DAYDREAM, ROBIN BUCKLEY

ZERO

When the brand new Starcourt Mall opened up, Wendy Hill's father insisted that she apply for a job. He claimed that, until she left for college, if she ever left for college, she was under his roof and had to do what he said. She didn't bother denying it. She did need the job and she did need the money and she did need to listen to him. It was how she was raised; do what your father says, at least until you get a husband. Then you do what they say. That's how things work.

The thing was, Wendy didn't want to listen to him. And she didn't want a husband — and not because she had to listen to him, but because she didn't even like guys. Not that her father knew that. She doesn't want to find out what he would do to her if he did know that, so she doesn't let him know that, or even suspect it, by doing what he says.

Wendy got a job at the Gap a few days after she applied. Something about being an excellent communicator (wrong), having leadership skills (none at all), and most definitely being the child of a police officer that can pull some strings. She didn't bother kidding herself. That was the only reason she got the job and, quite frankly, it made her a little nervous. She wondered if people were going to look at her as if they knew her whole life, kind of like they did when she attended Hawkins High School. People judged her before they even knew her.

On her first day, Wendy was worried she would mess it all up. Her father would be pissed and, maybe, he'd smack her around like he occasionally did to her mother. He's never laid a hand on her before, but the concern was still there. Still a lingering feeling that never seemed to go away, even when he was smiling and laughing and an overall good man.

She had some money saved up from babysitting Will Byers and planned to use that for her lunch break, but was pleasantly surprised when her mother snuck her a ten. It wasn't something she should have been surprised about, she guessed, seeing as a mother should always provide what was needed for their daughter, but she was surprised nonetheless. And, even more surprisingly, it ended up being useful. With that little bit of money, originally going to be used for her lunch, she was able to pay for the ice cream the cute girl working at Scoops Ahoy made to help her feel better.

She supposed that Robin Buckley noticed her nerves the minute she stepped into the food court. She had called out to Wendy, gestured for her to come over to her. The chairs and tables in the food court were almost all empty, save for the elderly couple eating pretzels from Hot Sam's, and so the girl easily made her way over to the dirty-blonde. Robin smiled when she finally made it to the counter of Scoops Ahoy. "So," she said. "First day jitters, huh?"

Wendy blushed. "T-That easy to notice, huh?"

Robin paused. Wendy waited for the infamous question that always came with her stutter (usually a "what's with the stutter, freak?" but sometimes people were more creative). Instead, with a tiny smile, Robin said, "Well, I was new here three days ago. Now I'm the best damn employee around here."

"W-Wow." Wendy shook her head, letting out a small laugh. "That good, huh?"

"Oh, yeah," Robin replied, nodding. "Amazing." She paused, drew in a tiny breath. "Uh, when does your shift start?

"Twenty minutes from now," Wendy answers. She tilts her head to the side in confusion. "Why?"

Robin lifts the ice cream scooper in her right hand, letting it dangle as she let her eyes wander over Wendy's facial features. Wendy rose a brow when Robin said nothing for a long moment, causing the latter to clear her throat, the apples of her cheeks tinging a light pink at being caught staring. "Um, ice cream, Wendy. Ice cream makes everything better. Ahoy!"

Wendy laughed. It was a short burst of unfiltered laughter that immediately made her cover her mouth and clear her throat, face heating up. "S-Sorry about t-that."

"Don't be," Robin said quickly. "It's cute."

Wendy could barely breathe. "S-Strawberry."

"What?"

"Thuh-thu-the ice cream," Wendy giggles softly. "I want strawberry."

"Oh!" Robin laughs awkwardly, dropping her gaze to the tubs inside of the freezer to the side. "Right, of course. I'll get that for you now."

So, maybe, Wendy's first day wasn't so bad after all.