Steve’s big empty house, skinny dipping in the pool, and all curling up in Steve’s pjs in his big king sized bed. Robin certainly couldn’t feel like a third wheel if she was technically there first, something she made very clear when Eddie and Steve had first become official.

Robin thought about how she missed her boys as she finished off the last of her beer, setting the empty glass down and beginning the routine of changing out her shoes and putting all of her gear back into her bag. She nodded at a few of the other girls as they said good night, making sure to wave down the bartender and tip her for the extra beer she had gotten towards the end of the night. The bartender, who Robin remembered was named Amy, winked at her as she took the empty glass, tucking the five Robin had given her into her apron without losing eye contact.

Robin felt a chill run down her spine, thinking to how she had waited until the bowling alley had closed just last week and fucked that very bartender in one of the booths along the back wall. Robin mustered a small smile before saying goodnight, turning away from Amy and throwing her bag over her shoulder. She didn’t miss the fact that the girl had tucked her bottom lip between her teeth and batted her eyes in hopes of a repeat once everyone had left.

“Hey, Robin!” Another girl called, Robin’s head whipping in the direction it came from.

“Lori, hi.” Robin kept herself from sighing. Stacey was supposed to call the other blonde and tell her she wasn’t interested.

“Stacey mentioned you had practice tonight and I figured since I was already jogging past, I’d come in and say hi.” Lori looked nervous, as if she knew that she was overstepping. Maybe Stacey had called her and she just didn’t want to listen.

Robin looked her over, the girl was just as tall as her, pale blonde hair tied back into a ponytail. She wore a light windbreaker and very short exercise shorts that left little to the imagination as Robin focused her eyes on the girl’s face. She genuinely seemed excited to see Robin and it almost made her heart break at the realization that she was only annoyed to see her.

“Well, hi.” Robin said with a small smile, “How are you?”

“Oh, I’m good.” Lori said, her smile brighter than Robin remembered. “I’ve been thinking about you.” She said in a hushed tone and it made Robin want to roll her eyes. They were all queers here, mostly anyways.

“Oh yeah?” Robin asked, finding herself crossing her arms over her chest, a subconscious way of guarding herself. “Why’s that?”

Lori’s smile faltered the tiniest bit, if Robin hadn’t been looking for it she probably wouldn’t have noticed it at all. She smoothed her hand over her long ponytail, self conscious of Robin’s eyes on her. “Well, because we had such a nice time the other night. I thought maybe we could see each other again?” She looked up at Robin through her eyelashes, a hopeful look on her face.
It saddened Robin that she was going to squash it, “Yeah I don’t know Lori, I’ve just got a lot of things on my plate right now.” She tightened her hand on her bag strap, “You know, exams are right around the corner.”

Lori’s brow raised, “Exams aren’t for another month though, and besides it’s not like I’m asking you on a date.”

“Then what are you doing?” Robin asked, knowing the answer before she even asked the question.

Lori swallowed, looking around the bowling alley to see if anyone was listening. The last of the team was heading out the door, Amy the bartender was wiping down tables in the far corner to give them space. “I’m not like that Robin, you know that.”

Robin chuckled low in her throat, staring up at the tiled ceiling before focusing her gaze back on the other girl. “Right, you just like girls eating your pussy.”

Lori flushed bright red, her face slacken before anger bunched itself into her forehead, eyebrows furrowing together. “You’re disgusting!”

Robin sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I’m sorry that I’m not interested, Lori. It’s not you.”

“It’s just all the other girls right?” Lori bit out, damn near stomping her foot. “I mean you’ve been the talk all over campus, the whore who will stick her head between anyone’s legs who will spread them!”

“I mean, you certainly did.” Robin said, biting the inside of her cheek. She hated this, but it looked like it was only going to get uglier from here. She didn’t wait for Lori to come up with something even more bewildering, instead she just pushed past the girl and headed for the door. She could see Amy chuckling off to the side, their conversation growing in volume once the others had left.

“You just use people!” Lori called after Robin, hurt and anger balled up into her inflection.

“Only as much as you use me.” Robin called back, pushing open the door as the cold night air nipped at her arms. “Maybe I’ll see you around Lori, but it certainly won’t be by choice.” She allowed the door to shut behind her and pulled her bag higher up onto her shoulder, beginning the long walk back to her dorm hall.

Maybe Lori was right about one thing, she had been sleeping around an awful lot, but that didn’t change who she was. Robin was just trying to keep her mind off of the things she couldn’t have, which was more. She had been told pretty much from the start that a girl couldn’t love her back in all of the ugly ways that she wanted them to. That she shouldn’t kiss girls, shouldn’t fall for them past their bedsheets. Robin was basically convinced at this point that she would never find someone who saw past her exterior. Maybe love just wasn’t for her, maybe she was just destined to be alone.

Robin kept walking, strolling past the coffee shop and over the hill where her warm bed and her next book awaited her. She just needed a hot shower and an early night in bed, it would clear her head and she would be back to normal tomorrow. She would get together with Stacey and they would go back to being the ladykillers that everyone wanted them to be. Robin didn’t need all of the ooey gooey shit that society tries to tell everyone is the normal they should strive for. Robin was her own normal, there was nothing wrong with what she was doing. She was always upfront at the very beginning, no strings attached and most of the girls she slept with were very much okay with that.

Only every once in a while did she get a stage 3 clinger who wanted her exclusively to be their very own sex toy. Robin was fine with being used when it was on her own terms, and as long as the other girls respected her boundaries and she respected theirs, everything else was icing on top.

Robin made it back to her dorm room in one piece, letting her bag drop from her shoulder as she tossed it into the bottom of the closet. She began gathering her things to shower and brush her teeth, when she came to a realization. She was alone in her dorm room for what was one of the rare moments in the last couple of months. Nancy was normally here, especially after dinner had come and gone, usually sitting at her desk trying to write beneath the small lamp light.

Robin thought what it might’ve been like, coming back to her dorm like she had tonight, fresh from an argument of basically being called the campus pariah and had seen Nancy here. She briefly thumbed over the idea of telling Nancy what Lori had said, imagining what the short brunette might’ve said in return. Would she have agreed with Lori? Would Nancy sit in her desk chair and chew Robin out, practically spitting her out like she often had been doing in the last week or so?

Robin had a sneaking suspicion that Nancy and Jonathan hadn’t slept together at all that weekend before they had broken up, which meant Nancy hadn’t gotten laid since they had gotten to campus. At least that’s what she figured, the girl was nearly always holed up in this very room if she wasn’t in class or at the coffee shop.

Robin chuckled to herself as she realized that the reason Nancy has probably been so short with her, is due to the fact that she hasn’t been laid in a really long time. The poor girl was probably chomping at the bit for some action and maybe if she asked nicely, Robin would help her with her problem.

Robin abruptly paused in grabbing her towel off the hook on the back of the door. What made her just think of that? She would never sleep with Nancy, not even if the girl begged her to. Robin chuckled, okay maybe she would but she wouldn’t like it, right?

Robin shook her head, clearing her mind of what was suddenly becoming dangerous thoughts, before wrenching open the door into the hallway. She just needed what was now probably a cold shower and a good night’s sleep, that should clear her mind and set her back to normal for tomorrow.

Nancy ducked beneath Jack’s arm as he held open the door to the bar for her. Looking around the small room, she scanned over all of the faces that inhabited the place. Everyone turned to look at them as they entered, a group of men standing near the bar beginning to cheer as they noticed them.

“Jack!” One of them called, “You made it.”

“Of course I did Liam, who do you think planned the whole thing?” Jack said, stepping up to the other guy and wrapping him in a solid hug, clapping him on the back before leaning away.

“Oh, you mean planned half of it?” Another voice called out as Nancy turned to face them. She was a bit taken aback at the person, looking over them curiously as they moved through the group of guys and up to Jack with a big grin on their face.

“Yes, yes I am only responsible for all of the cool parts of tonight, Guy here is responsible for the rest of it.” Jack chuckled, dodging as Guy tried to slug him in the arm.

“Boys, this is Nancy.” Jack said, remembering he had company. He turned to face her, “Nancy, this is the boys.”

Nancy looked over each of them as they introduced themselves, most of them looking like italicized and bold versions of the same font, before her eyes landed back on Guy again.

Guy stepped up to her, holding out their hand for Nancy to shake. “Nice to meet you Nancy, I’m Guy.”

It wasn’t lost on Nancy that Guy’s voice had a certain lilt to it that most masculine voices didn’t, her eyes skating over their face to try to put them in a binary that she wasn’t sure they wanted to be in. She looked over their outfit, a pale pink button down with the collar undone with a tweed blazer over top with the sleeves of both bunched up around the elbows. Everything was form fitting so she wasn’t too sure what to think. Their chest was flat, stubble visible on their cheeks and stud earrings in their ears. Nancy’s brain couldn’t land on an answer, but her body could. She liked what she saw, maybe even more than Jack.

“I know what you’re thinking, and you’d be right either way.” Guy chuckled, their hand lingering against Nancy’s before letting go at the last moment, making her wish it lasted for longer. Guy looked at Jack, “I take it you didn’t mention me.”

Jack rolled his eyes, “I did mention you actually.” He looked at Nancy, “Guy and I grew up together, they go by they/them pronouns.”

“I’m nonbinary.” Guy leaned in closer to her, trying to talk over the music that was thumping through the speakers.

“So you’re a guy named Guy who isn’t a guy?” Nancy asked, she was confused to say the least but when she looked between the two of them on either side of her she wasn’t unhappy.

Guy chuckled, “Exactly, that’s the whole tongue in cheek of it all.” They swatted at Jack’s shoulder, “She’s smart, I like her.”

“Oh, I’m sure you do.” Jack said with a roll of his eyes, “Simmer down though, we just got here.” He called to the bartender, waving him over. “What would you like to drink?” He asked Nancy.

Nancy hummed to herself, thinking it over as she felt both of their eyes on her. “I’ll have a manhattan.” It was a drink she could remember her dad ordered whenever they went out to dinner on birthdays.

“Make that three.” Jack held up three fingers and motioned to Guy and Nancy as the bartender nodded his head and turned away to make the order.

“So what firm did you get hired at, Liam?” Nancy tried to make conversation as the night drew on, finding herself seated against the bar between Liam and the other guy Peter.

“Oh, it’s a small family one.” Liam waved a hand in dismissal, “I like it for now.”

“He’s hoping the old man dies and his kids don’t want it.” Peter leaned in to tell her.

Liam shrugged, turning to the other few friends that were all laughing at what was said. “It’s called ambition gentleman, maybe you’ve heard of it.”

Nancy chuckled, finding herself in familiar company. This whole night she had felt more comfortable than she had in awhile as she sipped on her drink, the number of which was lost on her. She felt like she was finally surrounded by others who understood her drive for more, something that had been drilled into her at a young age with her parents.

She looked around the room, looking to see where Jack had gone off with Guy somewhere, finding them standing near the bathrooms in the middle of a conversation that had both of them talking with their hands. She finished off her drink, setting the empty tumbler onto the bar before slipping off of the stool and making her way over to them, wavering ever so slightly on her heels. She steadied herself against a table before continuing across the room, coming up on the two in deep discussion over something.

“There you are.” She slurred a tad, leaning heavily against Jack’s shoulder. “I was wondering where you both had gone off to.”

“Aw, you were wondering where I went baby?” Guy asked with a cheeky grin. They were only a few inches taller than Nancy, but still much shorter than Jack.

Nancy looked them over, “Would you like it if I was?” She flirted back.

“See, I told you man.” Guy turned to Jack then.

Jack turned to Nancy, wrapping his arm around her waist. “Do you like Guy, Nancy?”

Nancy thought about it, looking up to Jack before her eyes slid back over to Guy. “I like both of you.” She turned to notice Jack was now smirking, “Is that okay?”

Jack chuckled to himself, “Gotta say that’s what we were both hoping.”

Guy nodded, “It’s kind of a thing we like to do if the person’s into it.”

Nancy raised a brow, her stomach swooping at the connotation.

Jack rubbed her back, “Is that okay, Nancy?”

She thought about it, her mind clouding over with just how turned on she had been tonight. She never thought she would find herself being interested in a threesome, it felt like something straight out of a porno.

“So wait, if you like both me and Guy, what does that make you?” Nancy asked Jack, turning to look at him with a curious look in her eye.

Jack leaned down, his lips ghosting over the shell of her ear. “Interested, is that a problem?”

Nancy felt a shiver run through her, a realization coming over her. You could like both? She shook her head, her hands smoothing over his clothed chest. “Not at all.” She said as she felt Guy take a step closer to her.

“Want to get out of here?” Guy asked.

Nancy nodded her head, feeling the liquid courage burning through her. She was seeing a whole new side to the world right now, and she couldn’t look away.

The door closed behind them no sooner than Nancy was being pressed back into it by Jack. She ran her hands up the inside of his cardigan as he leaned into her, his mouth capturing hers in a scorching kiss that made her knees weak. This. This was what she’s been wanting, she thought as she felt his hands run up the sides of her dress, pulling her closer to him. She pushed his cardigan off of his shoulders, the sound of the heavy fabric hitting the floor as she walked him backward into the room, his muffled surprise spurring her on.

“A woman who takes charge? Oh I like that.” She heard Guy say, feeling another pair of hands come up from behind her, her hair being moved off of her shoulders as another mouth connected with her neck.

Nancy moaned as she was being enveloped on either side by the two of them.

“Is this okay?” Jack whispered, his mouth moving to her ear, his tongue poking out and pulling her earlobe between his lips and sucking.

Nancy felt a heat growing between her legs as her eyes fluttered shut as she felt Guy’s hands move from her hips up towards her chest. She nodded her head vigorously, no longer wanting to be in charge. She wanted to let go and have somebody else take the wheel for once.

“You’re so beautiful.” Guy whispered in her other ear, peppering kisses down her neck and shoulder. “Want to see you out of this dress, see you all riled up.”

Nancy felt something snag in her chest then at the words. She had told Robin that she liked to rile her up earlier. She tried to brush it off, clearing her mind of the other girl as she leaned up on her toes to pull Jack back down into a kiss, wanting to mimic the one that she shared with him last, but coming up empty. She slipped her fingers into the curls at the back of his neck, her nails scratching him as he purred into her mouth and only thinking about how much she wanted to punch Robin for making her think of her now. She hated knowing that her roommate would be tickled pink at the fact that she was ruining her chances of getting laid.

Nancy felt herself pulling away in frustration, turning around to catch Guy off guard and pulling them into a similar kiss and liking the feel of their tongue swipe against her bottom lip. It was better she thought, relaxing her shoulders. She slid her tongue against Guy’s, trying to clear her mind as she felt fingers fumbling with the back of her dress, sliding the zipper down slowly. Nancy briefly thought about who had zipped her into the dress earlier in the night and she felt a chill run up her spine. The memory of Robin nervously trying to not look at her in her dress floods her mind as she pulls away with a groan. The room was spinning a bit, her being pressed between two people and not knowing where the walls were the cause of it.

“Are you okay?” Guy asked, looking her over as her face grew annoyed at something they weren’t in on.

Nancy shook her head, “I think I’ve had too much to drink.” She sighed, running a hand through her hair. “I’m sorry, but I think I should just go home.”

Guy and Jack shared a look over her shoulder before she heard Jack clear his throat behind her. “Of course, I’ll take you home.”

Nancy turned to face him, “I’m really sorry.”

Jack shook his head, “You don’t have to apologize, it’s really okay.”

Nancy swallowed, nodding her head. “I just have to use the bathroom really quickly before we go.”

Guy showed her to the bathroom as she slipped inside, shutting the door behind her and leaning back against it. She let out a sigh, a frustrated one at that with the ache between her thighs not being taken care of yet again. She was being silly, she should just go back out there and tell them that she had changed her mind, but she knew that it was too late now. She was drunk and had already told them as much, they wouldn’t want to take advantage of her now, even if she tried to tell them they weren’t.

She turned on the sink, splashing some cold water onto her neck and chest, using the hand towel to dab herself dry. She couldn’t believe she was going to go home all because she was reminded of her roommate. Robin had nothing to do with what was happening out there, so why was she even thinking about her?

Robin stirred from where she had dozed off on her bed, her book still open on her chest as she heard the door to the room open and close. She heard Nancy swear as the sound of keys hit the floor, cracking open her eyes to see Nancy leaning down and somehow kicking the keys beneath Robin’s desk.

Nancy looked up at Robin who quickly closed her eyes to avoid another fight. She didn’t have it in her for any more bullshit tonight, Robin thought. She could hear Nancy trying and failing to be quiet, was she drunk? She chanced another glance at the girl as she watched Nancy get on her hands and knees to crawl under the desk for her keys, the emerald green fabric bunching up around her thighs as she leaned further to grab them.

Robin swallowed, trying to look away and failing as she stared at the cream colored skin of Nancy’s legs. She took in a shaky breath, not realizing that Nancy would be able to hear it in the quiet room.

“You’re awake.” Nancy slurred, standing slowly to her feet.

“Yeah, here I am.” Robin said with a sigh, expecting the next thing out of the girl’s mouth to be a jab at something that involved her.

“Good.” Nancy said, turning away from her and attempting to take her heels off.

Good? What did that mean? Robin thought to herself.

“Did you have a good time?” Robin asked, testing the waters. She looked over the girl and the state of her. Nancy’s hair was, to say the least, a mess and her lipstick was most certainly smeared clean off of her face.

Nancy looked up at Robin with a glare, “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

Robin floundered, “Excuse me?”

“You heard me.” Nancy bit out, the zipper of her dress already low enough for her to reach. Robin’s brow raised as she watched her roommate unzip her dress, the fabric falling away from her shoulders and Robin gulped at the strapless bra that came into view. She needed to look away, why wasn’t she looking away.

“Stare much?” Nancy asked with a huff and a roll of her eyes.

“Sorry.” Robin finally looked away, rolling to face the wall. She swallowed, “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” Nancy whispered, so low Robin almost didn’t hear it. She chose to ignore it anyway, Nancy was drunk, that much was clear. Her heart was drumming in her chest, using her ribs like a xylophone. What the hell was wrong with her?

“Goodnight.” Nancy said a few moments later as she slipped into the bed beneath Robin, the light going out a second later.

“Goodnight.” Robin echoed her, staring at the wall in the dark. She needed to just forget this entire day. She rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling at the glowing constellations, trying to shut her brain off for the night. She could hear Nancy tossing and turning beneath her, something that was very much keeping her from falling asleep. After the fourth or fifth sigh from down below, she spoke up. “Are you okay?”

At first Robin thought Nancy wasn’t going to answer her as it went silent in the room, before she heard the girl respond. “I can’t sleep.”

Robin debated what to say next, her mind drifting to the joint she had left over from the last time she had bought weed from Stacey’s roommate. “Do you want to smoke?”

“What?” Nancy asked, annoyance clear in her tone. “What’s that got to do with not being able to sleep?”

Robin rolled over, staring out into the room. “A lot of things actually. It helps me sleep sometimes if I need it.”

“Is that why you snore so much?” Nancy asked.

Robin scoffed, “I don’t snore.”

“Yeah, okay.” Robin could practically hear the eyeroll in Nancy’s voice.

Robin waited a moment before taking a chance in asking again, she wasn’t sure why she wanted to help the other girl in the first place, let alone share the stash she had bought for herself. “So do you?”

“Do I what?” Nancy asked.

“Want to smoke?” Robin rolled her own eyes, even if Nancy said no, she was going to need some now.

“It’ll help me sleep?” Nancy asked and Robin could hear her moving around again beneath her.

“Yeah.” Robin sat up, sliding towards the edge of her bunk.

“Okay.”

Robin hopped down and crossed the room over to her desk where her flannel shirt was hanging over the chair. She dug down into the shirt pocket and pulled out the joint and lighter.

“Classy.” Nancy muttered from where she still sat in her bed, bundled beneath the covers.

Robin ignored her, opening the window and going to turn on the lamp when Nancy stopped her. “Can we leave the light off?” She asked.

Robin shrugged, unsure as to why but sat down in the desk chair across from Nancy’s bed. She put the joint between her lips and lit the tip of it, sucking in and watching the embers come to life. She breathed in and held it, pulling the joint away from her lips and holding it out to Nancy to take.

Nancy watched her as she slowly let the smoke out from her lips, the room too dark to see what exactly Nancy was staring at. The shorter girl slid to the edge of her bed and leaned out to take it from her.

“You just suck in and hold it for as long as you can. It might feel like it’s burning.” Robin informed her.

Nancy nodded her head, taking a tentative pull before coughing as the smoke escaped her just as soon as she breathed it in.

Robin chuckled, taking the joint back. “Next time try to do it slower.” She took another puff of it before handing it back.

Nancy tried again, this time being able to hold onto it a little longer before coughing it out.

A few more passes back and forth occur before Robin stubs it out on an empty soda can. She leans back in her seat, looking at the other girl. Nancy seemed like the drunkenness was wearing off of her as she now was letting the weed take over, her eyes heavily lidded as she leaned back on her bed and stared right back.

Robin’s eyes flicked to the duvet cover which had shifted with Nancy leaning back, her legs in her tiny sleep shorts more on display than they were before. “So, how do you feel?” Robin asked, clearing her throat and flicking her eyes back up to meet hers in the dark.

Nancy shrugged, “Good.”

“Are you still drunk?” Robin asked.

“Don’t think so.”

Robin nodded, trying to think of what else to say. “So I know you didn’t want to answer me earlier, but it seemed like you had a good time with Jack tonight.”

Nancy tilted her head, “What makes you say that?”

“Well, you um, you just looked like you enjoyed yourself is all.” Robin scratched at the back of her neck. Why was she talking about this?

Nancy chuckled, “I didn’t sleep with him, if that’s what you’re implying.”

Robin’s brow raised in surprise, “No?”

Nancy shook her head, “No, almost did though. Him and his roommate.”

Robin felt all of the air inside of her chest vacate the premises all at once. Holy shit, the thought of Nancy being pressed between two guys grossed her out and turned her on all at the same time. It wasn’t the first time she was grateful to not have a dick as she quickly looked away and out the window at the night sky. She could barely see the moon through the clouds.

“Does that bother you?” Nancy asked her, a lilt in her voice something Robin wasn’t familiar with hearing from the other girl. Was Nancy flirting with her, she had to be imagining it.

“What? No, whatever you do in your own personal life isn’t any of my business.” Robin shook her head, trying to clear her mind of all of the filthy thoughts that were trying to creep their way in. Maybe Nancy was still drunk, that had to be the only excuse, right?

Nancy leaned even further back, the blanket slipping off of her entirely. “You’re so far away.”

Robin could feel every nerve in her body all at once. This was Nancy Wheeler for christ sake, what the hell was going on, what was she doing sitting here ogling her in the dark? “You keep leaning away from me.”

“Want to lay down.” Nancy answers, “Lay down with me?”

Robin licked her lips, tapping her hands nervously against her sleep pants. “On your bed?”

Nancy just hummed, “Where else?”

Robin debated just going to bed herself, she could feel the pot doing its job as she felt her limbs loosen and grow heavier. “Are you sure?” She asked nervously.

Nancy huffed, “Not if you’re going to be weird about it.”

As if it wasn’t the weirdest thing Robin’s ever experienced, she thought. Just a few hours ago Nancy wanted to rip her face off and now she was drunk or high, or most likely both, and wanted her to lay down on her bed with her. It took the cake for being the weirdest thing Robin’s gone through in the last several months.

“Okay.” Robin said, slowly standing to her feet and moving over to the bed and crawling onto it. She laid down across the bed, making sure to keep a good ten inches between them. She stared at the bottom of the top bunk. “So this is what you stare at every night.”

Nancy rolled to face her, propping herself up on her elbow. Robin could feel her staring, could feel the heat from the other girl as she got closer. “I think I learned something about myself tonight.”

Robin looked over without turning her head. “That you like threesomes?” She asked dumbly.

She heard Nancy snort and she fought back a chuckle of her own. “That I like more than just guys.”

Robin could hear her heartbeat in her eardrums. “Why are you telling me this?”

“It sounds weird saying it out loud.” Nancy said, ignoring the question.

Robin bit her lip, thinking of where to go from here. “Do you feel high yet?”

“What’s it supposed to feel like?” Nancy asked.

Robin stole a glance at her roommate, her gaze unwavering. “Do you feel heavy?”

“I guess so.”

“Like, in a good way.” Robin explained, “And light at the same time? It’s hard to explain.”

“I think I know what you mean.” Nancy said.

“You might also think everything’s a little funnier.”

“You’re not laughing.” Nancy pointed out.

That’s because she was terrified, Robin thought. “No, but I am feeling tired now.”

“Do you want to go to bed?” Nancy asked, giving her an out if she wanted it.

Robin however felt like she couldn’t move, maybe it was the weed, but she felt more like that if she popped the bubble that they were currently in, she wasn’t sure she’d ever get it back. The still calm between them, that is. They weren’t fighting for once, it had been the longest they had ever been civil with one another. “Can I ask you something?” Robin asked instead, changing subjects.

“Sure.” Nancy said.

“Why do you hate me?” Robin waited for a response, her hands flat on her stomach. She continued to stare at the top bunk, afraid to roll over and look at Nancy head on.

“I don’t hate you.” Nancy whispered, she said it like it was an annoyance.

“You don’t like me though.”
There was a pause, she swore Nancy got a little closer but now Robin was thinking she was just losing her mind to the late hour of the night.

“I don’t hate you, Robin.” Nancy finally says after what feels like an eternity. “I feel like you’ve always hated me though.”

Robin shook her head, thinking back to all of their run-ins over the years. Robin was, more times than not, the instigator. She wasn’t entirely sure why, but there had always just been something about Nancy that drove her crazy. She took a chance and rolled to face the shorter girl, their faces much closer than she had anticipated. “Say we call a truce on the whole thing?” She asked, holding out her hand.

Nancy looked her over, her eyes falling down to Robin’s outstretched hand. She took it in her own, Robin’s hand larger as it enveloped her own hand, soft and rough at the same time. “Truce.”

Chapter Text

Present Day- October 1985

Robin stirred awake slowly, the sunlight slipping through the blinds and directly into her eyes. She groaned, shielding her eyes as she suddenly remembered all that had occurred the night before and why exactly the sun was in her face.

Her eyes popped open, afraid to move as she looked over to where Nancy was still thankfully asleep beside her. They had fallen asleep the night before talking about absolutely nothing once their high had kicked in. The tension between them had settled and they giggled and joked about the sort of things you can only think about when stoned.

Robin slowly sat up, trying not to shake the bed too much as she slipped out from the bottom bunk and turned back to look at Nancy curled around her stuffed pink bunny and felt her chest ache. Looking away, Robin decided she needed some air, throwing her zip up over her pajama shirt, she quickly changed into a pair of jeans and slipped into her adidas. Grabbing her keys off of her dresser, Robin reached for the doorknob that would get her out of the room that was somehow feeling even smaller than it normally did when she looked back to her roommate again.

Nancy would probably have a raging headache when she woke up so without thinking much about it, Robin pulled out a water bottle from their minifridge and set two Advil down beside it on Nancy’s desk beside her bed.

The brunette stirred in her sleep, mumbling into the pillow she had at some point pulled beneath her head. Not wanting to sit around and wait for Nancy to wake up, Robin ducked out of the room and headed through the hallway and down the flight of stairs that would take her out to the brisk morning air she craved.

She made a beeline for the payphone, having only one person in mind that she wanted to talk to more than anyone else in the world. After the third or fourth ring, she finally heard the line get picked up and she was greeted with Steve’s sleepy, “Hello?”

“Hey Dingus, sleeping in on this fine Tuesday morning?” Robin smiled into the receiver at her hearing her best friend’s voice. They hadn’t talked in awhile and she missed him desperately, not that she was going to tell him that.

“Rob? It’s so early.” Steve mumbled, the sound of something hitting the phone loud and clear on her end. “Eddie stop, it’s Robin.”

“Tell her to call back at normal people hours.” Robin could hear the punk’s groggy voice further away than Steve’s and she rolled her eyes, looking down at the watch on her wrist. “It’s 8:30, that’s like the perfect breakfast hour.”

“What’s up Rob?” Steve asked, the tiredness still lingering in his voice.

Robin looked out at the hill that led up towards the coffee shop, turning her back towards it as she covered the phone as if she was speaking some top secret information into the phone. “Nancy and I slept together last night.”

There was a moment of pause where Robin thought the line must’ve disconnected before she heard a garbled sound and Steve’s shriek loud on the other end. “Wait, what?”

“Eddie?”

“Did you just say what I thought you did, Little Bird?” The punk’s voice asked.

Robin rolled her eyes, feeling her face heat up. “That’s not what I meant Edward, now give Steve the phone back. I need real advice.”

“Sorry, no can do. Now elaborate on what exactly you mean by ‘slept’.” Eddie tsked at her, his voice taunting.

“Eddie I’m freaking out right now and I need Steve, please.” Robin insisted, refusing to discuss this with him just yet. She heard a heavy sigh on the phone before Eddie grumbled, “Fine. Here you go big boy, your lady wants you.”

“Sorry about that Rob.” Steve said once he was back on the phone. “Now, what do you mean you slept with Nancy?”

“Physically.” Robin blurted out, “Like physically slept together, side by side.”

“Were you guys…” Steve suggested, trying to get more information.

“Absolutely not.” Robin scoffed, “No, we were just talking.” She bit her lip, “Nancy came home drunk and said she couldn’t sleep so we smoked and fell asleep.”

Steve chuckled in disbelief, “You got Nancy Wheeler to smoke pot?”

“I can be pretty convincing.” Robin said with a lilt in her voice that came off suggestively.

“Wait, so if that’s all that happened, why are you freaking out about it?” Steve asked, confused.

Robin bit her lip, she wasn’t sure she should be telling him this, but she needed advice to make sure she wasn’t reading into things. “Nancy went out last night with a guy she met, when she got home she was drunk and told me she almost slept with him and his roommate.”

Steve sucked in a breath on the other end, “Are we talking about the same Nancy?” He asked.

“Then she told me that she liked more than just boys.” Robin continued, staring down at her fingernails. “Why do you think she told me that?”

“Well, you said she was drunk right?” Steve asked, “Has she mentioned liking girls before?”

Robin thought back to when Nancy was drunk after that first party they went to after getting settled in. Nancy had said she wondered what kissing a girl was like. Robin had just chalked it up to her being drunk and talking to a lesbian, which would make her think about exactly that. She realized that it was the same thing, Nancy was just drunk and trying to make conversation or fuck with her, either of which Robin thought could be possible scenarios. “Thanks Steve.” She said, rolling her eyes at herself for being so stupid.

