I'm Not Ready For This Yet (Robin Buckley X OC)

Chapter One - Changes

It was 4:30 in the morning, my window was closed and my curtains open. I couldn't seem to stop looking outside. I was so used to the city, to all the noise and the lights, I had almost forgotten about... peace?
My room's views of the sky and the forest ware wonderful, something I would've expected to be completely unaffordable for my uncle and I, and don't get me wrong, in any other situation it would be, but we were in such weird circumstances.
He didn't attend the funeral, I don't thing any of her other siblings did, and since they're all pretty distant, I didn't bat an eye. But then we got that letter, she'd apparently written her will despite being only 37 years old, and she'd left my uncle everything she had. Her house, her car, her café... and to be honest, it was way too fucking convenient.

My uncle's life had been going downhill since I came here, living with them. He had lost his job as a supermarket cashier, we were about to get kicked out of our house for not paying rent, and on top of all that he had to take care of me.
Well, it's not like he had to pay for all my stuff, I did collaborate, but I'm only eighteen, I don't have anything but my high school degree, so obviously I didn't have such a stable and well paid job.
I was a babysitter, which was nice for someone my age, but not enough to pay our rent debt, which led us here.
My uncle took the inheritance, and we moved there.
Hawkins was one of those small cities where everyone knew each other, and my aunt's café already had a good reputation. Surely we'd have no trouble selling, and the house was already paid for, so it was great, everything was going to be way better than before.

I wouldn't miss New York at all, I did get used to the city lights and car whistles, but I being used to it doesn't mean that I ever liked it.
This is way better. If I believed in god, I'd surely think he's on our side.
There was still something fishy about my aunt's death and the inheritance, but there was no way I was gonna worry about that now that life was giving me a break. Foolish decision I guess, but I'm only eighteen, what would you expect?
I really was enjoying myself, doing nothing, just unpacking my boxes and staring at the moon through my window. I decided it was enough, I had already unpacked half of my boxes, there was only four left. I lit up a candle and a lavender incense, then turned off the light. The candle was enough.

