𝐷𝑜𝑝𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑒, 𝑆𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑛, 𝑂𝑥𝑦𝑡𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑛- 𝑅𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒

𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑢𝑒

"Steve, I can one-hundred percent assure you that I couldn't give less of an interest in your very apparently aloof and painstakingly boring love life. Seriously, you're killing me here."

"Oh, come on, Rob- have some sympathy. I bet he thought that you'd be thrilled to hear about his lady business... didn't you, Steve?- bet you thought that she'd be bewildered by it?"

The air around the three of them lingered with a faint cloud of smoke. All room was occupied, and depending on personal preference, the young adults had taken their position around the area. The shortest had decided to take camp on her back on the floor, the tallest leaned back into the couch, and lastly, the owner of the abode simply copied the other.
Conversation had been tedious when not filled with slow but constant drags, but just on theme, the frequent return of a subject had been hot on one's mind.

"Yeah, but maybe I'd shut up if you guys gave me actual advice... Like, I've seen three girls this week alone, and none of them turned out to be anything more than a hook-up."
A disdained hand ran through the man's hair before falling limp on the couch once again.

The woman on the floor, Robin Buckley, made a disgruntled noise from the pit of her throat in return.
"Oh, come on," she dragged out her words, thrusting her hand up into the air as she stared at the ceiling. "What is this? The eighteen-hundreds?"

The comment was met with a brisk state of silence.

"Yeah, it is." Another voice pitched in, demeanour all-of-a-sudden stern. Leaning up from his position, blunt still propped in-between middle and index finger, Eddie Munson nodded. "It's true, Harrington- you have to find a woman quickly and stay with her forever. That includes marriage and no divorce."

From across the way, Steve blinked.

"-I'm joking, by the way. You see how stupid it sounds, though? Yeah. That's how you sound."

"Thanks, Munson." Harrington glared in reply. "Really appreciate it."

The three quickly sunk back down into their as-before solemn state, all before the only female voice spoke again.
"It's honestly dumb." Her tone was sour, thick, full of un-aimed spite.

"What is?" The tallest asked, taking another puff before coughing slightly.

"How you can just say that. Like, three girls, Steve- do you not realise that that isn't completely normal? That normal people don't have others lining up for their company and their sex and their just all together good looks? You're actually a magnet and it's insane to me."

Both men made eye contact with a slightly confused expression.

"You sure you don't want one of these, Buckley? Could maybe help with your romantical issues." Eddie noticed the tension and offered a share, flicking the base of his roll in gesture.
But before a reply could be announced, Steve had piped in with words of his own.

"No, she does not- for all of our sake. Please don't make her anymore loopy than she already is."

The comment was gifted with a glare.
"Thanks, Steven, but I was going to refuse anyway. The feeling of constantly being stocked up on psychedelics no matter what does not really need another incoming fuel source."

The supplier nodded slightly and blew in another breath-full. "Sounds good to me, Rob...So, Harrington, in conclusion, we're shit advice givers and you should seek help in some over personnel."
While speaking, he grinned, putting his hands up in a lasting shrug.

"I concur with that frankly borderline-offensive statement. Sadly, I cannot argue, otherwise I would be doing. Like, seriously, where is the help when you need it?"

"I dunno," Steve started, thinking hard for a conclusion. "We'll know of someone helpful, surely?"

They all tensed for a moment, minds valued in thought.
"Well," Robin was the first to perceive an answer. "Let's go through the list, shall we?" She held her hand up to prepare.

"We have Dustin, who'll immediately bring up his Suzie-poo... so that's off the board." A finger descended. "Mike claims that he's found the 'love of his life' and will give absolutely bullshit advice that would not work on anyone else except from Eleven."

She placed down another finger.

"- Then we have Lucas, who, let's face it, is our best bet out of the boys, but yet again, our problems are slightly different than theirs..." Words ran short, allowing another key-moment to round up the second part of the wisdom.
"So, basically, the only person left is Max, who is the most realistic out of the bunch- but yet again, does not have the same problems."

Eddie sighed, rapidly realising the situation at hand. "We are all metaphorically plummeting very quickly into what I like to call the 'Vale of Shadows' phase of relationship finding- meaning...we're absolutely doomed."

Steve very simply huffed, swiftly coming to the conclusion that they were all doing just that. They were hopeless, the lot of them.
But when all hope did seem lost, without warning, Robin shot up from her position, basking in a new found light.

"Nancy. We need Nancy."

"What?" Steve questioned, suddenly interested in the new-found resolution.

"Nancy Wheeler, the person who gives the best advice. Even if it's brutal, it's always deathly true..." Her excitement grew untameable, the thought of having to finally drop the topic seemed like that of a dream..."But, ah, distance. Curse California, why're they always switching locations?"

"I dunno, Rob, but it sounds like the best bet to me. Steve, if you want advice that desperately, call Nancy. There's our answer."

From his slouch, Steve faintly nodded, turning his expression into that of an accepting frown.
"Yeah, okay, guess I will."

And just as simply as her friend's acceptance, Robin let hers turn into a face of pure horror. Rising from her flat-laying position all together, she turned her back towards the telephone and spread out her two arms in attempt at a barrier.

"Steve Harrington," she breathed in pure disgust. "Don't you dare tell me that your skull is thick enough for you to not know better than to call your ex-girlfriend for relationship advice. Now is that a punch in the guts or what? It's us that need to do it."

In un-sober state and slightly taken aback from the truth session, Steve chuckled.
"You're absolute chaos, my dearest Buckley. Truly."

Raising both of their cigarettes into the air in a form of salute, the two men grinned.

"Cheers to that, my friend." Eddie laughed and held his trophy higher into the air as the only woman in the room rolled her eyes with crossing arms.

"I hate you guys, I really do."