ᴛʜᴇ ᴍɪxᴛᴀᴘᴇ | M.M

- F O U R -

Ashley leant on the counter and looked up at Robin idly. She always admired the girls beauty and perspective on the world, even if she didn't really know the dark horrors lurking beneath it. "The usual?" Robin sighed, noting Ashley's saddened face. Ash nodded and smiled as Robin handed her her usual peanutbutter icecream with an extra scoop, free of charge.

"Thanks Buckley." She giggled quietly, taking a quick bite from the frozen treat. Robin rolled her eyes in disgust at the girl.

"I can't believe you bite your icecream." She gagged, poking her tongue out and going cross eyed at the girl. Ash shrugged and glanced behind her. "So how's your mixtape coming?" She asked, craning her head forward.

Robin was the person who suggested to Ashley that she should make Max a mixtape to help her confess her feelings. Since Ash rejected learning how to skateboard and buying Max a comic book, a mixtape was both her easiest and cheapest option.

"Good." Ashley smiled, actually proud of herself. She took another bite of her icecream and stared at Robin for a moment. "I'm about three quarters of the way done."

"That's great!" Robin said happily, closing the glass case on the icecreams.

"Although I can't decide whether I should add Whitney Houston's I wanna dance with somebody or Michael Jacksons Beat It to the list." Ashley frowned, rubbing her sore eye which was conveniently hidden behind her large mass of coiled brown hair.

Robin noticed her battered and bruised arms, covered in scratches and different coloured bandades which were basically pointless. Her gaze moved slowly from her raised arm to her tired face. "How about both?" She smiled. "And don't forget to add take on me. That ones always a classic with the ladies." She winked, pushing herself off the counter and noticing the group of younger kids enter the parlour.

"I'll keep that in mind." Ashely smirked sitting in one of the booths to the side of the parlour. She pulled out the almost finished mixtape from her pocket and flipped it between her fingers thoughtfully. What was she doing. She could never win over Max with a piece of plastic and a few top hits. This was ridiculous.

She watched as Erica Sinclair, Lucas's little sister, abused the free samples, asking for another scoop of an icecream she'd already tried. The girls behind her smirked and giggled, licking off there small spoons they had used for their own samples. Robin quickly grew tired of Erica's game, switching with Steve who handled the situation easily.

Erica and her friends left quickly and quietly, disappointment plastered across their youthful faces as they whispered to eachother and Steve looking pretty proud of himself behind the counter.

"Hay, Freeman!" He called, noticing Ash sat alone at the booth. She waved, giving him a small soft smile and taking another bite of her icecream, keeping solid eye-contact with the big haired boy. He shuddered away, shivering slightly as he broke her stare quickly. "Where are the rest of your chums?" He asked, leaning his elbow on the counter.

"Who knows." She shrugged. "I know Dustin is back there and Mike is probably with El." She rolled her eyes, chewing a peanutbutter chunk.

"Aren't there any boys you'd want to 'hang out' with?" He asked, a smirk rising on his lips.

"Steve." She turned to him fully, her bruised eye almost visible as her hair swayed from her face. "I'm gay." He looked taken back, forming an O with his mouth and nodding slowly.

"Cool!" He grinned. "I could give you some girl advice!" He turned to her, excitedly clapping his hands.

"Not be rude or anything Steve." Ash said slowly. "But I've seen Robin's little tally she keeps on you. You suck." Her smile grew as she giggled at the boy she knew mostly as her babysitter from last year. Like her, Steve had accidentally fallen into the conspiracy of Hawkins and the monsters lurking beneath it and he also, unfortunately, was stolen by Dustin last year and obliged to look after the six kids. But he hadn't seemed to mind much. "And let's not forget your dating advice you gave Dustin last year for Max. How'd that one work out again?" Ash smirked, shaking her head at the brunette.