I sat on my window's ledge and opened it a bit, just enough to light a cigarette and let the smoke fade in the wind outside.
God, I loved the wind. I loved fall, and the smell of nature when it started getting colder.
Once I was done with the cig I closed my window and went straight to my closet.
As I said, there were still some boxes to unpack, so I didn't have all of my clothes there yet. I did however manage an acceptable warm outfit; gray sweatpants and an old blue and black wool sweater. My style is sick, I know.
I left my room, closing the door behind me. My uncle had left his room's door open, so I carefully closed his too, I wouldn't want to wake him with the noise. I hadn't slept a single minute, but it was fine, it just sometimes happened, I was quite used to it. Insomnia for me was just like city noise. Loud, annoying, bearable after some getting used to. However, just because I was up didn't mean I had to bother him too.
After brushing my teeth, I made myself a black coffee and grabbed an apple from our fruit bowl, then went outside. I loved having breakfast outside, alone.
I found a nice place under an olive tree, and after considering climbing it, I just sat under it and took a couple sips from my already cold coffee.
I couldn't see the sunrise due to the trees, but I did start to notice it was getting clearer.
Once I was done, I reconsidered the climbing and I finally did. Olive trees were so easy to climb, I used to do so with one near my school when I was a kid. I know I'm eighteen, but no one's looking, so we're good. I found myself a pretty comfortable branch and after putting on my headphones I sat there. I was searching for my Bowie cassette to play, when suddenly I heard a noise. I thought I might just be a rabbit or a wild cat, but then I heard it clearly, it was a voice, a conversation, one I was too curious and nosey to just ignore. I immediately took my headphones off and tried to listen, I still couldn't see them.
-Are you sure it's the real one?- what I guessed to be a young boy's voice said I'll
-Of course it is dude, how could it not be? I traveled all the way to New York to get it.- this time a girl spoke, she had a very particular soft raspy voice. I estimated she was about my age.
-Let me check it out... OMG wow, let me just...- said the boy
-Get your hands off it! It's real, okay?- the girl again
-Mike's gonna love it, soon he'll be one of us- another boy's voice
-No way, I'm not letting him - the first boy joked
-Guys, it's almost six, we have to hurry, he'll soon be getting on the car, and it'll be too late. We have to get it to him on time, or we'll have to wait until next week, and then the whole thing will be ruined.- Said the girl.
-God, Robin, calm down! Nancy's on our side, she's distracting him until we get there, don't worry - the first boy said.
The curiosity inside of me had grown even further. Who was Mike? What was that mysterious thing they were getting him?
-Anyway, hurry up.- she seemed to be losing her patience.
They started walking, and I made an effort to see their faces. I climbed down the tree as fast and as silently as I possibly could, but when I was almost on the floor, I tripped.
-What was that?- said one of the boys.
They all seamed tense. I didn't know what they expected, the reasonable explanation was either a rabbit or a stray cat, but no, they were all so quiet.
-God, not another Demogorgon.- That was a joke. It was obviously a joke, a DND joke, even I got it and I didn't even play. But none of them laughed.
-I'll check - the boy walked towards me and I managed to quickly hide between some bay bushes. I then saw him. I was right, he had to be around my age. He was wearing jeans, a strapped t-shirt, and a green uniform vest that had "family video" written on its left. He also had the best hair I'd seen around town.
Luckily he didn't see me, instead, all he saw was a pretty convenient little black cat playing around with a gross big bug.
-Guys, it's literally a kitten. We need to calm down - he laughed.
After that, they were gone.
They had said it was almost six, so I hurried back home and got ready to open the café. My uncle was already downstairs having breakfast when I arrived.
-Morning- I waved at him as I opened the door
-Janis, you can't keep going outside when it's so dark! I thought you were sleeping?- he said, worried. He didn't raise his voice, he just was genuinely concerned. I understand now, but back then it just seamed nonsense.
-Uncle Harold, I was literally having my coffee under a tree. I just need some fresh air!- I laughed
-You don't get it, there are bad things out there! Bad people, to be exact! I've been reading the newspaper and they're warning everyone. There's a wave of disappearances around town! They think it might be linked to some teen satanic cult!- Remember my "If I believed in god" thing? well, he actually does. As surprising as it is to me, he manages to still believe in god after everything he's been through.
-Harold, I - I took a deep breath trying to figure out my word choice for such a complicated message.-You know... the newspaper sometimes talks in the name of God for their own benefit, right? I mean, I don't think God's word is wrong, I'm just saying they sometimes reverse the meaning to scare people... you know, they've done that to people like you and me before, with the whole "gay people are after your children" thing...- He stared at me for a second, maybe figuring out his answer.
-Alright, teen satanists or not, those kids have disappeared. Promise you'll be careful, okay?
-Always careful, I promise.
He was already clothed, and almost done with his breakfast, so I went upstairs and fixed my hair and face a little.
I tied my messy wavy hair up in a ponytail and straightened my curtain bangs. Then I put on some black eyeshadow and mascara combination and went back downstairs. The café was just a couple blocks from our home, so we walked there calmly.
The morning was pretty busy, lots of people came in to buy breakfast. Some of them even asked what happened to the old owner, to which we agreed we'd answer he just moved to New York.
At around one o'clock we closed to have lunch, and then at eight we went back home.
At dinner, I was way too tired to have anything, so I planned on going straight to bed, but Harold stopped me.
-You know, the café seams to be doing pretty well...- he said, sitting at the kitchen table.- I know you didn't have many friends in New York, well yeah, there was this Isabella girl, I remember her, but I know you didn't exactly go out often due to the stressful situation...-he was trying to find his words again, but what he wanted to say was already obvious. He wanted me to socialize here.-Look, I know you're eighteen and all, but you're still a kid, and I think it'd be good for you to go out and make some friends! You could take the afternoons off, it's always way less busy than the mornings, and I can handle them on my own! I think you could really use some free time.
I was way too tired from not sleeping that night, so I agreed way too easily, even he was shocked.
I went upstairs, brushed my teeth, and went straight to bed, just like I planned. I didn't even take my makeup off, my bad.

they meet in the next chapter, stay tuned!<3