vegas | robin buckley

5. like like

***

"Ze veek es long," Jackie reiterates the first translated sentence to Steve as she opens the back window to the cash register.

"Thrilling," Steve stares back at her after passing Max and El their ice creams, Jackie nodding at them in greeting.

"Better than Calculus homework," Jackie shrugs, about to shut the window again.

"Hey, wait," Steve stops her, getting closer so he can talk quietly. "Check out that guy by the door."

Jackie shifts her gaze to the farthest booth seat from where she stands where some blonde guy is reading over the menu.

"He's alright," Jackie waves it off. "Actually, I have someone for you."

"Really?" Steve looks more interested at this.

"Yeah, you might know her. . ." Jackie lowers her voice some more. "Her name starts with an R, rhymes with Shmobin."

"Absolutely not," Steve immediately shakes his head. "Nope, no."

"Oh, come on," Jackie tries convincing even as he walks back to the register and pretends to mess with it. "Is it really such a bad idea?"

"Yes!" Steve exclaims, not looking back. "Yes, it's a horrible idea, okay? Robin and I. . . we're like. . . pizza and sushi. You two would make a better couple than I would with her."

"What?" Jackie stares taken aback at this. "What are you talking about?"

"I just mean," Steve looks confused at Jackie's sudden defensiveness. "Not, like, literally, or anything. . . just that- her and I are never gonna happen, okay?"

"Okay," Jackie decides to drop it, not liking how close Steve almost got to finding out the only secret Jackie's been keeping from everyone. "I'll keep a lookout for someone else then."

But Jackie's totally lying. If Steve's subconscious has a reason to say anything about Jackie and Robin being a couple - about Jackie and any other girl being a couple - then the girl has to do whatever she can to fix that.

She needs to get Robin and Steve together.

Then, he'll realize he had no reason to say what he did, and Jackie can also have plausible grounds to convince herself that the looks Robin keeps shooting her - and Tammy whenever she comes in - are nothing worth looking into.

***

"You're quiet," Robin nudges Jackie under the table with her foot as the two girls sit across from each other, still in the back, waiting for Dustin to get back from his bathroom/banana split break.

"I have one more chapter," Jackie gestures to the English book splayed out in front of her.

"Tammy hasn't come in for awhile," Robin doesn't take the hint, and gets comfortable in her seat as she moves her legs so they're crossed at the ankle over the table.

"I guess," Jackie underlines a metaphor.

"Y'know, at first, I thought she came in for you-"

"What, why?" Jackie hopes the way she keeps her eyes trained on the words on the page in front of her doesn't give away anything suspicious.

"I know, it was weird. But I get it now, she was totally here for Steve."

"Mm, yeah," Jackie relaxes a bit for sitting more rigid again. "How do you feel about that?" She pretends to underline something else, but she's no longer really reading the words on the page. "About Steve. . . and. . . other girls."

"Good for him," Robin raises her eyebrows at Jackie but she pretends this book is the most interesting thing she's ever seen. "I know he's been on the lookout for a hottie, so."

"So, do you. . ." Jackie looks up from her book from this and tries not to be startled by how blue her eyes look in this shitty back room lighting. "Do you, um, like. . . like Steve?"

"Like. . . like him?" Robin asks for clarification. "No, ew, what? No."

"Okay," Jackie nods understandably. "No, yeah, sure."

"Why?" Robin then stares. "Do you like, like him?"

"What? Ew, no, why would you think that?" But Jackie knows exactly why Robin would think that, she's just not proud of how unsubtle she's being at the moment. She's always had trouble with emotion related of stuff.

It's why she always finds herself hunched over textbooks and doing extra credit work. As complicated Physics can get, it's never as complicated as human emotions are. As relationships are.

"I dunno, you two are close, sorry for assuming,"Robin shakes her head. "Y'know, for awhile I kinda thought you and Tammy were only friends because of how badly she wanted to be with Steve."

"Tammy does not want to be with Steve," Jackie waves off easily and starts reading her book again.

"Really?" Robin isn't ready to move on from the conversation just yet. "Do you, um, do you know who she does want to be with, then?"

Jackie stops reading again, not sure how to answer the question but also not wanting to let Robin see how much she's panicking. "Um. . . no," Jackie finally gets out. "It's just, um, Steve isn't really her. . . her type, y'know?"

"Right, no, yeah," Robin nods along. "I can't really imagine Steve being anyone's type," she then jokes.

"Tell me about it," Jackie laughs softly too, thinking about how much effort it's taken to find a girl for someone who should be the heartthrob of Hawkins.

"So, what's your type, then?" Robin continues, asking Jackie now.

"Like in people?" Jackie clarifies.

"No, in cats."

"Funny," Jackie stares as Robin laughs a little at her own joke. "And, I dunno. . . I've never really thought about it."

"Seriously? You've never had a boyfriend before? Or even a crush on someone?"

"Nah, I don't really have time for that kind of stuff," Jackie plays it off easily. "AP classes don't take themselves," she tries saying lightheartedly, but frowns at herself at how pretentious that must sound.

"Right, no, yeah, of course."

"Well, what about you?" Jackie realizes basic manners. "Your type?" she then clarifies.

"Oh, um. . ." Robin takes a second to think. "Y'know," she shrugs. "Dudes."

"Right," Jackie nods, knowing enough social cues to know Robin isn't going to elaborate. "Cool."

"Yep. Cool."

"Kay. . . I should. . ." Jackie trails off and lifts up her book slightly.

"No, yeah. Kay. Cool," Robin nods, leaving her to it.

a/n:
sorry I totally abandoned this book! I was still in my normax phase (shameless self promo check out my max mayfield book for more context) anyway back now 👩‍🎤🤟