Hypotheticals

7-Motley Crue over Iron Maiden

Robin Buckley has friends, sure. She's got plenty. But close friends? Steve Harrington and Eddie Muson were her only two strong bonds. It's not like she was unable to form strong bonds with others, it was more the fact that she had a hard time stopping. Once she started talking it was like a large boulder rolling down a hill. You can't really stop it and by the time you do it's too late and you might of hurt someone. 

Aside from the keeping company aspect of the friendships, the two guys are the only ones who knew about her being a lesbian. Steve found out, the hard way might she add, when they were trapped in a bathroom stall of the burning Starcourt Mall the preceeding summer. 

Eddie on the other hand, was the first to find out about Robin's band crush, Vickie. Eddie told her that she was in no way at all hiding it and that made them all the more closer. Robin thinks of them as her boys. 

Now, as their Sunday shift came to a close, Robin sighed outward and leaned onto the counter in boredom. Steve was helping an old man find some underground film about the Titanic. It was titled something like That Night we Remember. She listened in on the conversation the two were having. "Are you sure your movies aren't sorted by year? The movie came out in 58' not too hard to find if you had a 'by year' system, son." 

"Apologies sir but  they are sorted by genre and popularity. Maybe you can go check, like the natural disaster section we have down there or something." Steve walked away and scrubbed his hands on his face. The man look displeased and muttered something about kids these days. 

"Plans for tonight?" Robin said flatly as her coworker reached the counter. Steve shrugged. 

"I guess there's a room in my house that could use cleaning. I dunno, what about you?" at the prompt for her plans Robin stood up straight. "Oh me, I'm going to Eddie's. He wanted to hang out, his uncle's away. Lonely being in an empty trailer I guess."

Steve thought back to the time when he and the kids went over to offer condolences to Max after her brother's death. He remembered seeing Eddie get out of his van and enter the trailer across the way from the Mayfields. 

"Oh really that's cool. I didn't know you were that close." Robin nodded cheerfully. Steve wanted to ask if he could go, as these plans were very much less lame than his own. But alas he felt that would be impeding on the two and besides- why would Steve want to hang out with Munson?

"You guys have lots of fun. Don't do any drugs, Robin. I'd hate to see you hungover on the first day of spring break. Or you know, face down in a ditch somewhere because you couldn't walk home." 

She reached over the counter to slap him. God she loved that dingus. Steve smiled earnestly at his best friend. 

---

Robin slammed the door of Steve's car and waved goodbye. "The door, Robin. Stop slamming the door!" She heard him yell out the window. "Yeah, yeah, whatever loser."

Three hollow thumps on the door of the trailer were enough for Eddie to come flying to the door. Steve observed, waiting till Robin was inside, to make sure she was safe and sound.  When the door opened, Steve saw a curly mess poke out from the front side of Robin and wave at Steve. Steve's face burned harshly as he gripped the steering wheel firmly. He gave a civil wave to Eddie and began to drive away. 

Eddie smiled and lowered his hand. He admired the fact that Steve would go ut of his way to drive his friend around like he was today with Robin. They were trully platonic soulmates. His stomach spun its self around a few times as he waved and he watch the unattainable man drive away. 

"Buckles!" Eddie welcomed Robin with open arms and gave her a tender hug. She tossed her coat aside, onto the couch and looked around. Something about his trailer felt very comfortable to her. Whether it wsa the smell, or the worn out everything, or god knows- even the load of hats up on the wall near the door, Robin enjoyed being here nearly more than her own home. 

Eddie walked them down the hallway and bowed his head, gesturing to his room. She feigned a curtsy and walked in.  SHe took in the sight that was Eddie's bedroom for the millionth time. Poster after poster, guitars, sheet music. She knew his prized posessions were this one black electric guitar, and his walkman. 

She sat down on his bed and flopped back. She felt the bed dip to her side as Eddie sat and flopped, alike she.  She turned her head toward him. This silence would normally be presented as akward or tense but they were just finding things to talk about. Besides Robin knew he wanted to talk about something so she decided she would let him initiate the conversation. 

Silently, Eddie stood up from his short-lived lie down and walked over to the desk, on which stood his stereo. He held up two tapes for Robin to choose from. She sat up cross-legged and contemplated. She chose the one in his left hand. It was all the same to her, but him, he silently judged her for choosing Motley Crue over Iron Maiden. 

With a click and the press of a few buttons, the music quietly flooded the room.  He sat back down on the bed cross-legged facing Robin. 

"Uh, Robin? You like girls, and like Vickie and stuff right?" Robin suddenly felt a bit more aware and realized this was going to be a more serious conversation. She nodded and made a sound of verification. Eddie was fidgeting with the rings on his hand. he was struggling to maintain eye contact. "So- like how did you know? T-that you like girls?"

She smiled. "Well, it wasn't easy I'll tell you that. I guess, like, I felt odd not liking Tommy H or Jason or fuck- even Steve. Like I was the odd girl out. And I had this one classmate, she was like the best thing I'd ever seen. Her hair was perfect, and her face. She was like no guy I'd ever seen. Granted, that was at the time. I think I found my taste now. People who can actually sing." She muttered. Eddie shrugged the last line off because what?

He nodded. "Okay okay. Cool cool cool. So like it took a while to figure out." She also nodded. She noticed that his knee was bouncing up and down a mile a minute. She noticed he began to pick at his fingers. He was now completely avoiding eye contact. 

"Eddie?" 

"Robin?" His voice was small. He wanted so much to tell her but how. It wouldn't be a problem. She had no right to judge him. But still. what if she told someone? What if she still hated him? What if she found out about Steve? What if? What if?

"Eddie wake up!" Robin snapped him out of his thoughts. "eddie what is it? you can talk to me you know." He nodded and gulped hard. He could suddenly feel his shirt on his torso. His rings felt constricting. The music became louder. The room grew hot. 

"Robin I-" He felt he couldn't speak. His throat felt like it was closing up, his face burning. He stomach was taut and spun. he felt the tears start. 

"I'm- I'm gay! Queer, homosexual. I'm a big ass fucking fa-" With an outward and defeated sigh Eddie fell silent, leaving his words floating in the air like a deadly virus- ready to claim its next victim.