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CHAPTER FOURTEEN ABOUT A GIRL/ABOUT A BOY
Erica Sinclair is a handful. Abby knows this from experience. She has a lot of people wrapped around her little finger as she prances around Hawkins. Robin Buckley, Abby has discovered is not one of those people. The aforementioned pours over her notebook with headphones secured tightly over her head as the Russian transmission plays on repeat. Abby, caught up in her own thoughts as she stares down at the translations in Robin's notebook leans across the opposite side of the counter, effectively tuning out the incessant ringing of the bell on the counter.
Abby and Robin had fallen into a rhythm, alternating between customers while Dustin and Steve stake out the mall in search of Russian spies. The girls doubt that they'll actually get any leads. It's not like they'll actually be able to spot a Russian spy, but they need peace and quiet. Without Steve or Dustin around to check in on them every five minutes, slowing their progress considerably, they're able to get much more work done.
Finally, Abby's thoughts are shattered by Erica who calls, "Excuse me?! Ahoy?"
Abby lets out a groan reaches up and pulls the headphones off of Robin's head. Robin's head snaps up. "What?"
"You're up," Abby tells her as she inclines her head towards Erica who stares at them impatiently with her arms crossed over her chest. "Good luck, sailor."
Robin releases a heavy sigh and throws her head back as she turns around to face Erica Sinclair. She's flanked by her two friends who smile smugly at Robin and Abby. Erica gives Robin a forced smile and tilts her head innocently as she rests her hands on the counter. She'll use whatever card she has to pull out of her sleeve to get more samples.
"I'd like to try the peanut butter chocolate swirl, please," the girl says through her forced smile.
Robin isn't having any of this. Not today. She shakes her head. "No. No more samples today."
"Why not?"
"Because you're abusing our company policy."
The perfect angel facade washes away from Erica's face in an instant as she realizes that Robin is a lost cause. She cranes her neck around in search of someone that she knows she still has wrapped tightly around her finger. She gets a lot of things from her sickly sweet voice, and Steve has always been the staff member to crack first and Erica knows this. Abby has grown a tolerance to her whines and general obnoxiousness after months of watching her with a keen eye when both her parents and brother aren't available. Erica doesn't even try to catch Abby's eye. She's much smarter than she lets on, blinded by the vehement denial that she is not a nerd like her older brother and his friends.
