Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
(tw: homophobia)
▬▬ι══════════════ι▬▬
Olivia never really liked band. Hell, she wasn't even good at it. But she didn't have many other talents and the ones she did have were useless. So somewhere during her freshman year, she decided that one extracurricular couldn't hurt.
Liv was entirely unprepared for the world of band geeks. Countless days filed with braces and spit, uncomfortable finger cramps and extremely awkward social interactions-- it was her nightmare. More than anything else, she was surprised by just how much she sucked at playing the trumpet. But then again, she was never really great when she last played it at the age of 7, either.
Robin Buckley took notice of Olivia immediately. It wasn't everyday that you were in a band with the one and only Olivia Mendoza— the famous ex sidekick of Steve 'The Hair' Harrington. Robin didn't really know Olivia all that well, hardly anyone at their school did, but part of her felt drawn to her, as if she knew deep down they were destined to be close.
The first time they talked was freshman year during an afternoon practice. It was pouring rain outside and the amount of breath being released inside was enough to create spouts of humidity that clung uncomfortably to everyone's skin.
Olivia, as usual, was struggling to keep up, her clear confusion evident on her expressive face as her fingers moved clumsily along her instrument. Every now and then an unintended sound would be produced by her movements, causing their band director to grow increasingly impatient.
"Ms. Mendoza." She finally snapped.
There was a collective sound of rattling as all of the band kids turned their bodies to be able to look at Olivia.
"Yeah?"
Olivia didn't seem embarrassed that all eyes were on her. Robin admired this.
"Do you find this...humorous?"
"Not at all, ma'am." Liv shook her head to emphasize her statement.
"Then, please, play correctly. If you refuse to practice, you will no longer be welcome."
Robin didn't really know why she did what she did next. Maybe it was her mothers pep talk from earlier in the morning that encouraged her to "Make new friends!", or maybe it was she really did like Olivia— for all she knew her to be. Without giving herself time to overthink it, Robin leaned over and grabbed Olivia's attention.
"You can watch what I do if you need. I can also help you practice."
Liv turned her head towards Robin, who awkwardly recoiled at the unexpected close eye contact. Olivia smiled.
"Thanks." She said, "You're cool, Buckley."
They talked every practice after that. Even after Olivia inevitably got kicked out of band, the two still exchanged common pleasantries: fleeting hey's in the hallway when they passed one another and glances across the classroom during the classes that they shared. However, what really solidified Robin and Olivia's friendship happened in the year that followed.
Robin had a deep love-hate relationship with her sophomore English class. On one hand, it was absolutely insufferable to sit behind Steve Harrington and his stupid hair. But on the other, she got to admire Tammy Thompson while simultaneously getting to know Olivia better. Those two facts alone were worth any amount of suffering.
It was a regular Tuesday morning. Similar to the first moment that she talked to Olivia, Robin was overcome with a momentary lapse of fearlessness. Truthfully, she didn't know what had gotten into her again, but after a few moments of looking at Tammy Thompson and her new hairdo, Robin found herself ripping a piece of paper from her notebook to write a note.
"I like the new hair." No, too observant for someone who she wasn't friends with.
"You look so good." No. Too gay.
"The color really brings out your eyes." That was even worse.
Finally, Robin settled on: "Did you get a new hairstyle? You look really pretty!"
Swallowing her nerves, she leaned forward and attempted to call the blonde with a series of sounds and low whisperings of her name. Tammy didn't budge; her undying affection for Steve and his hair grasping attention more than the paper being waved in her peripheral vision. Tommy Hagan, however, took notice immediately. After sharing a cheeky glance with the meathead next to him, he leaned forward and ripped the note from Robin's grip.
Olivia was quick to act, turning to face him and demanding he give it back, calling him a string of insults while doing so. Robin sat frozen in her seat, a sudden wave of nausea making its way through her body. This was her worst nightmare. How could she have been so stupid?
Liv could tell Robin was petrified, the color draining from her face as Tommy opened the note and began to read it. The boys around him laughed, only quieting down when their teacher scolded them for being loud.
"Give me my note back." Olivia's voice was low, her sentence seething through her clenched teeth.
Tommy raised his eyebrows arrogantly.
"Oh, so this is your note?"
Before Robin could open her mouth, Liv nodded, sparing a small glance at her friend.
"Oh, so you're the queer."
Throughout the rest of the class, Olivia was pestered by the group of men behind her as they hurled insults and disgustingly sexual questions at her. Tommy passed the note around, probing every classmate to share the news and join in on their harassments. Most did. Robin sat motionless and engulfed in guilt as she watched her classmates poke fun at Olivia. She began fearing for her friendship with Liv. Robin had finally gotten a friend and now, because of a stupid lapse of judgement, Liv had become the popular priss's new target. She was sure Olivia hated her now. She had every right to.
"Olivia, I'm so sorry," Robin whispered, leaning her body to the right so her words would be loud enough to understand. "You didn't have to take the blame. I-I can tell them it was me."
Robin braced herself for an angry response— even for no response at all. Instead, Olivia turned her head to the left and gave a small smile.
"You have nothing to apologize for," Her voice was sincere and soft. "I have your back."
Robin could tell, even back then, that Olivia was making it less of a deal than it was. She assumed it was because she didn't want her to feel guilty —-and she was right. Liv didn't want Robin to feel guilt about what happened. It wasn't Robins fault that they went to school with a bunch of losers. Olivia was used to it. She already dealt with the countless snide comments and side glances due to her families history, so what was another scandal, really?
From that day on, Robin Buckley and Olivia Mendoza became inseparable.
