Love And Hellfire

Chapter 22: Sandra Dee

The next morning, Robin was awoken sharply by the excited cries of the T-birds and Pink Ladies, celebrating their win at Thunder Road. Rubbing her eyes, she sat up slowly, upon which she saw the TV was on. Avila had been watching Grease as she paced the room, collecting her belongings and shoving them hastily inside her suitcase.
"What are you doing?" Robin panicked, bolting upright to watch her cousin continue to pack up her life.
"Going somewhere?" Robin pressed, being ignored the first time around. "And where exactly would that be?"
Turning to face her cousin, Avila stood strongly, a single shoe in her hand.
"I'm going to put an end to all of this." She informed her, waving the shoe around in the air. "Starting with Vecna."
Returning to her task at hand, Avila placed the shoe inside the case before collecting it together, fastening the clasp.
"So what's the plan?" Robin spat. "Charge over there and beat him to death with your slippers whilst he's taking a nap?"
"Something like that." Avila rolled her eyes at Robin, who chuckled where she sat. "I haven't completely worked that out yet."
"I can see that." Robin smiled. "And then what.... leave Hawkins?"
As Avila suddenly froze in her tracks, the room fell silent. All but for the sound of the TV humming away in the background. Failing to answer her question, Robin looked to her cousin with worry. Her intentions were clear it seemed, after all.
"You can't leave Hawkins." Robin scoffed in disbelief. "No way, I won't let you..."

