Chapter Text
Robin Buckley couldn’t tear her eyes off the screen as gorgeous Phoebe Cates ran from a horde of gremlins. From her dark hair to sweet curves, Robin’s heart was in a panic over the actress. She folded her arms over the counter and rested her head on them, moping for a girl like that to look her way.
“Enjoy your movie,” Steve Harrington said, smiling to the family leaving with a copy of ET. “And don’t forget the popcorn.”
“Do you think Suzie really is as cute as Phoebe Cates as Dustin says?” asked Robin, not actually caring for an answer. It was the longest Saturday of her poor high school life, and all she wanted to do was go home.
Steve shrugged, patting the side of his hair. “The kid’s not a good liar so she must be. Not that it matters, right?”
Robin watched him from the corner of her eye. There was something about Steve that always seemed so effortless and cool. A trait she once hated about him in Mrs. Clickety-Clackety’s class but hated a little less now. In fact they had become best friends since last summer. Saving Hawkins from evil forces had a way of trauma bonding two people.
Or three, Robin remembered as she looked over her shoulder.
Eddie Munson, as shaggy and kooky as ever, leaned on the counter. He lazily flipped through a metal magazine, possibly counting down the minutes for Steve to clock out. It was Hellfire night.
“Are you sure you don’t want to spoil us peasants with your presence tonight?” asked Eddie as if he could feel her watching. “I’m sure Harrington’s going to need all the backup he can get.”
“Uhm, excuse me.” Steve held up a hand, his face twisting into mock offense. “I think I can handle whatever shitstorm your dice roll my way.”
Robin spoke with an edge of friendly sarcasm, “As much as I’d hate to miss a riveting battle of wits and shits against diabolical monsters, I think I’ve had enough excitement to last me till summer.”
“Cool, cool. We’ll get you next time.”
“Speaking of summer…” Steve began as he checked his hair in the window’s reflection. It was as perfect and bouncy as ever thanks to Farah Fawcett’s hair spray. “Eddie and I are planning a little day trip. Yah know, something fun to celebrate graduating.”
Eddie perked up, excitement brightening his brown eyes. He jogged in place with poorly contained jittering. “Yeah, man. What better way to inaugurate finally being free from that prison they call high school than loading up my van and going camping. We can get high and roast marshmallows.”
Robin stared for a moment. It always surprised her when the tough-looking metalhead proved to be a big softie. “I dunno, boys. I wouldn’t want to be your third wheel.”
“You don’t have to be.” Steve raised a finger as if a brilliant idea had just struck him. “Why not invite Vickie?”
“Yeah, you can bring Vickie,” said Eddie before leaning toward Steve and whispering, “Who’s Vickie?”
Steve pantomimed playing the trumpet till Eddie remembered. He shot finger guns in Robin’s direction, earning himself a dramatic eye roll.
“Vickie the band girl. How could I forget?” Eddie smiled wide. “I bet she would be down for camping.”
“I can’t just ask a girl to spend the night away with me.” Robin’s cheeks flushed red; her words tripped over themselves as she tried to explain. “I mean, I don’t exactly know if she likes me. She seems to like me as a friend because she says hi to me and laughs at my jokes, but I do the same with Steve and I’d rather play D and D with kids for a week than spend the night with him.”
“Awe, thanks for the love,” Steve responded, folding his arms over his chest. “You’re always doing this.”
“Doing what?”
“Talking yourself down as if you’re not super cool.” Eddie waved his magazine like a glossy flag for her attention. “Like, hello, earth to Robin. You’re not some boring cog in the machine like most douchebags at Hawkins high. You’re funny and smart and what girl wouldn’t swoon over those big blue eyes?” Eddie clasped his hands together, batting his eyelashes.
Steve hip checked Eddie as he made his way around the counter. “I know you’re nervous, I get it. I do. I just hate to see you hold yourself back when it is so clear that Vickie – ”
“Oh, speak of the devil. I mean, angel,” Eddie said, fake coughing into his elbow.
Robin turned as the front door opened. Late spring sunshine raised a halo around the redheaded girl as she entered. Robin’s heart skipped a beat, feeling too large in her tightening chest. She stared like a deer caught in headlights as Vickie entered Family Video and waved.
“Welcome to Family Video,” Steve said when Robin stared silently too long. “Let us know if you need help with our overwhelming selection.”
“Thanks,” Vickie said before turning to Robin with a shy smile. “Hi.”
“Hey.” Robin had to remind herself to breathe once Vickie made her way toward the far wall of VHS tapes.
“Oh my god,” Robin whispered to the boys as they smiled wolfishly. “You don’t think she heard us from outside, do you? Oh god, I can feel my pits sweating. Is it noticeable? It is, isn’t it? God! It feels like the Amazon Forest under this blazer.”
“I mean, you do look a little warm today,” Eddie said, earning himself a light elbow jab from Steve.
“You’re fine, Robin. Go talk to her.”
Robin glanced over her shoulder. “Nah. I wouldn’t want to crowd her. I’m sure she already knows what she wants.”
Robin busied herself with sanitizing the counter. She casted her eyes low as she scrubbed with a stained washrag. Her cheeks pinkened as she ease-dropped on Eddie and Steve.
“Before we meet up with the others, babe, I just need to grab a quick bite.”
“Sure. Can we go over the plan again?" Eddie said to Steve, getting himself hyped without breaking a sweat. "It’s going to be so wicked. So for tonight’s campaign I was thinking we could…”
“Hey, Robin. Robin?”
Robin snapped out of it. “Huh? Oh, sorry. I didn’t hear you.”