“What, I didn’t do anything?” Steve said bewildered.

“You always say the right thing to make me see clearly.” Robin said, “Anyways, I’ve got to go. I have to be at work in a little bit and I’ve got to go back inside and change.”

“Well, alright. I just wanted to tell you though now while I have you on the phone. Eddie and I are going to finally be able to get down to see you next weekend if you still want us to visit?”

Robin could feel the excitement flood her chest, a grin spreading across her face. She was going to be able to see her boys. “Of course I still want you guys to make it up here, I can’t wait!”

Nancy woke up to an empty room, her dress not on the floor where she had remembered leaving it, but hanging over her desk chair. Robin must’ve moved it when she woke up, she thought. She slowly sat up, her head pounding as she leaned over for the familiar bottle of water and Advil sitting on her desk. She felt something in her chest flutter as she shrugged it off. She wasn’t used to people taking care of her, especially ones that couldn’t stand to be around her.

She slipped out of bed and onto her feet, turning to make the bed as she thought about the night before. She had been so frustrated with Robin at the fact that she couldn't get the girl off of her mind when she was trying to get fucked by two very attractive people that she had probably now scared off. Nancy sighed to herself as she sat down at her desk and drank more water, flipping through her notes on the most recent journalism class and thought of Jack. Maybe she could try again; she debated, thinking about Guy now as she leaned back into her chair. She bit her lip as she felt a flush across her chest and settled between her hips.

She liked Jack, but there was something about Guy that Nancy liked even more. Perhaps it was because they were uncharted territory, or perhaps she just liked their hands on her more as she thought about Guy pressed up against her back, pushing her hair off of her shoulder and the opened mouth kisses that had followed the path of their fingertips.

She looked at the alarm clock next to her bed and debated how much time she had before Robin came back. Did she have enough time to satisfy her own needs? Nancy never cared much for touching herself, never really relieving that ache that only someone else’s touch could provide, but she needed it badly. She decided to test the waters as she moved back to the bed and laid down. She pushed her shirt up and ran her hand down her stomach to her sleep shorts, her fingertips brushing the soft hairs that met the waistband.

She felt her breath catch in her throat as she closed her eyes, licking her lips. Remembering the night before was fairly easy, thinking back to the feeling of being devoured by two different sets of lips. Her fingers dipped into her shorts, brushing the fabric of panties as she tested the waters. Images of Jack pressing into her, feeling Guy against her back sent a shiver down her spine. It didn’t take much to feel the wetness pooling between her thighs as her hand traveled lower.

Nancy thought about the brush of lips against her shoulder, nails scratching down her forearms as she spread her wetness over her clit and began to make small circles over it. A tightness began to weave in the pit of her stomach, the fact that it had been so long surely taking its toll on just how fast this was going to be.

She tried to think more about the experiences of last night when her mind wandered to after she got home. The look on Robin’s face when Nancy had slipped her dress off of her shoulders. Her roommate’s eyes had been glued to her chest, her mouth slightly open as a gasp elicited itself without the girl’s permission. Nancy had liked the attention, wanting to tease the girl for looking. “Stare much?” She had asked her and the blush she could only assume bloomed across Robin’s cheeks as she quickly turned away.

It hadn’t been the first time she had caught Robin looking at her, and it never bothered her the way she might’ve thought it would in the past. In fact Nancy liked the attention she got from others, regardless of who it was. She liked being looked at, wanted. Nancy began to circle her fingers faster as she thought about seeing Robin topless, the fact that she had seen nearly all of the taller girl in pieces but never at the same time. She thought about her long legs disappearing into briefs, the patch of hair that was slightly darker that peaked just above the waistband of her underwear. Nancy felt herself gasp as her fingers traveled lower to slip inside, felt her walls wrap around not one but two right away. She was close as she couldn’t even muster the irritation she should be feeling of her attention falling onto her roommate.

Her hips raised, bucking against herself as she pushed back, chasing the high that she had been after for the last few weeks. She was actively getting off to the idea of Robin, and what it might feel like to touch her. Nancy thought about running her hands over the long expanse of the girl’s stomach, something that had been on display from the very start and it drove Nancy crazy without knowing it. Thinking of that stupid smirk Robin always made when she thought she had caught Nancy looking, and she would’ve been right if not easily satisfied with Nancy’s quick retaliations.

Nancy could feel her stomach swooping, the tingling sensation crawling up the back of her thighs. She clenched her eyes shut even tighter, not even hearing the sound of the door opening over the sounds of her fingers sliding in and out of her wet pussy. A moan low and slow slipped out of her mouth as she rode that high, her toes curling in the sheets as she lolled her head to the side of her pillow. As the feeling dissipated from her however, Nancy no longer felt like she was alone in the room. Afraid to look, she quickly pulled the blankets over her, peaking out of the corner of her eye to see the exact person of her desires standing at the foot her bed, back pressed against the shut door.

Robin’s eyes were trained on her, mouth wide open in shock. When Nancy’s eyes met hers, the taller girl quickly moved into action, scrambling through the room as if a hurricane was taking her. “Sorry, I just needed my apron for work.” All of a sudden she couldn’t look at the curly haired girl as she snagged her work clothes and bag off of her desk and threw herself towards the door as fast as she could.

“Why didn’t you say something?” Nancy asked, blurting out the first thing she could think of. She couldn’t believe this was happening, she needed to stay calm. There was no way Robin knew what she had been thinking of just moments ago.

“I’m sorry.” Robin said, flustered as she wrenched open the door and slammed it behind her. Nancy stared at the mirror that hung on the back of it, looking back at her own reflection. Her hair was a mess, a mix of bedhead and whatever happened the night before, her makeup smeared from sleeping in it. She looked rough to say the least and now could be categorized as a class 3 weirdo for fucking herself to the idea of her gay roommate who she definitely didn’t have feelings for in that way.

Nancy sat up, her sleep shirt falling back down from where it had ridden up beneath the blanket and groaned. The first orgasm she had in months was now dampened by Robin walking in on her. Nancy bit her lip as she felt her heart jolt inside her chest. She had no idea how long her roommate had been standing there, and she had a feeling that it was wishful thinking that she only caught the tail end of it. Nancy raked a hand through her hair, tugging at the ends of it as she stood to her feet and grabbed her shower caddy. She needed a shower first thing first, and then she could start stage 1 of figuring out exactly how to fix what just happened.

Robin was running, something that she hadn’t done since her final gym class five months ago. What the fuck just happened? She whipped her head around at the other students that were out and about, jogging or walking to classes. Robin felt as if her whole world was toppling around her, every boundary she had set up to protect herself was crumbling before her eyes and she was terrified. What if she liked Nancy Wheeler? The idea had crossed her mind more than she would like to admit over the years, pushing the other girl away every time the feeling crept in to rear its ugly head.

Robin Buckley couldn’t like Nancy, she just couldn’t. The girl was off limits, she was her best friend’s ex, not to mention an uppity know-it-all bitch to be quite frank. Robin had always thought this about the shorter girl, any glimpse of someone normal immediately being disguised again every chance Nancy could feel herself losing control. Robin had always liked that about her however. When Nancy pushed her, the feeling of sheer annoyance when the other girl saw her, it always made the taller girl feel like a moth drawn to a flame. Of course that was something Robin was familiar with, the feeling of someone wanting nothing to do with her, and yet somehow the way Nancy did it made her think it was all a charade.

Robin figured it was only in her head, wishful thinking that the idea of Nancy pushing her away was simply because she was afraid to like her. Afraid to admit they had more in common than either girl was letting on.

But now Robin had seen too much. She had seen almost everything there was to see about Nancy and she hated just how much she wanted it. She had come back into the room after her phone call with Steve to see Nancy touching herself and she froze. She quietly shut the door behind her, afraid to scare off the other girl as she leaned against the door, her breath suddenly ragged and watched. She could feel the fire threatening low in her stomach, the taboo feeling knowing that she was gawking without the other girl’s consent. She felt stuck, unsure of what she was supposed to do. She had tried to look away, debated making a really loud noise and shutting the door again like she had just walked in, but she felt frozen to the spot. Robin imagined falling into quicksand and thought maybe that had been exactly what it felt like, sinking into the floor as she slowly felt the air squeezed out of her like a tube of toothpaste.

Robin slammed into the coffee shop door, ripping it open and dashing inside where her boss Austin stared at her quizzically.

“Sorry I’m late, I just got to change.” Robin stammered, pointing towards the bathroom and headed inside. She closed and locked the door, falling back into it as she stared at herself in the small mirror that was fixed to the cinderblock wall. She was still in her pajamas, the black and green flannel loose around her waist, revealing a sliver of skin before her shirt covered the rest.

She quickly got changed, stuffing her clothes into her bag and splashed cold water onto her face. She needed to catch a grip, and then figure out a way to apologize to Nancy, as long as the girl wasn’t already packing up and moving out at that very moment.

Robin stood behind the counter, counting down the hours left in her shift, wearing her bottom lip down with her teeth. Flashes of Nancy were still stuck in her head, the noises coming from the shorter girl’s mouth, it sent a chill down Robin’s spine. She nearly burned her hand on hot milk as she made a coffee order, hissing as she quickly wiped the scalding liquid off with a rag.

She needed to stop thinking about her, and needed to get her head on straight. It was a good thing she was seeing Stacey later to deal with this problem. If she could get it out of her system, maybe then she’d be able to think more clearly.

“Austin, I’ve gotta go get this burn looked at. I’ll try and make it back.” She said, getting her boss’s attention from where he sat in the small office the size of a closet.

“Okay, sure.” He said, looking to her hand which she had kept the rag covering. “Is it bad?”

“I think I caught it in time, but you can never be too safe.” Robin insisted, grabbing her bag from beneath the counter and balling her apron up and stuffing it inside. She wasn’t going to the nurse and she sure as hell wasn’t coming back. She needed to get out of here however, before Nancy could come looking for her.

“Wait, what?” Stacey sat up on her bed, staring down at where Robin sat at the end of it. “You didn’t just jump her bones when you saw her?”

Robin stared down at her red hand, the color already turning a lighter shade of pink, and rolled her eyes. “It wasn’t like it was an invitation, I feel gross. Like I shouldn’t have seen it at all and I should have left or done something so that Nancy knew I was there.”

“I always knew you were a voyeur.” Stacey said cheekily as she propped herself back onto her pillows and bit into a Twizzler. She looked her friend over before chuckling, “So are we going to acknowledge the crush now or are we going to still pretend it’s not in the room with us?”

Robin groaned, “You are the worst.”

“I think that’s exactly why you like me.” Stacey argued.

“What can I say, I like the women I can’t have.” Robin sighed, staring down at her hands in her lap. “Seriously though, what do I do?”

“I guess you just apologize and come up with a system so that if either of you wants to masturbate in the future it doesn’t happen again.” Stacey says with a shrug, “It’s what my roommate and I did back in freshman year.

“Didn’t you end up fucking that roommate though?” Robin asked, skeptical.

Stacey grinned, “I didn’t say that it was exactly the same situation.” She chuckled, “But seriously, do you like Nancy? I mean, all jokes aside.”

Robin sighed, staring down at her hands and twisting one of her rings. “I don’t know.”

Stacey nudged Robin’s thigh with her foot, “Do you need to let off some steam?” She asked innocently.

Robin smirked, “Do you need to let off some steam?”

“Now Robin, I’m a good girl. I don’t know what you’re talking about, I invited you here to watch a movie.” Stacey placed a hand over her heart in disbelief. “You only like me for my body don’t you?”

Robin burst out laughing, taking that moment to jump on top of her friend and tickle her, “It’s not my fault you’re so hot. I’m just an appreciator of the arts!” She leaned in and nipped at Stacey’s collarbone, inhaling the other girl’s perfume. She always smelled of honeysuckle and it was calming to Robin, her hands ghosting down Stacey’s sides towards her hips. She could feel Stacey suck in air beneath her as she settled between the blonde’s thighs.

“You can think of Nancy if you want to, I won’t mind.” Stacey whispered, her tongue shooting out to lick a stripe up Robin’s jaw. It made her shiver as she sunk down further into the girl, their chests and hips pressed together. “I’ll think of her too if you want.”

Robin could feel Stacey still giggling beneath her as she shook her head, “Will you just shut up already?”

“Why don’t you sit on my face and make me?” Stacey asked, her nose nudging Robin’s earlobe.

“Oh, well that I can do.” Robin giggled herself now, sitting up to start taking off her clothes. “You know, I really ought to start paying you for your services.”

“Oh, so is that all I am to you now?” Stacey asked, pulling her shirt over her head to reveal that she wasn’t wearing a bra underneath.

“No, you also have the best movie taste.” Robin unbuttoned her pants and shimmied them down her legs. “And snacks, you always have snacks.”

Stacey threw her shirt at her face, “So what did you actually see? Other than Wheeler’s ‘o’face?”

Robin thought back to the dorm room, Nancy lying back on her bed, blanket just below her navel. She swallowed thinking of the skin she did see before Nancy’s shirt blocked the rest from view, the hint of taught nipples beneath the fabric. Nancy’s hand had been moving frantically beneath the duvet, hips canting upwards to suggest she had her fingers inside. “Not much honestly.”

“Liar.”

“No, I’m serious. She had the blanket over her.” Robin insisted, her own fingers dipping beneath the blonde’s underwear, tugging them down. Her eyes skated over Stacey’s body, her tongue licking her dry lips and feeling the sore she had been wearing away all morning. “Are you getting off to the idea of me walking in on my roommate?” Robin asked as her fingers ran through the wetness between Stacey’s legs. She could feel the pit in her stomach begin to tighten, this she should could handle, she knew how to fuck Stacey, the blonde had taught her how in fact. Robin could think about Nancy later, and deal with the situation then. It would be rude not to give her undivided attention to the woman laying before her, even if they were only just friends.

Nancy tried looking for Robin everywhere she thought the taller girl would be. She checked the coffee shop, but it seemed that she was too late, her boss saying she left early because she burnt her hand.

Nancy was admittedly spiraling, the image of Robin staring at her ingrained in her mind, her bright red lips hanging open as she looked at her with only a blanket between them. It wasn’t lost on Nancy just how much she wished her blanket had slipped, or that she had noticed Robin was there just a moment sooner and asked for her help. The idea slapped her in the face at the reality of wanting her roommate to touch her, a roommate who was also a woman, and apparently the lesbian talk of the campus. A part of Nancy wanted to know what all the other girl’s were experiencing, if Robin was in fact as good as the whispers suggested.

Nancy swallowed hard, her hands clammy as she wrenched open the door to the infirmary to find the nurse on duty looking over a crossword puzzle, a coffee cup with Robin’s handwriting on it sitting beside it.

“Was Robin Buckley here for a burnt hand?” Nancy asked when the nurse had looked up, as if to say ‘what are you bothering me on my break for?’

“I haven’t had anyone in here all morning.” The nurse answered, barely giving Nancy another glance as the middle aged woman went back to the newspaper.

The curly haired girl gritted her teeth in annoyance before turning on her heel and heading back out the door in which she came in. Where could Robin be? Was the burnt hand even true, or was she simply just playing hooky from work? It was a beautiful Tuesday morning, the cool autumn air rustling the tops of the trees as she followed the weaving path towards the bowling alley. Nancy couldn’t think of many places that Robin routinely visited, coming up short on other ideas as to where the other girl went. Perhaps she was trying to get away from Nancy, for all she knew the taller girl could be trying to meet with someone in the housing department right at that very moment.

Nancy opened the door to the small bowling alley, walking down the hallway lined with team photos and neon carpeting. This was the first time she had been in here, the sport itself only really being associated with junior high dates and birthday parties.

“Hey, can I help you?” a voice called out to Nancy as she passed the front desk where you would check in your shoes. A brunette, maybe an inch or two taller than herself, smiled at her from behind the counter. “Don’t think I’ve seen you in here before.” She said, her head cocking to the side.

“Oh, I was just looking for someone. I thought maybe the bowling team might be starting practice soon.” Nancy said with a wave of her hand. She looked out at the mostly vacant lanes before turning back to the girl, “Do they play today?” She asked.

The girl’s eyes raked her over, making Nancy feel small. “They had practice yesterday, who are you looking for? I know all of the girls pretty well.”

“Oh, um. It’s okay.” Nancy said shyly, her hands fidgeting at the hem of her sweatshirt sleeves.

The brunette squinted her eyes the slightest bit, she was wearing a bright red t-shirt with the bowling alley’s name printed across her chest, a name tag that read ‘Amy’ pinned to it. “I’m the bartender/manager here, I pretty much run the whole shit hole.” She chuckled, “You look like you could use a drink, could I make you one?”

Nancy felt like there was a flirting lilt to the girl’s tone, shaking her head at herself, “No it’s okay, I should probably keep looking.” She said awkwardly before pointing towards the door.

Amy pursed her lips, “I’m going to take a shot in the dark and guess you’re looking for Robin?”

Nancy felt something in her stomach swoop at the girl’s name as she felt her cheeks betray her by blushing. “She’s my roommate.”

“Right.” Amy smirked, “How about that drink? On the house.” She waved Nancy to follow her, the girl slipping out from behind the counter and heading towards the bar. Nancy took the rest of the girl in as she followed her, the shirt was form fitting and weirdly more of a crop top which she couldn’t help but think had to be against the dress code.

“So you know Robin?” Nancy asked, trying to make conversation.

“Like I said, I know all the girls.” Amy said over her shoulder.

Nancy sat at the bar while Amy ducked behind it. “So what’s your poison?” She asked the curly haired girl.

“It’s pretty early. I’ll just have a seltzer.” Nancy said.

Amy smiled at her once again, grabbing one of the hoses hooked to the counter and shot a fizzing clear liquid into a glass, sliding it over into Nancy’s waiting hand.

“Thanks.” Nancy nodded her head before taking a sip, the carbonation burning the tip of her tongue.

“So roommates, huh?” Amy asked a moment later, casually drying a glass that Nancy was pretty sure was dry to begin with.

“Yeah, I just needed to talk to her.” Nancy said, taking another sip of her drink. “Do you just know her from working here?” She asked, the curiosity winning out, knowing she was going to be the cat that got killed by the truth. Nancy expected that she was bound to run into at least a few of Robin’s conquests, and it shouldn’t bother her as much as it did.

Amy looked up at her, the bandana that matched her shirt slipping ever so slightly on her head. “You could say that.”

Nancy nodded, looking away towards the empty pool tables. She swallowed the lump that was growing in her throat.

“She’s probably with Stacey if I were to guess, they’re pretty inseparable.” Amy supplied a moment later.

Right, Nancy thought, the green monster rearing its ugly head at the blonde’s name. She took a final sip of her seltzer before pushing the glass away from her and standing to her feet. “Thanks for the drink, but I should head out. I’ve got classes soon.”

Amy shrugged, “No problem.” She watched Nancy leave, waving the rag in her hand at her as she left.

Nancy felt unnerved at the interaction with Amy, heading back towards the dorm to get her books for her class before deciding against it. Instead she turned and headed towards the library, deciding to get lost in some research for her journalism project for the rest of the day. She needed to focus on something other than what had happened that morning, and she figured burying her head in a few books would do just the trick.

After a few hours of studying, Nancy dragged herself out of the bookstacks for something to eat, heading towards the dining hall for a late lunch. She tried to steer most of her wandering thoughts towards Jack, wondering if she should call him after things had ended so awkwardly the night before. She decided to give him a ring after she ate, heading into the line of students waiting to get food. She noticed the person two people ahead of her looked awfully familiar from the back, her eyes looking them over before being certain it was who she thought it was. She blushed thinking of the last time she had seen them as she followed the line all the way through till the end. She headed over to where she had seen them sit by themselves and placed her tray down across from them.

“Oh, well hello.” Guy greeted her, smiling brightly up at her, the ghost of a dimple in the middle of their chin.

Nancy looked Guy over in what she assumed was their ‘normal people’ clothes, a much more played down version of the night before. They were also now wearing glasses, a detail that certainly did not get lost on her. “Hi.” Nancy bit her lip as she sat down, immediately shying away from making eye contact.

“I really enjoyed last night.” Guy said with a lopsided smile, their eyes casting a shadow at the memory, “Quite a lot actually.”

Nancy smiled, feeling herself blush once more, a feeling she was already getting tired of today. She tucked a stray hair behind her ear, “Sorry I got so drunk.” She said meekly.

Guy waved her off, taking a bit out of their sandwich. “We were all having a good time, you have nothing to apologize for.”

“I just hate to be a tease.” Nancy said.

Guy looked her over, a smirk starting to turn upwards one side of their lips, “Somehow I find that to be untrue.”

Nancy felt herself suck in a breath, a familiar feeling from earlier stirring in her stomach.

“So how are you feeling, I hope you weren’t too hungover this morning.” Guy asked with a wink.

Nancy immediately thought back to the night before, the smoking and the talking, how she woke to the pain medicine and water next to her bed. “It wasn’t took bad actually.” She said.

“Well that’s good.” Guy smiled, “So I was thinking, I was going to ask Jack for your number today if I hadn’t seen you, but he said something about you wanting to join the newspaper and you were on the waiting list.”

“Yeah?” Nancy raised a brow, confused. What did that have to do with anything?

“I run the newspaper.” Guy supplied, “I’m thinking I just might have an opening for you.”

“You haven’t read any of my writing.” Nancy said shyly.

Guy shook their head, wiping their mouth with a napkin. “No, but Jack keeps telling me that you’re pretty good, and that you might just be one of the best in your Journalism 101 class.”

“I think he might be biased there.” Nancy said, biting her lip.

Guy’s eyes followed it down, their gaze fixed onto Nancy’s mouth. “He could be, which is why I would love to read something just to be sure I’m not being biased either.”

“And how will you know if you are?” Nancy asked.

Guy’s eyes moved back up to meet hers, “Well I’m hoping I’d have a really good reason to be if I am.”

Nancy licked her lips, her eyes glancing down at Guy’s hand that was resting on the table, thinking about just how they felt on her shoulder and back the night before. How she wanted to feel them again. She pushed back her chair at the same time they did, their eyes meeting across the table.

“Can I show you something?” Guy asked.

Nancy nodded her head, her pulse quickening. She tossed her half eaten lunch before taking Guy’s hand, allowing them to lead her out of the dining hall and towards the liberal arts building.

“Where are we going?” Nancy asked curiously, realizing they weren’t heading back towards the parking lot that would take them to their apartment.

“I want to show you the newsroom, just in case you get chosen to join the team.” Guy said with a warm smile, “I have a feeling that you’ll be a shoe-in.”

Robin ran her fingers haphazardly through her hair as she fixed herself in the mirror on Stacey’s vanity, looking in her reflection to see the blonde asleep in her bed behind her. Robin felt something tug in her chest at the sight, thinking how easily she had been falling for her friend up until this morning. It would be so easy to ignore the feelings she had for Nancy, knowing that she would get hurt even if the feelings were mutual. Stacey on the other hand had made it very clear that she didn’t date her friends, and that she loved Robin in more of a friend way then anything else.

Robin pulled her sweatshirt over her shoulders and grabbed her bag, heading for the door to let herself out, snagging the last of the twizzlers off of the nightstand on her way. She chuckled to herself knowing that Stacey would be pissed to find her favorite candy gone when she woke up, before closing the door softly behind her and heading down the stairs and out of the sorority house.

It was getting to be dinner time as she made her way down the walkway that would lead her back towards the main green of campus, dreading the fact that in about fifteen minutes she would be back in her own dorm room with the unresolved events of that morning. She tugged on a Twizzler, snapping off the end in between her teeth and chewing. She really hadn’t thought too much about what exactly she was going to say to Nancy the next time that she saw her. The idea of just what stupid shit would spew from her mouth left a lump in her throat long after she had already swallowed the candy.

Robin made her way slowly towards the dorm hall, letting herself in through the side door that led directly to the stairwell that would take her straight to what was slowly starting to feel like her deathbed. She just wasn’t exactly sure whether that was a good or bad thing yet as she took the stairs one at a time instead of her normal two, focusing really hard on her breathing, trying to slow the panic from seeping its way into her veins.

With shaky hands she unlocked the door to her dorm room and let herself in, quickly looking around the room to find it empty. She let out a sigh of relief, letting her bag sag off of her shoulder and fall beside her, the handle hanging from her wrist like a noose. Robin thought that it would be easier this way, but as she slowly started to unpack her bag and set in on some of her homework that was due in the next few days, she sort of wished that the curly haired girl had already been here and ripped the awkwardness off like a bandaid. Now she had to sit and wait and mull over all of the different scenarios that this morning could evolve into.

Robin tried very hard to only think about the plausible. She thought of the hurt and ugly look on Nancy’s face when she accused the taller girl of gawking and being a pervert. She would tell Robin that she felt preyed on and that she wanted a new roommate immediately and that she never wanted to see her again. The idea of that reality clawed at the dirty blonde’s chest, making her pray for a different outcome. Robin didn’t have much faith in anything, but during desperate times such as now she convinced herself that something was listening. She hoped they would take pity on her.

Robin rolled her pencil between the palm of her hand and the notebook paper that was glaring back empty at her. Moving her eyes over to the Russian literature book she had just finished she thumbed through the pages, looking over her annotations and debating just how she was going to start her paper. She spun back and forth in her chair, chewing her bottom lip and looking at the alarm clock that sat beside Nancy’s bed. At the realization that it had only been twenty minutes she let out a frustrated groan and threw her book back down onto the desk.

Bouncing her leg, she looked around the room once more, taking notice of all of the things that were Nancy’s that were coexisting along with her own. It warmed her just the slightest bit at the fact that regardless of where she and Nancy currently stood, regardless of the fact that they never were on the same page for very long, their room looked as if two people had come together peacefully. Robin wondered if her life would look like that someday, her home filled with another woman’s belongings that sat comfortably beside her own. She stopped thinking about it all together however, before she allowed herself to consider that maybe it would be Nancy’s sweater hung up beside her backpack on a coat rack next to the front door. She swallowed thickly, standing to her feet and wiping her sweaty palms onto the front of her jeans, taking a tentative step towards Nancy’s bed. She just wanted to lay down for a moment, feeling her heartbeat picking up at her wishful thinking.

Laying down on Nancy’s bed Robin couldn’t help but think it was more comfortable than her own. Perhaps it was the crocheted blanket that the shorter girl had thrown over her duvet, or the pink bunny that she was now holding. Robin smiled at what was a worn and clearly loved stuffed animal, the one button eye coming loose from its stitching. Robin imagined a much younger Nancy cuddling it to fall asleep at night and found herself clutching it to her own chest.

She laid her head back on the pillow, immediately being enveloped in Nancy’s scent. A floral note that she couldn’t quite place wafted into her nose, something fresh and clean. She landed on a rose, not being able to think of the last time she had smelled one, she thought back to all of the times she had ridden her bike past the Wheeler’s house and seeing the perfectly pruned white and yellow rose bushes beneath the front windows. It was exactly what Robin would’ve thought Nancy would have smelled like if she had to guess. Her mind began to drift, her eyes drooping shut as Robin dozed off in the comfort of a dream.

Nancy followed after Guy as they entered the newsroom, her eyes running over every square inch as she took it all in. Guy stood beside the door, back against the wall and watched as Nancy stepped further in and walked through the row of typewriters, a chalkboard at the front of the room.

“How many people are on the news team?” She asked as she ran a hand over the back of one of the chairs, imagining herself sitting amongst others who had a desire to write and chase a story past what others would turn a blind eye to.

“There’s twelve of us, but half of us graduate this year.” Guy answered.

“You included?” She asked.

“Yeah, which means there’s potential to move up quickly.” They said with a lopsided smile.

Nancy raised a brow as she looked back at them, “Yeah, you don’t sound biased at all.” She chuckled.

Guy scanned their eyes over the entirety of the curly haired girl, “I can’t help it, when I see something I want, I’ll do anything to have it.”

“Oh?” Nancy spun on her boot heel slowly, walking back towards Guy as she skimmed a finger over the desk at the front of the room, assumedly their own. “Anything, huh?”

Guy nodded, pushing off of the wall to meet her halfway, hands outstretched for her to take. Nancy could feel how soft their palms were warming her own. They leaned in, lips just a breath away from Nancy’s, “You are the most beautiful girl.” Their eyes met hers, chocolate brown melting into blue. “Could I kiss you?”

Nancy smiled, nodding her head before completing the distance between them. The kiss was chaste at first, the feeling of stubble tickling her upper lip before Guy deepened the kiss, their mouth opening to pull her bottom lip between their teeth. Nancy leaned in, walking them backwards into a desk, feeling Guy chuckle against her mouth. “Eager are we?” They asked.

“That’s why you brought me here, wasn’t it?” Nancy asked, her nose grazing their jaw before dragging her teeth over their earlobe.

Guy took in a shaky breath, their hands suddenly splayed on her waist. “You caught me.”

Nancy smirked, feeling them try to take control in spinning her against the desk and sucking kisses into the hollow of her throat. She gasped, running her nails over their forearms, feeling them shiver. She ran her hands down further, gripping onto their belt buckle, but quickly being stopped by Guy’s hand on top of hers.

“I’m sorry.” Nancy said, a bit taken aback. Wasn’t this what they were doing? “Too fast?” She asked.

Guy shook their head, pulling away from her neck. “I don’t like to be touched like that.”

“Oh.” Nancy pulled away further, confused.

“I’m just not comfortable with it, considering.” They waved a hand over the entirety of themselves.

Nancy only raised a brow as she cocked her head to the side. “Considering?”

“Well, you know I’m not a man right?” Guy asked.

“Yeah, I know.” Nancy nodded, she still didn’t understand what this had to do with touching them.

“My parts don’t match my mind.” Guy said, trying to explain what they were thinking. “I love to give, I just don’t like to receive is what I’m trying to say.”

Nancy could feel the moment passing as she grew frustrated with herself. “I think I understand.”
“Is that okay?” Guy asked her, taking a step back into her space.

Nancy nodded her head, not entirely sure but wanting to try anyway. She let them take the lead, feeling Guy’s hands circle her waist and pull her back in against them. She could feel her chest pressed against theirs, her mind wandering for just a moment on another chest that was more well endowed.

