Smile || Robin Buckley

ahoy ladies! (s3e1)

It's now the next day. Maitlyn sits with Robin in the back room, discussing band. The only thing she knew for sure that they both had in common and she was too nervous to bring up any new topics. The thing about Maitlyn, one of her biggest fears is being judged. She was scared that if she randomly brought up one of her own personal interests, Robin would judge her for it.

Maitlyn holds back a laugh as she watches Steve through the window trying to flirt with a girl and failing terribly.

Robin stands up. "And another one bites the dust."

She grabs a whiteboard from the side of the window and turns it towards Steve. Maitlyn didn't get a chance to see what was on it.

"You are oh-for-six, Popeye," she says, adding something to the board with a marker.

"Yeah, yeah I can count," Steve says, forming a line with his lips.

"You know that means you suck," Robin says.

"Yep, I can read, too."

"Since when?"

She lays the board back down and Maitlyn gets a look at it. It's a T-chart with one section titled 'you rule' and the other, 'you suck'.

The 'you suck' section had six tally marks in it and the 'you rule' section had nothing.

"It's the stupid hat. I am telling you, it is totally blowing my best feature," Steve says.

"Yeah, company policy is a real drag," Robin replies. "You know, it's a crazy idea but have you considered... telling the truth?"

"Oh, you mean that I couldn't even get into Tech and my douchebag dad's trying to teach me a lesson, I make three bucks an hour, and I have no future? That truth?"

"Hey, twelve o'clock," Robin changes the subject, pointing at the group of girls who were walking in.

Steve pulls off his hat, throwing it to the side.

"Screw company policy," he says.

"Oh my god you're a whole new man," Robin says sarcastically.

He turns around. "Ahoy ladies! Didn't see you there. Would you guys like to set sail on this ocean of flavour with me? I'll be your captain, I'm Steve Harrington."

Maitlyn face palms. No wonder Nancy chose Jonathan.

"Can I get you guys a little taste of the Cherries Jubilee? No? Anybody?" Steve continues. "Banana boat? Four people, four spoons?"

Robin adds another tally underneath the 'you suck' category on her board and joins Maitlyn back at the table.

"God he's hopeless," Robin says.

"Really? Didn't notice," Maitlyn sarcastically replies, smile playing at her lips.

Robin smiles back. "Better get used to it. Working with him is torturous, really."

Later that night Maitlyn sat in her room alone, watching a movie on the small TV that she had on her desk. She had no idea what the movie was but it was entertaining enough.

She decided she wanted a refill on her popcorn so she went to make her way down to the kitchen until she noticed her mom's bedroom door was slightly cracked open and she was awake in there.

She watched silently as Karen did her hair and makeup. She was in a red dress. Her mom in a dress was something that Maitlyn hasn't seen in quite a while.

It was when Karen took off her wedding ring and placed it on her desk that Maitlyn decided she'd seen enough.

What the actual hell.

She quickly walked back to her bedroom and quietly closed the door behind her.

She didn't even want to think the thought through that her mom was cheating. She couldn't be.

Maitlyn wasn't aware that her mom was unhappy with their family. Was it her, Nancy, Mike, and Holly? Ted? Why would she feel the need to cheat?

Maitlyn went through all of the different scenarios in her head. She could have been just going out with her friends.

Why would she take her wedding ring off though?

Maybe she just didn't want it to get lost.

That's what Maitlyn settled on. There was no way she was cheating. She wouldn't do that.

The thought stuck in her mind though. Her mom did seem a little off towards her lately but she figured maybe it was just because of how Maitlyn got fired a few times. Is that the reason she's unhappy with her family now? The reason she's cheating? Is it Maitlyn's fault?

Maitlyn tossed and turned in bed. Sleeping seemed to be impossible. The thought that her mom was cheating on her dad and that it was her fault wouldn't leave her alone.

The thought that her mom was getting all prettied up and removing her wedding ring to go and meet up with another man, doing god knows what.

Her fault. Her fault. All her fault.

A tear fell from her face. She quickly wiped it away. Maybe she was jumping to crazy conclusions. Maybe it wasn't what it seemed. But what if it was? What jf?

Her mind raced and raced until finally she got up and grabbed her walkman from her desk.

She played music in her headphones loud enough that eventually Freddie Mercury's voice was able to drown out the thoughts long enough for her to drift off to sleep.