DAYDREAM, ROBIN BUCKLEY

ONE

"You know," Lindsey Ryan says, walking up to the service counter of the Gap, "staring at the clock won't make the time go any faster."

Wendy turns red at her friend's words. "I-I wasn't... I wasn't staring."

It didn't take Lindsey long to figure out where Wendy disappeared to for her lunch break every day. The food court was the obvious answer, but something about how excited Wendy was when leaving for it made Lindsey a little suspicious. When she tagged along one day, she met the very girl that seemed to make Wendy's whole world turn around and finally understood. The girl had a crush on Robin the ice cream scooper.

"Sure you weren't." Lindsey nods. "Look, don't worry about not making it. Robin's shift doesn't end for another hour."

A burst of shock-laughter is her reply, followed by Wendy stumbling out, "That's not why I want to leave! I just... really want ice cream."

Lindsey laughs. She reaches under the counter to grab Wendy's bag, handing it to her with a short smile. "Go." Wendy shakes her head, feeling a bit guilty, but Lindsey shakes her head in amusement. "Go. I mean it, go see your girl."

Wendy clutches her bag to her chest, excited for the first time in a very long time. "Thank you! I will— I'll work extra time tomorrow for this!"

"Sure you will, Wendy. Sure you will."

Wendy couldn't stop the giddy feeling from spreading over her chest. The thought of seeing Robin again made her feel as though she was floating, as cheesy as it was. It was something that Wendy looked forward to at the end of the day, and she hasn't had anything like that for a very long time.

As the food court comes into view, Wendy finds her smile brightening. It was silly, this little crush on Robin, seeing as she was sure Robin would never feel the same for her, but that was fine. As long as Robin was in her life and happy, then Wendy was okay.

The sign for Scoops Ahoy winks at her from across the food court, a haze of blue, yellow, and red that she has become so familiar with. Bustling through the tables inside the court, she finally hits the booths just outside of the parlour. Almost immediately, Steve Harrington notices the brunette waiting patiently for the children ordering ice cream to leave.

Steve waves her over with a grin, but it drops when he sees her teasing smile. "No," he says immediately. Wendy nods, shrugging lightly. "Wendy, come on—again? Why? What purpose does this serve?"

"Just do it, dingus." Robin smiles softly at Wendy from beside the boy, enjoying the small smile on the girls face. "It makes her happy."