Chapter Text
I was sitting in the backseat of Steve's car as he was driving Robin and I to school. "I just don't see what the big deal is. Just talk to her."
Steve looked at me in the rearview mirror. "Oh, just talk to her? Just talk to Nance? She has a boyfriend, Y/N."
I shrugged. "It's not like they're married. Don't act like you're star crossed lovers or something, Steve. You can fix this."
Robin grinned at Steve. "Yeah, Steve. You can fix this."
Steve whipped into his parking spot and we got out of the car. He pointed to both Robin and I. "The conversation is over, understood?"
I looked at Robin and we grinned cheekily at each other. She held her hands up. "Whatever you say."
He looked over at me and I mimicked zipping up my lips and throwing away the key. I threw my backpack on and started walking with them inside. "I didn't even ask. Do we have any classes together this semester?"
We all pulled out our schedules and compared. One class. Math with Ms. O'Donnell. Steve sighed with relief. "Oh, thank God. Y/N, you're tutoring me. I'm already letting you know this right now."
"And if I don't want to?"
Steve squinted his eyes, looking up at the ceiling, clearly thinking of a good consequence. "I won't let you rent over the limit at the video store anymore."
I held my hand up to my heart. "Ouch. A low blow. You've got yourself a deal then, Harrington." We continued walking down the hall and passed Vickie as we were walking. I looked at Robin who watched her as she went by. "You should talk to her, Arby." Awhile back, Robin and I were trying to come up with nicknames for each other and I died when I figured out if you said her initials together that it sounded like the fast food chain, and it just stuck ever since, much to her annoyance.
"I do talk to her. In band. When we're practicing."
I gave her a look. "You know that's not what I mean."
She sighed. "I can't just start hitting on her. What if she's not...what if she's not like me?"
I furrowed my eyebrows at her. "Excuse you. You're not alone here." She gave me a look and I waved my hands up and down my body indicating that I was right here.
"Yeah, but you also like guys, so it's a little easier for you. You're not as limited. I ask out the wrong girl and I'm the town pariah."
Steve looked at both of us. "Why don't you guys just date each other? Problem solved."
We gave him a look and I shook my head. "Just because we're girls who like girls doesn't mean we like every other girl who is like minded Steve. Do better."
He nodded. "Sorry, you're right. That was ignorant. I apologize."
I smiled at him. "I know you meant no harm by it. Now, I'm off. I'll catch y'all later at lunch."
They smirked at me before saying their goodbye's, probably because I said "y'all". They always found it hilarious when my southern accent came out, and it did on quite a few occasions. I may have moved to Hawkins from Tennessee two years ago, but that accent stuck with me like molasses. I walked into my first class of the day, which was history. There were no assigned seats and hardly anyone was in the room, so I sat on the far side of the room by the windows, towards the middle.
I was getting my notebook out and situated when someone sat behind me and began speaking. "Y/L/N. I was hoping we'd have a class together this year."
I turned around and frowned at Billy. Dryly I responded. "Lucky me." I didn't really know Billy all that well, but I know his sister, Max, and I know how he treats her, so by association I already decided I would write him off.
He grinned in his chair. "I think we're gonna have a great semester together, you and I."
I rolled my eyes. "Let me do you a favor. You don't want to flirt with me. I don't want you to flirt with me. Pretty sure I'm like 20 years too young for you anyways. Secondly, you're a bit of an asshole to be frank and that's just not my vibe. Okay?" I smiled at him and didn't give him a chance to respond. "Good talk, Hargrove." I turned around in my chair and focused on the board. I could just feel Billy staring at the back of my head, though, which was distracting me.
Once class ended I quickly got up and turned to him. "You have a good time learning about the various hairs on the back of my head, Hargrove?"
He stood up and laughed. "God, you're feistier than I thought you would be."
I raised my eyebrows. "Just wait 'til you see how hard I can hit." He smiled at me and I frowned. "That was your final warning. Back off." I grabbed my stuff and walked out of the room. My second class of the morning was music. It wasn't band like Robin, but an actual class that we learned how to play instruments of our choice, or if we already knew how to play one, to further our development.
I had been playing guitar and drums since I was 7, so I already knew this class was going to be my favorite. We checked in with our teacher and then went off to individual rooms, so to not disturb the others in the class. I found my music room that had both a drum set and a guitar in it. I picked up the guitar and tuned it and then fixed the adjustable strap to fit my body. I started strumming "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" before I realized I was being watched. I looked up at the door and saw Billy watching me through the window.
I sighed and swung my guitar around so that it was flush with my back and I walked over to the door and opened it. "Why are you being a freak?"