Miss Perfect | Nancy Wheeler

Baby brother

"Check this out" Eddie says slamming down a large catalogue. "Warzone, its got guns and gear all the stuff we need"

"How is this legal?" Robin asks looking at the array of weaponry available.

"We're lucky it is, now, its just far enough outside of Hawkins that we can avoid any- uh angry hicks"

Erica leans forward to make her usual condescending comment "if we're trying to avoid angry hicks maybe we shouldn't go to a store called the warzone"

You let out a small chuckle "normally I'd agree but we need the gear"

"But is it worth the time? It'll take all day to bike there and back" Dustin huffs.

"Who said anything about biking?" Eddie retorts with a playful inflection.

"What you got some sort of ride we don't know about?" Steve questions.

"Well it's not exactly mine but it'll do" the curly haired boy whispers getting a little too close to the other boys face. Mmm something smells... fruity.

///

You all sneak behind Eddie as much as you can with a group of nearly a dozen. Coming to a stop at a caravan he jumps in through a window. Steve goes next of course he has to be close to his boyfriend, you and Nancy help pull the kids in.

When the van sparks to life with a puff of smoke the, ironically enough, angry hicks who own the thing shout profanities while banging the windows. "Hold on" Steve screams from the drivers seat.

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god" you brother panics. "They look pissed"

"I mean its not everyday you lose your house and your car in one swoop" Robin speaks while being tossed around in her seat by the force of the caravan accelerating.

///

Inside the store there were lethal pieces of equipment as far as you could see. Just as expected hillbillies flocked around anything with a 'sale' sticker on it. Reveling in your new friendship you tag along with Robin although to your discomfort Steve is also there. You had more time to think about it now and you didn't like how you'd let the progress between the two of you crumble. He'd been a good friend in the past year and a half, it was ashame to let it go down the drain.

You're broken from your thoughts when Robin comes to a sudden halt. She seems to be staring at somebody so you follow her eyes. A girl with bright orange hair and cutesy makeup kissing a boy with a jock-ish letter jacket on. Her face drops, crestfallen she jogs away. "Robin, Robin!" Steve tries to stop her but it's futile.

You weren't super close by any means but there's no way she was looking at that dude. So that leaves ...the girl. "She likes her doesn't she?" You whisper the question to Steve who makes an incomprehendible expression. He clearly doesn't want to out bis friend even though you yourself are gay. You frown feeling bad for her and a little silly for not realizeing sooner, maybe you would have been friends in school and had someone to talk to about it. Theres no point in dwelling on the past now however, you need to stock up.

///

Parked up in a random expanse of grass you sit alongside Robin aiding her with molotov crafting. "So you too huh?" You try to joke and break the mood.

Up ahead you see Dustin and Eddie play fighting making you grin. They were so cute and you loved seeing your brother smile.

Robin finally speaks sharing your grin "yeah I'm surprised you didn't know"

"Hey I'm not a mind reader" you chuckle with a soft punch to her shoulder.

"Honestly though my love life feels super insignificant in the face of all this" she motions around to the multiple bottles of alcohol stuffed with cloth.