Nancy turned further into Guy, tilting her head back to welcome more kisses to her neck as she closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind and focus on her body and what she was currently feeling. She could feel Guy’s hands fumble with the hem of her skirt, fingertips pushing up past the fabric, inching up higher and higher, the cool metal of a ring brushing against her inner thigh. She let out a gasp, eyes fluttering open as she was faced with the yellowing tile of the ceiling. “I’m sorry.” She began to say, pushing away and straightening her skirt. “I just forgot I have to do something back at my dorm, I have a paper due by tomorrow morning.” She tried to come up with an excuse that only made her look guiltier.

Guy frowned, their pupils blown from the heated moment. They ran a hand awkwardly through their short hair, clearing their throat. “Is it because of what I said?”

“What?” Nancy shook her head, “No, of course not. I just really have something I have to do.” She could feel the anger building in her chest and wanting nothing more than to rip Robin’s face off for not giving her a moment of peace since they moved in together almost two months ago. “It’s not you, I promise.” Nancy insisted, seeing Guy’s face fall at her bullshit excuse to leave.

Guy nodded their head, suddenly much smaller. It broke Nancy’s heart to turn them down, but she just wasn’t feeling the connection she thought she would, and with how wired she currently was, she didn’t think she needed it, but she couldn’t go any further without a clear mind. “Maybe we could go on a date next time?” She suggested, trying to soften the blow. After she got Robin out of her system once and for all she wanted to give Guy a chance, she really did.

Guy smiled a soft smile, “I’ll wait for your call.” They didn’t sound convinced that it would ever come before they nodded their head and told Nancy it was really okay if she needed to go.

Nancy bit her lip as she managed a tiny wave before turning and heading out of the room, practically kissing the chance at being on the newspaper goodbye after that. She figured it was on brand for her, considering how she was fired from the Hawkins Post and now this, she really liked to get in her own way of happiness she decided as she gritted her teeth, her nails digging into the palms of her hands as she strode out of the liberal arts building, marching with purpose back towards her dorm hall. She would settle this once and for all, pushing Robin so far out of her bubble she could just ignore her for the rest of the year. She needed it for her sanity and for her nonexistent sex life. Nancy wasn’t even interested in jumping into another relationship any time soon, having just gotten out of one, but she needed to start living a little bit and enjoy herself and others when the occasion called for it. She couldn’t do that if she was still simmering over Robin and that stupid look on her face every time she looked at her. She would tell Robin off for the last time and get past whatever magnetism she felt towards the taller girl, removing herself from her orbit before they destroyed each other completely.

Robin jolted upright out of a deep nap at the sound of a key in the door, panicking before throwing herself off of Nancy’s bed and onto the cold hard linoleum floor.

The door was wrenched open a moment later, Nancy standing in the doorway with a look that would kill if she wanted it to. Her eyes honed in on Robin, eyes squinting ever so slightly as her lip curled into a sneer. “Were you just on my bed?” She asked accusingly.

Robin quickly shook her head, feeling a dried bit of drool in the corner of her mouth and swiping at it with the cuff of her sweatshirt. “I was just looking for my lighter, I think I had it last night when we were smoking.”

Nancy raised a brow, shutting the door behind her and stepping further into the room. The woman looked like she was on a mission to say the least, an air of anger wafting off of her in tenfold. “Don’t touch my things.”

“Okay.” Robin swallowed, slowly standing to her feet and brushing off her jeans. “The lighter is mine though, so I’m not really touching your things.”

Nancy’s eyes flickered over to her bed, crossing her arms over her chest. “Why is the duvet all wrinkled then?”

Robin scratched at the back of her neck, “Are you okay?”

Nancy’s eyes moved back to the taller girl’s, icy blue meeting a storm. “It’s none of your business how I feel.”

Robin looked around the room, trying to imagine exactly what planet she was on. “What are you talking about?”

Nancy took a step closer to her, nails digging into her own forearms. “You invaded my privacy this morning.” She ground out through her teeth.

Robin licked her lips nervously, “Oh yeah, I’m really sorry about that.” She could feel her chest vibrating with nerves. “I should’ve announced myself.”

The shorter girl nodded her head vigorously, moving even closer. “You forget that not every girl wants to fuck you.” She spit out.

Robin’s brows flew up into her hairline, what the fuck? Robin never once thought Nancy wanted to fuck her, in fact she hadn’t even thought much about the subject until it was staring her in the face that very morning. “I don’t want to fuck you.” Robin blurted out.

Nancy laughed, “Right, cause your face didn’t say that when I saw you.”

“I’m sorry that I’m human?” Robin threw her hands up, “You were literally fucking yourself in front of me, should I have been more like a robot and not reacted?”

“You could’ve been a halfway decent person and turned away at the very least.”

Robin shook her head, “You are unbelievable.”

“Oh, I’m unbelievable?” They were spinning in circles, the same fight echoing the ones before it.

Robin nodded her head, looking Nancy over from her tensed jaw to her taught shoulders. “I think you’re projecting.”

Nancy scoffed, “Excuse me?”

“You are so touch starved you are acting as if I assaulted you this morning.” Robin took a step closer, her own anger pent up inside her from weeks of Nancy’s hot and cold attitude towards her. “Would it ever hurt you to act like a normal fucking person and not try to make me into the bad guy you need me to be for whatever fucked up reason you need to convince yourself you hate me?”

Nancy was only a few inches away from Robin now, feeling her chest tighten at the other girl’s words, “I don’t hate you.” Last night flooding her memory as she repeated herself now.

“Oh, so then you’re just jealous that I’m actually getting laid.” Robin said, taking notice of the hickies that looked freshly formed on Nancy’s neck. “Looks like you would have too if you didn’t run home just to get into a fight with me about it.” Why was she always wanting to fight with her?

“I get laid.” Nancy said indignantly, a whole new shade of red flooding her face. Robin couldn’t think of a time where she had seen the girl angrier.

“Oh yeah? With who? When?” Robin asked, moving ever closer, feeling the heat coming off of Nancy’s small frame. She was pushing the girl now, but goddammit was she going to stop taking the other girl’s bullshit lying down.

“Jonathan was here not that long ago.” Nancy argued.

“Yeah and you broke up with him.” Robin said, “And don’t say it was Jack or his roommate either because drunk you already told me it didn’t happen.”

“How do you know I didn’t sleep with Jonathan before we broke up?” Nancy asked.

Robin rolled her eyes, “You must’ve forgotten that I saw you after he stayed the first night. You didn’t have sex.”

“How do you know?” Nancy asked, her voice going an octave higher as she leaned in with her brows raised.

Robin laughed, “Because if you did I feel sorry for you because you did not look like you had sex.”

“And what makes you know what I look like after sex?” Nancy asked before quickly following it up with, “This morning doesn’t count.”

“Well yeah, of course it doesn’t. You clearly weren’t satisfied after that.” Robin motioned towards the girl’s neck. “But I know what most girl’s look like when they’re enjoying themselves, so I think I would know.”

Nancy’s face screwed up in disgust, “Ew, gross. I didn’t mean it like that.”

Robin smirked, “Sure you didn’t.”

Nancy nearly growled then at seeing the familiar grin on the dirty blonde’s face. “You are so fucking cocky, it drives me insane. Like have a little bit of respect for yourself at least, and stop renting yourself out like the local whore.”

Robin chuckled, “Is Nancy Wheeler calling me a slut, or are you just jealous that you aren’t one of those girls?”

Nancy could feel her rage bubbling up inside her and it was about to boil over, “You fucking wish!”

“And what if I did?” Robin asked, blurting it out faster than she could think it, her eyes widening ever so slightly at her own words.

Nancy felt all of the air leave her lungs at the same time, her eyes immediately moving back down towards Robin’s lips. She took a tentative step closer to Robin, the gap fully closed between them as she felt the material of Robin’s crewneck against her fingertips. For once in Nancy’s life, words failed her. She had no idea what to say, except for all of the things she couldn’t. So instead Nancy Wheeler acted, pushing aside all of her insecurities and fisting the fabric of the taller girl’s sweatshirt, pulling her into a kiss that felt like the exact kind of needy she had been looking for.

It was like everything moved in fast forward after that, Robin’s hands landing on Nancy’s waist as she pushed her closer to the bed. Nancy’s teeth bit into Robin’s bottom lip as she fumbled with the buttons of the girl’s jeans, losing her balance as they fell back onto her bed. Robin’s weight landed perfectly on top of her, legs straddling Nancy’s hips as her hair curtained their faces.

Nancy pulled Robin back down towards her, ignoring her eyes roaming her face and pressed another kiss to her lips, deepening it with a swipe of her tongue. She felt Robin grind down into her with a small gasp against her lips, her eyes fluttering closed at the want racking her body. Nancy wanted this more than either of the situations she had been in earlier, feeling herself already soaking through her underwear. It was pathetic really, and if Robin was bold enough to comment on it, she would deny, deny, deny.

Nancy sighed at the feeling of Robin’s hands ghosting up past her knit sweater, goosebumps following her touch as the taller girl mapped the expanse of her stomach, moving over her as if she was made of braille.

Robin’s mind was fogged with what was currently happening. Nancy was beneath her, kissing her, and moaning and clawing for more. It took everything in her not to let her brain spin out, choosing to focus on the girl layed out beneath her like every time before. She would solve this frustration the poor girl has been suffering from, making her feel better than any guy has tried to do. It would bring Robin deep satisfaction knowing that she could take Nancy to a place she had never been to before.

“Touch me.” Nancy said against Robin’s lips, tugging at the hair at the base of her neck.

“I am.” Robin chuckled, moving away from Nancy’s mouth and landing a kiss here and there down the girl’s throat.

“I need more.” Nancy said, annoyed. “Now.”

Robin felt a spike of heat run through her, a thrill she couldn’t deny having from being told what to do. Her hands smoothed over the fabric of Nancy’s bra, a desire pulling low in her gut at the feeling of taut nipples pushing up against her palms. “You feel good.” She moaned out, immediately pushing the bra up to touch more of her. She needed it like a moth needs a flame, like how a parched man stranded in the desert needs water.

Nancy bit her lip, holding in a moan of her own as she arched into Robin’s touch as her eyes met hers. Her eyes were growing half lidded already, noticing just how dark Robin’s were turning. She grabbed a hold of Robin’s hand, getting ready to move it lower when Robin’s thigh fit between her own and pushed up. Her eyes fluttered shut as she bit her lip, feeling Robin’s hand move out from beneath her own and started smoothing down towards the waistband of her skirt. Her heartbeat raced as she anticipated what happened next, opening her thighs for more as she felt the other girl shift to run her hand up the inside of her thigh, the cool metal of her rings leaving behind a trail of goosebumps.

“Is this what you want?” Robin asked, her fingers skating ever closer as Nancy’s eyes opened to see the irritating smirk she knew would be there.

“Just shut up for once and fuck me.” Nancy bit out, a glare already knitting her brows together.

Robin moved her hand the rest of the way, running a thumb over the wet patch in Nancy’s panties as her lips parted slightly at the touch. She moved Nancy’s panties to the side, a quiet moan slipping from her mouth as she touched Nancy for the first time, her middle finger immediately slipping inside at just how wet she was.

“Fuck.” Nancy moaned, her hands gripping at the back of Robin’s sweatshirt and pulling the girl even closer as Robin began a rhythm of pumping as her thumb came up to rub circles around Nancy’s clit.

Nancy tried not to look at Robin so much as she tried to either stare at the bottom of the top bunk or close her eyes when it felt especially good as the taller girl worked her over, slipping in a second finger a moment later. “So tight.” Robin gasped, biting her bottom lip as she looked up at Nancy with what the curly haired girl thought was the most devastating look she had ever seen. A fire began to burn low in her stomach, her hips matching Robin’s ministrations as she moaned quietly, trying not to inflate the other girl’s ego anymore than it already was.

In a matter of minutes Nancy’s breath was hitching and she was riding one of her biggest highs as she clenched around Robin’s fingers, letting out a whine that she would never admit to making if ever brought up. It was the fastest Nancy had ever orgasmed, a blush joining her already flushed cheeks at the realization as she opened her eyes to see Robin still leaning over her as she slowly slid her fingers out and pulled her hand away, awkwardly holding it off to the side.

Nancy looked down at herself as she slowly sat up, her sweater still up past her chest and her skirt rucked up around her hips. Robin’s sweater was rumpled, the button of her jeans popped open. “Do you want me to?” She asked.

“No, it’s okay.” Robin quickly said, removing herself from the bed. “We can just forget it happened, I know that was going to be the next thing out of your mouth anyways.” Without so much as another glance, the dirty blonde left the room, not even bothering to adjust herself before running away.

“Okay.” Nancy said to herself, her reflection staring back at her in the mirror. Her hair was a mess and her lipstick smeared. What the hell just happened?

Chapter Text

Present Day- October 1985

What the hell just happened? Robin thought to herself as she practically ran into the bathroom to wash her hands. Splashing water onto her face, she leaned her hands against the counter, staring hard at her reflection. Quickly running her damp hands through her hair, she fixed her flyaways and straightened her sweatshirt before re-buttoning her jeans. This whole day has gone from weird to freaky, the last thing she would’ve expected was what just happened.

Her heart was drumming away inside her chest as her hands shook ever so slightly. “Fuck.” She cursed, kicking at the trashcan by the door, the plastic of the can wobbling on the tile floor. Why did she run away? That had to look pretty pathetic on her part, afterall Nancy was the one who jumped her. Nancy was the one to initiate first, and if things were going to get awkward from here it would be because of her and not Robin. No, Robin would be cool and calm about it, she decided. An instant replay of Nancy’s moans echoing her thoughts, causing her to swallow harshly, turning back to splash more water onto her face.

It wasn’t lost on Robin that she was going to have to process the fact that she just had her first kiss with Nancy Wheeler of all people, and what made things worse was how much she had liked it. If things weren’t so strained between them she might even have taken the girl up on her offer, but she couldn’t think of that just now as she made her way back to the dorm room. She needed to reenter the room with confidence, like what had just happened was like any other rendezvous with a girl, when in actuality it had left her reeling.

Robin opened the door slowly, peering into the room before entering it. Nancy had tied her hair up in a loose ponytail and was straightening out her bed, her back turned to her. Robin’s eyes greedily raked her over in the moment that she wasn’t looking, her eyes lingering on her neck. “So who were you with before?” She asked, unsure as to why she wanted to know. Perhaps now because they shared something in common, their lips touching the same parts of Nancy in just as short of a time frame.

Nancy turned to face her, brow raised. “Why do you want to know?”

Robin shrugged, moving over to her desk chair to sit, hands stuffed into her pockets. “Just thought I should thank whatever schmuck sent you ranting and raving in my direction. I’m sure he’d like to know I finished the job for him.”

Nancy’s jaw tightened, looking Robin over as if to decide if she would take the bait for another fight. “Their name is Guy.”

“Is that Jack’s roommate?” Robin asked curiously.

Nancy smirked, tilting her head over so slightly. “Do you drill all of your conquests with the same line of questioning?”

Robin chuckled, “I hardly drilled you, but that could be arranged if you’d like.”

Nancy rolled her eyes, deciding to change subjects, “Why did you practically run out of the room?”

“To wash my hands.” Robin answered quickly.

“Is that all?” Nancy asked, for some reason unbeknownst to her.

“You got what you wanted, what’s it matter to you what I do afterward?”

“I suppose it doesn’t.” Nancy said, turning away from her and beginning to change, stepping out of her skirt to put on something more comfortable.

Robin quickly looked away, trying to look busy with whatever class assignment was scattered across her desk. Her attention wasn’t captured for long however, finding herself looking out of the corner of her eye at Nancy as she started rummaging through her dresser drawers. Her back was to Robin, but she was no longer wearing anything from the waist down, her bare ass taunting Robin’s weak moral principles. She snapped her neck back towards her desk as she saw Nancy look over her shoulder at her with a smirk that made her weak in the knees.

“Oh, now you act shy huh?” Nancy asked with another chuckle.

“Do you want me to look?” Robin asked, not moving her gaze.

There was silence for a moment as the two girls waited for something, anything that would pull them away from the matter at hand. Where do they go from here, they both wondered. Do they continue to address it, or do as Robin said and forget it even happened?

“Do you want to look?” Nancy asked a moment later, her voice quieter, unsure.

Robin felt like her tongue was cement, she thought about answering the question in a way that would be the most honest to her, which was sometimes. She worried about scaring Nancy off however, so instead she chose to change the subject yet again. “Steve and Eddie are coming to visit for Halloween.”

One Year Ago - September 1984

Robin could feel Jonathan pulling away towards the end of the summer, and by the beginning of senior year she hardly saw him at all.

“Nancy and I’ve been seeing each other.” Jonathan had told her the night before school had started.

“No shit.” Robin said with a laugh, staring up at the night sky from where they laid on the hood of his car. She could hear Jonathan sigh, their shoulders just barely touching.

“Why do you hate her so much?” He asked, for what felt like the hundredth time. Why was everyone so obsessed with how she felt about Nancy Wheeler?

“I don’t hate her.” Robin said bitterly. “She’s just stealing my best friend away. What happened to our pact, dicks before chicks?”

“You don’t have a dick.” Jonathan laughed, the smoke from their shared joint bursting from his mouth as he tried not to cough.

“I could, you don’t know.” Robin said jokingly, taking the rolled paper from his outstretched hand and taking a deep pull.

“Well, even if you do have a dick. I’m not choosing Nancy over you.” Jonathan said a moment later.

“Sure.” Robin said, watching the smoke filter out through her nose.

“Maybe if you two could get along for more than five minutes, we could all hang out sometime. I know you used to be friends with Barb back in the day.”

Robin felt a prickle in her stomach. “Yeah, yet another person who left me for Prissy Wheeler.”

“Hey, that’s my girlfriend you so lovingly nicknamed.” Jonathan’s voice was taking on more of his irritated macho voice, Robin hated it when he tried to act tougher than he was.

“I just don’t get what is so great about her.” Robin said, aggravated. “I’ve barely seen you at all this summer.”

“You’ve got Steve now.” Jonathan reminded her.

“Jon, are you jealous of Steve?” Robin rolled her eyes, “I’ve told you before, you’re still my best friend.”

“You’re jealous of Nancy.” He said quietly.

“I am not jealous of Nancy Wheeler.” Robin sat up, flicking the end of the joint out into the gravel of the empty parking lot.

“There’s something going on between the two of you, maybe you’re too blind to see it, but I really think the two of you could be friends if you set aside your differences.” Jonathan said, exhausted. He slid off of the hood of his car, opening the driver side door. “Just think about it, maybe you could try again for me.”

In reality they both knew that their friendship was growing weaker with every wedge in their relationship, both too stubborn to try to fix things.

First it was Steve, someone who bullied Jonathan incessantly when he was still in high school, but after having worked with him and bonding over their distaste for Nancy, Robin and Steve only grew closer. Robin realized he wasn’t such a bad guy now that he was no longer friends with Tommy H and Carol. It was Steve that actually made Robin realize that people could change, but Jonathan refused to believe that and so he made it very clear that Robin should choose her friends more wisely. Afterall, what would happen if Steve found out Robin was gay? Little did he know that Steve harbored a similar secret of his own.

Second was the fact that Robin wanted to go to college, something that Jonathan was jealous of even though he wouldn’t admit it. She found herself not being able to talk about her future goals, something that limited their conversation when they were together once senior year was on the horizon.

Nancy Wheeler was just the nail in the coffin. Perhaps their friendship would’ve fizzled out anyway, but Robin didn’t need to face that truth when a much easier excuse was staring her right in the face.

Present Day- October 1985

The first half of the week went by rather quickly, both girls had been distracted by their classwork and other extracurricular activities to really spend too much time in the dorm room other than to study or sleep. It had only occurred to Nancy once or twice that Robin might be avoiding her, but pushed the thought away when she considered just how full to the brim the other girl’s days were.

Nancy really did need to start getting involved in something other than her classes, spending almost every night not studying reading and secretly waiting for Robin to get back from wherever she was. She supposed that hadn’t really changed since September, but decided it was simply because she hadn’t gotten the taller girl out of her system yet. In fact Nancy spent most of her waking hours thinking about Robin and just exactly what she would do if given another opportunity.

“So what time did Steve and Eddie say they were getting here on Friday?” Nancy had asked after Robin had gotten back from bowling, trying not to look up too often from her book as the other girl changed out of her uniform. She pushed her reading glasses back up her nose, turning the page and beginning to skim over the next paragraph while she waited for a response.

“Noon, I think.” Robin said as she unbuttoned her shirt, letting it slide off of one shoulder and then the other, catching it by her wrist and hanging it off of the back of her desk chair.

Nancy swallowed, her tongue feeling like cotton. Her book lowered against her chest as she grew more interested in what was in front of her. Robin was seemingly making more of a point not to pay too much attention to her, something that drove the curly haired girl crazy with want. “And they’re going to stay here, right?” She managed a moment later.

“Yeah, where else?” Robin asked, unbuttoning her pants and turning away from Nancy to shimmy them down her long legs. She kicked them the rest of the way off, quickly pulling on a pair of sweatpants she had waiting for her from the night before. Nancy thought back to how she had changed in front of the taller girl as slowly as possible to torture her, but rather than return the favor it seemed Robin tried to rip it off like a bandaid. In a way Nancy was surprised she had done it at all instead of making an excuse to go change in the bathroom, but she certainly wasn’t complaining at the decision made.

Nancy’s eyes roamed over Robin’s bareback, the black bra strap distracting against her fairly pale skin. “Was just making sure. I hope they’re bringing sleeping bags.” She said with a shrug, picking her book back up as Robin turned around to face her. She could feel an itch low in her gut, an irritation that hadn’t gone away for days. She didn’t want to make a habit out of jumping her roommate, but it kept her up at night wondering what would happen if she did.

“What, were you hoping we’d have to share a bed so the boys could take the other one?” Robin asked, amusement clear in her tone.

Nancy rolled her eyes, “You wish.”

Robin looked the brunette over with pursed lips before grabbing a book off of her desk and climbing up onto the top bunk. “Just cause I fucked you doesn’t mean I want to cuddle you, Wheeler.”

Nancy could feel her cheeks pinkening, flipping a page in her book that she definitely had not read, and taking a chance without putting too much thought into it. “Who said anything about cuddling?”

The room fell into a heavy silence, the air feeling like you could cut it with a knife. The tension between the girls was growing thicker and thicker by the day, the string between them pulling more and more taut from each conversation.

“Goodnight, Nancy.” Robin finally said, not taking the bait much to Nancy’s disappointment.
Nancy bit her lip, flipping the page back to reread the passage and try to distract herself. “Goodnight, Robin.”

One Year Ago- September 1984

“So we just have to pick Nancy and Barb up and then we’ll be on our way.” Jonathan said as he backed out of the Buckleys driveway and started heading back down the street towards the Wheelers house.

“So what are we doing exactly?” Robin asked from the passenger seat, staring down at her hands in her lap, focusing on just how chipped her nail polish was. Maybe she should have fixed it earlier before she was picked up.

“Nance suggested mini golf.”

Robin made a face, her lip curling up at the idea. “Mini golf?”

“What’s wrong with mini golf?” Jonathan asked as he made a right at a stop sign.

“Uh, I don’t know, just about everything that has to do with the whole thing?”

“You just don’t like it cause it was Nance’s idea.” Jonathan argued.

Robin rolled her eyes, “That’s not true, I’ve never liked mini golf.”

“We literally went a couple months ago.”

That’s before you became an asshole boyfriend, Robin thought to herself as she turned to stare out of the window at the passing houses. “Are you going to suck face the entire time?” She asked bitterly, thinking about the last time she had been around Jonathan and Nancy during lunch period. They hadn’t been kissing exactly, but they had been holding hands and staring at each other, which was enough to make her want to barf in and of itself.

“Are you going to be an asshole all night?” Jonathan countered.

Robin straightened her jaw, choosing not to say anything at all as they rolled up in front of their destination. She watched as the front door opened, Nancy following behind Barb as they made their way down the front lawn towards their car.

“Guess I should get in the back.” Robin sighed, unbuckling her seatbelt and pushing open her door.

“Hi.” Nancy greeted her as she stepped out onto the curb, her hair freshly permed and smelling of something sweet. Robin nodded her head towards her before waving at the open car door, “All yours, princess.”

Nancy’s smile faltered at the obvious annoyance on Robin’s face, her hand brushing Robin’s as she stepped under her arm to climb into the passenger seat. “Thanks.” She mumbled.

Robin merely grunted, opening the door behind the passenger seat and climbing onto the bench next to Barb. “Hope you like mini golf.” She said to the redhead before turning to glare daggers into the back of Nancy’s headrest.

Mini golf went just as Robin had suspected, all four of them were bad at it. “Can we please just put ourselves out of our own misery already and go see a movie?” Robin asked, kicking her golf club with the top of her converse.

“Or at least grab something to eat.” Barb chimed in from where she sat on the bench beside the flag with the number 4 on it. “We’ve been stuck on this course for the last twenty minutes.”

“Maybe you’re right.” Jonathan said, scratching at the peach fuzz on his chin. “It doesn’t seem like any of us really have a talent for this sort of thing.”

“Speak for yourself.” Nancy said, tongue tucked between her teeth as she squinted one eye shut trying to aim exactly where she was going to putt her ball.

Robin scoffed, “Come on princess, admitting defeat isn’t the worst thing in the world.”

“Stop calling me princess.” Nancy clipped out, barely looking over her shoulder at the taller girl as she set up her shot. “Maybe if you actually tried you would have some fun, imagine that.”

Robin’s brow raised, “You wouldn’t want that princess, because if I was actually trying I’d kick all of your asses.”

Nancy audibly snorted, her shoulders beginning to shake a little bit. “Now, that’s a laugh.”

“I’m serious.” Robin bit out, her irritation for the girl building once more.

Nancy nodded her head as she swung out her club, knocking the ball right into the hole. “Why don’t you put your actions where your mouth is then, Buckley.”

Robin grabbed her own club from where it had been propped against the bench as she ignored Barb’s curious gaze and stepped up to the plate, so to speak. “Fine.” She said, dropping her ball from out of her pocket and setting up her swing. “But you’re going to have to hope that wasn’t just a lucky shot you just had.”

Seven rounds and twenty minutes later the group stood on the final course. Things had gone a lot faster once Nancy and Robin had gotten competitive. Jonathan had long since dropped back with Barb, watching his best friend and girlfriend bicker for the better part of half an hour at this point.

“I think you’ve been hustling me this whole time, Wheeler.” Robin ground out as she shook her head in disbelief as the shorter girl sunk her final shot with ease on the first try.

“Are you scared to lose, Robin?” Nancy asked with this mocking tone that had the taller girl ready to trip her at the next possible opportunity.

Robin chuckled, “In your dreams, princess.” She stepped past Nancy, her shoulder brushing the other girl’s. She turned to look at Jonathan and Barb who were both beginning to look bored, barely looking over at them as the two girls feuded over mini golf, the loser having to buy the other ice cream. It was like they were in their own little world, the presence of their friends lost on both of them.

“What happens if we tie?” Robin asked as she lined up her shot.

Nancy pursed her lips, thinking. “I guess we’ll have to do something else to determine the winner.”

“Like what?” Robin asked, curious.

Nancy looked around at the golf course, noticing that most of the people that had been there had slowly filtered out since they got there. She thinks for a moment about the ice cream and she remembers that everyone keeps talking about how to determine if you’re a good kisser or not. She’s not sure why it comes to mind first, but she’s saying it before she can really think about what it means. “Whoever can tie a cherry stem with their tongue first wins.”

She watches Robin’s shoulders stiffen, her whole body going rigid before she’s overswinging and knocks the ball clear past the hole. Robin shrugs, walking over to pick up the golf ball. “Looks like you won, Wheeler. Congratulations.”

Nancy finds herself frowning, feeling like Robin purposefully threw the end result of their little competition. She can’t help but spend the rest of the night trying to figure out why.

Present Day- October 1985

Friday morning came faster than Robin had anticipated, rushing to get all of the things on her to-do list checked off before she turned her brain off for the weekend. She wanted to be able to focus on Steve and Eddie once they came to visit, shutting everything else out until they left Monday morning.

“So what are you dressing up as for the party?” Stacey asked from where she laid on her stomach across the blanket they had spread out on the grass near the coffee shop.

“Normally Steve and I go as something together, like last year we were ketchup and mustard.” Robin scribbled in the margins of her book, annotating an excerpt that she thought she might reference in a paper later.

“Seriously?” Stacey chuckled, shaking her head. “What did Eddie dress as?”

“Probably a drug dealer.” Robin laughed, “Though he and Steve weren’t dating yet so I’m not too sure. I do remember seeing him at the party we went to though and he didn’t have a costume on so.” She shrugged, writing down another note.

Stacey looked over at her, “I’m going to be dressed as a nurse.”

Robin looked up from her book then, her cheeks flushing ever so slightly at the image. “Of course you are.”

“I don’t know what you mean.” Stacey feigned innocence, batting her lashes. “I just really admire all the hard work in the nursing field.”

“Right.” Robin shook her head, a grin spreading across her face. “It wouldn’t have anything to do with the opportunity to dress slutty.”

“Oh honey, it’s Halloween. The whole point is to look slutty in a pair of fishnets.”

“Fishnets huh?” Robin raised a brow, closing her book in her lap.

Stacey smirked, “What do you think Nancy’s going to dress up as?”

Robin frowned, “I have no idea.” Her brain immediately betrayed her in picturing her roommate in fishnets and felt a blush creeping up her neck.

“Did something happen between the two of you? You’ve been acting real squirrely whenever I bring her up now.” Stacey sat up, turning to her friend. “Not to mention you turn the color of a fucking stop sign.”

“Nothing happened.” Robin tried to toss aside the idea, but she could feel Stacey’s prying eyes on her.

“You fucked her didn’t you?”

“What? No!” Robin shook her head, grabbing for her book again to avert her gaze.

Stacey rolled her eyes, grabbing the book out of Robin’s hands, “You’re a terrible liar, Robs.”

Robin swallowed, all of the moisture in her mouth drying up. “Okay fine, but she jumped me!”
“I knew it!” Stacey grinned, bouncing up and down. “I knew you had it bad for the girl.”

“What part of Nancy jumped me don’t you understand?” Robin ran a hand over her face.

“Look at you, you’re flustered!” Stacey giggled, shaking her head in amazement.

“I am not.” Robin bit out, glaring at her friend.

“Like an angry little kitten.” The blonde laughed.

Robin groaned, “I don’t know what to do.”

