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It was all so surreal. It hadn’t really sunk in, to be honest, what had happened just two weeks ago. That’s 14 days, 336 hours, 20,160 minutes and 1,209,600 seconds. But, the point was, that another freakin’ dimension exists! Did it used to be inhabited by actual people? Are Deligons… Desagon… whatever the hell they were, did they used to be human? There are so many possibilities! Oh yeah, the Russians were also building a super secret machine UNDERNEATH THE MALL SHE HAPPENED TO WORK AT. How long had they been there? Had she been working floors above evil commies all the time?
Robin groaned and rested her head on the wall in Steve Harringtons bathroom. The whole party was here for movie weekend because Steve’s parents were on a trip once again. She had a killer headache. She hadn’t really been sleeping well, nightmares and anxiety in general. Little noises have her on alert and she almost punched her mom in the face when she (she didn’t mean to) crept up on Robin.
“Robin! Hurry up!” yelled Harrington, the house was huge so he was probably at the bottom of the stairs.
“Coming!” Robin turned and (she didn’t know this) the floorboard creaked. She took a sharp breath and looked around, her back to the wall. “Who- who’s there?” she asked, eyes wide with terror as she scanned the bathroom. Robin heard another noise to her left she whipped her head around. Nothing. She tumbled to her feet and ripped the door open and legging it. She felt like there was someone chasing her.
She could sense them.
“Robin!” it yelled, loudly and it grabbed her. She screamed. “Robin! Open your eyes!” what. Her eyes were open! She was staring at the body of a commie soldier with the uniform but his head was like the Mind Flayer.
“Robin!” she gasped and came to reality. She was sat on the floor of Steve Harringtons bathroom. Steve Harringtons himself was kneeling in front of her with concern etched on his face and his hands on her shoulders.
It was too much.
She couldn’t deal with it.
Too much going on.
Too much to process.
“G- g- g- get your ha-ha-hand-hands- off mmm-me,” she stuttered through laboured breaths, she looked like she was going to pass out. Robin felt a tear fall down her cheek but she couldn’t deal with it. She couldn’t breath! Every time she breathed in it was like somebody was stabbing her chest.
She could still sense it. Everywhere she went they were still with her! Maybe it was the really creepy guards she had while Steve was being beat up. They were talking but she knew most of what they were saying. The stuff they said they wanted to do to her.
“Hey, hey! Robin. Deep breaths. Don’t get lost in that amazing mind of yours,” Steve said surpassingly soothingly. Robin watched him do exaggerated deep breaths and tried to follow but it was like someone was sitting on her chest. Tears welled in her eyes.
“Sss-s-Steve. I’m sca-scared. I can’t…. I can’t bre-breath!” she cried. Steve looked petrified right about now.
“Just- just try Robin. Come on. In… out,” while he was trying to do that, Robin was getting better at copying him.
Then the door slammed open.
“I am a minor so you two better not be doing anything… mature,” Lucas! He stopped at the door watching the scene before him.
Kick-Ass Robin Buckley was sat with her legs to her knees with tears welling in her eyes and tear tracks down her cheek. Her arms red with scratches where she had scratched her arms in her panic. She couldn’t breath. They were short, desperate gasps.
“Don’t just stand there Sinclair! Help!” snapped Steve.
“I know someone that can help!” Lucas said before running off.
“I’m gonna die,” Robin kept repeating under her breath as she rocked back and forth. Steve was at a lost.
Until Sinclair came back with Mayfield.
“Max?! You bring Max! Sorry Max but we literally have Eleven downstairs who can look into peoples minds!” Steve cried. Robin flinched away from the loud noises and buried herself further away. Max pushed Lucas out the bathroom and pushed Steve.
“Yeah? Well that’s good for El. Right now I understand what she is going through!” Max said with a glare. They left and Max kneeled down in front of her friend. “Hey Robin. It’s Max. How tight is your chest?”
Robin opened her eyes and saw the room empty apart from herself and Max.
“L- like… like there is an- an… elephant on my…. chest!” she wheezed out, face going red. Max was getting really worried now.
“Her Robin, let’s play a game,” suggested Max.
“N- no- not going to- to *wheeze* tell me t- to t-take- ta-take deep breaths?” she asked, her through feeling painful. Max shook her head.
“Nope. Tell me five things you can see,” she said calmly, slowly sitting next to Robin. Robin closed her eyes and more tears fell from corners of her eyes.
She opened them.
“Sh- sh- shower. Si-si-sink. Toi-toil-toilet. Floor— can’t do it!” Max gently put an arm around Robins shoulders and didn’t do anymore when she felt the small flinch at the contact, just leaving her arm there.
“Yea you can. One more thing you can see!” Max encouraged. She placed two fingers on Robins wrist and winced.
“Light!”
