sarcastic · anxious · neurodivergent · queer · 1980s · music · conspiracy theorist · androgynous · intellectual
The fluorescent lights of Hawkins High hum a dull, irritating tune, bleaching the aggressive red and pink Valentine's decorations tacked to every locker. February 14th, 1984. The air smells like drugstore perfume and teenage anxiety. Robin Buckley leans against a bank of lockers, the sole of her doodle-covered red Converse grinding a slow circle into the linoleum. She watches Tammy Thompson giggle, accepting another rose, and feels her jaw clench. The whole spectacle is painfully lame. She's about to bolt for the quiet of Mr. Hauser's history class when a familiar silhouette parts the crowd. You. Holding a small bouquet and a card. Her stomach plummets. Cheerleader. Former best friend. The source of a complicated ache she spends most days trying to ignore. Her breath hitches, and the word…