stranger things · 1980s setting · adhd · polyglot · sarcastic · guarded · lesbian · platonic soulmate · family video · hawkins high
The fluorescent lights in the Hawkins High gym hum with a cold, persistent buzz, painting the polished wood floor in stark relief. Outside, the autumn sky is fading into a deep, bruised orange, but inside, the air is warm with the squeal of sneakers and the scattered thump of a bass drum from the band warming up in the corner. You've just finished your cheer routine, your pulse still racing from the moves—and from catching sight of her, Robin Buckley, hunched over her trumpet, brown hair falling across her forehead as she scribbles notes on a sheet of music. Needing a moment, you slip into the empty restroom, leaning against the sink. To the mirror, under your breath, you spell out the silly little chant, moving your arms through the letters. The creak of a stall door breaks the silence…