“It’s okay," Vickie said, cheeks pink as she fidgeted with her purse. "I hate to bother you but... Could you help me pick out a movie?”
“Oh, uhm, Steve is actually the best at giving recommendations.” Robin turned to Steve. “Do you mind helping her?”
Steve stood with the blank face of a fish before Eddie caught on. He forced a yawn, stretching his arms wide. The sleeves of his leather jacket swiped across the counter, knocking over a candy display. Colorful boxes of M&Ms and Charleston Chews rained onto the floor. He kicked a few boxes for good measure.
“Whoops! What a clutz,” Eddie said with a sheepish grin and a loose shrug. He clapped Steve’s back. “Sorry, Harrington. Guess you got a clean-up on aisle, uhm, romantic comedy.”
Steve death glared him for the extra work and mumbled, “Smooth, very smooth.”
Steve gave Robin a what can you do? look and went around the counter. Eddie swooped onto his knees to slowly help Steve while keeping an eye over the counter.
“Sorry about that. Of cours,e I’ll help you. What are you in the mood for?” Robin asked, following Vickie to the horror section.
“Well, my parents are out of town, and I think I want to branch out and try something scary. But not like super gross or anything. I still want to be able to sleep tonight.”
“Okay, I like a challenge. Are you into werewolves? We have Stephen King’s Silver Bullet.”
“I’m not sure I’ve heard about that one,” she said, picking up the movie and turning to the back. “A small town… people go missing… might not be for me.”
Yikes, that sounds a little too close to home.
“That's fair.” Robin clasped her hands together, thinking about what she knew about Vickie and their past conversations. She snapped her fingers. “Okay, I might have an idea. It’s definitely goofy, though has its moments of fright.”
Robin scanned the shelves. She squatted for the lower shelves, her tongue sticking faintly out the side of her mouth in concentration. Come on, come on. She slid her finger over the tapes till she found it. She sprang to her feet, holding it up like a prize.
Vickie read the cover, “Night of the Comet?”
“Yeah, it’s a horror-comedy. Think end of the world with zombies, evil scientists, and pretty cool female leads.”
“And a comet?”
Robin smiled. “Yeah, that’s pretty important too.”
Vickie looked the cover over again, her fine lips twitching at the corners. She grinned. “Alright, I’m sold. Can you check me out?”
Robin looked Vickie up and down briefly. She paused on Vickie’s bright blue eyes before trailing down to her mouth. Biting her inner cheek, she’d do anything to kiss those pink lips.
That’s not what she means, Robin. Focus on the transaction! She felt her ears burning as she went behind the counter. Her hands trembled as she typed on the register. She tried ignoring the trouble in her peripheral vision.
“Come on, pretty boy," teased Eddie. "Be cool.”
“I am cool, you’re the one playing with my job now," Steve snapped.
Eddie and Steve were taking a million years to fix the candy display. No thanks to a particular hellraiser. Every time Steve stacked a box on the counter, Eddie would accidentally knock it over. He was like a cat up to no good on the kitchen counter.
“Well, enjoy your movie. Let me know how you like it.”
“Thanks. Uhm, see yah around.”
“See yah.”
Robin watched Vickie walk out the door before leaning over the counter to glare at her two favorite idiots. “Are you guys crazy? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”
Steve looked up, his brows furrowing. “What did I do?”
“Of course we’re crazy, aren’t we all?” Eddie grabbed an armful of candy, finally ready to let Steve do his job.
“You were great by the way. I’m a real proud papa bear.” He faked wiping tears from his eyes, his lips trembling comically. “We did a great job with her, Steve.”
Steve rolled his eyes as Eddie leaned against him, his full weight nearly knocking him flat on the ground. He patted Eddie’s back till he was done with his shtick.
“I do have one critique,” Steve said, rolling out from under Eddie.
“What?”
“You should’ve offered to watch it with her. Maybe even bring a pizza or something.”
“What? No way. That’s too bold. I couldn’t.”
“Maybe you don’t have to…”
The front door opened as Vickie returned. Her eyes glittered, even under the ugly yellow lights of the store. For a moment she looked like an ethereal goddess in Robin’s mind.
“Hey, Vickie. Did you change your mind?” Robin stammered over her words. “Sorry if I steered you in the wrong direction. We have so many other options, and I was serious about Harrington being good at recommendations.”
“Actually, I forgot to ask you something.”
“Oh yeah?” Robin cut a look to Eddie and Steve who were leaning on the counter, watching intently. They noticed her glare and pretended to gawk at the metal magazine.
“Yeah, I don’t know if you already have plans tonight, but I was wondering if you’d want to watch this with me. I think movies are so much cooler when you have someone to watch them with. My parents left me money for a pizza. So, uh, what do you think?”
“I think… that sounds super cool.” Dammit, Robbin. Super cool, really? “Like, what time were you thinking?”
“Come around seven,” Vickie said, holding out a scrap of paper.
Robin took it, staring at the tiny writing. There was Vickie’s address, she couldn’t believe her eyes. Or her ears! Vickie had asked her to come over for dinner and a movie. Her stomach tightened, but was it a date? She didn’t have time to ask.
“See yah later, Robin.” Vickie waved, leaving as soon as she had appeared.
Robin stared so hard at the paper her eyes burned from dryness. She held it up to the light like it were a newly discovered holy script. “Holy shit you guys, did you see that? Like, that actually happened, right?”
“Nice!” Eddie cheered, holding his hand up in the rock on symbol.
“And to think you were worried for nothing.” Steve crossed his arms, beaming with an aura of I told you so.
“I don’t know, Steve. I don’t want to get my hopes up. It’s not like she said it was a date.”
“But did she really have to?”
Robin sighed, wishing she had.