“Uh, maybe fuck her again, cause clearly you-”

“She kissed me.” Robin cut her off.

Stacey’s brows raised, “Wait, was that your first kiss?”

Robin nodded, looking away and out towards the field where a group of students were kicking around a soccer ball. “She wanted to touch me too, but I got scared.”

“Whoa.” Stacey leaned back onto her hands. “That’s big, I didn’t think the priss had it in her.”

“I don’t want to get in too deep.” Robin said, biting her lip. “I don’t know how to move on from it. Every time I see her now all I want to do is fall to my knees.”

“Okay, that’s hot.” Stacey mulled it over, “So maybe just do that. Like, don’t be too eager, but if the girl wants to fuck you, let her. I deserve a break anyways.”

Robin gaped, shoving Stacey’s shoulder. “You’re a jerk.”

“You love me.”

“Yeah, I do.” Robin shook her head, “Against my own will even.”

“Ouch.” Stacey feigned hurt, “You get one pretty girl kissing you and it’s all over for the rest of us hoes, huh?”

Robin leaned back on her elbows, staring up at the clouds as they rolled lazily across the sky. “I wouldn’t go that far.”

“Okay Romeo, whatever you say.”

Robin rolled her eyes a final time, “You really are a pain in my ass, you know that?”
“At least I’m a cute pain in the ass.” Stacey chuckled, lowering herself back down beside her friend and passing back her book. “Just take it slow, she can only hold as much power as you let her.”

“You don’t know Nancy Wheeler, then.” Robin said with a sigh.

Robin practically ran to the parking lot to greet the boys when they arrived, barely allowing Steve to open the passenger side door before she was in his lap without a second to spare.

“Damn little bird!” Eddie laughed as he looked over at his boyfriend being suffocated by his best friend. “How the hell are you?”

“Rob, I can’t breathe.” Steve strangled out from beneath Robin’s deathgrip, his face pressed into her shoulder.

Robin loosened her arms around his neck, pulling back to look at him. “Sorry, I’m just so excited to see you, I missed you so much.”

“Hey, I’m starting to feel like the third wheel here.” Eddie said with an eye roll.

“Edward.” Robin held out her hand for him to shake, but before she could think twice about it, he was grabbing her by the arm and pulling her into his lap, her elbows flailing and honking the horn as she wrestled with him. “You goddamn animal.” She grumbled as he chuckled, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

“I missed you too, birdie.”

“Ugh, gross.” Robin groaned, wiping at her cheek with the sleeve of her shirt.

Steve just grinned at the two of them, his two most favorite people in the world were giving him front row seat entertainment. “So how’ve you been?”

Robin leaned over Eddie to open the driver’s side door before practically throwing herself out of it. That was enough physical affection for one day she thought, dropping to the pavement and looking back at the two men. “I don’t even know where to begin.”

Eddie and Steve raised their brows with intrigue, following her suit and getting out of the van and stretching their legs from the long drive.

“Well, you look good.” Eddie smiled as he slapped her on the arm. “Please tell me you’ve been wearing your rubbers I sent you, it was quite the struggle to find them, you know.”

Robin rolled her eyes, “Yes, I’ve been safe.”

Steve pulled open the van’s side door as the other two rounded the front of the van. “Now tell me this place is flooded with hot chicks that all know your name.”

Robin laughed, “Well, certainly some of them do.”

Steve fist bumped her, “Hell yeah.”

“Just wait until you meet Stacey tomorrow, your tongue is going to practically fall out of your head.” Robin helped grab a bag, practically folding in half at the weight of it. “Steve, is this all of your hair shit?”

“I’ll have you know, I’ve downsized my routine since Eddie and I started dating.”

“Then why in the fuck is it so heavy?”

“Hey, these curls don’t just take care of themselves, you know.” Eddie pushed in past her to grab the final bag.

“Ugh, not you too.” Robin sighed, “Eddie, blink twice if you need help.”

“What do I do if I want more?” Eddie asked with a cheeky grin, causing Robin to scrunch up her face in disgust.

Steve pushed her shoulder before shutting the van door, “Hey, our halloween costumes are in there too, you’re welcome by the way.”

Robin began to lead them back towards campus, looking over her shoulder. “I hope whatever it is isn’t going to kill my reputation.”

“I find it hard to believe you have one at all.” Steve chuckled, “I need a full recap of the first two months of college, and don’t leave out a single detail!” He added, pointing a finger.

Eddie leaned on her shoulder, “You can leave out a few.”

“Every. Single. Detail.” Steve said over him.

“I missed you guys.” Robin said with another laugh.

Nancy paced the dorm room, nerves causing her stomach to be in constant somersaults. She looked back over at the alarm clock, her nails digging into her forearm. In just a few short minutes her weekend would be in the company of her ex boyfriend and the metal head drug dealer from her hometown. The idea was nauseating to her when she thought too long about Robin and Steve possibly talking about what had happened between them. Would they fight because of her? Or would they laugh together about just how fucked up she was as a person?

She didn’t have too long to mull that last thought over in her head however, as she heard the approaching familiar voices on the other side of the door before it opened.

“Hey, Nance.” Steve greeted from behind Robin’s shoulder.

Nancy could feel her stomach bottoming out at the sight of Robin looking at her with disinterest.

“Hey, Steve.” She smiled, her eyes sliding from Robin to Steve, before finally landing on Eddie. “Hi, Eddie.”

Eddie winked at her and held out his hand to shake, “It’s a pleasure.”

Nancy watched Robin’s jaw tighten as Steve elbowed the taller boy, causing Eddie to grab at his stomach.

“We were just going to drop their stuff off and then I was going to show them around campus.” Robin said, dropping the small weekender bag she had on her shoulder onto the floor.

“Okay.” Nancy said, unsure of what else to say. She looked between the boys and Robin, biting her lip.

Robin avoided eye contact, turning away from Nancy and headed back towards the door. “See you later.” She threw back at her as she shut the door behind them.

Nancy felt stupid, like she could no longer function around the other girl, even for just a moment. Sighing out of frustration, she debated calling Jack and seeing what he and Guy were going to be up to the following night for Halloween. The two of them were bound to be doing something, and she needed a distraction. She didn’t want to try and sleep with them again, but she certainly wanted to get drunk and have a good time.
She tapped her fingers on the edge of her desk while she pondered what she was going to wear if she was going out to party, surely she didn’t want to be the only one that wasn’t dressed up. That was against everything Nancy Wheeler believed in, because Halloween had to be her favorite holiday ever since she was a little kid and dressed up as Princess Leia.

She decided it had to be something that was already in her closet with minor alterations that could be found at the campus shop. Taking note of everything she had, Nancy decided on a pair of black tights, a black mini skirt that she had bought in hopes to surprise Jonathan with once upon a time, and a black turtleneck. She would wear her black mary janes and a headband to bring the piece together. Now she just had to go to the shop and see if she could find some cardstock.

Robin got all of ten feet down the hallway from her dorm room when Eddie whirled around on her, “Okay, what the hell was that?”

Robin felt a flush in the hollow of her throat, “What the hell was what?”

Steve looked between the two, choosing to keep his mouth shut for the time being.

“I was freezing my ass off in there with the ice you were throwing Wheeler’s way.” Eddie said curiously, imitating his shoulders shaking.

“I barely said anything to Nancy.”

“Exactly, if I weren’t mistaken I’d say something happened between you two that was more than your routine bickering.”

Robin gaped, “You were in there all of two seconds! There’s no way you’re not just pulling this out of your ass.” She crossed her arms over her chest and pushed past him down the stairs, nearly slipping at what he said next.

“You two banged, didn’t you?” Eddie asked with a toothy grin.

Steve pulled at the taller man’s shoulder, “Eddie, leave her alone.”

“Oh I will babe, but not until after I know if I'm right or not.”

“You’re not right.” Robin lied with a huff.

Steve looked at her then with sympathy, “Ok, even I don’t buy that.”

“Steve, you’re supposed to be on my side.” Robin whined, turning away and taking the rest of the stairs two at a time. “Now can we get out of here before we cause traffic on the stairs? The whole dorm doesn’t need to know about me and Nancy.”

“So there is a you and Nancy?” Steve asked, too curious not to.

Robin gave him a warning look before pushing open the door to the outside, “I’m not talking about this.”

“Oh come on, if you’re not going to talk about your girl troubles with us, who are you going to talk about it with?” Steve asked then, following after her up the path away from the building.

“That would be me.” A voice said then, causing the three of them to turn in the direction of the newcomer.

Robin smirked then, waving a hand towards the tall blonde, “Boys, this is Stacey, the yoda to my Luke. Everything I know, I’ve learned from her.”

Steve’s jaw slightly opened at the woman before him, feeling Eddie bump into his shoulder. “Hey, there.” He recovered, holding out a hand. “I’m Steve, Robin’s best friend.”

Stacey looked down at his hand before taking it, gripping it in her own and giving him a firm shake. “Seems I’ve been moving in on your territory then there, Steve.”

Eddie chuckled, holding out his own hand after Steve finally pulled his back. “Edward Munson, small town devil and huge pothead at your service.”

Stacey giggled, “You’re much cuter than Robin described. Too bad you’re the gay one right?”

Eddie grinned, “Sorry to disappoint, but I’m happily attached to this boy wonder’s hip anyways.” He jutted a thumb at Steve who was still gawking unabashedly at Stacey’s legs.

Stacey smiled brightly at the two of them before turning her attention towards Robin. “Gonna show them around campus?”

Robin nodded her head, “If they let me get a word in edgewise, maybe.”

“Then you’ve already seen Nancy then, I’m assuming.” Stacey chuckled. “Let me guess, ex-boyfriend and pariah?” She pointed first at Steve and then Eddie.

“How’d you guess?” Eddie asked with a toothy grin.

Stacey smirked, “So how’d you wind up being bestfriends with the princess’s ex anyways?”

“Common interests?” Steve guessed.

“That and I was stuck with him for 6 hours a day for a whole summer.” Robin sighed, “He grew on me like a fungus.”

“Aw, I love you too Robs.” Steve laughed with a shove of her shoulder.

“Well, second times the charm huh?” Stacey winked at Robin before turning away, “Let’s grab a coffee first, I have to kick my afternoon fix.”

“I’m sorry, what did you just say, college hottie?” Eddie asked.

“Edward.” Robin warned through gritted teeth.

Steve’s face was growing more and more confused by the moment. “Second time?”

“You didn’t tell them?” Stacey asked, feigning stupidity like the pot stirrer that she was.

“Didn’t tell us what?” Steve asked at the same time Eddie cheered, “I am right!”

Robin ran a hand through her hair frustratingly, tugging at the ends. “No, I didn’t tell them because there’s nothing to say about it. It was a one off, it’s never going to happen again.”

Stacey nodded her head, “Right, well if you’re going to keep lying I’m going to need four shots of espresso.”

Robin scoffed, throwing her hands in the air, “Why am I being attacked here?”

“You’re not being attacked little bird, friends just don’t lie to friends though. We can help you if you want.” Eddie offered.

“Oh yeah, because that’s what I want. Nancy’s ex boyfriend and a gay man to help me figure out the mind fuck that is that woman.”

“I could help.” Stacey said with a shrug, “In fact I’ve offered to help you before. It’s not my fault you’re afraid I’m going to steal her away.”

“Nancy likes girls?” Steve asked bewildered, “Like actually?”

“I know she likes Robin.” Stacey chimed in.

“You don’t know that.” Robin clipped out.

“I know the way she has looked at you the few times I’ve seen her. Girl’s interested.” The blonde said as they were coming up on the coffee shop.

“Nancy isn’t obvious when she likes someone.” Steve turned to Robin, “So I could see why you might not be sure, she’s a tough cookie.”

“Oh, sweetie.” Stacey laughed, opening the door to the coffee shop and holding it open for them. “That’s like saying she doesn’t make any noise during sex.”

“She doesn’t.” Steve said, confused once more.

Stacey continued to laugh as Eddie pulled on Steve’s elbow, “Come on babe, it’s okay. I’ll buy you a hot chocolate.”

Robin chuckled then, “Thank you.” She said, turning to Stacey. “You’re trouble, but I love you.”

“Hey, save it for your roommate, I’m allergic to affection.” The taller girl said, letting the door close behind them.

“Stop writing this narrative that I’m attracted to Nancy.” Robin said in a hushed voice as she eyed the closing girl, Sam at the counter.

“But aren’t you? It’s not like you slipped inside of her.”

“I hate you.” Robin groaned.

“That’s not what you just said.” Stacey sing-songed. “Now what do you want for your troubles, I’m buying.”

Steve and Eddie set up their sleeping bags right next to each other on the floor as Robin got ready for bed. Nancy wasn’t home yet, an odd thing that Robin could only think had happened one other time. Her stomach pitched at the frustration and drunken stupor the girl had come back in and the web that began to weave after that. She sat in her desk chair facing the two of them, rubbing her hands on the front of her pajama pants.

“So where’s Nancy?” Eddie asked after a moment, leaning back against the wall.

“Do I look like her keeper?” Robin asked with an eye roll, looking to the empty bed and thinking how much more comfortable it would be to sit there. Her mind wandered to the last time she was on that mattress however and cleared her throat.

“No, but you want to be.” Eddie smirked, a continued joke he had yet to let go of since getting to the college earlier that afternoon.

“Fuck you.”

“Sorry, I’m not Nancy.” Eddie said, jutting a thumb towards the door, “I could go look for her though if that’s what you want.”

“God, you never shut up do you?”

“Hey, I may look like Jesus, but I promise I’m just a sick joke his father thought of.”

“Come on children, I’m off babysitting duty this weekend.” Steve said from his place beside his boyfriend, laying on his back and staring at the ceiling.

“Ah yes, letting loose as the kids say.” Eddie nodded seriously.

“Would you just pull the booze out already, I know you’re holding out on me, Munson.” Robin sighed.

Eddie feigned hurt, placing a hand over his heart, “Who me? I would never stand in between you and a good time.” He waggled his brows before rummaging through his bag, and pulling out a handle of the cheapest vodka Hawkins had to offer.

Robin leaned over and swiped the bottle from his hands, unscrewing the cap and immediately taking a swig.

“Hell yeah, I’ve missed you, Buckley. You always knew how to party.” Eddie said with admiration.

Steve held out his hand without sitting up, “Give it here, I need to lick my wounds.”

“Oh stop it, do you really care that you never got Nancy off before?” Eddie asked.

“Considering my best friend did and I didn’t?” Steve asked, “A little bit, yeah.”

“Do you want some tips, Stevie?” Robin asked with a chuckle.

“He’s already got mine, it’s all he needs right, babe?” Eddie giggled, taking the vodka out of his boyfriend’s hand and taking a sip.

“What I would really like is for you two to stop making fun of me. It’s bad enough Stacey, who is such a babe by the way, laughed at me.” Steve sulked.

“Something tells me you’re going to be okay, Dingus.” Robin said, leaning back in her chair.

Steve threw his pillow at her before swiping Eddie’s and placing it under his head. “Could you just feel sorry for me for just one second?”

“Hmm, let me think about that.” Robin pondered, tapping her chin with her finger, “High school jock with the best hair, pulling pretty girls left and right? Sorry I don’t think I have a single ounce of sympathy for you.”

“Hey, I think you’re pretty great. Girls suck anyways, they don’t know what they're missing.” Eddie pressed a kiss to the boy’s cheek.

“Oh god, do you think it was all of them?” Steve flipped the pillow so that it was over his face. “Did I even deserve the title as King?”

“I don’t know, maybe you should think about writing an apology letter in the Hawkins Post.” Robin snickered.

Steve groaned as the door to the room creaked open, causing the three of them to turn and stare as Nancy came in.

“Sorry, am I interrupting?” Nancy asked as she shut the door behind her.

“You live here too, so no.” Robin said bluntly.

“Come on in, Wheeler! We were just making fun of Steve’s facade as a lady killer, I’m sure you’d have something to say about that. Care to join us?” Eddie asked.

Nancy tried to keep her poker face, but the awkwardness brought on by the topic of conversation and whatever was happening between her and Robin, was causing it to slip. “I wouldn’t know what to say about that.” She said with a grimace.

Steve sat up, sliding his back up the wall to be shoulder to shoulder with the punk rocker. “Hi, Nance.” He greeted her again.

“Hi.” Nancy moved across the room, stepping over their sleeping bags to get to her desk and dropped her bag.

“Wouldst thou lady care to quench her thirst?” Eddie asked, holding out the bottle to her.

Nancy turned to face them, “I wouldn’t want to crash your party.”

“I heard Nancy Wheeler was the life of the party once upon a time, I can’t imagine you being able to crash one now.” Eddie egged her on.

Nancy looked over nervously at Robin who was making a point not to look at her, but instead staring at something that was most likely not even on her fingernails. “Okay.” She said, reaching for the liquor and taking a swig. What the hell, right? It’s like what Robin said, she lived here too, and if the three of them were drinking and having fun, there was no chance that she was going to be getting any sleep any time soon.

Robin looked up at her then, watching as Nancy tilted her head back to drink, her eyes skating down to her throat as she swallowed. She quickly looked away again before anyone could notice, before looking back and reaching out for the bottle. Nancy’s fingers grazed hers as she passed it over, their eyes meeting for just a moment before they both looked away.

“So should we play a game or just pass the bottle around like a bunch of alcoholics?” Eddie asked.

“What game would we play?” Steve asked.

“We could play truth or dare.”

“No.” Robin and Steve said in unison.

Eddie scoffed, “You guys act like just because I made you streak through an empty field one time I’m going to make you do that everytime, but I’ve got news for you. I’m not just some one trick pony.”

“The football field at Hawkins High is not just an empty field though, was it?” Steve asked knowingly.

“Besides, do we really want to take our chances?” Robin followed up, causing Nancy to snicker.

“Hey, it’s your loss.” Eddie said with a shrug, “You could’ve kissed Robin again and figured out that the two of you really are the fuzzy soulmates you two claim to be.”

“Soulmates?” Nancy asked as she kicked one leg over the other, getting situated on her desk chair.

“Yes, these two are practically Romeo and Juliet without the romance or the poison.” Eddie informed her.

“You two are that close?” Nancy asked, looking at Robin.

Robin shrugged, “He’s my best friend.”

Nancy nodded, looking over at Steve. “He’s a pretty great guy, so that makes sense.”

“Finally!” Steve waved a hand at the curly haired girl, “That’s the first nice thing anyone’s said about me all day.”

“Please, your head’s big enough already.” Robin rolled her eyes and took another swig before passing it to him.

Steve shook his head, “Nothing but critics.” He threw his head back and squinted his eyes shut as the liquor assaulted his taste buds.

“What about never have I ever?” Eddie asked, “That’s a safe choice.”

Robin scoffed, “Not if you’re playing it’s not.”

“You’re awfully hostile today little bird, is anything the matter?” Eddie asked.

Nancy looked between the two, trying not to let her gaze linger for too long on either of them.

Robin shook her head before reaching into her desk for the sleeve of plastic cups, “You want to play, let’s play punk.”

Eddie grinned, filling up four cups and passing them around before handing the last one to Nancy, “Lady’s first.”

“Oh, me?” Nancy awkwardly took the cup from him, nerves tickling her insides like spiders.

“Well, Robin’s certainly not a lady.” Steve said, just barely avoiding Robin’s swinging foot.

“Well, I don’t think I’ve ever played this game.” Nancy lied, she had played a number of times in high school, mostly with Barb.

“I’ll go first.” Steve said, taking the attention off of her. Something he had always done in the past that she had been grateful for. “Never have I ever slept with my socks on.”

Robin rolled her eyes as she took a sip, Nancy and Eddie following suit.

“Never have I ever flossed my teeth.” Eddie said.

“Ew.” Robin grimaced, taking a sip. Steve shook his head as he and Nancy also took a drink.

“Never have I ever watched porn.” Robin offered up.

“Nancy Wheeler!” Eddie yelled as he and her drank in unison, followed up by Steve.

Nancy wiped at her mouth, feeling her cheeks burning.

“Color me impressed.” Robin said in shock.

Steve laughed, “Should I tell them why?”

Nancy shook her head, “By asking that question you kind of already gave it away.”

“Oh, do tell more Stephen.” Eddie leaned forward with his chin in his hand.

“Never have I ever had a one night stand.” Nancy blurted out before Steve could say anything else. She watched as everyone else took a drink.

A few more rounds went by as the group started to really loosen up, a third of the bottle already gone.

“I think we should slow down.” Steve said, rubbing his temple.

“Are either of you two weirdos going to sit on the bed?” Eddie asked, ignoring his boyfriend.

Nancy looked up from where she was pulling at a thread in her tights. “What?”

“The bed just looks an awful lot more comfortable than those campus issued chairs.” Eddie reasoned.

Nancy tried not to notice the hole Robin was surely trying to burn into the side of Eddie’s face. “You can sit on it if you want, the floor’s probably way worse.”

“Well, thank you my lady.” Eddie slowly stumbled to his feet, leaving Steve in the dust. “Don’t mind if I do.”

“Who’s turn is it?” Robin asked.

“ ‘S mine.” Eddie slurred, flopping onto Nancy’s bed and nearly banging his head on the frame and spilling vodka all over himself. “I didn’t get any on the bed I promise.” He quickly said to Nancy.

Nancy giggled, “It’s okay, at least it’s clear.”

Eddie winked at her, “Never have I ever kissed a girl.”

“You fucker, you say that every time we play this stupid game.” Robin groaned, taking a heavy swig.

“It’s how I always win the game.” The curly haired man quipped.

Nancy nervously looked at Steve and Eddie before taking a quick sip, not missing Robin’s heavy stare.

“Fine, never have I ever kissed a guy.” Robin bit back, turning to look at Steve and pointed a finger. “A dare doesn’t count.”

Everyone else took a drink.

“I don’t want to play anymore, ‘m sleepy.” Steve whined from where he lay on the pile of sleeping bags.

Time began to slow down as more and more space filled up between turns, the air in the room growing heavy. Steve was soon snoring, Eddie barely hanging on from where he had curled up with Nancy’s stuffed bunny, the empty cup clattering to the floor.

Nancy grew more interested in the cinderblock walls, counting exactly how many bricks were in the wall across from her.

“You can sleep in my bed if you want.” Robin’s voice broke through the quiet, both boy’s soft breathing muffling the silence.

Nancy flicked her eyes over towards her roommate, taking in just how not tired Robin looked. “I can’t take your bed, where are you going to sleep?” She asked, feeling like the room was slowly rocking like they were on a boat.

Robin shrugged, “Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve slept on the floor with Steve.”

Nancy scrunched up her nose, “Gross.”

Robin chuckled, “He snores so loud.” Looking at the sleeping man with annoyance.

Nancy smiled, “So do you.”

Robin looked back at her, “I don’t snore.”

“Okay.” Nancy smiled even wider. A moment passed where the two girls were just looking at each other, and then trying not to all at the same time.

“At least share the bed with me.” Nancy said before she could think it over in her head. What was she saying? She would blame it all on the vodka if Robin asked, which it was, wasn’t it?

“Can’t do that.” Robin shook her head.

“Why not?” Nancy found herself asking, waiting with baited breath for the answer.

“Just can’t.” Robin said with a deep breath, sucking in until her chest felt like it was going to give out. “Don’t trust myself.”

Nancy felt the air knocked out of her as a heat grew in her stomach. Nothing would happen with the two boys in the room, right? What if one of them woke up? Would they use the excuse that they were in college and stuff like this happened all the time? Except it didn’t, because this was Robin. Nancy swallowed, her throat dry as she turned and grabbed the water bottle off of her desk and drank.

Nancy knew that they were both drunk, the half empty handle of vodka on the floor next to Robin’s foot more than enough proof. Whatever they said now couldn’t be held against them, she wouldn’t let it. “I trust you.” She said finally, calling across the room for Robin’s attention.

Robin leaned back in her chair, wiping her hands on her pants. “Are you sure?” She asked, “I don’t mind sleeping on the floor.”

Nancy took a breath, “I want you to.” Such a small statement she would never take back if given the chance. This was for them right now at this moment, they would forget about it in the morning, they had to. Nancy stood to her feet first, having already switched into pajamas during a bathroom break hours ago.

Robin watched her as she climbed up onto the top bunk and shimmied in against the wall, laying down and waiting. Nancy stared at the stars on the ceiling as the light in the room flicked out and they began to glow. Her heart warmed at the image, knowing that they were a piece of Robin that she couldn’t hide from her. She listened to Robin make her way across the room, a shuffle of fabric as she assumed she was covering Steve with a blanket, before the creak of the bed’s frame announced her ascending.

Robin crawled her way in beside Nancy, awkwardly making a failed attempt at not touching as she laid down next to her. The smell of alcohol and lavender overwhelmed Nancy’s senses as she continued to stare at the stars, trying not to focus too hard on their touching shoulders.

“I like to sleep on my left side.” Robin whispered, her voice shaking.

“Me too.” Nancy said softly.

“Okay.” Robin said before turning away from her at the same time Nancy rolled over, her back facing the shorter girl’s front.

Nancy didn’t know what to do with her hands, holding them in front of her so that her knuckles were brushing Robin’s back and feeling the bra strap beneath her shirt. She wouldn’t sleep a wink that night.

“Can I ask you something?” Nancy asked after a moment, noticing just how shallow the other girl’s breaths were. When Robin didn’t answer, she pushed forward, “Why did you run away?”

Robin took a deep breath out, her shoulders shivering beneath Nancy’s stare. “I thought that’s what you would want me to do.”

Nancy’s brows raised in surprise, unsure of what to say she let it sit between them, the truth suffocating them both.

Robin barely slept at all, afraid to move under the arm that had curled itself over her side at some point in the night. Nancy’s slow breaths tickled the back of her neck as she stared out into the dark room, listening for any sounds that might come from either boy. Nobody could know about this, no one. At any point when she felt like her eyelids began to droop, she would pinch herself just begging for the light of dawn to begin peaking through the blinds.

Eddie tossed and turned like a mad man beneath them, rocking the bed every now and again as Robin felt her drunken stupor wear off of her and she became more and more aware of the mistake she was currently laying in. Why would Nancy want to sleep with her? It would’ve been more inviting for her to have slept beside Steve on the floor; Robin would’ve rather slept on the floor with Steve.

She looked down over the edge of the bed at her best friend who laid on the floor like a dead man, one snore being so loud she wondered if he was developing sleep apnea. She debated getting up, slipping out from beneath Nancy’s grip and trying to get some sleep on the couch in the common area. It wouldn’t be the first time she had done it, she thought as the memories of Nancy’s venom coated words had flung themselves at her face on more than one occasion.

She couldn’t like this girl that slept beside her, she would only get hurt, she knew this. She knew it like it was fact, like it was being printed onto the front page of the newspaper at this very moment. Robin Buckley couldn’t fall for a girl like Nancy Wheeler, she wouldn’t let herself. She wouldn’t have a repeat of the spring when she bared her heart and soul to a woman who refused to care for it. She couldn’t be another experiment for a girl that devastated her with just one look.

Robin refused to be used again, just like she refused to fall for Nancy’s drunken words and timid gaze. She slipped out from beneath Nancy’s touch, ignoring the shorter girl’s sleepy groan and searching hand as she climbed down from the top bunk and landed quietly back on the hard tile floor. Just how Steve was sleeping so soundly was a mystery to her as she grabbed the knit blanket off of the foot of Nancy’s bed that Eddie surprisingly hadn’t stolen already, and slipped noiselessly out of the room and down the hall.

As she laid down, turning onto her right side into the back of the couch she allowed the quiet moment away from any prying eyes to breathe in deeply. Greedily she drew in breath after breath of the rose scented blanket, allowing herself to finally fall asleep in peace where no one could judge her for how trapped she felt.

Chapter Text

October 1985

“Okay, okay.” Eddie chuckled, “Gun to your head, who do you sleep with, Farah Fawcett or Rob Lowe?”

“Oh, easy. Farah’s the reason for these luscious locks!” Steve said with a chuckle, “Give me an actual hard one.”

“Oh you want hard huh?” Eddie asked teasingly.

“Good morning!” Nancy called down to them as her eyes snapped open at the change in tone. “Where’s Robin?” She asked when she rolled over to look out at the room to find just the two boys there.

“She’s not up there with you?” Eddie asked, a lilt of humor in his voice that wasn’t lost on her.

“She said she was going to sleep on the floor with Steve.” Nancy lied, knowing fully well that their sleeping arrangements last night should be kept a secret. She just knew that Robin wouldn’t want anyone to know, and she wasn’t so sure she did either.

“Well, if she did she was gone before we woke up.” Steve said, running a hand through his bed head.

Nancy sat up, inching her way down to the foot of the bed to climb over. “Maybe she went to get coffee.” She thought aloud as she hopped down onto the floor.

Both boys shrugged from where they were on the floor. “I don’t know, but caffeine is a definite need right now. I need that shit shot right into my bloodstream after last night.” Eddie said with a chuckle, nudging the bottle with his foot. “We put a huge dent in this baby.”

Steve nodded, holding his head. “Do you have Advil?”

Nancy nodded, reaching into her desk for the all too familiar bottle, taking two for herself before passing it over.

“So are you going to the party tonight?” Steve asked after taking a sip of water to swallow the pills he had popped, looking up at Nancy with his fringe falling into his eyes. It made her think of years ago when she would’ve given anything to push it back out of his face.

“Yeah, but it probably won’t be the same one Robin’s taking you guys too. Normally she hangs out with Stacey.” She said, the blonde’s name bitter tasting in her mouth.

Steve smiled, “Yeah we met her yesterday, she seems great.”

You mean pretty, Nancy thought. Well, obviously more than pretty. It sure seemed that Robin felt that way about the other girl too. She forced a smile, fighting the urge to turn it into a grimace. “It’s just not my scene.”

“What is your scene then?” Eddie asked, tilting his head ever so slightly as if to call her bluff.

“Quieter I guess?” She thought back to that first party she and Robin had gone to and just how much she had to be scraped off of the floor by the end of the night. Her heart clenched at the memory of her using the taller girl as a crutch the whole way back to their dorm room. “With less frat boys and beer pong.”

“Well, while you’re sniffing brandy out of a glass, I’ll be having my all american college experience thank you very much.” Eddie said with a sigh, looking off wistfully past her shoulder.

