Bad habit, Robin Buckley

02

August 25th 1985
First day of senior year at
📍Hawkins high

Joanne Henderson

The first thing I hear when I wake up is my annoying alarm clock blasting some generic beeping sound. I blindly reach my arm over and hit the stop button on the alarm. I lay back down in my bed only for another second before I remembered—today was the first day of senior year. I shot up straight in my bed swinging my legs to the side before jumping out. Once I was on the ground I started walking towards the bathroom.

I wasn't one of those people who despised highschool. I had an easy time. I wasn't being bullied, or failing, I felt like I fit in. It made me feel like a shitty person—how come I had it so easy? Robin used to say it all the time, she couldn't believe "the Joanne Henderson" was speaking to her. It made me feel like a crappy person.

I rushed through my hair and makeup before picking out an outfit—or rather putting on the outfit I pre-planned the night before.

Walking out into the hall a noticed Dustin's door was still shut.

"Dustin let's gooo" I shouted while banging on his door.

"FIVE MORE MINUTES" he yelled back from the other side

"No Dustin I'm serious if you don't come out here you're biking to school" I yelled back to him

"Come on Dusty, you don't want to be late for you first day of highschool" I heard my mother say from behind me

I tried his door knob, locked.

"Dustin get the hell out here or-"

He interrupted me while slamming the door
open stating some bullshit excuse like "chill guys I've been ready for the past ten minutes".

My car is old and green, it used to be our dads. The car has tan leather seats and a small trunk that can barely fit both of our book bags, and the dashboard is littered with scuff marks from Dustin resting his feet on it, and the passenger door makes horrible creaking noise when you open it, and sometimes the wheels screech when I drive too far for too long, but as my mother would say at least I have a car.

In the car he starts to speak "So" Dustin fiddles with the radio while asking me "do you think I'll actually make friends?" He gives me an awkward smile "like, do you think I'll have people to sit with at lunch?" He finishes.

"Of course I think you"ll make friends, why wouldn't you" I glance at him while he stairs out the windshield

"I just feel like-" he sighs "I feel like I don't fit"

"You fit, don't say stuff like that Dustin of course you fit" I say trying to convince him

"Joanne it's fine, you don't have to lie" he laughs it off like it's no big deal.

"I am not lying" I do my best to look at him while also focusing on the road. "You are going to be fine" I say in reassurance.

"Okay" he nods "I believe you"

He goes back to the buttons on the radio and like a virgin starts playing at full volume. I roll my eyes at his tacky choice of song.

"Like a virgin" he sings "touched for the very first time"

"Okay no more Dustin please shut up" I beg

"Like a viiirginnnn, touched for the very first timeeeee" he continues

"You're killing me dingus, no more" I reach for the radio to turn it down.

Swatting my hand away he sings on "when your heart beats next to mine!"

He sings like this until we pull into the parking lot and he runs out of the car to go find one of his friends. I get out of the car and head where I know Nancy will be waiting. I see he standing by her car, which is parked by the entrance.

"Hey nance" I say approaching her car

"Oh, hey Jo" she smiles, but I've known Nancy long enough to tell It's a fake smile.

"So" I walk to the part of the car she is sitting on "What's wrong" i ask jumping on the hood with her.

"Nothings wrong" she lies.

"Nance come on a know you" I say while nudging her arm.

"It's just first day jitters" she smiles at me.

"Ohh yes, first day without Jonathan jitters?" I infer giving her a small smile.

"precisely" she concludes.

I hug her from the side "I think you're gonna be just fine Nancy" I say smiling at her.

Resting her head in my shoulder she says "I hope so Jo"

"I know you will be, and I'm always right" I push.

"Of course you are" she laughs at me.

While I sit in my homeroom, which I only go to on the first day of school because Mrs. Greene, the teacher in my homeroom, usually just marks everyone present without looking up from her desk waiting for the bell to ring before I can go to first period, I notice someone. Behind me is Robin Buckley. She has on the same headphones connected to the same Walkman she has had since freshman year. This time I have a guess to what she might be listening to, I think maybe something Stevie nicks, I've heard her play Fleetwood Mac songs in family video. Maybe she likes ABBA, that seems fitting.

I was pulled from contemplating which song she might be listing to by the first bell ringing. I pick up my bags and walk out into the hall. I've always had friends in school, but today when I walked out of my home took a saw three different groups of people waiting for me.

The first person I see is a smiling Nancy who I assume is just waiting to walk me to class like we usually did last year.

The second group is my school friends. The group of assholes who I sit with at lunch with, they invite me to parties and I joined in on their prom group so I guess in their minds that makes us friends.

The third group of people waiting for me is the most surprising—Dustin, Lucas, Mike, and a very quiet max, all sporting a lost face.

"Sorry guys, no time to walk you all to class" I say looking at all my friends waiting for me.

"But Jo we have no clue where we are going" Lucas chimes in from behind Dustin.

"then look at a map" I say while sighing because I honestly don't want to have to walk my little brother and his nerdy friends around all day.

"Please Jo just help us this one time and I'll owe you" he pleads at me making a puppy dog face.

"Fine whatever" I sigh "duty calls guys" I say too the rest of the people waiting for me.

Max looks up at me a mumbles a very soft "thanks"

"No problem" I say sincerely to her

I walk all the children to their classes and myself to first period art with Mr. Bates, which I have been taking since sophomore year. I sit at the on table I can see with an empty seat towards the back of the class. I set my backpack beside the stool I was about to sit on. While hopping up I see the person sitting across from me at my art table. Robin Buckley.

I really really hope you guys enjoy this book. Please don't be afraid to comment your opinions or anything like that. I am seriously enjoying this so much. Also please don't worry the story starts getting very Robin centric soon!!!