PROLOGUE
↳ the beginning

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Opposite Family Video was a small Barnes and Nobles. Robin had noticed it a few times, it wasn't exactly the hardest to miss. However, what she immediately and always noticed was the girl working there. A blonde, bubbly girl: Laurie Fisher. Now, Robin Buckley wasn't exactly one to keep her cool around people in general, but she so desperately tried whenever Laurie Fisher came into Family Video, usually to rent out Grease and then simply chat to Robin on other days, or to just return Grease and then talk. Robin knew very well what she always wanted, always having the VHS prepared whenever she hadn't rented it out, exactly by 4pm, around the time that she would be coming in. It had become a usual routine now and Steve Harrington couldn't help noticing it.

He didn't pry much into her behaviour. He shrugged a shoulder to how excited his friend got whenever Laurie Fisher skipped into Family Video with a Cheshire cat smile on her face. He shrugged at how bashful Robin got, praying that his best friend wasn't setting herself up to get her heart shattered once more.

By the end of the Summer, Robin had began noticing how infrequently Laurie Fisher had been coming into work and Family Video in general. She didn't assume much, only that maybe the brown eyed girl had been too busy to come in and pick up Grease like she would usually do. So, instead, she simply put aside Grease and told customers every time that it was currently being rented out.

Obviously it wasn't. Robin knew that and so did Steve.

But, Steve knew to not pry too much into his friend's odd behaviour. Over the Summer following the Starcourt Mall disaster (which was being dubbed a fire now), Steve had really gotten to know his friend. He knew to not question too much of her behaviour, since it was Robin Buckley after all.

Late August arrived and Laurie Fisher did too with a spring in her steps. The girl was a literal ray of sunshine, bouncing into Family Video following a rather long shift at the bookshop. Robin couldn't help the smile spreading across her face when Laurie had come to the front of the shop, bouncing in place while she spoke to Robin.

"I'm so sorry I haven't been here in ages," the blonde haired girl apologised in her usual cheerful voice. She gave a grin, her cheeks their usual rosy selves. "Do you have-"

Robin immediately cut her off, "Grease?" She brandished the VHS with a wide smile, holding it with all the pride the girl could muster in front of the school cheerleader. "Voila." She gave a toothy grin.

Laurie laughed, her usual smile never leaving her face as she shook her head. Her blonde hair bounced around and she simply brushed a strand out of her face before replying in her cheerful voice, "I was gonna say Footloose, but that's great as well."

Robin went red with absolute embarrassment. "Oh." She could feel awkwardness engulf her whole as she shuffled in place. She waved off her anxiety quickly, her shoulders jittering upwards slightly. "I can check if it's here or whether someone's rented it out for you if you want? I mean of course that's what you want, that's why you're here why else-"

Laurie cut her off with a smile. "That would be great."

In the end, she had found that Footloose was being rented out and had to deliver the news to the girl with a pitiful smile and a bright red face.

"I'm sorry, someone's still renting it at the moment." Robin apologised profusely, a small smile clearing onto her face as she watched Laurie laugh. She could engrave that sound in her mind forever.

Laurie scrunched up her nose with her smile. "That's fine. Do you mind me renting out Grease then? I know I've gotten it for like-"

"The tenth time?" Robin interrupted, her cheeks already aching with how much she was smiling. She watched Laurie laugh once more and simply felt her cheeks heat up. "You really love the film, huh?"

Laurie nodded excitedly. "Obviously!"

"I might give it a watch after you, to test if it's actually good."

"You should! You'd absolutely love Sandy! She's so pretty!"

Robin could feel her heart simply bloom into an explosion of so much. "Yeah, she looks it." Her own heart was thundering in her chest as she stared at Laurie for a moment, in complete bliss. Then her eyes caught something purple. Laurie's shoe laces. The shoe laces on her black DMs. "I like your purple laces- wait that sounds so weird- what I meant to say was I like your shoes- yeah your shoes!"

Laurie momentarily blinked, staring at Robin with her wide brown eyes. "Oh, my shoes?" She chuckled. "Yeah, though I like to say they're lilac! That's my favourite colour!" She beamed at Robin, staring at the girl for a moment before piping up, "nice earrings! Did you make them?"

Robin's hand immediately touched the dangly beads, the dangly rainbow earrings. "Yeah- yeah I did."

Laurie grinned. "They're really pretty!" She grabbed onto the VHS, placing $7 onto the counter. "Thank you, I'll see you at school, right?"

Robin nodded. "Yeah."

Laurie waved. "See you soon then!"

Robin stared off for a moment, her mouth agape. She knew very well what purple shoe laces meant and she couldn't help feeling hopeful that maybe she wasn't as doomed as she liked to make it out to be.

Steve Harrington broke the silence, "Robin, what was that?"

Robin turned to him, her smile immediately fading. "Oh great you're here." She commented sarcastically, though meant it in a light-hearted way.

"Don't tell me you've got a crush on Laurie Fisher now." Robin went red. "For crying out loud Robin, that's Laurie Fisher!"

Robin's mouth dropped open. "Yeah, no shit Sherlock. I've sat by her for two years straight. I know her name surprisingly."

"Then you know who she is!"

"Hawkins High's beloved cheerleader." Robin rolled her eyes. "Listen, Steve, I have a good feeling about this. There is no way she's-" Robin looked around, making sure no one else was around before saying, "-straight."

"And why do you say that?" Steve crossed his arms at her.

"She has purple shoe laces!" Robin laughed, looking beyond happy. "Purple Steve!" He gave her a confused look. "Oh, you don't know what that means, do you?"

"That it's her favourite colour?"

Robin shook her head wildly. "It means she likes people like me!"

"Band nerds?" Steve frowned, still very confused.

Robin groaned. "Women! The female species!"

He still frowned. "But, purple is a popular colour?"

"Then why aren't you wearing it?" Robin crossed her arms at him, tilting her head to the side. "Listen, just give me this to be hopeful about. Like I don't think you realise how long I've waited to maybe have one chance with someone in a mile radius. This could be it!"

Steve shook his head. "You're setting yourself up for nights of screaming into pillows again."

Robin huffed. "I regret telling you that aspect of my life." She went to fiddling with her rings, sighing. "She won't be another Tammy Thompson, I know it. I really do."

Steve nodded, albeit hesitantly. "Listen, I just don't want you getting hurt, okay? Like, right now I'd consider you my best friend and it's my duty to make sure you don't get hurt. So just promise me you won't be too attached, okay?"

Robin exhaled. "Yes mom."

"Good." Steve nodded his head, before handing some VHS tapes to the girl. "Now put these back. You spent nearly ten minutes attempting to flirt with a customer which was painful enough as it is."

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we love steve harrington being protective of robin because he doesn't want her screaming into her pillow over laurie fisher

baby

my boy need to trust robin's judgement tho

she's 100% correct

laurie is a fruity tootie with not an ounce of straightness in her bones

she's as straight as chrissy cunningham's arms

<3

here's a teaser to what to expect from this book:

steve being protective of robin
lucas and laurie brotp ( they're literally iconic friends full stop )
eddie and laurie solidarity
knives and laurie being besties
nancy, robin and laurie radiating poly sapphic energy for an hour straight
gayness which is always expected
and finally
max and laurie <3

i also adore robin and laurie's relationship so much
polar opposite gfs
which robin deserves