“And I love that for you.” Nancy chuckled, sitting on the edge of her bed. She wasn’t sure what she should do now that Robin wasn’t here and the two boys were. Was she supposed to entertain them? Thankfully she didn’t have to think about it long before the door to the room was opening and Robin was walking in with a tray of coffee cups and a paper bag tucked under her elbow. Nancy looked her over, taking notice of the bags under her eyes and her slightly messy hair. By the looks of it, it didn’t look like Robin had slept a wink at all last night.

“Morning losers, I bring sustenance and fuel.” She greeted as she pushed back into the door to shut it.

“You’re a beautiful woman, birdie.” Eddie greeted as he quickly stood to his feet and made his way across the room to relieve her of two coffee cups, spinning around to give one to Steve.

Nancy watched the small exchange before allowing her eyes to slip back towards her roommate, her tongue like cotton in her mouth. She hadn’t been drunk enough to forget what had happened the night before, the soft fabric of Robin’s sleep shirt pressed into her knuckles. What she wouldn’t give to untuck that same shirt from the waistband of the taller girl’s pajama pants now, and smooth her hands up her soft stomach just to see what it was like.

Robin tossed the paper bag at the boys before setting the remaining coffee cups down on her dresser, pulling one of them free from its cardboard carrier. She made her way over to Nancy, a half smile pulling at the corners of her lips and pushed the cup into Nancy’s hand. It felt like a white flag being waved if there ever was one, though she wished there wasn’t a need for anymore surrendering.

“Thank you.” Nancy said to her, catching the small blush that rushed to paint the tops of Robin’s cheeks.

Robin nodded, her eyes making a quick sweep away from her and back towards where she had left her own cup on her dresser. She made her way over to it, almost as if she couldn’t get away from Nancy fast enough.

Nancy held the hot cup close to her face, letting it warm her hands as she breathed in the freshly ground coffee beans and the slight hint of sweetness, just the way she liked it. “So what are you guys dressing up as?” She asked the room, looking back over to the boys so as to not show favoritism towards Robin with Eddie’s curious eyes staring right at her.

“Steve picked out our costumes so I have no idea.” Robin said after a sip of her coffee, her sigh echoing her answer.

“It’s a surprise.” Steve said with a wide smile.

“That’s because you know birdie will object if she has time to come up with something else to wear.” Eddie said with a low chuckle, leaning over and unscrewing the cap of the vodka.

“I don’t know, the ketchup and mustard ones from last year had to top the chart of stupid.” Robin said before rolling her eyes, “Eddie, seriously?”

Eddie looked up at her, tipping the bottle towards his opened coffee cup. “What, surely a college student of your stature has heard of the ol’ hair of the dog trick?”

“I know when someone is still hammered.” Robin laughed.

“Oh please, I don't get inebriated.” Eddie said with an eye roll of his own before spiking his coffee and taking a sip.

“You truly are a wonder of the world.” Robin said in mock amazement as she shook her head.

“The eighth one the last time I checked.” Steve grinned.

“Okay gross, now give me my bagel.” Robin dropped down onto the sleeping bags and grabbed the paper bag from them to retrieve her breakfast.

Nancy chuckled at their antics as she sat on her bed watching them, drawing Steve’s attention back towards her. “What are you dressing up as?”

Nancy looked at the bag she had left on her desk from the night before, reminded that she still had to put the final touches on her costume. “It’s a surprise.”

“Well, well, well.” The voice rang down the phone line, the chuckle warm in Nancy’s ear. “Now what do I owe the pleasure to the woman who bruised my roommate’s heart?”

“Bruised?” Nancy asked, a slight guilt filling her chest.

Jack’s warm chuckle cooled her panic, “Okay, maybe not bruised, but I most certainly heard about how you left them high and dry over a paper that you had to finish.”

Nancy rolled her eyes, leaning into the wall next to the payphone, “Will they ever forgive me?”

“Hmm, Guy might not but I think I’d be inclined to.”

“Oh yeah?” Nancy laughed, “Well perhaps I could start by taking you two out tonight to celebrate the holiday.”

“Nancy Wheeler, are you asking my roommate and I on a date?” Jack’s tone was definitely flirty and it made the girl’s pulse spike.

“As friends, if that’s okay?” She asked, her mind unable to take on anymore at the moment. She was still thinking about long legs and soft lips. Lips she has been dying to kiss all week.

“And the bruising continues.” Jack chuckled.

“Something tells me you’ll be okay.” Nancy smirked into the phone, “I’m sure there’ll be hot girls by the plenty at whatever party we go to tonight.”

“Well you don’t have to twist my arm, I’m in.” Jack said, “And I’m sure I can convince Guy to show their face tonight as well.”

Nancy smiled, “Good.”

Nancy spent the rest of the day getting the final touches on her costume completed. She hadn’t seen Robin and the boys since that morning, saying they were heading out to go help set up the sorority house for the party that night and not to wait up.

Nancy kept finding herself thinking of Robin, even now as she finished touching up her makeup in the mirror on the back of the door. She was slowly brewing a plan for the evening, giving the dirty blonde a taste of her own medicine and leaving her high and dry just like she had done to her earlier in the week. She gave herself another once over, a thrill running through her stomach at the idea of Robin seeing her like this. She shook out a shaky breath, hoping that her nerves wouldn’t get the best of her.

“Well, meow.” Jack greeted when Nancy opened the door to the soft knocking after seven o’clock.

“Do you like it?” Nancy asked, looking down at herself before doing a little twirl. She wasn’t used to dressing so maturely, the mini skirt being enough to make her want to cover herself up, however after the looks she was currently receiving, it was enough to spur on her newfound courage.

“Are you sure we have to be friends tonight?” Jack pouted, his eyes trailing down the entirety of her frame.

“Yes.” Nancy giggled, noticing Guy standing behind their roommate in the hallway. “Hi, Guy.”

“Nancy, you look great.” Guy smiled, their stubble nicely trimmed and hair slicked back. They wore a black cape and plastic fangs, a pseudo Dracula no doubt.

“And you are?” She asked Jack who was less obviously dressed. He was nicely wrapped in a tweed vest and scarlett puff tie, a trench coat hanging off of his shoulders. He tipped his wide brimmed hat towards her, “Abraham Van Helsing at your service.”

Nancy smirked, “A couple’s costume, that’s cute.”

“Are you ready to go?” Jack asked.

“Yeah, let me just turn off the light.” Nancy stepped back into the room, returning a moment later pushing her curls back beneath the headband that she had fastened cat ears to.

“Which party are we headed to?” Guy asked as they held out their arm for Nancy to loop through, a courteous gesture she didn’t feel the need to read into.

Nancy had debated it all afternoon on just where exactly they would go. She wished that she could go anywhere else, but something kept pulling her back to the what if. “I was thinking of the Alpha Epsilon Phi party.”

“Oooh, sorority girls huh?” Jack waggled his brows, “Any particular reason we’ll be joining the beer keg scene tonight?”

“There’s someone I want to see.” Nancy said, pulling them along down the hallway and down the stairs.

“Would you stop pulling, I’m trying to tie up this end and I can’t if you keep fucking jerking it around.” Robin growled as she stood on her tiptoes trying to hang up a banner.

“I’m about to jerk you around in a minute.” Steve said snarkily, tugging on the banner for measure.

“Eddie! Come get your boyfriend before I put him through the wall.”

“Now, children, play nice.” Eddie sighed from where he was tapping a keg. He looked over to Stacey who was stocking the mixers on the counter. “Is this what it’s like to be a babysitter?”

“Fuck if I know, I’m usually the one being babysat.” Stacey said over her shoulder.

“I knew I liked you.” Eddie chuckled.

“Take a number babe, you’ll be waiting a while.”

“And just like that my heart grew two sizes.”

“Are you sure it’s your heart?”

“Steve, I’m questioning everything over here as we speak!”

“Sounds like something I want in on, sorry Robs.” Steve dropped his side of the banner, heading into the kitchen. “I was doing it wrong anyways.”

Robin groaned, the banner nearly slipping from her fingers. “Fucking asshole.”

“Would you just relax?” Stacey came up behind her, a drink in hand. She ran a reassuring hand up the other girl’s side before leaning in, her lips just a breath away from Robin’s ear. “This is supposed to be fun.” She slipped the cup into the dirty blonde’s hand, taking the banner from her and taping it to the door frame with ease.

“Is there anything you can’t do?” Robin asked her, looking down into her cup before taking a much needed drink.

“I’m a jack of all trades.” Stacey smirked, taping up the other end before turning to her. “Seriously, are you okay?” She looked over to where Steve and Eddie were undoubtedly flirting in the kitchen. “I thought you were excited to see your friends.”

“It’s Nancy, I can’t get her out of my head.” Robin sighed, taking another drink. It was true, things were getting harder and harder to ignore with her roommate. The lines blur more and more each day.

“Well then it’s time to nut up, Buckley.” Stacey smacked her on the arm, causing the bright red vodka cran to slosh in Robin’s cup. “Haven’t I taught you anything? She’s just another chick, you can handle it.”

“But what if my emotions get in the way?” Robin asked, her voice a hushed whisper.

Stacey chuckled, “Well I think it’s too late for that, don’t you think?”

Nancy could feel a lump in her throat forming as she stepped over the threshold into the Alpha Epsilon Phi house, the loud thump of the music drowning out her thoughts for just a moment as she tried to catch her bearings. The last time she had been here Robin had left her alone with a group of guys that didn’t seem the type to listen when a girl said no. Nancy didn’t hold it against her roommate of course considering she was alone when she had left.

“You alright?” Guy’s comforting voice came close to her ear, causing her to turn into him.

“Just need a drink and I’ll be okay.” She said, looking into chocolate brown irises.

“Sure thing.” Guy said with a smile, pulling her towards the kitchen with Jack close on their heels.

Nancy slipped her arm out of Guy’s as she made a beeline for the keg, not wanting to trust the open bottles of liquor that were just sitting on the counter.

“So who did you want to see here?” Jack asked as she took a deep drink from her cup, causing her to nearly choke.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” She asked.

“Well I just think that if we’re going to be accessories to a crime, we should probably know ahead of time.” Jack grinned, pouring himself a beer.

“What kind of girl do you take me for?” Nancy gasped, a hand on her chest.

“A fun one.”

Nancy pursed her lips, ready to que up for the next line of banter when something in her peripheral caught her eye. She turned to see what the flash of red was attached to when she felt her stomach lurch forward.

Robin had walked past the doorway, annoyingly fidgeting with the devil horns that were atop her head, a pitchfork practically being dragged behind her. Her hair was messily curled, as if someone had tried and failed to style it for her.

“Caught a live one huh?” Jack asked from over her shoulder, his eyes following her line of sight.

“Not yet.” She said, her voice a tad shaky.

“Isn’t that your roommate?” He asked, head cocking ever so slightly to the side.

“I didn’t know you swung both ways.” Guy said.

“I’m not sure what I am.” Nancy said frustratingly, “I just know what I like.”

“Hey, that’s fair. You’re certainly not going to get any judgement from us.” Guy said with their hands raised.

“Yeah, I mean we like to share so we have no room to judge.” Jack chuckled.

Nancy chewed on her thumbnail, dragging her eyes away from her roommate and back towards her friends, leaning on to the doorframe. “I’m just a little nervous I guess.” She said, “I mean I am certainly not new to the whole making the first move thing, but I definitely don’t even know where to start with girls.”

“Well girls are certainly a whole ‘nother beast that’s for sure.” Jack chuckled, “Guys are so much easier.”

“Oh, definitely.” Guy echoed him.

Nancy laughed, looking between the two of them. “Yeah, no kidding. I certainly have no issue hooking boys' attention.”

“I wouldn’t sell yourself short there Nancy, looks like you’re having no trouble at all on that front.” Jack nodded in Robin’s direction.

Nancy whipped her head towards where she had last seen the taller girl slouched against the wall and stifled a laugh as Robin whipped her head in the other direction as if caught with her hand in the cookie jar. She certainly had been looking that was for sure, Nancy thought as she wiggled her fingers in a wave at Steve who was still staring at her with his tongue damn near hanging from his mouth. He certainly had never seen her dressed like she was now, and a sort of pride warmed her chest because she was finally outgrowing the shy little girl she used to be. Maybe this was her chance to prove to herself that she could be brave.

“Do you have a smoke?” Nancy asked, turning to Jack.

“Always, you need one?” He asked, reaching into his coat pocket for his carton of cigarettes, popping the lid and holding it out to her.

Nancy carefully pulled one from the pack, rolling it between her fingers before pushing off of the door frame and finishing her beer. “An opener if you will.”

“Holy shit.” Steve’s jaw dropped, his gaze falling away from Robin as he looked out towards the kitchen.

Robin followed his stare, her stomach damn near bottoming out at what she saw. Her brain switched to static, no longer being able to think straight as she took in Nancy’s costume. Even Stacey didn’t hold a candle to what she was seeing now, and the blonde was always gorgeous. Robin’s eyes raked over Nancy’s legs, black stockings wrapped tightly to just above the knee, milky white skin on display before disappearing beneath a black miniskirt she had no idea the other girl owned.

“Holy shit indeed.” Stacey’s voice echoed Steve’s, leaning into Robin’s shoulder so that only the dirty blonde could hear her. “Are you going to do something about it, or am I?”

Robin felt a spike of jealousy run through her, knowing Stacey was only half joking. She tried to blow it off, “It’s halloween, of course she’s dressed up.”

“Like a sex kitten.” Stacey said, licking her lips and pointing at her own head to emphasize the cat ears that were poking out of Nancy’s curls.

Robin rolled her eyes, unable to take them off of Nancy who was across the room laughing with Jack and who she could only assume was Guy. A fire ignited in her stomach. She watched as Nancy pulled a cigarette from Jack’s hand before slipping out of the back door. “I’m going to get another drink.” She said, pushing off of the wall she had been hugging and started making her way through the clusters of people to get to the kitchen. She had to get her shit together, slipping past a roaring table of beer pong.

“Hey, you’re Robin, right?” Jack asked, the big stupid hat he was wearing shadowing his face as she stepped past him to where the island of booze was.

“We’ve met.” She clipped out, not even bothering to look up from where she was mixing herself another drink.

“I thought you looked familiar.” He said, wrapping his arm around his friend. “This is my roommate, Guy.” He introduced them.

“Ah yes, I’ve heard you two make quite the tag team.” Robin snarked, tossing back her cup before refilling it.

Jack’s smile didn’t waver much to her chagrin as he let the remark roll right off of his shoulders. “Nancy’s outside if you wanted to say hi to her, I know she was looking for you.”

“Oh, yeah?” Robin asked, brow raised.

Guy looked between them, not seeming to be as happy as their roommate. Robin wondered why, as she thought to the hickies that had been on Nancy’s neck before they had slept together. One of the people in front of her was no doubt the creator behind those bruises, she couldn't help but want to know which one of them it was. She wanted to tell them she knew, that they shared a moment and they didn’t even know it, and that she eased Nancy’s problems that they caused. She wanted to leave marks on the girl next time for them to find, to show them how it was really done.

“I’ve probably said too much already.” Jack chuckled, “Enjoy your night.” He tipped his hat, causing Robin to find him even more irritating, raising her cup to them as they turned to leave.

Robin waited a moment, tapping her fingers on the counter as she finished off her drink once more, before pitching the empty cup into the trash. She didn’t want to be drunk tonight, but she certainly needed the liquid courage to do what she did next.

Robin turned back towards her friends to find Stacey missing and Steve and Eddie full on making out against the wall, not unlike others that were already beginning to pair up for the evening. She shook her head, they wouldn’t miss her one bit, so she took in a deep breath and pushed through the back door.

Robin found Nancy sitting huddled on the back porch step, the glowing ember of the lit cigarette in between her teeth. She looked so small in that moment, unlike all the times before where Robin felt like Nancy stood taller than herself. She leaned against the railing, looking out towards the street lamps that danced across the pathways of the campus.

“Fancy running into you here.” Nancy’s voice rolled over her shoulders like a tidal wave.

Robin didn’t answer her at first, continuing to stare out into the night, mindlessly spinning her rings.

“I like your costume, it’s fitting.” Nancy tried again, ignoring the butterflies in her stomach as she flicked ash off of the end of her cigarette.

Robin snorted, “I thought frat parties weren’t your scene, Wheeler?” She turned to face the shorter girl, her eyes searching the soft glow of her face.

Nancy shrugged, “I changed my mind.” Her eyes raked over the entirety of the taller girl, the tension between them had only been building for weeks and now it was at an all time high knowing what they knew now about the other. She was tired of waiting for Robin to make a move. Hell, she wasn’t even sure the girl was capable of making one.

“Oh yeah, why the change of heart?” She asked, testing Nancy. She too had had enough, or maybe the real issue wasn’t that she hadn’t had enough. Of course she had been wanting more of Nancy ever since that line was crossed, she’d be crazy not to.

Nancy took in the entirety of Robin’s costume, though there wasn’t much to it. She smiled at the bright red devil horns on her head, a pitchfork propped against the railing next to her. The rest of Robin’s outfit was definitely desirable however, her snug black jeans leading up to a bare expanse of stomach before a black crop top long sleeve shirt finished the look. She swallowed hard, willing her tongue to move. “You look really good.”

Robin’s eyes matched Nancy’s curiosity, eyes skating over the curly haired girl's turtleneck that was hiding the majority of her neck. “Don’t tease me.” She whispered.

Nancy felt a spark ignite, wanting to do just that. The girl’s intoxicating stare spurring her on and giving her more courage to keep flirting. “I thought you liked it.”

Robin’s eyes grew darker as they met her own, “Maybe too much.” She chanced a glimpse of the truth.

Nancy took a long pull off of her cigarette before stubbing it out at her feet, the motion hiding the shake of her hand. Letting the smoke slip out from between her lips, she looked up through her lashes at Robin who was unabashedly staring for the first time ever. It was jarring, Nancy thought as she found herself unable to look away.

“There’s a room upstairs.” Robin drew out, voice unsure, as if she was afraid she was misreading things. If she kept it casual, she could ignore the underlying vibration that was humming between them.

“I’m not fucking you in Stacey’s room.” Nancy shook her head, a venom dripping from her tongue just as a blush pinkened her cheeks.

Robin spluttered, “Oh, you’re going to fuck me?”

“I was thinking about it.” Nancy smirked, slowly standing to her feet. “Don’t think I will?” She followed up, a brow raised.

Robin crossed her arms over her chest, “Wouldn’t be the first time you were all bark and no bite.”

“Believe me, this isn’t an empty promise.” Nancy said slowly, taking a tentative step towards her roommate. She looked around at the surprisingly empty yard, “I’ll prove it to you right here if you want me to.” Nancy had no idea what had gotten her so brazen, but she kind of liked it, this part of her that Jonathan had always pushed aside when she tried to let it out.

Robin took a shaky breath, bottom lip tucked between her teeth. “Now, I know you’re bluffing.”

Nancy closed the space between them, walking Robin backwards into the dark corner of the porch past the back door. If anyone were to come out, they’d hear them before they saw them. Slowly reaching her hand out, Nancy wrapped her fingers around the taller girl’s hand and pulled her wrist to her lips, pressing a kiss to her pulse point, lingering long enough to drag her lips down into her palm, kissing her again. Looking up through her lashes, she dragged her bottom lip towards Robin’s thumb, her tongue poking out ever so slightly before dragging her teeth over it.

Robin gasped as Nancy pulled her thumb into her mouth, wrapping her lips around it and sucking. A quiet moan ripped from her throat faster than she could stifle it, spurring on the shorter girl as she dropped to her knees in front of Robin.

“Nancy.” Robin warned her.

“Robin.” Nancy whispered, letting the girl’s thumb pop from her mouth with a small bit of drool connecting them before it broke.

“What are you doing?” Robin asked in disbelief.

“What are you letting me do?” Nancy countered.

Robin’s mouth was so dry, she could’ve sworn she had swallowed cotton balls. She fought every urge to talk through the moment, buttoning her mouth shut as she watched Nancy’s fingers fumble with her belt buckle. “I’ve been thinking about this ever since you ran out of the room on Monday.” Nancy said, surprising Robin in how much she wanted to talk.

“Have you been thinking about me?” Robin chanced, staring out into the dark, afraid to look at Nancy.

Nancy popped the button on her jeans and pulled the zipper down, breath hot on the skin right below her navel. She looked up at Robin, lips bright red from her lipstick. “I just wanted to return the favor.” She said before pressing a kiss to the skin that touched the waistband of her underwear.

Robin thought Nancy might be glossing over the real reason, but who was she to look a gift horse in the mouth? Quite literally, she thought as her eyes fluttered shut for just a moment as Nancy slipped her jeans down her thighs ever so slowly, her knuckles brushing over the front of Robin’s briefs.

Nancy’s breath caught in her throat, her pink tongue poking out to wet her lips. She hooked her fingers in the waistband of Robin’s underwear, looking up at the taller girl for permission before pulling them down to where her jeans stopped around her knees.

Every nerve in Robin’s body was on edge, the devil horns sliding as she tipped her head back against the siding of the house at the first touch of Nancy’s fingers as she ran them through the trimmed hair between her thighs.

“So pretty.” Nancy whispered, leaning forward to watch her own fingers slide through Robin’s lips. “So wet.”

“Are you going to do something about it, or just narrate the whole time?” Robin’s voice shook.

Nancy smirked, pressing a kiss to the mound of hair in front of her. “Are you going to shut me up?”

Robin’s hands wove their way into the back of Nancy’s curls, tugging on the nape of her neck and pushing her forward into her. Nancy gasped, surprised before she groaned at the taste that met her tongue as she touched Robin for the first time.

“Holy shit.” Robin bit out, eyes fighting the urge to roll into the back of her head. Other than Stacey, this was the first time any girl had touched her, much less gone down on her. It was a special moment that Nancy didn’t need to know about, not right now anyways.

Nancy leaned further into Robin, her hands snaking around the other girl’s thighs to open her more as she slipped her tongue inside of her. Never in a million years could Nancy have ever pictured this, mirroring the things that had been done to her in the past that she liked. By the sounds that were hitching in the back of Robin’s throat, she wasn’t doing a half bad job of it.

Robin’s nails dug further into Nancy’s hair, scratching her scalp as she felt the familiar ache in the pit of her stomach. The girl’s tongue circled her clit with precision as that ache mounted into more. Robin Buckley finally understood what praying was like, and it was Nancy Wheeler on her knees.

Nancy looked up at Robin through her lashes, smirking into her before letting her teeth scrape ever so slightly over the girl’s clit, causing the taller girl to shake in her hands as she squeezed Robin’s ass, pulling her even closer. She was definitely getting a power trip over this, feeling her own panties soaking through as she worked Robin over, feeling her open up around her tongue before clenching down on her.

“Gonna cum.” Robin groaned, warning her as she felt herself go rigid in her hands, trying to pull away if Nancy wanted her to.

Nancy dug her nails in however, seating Robin right onto her chin as she pushed her over the edge, a wetness coating her tongue as she breathed out heavily through her nose. Robin bit back a moan, hands dropping to Nancy’s shoulders as she tried to catch herself, aftershocks racking her frame as the curly haired girl finally pulled away.

Robin’s pupils were blown as she watched Nancy wipe the wetness from her mouth with the back of her hand, her lipstick smeared. She didn’t know what to say, but continued to stare at her like she was afraid to move. What if she scared Nancy off for good this time? She watched as Nancy slowly stood to her feet, brushing off her miniskirt. “I’ll see you later.” She said, pushing past Robin and opened the door to head back inside.

“Wait, seriously?” Robin was dumb founded, just like that it was over?

Nancy shrugged, “Like I said, just returning the favor.” She winked before heading back inside, feeling the fire in her stomach burn even brighter. She could only admit to herself how badly she had enjoyed what had just happened, her head foggy with image after image of Robin with her head thrown back and her hands in Nancy’s hair.

Nancy strolled into the kitchen, flattening out the frizz that was becoming her hair as she poured herself a beer to get the taste of her roommate out of her mouth.

“Now what were you up to out there?” A familiar voice asked from across the counter.

Nancy looked over to see Eddie staring at her knowingly, his eyes zoning in on her smeared lipstick and wild looking hair. “Have you seen Robin?” He asked, a brow raised in a challenge.

Nancy quickly shook her head, taking a sip of her beer. “I haven’t seen her at all tonight.”

Eddie chuckled, pushing off of the counter as he moved past her back into the bigger room, “You’re a terrible liar, Wheeler.”

“What are you supposed to be anyways?” She called after him, noticing he was dressed up at all.

“Your local drug dealer!” He called back, waggling his brows and sticking out his tongue.

Nancy rolled her eyes before turning away from him. Her heart was still thrumming inside her chest, telling her to go back outside whilst her head was telling her to head home and take a cold shower.

She turned to see if she could find Jack and Guy to tell them she was going to call it an early night.

Robin thudded her head back into the siding of the house, buttoning her pants and fastening her belt when the door opened a second time. She whipped her head to the side, hoping that it would be Nancy coming back. “Oh, it’s you.”

Eddie popped his head out, a shit eating grin on his face. “What’re you doing out here all by your lonesome, birdie?”

Robin’s eyes turned into slits, “You saw her didn’t you?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Eddie played dumb, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Right, right.” Robin nodded, pretending to believe him. “Well, how are you liking the party? Is it everything you’ve dreamed of? That is if you’ve come up for air enough times to really see it.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t poke that bear, babe.” Eddie chuckled lowly, leaning over the railing and looking out into the night.

Robin sighed, sidling up next to him to mirror his actions. “Please, tell me you’re packing.”

Eddie smirked, digging into his jean pocket, “You’re kidding right?” He pulled out a tightly rolled joint between pointer finger and thumb. He tucked it between his lips, lighting the end of it and taking a nice long pull before passing it over.

Robin followed suit, sucking in as much as her lungs would allow as she watched Eddie slowly exhale through his nose.

“So, what are the two of you doing anyways, just messing around?” He asked after a moment of silence with them passing back and forth.

“Where’s Steve?” Robin tried to change subjects.

Eddie shrugged, “Inside somewhere, don’t worry Stacey said she’s got him.”

Robin rolled her eyes, “Somehow I worry for his safety knowing that little piece of information.”

Eddie waved her off, “Please, if he gets a little frisky after a couple drinks I have no doubt she’ll put him in his place.”

Robin laughed, “Yeah, you’re probably right on that.”

“Besides, she said I was the cute one.” Eddie said proudly, puffing out his chest with the joint between his lips and flexing his arms.

“Like a sexy stoner Popeye.” Robin shook her head in disbelief.

Eddie winked at her before passing back over the joint. “So are you going to answer my question?”

“Depends,” Robin starts, squinting at him while she takes another pull, “Are you going to keep asking if I don’t?”

“Come on, you already know the answer to that one.”

“Yeah, you’re right. You really should’ve gone to the police academy, you would’ve been a hell of a detective.”

Eddie snickered, “Come on, you and I both know I’d last a week while all the other guys debated over whether they wanted to fight me or fuck me.”

“And they’d be right either way.” Robin grinned.

Eddie nodded before tilting his head, “Birdie.” He sing-songed, “I’m not getting any younger here.”

“You’re right, high school really did take all of your best years.”

Eddie’s jaw-dropped, “Are you telling me I peaked in high school? Cause I’ll have you know that’s your baby boy Steve, not me.”

They were definitely getting looser now, the effects of the weed making both of them more giggly.

“You don’t mean that.” Robin shook her head after wiping the tears out of her eyes, “Old Steve maybe, but not our guy Steve.”

“Our guy Steve.” Eddie sighed, “That boy’s got my heart so far wrapped around his finger I don’t think it could even be surgically removed.”

“Romantic. You’re a real Edgar Allan Poe.” Robin cringed.

Eddie laughed, “Are you going to tell me already, please? You and Nancy are fucking, been fucking, going to fuck, will fuck til the end of time.”

“I take back what I said.” Robin stubbed the end of the joint out on the railing. “Turns out you couldn’t be paid to be a poet if you tried.”

“Am I wrong?” He asked, staring her down like the answer would determine how the rest of his weekend would go. “You two are lovers with a capital L.”

“Ew, gross.” Robin winced, “Definitely not.”

“That’s what I said about Steve.”

“You and Steve are different, you’re both human.” Robin threw a hand at him to emphasize her words, “Nancy, I don’t know what her fucking problem is.”

“You, apparently.” Eddie smirked.

“Seriously, can we go find Steve now? I miss him.”

“You only say that because he lets you rot in your misery.”

“That’s not true.” At Eddie’s eye roll Robin continued, “Okay maybe a little bit, but that’s what friends are for.”

“Maybe so, but this friend.” Eddie jammed his thumbs back at himself, “Has got a one way ticket to ass kicking town.”

Robin rolled her eyes, pushing off of the railing and bumping into Eddie’s shoulder, “Now I’m really going to leave your ass.”

Nancy wandered back to her dorm room so drunk off of what had just happened between her and Robin that she nearly missed the turn and had to circle back.

A part of her couldn’t believe what she had just done. She had taken exactly what she wanted from Robin without so much as a second thought, and yet she had to admit to herself at some point that it still wasn’t enough. She had somehow convinced herself that if she went through with it just once, it would satiate her curiosity and put the idea of Robin Buckley to bed for good.

That was the problem however, all she wanted to do now was take the taller girl to bed and taste her over and over and over again.

Nancy debated whether Robin would be returning to their room tonight, but quickly remembered that if she did, the boys would surely be in tow. Sighing to herself, she changed into her pajamas before her mind wandered to her roommate’s bed and just how soft it was in comparison to her own. She moved over to the side of the bunk beds, pulling herself up onto the top bunk. If anyone came back to find her there she would just say she was drunk, a very thin lie to begin with she knew, but she figured she’d take her chances anyways. Lying back on the flannel sheets, Nancy rested her head on Robin’s pillow and stared up at the glowing constellations.

Nancy was on a high unlike any other before, adrenaline running through her veins like a drug as she thought about how she had taken charge on that porch with Robin in her mouth. How she got exactly what she wanted without being told she was too much or not enough. In fact, she didn’t even give Robin a chance to talk, though she had been curious to see what the girl had wanted her to stay for. Nancy thought back to the beginning of the week when Robin’s hands had been on her and then inside of her. How good she had felt and how fast Nancy had come from the small amount of time it had taken.

Nancy settled her shoulders, letting her hands rest softly on her hips before her fingers slipped up beneath her sleep shirt, coasting upwards over her smooth stomach and peach fuzz. Her finger tips danced across her skin before cupping a breast in her hand as she closed her eyes. Her mind drifted to a memory of long limbs and silver rings, short shaggy dirty blonde hair, and an oversized sweatshirt.

