~ Time skip of a few weeks. This chapter takes place in September, three days before Robin and Rain leave for college ~
"Did you hire anyone that interviewed the other day?" Robin asked, walking on the kerb outside the store like a tightrope walker, her arms stretched out besides her. Steve headed to his car and leaned against the driver's side, arms folded and his perfectly styled hair shining in the setting sun "I did - hired the girl with the braces, the girl with green hair, and the guy with the birthmark on his hand. They start Tuesday." Leaning against my own car, I rolled my eyes at him, "Steve you gotta actually call them by their names, or they'll hate you." Steve shrugged his shoulders, not meeting my gaze, he was terrible at hiding his feelings and we could both tell he wasn't okay, "Be at my place tomorrow for movie night by 7, kay?". I nodded to Steve just as Robin opened the passenger side door of Steve's car and climbed in, tossing me a wink that said she would talk to him again tonight and try make him feel better. "Enjoy your mandatory training day tomorrow dude, we'll make sure the store doesn't burn to the ground while you're away." I said as I climbed into my car, earning a short laugh from Steve before he too got into his car and headed home with Robin. When I got home, my mom was cooking in the kitchen, but I was surprised to see Nancy helping her. "Hey Nance - you here for dinner?" I asked. Nancy removed the chicken from the oven, wearing my mom's comically large mitts, "Yeah - Mike's eating with Lucas and Max, and my mom and dad are actually out on a date, can you believe it?!" I loudly snorted, "What did Ted do?" my mom laughed and Nancy shrugged her shoulders, focusing on preparing plates.
As we ate together, my mom spoke between mouthfuls, "Just you and Robin in the store tomorrow then?" I nodded, my mouth packed with salad and chicken. "Well, hopefully it won't be too hectic of a last day for you both" she said. Nancy ate slowly, mostly pushing food around her plate, "You good Nance?" I asked her. Nancy smiled weakly, putting her fork down, "yeah, just keep feeling sad about how everything is changing at the moment...you and Robin going to Canada, and me leaving for college too by myself..." Finished with my dinner, I stood and looped an arm around Nancy's shoulder, "I get it. It's okay to be nervous about going to college alone, but you're Nancy fucking Wheeler, you don't need anybody, you're tough enough on your own." My mom cleared the plates away and gently stroked both of our heads, "You're both tougher than you think you are - Wheelers always are."
Contrary to my mom's hopes that mine and Robin's last day at the store would be peaceful, the entire shift was actually one disaster after the other. "The one day Steve isn't here and we have to deal with evacuating the place because there's a fucking gas leak next door? dear god gimme a break!" Robin ground her teeth, crouching by the wall, hands pushed into her hair. I was using the payphone to leave a message for Steve and let him know what was going on. Most of the customers who had evacuated the store had wandered away, getting on with their day, but there were a few hanging around who seemingly didn't care for what was going on, they were annoyed at US for closing the store whilst they were trying to take out videos. After hanging up I joined Robin and slid down the wall, brushing a hand through my sweaty mullet and then looking at my watch "Hey we've got one hour left until the store closes anyway, then we're done with this shithole of a store." Pretty soon after that we were told that we could go back inside - we dealt with the annoyed customers and tidied the place up for the night. "Can you believe we won't have to wear these dreadful polo shirts ever again?" I asked, twirling in a slow circle to take one last look around the place, knowing I'd kinda miss being here with my two best friends. "I can't wait...but don't be so hasty, we may need a summer job here next year" Robin replied, sitting on the desk and swinging her legs. I snorted and joined her, "I can't imagine Steve would re-hire us after leaving him here." Robin shrugged her shoulders and smiled "Maybe he will if we bribe our replacements to quit." We sat together in silence for a few moments, before locking up the store and driving back to my place.
"Do you know what we're watching tonight?" Robin asked, swinging her head off the edge of my bed as I toweled my hair from the quick shower I'd just had. "Uhhh no...I don't remember anyone mentioning it, but by default it should be our choice right?" Robin was still laying in her towel on my bed, she'd been like that since I went my my shower after her, I knew something was up. "You okay Buckley?" I asked, pulling a pair of DIY-ed pinstripe shorts up my thighs and tucking in my loose fitting grey top. She sighed heavily before answering me, "Vicky's been back at college for over a week now and I feel like we already don't talk as much as we used to...what's gonna happen when we leave?" Crossing my legs beneath me as I sat next to her on my bed, I swallowed before replying, "Honestly Robs, I have no idea, but the two of you lasted this long being separated, so I can't imagine that changing when we leave." Before we could continue our conversation, there was knocking at the door and we heard my mom greeting Eddie and telling him to head up here. Robin changed into her outfit at the speed of light - wearing a mustard button down shirt decorated with pin badges, tucked into black slacks with braces. "Can I come in?" Eddie's voice carried through my bedroom door after he rapped on the wood quietly. "Yeah you're good!" I called out.
Eddie entered the room and looked too good for a movie night at Steve's house - meaning he'd changed out of his ink stained clothes and was wearing the new Metallica shirt I got him, with his long hair messily tied back so that only a few thick strands lay next to his face. "I thought you were coming to movie night? where are you going looking like that?" I pouted at him. Eddie chewed his lip nervously, my eyes narrowed, "What's going on Munson?" Eddie fiddled with his ring - the ring that declared him mine - before clearing his throat and saying "Listen - if I tell you the secret you both gotta pretend you never knew or they'll kill me." Robin and I looked at one another anxiously before nodding. "There is no movie night. The whole gang planned a surprise party for you both before you have to leave. It's at Steve's place obviously. Everyone will be there - Nancy invited everyone from band who was still in Hawkins." Robin and I groaned simultaneously, neither of us wanted a fuss being made over our departure and a party was definitely a fuss! Eddie slid his arm around my shoulder and pressed his nose into my cheek, "It'll be fun - c'mon! one last Hawkins party before you go and I don't get to see you..." I playfully hit his chest and scoffed, "You're literally moving next week too, we'll only be apart for like six days." Eddie nuzzled my neck, nipping me just above where my collar sat, "six days too long, sweetheart."