WILL POV-
---- Next day: Sunday 1:22 PM ----
The following day arrived as the party found themselves eagerly awaiting Will's 'girlfriend'. Will had been in contact with Robin, texting her all night and discussing ways to make them seem like a couple; she was equally excited about the plan, after all she was the one who suggested it. They both understood the reason for this charade, to protect both of them but especially the small boy.
The sun shone bright in the sky, casting long shadows on the sidewalk outside the arcade, the weather was warm; warmer than usual or maybe that was just the nerves of needing to pretend to be in this 'relationship'. So, either way, Will was feeling queasy. He frantically checked his phone as his friends stood by his side eager to meet the girl who had stolen his heart; both Lucas and Dustin jokingly teasing him. The brunette hoped Robin would soon turn up, she was already ten minutes late.
Will couldn't help but wonder how far they would go with this plan as he fidgeted with his fingers. He looked over to Mike and El who were holding hands as usual, but there was a hint of tension on Mike's side.
Yet El was over the moon for her brother, as soon as the doe-eyed girl returned home yesterday, she rushed to his room and asked him a bunch of questions about his new girlfriend; asking everything she could, like when they met, how tall she was, her age among other stuff. She wanted everything to be perfect for her brother even to the point of dressing him; making him wear a simple black graphic-Tee tucked into a pair of light blue jeans; it was something similar to what he'd normally wear but she liked this particular outfit the best.
But Mike seemed to be the most irked of this whole situation; whereas all the rest of his friends were excited to meet Robin, the ravenette only counted the minutes she was late; Will knew Mike was getting annoyed she wasn't here yet. With a scoff and a smirk, he remarked, "Seriously Will! Is this 'Robin' even real? Because I don't know any girl named Robin in our year."
Will furrowed his brows but didn't answer, he didn't understand why Mike was acting the way he was; probably just another random mood swing. The small boy shrugged, assuming this was just the ravenette being overprotective of the brunette like he had been his whole life; it was nothing new. It was similar to the way he acted when the group first met Max.
Yet Dustin chimed in with his peaceful voice, "I mean, there is Robin from Scoops Ahoy who works with Steve; it could be her." he suggested aloud while he pondered.
"The one who Steve tried flirting with but failed?" Lucas raised an eyebrow with a chuckle, "She really knocked his ego down a few pegs."
Mike however, remained sceptical, "Yeah but come on, why would she go for Will if she turned down Steve? No offence Will." Quickly adding the last sentence.
The brunette's temper flared, and he wanted to argue but couldn't find the right words, yet, before a syllable could leave his mouth, Max firmly butt into the conversation, "Mike, shut up. You're being a jerk."
"I'm just being realistic," he shrugged, "Don't you think it's weird he didn't tell anyone and then BOOM, he's in a supposed relationship."
Max never backed down, doubling down on her point, "Realistic my ass. You're just being a downright dick, so calm yourself."
"Yeah Mike, calm down," El repeated in a gentle tone, "I for one am excited to meet her,"
The ravenette grumbled but stopped arguing despite being visibly annoyed. He abided by his girlfriend's rules and didn't want to upset her.
Just as the tension seemed to settle, Suzie's sharp eyes caught sight of someone in the distance. She pointed in that direction and asked Will, "Is that her?" she couldn't make out the face only seeing her silhouette in the burning sun.
Will turned to look, squinting his eyes, his heart pounding with anticipation. Relief washed over upon recognising the familiar face; it was Robin, "Yeah, that's her," he sighed at long last.
When her face became clear, the party remained in a state of shock like a sudden gust of wind, exchanging wide-eyed glances, their jaws hanging open slightly in disbelief; it truly was Robin Buckley, the same Robin who worked alongside Steve in the mall.
When Dustin suggested earlier that it could be their friend Robin, he didn't believe it himself; merely making a joke to make a point to the ravenette but right now he was amazed, "Woah, how did that happen?" he blurted.
Will sighed a sigh of relief, relaxed that now his friends had seen Robin in person, "We just met in Scoops Ahoy and just hit it off, I guess." he explained with the least amount of detail possible,
While the rest of the group seemed in awe by the aspect, Mike struggled to believe despite the evidence before him, crossing his arms and muttering, "I still don't buy it,"
"What's there not to believe dude? She's literally walking over." Lucas chuckled, patting him on the back to which Mike merely rolled his eyes.
A few seconds later she jogged over, taking a few quick steps, appearing out of breath and looking apologetic, "Sorry guys, sorry Will," she spoke whispering the second apology. "We had the morning shift and Steve got stuck in traffic and it was a nightmare."
Will, playing the part of an understanding boyfriend, smiled, waving her over to apologise, "No worries Robin, when I learn to drive, you'll be my passenger princess." he winked, attempting to flirt.
Robin smiled showing all her teeth, trying her best not to burst out with laughter from the flirting attempt, "Oh, I thought that was established," she said in her normal sarcastic manner, yet with a little flirty side playing along, "But don't worry, no amount of traffic could stop me from seeing you."
Amongst the fake flirting, El noticed something with her sharp eye for details. She pointed at the pair, both wearing black graphic-tees tucked into a light blue jeans and black sneakers. Whether it was intentional or merely a coincidence she didn't know, finding the situation adorable.
