"𝘄𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗮 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲,
𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗲"
In which Regina Hargrove does not want to stay in Hawkins any longer than she has to. She picks up a...
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SECRET CODES AND EVIL RUSSIANS
⋇⋆✦⋆⋇ "Robin," Gina says as she walks into the back room, dressed in her new work uniform. "I kinda hate you for this."
Robin smiles and clicks her tongue. "Well I didn't make the rules, Gi."
"Gi?"
Robin freezes in embarrassment, struggling to get words out. "Oh, my God. I totally did not mean to say that. It completely slipped out. It was an accident, truly."
"No, it's fine," Gina reassures the girl, a small smirk growing on her face. "I like it."
Now Gina will never admit this, but she could've sworn she felt butterflies in her stomach when Robin called her Gi. Gina thinks back to when Lisa used to call her that. But no one will find out about it. Ever. If someone found out, then she would for sure be kicked out of her house and sent to some conversion therapy camp. Although she doesn't want to admit it, she's terrified that if she trusts someone, they'll turn their back on her and hurt her more than she already is.
"Alright." Robin smiles weakly, fraying off from her usual upbeat vibe. "Let's watch Steve embarrass himself."
Gina walks over to the open window and looks out of it, seeing how totally hopeless the kid is.
"Oh, my God. How did he even get Nancy to date him?" Gina cringes as Robin draws a tick mark under the words, 'YOU SUCK'; pretty fitting in Gina's opinion.
Robin nods. "I wonder that every day."
—
⋇⋆✦⋆⋇ The mall is about thirty minutes from closing and the business has died down a substantial amount. Steve is working the register by Robins demand, Gina is sitting at the table in the back reading a book, and Robin is impatiently waiting for the end of her shift, checking her watch and then the clock, complaining about how the clock is off by a few minutes.
"Why did you want to work here?" Robin suddenly asks, making Gina look up from her book for the first time in an hour.
Gina leans back in her chair, remembering why she got the job in the first place. "Well, it's not like my dad's going to pay for my college tuition."
Robin bites her lip, picking at her cuticles and obviously growing nervous for no apparent reason."Where do you want to go?"
"Anywhere. Anywhere but here," Gina responds while looking to the ceiling. She can't look at Robin or she'll feel the butterflies again. She can't like Robin. That's just weird. Liking someone you just met and who you know doesn't like girls? It's stupid.
