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Once upon a time the planets and the fates and all the stars aligned. You and I ended up in the same room at the same time.
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From the first time Nancy saw Robin Buckley, gesturing widely and talking so loudly she could be heard across the store, Nancy knew she wanted her. Even if she was working at Family Video with her ex-boyfriend, she could definitely pull off that uniform.
And so, Nancy set out to lay the groundwork. This is what she always did since the time she was thirteen and her mother had sat her down to explain it.
It was back when Nancy and her mom were close, and they had just come home from a day spent shopping and getting their nails done. You see, all the wisest women had to do it this way... she started, and then warned about the dangers of men and how Nancy had to work with what she had.
Young Nancy, who was understandably upset, asked why.
We were born to be the pawn in every lover's game her mom answered, as if that easily explained everything.
That was what had led her to Steve Harrington, the expectations so ingrained in her mind that she had convinced herself this is what she wanted. Steve thought he was the one who noticed her first, who was making the first move, but it was Nancy who intentionally bumped into him and batted her eyelashes, It was nancy who wore her nicest outfits on days she knew he would see her and notice her. It was Nancy who initiated everything.
Jonathan had been the same, much more subtle, but still under Nancy's control. She knew him through Mike, and although it sounds mean, Nancy thinks part of the reason she liked him so much was that he was the opposite of everything her mom wanted for her. It felt like revenge. So whenever she dropped Mike off she made sure to talk to him and whenever he brought Mike back she always invited him in.
All this to say, Nancy had a method, a scheme, a way to get anyone she wanted: Steve, Jonathan, and now Robin. She knew if you fail to plan then you plan to fail. Of course, Nancy had only used this with men, but how different could it be?
So one day she waltzed into Family Video, when only Steve was there of course, and innocently asked, "Are you going to the party tonight?"
They had stayed friends, even with a rough breakup, so it wasn't completely out of the blue for her to ask.
"Sure, I'm not doing anything else. What's the address?"
Nancy smiled as she wrote it down, this was easier than she thought.
"I'll bring Robin and meet you there," Steve affirmed, and Nancy smirked even more as her plan fell into place.
Before the part, Nancy took extra care in choosing her outfit and fixing her hair. She even put on more makeup than she normally did.
The party was, well, a party. Nancy didn't particularly like them but it was a means to an end. She made small talk for a time, watching to see when Steve and Robin arrived.
She didn't have to wait for long because after a few minutes she saw them walk in. She didn't introduce herself though, only kept them in the corner of her eye until she saw Robin break away from Steve.
She followed Robin into an empty kitchen where she was getting a drink.
Nancy reached for the punch at the same time Robin did, and their hands brushed.
As Nancy looked up and saw the blush dusting Robin's freckled cheeks, she thought checkmate, I couldn’t lose.
"Sorry, uh Nancy right?" Robin sputtered.
Nancy giggled, "Yeah. And you're Robin."
Robin's eyes widened, "I'm surprised you knew that."
"How could I not, you're impossible to ignore," Nancy teased.
Nancy's touch of hand had successfully lit the fuse and she stayed with Robin the rest of the night. She was surprisingly funny, even if she was a terrible dancer. And she was adorable when she got flustered or embarrassed, which was a lot, but that might've just been because of Nancy.
And then, like clockwork, the dominoes of her plan cascaded in a line. Robin started talking to her in school, and Nancy would go to Family Video to see her. Eventually, they for brave enough to start meeting away from these places alone.
Nancy was having fun discovering the equation of Robin, what made her laugh, what she could talk about for hours, every little detail, even if it was unimportant. She scared Nancy, in the best way.
So one night, when they were sitting in her car and Nancy's heart was beating like a drum, she leaned over, grabbed Robin's head, and kissed her. Robin immediately kissed her back, and Nancy melts into her soft lips.
When they finally break apart, Robin has wide eyes and is gasping for breath.
Nancy, feeling uncertain for once, asked, "Was that okay?"
Robin shakes her head and smiles, "More than okay, you don't know how long I've wanted to do that."
"I think I do, because I've been waiting to do the same thing."
After that, they spent even more time together, but this time as an official couple.
Nancy took Robin rollerskating and laughed at how terrible she was, she looked like Bambi on ice. Robin showed nancy her favorite films and told Nancy about her dreams of traveling the world. Nancy would take any excuse to hear her talk in another language.
But as they got more serious, there was a tingling of guilt in the back of Nancy's mind. She felt a little manipulative for how this started, how she started this whole relationship.
It's just that Nancy had felt like this before. This all-consuming love that felt like she could overflow with it. Every time she saw Robin it felt like a balloon was expanding in her chest. And this was certainly the first time she felt the need to confess.
Nancy often caught herself thinking, what if I told her?
In all honesty, Nancy didn't know why she always did this. Why she always felt the need to control the way people fell for her? To scheme like a criminal and to always be cryptic with her feelings. Maybe it was because of her parent's loveless marriage, or maybe because no one played with her as a kid.
Either way, Robin made everything feel effortless, and Nancy found herself wanting to admit how she had done it.
So, while wringing her hands, Nancy tells her: none of it was accidental and the first time they met, nothing would stop her. She explained how she laid the groundwork and how it was all by design.
When Nancy looked up she saw a wide smirk on Robin's face, she knew the entire time.
Nancy had never felt such relief flood through her, she was so terrified that Robin would leave when she found out, but she knew! And all she did was smile.
Nancy threw her arms around the taller girl, "I love you."
"I know," Robin replied, squeezing her back, "And I love you too."