"I have nothing left for me here Robin!" Avila cried, tears in her eyes as she picked up the heavy case in her arms.
"Bullshit!" Robin scolded her harshly, tearing the case from her grasp and throwing it down on the bed. "You have me! You've always had me!"
"But you're not-" through choked up words and tears, Avila struggled to explain herself. "You're not-"
"Not who? Eddie Munson?!" Robin scoffed. "Avila you know better than anyone that men are complete rats! You don't need him, you never did..."
As her cousin stood there and sobbed, her case packed upon the bed, Robin simply held her in her arms.
"You love him." Robin said. "You have for a long time."
"Was it that obvious?" Avila let slip a small smile as she pulled away to face Robin. "No wonder I was an easy target for..."
"Oh no you don't!" Robin interrupted her suddenly. "Do not blame yourself. I swear to god when i get my hands on Eddie Munson..."
"Don't ruin your friendship with him over me." Avila told her. "It's crazy to think that I've lived in Hawkins for just over a week and I've caused so much chaos, I bet you wish I'd never stepped of that frickin bus."
Robin assumed Avila's mood was beginning to change and lighten, but sadly after her last statement, Avila returned to moving her case once again. From the sidelines Robin simply watched her. Avila's life in Hawkins was being erased with each step she took across the room. Soon, it would be as though she was never there.
That could not stand. Not for Robin atleast.
"You know what, you're right!" Robin sniggered, through tear filled eyes. "For the first time ever, you've hit the nail on the goddamn head!"
Taken aback by her sudden, harsh outburst, Avila took a step back, leaving her case at her feet as she simply... listened.
"When I saw you step off that bus... I felt sick to my stomach." Robin recalled. "In that moment there was nothing i wanted more than to see you leave this place... to go home, back to Indiana."
Her words were harsh, but true. Avila despised hearing them, but Robin was sure she wanted to prove a point to her cousin.
"The others were happy to see you and meet you, but I just wasn't." Robin added.
"Then why did you let me stay?" Avila butted in, trying her best not to cry as she listened to her cousins cruel words. "Why pretend all this time to be happy that I'm here-"
"Because I didn't know in that moment, just how much I needed you!" Robin sobbed. "I never wanted you to ever be a part of this messed up world I live in Avila! But somehow, you've managed to get yourself well and truly entangled in all of it!"
As they argued, her emotions got the better of her. Robin stood to her feet, waving her arms around as she lay her feelings out bare for Avila to see.
"I mean, look at you... superpowers for God's sake!" Robin continued. "You could literally fight Vecna off single handedly-"
"No I can't-"
"What I'm trying to say is, you're my little cousin Avila. You're not meant to be the strong one who can take care of herself, but here we are!" Robin continued. "I'm meant to be taking care of you."
"Robin, you do." Avila pleaded with her. "Besides, I'm only a week younger i-"
"But that still doesn't stop me worrying about you." Robin admitted. "Each night I'm losing sleep at the thought of you being cursed or worse killed by that demon!" 
The two fell silent, again the only noise that remained was that of the movie playing to itself in the background.
"What I'm trying to say is-" Robin continued. "If you want to leave, you can leave. I can't stop you."
As Avila took a seat upon the window ledge, Robin joined her by her side.
"But wherever you go, I want you to know that you're loved." She added, a final tear leaving her eye as she spoke. "These past few days with you have been some of my best in Hawkins."
Smiling to one another, Avila began to cry once more. Turning away as Robin cupped her face, her gaze returned to the TV where it appeared Sandy was having a similar heart to heart with Frenchie on the banks of Thunder Road. This part of the movie was a firm favourite for Avila. Sandy was about to realise her worth, and what it would take to be happy. However, watching it again like this, Avila couldn't help but think of Eddie. His views were very particular. Sandy was about to embark on a journey to change everything about herself to impress a boy. And for what? An ounce of happiness and potential true love? Upon watching it again, Avila began to agree more and more with Eddie Munson.
"Yanno, I've never understood why you like this movie so much." Robin chuckled. "But I think I can see why."
Before she could answer, Robin simply smirked at her cousins puzzled expression.
"You're just like her." Robin smiled. "Sandy. Beautiful, innocent... doesn't know her true worth."
"Robin, don't be silly." Avila shook her head. "Sandy wouldn't sit here and cry over a stupid boy."
"Exactly!" Robin declared suddenly, leaning forward to hold her cousin by the hands. "And neither will you! Now I say we get our shit together, meet the others, head over to the upside Down and annihilate this Vecna creep."
Glancing back at the TV again, Sandy admired Danny from afar. This reminded Avila of the way she'd admired Eddie all those days ago, as she was falling in love. Those thoughts and feelings reignited her heavy heart.
"And Eddie?" Avila asked, her eyes filled with tears once again.
Before she could answer her cousin, the sound of a car pulling up outside caused them both to divert their attentions to the world outside.
Sheepishly, Steve Harrington stepped out of the vehicle. A bouquet of flowers in hand, he appeared to be talking to himself, rehearsing as he paced back and forth along the road.
"I'll deal with him." Robin reassured her, squeezing Avila's hand.
As she came to stand, Robin looked back at her cousin before making her exit.
"At least consider taking Sandy's advice." Robin chuckled.
"Which is?" Avila smiled.
"Don't let a boy get you down." Robin told her. "Get yourself together, show him what he's missing... and Sandra Dee the hell out of this shit."
Avila began to laugh as she noticed Steve approach the building quickly.
"Think about it, before you leave." Robin added. "For me?"
Nodding, Avila watched on as her cousin smiled before bounding off in pursuit of Steve Harrington. Listening, it didn't take long at all before Avila overheard them bickering outside.
Chuckling, she finally allowed herself time to think. Mere moments ago, she was determined to leave Hawkins. Her plan was to defeat Vecna, and then just leave. Thinking back on it now, she deemed it pathetic. Cowardly.
There was no way she could leave now, not after everything Robin said. Her cousin meant the world to her. She wasn't about to destroy the relationship they had. Not when it had become so strong again.
The appearance of soft music from the television suddenly attracted Avila's gaze. Sandy watched as her future love celebrated his accomplishments with his friends. A sweet song played as she stood to her feet. The words 'sandy, you must start anew' echoed throughout the bedroom. As they did, Avila couldn't help but smile. Rolling her eyes she found herself talking to the screen as though it was the character right infront of her.
"Okay, I get it." She grinned. "Sandra Dee this shit, right?"