Robin ended up crashing in Stacey’s room, the girl the blonde had been flirting with deciding to be a tease last minute, which was fine with Robin because she took the sudden vacancy to be an invitation of solitude for the evening. She stripped off her costume, tossing it somewhere on the floor before crawling into bed beside her friend, their legs intertwining in a reflex as they both settled down into the mattress.

Stacey propped her head onto her hand, looking over at Robin sharing her pillow curiously. “Interesting that you’re in my bed right now and not the woman who was in your pants earlier.”

“I don’t know what you mean.” Robin played it off, looking somewhere over the blonde’s shoulder so she didn’t have to lie straight to her face. She was never good at that, and Stacey would see right through her regardless.

“Oh yeah? Then why did Eric say that he saw you on the back porch with a girl between your legs?”

Robin scrunched her nose in distaste, “Eric saw it?”

Stacey nodded, her lips curling upwards into a smirk. “Said the porchlight was like a spotlight on your face.” She chuckled, “But he quickly circled back around the house like the gentleman that he is.”

Robin sighed, “He didn’t see who the girl was?”

Stacey shook her head, “No, but I can guess who it was.”

“Don’t start.” Robin warned.

Stacey chuckled, “I’m just pointing out the obvious here, that girl is probably waiting for you back in your dorm and you’re being a pussy hiding in here with me.”

“But you’re safe.” Robin pouted, rolling over to face her best friend. “Why are girls so scary?”

“She only holds the power if you let her.” Stacey said, “But something tells me Robin Buckley doesn’t have a line of girls waiting for her call for nothing. Give Wheeler a taste of her own medicine, if she wants to play games then by all means, play ball or whatever it is those dykes say on the softball field.”

A giggle burst from Robin’s chest as she clutched at her stomach. “You really think I should pursue this?”

“It’s just a little fun, Robs.” Stacey shrugged, “Don’t make it mean more than it has to.”

“Right.” Robin said, nodding her head. “Will you make sure the boys stay here tonight?”

Stacey waved her off, “They’re already past out downstairs, I can’t imagine either of them will be moving until morning.”

Robin pecked her on the cheek before rolling out of the bed and began looking for her clothes. “You know, they should really consider you for valedictorian. Your speeches are getting really good.”

“Oh Buckley, you flirt.”

Robin made her way back to the dorm in record timing, practically taking the stairs two at a time up to their floor before unlocking the door to the room and slipping inside.

The first thing she noticed was that Nancy’s bed was empty, but the girl’s costume was neatly folded over the back of her desk chair. The sound of bedsheets being ruffled and a small gasp turned her ears upwards as she hummed to herself, hearing the sudden quiet of the room almost deafening her ear drums as she noticed that her own bed was occupied.

“We meet again.” Robin said as she climbed up onto her bunk bed, taking in Nancy’s barelegs that disappeared beneath her sleep shorts.
“Robin.” Nancy whispered, the sweetness of her name on her lips stirring something deep within her stomach.

“Were you thinking about me in my own bed?” Robin asked, crawling up to pin the shorter girl’s hips between her own as she straddled her, hanging over her so as to not brush the ceiling with her head.

“What makes you think it was about you?” Nancy asked petulantly, as if embarrassed to be caught red handed, but clearly liking it at the same time. It was the most Nancy thing Robin had ever seen her do.

“Why are you in my bed then?” Robin asked, looking down at the girl knowingly.

“I was just trying to be a good host, let the boys sleep in my bed if they wanted to.” Nancy shrugged as if it was the most obvious answer in the world. She looked down at where Robin straddled her waist and swallowed, “Where are the boys?”

“They crashed at the party, Stacey said to leave them there.” Robin’s fingers boldly played with the strings of Nancy’s sleep shorts. “Do you really care where they are right now?”

“Something tells me you don’t.” Nancy’s eyes flicked to the other girl’s lips.

“I wasn’t done with you earlier.” Robin said, looking up through her lashes, her fingers skimming the soft expanse of skin just below Nancy’s navel.

Nancy sucked in a breath, goosebumps spreading across her skin at the touch. “What would you have done if I hadn’t left?” She asked, leaning back on her elbows to take all of Robin in.

Robin stole a glance at Nancy, building the courage to look at her like she was just another girl. “Started up another favor.” She chuckled low in her chest, fingers curling around the elastic waistband and pulling the shorts slowly down Nancy’s legs. “I want to know just how sweet you taste.” And that was the truth, more nights than not now Robin’s head was filled with images of her on her knees for Nancy. In a way she always had been.

Nancy bit her lip, pupils blowing at the connotations. She remembered just how good Robin had tasted dripping down her chin, and suddenly she wanted to know what that was like. To be desired in such a way that she never had been before. She helped Robin push her shorts down, her underwear following suit soon after.

Robin ran a finger through Nancy’s slit, a hiss eliciting from both of them. Robin’s finger slipped into the wetness, her eyes nearly fluttering shut. “Did you start without me?” She asked Nancy with a brow raised and an even more irritating smirk graced her lips.

“I didn’t know you’d be back so soon.” Nancy whispered, embarrassed.

Robin pressed her lips to Nancy’s stomach and breathed in her musk, “Are you upset that I am?” She asked, her breath shallow as she waited for an answer.

Nancy looked away briefly and up towards the glowing constellations. “I was hoping that you would.”

“That answers my question then.” Robin smirked, settling herself down between Nancy’s legs. This she could do, shut her brain off and use her mouth instead. Robin had always been good at taking chances and asking for forgiveness later.

Nancy bit back a moan at the first swipe of Robin’s tongue, her eyes fluttering shut. Her mind was telling her to put up a fight, to not let Robin win so easily, but god did she want her.

Robin hooked Nancy’s legs over her shoulders to get a better angle, dipping her tongue inside of her and getting her first real taste of the other girl. It was downright sinful as she felt Nancy’s shuddered breath beneath her hands that sat on either side of her hips. She gripped her tighter, pulling her in even more so that she could only breathe through her nose, losing her train of thought entirely as she ran her tongue over her.

Nancy gasped, hands finding purchase in Robin’s wavy locks, fingers flexing to pull her closer and feeling her nose press into her clit. She swallowed another moan, not wanting to give her roommate the satisfaction and missing the fact that her thighs were beginning to shake ever so slightly.

Robin grinned into her, flicking her tongue once, twice, three times over the bundle of nerves as she felt Nancy’s hips rock against her jaw, the shocks traveling down her spine and into her hips as she thrusted into the mattress unknowingly.

Nancy peered down her nose at Robin in the same moment the taller girl looked up at her. Their eyes locked as Robin swirled her tongue in tighter circles, causing Nancy’s mouth to loosen and go agape. The curly haired girl could only think of one other time her toes curled from oral and that was early on in her relationship with Steve, back when they were both still pretending to be the people everyone else wanted them to be. The rumors had been true about him then, just as they were supposedly right about Robin now, a fact that she would rather die than share with the other girl.

Nancy’s nails scratched down the back of Robin’s neck, causing her to moan into her, which made Nancy’s breath hitch and legs cross behind Robin’s back. Robin’s heart clenched, putting two and two together by chancing another moan, fucking her tongue into Nancy and causing a chain reaction of her letting a moan of her own slip, nails digging in deeper.

“I’m going to come.” Nancy’s voice spiked, wavering as she tried to hold on long enough to warn Robin.
Robin gripped the shorter girl harder, continuing her pace to not scare off Nancy's orgasm as she felt her hit her peak and ride her face to completion.

Nancy let out a sigh as she settled back into the mattress, going quiet for a moment as she assumedly collected her thoughts while Robin swiped the back of her hand across her face and sat back on her heels. She looked down at Nancy with uncertainty, shying her eyes away when the girl looked back at her.

“How do I taste?” Nancy asked after a minute of staring at the side of Robin’s face that she imagined was growing redder by the second, but the room was too dark to be sure.

Robin nearly choked on her tongue, if that was even possible, caught off guard by the question. She knew Nancy had a mouth on her, but she never realized how vulgar she could be. Robin secretly loved it. She rolled her eyes now, resting her hands on her thighs as she looked back at her. She debated how she would answer the question, the truth was obvious, Nancy tasted just how she thought she would. Nancy Wheeler continued to be the most addictive person she had ever met and it most certainly didn’t stop at her looks.

“You tell me.” Robin whispered, leaning in and pressing her lips to Nancy’s before she could second guess herself. They had kissed before after all, and the last time was because Nancy had initiated it so she should be safe in doing this.

Nancy gasped against her mouth before pulling her in further and swiping her tongue against Robin’s bottom lip. Robin invited her in, hands making their way into knotting curls and flattened herself against the other girl.

“Off, now.” Nancy bit out, hands going to Robin’s jeans and beginning to pull them down her hips.

Robin smirked against her mouth, getting ready to say something else when Nancy cut her off. “Not another word Buckley, just shut up and kiss me.” She said in a huff against her mouth, which was quickly followed up with, “Don’t make it weird.”

It was all the advice Robin needed, allowing herself to fall into the sea that was Nancy’s touch; dark, enticing and surely going to drown her, but in this very moment Robin didn’t have the strength to swim against the current. Instead, she allowed it to pull her beneath the surface.

Chapter Text

November 1985

Robin woke up slowly, the room coming into focus as her eyes fluttered open, the beginnings of a headache forming in the back of her head. The blaring sound of Nancy’s alarm clock waking her as she groaned, a hand flying to her head as the pain etched its way towards her temples. Robin suddenly became very much aware of the weight that was on her chest as she moved, curly hair tickling the tip of her nose.

“Loud.” Nancy’s voice sounded like gravel as she came too at the feeling of movement beneath her cheek that had been pressed flat against Robin’s sweatshirt.

Right.

Robin froze like a deer in headlights, hand frozen against her temple as she fought the urge to stop breathing all together. The night before came back in flashes, Nancy on her knees on the porch of the sorority house, then again between her legs in her very own bed. Robin swallowed, her mouth dry. “It’s your alarm, god knows why you have one on a Sunday morning.” She wanted nothing more but to stay in their small bubble, but reality was beginning to set in and Eddie and Steve could come back at any minute.

Sitting up, Robin rolled Nancy off of her, “Turn it off.” She whined, running her hands through her sleep matted hair and trying to avoid eye contact as Nancy slipped out of her bed and over the side, dropping down onto the tile with a thud.

“Good to know you’re a morning person.” Nancy grumbled, padding over to the clock and turning it off.

“Not when I’ve got a headache and an alarm blasting in my ear at the same time.” Robin said, annoyed. Is this how it was going to be? Were they even going to address what had just happened?

Nancy rolled her eyes, pulling a sweatshirt over her head, her legs still very much on display beneath her shorts. “You’re so dramatic.”

“Oh, I’m dramatic? Maybe we should ask our neighbors who they heard last night, because I’m pretty sure it wasn’t me.” Robin blurted out, not fully aware of the connotations she was setting herself up for.

Nancy’s face flushed red, looking up at where Robin was staring down at her. “You continue to amaze me with just how full of yourself you are, Buckley.”

Robin chuckled, flopping back onto her bed and stared up at the ceiling. “Just say how you really feel, princess, I know it’s just burning up inside of you as we speak.”

“I can’t believe I slept with you.” Nancy said in astonishment.

“And as many times as you have, you know, maybe you should see someone about that before it becomes an addiction.” Robin said, ignoring the warning inside of her chest telling her to shut the fuck up. She was ruining everything, but yet again what was there to ruin? Surely this wouldn’t be happening again, Nancy wanted to know what it was like to be on both ends of it, and she had. More than once, Robin thought as she listened to Nancy growl in frustration beneath her.

“You could never be an addiction Robin, believe me.” Nancy laughed, “In fact, I can’t even imagine ever wanting you without being desperate or inebriated.”

Fucking ouch.

Robin gritted her teeth, “Well I hate to break it to you babe, but you’re not so sweet either.” A lie, one that Robin didn’t even believe as she said it. A moment later she was hearing Nancy rip open the door and slamming it shut behind her. Good, she needed some space from her anyway. She was supposed to be busy being a host anyway, and instead she was a bad friend who left the boys alone all night to get her rocks off with a girl who was already regretting it.

No matter what the circumstances were however, Robin couldn’t say the same for herself.

Nancy wasn’t sure where she was going, it was seven in the morning on a sunday, nothing was open yet save for the coffee shop and the dining hall. She supposed breakfast wasn’t a bad idea, and as she began to make her way over to the building, she felt her stomach rumble concurring with her thoughts exactly.

Why was Robin pushing her away? Not that Nancy wanted to stay that is, but to be totally honest with herself she had no idea what she was doing with her roommate at all. It was just a casual thing, one that surely wouldn’t be happening again after what just happened and continues to happen any time the two girls are left alone together for too long.

If Robin wanted to be treated like how all the other girls treated her then fine, Nancy had no problem spewing the venom right back at her.

She made her way into the cafeteria, grabbing a tray and standing in line waiting her turn. Grabbing a couple different things, Nancy snagged a table by the window and sat, setting up her plate for her first bite when she felt someone sit across from her.

It was probably the last person Nancy could have ever expected to see as she looked up at her visitor with disbelief.

“Good morning.” Stacey greeted her, stirring her oatmeal around before taking a bite.

“I’m sorry, but have we ever actually spoken to one another before?” Nancy asked, confused but also already growing annoyed at assuming why exactly the blonde sat herself at her table.

“You would think spending a whole night boinking, you’d be in a better mood this morning.” Stacey said with a smirk, eyes flickering towards Nancy’s neck.

Nancy’s hand moved over her throat, looking at her uninvited guest with confusion.

“Looks like Robin was a bad girl and left her mark on you.”

Nancy’s jaw tightened, hand dropping to the table. She had been in such a hurry to leave the awkward fight that had broken out between her and Robin that she never actually looked at herself in the mirror. God knows what she looked like after a whole night of what Stacey so fondly called ‘boinking’. “Remind me why you decided to join me for breakfast?” Nancy asked, cocking her head to the side as her eyes narrowed in on the blonde as she faked a smile.

Stacey chuckled, not at all fazed by what most people would have been intimidated by, which was the ‘Wheeler glare.’ “You know, you’re not at all subtle like you must think you are, Wheeler.”

“What?” Nancy asked, not at all liking where this was going. She wished the other girl would just spit it out already, digging her nails into her thigh beneath the table in anticipation for what she had to say.

“I just came here to make sure you’re playing nice with my girl is all.” Stacey said, taking another bite of her oatmeal.

“How is that any of your business?” Nancy asked sickeningly sweet, biting her tongue from saying too much too soon.

“It’s not.” Stacey said with a shrug, “But I know more than you think I do, and I just don’t want to see Robin get hurt by someone who doesn’t care about her.”

“Oh yeah, cause all the other girls did.” Nancy said, shaking her head and beginning to push her eggs around with her fork.

“They aren’t you though.” Stacey said, “It’s different.”

“What do you mean?” Nancy asked, looking back at the blonde as she began to stand, leaving her bowl of oatmeal behind. Was she jealous? Had Nancy been right about there being more than just friendship between Robin and Stacey? She felt an uneasiness in her stomach as she stared at the blonde, a fight or flight response wanting to rear its ugly head.

“I already said too much.” Stacey said, “Enjoy your breakfast and leave this little conversation between us, yeah?” She turned her back then, heading out of the dining hall before Nancy could go after her. What the hell did she mean by all of that?

Robin rounded the corner to the sorority house, enjoying the early morning breeze as it drifted its way through the trees.

“You’re up early.” Robin said when she saw Stacey coming from the other way. “What are you doing out and about already?”

Stacey held up a tray of coffee cups, “Getting coffee for the troops, figured you would come back to collect your cattle.”

“Cute.” Robin chuckled, grabbing a coffee out of the tray. “You’re perfect, you know that?” She asked as she looked at her coffee order scribbled on the side of the cup.

“I do, actually.” Stacey said with a wink, moving past Robin and towards the house. “Your boys have been out cold since I went to bed last night, haven’t so much as moved an inch since I got up.”

“Did you check their pulse to make sure we didn’t kill them?” Robin asked as she held the door open for her friend.

“Put a compact mirror under their nose and everything.” Stacey grinned as she ducked beneath Robin’s arm and headed inside.

Robin chuckled, the weight that was resting heavy on her chest already lifting at seeing Stacey. The blonde always knew how to cheer her up, even if she didn’t realize she was doing so.

“Alright you two, time to free up the couch!” Stacey sat the coffees onto the coffee table and clapped her hands to cause the two boys to stir.

“So loud.” Steve groaned as he tried to shield his eyes from the morning light coming in through the windows.

“Need drugs.” Eddie grumbled as his eyes peaked open to see Robin and Stacey staring at him.

“I see you two enjoyed your very first college experience.” Robin said as she sat down in the chair across from them with her hands resting on her knees.

“Drugs, woman.” Eddie grouched, sitting up slowly and reaching out for the coffee. “My head is splitting.”

Steve pouted, leaning on Eddie to right himself before grabbing the other cup that was on the table. “Mine too.”

Stacey threw them a bottle of Advil before sitting on the arm of Robin’s chair, her hand resting on the back of it. “There’s water bottles in the kitchen if you need them.”

“Nah, my swallow game is unmatched.” Eddie said, popping the top of the bottle and shaking two pills into the palm of his hand.

“Hmm, is that a challenge, Handsome?” Stacey asked him as Robin grimaced in disgust.

Eddie looked up, a pink forming itself onto his cheeks as he reached forward and grabbed a napkin off of the table and began to wave it. “You’ve got me there, m’lady.”

Robin rolled her eyes, looking to Steve, “Would you handle your man over there?”

Steve shook his head, “It is too early for that, besides you don’t want to see how I handle him.”

Eddie grinned, leaning back into his boyfriend with his coffee. “They can watch if they want, I’m not shy.”

“Ok gross, enough.” Robin held up her hands, “Today’s your last full day so what do you want to do?”

“Somebody’s grouchy this morning.” Eddie mocked, “Did you not have enough time on the porch last night with a certain someone?”

“Oh, she had plenty of time.” Stacey chimed in, swinging her foot out in front of her.

Steve looked between the three of them confused, he had somehow been out of the loop more often than not lately, “Wait, who?”

“Nancy.” Eddie teased, “Our birdie wants your crazy leftovers.”

Robin’s jaw tightened as she reached behind her and threw the throw pillow she had been leaning on at him.

Eddie dodged it, nearly sloshing his coffee onto himself. “That only proves my point, birdie.”

“So what, are three of you just going to gang up on me today?” Robin asked irritatedly, “It’s not like it was enough first thing this morning.”

“Did you two get into a fight already?” Stacey asked.

“Lesbians, they’re so powerful.” Eddie whispered to Steve.

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Robin said, “Let’s just decide on what we want to do today.” At Stacey’s continued stare she followed it up with, “Please.”

Nancy made her way back to her dorm and shut the door behind her, looking in the mirror to take in just how wrecked she looked. She couldn’t believe she had left and ate breakfast looking like this, hair all over the place and not one, but three hickies decorating her throat. She pressed her fingers to one where it rested over her collarbone, watching the color change with the pressure she had placed on it.

The night flashed through her head, image after image of just how delicious Robin had looked beneath her. Nancy swallowed, shaking her head in annoyance to clear her mind of all things that involved her roommate. Instead she decided that she would spend the day keeping herself busy with her journalism project, getting changed to go to the library where she could study in peace without any chances of getting interrupted.

As she made her way to the library she glanced over at the coffee shop, and was immediately reminded of Robin yet again. She had no idea what Robin’s intentions were, hell she had no idea what her own were, but it still didn’t give the taller girl the right to constantly try to start a fight with her. Maybe it was a mistake, doing what they were doing. Clearly they couldn’t even have a civilized conversation for more than five minutes before someone’s either walking out or jumping the other person.

Nancy snickered to herself as she opened the door to the library, shutting her brain off of anything that wasn’t about her project as it closed behind her.

“So were you planning on telling me that there was something going on between you and Nancy?” Steve asked as he leaned back onto the blanket, looking at Robin with a sort of hurt in his eyes. “Eddie’s not replacing me as your best friend is he?” He quickly followed up.

Robin shook her head quickly, “That jerk? Hell no.” She chuckled, shoving Steve’s knee. “You know I can’t get rid of you even I wanted to at this point, Harrington. We’re like conjoined twins or something even more fucked up.”

Steve rolled his eyes, “I don’t know if that’s as comforting as you wanted it to sound.”

“Look, I told you that we slept together.” Robin sighed, looking down at the bottle of cider in her hand.

“Yeah, but you made it sound like it was never going to happen again.”

“I didn’t think it would.” Robin said, a sort of surprise in her tone. “Nancy jumped me last night, I had no idea she wanted to do that.”

Steve raised a brow at her, “Even after she slept in your bed Friday night?”

“It wasn’t her fault Eddie fell asleep in her bed first.” Robin reasoned.

“Nancy isn’t afraid to be confrontational though.” Steve argued, “She could’ve just asked him to move.”

Robin bit her lip, thinking back to a few nights ago, and throughout the week since the first time on Monday. Maybe there had been signs that Nancy was interested in another go round, Robin was just too distracted to notice.

“So are you two just friends with benefits now?” Steve asked after a moment, taking a swig of his own hard cider.

Robin tapped her ring nervously against her bottle, “I don’t know if you could even call us friends.”

“Fuck buddies then?”

Robin made a face, “I don’t know what we are, if there even is an us in that way.”

“What do you mean?” Steve asked, crossing his legs at the ankle and looked over at where Eddie and Stacey were talking to a group of people near the coffee shop, no doubt selling the group of freshman weed.

“Every time something happens between us, one or both of us push the other away.” Robin sighed, “Maybe it’s mostly me doing it.”

Steve’s brows furrowed, “Do you like Nancy?”

The question of all questions, Robin thought. Even she found herself wondering that very thing late at night when there was no longer a reason to hide from the truth. “Would it be a problem if I did?”

Steve thought about it for a moment, the good guy that he is not immediately spewing a lie that would make her happy. “Maybe a year ago, but mostly because she’s Nancy. I think there will always be a part of me that loves her a little bit.”

Robin nervously took a breath, this was when he was going to nicely ask her to stop doing whatever it was she was doing with Nancy. “So should I cut strings with her?” She already knew the answer she wanted from him, and it scared her. A part of her even wanted him to say yes so she could use the excuse to run as far away as she could from the other girl with her tail between her legs. But it’s Steve, and he always knew what she was thinking before she could even think it herself, and he loved her more than anything.

“No.” He said with a small smile, “I’ve got Eddie now.” He raised his bottle in the boy's direction as he turned around to give both of them a toothy grin, his hair pulled back in a black bandana. “And he loves me more than I ever thought I deserved.”

Robin smiled, butting her shoulder into his. “And you love him too.”

“More than I ever thought I was capable of.” The corners of Steve’s lips curled so far upwards they were forming laugh lines; she couldn’t remember them being there a year ago.

A moment passed as they watched Eddie and Stacey heading back towards their blanket, the former counting the wad of cash now in his hand.

“So you have my permission if you want it.” Steve said, wrapping up their conversation. “Not that you ever needed it in the first place.”

Robin turned to look at him, a small smile matching his. “Thanks, Steve.”

“Any time, Robs.”

“Alright! Those kids just gave us a hundred bucks. Let's see how much beer that scores us!” Eddie cheered as he ran up to the two of them, landing himself into Steve’s lap and damn near bowling the shorter man over with the weight of himself.

Steve’s cider sloshed onto his shirt, “Dammit Eddie, this was a new one.” He sighed.

“Sorry baby, looks like you’re going to have to grace us with that beautiful chest hair of yours.” Eddie said with a waggle of his eyebrows.

Robin shook her head as she turned and looked at Stacey who was planting herself down beside her.

“Having fun?” Stacey asked her, taking the cider out of Robin’s hand and taking a swig, swiping at an escaped droplet that hung on the corner of her lips.

Robin nodded her head. Even though the weekend wasn’t short of being confusing, she sure was having fun with her newfound family in the middle of campus on a sunny Sunday afternoon. She just couldn’t help but feel like something was missing.

Nancy spent a good majority of the day in the library trying to focus on her final project and to keep her mind off of the events of the night before. She figured she probably had two, maybe three more study sessions left before she finished up her paper and could hand it in before Thanksgiving break.

When the sun began its descent back down for the night, Nancy stood from her seat and gathered her papers, slipping them into her bag and throwing the strap over her shoulder before ushering herself out of the library.

“Well, look who it is.” A warm and friendly voice greeted her as soon as she rounded the corner of the coffee shop.

“Jack, hey.”

“How’s my girl doing?” Jack wrapped an arm around Nancy’s shoulder and steered her towards the shop. “Afternoon pick me up, on me?” He asked.

“Sure, why not.” Nancy smiled, feeling a weight no longer resting on her shoulders. Jack was always able to do that for her in the short time that they had known one another, she didn’t feel obligated for more with him. It wasn’t like Guy, who she now had a hard time looking at without feeling a pang of guilt forming in her chest.

It wasn’t like she owed either one of them anything, but she couldn’t deny that she had led them both on strongly.

“So how did last night go?” Jack asked after placing their order at the counter and finding them their usual spot by the window. Instead of the table today though, they took the more comfortable armchairs next to the small fireplace that Nancy assumed had been there long before the building was a coffee shop.

Nancy pursed her lips, listening to the crackle of the fire splitting its way slowly through the log of wood it was currently chewing on. “I’d say it was successful if it wasn’t for this morning.”

“Oh?” Jack asked, his interest peaked as was his one eyebrow. He had on a soft crewneck sweatshirt today, a white undershirt poking out from the collar. His hair was brushed back and his glasses sat atop his nose like they usually did in the evening time. Nancy couldn’t help but continue to think about just how easy it could be if she could just be with Jack. He was funny and kind, and a year ago that would’ve been enough for her. Hell, two months ago it would’ve been, but now it just felt wrong. The idea of his stubble scratching her chin and his too big hands holding hers left a weird taste in her mouth she couldn’t get herself to swallow.

“I just don’t know what Robin wants.” She sighed, smiling warmly as the evening coffee girl, Sam brought over their drinks.

“How so?” Jack asked, blowing on the steam that rose from his oversized mug.

“Well one minute she’s all over me, pretending to be someone she’s not, putting on the show I’m sure she does for all the other girls, and don’t get me wrong, I like it.” Nancy noted, “But just when I think her facade is going to slip she puts it back on with an even stronger urge to push me away.”

Jack thought about it for a moment as he sipped his still too hot coffee, nearly burning his tongue as he did so. “Perhaps you want more out of it than she does.” He said simply, “Maybe you are just another girl to Robin.”

Nancy felt her jaw tighten at the words, tongue licking the back of her own teeth in irritation. “No, I don’t think so.”

Jack chuckled, “I take it you’re not used to being anything but someone’s only.”

Nancy looked at him, the irritation beginning to etch its way across her face. “I can handle a couple of one night stands.”

“A couple?” Jack asked curiously, “Now that’s information that I didn’t have at the top of this conversation.” He chuckled, “How many times has it been now?”

“Twice.”

“Hmm.” Jack looked her over before looking past her out the storefront window. “Maybe she just needs a push.”

“What do you mean?” Nancy asked, setting her cup down on the coffee table in front of them.

Jack looked back at her, “You said she pushes you away.”

“Yeah, either she’ll pick a fight, or I’ll pick one.” Nancy bit her lip in thought, “Any time it seems like something could happen we make it go the other way instead.”

Jack snickered, “So Robin’s not the only one guilty of it then.”

“We’re not talking about me right now.” Nancy shook her head at him, bouncing her leg overtop of the knee of the other.

“But aren’t we?” Jack asked, “Because it seems to me that simply the fact that we’re talking about this right now means that you want it to be more than sex between you and Robin.”

Nancy was quiet for a moment, mulling over Jack’s words and knowing they were the truth, or at least partially. “Sex is just easier.” Nancy said slowly, “I can’t get hurt again if I don’t let it happen.”

“It seems like you already have.” Jack said, taking another sip of his coffee. “Now it just all depends on if you like the pain or not.”

Jack had no idea what he was talking about, Nancy thought after she said goodnight to him and parted ways halfway to her dorm. He had wanted to walk her the whole way, but she had told him that she needed space to think before she returned to what would now probably be a fully occupied dorm room.

She took a deep breath, trying to settle her nerves as she took the stairs up to the second floor as slowly as possible. A part of her wished that it was already Monday because it would mean that Steve and Eddie were on their way back to Hawkins, and it would just be her and Robin again. Maybe then they could finally talk about whatever it was that they were doing, if either of them actually wanted to admit it out loud.

As she approached the dorm room door, she could hear music slightly muffled from inside. Taking one last deep breath before opening the door, Nancy braced herself for whatever was on the other side.

“Hey Wheeler, long time no see!” Eddie immediately greeted her, head turning towards her as she entered the room and dropped her bag at the foot of her bed.

Nancy waved, pulling half a smile as she looked around at Steve sprawled out across Eddie’s lap on the floor, a half empty case of beer at their feet.

“Where’s Robin?” Nancy asked, looking up towards the dirty blonde’s bed to see if she was there.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Eddie teased, a big stupid grin pulling at his lips.

Nancy rolled her eyes, “Do you ever not talk in riddles?”

“Nope.” Eddie said, popping the p.
Steve just stared blankly at her for a moment, before sitting up and lowering the volume of the small radio that sat on Robin’s desk. “Hey Nance, how’s it going?”

“Fine.” Nancy answered rather quickly, eyes sliding away from Eddie’s knowing smirk. “I’ve been at the library all day studying, I’m just getting back now.”

“Some things never change do they?” Steve asked with a chuckle, bumping shoulders with Eddie to get the boy to stop staring.

“Want a beer?” Eddie asked, pulling out a lukewarm can and holding it up to Nancy like it was a lost treasure.

Nancy made a face, shaking her head. “Thanks, but I think after the last couple of nights I should probably take a break from drinking.” She sat down on the edge of her bed, knee propped over the other with her hands bracing either side of the bed frame where she sat.

“Robin just went to pick up some pizza.” Steve said, answering her question.

Nancy nodded, her stomach gurgling at the prospect of food. After running into Jack, she had completely forgotten to stop at the food hall for dinner. Looking at her watch she realized that they would probably be cleaning up for the night and she would have to find something else to sustain her for the evening.