“Four things you can touch—“ it went like that for a while. Finally though, Robin was calming down. Max had managed to get her to lay down with her head in Max’s lap as small shudders wracked her body. “Shh it’s okay. You’re okay Robin. You’re okay. They’re gone,”
Robin listened to the words and felt the calming hands either combing through her hair or hands rubbing their hand up and down Robins arm. Robin shivered and held a her breath for a few seconds before releasing.
"No. Don’t do that Robin. Just take slow breaths," Max advised softly, brushing her hair out of her face. Robin nodded weakly and stared taking slow breaths. "You’ll be feeling okay in a few minutes, and if you aren’t then I won’t leave you. None of us will," Max said.
"Thank you," Robin mumbled tiredly, she had never had a panic attack before. It really took it out of her.
"No problem," Max answered truthfully, she’s been going through panic attacks for years now on her own. It sucks. When she finally met Lucas and he helped her through one a few months ago, it really helped her personally.
"Can- can you tell me how- how you.. know so much. It’s okay if- if you can’t bec-because I knows it’s private a- and—" Robin stammered, she was trying to formulate the words but she couldn’t think straight and everything was too much.
Max could feel Robin get tense so she quickly cut her off before she got back into her bad breathing habits.
“Robin- Robin! It’s fine! It’s fine!" Max interrupted loudly, raking her hand through Robins sweaty hair. It’s hard to believe that Robin is only 17 and Max is 14. Robin sniffed. "You… you can’t tell anyone though. I mean it. Nobody. Promise?"
"Mmhm," Robin answered sleepily.
"Okay, so… a few years ago my mom divorced my dad and got together with… with… with erm his dad," even in her tired state, Robin understood that she was talking about Billy. To be completely honest, Robin had forgotten about the boy who saved El. She barely knew his name.
"Long story short. He isn’t a nice man. He… is possessive and aggressive and I can’t sleep at night sometimes because I’m scared of what he’s going to do. He hurts me and my mom and now that… Billy’s gone… I- I always knew me and him would escape one day… just didn’t expect it to be like that," Max got quieter near the end.
"M’sorry Max," Robin replied after a little. Max hummed and they sat in silence for a while. They heard someone outside the door and Max, not wanting Robin to be scared even though the older teen seemed to be calmer now, said quickly:
"It’s just one of the guys," the to the obviously nervous person outside the door. "Come in then," it was Steve.
"Everyone good in here?" he asked nervously, lingering at the threshold.
"Uh huh. Robin? You good?" Max asked, still raking her hand through her hair.
"Yeah. Tired. But I’m better," Robin replied, she didn’t want to move really. "What film are we watching?" she asked, trying to tilt her head to look at Steve. Hey, she loved her hair being played with when she was feeling under the whether. It was calming. Plus, her hair was sweaty and it was nice to get it off her neck.
"Well, we- we hadn’t really thought. To be honest, I- I uh was worrying about you so I just let the kids do what they were doing. They’re all pretty mentally exhausted. Mike is just holding El — she hasn’t spoken in three weeks apparently. Will, Lucas and Dustin are just talking about September," Steve answered, rubbing the back of his neck.
Robin flushed and actually turned so she was facing Max’s stomach.
"No- no! I didn’t- I didn’t want… *whispered* Oh my god," Steve closed his eyes and he heard Max and Robin laughing quietly.
"You getting flustered Dingus?" Robin teased, actually now sitting up. She asked Max for a bobble and the younger girl stood up and went searching in the bathroom.
"Shush Buckley," Steve muttered. He took the opportunity and came and sat down next to Robin. “Glad you’re okay. You scared me hello’ov a lot back there," he said quietly, nudging his shoulder with hers.
"Yeah… it was pretty scary wasn’t it?" Robin replied with a small smile.
"Yeah…" they were silent until they heard Max’s shout of glee.
"Found one!" she told Robin to turn around. The teenager clumsily turned around so she was sat facing the wall. She then put Robins hair in a messy ponytail. It was pretty hard because her hair was quite short but it was enough to get it off her neck.
"Come on. Let’s go watch a film," Steve helped Robin up and wet a flannel. He handed it to her and she ran it over her face. It cooled her down and actually gave her some breath back as she kept the cold on her face. You know what I mean?
They got downstairs and Max walked into the living room. Steve held Robin behind.
"Listen, I know the last few weeks have been tough. I’ve had two years to get my head around all of this. You’ve had two weeks. If you ever need to talk, I’m here for you. If you ever feel like that’s again then just call me or something and I’ll be there for you. Always. You’re… you’re my best friend Robin. I want to be there for you," Robin teared up and hugged him tightly.
"Thank you Steve. I’m… I’m not very good with feelings… and stressful situations… and just people, but the offer goes to you too," they both laughed and Steve nodded, saying his thanks.