With a teasing grin, the doe-eyed girl couldn't resist mocking, "Look at these two love birds. Matching outfits, huh? Cute!" and noticing her boyfriend's sour mood, she decided to lighten the situation, dragging him into the conversation, "Hey Mike, should we wear matching clothes next time?"
The ravenette snapped out his thoughts, finally relenting, leaning over and kissing her forehead affectionately, saying, "Of course, I'd be honoured." a tone that was trying to show his relationship was 'pure' and 'better' then everyone else's'.
Instantly, Dustin clapped his hands, "Now that I have done a headcount. The games inside are waiting for us." he declared, his excitement palpable, leading the charge with Suzie by his side.
"Ready to lose, loser?" Max poked Lucas in the side of the ribs, before quickly strutting off.
"Hey, you lost at Dig-dug last time!" Lucas claimed, chasing after her,
Robin and Will exchanged a quick glance, admittedly he was excited to go in with someone else; most times when the party went to the arcade, he would be alone as his friend split off into groups, rarely changing to play certain games. Will would bounce from couple to couple using the moments when they were the least romantic to interject and join their games. He didn't blame them for doing so, they were hormonal teenagers.
Mike and El followed behind them, holding hands like the world depended on it. He didn't understand how Will of all people could attain Robin; no offence to Will, but Mike thought that Robin was the coolest person ever, from what he heard from Dustin, Lucas and Max, she was super smart and athletic. Was he jealous because he wanted to date her? No! He shook his head, he had his own girlfriend and besides, he never thought of Robin in that way before.
Robin was excited but she hadn't been to the arcade in years; after all it was the 2000's and no one really goes to one anymore. The only reason this one was still open is due to the owner refusing to close the store and rebranded the arcade as 'vintage/retro gaming.' she hadn't expected to play any games but then one cabinet caught her eye,
"Mortal Combat!" she squealed, her eyes widening, "I wanna play that one," she pointed, her excitement evident as she wrapped an arm around Will, pulling him toward the game with a mischievous glint in her eye, "Get ready to get your butt kicked Byers!"
The small boy scoffed, deeming himself the king of 'Mortal Combat' always down for a challenge, "Oh, You're on! Prepare to taste defeat."
"Big words for someone with a bowl-cut." Robin teased.
"You won't be saying that when this bowlcut wins!" He said, pointing both thumbs at himself as he placed the quarters in, booting up the game.
A few rounds went by quickly, it seemed as though Robin had played this game before, she was good; really good. They played best-of-five to determine the best player between the pair of them and currently they were neck-and-neck. The gameplay was intense yet effortless, their fingers gliding across the control panel in a pattern as they battled on screen, their characters losing health by the second.
Their conversation was easy and unforced, filled with laughter and joy. They really understood each other and could say the most unserious remarks without the other being offended or confused; it was peculiar and despite having maybe one or two conversations here and there before, they only really started talking for extended amounts since yesterday's incident.
Robin's health dropped to half, and it seemed as though she was about to lose, so in a desperate move to win, she decided to distract him while still technically playing fair and square. Telling him a story that will catch him off guard, "Wanna know the real reason I was late?"
"What?" Will questioned, not even looking away from the screen, the question finally processing in his brain after a few second, "Yeah, sure."
"Basically, Steve tried to impress these girls by juggling ice cream like some sort of circus performer and he threw one scoop so far it hit the mall mascot straight in the face, it was a disaster."
"Oh my gosh," the small boy chuckled soft and yet it wasn't enough to pry his eyes from the screen,
The blue-eyed girl's character was low on health as she continued, "Thats not all, the mall mascot then chased him around the Mall and then wanted to fight him in the parking lot... and poor Steve lost,"
Will's eyes widened, bursting into laughter at the mental image, momentarily losing focus on the game. Seizing the opportunity, Robin used this distraction to attack Will's character, landing a hefty blow that got her out her predicament and produce the final attack.
As the 'Victory' screen lit up, Robin celebrated her win with an exuberant cheer, her grin infectious. She saw the brunette's furrowed brows and scrunched face, patting him on the back, "Aww, don't be such a sore loser Byers, I guess I'm just better then you."
Will's competitive spirit couldn't allow him to lose with such blatant distractions, "You did that on purpose, didn't you?" he accused.
Robin adopted an innocent expression, her eyes widened with feign surprise, "What? Me?" she removed her hand from his back, holding them to the air, "I would never cheat against my dear 'boyfriend'." she winked the last word.
Mike watched El play 'Pac-Man', helping his girlfriend beat the game yet was positioned nearby Will and Robin, able to listen to their conversation unwillingly. He couldn't help but detect flirting in their playful exchange. It got on his nerves, and annoyance washed over as he continued to eavesdrop, his jealousy and suspicions festering. He was angry; why wouldn't Will tell him about Robin earlier? They are supposed to be close! Did the brunette not need him anymore?
As a friend... of course.
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2086 Words
Will and the Party are 15-16
Robin, Vickie, Nancy and Jonathan are 16-17
Steve and Eddie are 17-18
Stay Safe <3