"wouldn't you like to know her?" | ronance !

11.

robin woke up, tangled in a battered blanket. warmth surrounded her.

her head throbbed; sun casted through the egress window just barely illuminating the room. bottles and solo cups littered the space.

she blinked, her eyes adjusting to the sudden shift of dark slumber to morning sun.

then she noticed her, nancy wheeler, cuddling up on her shoulder. she froze up for a heartbeat, shifting away from her.

robin's memories came back to her in a rush, everything felt unclear; but she certainly remembered what johnathan had said.

something about the way nancy grasped the blanket between her fingers and had her chin tucked to her chest made robin's heart flutter.

but she knew it was wrong, nancy was dating steve.

and nancy definitely would not date a girl. ever.

robin inched away from her her, replacing the void where she had been laying with a pillow.
as robin got to her feet, her shoulders rolled back and her hands crested above her head in an elongated stretch.

"you seem comfortable," a sleepy voice mumbled. robin jumped, her arms instinctively crossing over her chest.

"steve!" she hissed, her voice was kept at a whisper level as to not disturb nancy. she squeezed her core, practically falling in on herself as she shrunk away from him. his frame in the doorway blocked out some light, successfully aiding her in adjusting to the room.

he ruffled his dark brown hair whilst looking vacantly at nancy, his eyes slowly shifting to a disheveled robin.

"did you sleep together?"

she hesitated, going slack-jawed. "not like that," he managed through a held-in giggle.

she emitted a long sigh.

"then, yes. i must've fallen asleep," robin masked the pain coursing through her body as she was reminded of the situation last night.

"oh, yeah," steve's eyes briefly darkened, it was apparent he had also remembered. they shared a moment of unbroken eye-contact, both knowing of the others thoughts.

robin broke, her eyes darting away and then around the room.

"i don't think i have anything here, so i'm just gonna walk home,"

nancy stirred, letting out a deep groan. "oh my god, my head hurts," she slurred, sitting up and studying steve and robin.

steve wiggled his eyebrows before mindlessly saying, "so, you cheated on me with my bestfriend? that's pretty low, nance,"

his tone was teasing but something lit up in nancys eyes as he spoke. robin stiffened slightly, preparing herself for what was to come.

steves features drew back ever so slightly, he passed a regretful look to robin for a heartbeat. it was out of his peripherals and nancy was so fixed on robin that she didn't notice.

"you know i'm not a queer," the words eventually slid off her tongue. she pushed herself to her feet and nonchalantly walked off.

robin stayed rigid, her fingernails pressing into her palms.

"i'll be on my way."

"i'm sorry rob-" steve began, robin cut him off with a finger to his lips. "shut up."

steve looked down to his feet, "bye then, birdie."

robin didn't respond. with fleet footing she navigated her way through nancys trashed house. she wondered about how her parents let this slide, or if nancy just worked around the mess so her parents wouldn't see.

-

nancy leaned over her sink, blinking away tears threatening to break the surface and run down her cheeks.

steve pushed the door open, his hands grazing her shoulders softly.

"are you okay?" he studied her face in the mirror, breaking away to search for his toothbrush.

"did i make robin upset again?"

steve paused, his tongue moving over his teeth. he was clearly concentrating on the question at hand.

eventually, he responded, "i don't think you did, but johnathan being a dick last night didn't really make her feel great about herself."

nancy desperately clung to any recollection she had of the previous night.

oh.

"right, so we are okay?"

"of course, nancy. she is warming up to you."

"she is?"

"yes, you guys' didn't get along well at first but you can manage to be in the same room now, right?"

"i guess."