“So, does the ever famous Nancy Wheeler ever let loose without getting drunk?” Eddie asked her curiously, and the idea of getting gum stuck in his hair was slowly becoming an interest of hers.

Steve smiled warmly, “Nance is a lot of fun, she just takes her grades seriously.” He shifted his eyes between his boyfriend and ex-girlfriend, “Which you know, is a good thing because this isn’t public school anymore, I mean you’ve got to earn your keep around here so to speak.”

“Eh, I think it’s all just an excuse to hide from the inevitable.” Eddie said with a shrug, “We’re all gonna end up in the same boat eventually.”

“Which is what?” Nancy asked, her voice tight. What was he getting at? That she would end up just like everyone else from Hawkins? Unhappily married with too many kids and living paycheck to paycheck from a job she hated just to make ends meet?

“Well, not exactly.” Eddie said, answering all of the questions Nancy thought she had left in her head. “I’m just saying that all jobs suck in some way, nobody’s meant to be happy a hundred percent of the time.”

Nancy blinked at him, not really knowing what to say. Hell, most days she wasn’t even sure what she was doing anymore. What separated her from Eddie really anyways? Yeah he worked at a record shop and spent the rest of his time either smoking dope or selling it, but he seemed happier than she did spending an entire day locked inside of a library. Hell, he seemed happier than she may ever have been. Nancy made a mental note to ask Robin to share her weed with her again.

“I don’t know, I think Nancy’s going to blow us all away with what she does next.” Steve said, hugging his knees to his chest and resting his beer can on top.

And there was the pressure again, the feeling that Nancy had known all too well from a young age from her own father, and from everyone else she had met after that. Nancy was always trying to squeeze herself into the box that everyone thought she had built to stand on, when really she felt trapped inside with no way out, every year going by with less and less oxygen.

Nancy smiled at Steve, one that didn’t reach her eyes, though it rarely did anyways. He was always so sweet and that had been a problem from the very start, or rather that at the time he hadn’t really been kind at all. It wasn’t his fault, or at least Nancy never blamed him for it. He was always kind to her, but the conversations never lasted very long before he was kissing her or trying to touch her in some way. She was happy to see that he had changed in the last few years since she had really spoken to him last. “I’m so glad to see you happy, Steve.” Because if there was anything Nancy remembered most from their relationship was that he had been anything but.

Steve had always suffered the distance that his parents put between them and their only son, leaving him for months at a time starting at fifteen. Perhaps now that was why she noticed he was taking on more of the role of caretaker, giving to his friends what he never had growing up.

“I don’t really know what I’m going to do next.” Nancy admitted aloud to the two boys, and it was the most honest thing she had said in months. A truth that she had been afraid to say to Jonathan the last time he had asked her what her plans were after college. College was just a stepping stone, at least that’s what everyone had told her. It was just another rung on the ladder to success her father had said when pressuring her to pick the right school to go to.

Ted Wheeler had never been very supportive of Nancy’s interest in journalism, but insisted that she needed to do something with her life if she wasn’t going to settle down and start a family right away. He didn’t want to see her turn into Joyce Byers, he had told her on more than one occasion after Jonathan had stayed for dinner.

‘There isn’t any sense in a woman working a job like that.’ He said, shaking his head, ‘Not my daughter, you’re too smart to settle for anything less than a career.’ He told her the last time they had talked about it, her acceptance letter from Emerson still hiding beneath her pillow in her room. A career was a word that Nancy wished she could prop up on the shooting range and turn into swiss cheese.

“You’ve got time.” Steve said comfortingly, breaking Nancy out of her distant stare, a memory trying to take hold of her by the scruff of her neck.

“Yeah, hell we’ve all got time!” Eddie said, trying to cheer her up. “We’ve got just as much time as anyone else does, all the way until the grim himself comes to collect.”

“Well, I’m totally missing out on a fun conversation here.” Robin’s voice broke through the weirdness that began taking shape, the door clicking shut behind her.

“Thank god, I was starting to think we should round up a search party! I’m starving.” Eddie greeted her, pushing Steve out of his way as he clambered to his feet to take one of the pizza boxes out of Robin’s hand.

Nancy watched as the boys helped Robin set up the food on her desk, two pizzas and a two-litre bottle of coke that she had somehow squeezed in the crook of her arm and held protectively against her chest.

“You make a mess, you’re cleaning it up.” Robin said as Steve and Eddie both grabbed two slices each and started stuffing their faces while somehow also trying to pour themselves soda.

“Hey.” Robin said, turning to Nancy, the annoyance and irritation that had been on her face this morning nowhere to be seen.

“Hey.” Nancy said hesitantly, afraid to sound too eager.

“Are you hungry?” Robin asked, “I basically had to order a whole extra pie just to make sure I got some.” She pointed to the two boys who were already polishing off their first slices.

“No it’s okay, it’s yours.” Nancy said at the same time her stomach rumbled. Robin couldn’t hear it over the radio and the bickering coming from the peanut gallery, but she still looked at Nancy like she just knew. “It’s pineapple and pepperoni.” She said excitedly.

“Well, how could I possibly say no then?” Nancy said with a smile growing on her lips.

“It’s the only way I can make sure they won’t touch it.” Robin said with an evil grin.

“It’s disgusting, pizza shouldn’t be sweet!” Steve argued.

Eddie looked like a chipmunk, shoving all of his half chewed up food into one side of his mouth, “It’s a crime!”

Nancy chuckled, “I actually like pineapple on pizza.” She said, thinking of the time Jonathan’s friend Argyle had them try it.

Robin’s face grew even brighter, “See! I’m not the only one with taste.” She said triumphantly, crossing her arms over her chest proudly.

“It’s not the only thing you share.” Eddie said wickedly.

“Eddie!” Robin and Nancy yelled in unison, making the boy wish he hadn’t said anything at all. Steve quietly sat down, happy to always know when to keep his mouth shut.

The boys were on the road early the next morning, wanting to get a headstart and hopefully be back in Hawkins by midnight. Robin hugged both of them tight, waving to them from the parking lot as they pulled away from the curb and headed towards the road.

“It was so nice to see them.” She said to Stacey, continuing to wave until the van was out of sight.

“Eh, you’ll be back in your home town in just a few short weeks.” Stacey said with a smile as she wrapped her arm around Robin’s shoulder, pulling her back towards campus.

“I hate Thanksgiving, it’s my least favorite holiday.” Robin sighed, “My mom usually picks up an extra shift that day so I’m home by myself.”

“You don’t have any other family in town?” Stacey asked curiously.

Robin shook her head, “Mom’s an only child and both of her parents passed when I was twelve, and Dad’s family pretty much disowned us after the divorce.”

“That’s awful, I’m so sorry.” Stacey said, chewing her lip thinking.

“It’s okay.” Robin said with a shrug, “Like I said, I usually spend it alone catching up on shows or reading a book.”

“You could always come home with me if you want.” Stacey offered, “‘Course you’d have to put up with my three older brothers and my obnoxious uncle who acts like he’s one of them though.”

Robin chuckled, “As fun as that sounds, I don’t think I could handle so much excitement.”

“Are you sure?” Stacey giggled, “We could pretend to be lovers and give my dad a heart attack.” She grinned devilishly.

Robin just shook her head, “No, I know better than to go along with another one of your plans.”

Stacey gasped, “You don’t want to be my part-time lover and part-time friend?”

“Isn’t that what we are now?” Robin asked cheekily, “You and half of the queer girls here?”

“Not this again.” Stacey sighed, dropping her arm from her shoulders.

“I don’t want to pretend to be something we’re not.” Robin continued, “I’m tired of pretending that I don’t want the things that keep me up at night.”

“Hate to break it to you babe, but whatever is going on between you and Nancy isn’t any different.” Stacey said, “At least I’m being upfront on what I’m able to give you.”

Robin continued to shake her head, “I know that, but somehow I can’t stay away from her. I want her so badly I can’t think straight.”

“Well I don’t think you’re thinking queerly.” Stacey said, waiting a beat before she folded in half and started laughing at her own joke. “Get it? Like clearly.”

“I can’t believe I ever thought you were cool.” Robin said in disbelief, “You really are the biggest nerd I’ve ever met.”

“You love me.” Stacey said, waving her off, “You can’t get enough of me.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Robin rolled her eyes, “I burn for you, I’d cross a thousand miles for you.”

Stacey pulled her sideways and planted a big wet kiss on her cheek. “No matter what Robs, you’re my girl.”

Robin returned to her dorm that afternoon with a new purpose in mind. She was going to tell Nancy how she felt, lay it all out on the table and if it scared the girl off, then so be it. She was tired of pretending to not care.

“Hey Robin, I’ve been looking for you everywhere.” A familiar voice called out to her from down the hall, “I was just about to knock on your door to see if you were in your room.”

“How do you know where my room is?” Robin immediately asked, a nerve racking up the back of her spine. Lori was the last person she wanted to see right now, the crazy bitch just couldn’t understand the word no.

“A friend of a friend of a friend, I guess.” The blonde smiled sweetly as if the conversation in the bowling alley those few short weeks ago never happened. “I’ve missed you.”

Like hell you have, you just miss my mouth, Robin thought with a sigh. She wiped a hand over her face, the immediate frustration already welling up inside of her. “Lori, we talked about this.”

“I know and I’ve thought about it.” Lori cut her off. “I think I would be okay if a few people knew about us.”

Us, like the word had any meaning at all behind it.

“Lori, there is no us.” Robin reasoned, “In fact, I specifically remember telling you that I have a lot going on right now and don’t have time for anything serious.”

Lori’s face fell ever so slightly, her smile beginning to falter. “I just thought maybe if I was willing to be open, you’d take me back.”

Take her back? What kind of fucked up drama did she think they lived in? Last time Robin checked she most certainly didn’t live inside of one of those soap operas her grandmother used to make her watch growing up. “Lori, I’m really sorry if you got confused by our last conversation, but I’m not interested in anything more with you.”

Lori’s face flushed, a bright pink inching its way up her throat, “So it was just sex then that you wanted?”

Robin scoffed, looking up and down the hallway, but thankfully it seemed that if anyone could hear their conversation, which was slowly growing in volume, they chose to ignore it. Robin figured by the end of the semester she just might have to leave a giant fruit basket in the common room for everyone. “Don’t act like this was anything more than it was, which was a hookup.” Robin said icily, she wasn’t sure how to get through the blonde’s thick skull otherwise, “Which happened one time by the way.”

Lori gritted her teeth, “I see the way you look at me Robin, it’s not like I’m crazy for assuming you’d want this.”

Robin bit her tongue so as to not laugh in the girl’s face when she felt the dorm room door open behind where she had slowly backed into it.

“Hey baby, I thought I heard you out here. Did you grab the pizza yet?” Nancy’s voice nearly made Robin jump.

Lori slid her eyes past Robin and over her shoulder to look at who had interrupted them. “Who are you?”

“Robin’s girlfriend, who are you?” Nancy bit back, a little too sweetly, it made Robin’s head spin.

The blonde’s face froze, looking back at Robin with a newly fueled rage, “You have a girlfriend?”

Robin froze too, forcing herself to speak, “Uh, yeah, yeah, it’s new.”

“Oh really, I thought you didn’t have time for anything serious?” Lori didn’t look quite convinced, “How did you two meet?”

Seriously? Robin didn’t know what to say, all she knew in that moment was just how much she wanted to push Nancy back into the room and shut the door in this crazy girl’s face.

“At a freshman rush party.” Nancy answered, her hand lacing with Robin’s shaky one. “It took a couple run-ins before I convinced her to go on a date with me.”

“Oh.” Lori looked at their hands, “So do you know just how many girls Robin’s slept with then?”

Nancy just blinked at her, “I don’t see what that has to do with anything.”

“I just wouldn’t get too comfy considering she leers at anyone with a short enough skirt.” Lori sneered.

Nancy’s jaw tightened as her hand twitched in Robin’s. “Was there something you needed from Robin?”

Lori shook her head, “Nope, not anymore.”

Nancy leaned back into Robin, “Well then if you’ll excuse us, we were just going to have some mind blowing sex and I’m sure you have better things to do with your evening than listen to us.” She took a step back, shouldering Robin into the room and slamming the door in Lori’s face.

Robin stared at the shut door, her face staring back at her in the mirror.

“Are you okay?” Nancy asked, a hand on Robin’s elbow.

Robin blinked, her eyes sliding over to where Nancy stood behind her. She smirked, “Mind blowing, huh?”

Nancy pushed her, “I knew you would get hung up on that.”

“So why’d you say it then?”

“To make that bitch jealous.” Nancy said with a shrug, “I figured you wouldn’t mind.”

Robin turned to face her, “Why did you do that?” Was any of it true? Robin needed to stop before she got ahead of herself.

Nancy bit her lip, “I heard the two of you out there and it didn’t sound like it was friendly, I thought I’d help you get out of it.”

“Thanks.” Robin smiled softly, “I don’t know why, but she decided to cling onto one night from like a month ago.”

“Can’t say I can blame a girl for trying, but she definitely wasn’t playing nice.” Nancy said, her eyes unwavering. It was putting Robin on edge, what was she trying to say under all of this? Robin remembered then exactly what she had planned on doing when she got back here, maybe this was the universe’s way of telling her she wasn’t reading into things.

Nancy’s face brightened then, something popping into her head in that moment that she couldn’t help but address. “Hey, I have an idea.”

Robin chuckled at the other girl’s smile, “Oh, that can’t be good.”

Nancy rolled her eyes, “So I don’t know if this is the first girl to go crazy after sleeping with you, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it wasn’t the last. Girls can get pretty clingy.”

“So what are you saying?” Robin asked curiously, she had no idea where this was going. Did this mean Nancy was growing clingy?

“Well, it’s just sex.” Nancy said slowly, as if she was choosing each word carefully.

Robin’s brow raised, “What is?”

“Us, it’s just sex.” Nancy repeated.

Robin swallowed, fighting the sinking feeling in her chest. Oh. “I know that.” She said defensively.

Nancy placed a reassuring hand on Robin’s wrist, “So do you want to make a deal then?” If she detected any emotion in Robin, she certainly didn’t give anything away.

“What kind of deal?” Robin took a step back, feeling the back of her legs hit Nancy’s bed.

“We get to fuck each other whenever and whereever we want as long as the other person is on board.” Nancy said simply, a fire burning in her eyes that Robin couldn’t look away from. She had never known the girl to be as bold as she was in this very moment.

Robin boxed away the conversation that she had ready and let her desires filter back into her body. It was just sex, right? Maybe that could be enough for her, plus the concept endeared her deeply. “Wherever?”

“Is that a yes?” Nancy asked, her smile turning almost suggestive.

“It’s not a no.” Robin said, not wanting to give away just how much she wanted this.

“It’ll be good for both of us.” Nancy continued, “This way you can take a break from being the local stud, and I can actually get some sleep and study with a clear mind.”

There was a lot to unpack in that statement, but Robin couldn’t resist the obvious, “You think I’m a stud?” She asked with a goofy grin, she couldn’t believe Nancy had even let that slip.

Nancy’s face pinkened, much like Lori’s had, where the blush crept up her neck and into her cheeks. “Shut up.”

Robin chuckled, crossing her arms over her chest, “Nancy Wheeler thinks I’m a stud.”

Nancy pushed forward, covering Robin’s mouth with her hand, “Say it again and I’ll change my mind.”

Robin continued to grin beneath the shorter girl’s hand, her eyes boring right into Nancy’s before squinting. She pulled away, “No you won’t, you’ve probably already thought about this more than you’d ever admit to.”

Nancy’s jaw slackened at just how well Robin apparently knew her. Her flush deepened, “Is it a deal then?”

“Hmm.” Robin thought aloud, “Do I want to be friends with benefits with the last person on earth I’d ever think to ask?” She looked Nancy over, and why did the girl seem so nervous? Maybe this would be the only way she’d ever find out. “I think I’d be an idiot to say no to such a convenience.”

Nancy scoffed, “You are unbelievable.” She moved to sit on her bed, her face level with Robin’s waist. “There’s going to be ground rules.”

Robin plopped down across from her, “Let me guess, it’s a secret.”

Nancy looked at her for a moment, her blush finally dissipating. “No, no people can know about it. I’m not afraid of that.”

Robin was shocked, she couldn’t think of ever being in this scenario before, other than with Stacey, but that had been different. Well, it felt different anyways.

“I guess there’s really only one rule.” Nancy said, continuing to watch Robin’s face. Clearly she had something on her mind that she wasn’t saying either.

“What’s that?” Robin asked, her voice barely above a whisper, afraid to say too much and ruin everything.

Nancy swallowed, nervous. “If either of us starts getting feelings, we have to let the other person know and we’ll call it off.”

Robin nodded, not wanting to call things off before they even started. She forced a laugh, “I don’t think we’ll have to worry about that.”

Nancy laughed then too, albeit one that didn’t rack her chest. “Right, yeah no, I guess that’s silly.”

Robin ignored the feelings that were fighting deep inside her chest, the want for more that Nancy was so conveniently bringing up, as if she had expected the conversation Robin had had planned. She placed a hand on Nancy’s thigh, “Do the conditions start now?” She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

Nancy giggled, pushing forward as she crawled into Robin’s lap. “I feel like it’s only best that we test them out, make sure they work and all.”

“Oh, they work alright.” Robin chuckled, placing both hands onto Nancy’s hips and slipping her fingers beneath her knit sweater, cool metal sliding across goosebumped skin.

Nancy leaned in closer, her lips just a breath away from Robin’s. “I think it’s safe to say so.”

Robin let Nancy kiss her then, as she had every other time, never getting over the fact that the girl wanted to in the first place. Everything was different when it came to Nancy Wheeler. She pulled away, “Wait, I thought I was getting pizza.” She giggled, referencing the moment in the hallway.

“Pizza can wait.” Nancy said as she placed a kiss just beneath Robin’s ear. “It’ll be much better if we work ourselves up for it first.”

Robin hummed, hoping that was exactly what she was getting herself into.

Chapter Text

‘My hands 'round her body
Her perfume left on me
On top of the dresser
I wanna undress her
My hands 'round her body
Her perfume left on me
This girl's got me all messed up’

-’More Than a Friend’ by girli

November 1985

A few weeks had passed since Robin and Nancy’s new arrangements, and Thanksgiving was only a week away. Robin was pondering this as she opened the coffee shop that morning, going about her usual routine as she rolled up the blinds and got the gas fireplace lit.

It had been extra cold that morning, frost working its way across the lawn as Robin had made her way in that morning, her beanie keeping her ears warm as she tried to heat her hands up over the small flame that she had started.

She had slept in Nancy’s bed again last night, having fallen asleep after having sex for what felt like the hundredth time, not that she was either counting or complaining about it. She certainly liked their new situationship, not that she was allowed to call it that, but in the privacy of her mind she did.

She had told Stacey after unsuccessfully trying to keep it from her for more than a day, the blonde knowing her all too well to hide so much from her.

Two Weeks Ago- November 1985

“You’re still sleeping with her aren’t you?” Stacey had asked after she had picked Robin up from work so that they could walk to the GSA meeting together.

“What?”

“Nancy, you’re still sleeping with her.”

“I’m good by the way, thanks for asking.” Robin had tried to change the subject.

Stacey rolled her eyes, grabbing Robin’s arm and pulling her off of the walkway. “Did you talk to her?”

“Nancy actually did.” Robin said, choosing at that moment to keep it vague.

“Really?” Stacey asked, her brows flying up into her hairline. “Well, what did she say?”

Robin bit her lip, buzzing with nerves. She didn’t want to lie, but felt like if she told the blonde the full extent of the truth, she would fly off the handle. “That she wanted to see where it goes.”

“Where what goes?” Stacey asked curiously.

Robin thought back to when Nancy had told Lori she was her girlfriend. “She told Lori that she was my girlfriend when the crazy bitch showed up at my fucking dorm. Thanks by the way, I’m sure it was you who told her where I lived.”

“Oh please, you know it wasn’t me.” Stacey huffed, “Wait, did she really say she was your girlfriend?”

“Yes.” Robin nodded, this way she wasn’t lying to her.

Stacey waited a moment, deep in thought as her eyes scanned over the entirety of Robin’s face. The girl did look ridiculously happy for just getting off of a 6am work shift. “Maybe my talk with her did work after all.” She said finally, letting out a low chuckle.

Robin felt her stomach drop, “Wait, what talk?”

“What, your girlfriend didn’t tell you?” Stacey smirked as she began to walk towards the rec building once more.

“Seriously Stacey, what talk?”

Two weeks ago- November 1985

“Stacey thinks you're my girlfriend.” Robin said as soon as she had gotten back from her GSA meeting. Nancy had been sprawled out on her bed reading a book, those reading glasses Robin was growing to love so much, adorning her face.

“Who told her, Lori?” Nancy asked, peering over the top of her book. She looked so soft it made Robin’s knees weak. She just wanted to crawl into bed beside her and hold her close.

“Uh no, I did.” Robin said nervously.

A quiet fell over the room as both girls stared at one another.

“Can I ask why?” Nancy asked, searching Robin’s face for any of the tells she was slowly starting to learn. What she was looking for she was afraid to even admit to herself at the moment.

“Well, because she thinks she’s right all the time, and I just don’t want to hear about what she has to say about our situation.” Robin said frustratedly, flopping down into her desk chair and nearly pitching out the other side of it.

Nancy bit back a giggle, closing her book with her finger holding her place. “What does she think she’s right about?”

Robin froze, a hand halfway raked through her hair. “She doesn’t think that you’re gay.”

“Cause I’m not.” Nancy quickly said.

“I know that.” Robin bit back, finishing pulling her fingers through her hair. “She thinks you’re just using me for sex.” She looked at Nancy awkwardly, “Which like, we both are I guess, but I don’t want her to know she’s right about it.”

Nancy tapped her thumb against her book, “I think I’m bisexual.” She decided to breach one of the subjects now and chew on the unspoken one that Robin just hedged her way around later after the dirty blonde had fallen asleep.

“That’s cool.” Robin said with a shrug, “It doesn’t matter to me what you label yourself as, if you want to at all because you know you don’t have to.” She turned her chair so it was facing Nancy, “Seriously, this is a safe space if you need it. I’ll never judge you for what you like or don’t like.”

Nancy felt her chest tighten, a small smile curving her lips. “For you too, you can tell me anything or nothing at all.”

Robin nodded, “Thanks, Nance.”

Present Day- November 1985

“What’s the difference between an americano and just a black coffee?”

Robin blinked at the guy that stood on the opposite side of the counter, staring at her like he wasn’t asking the dumbest question in the universe. “An americano is an espresso with water, and a black coffee is just coffee.”

The guy’s face bunched in confusion, “So it’s the same thing.”

“If you think coffee and espresso are the same, then sure.” Robin said dully. She wished this was the first time she had been asked that question just this week.

“Well then I’ll take an espresso straight then.” The guy said with a shrug.

“So you want an espresso.” Robin said, picking up a cup to write the order on it. “Do you want anything in it?”

The guy shook his head, “I like the taste of black coffee.”

Robin bit the inside of her cheek, nodding her head before walking towards the espresso machine to begin the process of pulling a shot. The bell chimed on the front door, announcing another customer, one who hopefully knew what they wanted, as Robin greeted them without looking up. “Good morning, I’ll be with you in just a moment.”

“Take your time.” A familiar voice warmed Robin’s ears as she looked up, nearly forgetting to place an espresso cup into the machine. “Nancy.”

“Hi, I thought I’d grab a coffee on the way to my class.” Nancy said, leaning onto the counter with this look in her eye that made the whole rest of the room disappear.

“Sure thing.” Robin smiled, stepping back from the espresso machine and grabbing the pitcher of coffee that was on the hot plate. She poured the brew, adding just the right amount of cream and sugar before sliding it over the counter to the shorter girl. “On the house.”

“Excuse me, there’s a line.” The guy who had ordered the espresso had turned to look at Nancy, annoyance etched onto his ungroomed unibrow.

“Yours is literally brewing as we speak, chill out.” Robin said, not even looking at him as she smiled at Nancy.

“Will mine be on the house?” He snarked.

Nancy’s bit her lip, her teeth peeking out as she stifled a giggle.

Robin’s jaw tightened, turning to look at the guy. “Must we do this every morning, Miles?” She dumped the espresso into a cup and shoved it across to him. “Go ahead, sip it and act like you don’t hate it while you try not to burn your tongue.”

Miles looked uncomfortable all of a sudden, nervously taking the cup from her. “I don’t hate it.” He said petulantly.

Robin rolled her eyes, “Got the coffee right here for when you decide you don’t have to lie to me anymore.”

MIles huffed, dropping a couple wadded up ones onto the counter and stormed out the front door.

Nancy’s laugh suddenly bubbled up out of her, no longer able to hold it back. “A friend of yours?” She asked.

Robin shook her head, “An unwanted dance partner I should say.”

“He really orders an espresso every day even though he hates it?”

Robin jutted her chin out towards the front window, gesturing for Nancy to see for herself.

Nancy turned to look over her shoulder just in time to see Miles take a sip from the coffee cup and immediately grimace.

“You’d think by now he’d be able to at least not make a face anymore.” Robin said disappointed.

“Well you know how boys are.” Nancy said as she turned back to face her roommate. “They’ve never been shamed for not swallowing before.”

Robin burst out laughing then, slapping her palm onto the counter before pointing a finger at the curly haired girl, “You are so much more than meets the eye, Nancy Wheeler.”

Nancy smirked, her finger brushing the top of her cup in thought. “I hope I’ve beaten your expectations.”

“Like a guy gushing blood in the twelfth round.” Robin said jovially.

“I’ll take it.” Nancy took a sip of her coffee, sighing at the perfect cup. “I’ve got to run though, class starts in ten minutes.”

Robin fought back a pout as she nodded, “Enjoy your coffee, I’ll see you later.”

“Already am.” Nancy winked, turning on her heel and disappearing out the door, the chime of the door announcing her exit.

Robin watched as she slipped past the big open window and clenched the rag in her hand, pulling it taut and wrapping it around her wrist in frustration. She was totally fucked.

Nancy was struggling to stay awake in class, a feat that had only gotten worse since she and Robin had started to sleep together, hence the coffee. It didn’t help that she had stayed up late talking to an old friend on the phone either.

“Good morning, everyone.” Professor Andrews greeted as she made her way into the room, dropping her bag onto her desk with a flourish. “How are those projects coming along?”

A resounding murmur emerged through the class, some audible goods and okays amplifying through the white noise.

Professor Andrews mustered a smile, an annoyance surely hidden directly beneath it. “Yes well, you all still have two weeks to complete it, I’m sure you’ll all figure out just what I’m looking for.”

“Excuse me, Professor?” A young man towards the front of the class raised his hand.

“Yes, Mr-?” The professor directed her attention towards him, forgetting his name or what Nancy thought was more likely, never knowing it in the first place. Normally Jack read through roll call before she even got there.

“A-abernathy.” The student answered her.

Professor Andrews nodded, gesturing for him to continue. “Do you have a question?”

“Yes, ma’am.” He nodded eagerly, fidgeting in his seat nervously. “Will we know the grade before Thanksgiving break? I know my family would like to know how I’m doing in all of my classes.”

Professor Andrew’s cheek twitches, “Yes well, I am sure your family can understand that I have many papers to grade, most of which I will be taking home with me during break.”

A lie, Nancy thought. Jack did most of her grading for her, though he would never outwardly admit to it. She just put two and two together noticing he always unloaded a huge pile of papers onto her desk at the beginning of every class.

“Yes, ma’am. Of-of course.” Mr. Abernathy stuttered, looking away embarrassed.

Nancy bit the inside of her cheek to wake herself up, turning her attention back towards her notebook. She very much disliked Professor Andrews, and with every class the feeling only grew stronger. She found her rude, arrogant, and for a lack of a better word, a bitch. Robin would love her, she thought, chuckling to herself.

“Something funny, Mrs. Wheeler?” The professor turned towards the curly haired girl. Nancy was never so lucky to have her own name forgotten.

“No ma’am.” Nancy shook her head, her eyes sliding over to where Jack sat at his own smaller desk beside the professor’s. He was shaking his head at her.

“Let’s move on to today’s lesson then, shall we?” Professor Andrews turned away from the class, sauntering towards her desk in what Nancy swore were probably six inch heels.

Nancy tapped the end of her pencil against her paper, her mind circling back to Robin and just how much fun she was having with her, even if she wasn’t ready to outwardly admit it just yet. She was afraid to scare the taller girl away, but she needed to tell someone. Which was exactly why she had snuck out of her room last night after Robin had fallen asleep to make a phone call.

The night before- November 1985

Sighing heavily long after Robin had dozed off, Nancy laid staring at the bottom of the top bunk while the dirty blonde softly snored on her chest. It wasn’t supposed to be this way, soft and warm. Nancy understood just as well as Robin did that this was just sex and nothing more. They had agreed to this little arrangement so she could get sleep and it seemed like it was doing anything but.

Nancy ran her hand through Robin’s hair, an action she had already learned didn’t wake the other girl up, which filled her chest with this warm sort of peace. What Robin didn’t know, couldn’t bother her, Nancy thought as she stroked her head once more. Robin stopped snoring when she was petting her, the soft filtering of breath warm against her chest as it lulled the girl into a deeper slumber.

This had to stop, Nancy thought. She needed to detach her feelings from the situation, something she had thought she was really good at until now. She needed advice, someone who would cut right through the bullshit and give it to her straight. She needed Barb.

Nancy carefully slipped out from beneath Robin, the taller girl immediately looking for her in the empty bed. Nancy pushed the pink stuffed bunny into her hands, watching with an aching heart as Robin clutched it close to her own, her cheek squishing up against the old beaded fabric.

Tiptoeing out of the room, Nancy closed the door softly behind her and made her way down the hall to the payphone.

“Hello?” A groggy voice answered the phone, the familiarity immediately calming Nancy’s nerves as she cradled the phone closer to her chin and turned into the wall away from any potential listening ears.

“Barb?” Nancy asked, even though she knew that it couldn’t be anyone else on the other end of the line. She would know her best friend anywhere, even from miles away through a tinny phone line.

“Nancy, what time is it?”

“I know it’s late, I’m sorry.” Nancy whispered into the phone, “But I couldn’t sleep and I needed advice.” She bit her lip, “Maybe it was dumb to call. I’m sorry I woke you.”

“Oh no you don’t.” Barb’s voice came down the line much clearer this time, a stern tone taking form. “You’ve already woken me up so the least you can do is not start one of your Nancy-isms and tell me why you called me.”

