Archive of Our Own

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.