“I kissed Robin.” She blurted out before she could convince herself to take that tidbit of information to her grave. Technically they’ve been doing way more than kissing, but she wasn’t ready to talk about that just yet. She wasn’t even entirely sure she wanted to be having this conversation now that it was happening. A part of her knew it was wrong to share this with Barb, like it was rubbing it in her face.

There was a long pause where Nancy thought she might’ve lost Barb all together as static filled her ears before Barb asked her to repeat what she had just said. Nancy rolled her eyes, “You heard me Barb, don’t make me say it again.”

“So if you don’t want to talk about it, what exactly am I supposed to give you advice on? Which, by the way, why am I giving you advice in the first place?” Barb’s voice sounded as harsh as gravel.

“I don’t know.” Nancy sighed, pressing her forehead into the wall, the cold cinder block cooling her warm face. “I guess I just wanted to try and understand why I can’t stop thinking about it, about her.”

“Well.” Barb sighed, the sound of the phone being shifted from one ear to the other, “Why did you kiss her?”

Nancy was dumbfounded by the question, “Uh, why do you kiss anyone?”

“I don’t know Nance, you tell me.” Barb said, she sounded tired and already annoyed, something Nancy wouldn’t come to realize until much later. “Did you call me just because I’m the only other person you know who likes girls?”

“That’s not why.” Nancy quickly said.

Another pause, “Then why Nancy? I haven’t heard from you in weeks, not since your breakup with Jonathan.” Barb’s tone was icy. “And now you’re calling me in the middle of the night to talk about Robin, a girl you hated the last time I saw you, by the way.”

Nancy pursed her lips together, “You know what, it was more than a kiss.” She could feel something bubbling up in her chest that was all too familiar with. That defiance, the desire to be exactly what people wanted her to be. Afterall, Barb had practically called her a slut when she had been dating Steve and all but dropped her as a friend when she was with Jonathan. She wasn’t even sure why they were friends anymore, but she wanted to try. She missed what they once had, it didn’t matter to her that it had been literal years since they felt close, since before Clara.

Barb was silent on the other end of the line, her breathing the only thing signaling that she was still there.

“I’ve been sleeping with her.” Nancy said, her voice wavering. “And I’m scared of what that means.”

“I’m not sure what you want me to say, Nance.” Barb’s voice grew quiet. “You know the only girl I ever kissed was never really mine in the first place.”

“Robin isn’t mine.” Nancy quickly said, far from it, she thought.

“I think we should talk about this when you come home in a couple weeks.” Barb said, “I’ve got work in the morning, and something tells me this is going to need a whole bottle of wine, maybe two.”

Nancy smiled, there she was, her Barb. At that moment Nancy knew she had made the right choice in calling her. She just didn't realize how much it hurt the other girl in doing so.

“Thanks, Barb.”

“Goodnight, Nancy.”

One year ago- November 1984

Senior year was shaping up to be the loneliest year Robin had experienced in her long sentence at Hawkins High. All of her friends had moved on after the end of last year. Milton had moved away, Kate had dropped band and therefore Robin as well after taking up cheerleading to impress her basketball head boyfriend, and Gareth had graduated the year before.

Jonathan was clearly off the table because he was now obsessed with Nancy, and she had only just become friends with Steve, who had also graduated already. She liked to share space with Eddie Munson when he wasn’t in detention, but during most lunch periods that’s exactly where he was, which left Robin to fend for herself as she weaved her way through the courtyard and planted herself at one of the picnic tables on a very unseasonably warm day in November.

She rifled through her brown paper bag she had stuffed a hostess and a banana into on the way out the door that morning when she heard a thump in front of her.

“This seat taken?” Barbara Holland asked as she plopped her messenger bag down on the table, looking to Robin to see if there was any objection to the bold action.

“Take your pick.” Robin said flippantly as she looked back down at her sad lunch and began fidgeting with the plastic wrapper on her chocolate cupcake.

“Thanks.” Barb said, her voice small as she too pulled out a brown paper sack with what was admittedly a better lunch. She dumped a peanut butter and fluff sandwich and a snack pack pudding out onto the table. “You’re not allergic are you?” The redhead asked as she gestured at her sandwich inside its plastic wrap.

Robin shook her head, opening her cupcake and taking a bite.

“I see we’re in the same boat now.” Barb said as she opened her sandwich, unwrapping it slowly as if she had to get it just right. Robin wanted to lean over and just tear it off for her.

“Which is?” Robin asked pointedly.

“Our lives were upended by our supposed bestfriends.” Barb said as if it was the most casual thing she could say on a Wednesday afternoon.

“I don’t know if I would give Jonathan the credit of upending my life.” Robin said with a scoff, “Certainly not because of Princess Wheeler that’s for sure.” She took another bite of her cupcake with conviction.

Barb just eyed her before following suit and eating her sandwich. “Well Nancy upended mine, there’s no ignoring that.”

“Why’s that?” Robin asked, a little frustrated that everywhere she turned the curly haired girl was always the topic of conversation. Even after she and Steve broke up, the whole school still wanted to talk about the Wheeler girl and all things that had to do with her love life.

“Because I’m in love with her.” Barb said with a shrug, taking another bite of her sandwich like it was business as usual.

Robin nearly choked on her lunch, coughing and beating at her chest with a fist. “Seriously? What, does she wear a fucking candy g-string or something?” Seriously, Robin didn’t get it. Sure Nancy was pretty and all, beautiful even, but the dirty blonde still couldn’t wrap her head around just how head over heels everyone seemed to be for her. “Why are you telling me this?” She followed up, glaring daggers at Barb. She would happily take a silent and empty lunch table over talking about Nancy for the hundredth time.

“Thought you’d understand, given our lifestyle choices.” Barb said, her eyes scanning Robin’s face.

“I’d hardly call it a choice.” Robin snarked, she didn’t remember just waking up one morning and deciding she wanted to try kissing a girl for the hell of it. It felt like a disease, the way it made her feel, the way people stared at her after she was outed.

Robin wished she could just like boys, hell she tried to like Steve for a little while after he proved that he wasn’t the asshole she thought he was. It didn’t work though, it never did.

“We don’t have to talk if you don’t want to.” Barb said, not showing any offense to how displeased Robin looked at her presence.

“Good, I don’t.” Robin bit out, crumpling up her wrapper and stuffing it back into the paper bag.

Present Day- November 1985

“Hey, there you are. I’ve been looking for you everywhere!”

Nancy turned to look over her shoulder to see Guy trotting after her, their messenger bag slipping from their shoulder. “Hey, how are you?” She greeted them, stopping so that they could catch up to her.

“I’ve been good.” They smiled at her warmly, pulling the strap of their bag further up their arm as they came to a stop in front of her. There was an awkward pause as they both looked the other over, Guy finally breaking it with a clear of their throat. “So I have some good news to tell you, I wanted to let you know before the holidays.”

“Oh yeah?” Nancy smiled, “What news is that?”

“Congratulations Miss Wheeler, you are officially part of the newspaper.” Guy grinned, reaching into their bag and thrusting a rolled up shirt to her. “I made t-shirts for everyone during the summer and I had a couple left over.”

Nancy took the shirt and held it open to read the front. ‘The Berkeley Beacon Est. 1947’. “Seriously?” She asked, surprised. “I thought there wasn’t an opening until graduation.”

“I pulled some strings.” Guy said, holding out a hand. “It’s going to be a pleasure working with you.”

Nancy felt a shift in the air between them, a familiar look in Guy’s eye that she had seen a few times before. She shook their hand, feeling the warmth of their palm sliding against her own. It turned her stomach sour. “Look Guy, I-”

“You don’t have to say a thing, I’m not expecting anything out of it.” Guy said with a knowing look. “I know you’ve got your eye on someone else.” They said this part with a shade of melancholy in their voice, one she was sure they tried to avoid by the slight crinkle in the corner of their eyes.

Nancy blushed, ducking her chin into her chest as she tucked the shirt into her bag. “Well I don’t know about all that, but I really appreciate you getting me onto the paper.”

Guy waved her off, “Please, I’ve been dying to have a reason to get rid of Becky, but it took me a while to have enough write-ups to get her out the door.”

“That bad huh?” Nancy asked.

“You have no idea.” Guy chuckled, “Girl thought she could just hand in her grocery list when I asked her to write a piece that everyone could relate to.”

“Well, everyone has to eat right?” Nancy giggled.

“Oh, don’t you turn on me already.” Guy pointed a finger at her jokingly, “I put you on the paper and I can take you right back off of it!”

“God, you sound just like my father.” Nancy wrinkled her nose.

“Depending on the girl, that might not be the worst thing.” Guy said with a laugh.

Nancy shook her head, “No daddy issues here, but mommy issues are aplenty.”

“I’m right there with you.” Guy smiled, running a hand through their hair. “Say, did you want to grab a coffee maybe? We can go over what’s currently happening in the newspaper and get you up to date on all the drama.”

Nancy nodded her head, “As friends?” She could already use another pick me up considering the first cup before class didn’t do the trick. She thinks this time she’ll just ask Robin to hook up an I.V. straight from the espresso machine.

“Of course.” Guy agreed, this time their smile met their eyes.

“Come on, I’ll buy you the first cup.” She said, turning to head up the hill where the coffee shop sat.

Robin was finishing up her shift, wiping down the counter and the few tables that were currently empty since it was the height of the day where most students were in class.

“Hey Rob, don’t forget to switch out the pots before you leave, Sam’s going to be a little late and I don’t want to have to worry about brewing fresh pots while I’m here by myself.” Austin called from the open office door.

“Sure thing.” She called, tossing the rag down onto the counter and circling it to begin grinding the coffee beans fresh for the afternoon brew.

She poured the remainder of what was left in the one pot into a cup with ice for herself before rinsing it out and setting it back up on the hot plate.

The door chimed as she set up the second pot, peaking over her shoulder to greet the newcomer. “Hey, how’re you doing?” She called, immediately recognizing Nancy’s friend Guy from the party.

“Hello.” They smiled, holding the door open for someone behind them.

Robin’s brows raised at the second appearance of Nancy today, was the girl missing her already?

Nancy gave her a small wave before following Guy up to the counter. “Can I have an iced double shot with cream and sugar?” She asked.

“A double shot, huh?” Robin asked as she dried out a glass.

“Yeah, my usual just didn’t do the trick for me today.” Nancy said as she shrugged, her eyes moving away before she could be considered staring.

“And for you?” Robin asked, turning to Guy.

“Uh, I don’t really like coffee.” Guy said with an impish smile, turning their gaze upwards at the menu that hung above Robin’s head. “Could I have a green tea with honey and lemon in it?”

Robin nodded, ringing them up. “Gonna be five even.”

Nancy pulled out her wallet, handing Robin the total, their fingers brushing over the money.

Robin swallowed, nodding her head in thanks as she entered it into the register, tucking it into the drawer when it popped open. “It’ll just be a couple minutes.” She said, turning to start the tea first so that it had time to steep.

She watched out of the corner of her eye as Nancy and Guy took a seat near the fireplace. They looked comfortable enough with each other, Nancy hanging on to Guy’s every word like she so often did in a conversation.

Robin turned away, pushing the jealousy down that was beginning to stir in her stomach. She filled the coffee filters for the pots while she was at it, giving herself an extra couple of seconds to catch a grip before she started pulling the first of Nancy’s espresso shots.

Nancy’s giggle nearly caused her to spill as she poured the espresso over ice, cursing to herself as she quickly wiped up the rogue splatters before popping a lid onto both drinks and carrying them over to where the two sat cross-legged and awfully close.

“Thank you, this smells so good.” Guy immediately said after taking the cup from her.

Robin nodded in thanks as she watched Nancy take her first sip and waited for the immediate crinkle that formed at the bridge of her nose at the strength of the espresso. Smiling to herself she started aimlessly back towards her station, “Well I’m going to head out, if you need anything Austin is in the office with the door open.” She untied her apron and rolled it up, tossing it down into the bin beneath the counter.

“You can stay if you want.” Nancy turned to look at her, “We were just talking about my new spot on the Berkeley Beacon.” Robin couldn’t help but feel like Nancy was excited to tell her.

“Congratulations.” Robin smiled wide, knowing that the curly haired girl had been waiting a while for a spot to open up.

“Yeah, if you don’t have anywhere to be right away, come take a load off.” Guy said cheerily, motioning towards a chair that was coincidentally next to Nancy.

Robin nodded her head, “I guess I have a little bit of time before I’ve got to head to bowling practice.” She grabbed her iced coffee she had made for herself and moved to sit in the chair beside Nancy, their knees brushing as she got comfortable in the small armchair.

She mostly listened in silence as she followed Nancy and Guy’s conversation, her eyes ping-ponging back and forth between the two as they talked about anything and everything involving the newspaper.

“So do you write at all Robin?” Guy asked, suddenly turning the conversation onto her. They must’ve felt like she was being left out, something that she had been rather okay with as she sipped on her coffee in silence.

“Oh no, I just like to read a lot.” Robin said casually.

“What do you read?” Guy asked, leaning back in their seat with one leg kicked over the other.

Robin could feel Nancy’s eyes on her, warming her up at the collar. “Well I’m majoring in Russian literature, but I really do love the classics in general. I’m a big fan of Jane Austen actually.” An obvious choice perhaps, but it was a good one, she decided after initially being annoyed at her quick response.

“Do you speak Russian?” Guy asked curiously.

Robin nodded, “A little bit yes, it’s getting there. Mostly I can just read it for now, phonetically it’s definitely the most difficult language I’m learning.”

“You know more than one?” Nancy asked.

Robin nodded, “Yeah I’m pretty much fluent in Spanish and French, and I can scrape by with my Italian.”

“Wow, that’s a lot of languages.” Guy said, surprise clear in their voice.

Robin nodded awkwardly, not liking the attention that was on her at all, Nancy made her nervous, and well Guy seemed okay but she was unsure on where they stood with said curly haired girl. Her eyes brightened then at something she remembered, “Oh, and I taught myself a couple of phrases of pig latin for my senior project last summer.”

“Wow, that is a lot.” Nancy chimed in.

Robin nodded, looking down at her hands as she began twisting one of her rings. “Yeah, I like teaching myself new things.” She shrugged, “It kept me distracted growing up, living in my own reality.”

“Divorced parents?” Guy asked suddenly, shocking Robin into looking up.

“Yeah, how did you know?” She asked.

“My parents are actually currently going through one.” Guy said, taking a sip of their tea. “It’s interesting being in the middle of something that you thought would outlast anything.”

“My parents always fought.” Robin said, her voice going quiet, echoes of past arguments ricocheting around in her head. “I don’t think I can even remember a time before they did.” She began to twist her ring a little faster, feeling a hand fall overtop of hers. Robin looked up to find Nancy already looking at her, her gaze softer than the taller girl had ever seen before. She could feel every nerve ending where they connected, it made Robin want to hold her hand back.

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Guy said, interrupting their moment.

“Yeah well, neither one is easy.” Robin said, “I can’t imagine just waking up one day to your parents wanting to split up and not being able to see the signs. That has to be jarring.”

Guy nodded, “Like the rug is getting pulled out from under you.”

Nancy’s fingers seemed to squeeze Robin’s ever so slightly, it made the dirty blonde wonder if it happened at all before she felt the weight of her hand slip away completely.

“I always wished my parents would split up, but I guess I’m not so sure of that now.” Nancy said, “I just don’t think they ever really loved each other at all, you know?”

“Maybe once upon a time, before life happened.” Guy suggested.

Nancy shook her head, “No, my dad just saw a pretty girl and knew he needed to have her.”

“What about your mom?” Robin asked.

Nancy shrugged, “She just did what everyone taught her she should do, settle down and start a family.”

“And your dad was already right there.” Guy finished.

“Pretty much, yeah.” Nancy nodded, “Which is fine, because they taught me everything that I don’t want.”

“Which is?” Robin asked, and she wasn’t sure why she was asking, or why she suddenly wanted to know the answer more than anything.

“The whole nuclear family bullshit, I think it’s outdated and the farthest thing from what I deserve.”

“Well I think we can all agree to that.” Guy said, raising their cup.

“Yeah.” Robin agreed, clinking her cup against the two of theirs. “Fuck that.”

“Fuck. That.” Nancy said, her eyes skating over Robin’s before taking a drink, her nose wrinkling at the taste.

11 months ago- December 1984

“So did you get the job?” Barb asked as she followed Robin to their usual table in the corner of the cafeteria away from everyone else.

“Yeah, Steve already works there so all I had to do was say I was his friend.” Robin flopped down onto the bench across from her, pulling out her lunch from her bag.

Barb nodded, going silent as she picked through her lunch, looking up at Robin awkwardly every couple of seconds.

Robin sighed, “Are you going to spit it out or are you going to make me ask?” Her and Barb had been sitting together for lunch for a month now, and though some days it felt like a therapy session, Robin was slowly growing to enjoy the redhead’s company.

“She said she loved him.” Barb said, the sadness bleeding from her words.

Robin sighed, tapping the table with her fingers, “It’s just a high school crush, she’ll get bored of Jon eventually, he’s not that interesting.” She said bitterly, the loss of her best friend still caused a soreness in her chest, she wasn’t sure she’d be so quick to forgive if he ever came slinking back after what she could only assume was a ticking clock. Nancy would grow bored of just how vanilla Jonathan was and she’d go back to Steve just like the big haired doofus wanted. Robin already loved him so much she would be happy for him, even if that meant Nancy would be in her life more than she ever had been. She would deal with it for Steve.

Barb nodded glumly, “She never said she loved Steve, maybe it’s real.”

“Either way she’s not going to say it to you so why hold on hoping? You’ll stop breathing if you keep waiting.” Robin said looking at her with the look that told her that she was tired of hearing about the same thing.

Barb’s lip quivered, “I just wish she would at least notice. Sometimes I don’t think she’s even looking.”

“Yeah well, can’t say I’m surprised.” Robin shrugged, “Nancy Wheeler seems to me like the most self centered person in the world, and it certainly doesn’t help with you treating her like she hung the moon.” Robin was hoping this tough love routine she had started giving to Barb was working, the girl kept coming back for lunch everyday so she had to assume it was doing something. She thought back to Nancy trying to help her clean the slur off of her locker and pushed it away.

“I want to tell her, I feel like it would take this huge weight off of my chest that has been suffocating me for years.” Barb said with a sigh.

“But why do that to yourself knowing you’re only going to get hurt?” Robin asked, confused. Why didn’t Barb want to protect herself? Robin couldn’t imagine not having the armor she had learned to build up around her.

“I owe it to myself.” Barb said, “To be brave, even if the outcome isn’t leaning in my favor.”

“You’re crazy.” Robin said with a shake of her head.

Present Day- November 1985

“So are you and Guy a thing?” Robin asked Nancy later that night as she was getting dressed for bowling practice.

“What, are you jealous?” Nancy asked. She was sprawled out on her bed, her bare legs and knobby knees on full display as she rested her open book on her chest.

Robin scoffed, “I’m not jealous.”

Nancy raised a brow, pushing her book off to the side as she sat up. “No?”

Robin shook her head, “Nope.”

Nancy hummed, slowly standing and moving over to where Robin was fumbling to button her shirt. “Are you sure? Cause you sound kind of jealous.”

Robin rolled her eyes, feeling her pulse quicken as Nancy grew closer. If the girl was hedging for another roll in the sheets, she would certainly be late to practice. “I do not.”

“Fine.” Nancy said, her hands coming up to where Robin’s were trying and failing to fasten a button on her shirt. She fixed the button, her hands smoothing over the taller girl’s chest. “Are you going to see Amy tonight?”

Robin had to think for a moment of who Nancy was referencing to, her mind starting off blank before dark hair and a red bandana came flooding back to her. Her lips curved upwards, looking down at where Nancy was staring up at her. “Amy?” She played dumb, “Who’s that?”

Nancy laughed, “Right, sometimes I forget who I’m dealing with here.” Her nails grazed over Robin’s sides, “How could I forget that I’m living with the hottest stud on Emerson campus?”

“Are you flirting with me?” Robin asked, her eyes traveling to Nancy’s lips. All the shorter girl had to do was make a move, and she’d be putty in her hands.

“Maybe.” Nancy said with a smirk, her hands landing on Robin’s hips.

“Well, since you asked so nicely.” Robin said, ignoring the fluttering in her chest, “I slept with Amy one time and it was a while ago now.”

“I don’t blame you, she’s pretty.” Nancy said, her fingers tracing over the skin just about Robin’s jeans and beneath her shirt. “Was it in the bowling alley?”

Robin chuckled, “Why, do you want to picture me fucking her in one of the booths by the bar?”

Nancy bit her lip, “It’s kind of hot.” Her hands hovered over the button of Robin’s jeans, “But I think what I’m about to do to you is way hotter.”

“Oh yeah?” Robin asked, her voice coming out in a rasp, all of the moisture in her mouth suddenly gone.

Nancy nodded, flicking open the button of the taller girl’s jeans. “Think you can handle it?”

“Oh, I can handle anything.” Robin said, her voice wavering.

Nancy’s eyes flicked up to hers as her hand crept into her underwear, fingers sliding over Robin’s slick. “Want to feel you.” She said low and slow.

“You already are.” Robin said, stumbling back into her desk as Nancy moved over top of her.

“Not enough.” Nancy said, fingers dipping lower and hooking into her with ease. “You’re already so wet for me.”

“To be fair, we did just get done having sex.” Robin tried to explain, and she couldn’t stop talking, why couldn't she stop? Clearly Nancy was trying something here, and she wanted the curly haired girl to have the stage.

“That’s right.” Nancy leaned in and pressed a kiss just beneath Robin’s ear, “You’re always such a good girl for me Robin, always fucking me so good.” She whispered, and if the girl seemed nervous in her dirty talking, it certainly wasn’t apparent to Robin at that moment.

Robin whimpered, not biting her lip fast enough to keep it in. All she could feel was Nancy, her own haggard breathing could barely be heard over the blood pumping in her ears. She wanted Nancy so bad it hurt, she wanted her everywhere.

Nancy’s brows raised at the sound, wanting to hear it again. “Do you like being good for me Robin? Do you like when I touch you?”

Robin’s hips stuttered on Nancy’s wrist as her fingers entered her fully, a gasp escaping her lips at the sudden fullness. Her pupils were blown wide as Nancy’s began to slowly thrust into her, nodding her head dumbly at the question.

“So tight for me.” Nancy moaned, pressing a sloppy kiss to Robin’s neck. “Love feeling you wrapped around me.”

Robin’s ears pricked up at the use of ‘love’, but considering the current circumstances let it go. She felt the same way when she was fucking Nancy, maybe the shorter girl was just really into the dirty talking, something she was already great at. Robin pushed away the thoughts of who Nancy might’ve talked dirty with before, focusing on the task at hand which was getting nailed against her desk like Nancy’s final exam grade depended on it.

Robin leaned further back so that she was just sitting on the edge of the desk, curling a leg up and around Nancy to pull her closer, feeling her fingers slide even deeper in doing so. “Ah, fuck.” She groaned.

Nancy continued peppering kisses up her neck, before reaching her mouth and planting a particularly filthy kiss on her, their tongues sliding together as she rocked her fingers into her.

“God, you feel so good.” Robin whispered, wanting to match Nancy in her horniess.

“Yeah?” Nancy asked, biting Robin’s lip. “You’re going to be late for practice.” She said, a lilt in her tone telling Robin that it was her plan all along.

“Don’t care about practice.” Robin mumbled, kissing Nancy once more and feeling the shorter girl moan into her mouth. “Just want you.” She said, and maybe it was too much, maybe she would actually give a fuck if Nancy wasn’t currently making her breath hitch inside her throat.

“Gonna come for me baby?” Nancy purred, making Robin’s vision blurr.

“Fuck, fuck.” Robin bit out, her nails digging into Nancy’s shoulders. Her legs shook as she fell the rest of the way back onto her desk, Nancy following her as she sped up her thrusts.

Robin clenched her eyes shut as she came, the orgasm ripping through her as fast as it had started. When she opened her eyes she was met with a very smug Nancy.

“I bet no one's ever made you feel that good.” She said rather cockily, “I’m thinking that was a new best for me.” She pulled out of Robin slowly, letting the taller girl unclench from her fingers before slipping out entirely.

Robin felt her stomach swoop, should she tell her the truth? It didn’t even take ten seconds for Robin to decide her answer, “I don’t know, you’ll have to duke it out with Stacey to get the title of best fuck.”

Nancy froze from where she was cleaning her hands with sanitizer. If Robin wasn’t mistaken, the shorter girl looked angry at the mention of the blonde. “So you have slept with Stacey.”

“I never said I didn’t.” Robin said as she stood up and began straightening her clothes. “I just told you we weren’t dating.” She looked at Nancy curiously, “Is that a problem?”

Nancy quickly shook her head, a blush creeping up her throat, “It’s none of my business who you pretend to not have feelings for.”

Robin laughed, if only she knew. “I don’t have feelings for Stacey.” Maybe she did at first, but those feelings quickly got sideswiped by somebody else.

“Right.” Nancy clipped out, turning away from Robin and moving back towards her bed.

Robin rolled her eyes, why did she feel like she had to convince Nancy that she was wrong? It only could benefit her that Nancy believed that there was something going on between her and Stacey. Robin decided she would let her think what she wanted to think, her stubbornness keeping her in the dark about the actual truth that was staring her in the face.

Robin finished buttoning her shirt, grabbing her bag from off of the desk chair. “Well I’m going to head out, I’ll catch you later.”

Nancy didn’t even look up from her book, “Tell Amy I said hi.”

10 months ago- January 1985

“Wait, you’ve kissed a girl?” Robin asked in disbelief.

Barb nodded her head, popping a grape into her mouth. “Only once, but yeah.”

“Why are you only telling me this now?!” Robin asked, her heart beating loud in her ears. What had it been like? She wanted to ask.

“You didn’t seem open to talking about it until now.” Barb said.

Robin swallowed, leaning back away from the table and thought back to the last two months and how she had first started their daily lunches. She hadn’t been the nicest to Barb. “I’m sorry I was such a dick.”

“You were scared, I get it.” Barb said with a shrug, “I remember seeing what Tommy and Carol wrote on your locker and I wanted to help you but-”

“Nancy came over instead.” Robin finished for her.

Barb nodded, looking down to her grapes. “Anyways, have you talked to Vickie yet?”

Robin’s eyes bulged, her head whipping around in all directions to see if anyone had heard them. “No!” She said quickly, her face betraying her in its shade of pink.

Barb laughed, “But you’re going to, right?”

“She has a boyfriend.” Robin reasoned, shaking her head.

“That is away at college.” Barb said, “Besides, is she really that straight if she’s always staring at you?”

“She doesn’t stare at me.”

“Oh really, because I could totally wave to her right now if you want.”

“Don’t you dare.” Robin jumped, slamming her hands over Barb’s on the table.

Barb continued to laugh, pulling her hands out from under Robin’s and going back to her lunch. “Chicken.” She said dismissively.

Robin rolled her eyes, “Alright hot shot, tell me about the girl you kissed.”

“I met her while I was at YMCA camp last summer.” Barb said, the tone of her voice taking on a sadder note. “Her name was Miranda.” She turned to look out the window at the downpouring rain that had been nonstop since the middle of the night.

“And?” Robin asked, holding her breath.

“And her Greek Orthodox parents found out while we were at camp, one of the counselors had called them after we got caught in the pool house.”

“I’m sorry.” Robin looked at her new friend with a known sadness, one that maybe was the only other person that could understand.

“Yeah well, they went back to Wisconsin and I never got her home address so I can’t even write a letter if I want to.” Barb sighed, “It just wasn’t meant to be.”

“Do you ever wonder who decides that?” Robin asked, the moment spurring her on in anger, a bitter one that was fueled by every straight couple in the vicinity. Why was it so easy for them? It wasn’t fair.

“The universe I guess.” Barb said.

“Fuck that.” Robin said through her teeth, throwing down her half-eaten cold pizza slice. “I think we should be the ones that decide our own fate.”

“Says the girl who won’t even talk to her crush.” Barb said with a chuckle.

“She has a boyfriend.” Robin repeated.

“Away at college.” Barb challenged her, “Besides, there’s no straight explanation for the look I keep seeing over your shoulder.”

“Why am I friends with you?” Robin sighed in frustration.

“Because we’re all we have left.” Barb said sadly, as if she wondered the same thing, as if there was someone sitting on the other side of the cafeteria that she would rather be talking to at that very moment. If she stretched her neck she could just make out the familiar perm that evaded her in her dreams.

“Maybe so, but that doesn’t mean we have to act like complete douchebags.” Robin clipped out, “Starting now, we’re going to be better friends to each other.”

“I don’t know Rob, that sounds pretty gay.” Barb giggled.

“Oh, shut up.”

Present Day- November 1985

“Nancy thinks I have feelings for you.” Robin blurted out as soon as she saw Stacey the following day when she got done work.

“Well, do you?” Stacey asked pointedly as she sipped on the coffee Robin had brought her.

Robin rolled her eyes, “When we first met, maybe.” She decided to be honest since she figured Stacey had probably already known the truth anyways. The blonde was very intuitive that way.

Stacey smirked, “I don’t blame you, I’m a catch.”

“A total heartbreaker.” Robin nodded.

“So why are you telling me this? Other than to laugh about how dumb your supposedly very smart roommate is.”

“I need you to go along with it.”

Stacey raised a brow, “What?”

“If Nancy thinks I have feelings for you then she won’t think I like her.” Robin reasoned.

Stacey burst out laughing, “So you want me to help convince Nancy she’s right about you having a crush on me while you actively fuck her? This is amazing.”

Robin chuckled, “It does sound crazy.”

“Hey, I like ‘em crazy.” Stacey said with a wink, “So what do you want me to do?”

“Just be you.” Robin said, “I’ll do the rest.”

“Sounds hot.” Stacey chuckled, “I’m in.”

Robin decided to take the long way back to the dorm after her final class of the day, taking in what was probably one of the last warm days of the year. She had been holding off on making the phone call she knew she needed to make, but she remembered the promise she had made less than a year ago and decided that she had waited long enough.

Wanting to make sure that there was no way she’d bump into Nancy, she headed over to the welcome center and chose a payphone out of the row that lined the front door.

Putting the change in was easy, hell even dialing the phone number was like muscle memory, but hearing the voice on the other end made the conversation she had rehearsed in her brain all but disappear.

“Hello?”

“Hi Barb, we need to talk.”